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Time Robbers and Fish Selling

I’ve been robbed of an extra hour’s sleep by daylight savings here in Australia. I am yet to figure out how the system was determined, and what right the world has to subtract and add hours as they see fit. Heh, you’d think it’s a Sunday morning, and that it shouldn’t matter whether I have an hour more or less, and that I should be able to sleep in?

Usually, that would be the case, but recently I’ve been introduced to another part time job by a friend. Literally, I’ve been selling fish in the Seafood section of the Food Hall at David Jones (a departmental store) in the city. Basic duties include selling sushi rolls, salads and assorted types of seafood (fish, prawns, mussels, scallops etc.).

Initially, I needed to get used to certain duties. Heh, this is in a different league to computer stuff like assembling them or web design. I was a little timid in handling the fish, as when people asked for 20 prawns, I’d like pick them up one by one, fearing I’d break them to itsy bitsy pieces. This is until the more experienced staff come along and whack one whole row of them up at a time. There is the undo button in application software, and no such thing in real life scenarios, hence I was less inclined to experiment with the ‘product’. There are also the packing duties and the cash registers, which are much different from what I’m used to at the photocopy shop next door. As this is a departmental store, it is more systematic and you are more accountable for your actions (not like I wasn’t before, but here, you have to follow procedure).

There is also the need to wear a uniform of sorts. Heh, which I don’t really mind, as you get fish everywhere on yourself when you’re working. Have learnt the prices of various items, and can identify the varieties of fish. Have also figured out how much space 250g or even 1kg of seafood mix takes up. I’ve also had a go at some kitchen duties, as certain things are produced inhouse, like the salads and sashimi. Learnt how those white noodle like strands of daikon are created, you know, the stuff that you use to line sashimi on.

The days have been quick to go by, with much learning taking place and there’s always something to do, either fixing up customer orders, refilling ice on the fish etc. etc. etc. At the end of the day, there is the usual cleaning up and packing up of the day’s seafood. Fish need to be packed in specific methods so that they retain their freshness for the next business day. In short, these few days have been a real learning experience, and I’m already starting to get used to the routine, so its only the long hours in a stretch that will be tiring later on, but that’s working life for you, right?

Heh, okie, no time to go on ranting, because somebody important umpteen years ago decided that I’d get an hour’s less sleep today, and I need to get ready for work soon.

The Inevitabilities of Life

Recollected something from class two years ago, while taking a walk. It was the semester I did Taxation Law as one of my subjects (I still find this the top of my list on Killer Subjects). My law tutor was a guy named David Madder, and he is one colourful character. He introduced himself and was already making jokes at his own name, something along the lines that no one could be madder than him, pun intended.

What makes him stand out from the 101 lecturers and tutors I’ve had over the years is that besides taxation law (he was practicing it before he became a tutor), he also worked in a morgue, and was used to dealing with burial ceremonies. So the funny thing he said was that there are two things in life which people cannot avoid, taxes and death, and that he is active in both jobs. Heh, you can see how popular he was among people.

Computer Abuse

Was gonna pen a post on how I spent my day fixing my computer, but decided against it. It isn’t your regular computer horror story, and I managed to solve the problem, but it made a hole in my wallet, and several more scrapes on my fingers (I really do need to get a better computer casing, and the appropriate tools).

What was the saying again, a thousand words do not a picture make? Heh, or something like that. My PC died, but I’ll show you evidence on how I treat my computers with a screenshot from my laptop.

Heh, I really do believe the last time I restarted it (not switch off, but restarted) was 55 days and 14 hours ago. It’s probably been left on humming much, much longer than that.