McDonalds

As autumn approached, I realised I'd need additional employment alongside my surf shop duties to get us through another year. You see, the surf school more or less closes down every November and the surf shop only remains open at the weekends for a few hours each day (sometimes closing early if it rains) until it closes between Christmas and Easter. 

Anyway, late summer I passed the interview at Cromer McDonalds and scheduled my first shift for late September. From the very beginning, I found everything incredibly hard. Instead of training you to be a master of one or two processes, they move you around the floor like a yoyo. I started on burgers but soon got moved to fried chicken, drinks, sorting orders, fries and washing up. I was crap at pretty much everything and working alongside teenagers who laughed their way through every shift. And while they didn't take it that seriously, they were far, far faster than me! 

One evening, a guy ordering on the drive through called me an idiot. Another evening, I dropped a tray full of burgers and shakes. Every shift was super challenging in one way or another. You see, McDonalds was the most rigorous assault on my pride so far. While I had seen my dream house destroyed by a super typhoon, working in McDonald's was a different kind of pain - both physical pain from standing up for hours and hours and mental torture from knowing everyone around you was younger, faster and better than you at everything and meeting people I knew from the town who were shocked to find me working at McDs. 

Of course, it wasn't all bad. I met some really good people - down to earth and humble types who had obviously endured a lot in their lives. The Indian cleaners were particularly kind and generous. But I can't say I felt anything but immense relief when a door opened for me to jump ship after just six weeks in the job.