Like a Duck to Water

I started my job last night. Everything went really well! Started out doing the obligatory paperwork and safety run throughs- moral of the story, "don't be an idiot, use common sense." I can handle that. I was shown how to use the till by the manager. Took a few minutes to figure out but she said I was quick with it. I had to use a similar computer thingy when I worked at Outback. I had a really good time, all the other bar staff was really nice. There were lots of friendly customers who seemed to love the fact that I'm American and wanted to know all about how I got here, what my husband did, and our story in general. I can be a bit of a ham at times, so I did quite enjoy being a bit of a novelty. Is that bad?
I had so much fun that I was a little bit disappointed when my shift ended and went out to meet Mick waiting for me in the parking lot. My legs and feet were tired, but I was having a good time! Some of the other girls made comments about how I didn't seem as scared as they did their first night, or that I was taking to it "like a duck to water." It feels good to be confident about a job on the first day. My last new job was teaching, and there is nothing in the world more terrifying than meeting 150+ kids in one day and being handed the responsibility for their education for a year. This was a bit intimidating, just because I was put behind the bar with people I didn't know, asking what I could get for customers and struggling to understand their accents and nicknames for drinks. I caught on quick that a "Boom" is the colloquial for Oranjeboom, and Guinness and Black is Guinness with blackcurrant syrup. An Asahi with a top just means a splash of sprite on top of the pint. Though England is a small country, just about every town has it's own accent, I'm learning. Figuring out how to understand all of them is a bit of a task! But for the most part I was able to make it seem like I just couldn't hear people in the loud pub. Hehe.

Everything I know about Pubs, I learned from The Nag's Head- the pub featured in the British comedy, Only Fools and Horses. The Nag's Head was the hub of the community, where lovable (apart from Boyce) characters gathered after a day of hard work to visit with friends and have a breather.

(Dave - er, Rodney, Trigger (the love of my life!) and Del Boy 'avin a pint at the Nag's 'ead)

 

I was happy to learn that this is a pretty accurate portrayal of a pub. Though it was my first night, I could pick out the regulars- the jovial, friendly ones who made smalltalk and had amusing conversations with the rest of the bar staff; the ones who asked when I was working next, because they were sure to be here; the lovely couple who were eager to hear my story and were pleased to learn that we only lived up the street from one another, then made my heart melt a bit when they said they always end up best friends with the bar staff. I felt like I found my Nag's Head- a place of my own in this country where I feel like so little is my own. Bit by bit, I'm handed the bricks to build my life here, and it feels good to get some foundations set.