I never knew working at a Takeaway restaurant could be that exciting and the meantime exhausting. I always wondered why adults would so easily get worn out working during the day. After all, it’s just taking orders and cooking. How hard can it be?
Then the retribution for my naivety came. I was asked to replace someone at a takeaway restaurant for one night by one of my church members. I might as well earn some money, considering that I have been working for so many days for nothing. I agreed.
I went to help a day before just to get used to what I have to do the following day. I was taught how to greet customers, take down their orders efficiently, and help pack the foods into their containers. My, it was a really tough job! I had to race against time, swiftly taking down orders, passing them to the kitchen, pack up the food, collect the payments, answering the phones. Worst yet, it will always be busy just when your poised to take a rest.
But nothing compared to the following night. I was to manage the counter all by myself while the two cooks cook food in the kitchen. People came in and out, placing orders that doesn’t seem to end, endless packing and counting and rushing between the counter and the kitchen. I had to keep interrupting my dinner just to serve the customers. Approaching 9 o’clock (end of my shift), my feet were numb.
Taking a precious break from all the hard work, I took a glance into the kitchen. Then a sudden epiphany descend onto me: the two cooks in the kitchen had been doing nothing but cooking all the while. They didn’t even had the luxury of sitting down or take a rest like I did. My shift lasted only for 4 hours, but they would have to work for 6 hours daily, 6 days a week. Here I am, a healthy 20 year old, reeling from the ache of standing to long for just 4 hours, occasionally sat down and rested, was actually far more fortunate than them. I realised, the lives of these fellow brethren are not at all easy by any means.
I ended up that night full from the delicious meals these splendid cooks cooked for me, with a considerable amount of money I (undeservedly) earned in my pocket, aching pains in my both feet. But more importantly, I got a glimpse of how harsh life could be on people, flesh and blood of my kind. I need to emulate the tenacity of these people who strives every single day for survival. I realised how small and minute I am in comparison to them. I am far too green, too naive, too foolish.
I might not like to be where I am this summer. But I am sure that this summer has been a blessing in disguised. I’ve learnt and am still learning so much, about things that I cannot get from books and theories, rather by direct experimenting and experiencing others’ way of life. It is so true that at times “people truly live when they are working”.
It is through rewards reaped through toils and hardship makes living all the sweeter.