My First Lunch Shift

Well I clocked out around three today, ending what was my first lunch on the job. My trainer and one other server were in today and, as I've learned, busboys don't work the lunch shift. Because of this we keep 60% of our tips and pay the remaining 40% to the cooks. And sushi is always split %50/%50 between the chef and servers who work the sushi bar. I'm very relieved to know that the cut it going to the other staff, as today is the first time someone actually broke it down to me. I brought in somewhere around $20 in tips I think, so after payout I was left with about $8 for myself.

Today's lunch was slow. I only went through three checks, but I got to meet one of the regulars and I did the sushi bar for the first time, so that was cool. I'm still being shown how to do things more efficiently and when it comes to lunch the pace really is quicker.

I feel like I got to know people a bit better today. One of the owners told me about an event happening at the university nearby that she thought would interest me because she knows I'm an animation major. The sushi chef talked to me about the animation business in Japan and one of the other chefs told me that his daughter goes to the same university I just graduated from. I haven't told anyone that I plan on applying for the JET Programme next month, but when it comes time for recommendations I'll hopefully still be in everyone's good graces.

Everyone has been pretty nice to me so far and I'm getting the hang of things. I still have a lot of things that I forget to do and I don't know all the routines by heart or anything, but the more I do it the better I'll get. And I'll be doing it plenty working six days a week with doubles on two of those days. I think the schedule changes every couple of weeks though, so we'll see.

I was mistaken for someone's daughter today. People often seem to think I'm either someone I'm not or related to someone I'm not. Probably because my ethnicity is so ambiguous looking that I've become generic. : /

Anyhow, I don't want to let this post drag on for too long. I've got to make myself some lunch! I would work tomorrow but I got off because I'm supposed to be doing something else, so I guess my next post will be Thursday after the first half of my first double!