A little bit of everything
Cape May is a cozy little resort town, the southernmost point of New Jersey, located right on the Atlantic coast. According to Wikipedia, the population of Cape May as of 2010 was 3.6 thousand. But in the summer, this number usually grows to 40 thousand, and that is truly the case. According to Travel Channel, Cape May is among the top 10 beaches in the USA.
Standing on the ocean shore for the first time, you catch yourself staring at the mighty water element, spellbound, simply enjoying the moment. It’s impossible to put into words, although, of course, it doesn't compare to the impressions of seeing the REAL New York for the first time. But more on that below.
Beauty of the Atlantic Ocean
The house where we lived
We lived outside the city, renting a room on a summer veranda for four people. I had the chance to work in one of the best restaurants in Cape May – 410 Bank Street restaurant. We got to work by bicycle. I worked as a kitchen prep – in Russian, a kitchen assistant. My job involved cleaning and chopping vegetables and fruits, making salads, and peeling shrimp. I liked the work. But at the same time, there were some difficulties – I’ll be honest, I hadn't really held a knife in my hands before. The chef demanded fast and precise task execution. I had to learn everything quickly, so the first week became a very serious test of resilience and patience, which (I believe) I passed quite well.
In the restaurant, I worked with people from different countries: Serbia, Puerto Rico, Romania, Italy, and Russia. At work, I spoke mostly in English. It was not only a good experience interacting with people of different mentalities but also excellent practice for my English and expanding my vocabulary. For the first two weeks, I had to learn the names of products on the fly and remember where everything was in the kitchen; I had to ask things two, three, or even more times. It is worth noting that the chef was friendly and always ready to explain and help.
My conclusion is: don't be afraid that you will do something wrong and get fired for it. Americans are very friendly, open people, ready to listen to you and help with words and deeds. The main thing is to be hardworking, self-confident, and just believe that everything will work out!
After some time, I knew exactly what I needed to do and how, and the chef appreciated it, which also led to a raise. At first, I earned $9.5 an hour, so to speak, I was on probation. After 3 weeks, my salary was increased to $10 an hour. I tried to give my all every day, working more than the 8 hours stipulated by the contract. I also want to say that our restaurant had so-called overtime. After working more than 40 hours a week, we received $15 per hour for each hour of overtime, which, of course, was very pleasing.
And now a few words about the second job. At the second job, I also worked in a restaurant. The Blue Rose restaurant, according to Google, was among the top 5 restaurants in Cape May in 2016. I worked as a dish-washer, which, in my opinion, is one of the least favorite positions among students. My workday started at the first restaurant at 8 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m., then at the second – from 5 p.m. to 12 p.m. I had one day off a week, very rarely two. One week I even had to work all seven days. At Blue Rose, I worked as a dish-washer for more than 2 months, and it was a kind of record because, before that, no one had worked that long in this position. Honestly, it was quite hard because I was on my feet all day. Most of all, I lacked sleep – we slept 4-5 hours a day. But I proved to myself that I can and I know how!
There were also funny incidents at work. Together with my friend (we both worked at Blue Rose), we had to unload a garage full of accumulated paper. We didn't even notice how, out of nowhere, a skunk appeared!!! And what do you think, this stinker kept us from working. It kept walking around us, entered our garage, and we couldn't do anything)) After a while, it left the garage and went about its business, and we calmly continued our work. And then, there it was again! It was just walking around the restaurant. And only at the end of our workday did the skunk disappear somewhere. This fellow will definitely be remembered for a long time)) And I was also amazed by the large number of different animals. Rabbits and turtles walk the streets like pigeons do back home. Cool!
I was also impressed by the trustfulness of Americans and their "word of honor." At first, when we were looking for a second job, my friends and I stopped by a large tennis court and talked to the manager. He refused us the job because all the spots were already taken, but he allowed us to come any day and play tennis for free! We didn't attach much importance to that conversation. But at the end of our third month in Cape May, we decided to go and play tennis. And what do you think? The manager who invited us to play was absent. But another employee, who had never seen us before, after listening to us (about the manager's invitation), allowed us to play! Fantastic!!!
Making little mans with my own hands
Learning to handle a knife correctly))
Didn't order a mango salad?
