Coup de théâtre !

Yesterday, I was headed to work determined and ready to announce that I would no longer be working in the kitchen. I was fed up (pardon the pun) with the schoolyard attitude of the cooks. I mean, I get why they would be irritated at someone with no experience coming in and doing the same work as them for the same pay. I would be angry too. But the tricky - and mature - way to deal with a situation like this is, in my opinion, to take the high road and not take it out on your colleague who is just there to make a living. I had had enough, and I was even ready to work part-time if no other shifts were available in front-of-house. I got to work, all dolled up in my black outfit and orange tie, and the head of service (they're all heads-of-something, actually, it's hard to know who exactly by boss is 'cause they kind of all are) tells me "Um, we've decided to take you out of the kitchen / you'll still be host on week-ends / your barista training starts next week".

I was insulted. That's like wanting to break up with something, only to have them break up with you first. I was happy, but still I felt worried that this was somehow my fault, that I had done something wrong. I couldn't let this go thinking that maybe that kitchen staff had complained about my performance. So I asked the heads of service and kitchen and they assured me that I had done nothing wrong and no one had expressed any bad comment on my part. I don't believe them, but who cares really.

So I then got my official host training, even a demonstration of how to carry 8 (empty) glasses in one hand. And I worked with another maître-d', another frenchie. I get that I'm not as fluid as they are (yet), but I can't help but feel that they're a little condescending. Maybe it's my ego, but I really don't take criticism well nowadays.

So I'll remain full-time, only now I'll enjoy two days off instead of one. They were offering me Mondays and Wednesdays off, but I stood my ground and asked for Sunday and Monday. Which they accepted. Thankfully.

They announced that "major changes are coming" and that "the rotten apples will be eliminated". Very dramatic, but hey, that's the way frenchies speak. Heads will be rolling for next few weeks, and since I'm still very much a newbie, I don't know about the inside politics, the inner clics and basically who the rotten apples are. Not knowing who trust is the worst. I hope R is staying. He actually likes me.