Shit, Shit, Shit

I am so angry with myself, I am so stupid, I missed the chance of a job interview because I was too busy checking my other email addresses. Oh god I feel like shit, How stupid am I. Just want to bang my head against a wall or something. But why didn't they just call me for the interview on my mobile instead of just emailing. 

AWWWW I'm so angry, I just emailed the lady and told her I was away and would it be possible for her to hold the interview this week. I'll just say a prayer. everyone keep there fingers crossed for me. I really wanted that job it would have been so handy.

A stepping stone, thats sll

My boyfriend decided he had no choice but to change jobs this week, I can't really blame him, considering the boss was trying to sell it from right under his feet, I don't know why the boss didn't have the decency to tell him out straight that they are planning to close up, instead they just carry on some sort of charade.

To be honest I am not happy about where he is planning to work next, a place called Shelby's Brasserie, Bray The first time I went there with my family, I didn't know anything about the restaurant or how it was run, and thought the food was delicious. All European food, I think I had spare ribs, duck and choclate fudge cake.

They market themselves as a family run restaurant, which sounds really sweet and lovely, like a mom and pops sort of high class restaurant. Little did I know at that stage that not even one member of the kitchen crew was European, let alone Irish, The whole restaurant seems anything but European. Its just got an artificial dressing of Irish and European waitresses

Now I have nothing against people from outside Europe working in European restaurants. My issue is the pay. The owner "the supposed all round family front man" offered my boyfriend 300-350 euro per week to be a starter chef in the kitchen (I don't mean starter as in beginner. I mean responsible for cooking the first course) 8.65 per hour basically, Almost everyone working in that kitchen is getting that.

Do you know how many starters are on the menu? 15. My boyfriend has stayed up til 3 in the morning studying this menu for the last 3 nights and has been waking up early, cause hes stressed out thinking about the menu.

Then they asked him to come in for 3 days training Sunday, Monday and the coming Thursday. They worked him to the bone on Monday and Sunday and didn't even pay him twopence. Its unbelievable, I know its training but seriously I know he worked just as hard as the others in the kitchen.

The other reason I didn't want him to take this job, is because his friend who's working there as a kitchen porter, was given a zero hour contract, meaning they can call him any day at any time to come and work so basically he has no free days at all. I don't want my boyfriend trapped into something like that. Its disgraceful.

Last night when my boyfriend came home from the training he looked so sick and then he told me that the boss does not allow them to eat any of the food in the kitchen not even a morsel. I swear its like a modern form of slavery.

Anyway I tried to reassure him that this job is just a stepping stone. your not going to stay here forever, I told him to keep looking for another job in the meantime.

Pop that cork!

We almost didn't make it down to Cork, My boyfriend's job seems to be under jeopardy at the moment, well we have known this for quite awhile, The restaurant has got quieter and quieter as the weeks go by. Theres always been something to blame it on,

for instance, the bad weather is keeping people away since they have stopped doing delivery,

last week was back to school time and parents obviously didn't have any money left.

 I want this bag

but then this weekend it got considerably worse, we saw the restaurant is up for sale on Daft.ie, and they haven't even told my boyfriend or any of the staff there Then to put the cherry on the cake, they didn't pay him this week.

Which meant Cork was more or less out of the question. :( until my Mom finally agreed to pay for half of the hotel and I used some spare cash I had in my post office account and off we went.

Off we set we got the bus from Dublin to cork, and as usual were late, and ended up getting the worst seats on the whole bus, second from the back, with an extremely noisy and drunk, rude polish man behind us, who was more of a Dub than the Dubs themselves.

We couldn't wait to get away from him and rush off the bus and head to our lovely hotel, The Gresham Metropole. very nice hotel, although a little noisy at night time, We went to Tasty Oriental for dinner. It was really good and very reasonable 35 euro for 2 people. 3 courses.

The next morning we woke up bright and early, (because of the traffic outside) and had our traditional irish breakfast.

Then headed off into the city to explore, we went to the English market, then to St. Fin Barres Cathedral, University College Cork (I have to say it is almost as big as UCD) then we went to an art gallery which my boyfriend loved, it wasn't like a traditional gallery you would see in France, it was much more contemporary.

English Market

University College Cork

St Fin Barres Cathedral

Art Gallery

We were planning to go to FItzgerald park and Mueseum, but it started lashing raining and we were starving, so we gave it a miss, but sure theres always next time.

We got on our bus at 6 and were glad to see their were no drunk polish men around. We made it back to Bray at 12 and I crashed out on the bed straight away my poor little legs were walked off me!! lol

Here comes trouble

I hadn't seen my former classmate since the Smurfit BBQ and to be honest that encounter wasn't very pleasant, My friend Nancy met him and warned me against him. So after that I basically kept my distance.

