Work

I began work yesterday - 5 hours of sweeping, serving food, washing plates, wiping plates and hot (!!!!) cutlery, cleaning and clearing tables and washing windows. Today was another 5 hours of that plus scooping ice cream, making waffles, replenishing the pastries and cleaning the toilet.

And I thoroughly enjoyed both days.

The rest of the team : Eugenia, Tiffany, Athena, Glen, Charlotte and Luk Ching Yesterday, and Tiffany, Khairul, Kai Jing, Daryl and Jeremy today were so helpful. Eugenia gave me a run through of what to do on the first day, and checked whenever I seemed lost, and Khairul did so today as well, showing me how to operate the waffle machine and not even laughing at how terribly hideous my first waffles were. (Thankfully they were the throw away batch meant to clean the machine!!!) Athena talked to me kindly, Glen actually pronounced my name right!!!, Charlotte helped on the floor when things got hectic, and Tiffany was a steady conversation buddy for both days and showed me how to squeeze out the chocolate sauce and maple syrup for waffles. Daryl helped me in the washing bay, and Jeremy coached me through my first unsteady scoops of ice cream, and laughed with me at how terrible they were, and told me practice makes perfect and it was alright! And of course, Luk ching sent me a whole list of what to do so I wouldn't be lost on my first day, explained things and their places and did everything a friend would and more.

I felt like Ruth 2:8-10

So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

There is so much kindness within the On the Table staff, not only in a protective and caring sort of way but also in a friendly way that makes things comfortable enough for improvement. After Day 1, although I was closed-eyes-on-the-inside tired, I went for fellowship and heard the RUth verse above. I thought about how much of a difference having a nice team made to the working experience, and how fortunate I was to have people who were willing to approach ME and talk. SO today I approached the very-shy-jeremy to talk and spread the kindness and consequently I learnt to scoop ice cream. God's web of grace indeed.

Today Weixin surprised me, running into the cafe to give me a knock-the-breath-out-of-you hug. I just felt really warm and fuzzy knowing she came down (and also that she surprised me because I LOVE SURPRISES!)