I have been to quite a number of wedding dinners and functions which were held in hotel ballrooms. Once you are sitted, a waiter will be there to fill your cup up with beverage.. and then at around 8:45 pm the first course will be served. 20 minutes later the second course comes up, it is usually shark's fin soup. Then the waiter will portion the soup by serving them into the respective bowls and place them infront of you. After you are done, they will clear your used plates, bowls and spoons and replcace them with unused ones. Then there come the thrid course.. usually scallope with vegetables.. and then they will lean over to serve 2 scallopes on each plate with some vegetables and bring them infront of you... later clear plates.. put new plates and serve the next course..

Hey! whats so difficult about bring a dish from the back to the ballroom, placing them down and serving them into 12 plates.. seem so easy leh.

In actual fact, its not easy at all.. especially for a first timer like me.. ok let me tell you wad happen at the first day of work.. which was ytd..

Met Xs at Sk mrt at 3 pm sharp. She was so punctual.. infact she was earlier than me.. first time leh. you know what, she so excited or wad ah.. she sms me at 2 pm to say "eh.. i ready liao.. now can go liao"... lol.. i was still playing com or smt at 2 pm..

Anyway.. later on, at 4 pm, JH and XS went to work first.. Dom and I cannot go inside because its too early, so we idle around Raffles City Shopping Centre la.. walk.. walk.. walk.. up.. down.. left..right... then go toilet. Dom says he wanna shit.. so he go shit la. While he shitting, Jh called him.. then say can go in liao.. the both of them are having lunch at the canteen. So Dom stopped shitting half way thru.. and we went to the entrance.. but the security dont wanna let us in.. cos still too early. so we idle around the ouside of the entrance la.. talk.. talk.. talk.. then 5 10 liao.. can go in.. this is when the nightmare begins..lol..

went inside.. our names not on the list, and we have no vouchers.. cos they misplace our application forms all that lah.. so have to write name. Then the lady told us to go to the fashion room, the place where u get your uniform, the go banquet office to get name tags. and then later report to "canning" So we searched for the fashion room.. the place was like a maze.. walk here.. there and every where.. finally found it hidden behind a bend. Then told the aunty that we are first timers.. she so fierce ah.. always yelling at people one.. is her job very stressful? So we tried on the unforms la.. mine was too small.. then i duno wad to do.. cos she attending to others.. suddenly she turn over to yell at me.."eh.. why take so long.. wad u doing!!" luckily got some one yell back saying that we first timers..lol.. so i got my uniform.. size 16.. dom size 14.. jh 14 and xs is also 16. Then we search our way.. trying to find the way to the banquet office.

if u ask me to get to the bqt office from the guest entrance.. thru the shopping mall ah.. i can bring u there in less than 5 minutes.. if u ask me to bring u to the bqt office thru the employee entrance.. 50 minutes also cannot reach. The place is really complex.. got dunno how many lifts.. some only have up buttons while others have up and downs. dunno how to get to the bqt office.. so went back to the counter.. the lady.. named angie la.. so asked her.. she says take the lift. so we took a lift.. i tot the lift inside only got a few buttons.. cos the building like very short like that... to my horror.. got like 20 buttons... eh.. which flr ah?

so we pressed 3 first.. then went out.. walk one big round.. thru the kitchen.. then dunno where la.. we saw many things but the bqt office. so dunno la.. went back to the lift.. dom was operating the lift now.. doors close liao.. he nv push any button.. so the lift went up to 5 th floor.. uh oh... a cleaning lady came in.. then we asked her where the bqt office is.. oh.. its at the 4th floor.. so we went to the 4 th floor.. once again i need to empahsize.. it was a maze.. so we took ten minutes.. walking thru the kitchen... narrow corridors.. then finally found a manager. asked him how to get to bqt office.. then he gave us the direction.. phew.. finally.. bqt office.. took name tags.. and.. and.. oh man.. where are we suppose to report to? which ballroom?? AHHHH!! both of us forget... can u immagine... we forget which ballroom!!

so we need to look for angie again.. "eh dom.. how to get back to the basement where angie is ah?"

"ah.. dunno leh"

so we planned to exit the building then come in from the employee entrance again.. walk till half way.. we decided to abort the plan.. cos cannot any how walk outside with the uniforms on. So we went back.. luckily dom suddenly remember how to get there.. so we went back.. went to her dumbly.. and asked.."er.. we forget where we are suppose to work".. then she say "Canning"..

then.."erm.. canning ah.. how to go canning ah?"

ah.. it was that bad alright.. we dun know how the place work.. how to get around.. but this is just the beginning.. we haven even start work!

so reached ballroom canning at 5 45.. phew.. 15 minutes earlier.. eh.. hold on.. wheres my dinner ah?? ahh... then we found out that dinner is at 4 30.. now cannot eat liao.. so there is no dinner for us.

We reported to the person in charge, then got down to work. They are still setting up the place la.. bowls.. plates.. all that.. it was a company dinner and dance.. so there are 3 different settings.. chinese.. chinese vegetarian and muslim. So went around placing the utensils.. it was also complicated at first cos we dunno how to place.. where to get bowls and everything.. but slowly.. got used to it. Then made a couple of friends there.. one of the is called "mickey" a guy hor.. he second timer. so we set everything up and then quickly exited the room.. before the 1000+ guest, occupying 84 tables came in.

we were outside.. the theres a briefing by an indian manager.. and we were assigned to tables. Guess who i partner.. not dom la.. another guy named edwin also..lol.. so the both edwins were assigned to table 82 83 84.. if i rmb correctly.. 2 person 3 tables.. tough.. especially when i m still a first timer. But that edwin is a very nice guy.. he guided me along and told me how and where to get dishes.. take plates.. how to serve.. wad to do next.

So at 9 pm, the first course was up.. after that.. it was really busy already.. need to get tonnes of plates ready at our service station.. then need to collect the dish, clear the table.. refill water.. and collect plates again. At first... at the kitchen.. we need to take the dish ma.. then got three tables.. so he took two and i took one.. beginner leh.. take 2 later everything collaspe.. then i also collaspe ah.. cos kena wack by manager. anyway.. we are to place the dish on a huge oval tray.. it was huge.. i mean huge.. and then carry inside on the shoulder la.. like those in the restaurants like that la...

then later on.. i tried carrying 2 dishes on one tray.. can leh.. only abit heavy la.. and legs very tired.. back very pain.. cos must lean forward.. and bend down to portion the dishes and serve to them one by one..

Luckily, there is a very nice drink server serving the next table beside mine. She is from china la.. went there with her friends to work. Then she help me serve one table.. i m extremely grateful that such a kind soul helped me out.. or else i would have really collasped ah... but.. i forget to ask for her name!! ahhh!!

later on.. at 11 30 released liao.. no mrt home.. no bus.. shit.. need to waste cash take cabbie.. wl.. there goes my pay... i mean.. one portion of my pay...

so this morning woke up.. body aching.. especially my legs.. cos need to walk from the kitchen to the ballroom.. it was very far leh..

so.. today at 6 got work again.. although its abit tough and really busy.. you can hardly get to rest.. its fun la.. learn lots of things from my partner and everyone.. i hope that today not so blurr liao..hehe..