Then last Friday I had a really busy day planned. In the morning I met Guo Zhi Bai at college and typed up a letter for his Dad's visa application. His Dad is planning to come to Ireland for his graduation.

Then after, we had lunch together in Super Mac's and then I rushed to Dun Laoghraire to meet my friend Anna and some other friends to go Cinema.

We went to see Super 8 and to be honest it was super scary lol. I almost grabbed Anna's arm lol. Then on the way home on the dart my former classmate started texting me nonstop to meet me, I tried my best to say no.

But he kept insisting and before I knew it, he had driven to Bray. I hopped in his car and ended up in Tallagh, eating dumplings. then he told me he opened a new restaurant in Naas with a friend from the same city and asked me would i like to work as a waitress there.

I am still musing over it but basically it would require me living with him in his house...  I haven't managed to mention it to my boyfriend yet. But i am guessing its going to make his skin crawl. He hates my former classmate more than anyone =.=;;; What to do?

I don't know how I get involved with these awkward situations

Wait for it

The only thing I seem to be doing is waiting, waiting for everything, waiting for our solicitor to get back to us about our application its been like at least 2 months since we heard anything. I keep joking hes sitting in his office getting fat. Then my boyfriend goes mad, saying i am making it worse, we should never of hired the solicitor in the first place that's just my opinion.

Another thing i am waiting for, well not really waiting for a such but I know its going to happen and it definitely will. I am going to finish college at the end of August and go out into the big bad world and hopefully find a job. I wish i could stay in college for another while... I'm only 22...

Although as of last night the job front has slightly improved, I saw a staff wanted sign in a Casina which is about 5 minutes away from our apartment, so i just dropped in my CV this morning so now I am sitting beside the phone waiting for word...

 
Another thing that I am not particularly waiting for, but i know its going to happen is some of my Chinese friends moving back to China, its inevitable.

The next thing i am waiting for is something i am actually waiting for and looking forward to. My friend came back from China about two weeks ago and told me they bought some gifts for me :) and I met them last week and when i arrived in the city centre they said Damn I forgot to bring your gift.... So I am still waiting to receive my gift lol.

Actually that's not the only gift I am waiting for, another friend from Malaysia came back to Ireland a couple of months ago and we met up and he was really excited to see me and lost my gift... then he told me he has other gifts at his house for me and he will give them to me next time... but the next time just hasn't come round yet..

My boyfriend bought me a new (well new to me) IMAC wow very very fancy! but i still haven't been able to use it to like access the internet yet because it needs some system repairs. Hes been saying hes going to fix it ever since he bought it... hopefully it will be worth the wait.

I am sure there's loads more things I am waiting for... but these are the ones that have come to mind now.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Yesterday was really crappy and depressing when my boyfriend returned from his friend's snooker club Xin Yue Entertainment, We had a huge big dinner of pig ear (believe it or not it actually tastes surprisingly good and is also surprisingly big @.@) and a pink Chinese fish, We still haven't found out what the fish is called all he could tell me was it was a very expensive Chinese fish... Does anyone have any ideas?

 How cute!! I don't want to eat them

After the dinner I watched a Korean Drama that I am glued to these days, My Princess. My boyfriend says Korean dramas are hopeless there all about unrealistic and unbelievable love stories.... Its never going to happen...I thought we could try watching some taiwanese romantic dramas instead but....  He prefers to watch Chinese dramas about the war or ancient times.... so we both sit together watching separate shows lol.

 Every girl dreams of being a princess....

Omg this is why girls watch Korean dramas lol!!! If there were semi naked girls I bet my boyfriend would be enticed lol.

Then just before I was about to go to sleep he dropped a new bombshell on me... He is planing to move to the countryside to work in a Chinese restaurant as a kitchen porter, because he isn't making any money in his current job because his hours keep fluctuating :(

After that I couldn't sleep a wink I know technically its probably the best way for him to make money since in a Chinese restaurant they don't pay you per hour but, more so by week so regardless of whether the restaurant closes because its not busy you still get paid the same amount and often they provide you with accommodation and food so it eliminates a lot of expenses. However when you average out the wages by day, its often below minimum wage. Also the workers have a reputation of being Illegal, No English, and over worked and not paying taxes.

Ultimately I am trying to encourage him not to go, purely because its a bad environment to enter. and maybe because I'm selfish. I just don't want him to go. I want him to just persist at trying to find a new better job in my town. Also I strongly believe that all restaurants go through a lull period in January and February because people have no money after Christmas... But come spring everyone will be out drinking eating and being merry! and his working hours will go back to normal! Anyway for now I have to prepare for the worst...

There will be light at the end of the tunnel!