Pot washer
I managed to get a job at the local hotel in Clifden called the Glenabbey Castle hotel. I called to see Brian the owner on my way from the horrendous place I was supposed to stay in Derrybeg. On the one hand I was way out of my comfort zone, realising after I left that I had nowhere to go and was in a country I didn’t know, with people I didn’t know either. And on the other hand I wasn’t sure what to do so I swallowed my pride and decided to stop at the first hotel I found and ask for a job in exchange for board and lodge.
When I met and spoke with Brian he couldn’t give me a job that day as they were busy and he had no time to deal with me there and then so he told me to come back on Tuesday when he would have time to look at the situation and let me know if he had something for me. I couldn’t rely on him totally as he didn’t say definite so I also applied to helpx and found this couple living in Castlebar which is just up the road from Clifden on the off chance they would have availability. I also told all my friends on Facbook of my situation and they were wonderful sharing my predicament with all their friends until I had a couple of other offers also but nothing confirmed again. While I was awaiting confirmation from both Brian and Helpx I camped out down at the golf club, did a lot of sight-seeing with Gary who is Brian’s friend and he took me all around the Connemara loop and many other places.
I arrived in Clifden on Saturday morning and Brian had told me to come back on Tuesday morning about a job so in the mean-time on the Monday I had an offer from the couple in Castlebar so I agreed to go there Thursday of the same week. I went to Brian on the Tuesday morning with the intention of telling him that there was no need for a job now as I have one lined up but he insisted, offering me wages and food and a place to sleep in return for working in the kitchen at the hotel. So I decided to give it a go, moved my stuff into his staff house sharing with two French exchange students. The house was lovely and warm, better than wet sleeping bags and tents.
My first shift was Tuesday night and I was put on washing pots and pans which doesn’t sound too bad until you get started. I worked with another girl called Ailbhea, pronounced ALVA, who was lovely and told me she had been working there for 18 months; we worked hard all night from 5pm until 10pm never stopping apart from to go to the loo or in Ailbhea’s case for a cigarette break. I had some food when I arrived, as Brian provides staff with food which is already prepared and drinks all night, mainly squash, could have done with some red wine!!! It is very hot work and very hard, your hands are continually in hot water because the chefs do their cooking and as they go along, all the pans, pots etc. that they use are put in the sink for us to wash. So the washing and drying goes on all night until the cooking stops about 9sih then the clean-up of the kitchen begins before you go home.
Every person who works behind the scenes at this hotel work very hard, I spoke to the waitresses, chefs, cleaning staff and they all do a great job but it is very physically demanding. I’m sure it’s the same as in other hotels. By the time it was time to finish I was really worn out, got back to the house at 10.15 ish and went straight to sleep. The following morning I was in work again from 9am till 1pm.
When I got in this time there was a massive pile of pots and pans awaiting me and no Ailbhea in sight so it became obvious that I was working alone. The hotel had breakfast for more than 100 people with many, many pots and pans already used, and after the breakfast stuff is done the other chefs are in making the deserts for the night. Everything is made fresh so they were baking bread, making cheese cakes, ice cream, tarts, etc. and preparing all the veg for the night’s meals. This was the hardest I think I have ever worked in my life, it was physically really difficult for me, some of the pots are so huge my grandchildren could fit in them and put the lid on! LOL!! I could barely lift some of the frying pans but I just got on with it and knew that it wouldn’t last, as I had decided to take the job looking after the children in Castlebar. Just to give an indication of how hard the work is; the two French girls that share the house with me come home after the morning shift, have a sleep in the afternoon before the evening shift (No time for adventure). So I told Brian that I don’t want any pay but to just use it for my two nights’ accommodation. I think that is fair, today I did the work of 2 to 3 people and I was physically exhausted! I just can’t continue to do that, my arms are aching and my Rheumatoid arthritis is really bad, so that is it! Another job bites the dust!! Hopefully it will be third time lucky at the new place in Castlebar!!!
