Bad week!!

HARD ROCK CAFE

This is the 3rd week in US, i promise myself that i will write a post every week as a memory, i hope i can make it, haha!!!

So, last week was a tired but earning week cause i was able to work about 35 hours and the tips was quite satisfied. However, this week very cham loo, mostly morning shift means tips less, haizzzz.... Now just hope faster get a 2nd job!!!!

Part of that, i went for a few shopping this 2 weeks, haha!!! ! hour trip away, there is a shopping center named TANGER and it was huge which has 50 over shops and is all branded. Guess what, i got a pair of GAP flip-flop. Haha!!! and you wont believe how much it cost.


I'm going to get more from there, 1 short pant is waiting for me, hehe.....Actually i spotted a few pant in GAP but too bad the SMALLEST size is still big for me, ASSS

Oya, we had a simply birthday celebration for PANG's birthday. I'm quite busy last week , so no time to plan a good 1, Sorryyy. His last birthday also celebrated alone with me, haha!!!! Pity pity....












Birthday boy and the angels & brothers

This jerk and Bryan are beer freak, everyday 1 can of beer...

That's all for this week, hopefully i will get a better schedule next week, plzzzzz

Hello!!!

Hi!

My name is Bryan and I since CCY is sound asleep I shall take the liberty to update some of his adventures/misadventures in the States!

Whoopee!!

As you all have or may not have known, me, CCY and AhPang are currently working at HARD ROCK CAFE @ Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

For your information, Gatlinburg isn't a bustling city like New York, Manhattan or Detroit. In fact, it is but a small town surrounded by mountain ranges, most notably the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Known as one of the ideal summer retreat spots, Gatlinburg gets about as many as 1 million visitors during the hot 3-month summer period.

We were joined at Gatlinburg by fellow countryman and university pals Jasper and Valex. Me, AhPang, Jasper and Valex are servers while CCY is the lone bus-boy (among us Malaysians of course).

I honestly have to say it is actually my first time waiting tables. Who would've thought that being a server could be tough? To help us get in the Hard Rock mentality, we were each given a 6-day server training period, which each focusing on different aspects of becoming a kick-ass Hard Rocker! As a server, we had to do bookwork, memorize the menus (extremely confusing) and be familiar with the micros (those touchscreen computers you see at those casual-dining restaurants if you had not already noticed)! On a brighter note, we're all well-fed for each day of training. Let me clarify that the American portion of...lets say...fries....is double of what you get in Malaysia. Same goes for entrees, appetizers and desserts. AhPang mentioned that he has never before been afraid of eating something he like (that was an Apple Cobbler dessert he was talking about; apple pie + Haagen Daaz ice-cream). lol.

One thing we've noticed about people in the States is that they are extremely WASTEFUL. I have no pictures to support this, but you can ask my other colleagues.

In spite of that, business still goes well. Customers are flowing in rapidly with each passing day of summer. Thankfully us servers are getting the average hours of work as promis, ed by our sponsor.

Tipping is customary. So contrary to popular belief, the hourly salary of $2.13/hr for servers isn't necessarily that controversial.

So far, we had just entered our 2nd week. It has been a promising start. We've started cooking in our room with an improvised electric skillet. First there were microwave TV dinners, then we had sandwiches, toast and now we're making pasta!

Till then...

P/S: Pictures will come thick and fast as soon as we have them!

First day training

Boring boring, another day without work.....

Started my first training 2 days ago, it was quite tiring, haha!!!

I was trained by my senior which actually had worked for only 2 weeks, is a Bulgarian. My trainer was in vacation. After trained for 1 hour, i went straight to work my own self - clean table, set up table, help the servers. Worked 4 hours continuously, the business was very good that night.

However, i'd feel that this job is not that challenging, can't earn much, have to deal with dirty mess (Arghh, i forgot how many times i washed my hand) but this job is quite relax and simple. Not like server, so much stuff to memories, maybe i made a right choice not to become server, i dont think i can handle it. As a Hard Rock server, it is different from server at other restaurant. You not only taking order but need to entertain the customer.

What i like about HRC is the atmosphere which would not be found in Malaysia. The way they serve the customer is totally outstanding, freedom and unique. You can dance, sing, interact with the customers. 'YMCA' song will be played when the business is busy, the staff and customers will dance along with the song. One of the staff even perform 'Michael Jackson dance' along the walkway. Amazing right??

That's what i had experince in my first day training. I even miss out my dinner.

Welcome to US!!!

Ohh man!!! just cant believe i'm in US now, haha!!!!

The journey to US was really long and tiring. 35 hours of flying plus transit, didn't even walk out of the airport, the feeling was like kena quarantine, haha!!!

Start from KLIA - Changi - Narita - Minneapolis -Knoxville airports, Changi is the best to me. The airport is just like a shopping mall, they got ever,ything - Coach, Espirit, Burberry.... even got free xbox, movie theater, games....

Right now, i'm settling down in Gatlinburg, Knoxville. This place is a unique and totally different from what i had lived previously. It just like what i saw in the movie. Gatlinburg is a tourism place where the famous Smoky Mountains National Park is nearby. Indeed, there are lots of fun parks, Inn, dining restaurant, there are seriously freaking lot, i cant list all of them down, haha!!!

What i like about this place is we can walk along the street and shops are just side by side, quite organized and the people i met was nice and helpful. They offered help voluntary. It does shocked me actually

It's245a.m now actually, still not yet adjust my time zone, that's all 4 2day....will update some pics another time, stay tuned, haha!!!