What to write about tonight? My bar tending experience or forgiveness....I think the former given its 2am and I'm a wee bit tired and the post I want to write on forgiveness is a tricky concept to grasp, so I'll just ramble at you for tonight.
So maybe a month ago, maybe it was 3 weeks, I can't quite remember, one of my girls organised a birthday party for her 25th Birthday. She didn't ask me. She was sure she did but she didn't...but thankfully I know her well enough to ask her about it and we sorted that all out. Then there was the deal that basically only she and her fiance are eligible to work behind the bar....with a busy night (with people from the party) and the party girl herself not able to work the bar and with the fact that what I would normally get for L was well, difficult...there are lots of things she needs and wants but some things I don't want to give her for her birthday and other things are just out of my current limited price range. But I often go hang out at the Bar on Thursday night to hang out with L, just talk and laugh a bit and just keep each other quiet company. I'm ever so thankful to her. So the one thing I thought I could do was work the bar for her on her birthday party! Take some of the pressure off her fiance and just generally help out. Besides, it was a bit of a bucket list item, I wanted to work behind a bar for at least one night, CHECK! (I also want to do things like work in a florist for a day, get the ISA Masters Competition (maybe too impossible but who knows) etc etc
So that night, about 2.5 weeks ago, I booked right then and there to so my RSA certificate. What on earth is that you may be asking? It's the Responsible Serving of Alcohol and anyone that is working near or on the bar of a licenced premises in Victoria must have this certificate. It's a four hour face to face course that you can do. I found the cheapest one available and I was shocked when I got there as it was full! But for a course I thought was going to be really dull and boring and just some facts thrown at us with some rules and out the door we walk, the guy was really engaging and had lots of experience and useful things to say. I cannot say I was great at practicing them tonight, tonight I was just working on getting the orders and change correct, but they are definite areas I can improve upon in the future.
So the first thursday I was meant to go and learn, with my certificate in hand and what so I do? I sleep for five hours straight and miss my training session! I had my certificate but this was at the bar experience. DOH! Thankfully we still had this past thursday to get it right. I didn't fall asleep this time but I managed to learn all the basics I could as quickly as I could. Then tonight....tonight was the real deal.
One major issue to overcome was that I woke this morning with my ears all blocked. Not idea why but it was hard to hear ANYTHING. Things that would normally aggravate me at such volumes I could still barely hear. This was not boding well for a busy bar with loud music. As a friend pointed out, maybe it was a bonus on the loud music part! I sure hope so. (Mind you, I'd love to educate them with their music I think...) But I got there and no one else but the fiance were there yet so that worked out okay.
We started.
I was doing okay. I think once M realised I was handling it okay he calmed a bit too and was quite eager to let me serve and stuff. I had to ask a few questions but in general all was good. I couldn't make coffee though, and thankfully only one person asked for a coffee. Note to anyone to drinks, drinking coffee will NOT make you sober....it will just confuzzle your brain. It's a false economy and sure its fine to drink alcohol and coffee, just don't think one negates the other. I THINK I overcharged a bit but it was consistently overcharging so that was positive I guess. There weren't meant to be tabs but there were two, that got a bit confusing at times but generally worked out okay.
I had to have a seat because i love my boots but they are totally made for WALKING not standing relatively still. I should've worn my Koalabi boots (if you ever see their stuff its amazing! Highly recommended) but you live and learn. I have a headache, I have eye ache, I'm tired and I realise very often I'm in bed by about 8pm weeknights and maybe 9 or MAYBE 10pm weekends if that....and even though I suffer insomnia, I suffer it in the comfort of a comfy bed! I don't think I'm cut out for crazy late nights....but that being said, I'd help out again if it was needed.
A few things I noticed though....alcoholics love to shout other people drinks - I wonder if that is because they dont' feel so isolated? I discovered that the more people drink, they more they spend to drink more and spend more and its a never ending cycle....those that cut themselves off early are still up for a drink but usually non-alcoholic and they're often a bit more shy in a nice way. I don't understand the appeal of shots/shooters....I never really have but it takes me longer to make you one then it does for you to drink it! and it costs so much money! I feel guilty just going to the MOVIES on a Monday or Tuesday! (that's like $7.50 to $10 tickets). People are more than welcome to have a drink etc and do what they like, its their life and future etc. And thankfully no one tonight was so intoxicated they couldn't stand up and no one got aggressive or anything (although I"ve met this group of friends before and they've never been the type to get like that anyway) but to me, having a drink and just slowly drinking it every now and then makes so much more sense to me then drinking copious amounts at one go and not really remembering any of it. (One of the things our RSA tutor taught us was that its wise to be brave and develop your palate by drinking a whole range of wines, beers, spirits etc...try not to stay stuck with the safe favourite.)
I was quite astonished at what I THINK were the top three drinks that were served tonight between M and I. One was a standout in the number of people, the second is not a huge surprise if I take my friends parties and stuff over the years to consider and the third was another surprise....although it probably got up there because one lovely lady shouted another 9 people (so 10 in totally) to shots of the same drink. At the moment I'm doing a bit of a poll as to what people think might be the top three drinks that were served tonight....
So basically this is the competition, if you can guess the top three drinks sold to night, I'll make you a necklace or bracelet in a colour of your choosing and send it to you in the mail. So far I can tell you that its NOT: Coffee, Water, Wine, Beer (you'd have to single out the beer so I'm just taking it out of the running), Gin, Sambucca, Pernod, Sherry, Whisky, Rum. It IS related to 1. Coke & [something], 2. Vokda [something], 3. A type of shot/shooter
Goodluck!
No comments:
Post a Comment