work

So, apparently my great job isn’t actually so great in reality. I received my work contract yesterday and great guy translated it for me. Wow, I didn’t really know how little hotel folks pay their employees….they can actually contract themselves out of paying minimum wage. That is not possible in Canada. Along with not having any breaks in an 8-hour work day...working every Saturday and Sunday all summer (plus 3 days during the week which are never in a row)…a boss that reems you out for every little mistake but just chuckles when he himself makes one=fun.

I spent the entire night thinking about what is important to me and how I want to spend my first summer in Germany and I’m not sure this particular place of employment is the place. My co-workers are very nice and I like the checking in/out, chatting with guests about their trip, computering invoices, etc., but not if I have to work every night until 10 pm or every Saturday and Sunday at 6am. Even the wonderful ferry ride across the Rhein is not so wonderful at 5:30 am!

Likely I will spend the short night tonight, again, thinking about what to do and nervous about making demands tomorrow, or pissing bossman off by giving notice. Crummy. I had such high hopes about this job. Can I say that I will not miss answering the phone in German? Man, I hate that! People speak so darn fast on the telephone, and every time I take a message for bossman, I misunderstand something and get a 5 minute lecture!

Oh well, we’ll see what happens. I know that it’s important for me to work and to get ‘out there’ in German, and in this community. It’s good for me and good for my relationship. It’s all just a little bit harder than it was in Canada. But, it’s worth it to me to persevere, and so I will. Wish me luck.