3 posts tagged “work”
Well, I know it's been quite awhile since I actually posted anything on Vox (or anywhere for that matter), and having some free time, I figured why not?
Life has been interesting lately. The hotel has been consuming almost all my time, but aside from that I find myself missing someone I didn't expect to miss. Of course, once you love someone it's impossible to ever stop loving them. I am in a bit of an indecisive rut as to whether I'm going to contact them or not. At least these feelings are spurring up interesting thought.
I'm also planning a trip (when I can escape the hotel...ha!) on the Trans-Siberian Railway (preferably the 'Red Express' from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia) with an old friend. I miss traveling. I haven't been out of the country in years, and so I need a grand adventure to start things off again.
Otherwise all is well. I've been swilling lots of good wine (the last was a splendid Mouton-Rothschild '96, though it was a touch young--still wonderful though), taking photos, and starting to pick up the pen again.
And now I'll leave you all with some photos: (Blah, this importing from Flickr needs some work)
Anyway, tell me what you think.
Lately (by lately I mean the last three weeks or so) work has felt a bit tedious. I don't mind the 60 to 70 hour work weeks (even if, with my classes, I only manage 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night), but I do mind the way some individuals are beginning to act. I won't name names, but this person has a distinct lack of communication skills and a total forgetfulness that causes innumberable problems. Said person will tell someone one thing, and then the next day will be entirely accusatory towards the same person even though they followed the instructions to the letter. They'll flash them that look of condescension, a sneer, like they're staring down at something that isn't quite human. And this person does it all the time. Everyone knows that look. And when this person interacts with guests, they're perfectly pleasant, and totally fake. I've never seen a person be more plastic in my life and I absolutely despise working with them. I've verged on quitting because of this person more than once in the last three weeks, but then I remember why I love my job.
Last night, for instance, when I was chit-chatting with Mr. and Mrs. S. in the gazebo. They're both engineers for NASA, well-travelled, and have a penchant for history. I spent several hours with them discussing everything from the Russian Revolution to the possible psychological impacts on the mind of existing in a colony on Mars or the Moon. It was fantastic. We exchanged e-mails and recommend books to each other, and exchanged invitations for dinner should they return to Fort Lauderdale, or I ever be in D.C. I was sad that they had to leave today, but at the same time I was quite happy to have had such an amazing conversation. Where else would I get paid to enjoy such intellectual leisure with not only Mr. and Mrs. S, but a whole slew of other interesting people, all under the aegis of guest services? This is why I deal with the long hours and drama. Because every now and then I get to meet some amazing people and explore interesting ideas.
And this week has been a good one for conversation (I thrive on good conversation). Last night my good friends S and D came over, with others. I raided the cellar and we sat out on the deck drinking a pleasant St. Emillion discussing everything from the current political situation in the Middle East to whether or not humanity will ever achieve a classes society.
Yeah, good times.
Since today is my one day off this week, I thought I'd go ahead and make a nice, substantive post (before I indulge in a bottle from the cellar, at least, for the sake of coherent typing)
The Plight of a Visa-bearer
I love my job at the hotel, mostly for the people I work with, yet the other night I learned something disturbing that had happened to one of my co-workers. Let's call her T. Well T, who serves for our restaurant, and who also comes in during the mornings to help with breakfast and anything else, was told by the hotel owner, who I'll call Mr. L, that she will not be paid for any time after 11PM, and that this is retroactive for the past two weeks. Now, the hotel is probably one of the best in South Florida and our aim is to make the restaurant one of the best and most exclusive restaurants in Fort Lauderdale. T is our only server. In fact, she has never served for a restaurant before (nor has anyone at the hotel), but T and I (I help her often) have quickly learned the finer points of working in fine dining. Almost everyone is very happy with her service, and to deliver that service she is often at the hotel until 12:30, sometimes even 1:00AM, finishing everything up.
T works three jobs. She is here legitimately on a crew visa (though the State Department has threatened to take that away because she is from a former Soviet Bloc country--I won't even begin to comment on the stupidity of this), pays her taxes, and is a good, law-abiding person, yet because of her status in this country, she will not pursue the pay that is being retroactively denied to her. I told her Mr. L could not arbitrarily deny her pay for hours worked retroactively, that labor laws exist to prevent that very thing, yet she doesn't want to stir up any issues with the State Department, fearing deportation.
I know the hotel isn't hurting for money, and I know Mr. L isn't either (not when he spent Saturday shopping for a new mega-yacht at the boatshow). Often times he is a gentlemen, and he treats most of us quite well. But this thing with T really disturbs me, and frankly makes no sense. If Mr. L wants the restaurant and hotel to function well, especially in high season, then T needs to finish cleaning the restaurant, which she can't do if she's only there until 11PM. The night auditor certainly doesn't have the time, between the laundry, finances, prepping breakfast, etc etc... What really bothers me, though, is the fear that is preventing her from protesting this kind of treatment. I wonder how many people here on visas let themselves fall victim to flagrant violations of labor laws just to avoid a tenuous situation with the State Department?
I'm fairly disgusted with this issue, and the wider implications it has opened my eyes to.
Yerba Mate
On a seperate note, I've recently rediscovered Yerba Mate. I loved it when I was in South America on a now distant adventure, but it somehow slipped away into memory. And not that yuppie stuff they sell at Teavana--real Yerba Mate, that blissfully tannic liquid that has so much more flavor than coffee, and such a pleasant aesthetic in a gourde. I almost like it as much as I like tea. Indeed, on some nights, I find yerba a bit more satisfying than tea, especially on cold nights that remind me a touch of the Andes.
If you haven't tried it, go for it, you've nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The Red Cliche
On Friday I wore my USSR sickle and hammer t-shirt to school and just happened to have an old TLR with me when I was accosted by a Starbucks employee as being a walking cliche (sadly, I think the proper concept, irony, was perhaps lost on her--cliche would be more akin to a Starbucks employee complaining about other people being cliche). Why is wearing a Soviet Union t-shirt cliche? And why is there not any real source for more socialist clothing? I, personally, enjoy the sickle and hammer, and what they originally symbolized: the blood of the farmer and factory worker.
Why is it that Americans are so afraid of any idea that can be even remotely viewed as a challenge to the present capitalist democracy? Socialism does not eschew private property (nor did communism under Lenin's New Economic Plan), it aims for the benefit of the people. A real egalitarian system of merit and care. But god forbid Americans have to pay more taxes, not that most of them will complain when they hit 60 and face hundreds of thousands in medical bills.
So perhaps red irony is a better subtitle...but then I don't work at Starbucks, so how can I comment on what is, and isn't a cliche?
