Franzy (to student hired to do envelope stuffing): Okay, so, if you want a coffee or anything, the kitchen is just there.
Student: Thank you.
Franzy: No problem. I'm about to make a pot of coffee, would you like some?
Student: No, thank you.
Franzy: Tea? We have tea too.
Student: No, no thank you.
Franzy: Water? Milk? Anything you like. Please help yourself.
Student: Thank you, I'm fine.
Franzy: Okay - let me know if you need anything.
Fifteen seconds later.
Helpful colleague: Did you know that Ramadan started yesterday?
Franzy: Sure thing.
Helpful colleague: Did you notice that student's hijab?
Franzy: Huh.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
An explanation of The Joy Division Litmus Test
Although it may now be lost in the mysts of thyme, the poll below is still relevant to this blog. In the winter of 2008, Mele and I went to live in Queensland. In order to survive, I bluffed my way into a job at a Coffee Club.
It was quite a reasonable place to work: the hours were regular, the staff were quite nice, it wasn't particularly taxing on my brain.
There were a few downsides: In the six weeks or so that I worked there, there was about a 90% staff turnover (contributed to by my leaving). This wasn't seen as a result of the low pay, the laughability of staff prices or the practice of not distributing tips to staff, rather it was blamed on the lack of work ethic among Bribie Island's youth.
However, one of the stranger aspects of the cultural isolation that touched our lives during our time "up there" was the fact that nobody at my work had heard of the band Joy Division.
The full explanation is available here.
But please, interact a little further and vote in my ongoing poll. The results are slowly mounting up, proving one thing: people read this blog are more well-informed about Joy Division than anyone who works at the Coffee Club on Bribie Island.
It was quite a reasonable place to work: the hours were regular, the staff were quite nice, it wasn't particularly taxing on my brain.
There were a few downsides: In the six weeks or so that I worked there, there was about a 90% staff turnover (contributed to by my leaving). This wasn't seen as a result of the low pay, the laughability of staff prices or the practice of not distributing tips to staff, rather it was blamed on the lack of work ethic among Bribie Island's youth.
However, one of the stranger aspects of the cultural isolation that touched our lives during our time "up there" was the fact that nobody at my work had heard of the band Joy Division.
The full explanation is available here.
But please, interact a little further and vote in my ongoing poll. The results are slowly mounting up, proving one thing: people read this blog are more well-informed about Joy Division than anyone who works at the Coffee Club on Bribie Island.
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteIn your defence I think they're allowed to have drinks during the day, though...?
ReplyDeleteShaw - I thought so.
ReplyDeleteKath - Apparently not! But, do I need defending? Is (temporary) ignorance of religious custom an issue?
Discuss.
Where did my comment go?
ReplyDeleteI think the fasting is a daylight hours thing, with the minimal amount of food and or drink being allowed after sundown.
My mates here (Somalis) reckon that they have quite delicious feasts after sundown River - just nada during the day.
ReplyDeleteI just hope, Franzy, that your next blog isn't about sitting there eating something fragrant and delicious next to them like a curry or bacon sandwich....
My boss is doing Ramadan and we walk around with steaming cups of coffee in the morning and microwaved curries at lunch.
ReplyDeleteHe accuses us of being scoundrels, ingrates and traitors and then we all go back to work.
We're a diverse workplace.
Feasting after sundown? So they're getting plenty to eat, just in different time zones.
ReplyDeleteFor me that doesn't really count as a fast, not like that one where people fast to raise money and they're only allowed to suck on barley sugar and drink water.
Still, they're following their culture and at least no-one is going to die from hunger while they do it.