Check out that chick

Well I've finally started at the supermarket! (cue balloons, streamers, etc. falling from the sky)

It was a pretty short shift (only 3 hours) because I guess they wanted to start me off slowly - which I was actually rather grateful for. In some ways it was really good to have come to this as my second job because I already know about stuff like how to talk to customers, how to count change in my head and how to ignore hunger pains as you work through lunch or dinner time.

But there were differences (of course) and I have a new computer system to get used to and there are different things I have to say. (eg: Instead of "Would you like to upgrade to a large for an extra dollar?" I now say "Would like the window cleaner in a separate bag from the milk?" and stuff like that.)

No real customers of the day so far (unless you count the drunk man standing near my register yelling at the air for an hour) although an amazingly large number of people are incapable of reading the sign "Register closed for training". But then again, I've had enough experience with people to have expected that.

Twilight

I was thinking as I was heading into work last night "I wonder if gangs of 14 year old girls are as messy, messier or less messy than gangs of 15 year old boys?" (In other words, how will Twilight compare to Transformers in terms of mess?) I also wondered how it would compare to Sex and the City in terms in craziness. So I think, from now on, we need a point system for all greatly anticipated new movies.

Level of mess in the cinemas: 4/5 (It was pretty bad, but compare to something like Dark Knight it was okay. We didn't even have to run overtime with the cleaning... just)

Level of mess in the bathrooms: 1/5 (I was pleasantly surprised. But perhaps no one wanted to use the bathrooms for fear of missing any of that Edward action)

Level/amount of screams from the fans: 3/5 (They clapped and screamed at the end of every session. But, compared to the tribal roar of Sex and the City it was bearable.)

Level of craziness for the Candy Bar to deal with: 5/5 (I had to go and help three times in my four hour shift just for the four people already there to be able to deal with the pace.)

Number of die hard fans*: 6

How long before their session did people start to line up: 30 minutes in most cases. It sounds bad but for the last Harry Potter people were coming at least an hour before, just in case.

Overall score: 49

*Distinguishable by their clothing, their absolute insistence on getting a good seat, their refusal to leave for any reason (including personal injury) and so forth.

PS: Finally heard back from the supermarket and I'll be starting on Wednesday. Wish me luck.

The work situation

So, I've been inducted and have told the supermarket I'm available any day of the week and so I've told the cinema I can only do weekends. (so that I don't get any embarrassing crossovers)

Since doing this, I have discovered two things:

1. A note in my pigeon hole from one of the supervisors at the cinema which basically said "Woah, why on earth are you cutting back your availability at the start of school holidays? I think we might need to have a chat about this..."

2. The supermarket, despite being busy in the pre-Christmas season, still hasn't told me when I'll be working. It could tomorrow or several weeks away. That's great to know after I've told my other job that I'll be working fewer hours because I'm needed elsewhere.

Grr.

Inducted and proud

So, I had my induction at the supermarket today* and filled out lots and lots of paperwork (a considerably large amount of it with yesterday's date, which I didn't realise until we'd finished most of it. But I'm not too worried because I know no one will actually check this stuff unless I'm caught doing illegal stuff and they want to bring out some papers to wave at me.)

As well as paperwork, we watched videos! It felt exactly like those lessons at school when the teacher can't be bothered making a lesson plan, so they stick on a crappy old video then make you write a report on it. Thankfully we're not required to right reports. But we did have to sign various forms saying that we'd seen the videos and understood and so one, so forth.

The videos are really terrible. I mean really terrible. These things make Jennifer Aniston look good.

But I knew I had to take notes when I heard the one on electricity, the intro went a little something like this:

"Electricity is a wonderful thing; it helps us with all kinds of daily tasks - at home and in the workplace. It's all around us and offers many conveniences. It lights our rooms, cools our food, powers our computers and so much more. If you touch if you'll die."

The video went on to talk about double adapters (or should I say "bringers of burnination"). We saw a roleplay concerning these objects and, my goodness gracious me, it was so lifelike! I felt like I was really there, feeling the conflict between the characters. For I could see that the kettle was a symbol of their love, a love which could never flourish because there simply was not room. This big ol' world doesn't want kettles getting too close to toasters... a flame could erupt! (A flame of passion!)

But I cannot do this scene justice on my own. I have to share it with you;

(Woman approaches with kettle but notices the electrical socket is full.)
Woman: Oh, I'd better get a double adapter.

Man: No! You can't use double adapters, they're not safe!

Woman: Oh, that's true. I know someone who use a double adapter and they had a fire. I'd better not use the kettle.

Man: No, we just need to find a safe way to use the kettle.
(Man unplugs the toaster to allow Woman to plug in the kettle)

Woman: Wow, easy.


* * *

I also learned about "power fingers"** and the various cleaning chemicals. Each cleaning chemical is "identifiable by its colour"... except I couldn't help but notice that two different chemicals are colour coded brown. How on earth will I be able to tell the difference? Seriously folks, I'm worried. I'm also worried that the video gave the impression we could only identify them by their colours. But I would have thought that their label which says the name of chemical and what it does might give you a hint. Apparently not. And now we're stuck with two browns. Tsk tsk.

That's about all for now. I'll let you know how my first real shift goes when that happens.


*It occurs to me that, from now on, I can't just talk about "work", I'll have to say "the cinema" or "the supermarket".

** From the hour long video on how to lift things. I didn't know you could spend an hour on that, but there you go. Lifting.