Monday, December 1, 2008

What am I doing in SeaWorld?? by Shane

I have been working in SeaWorld shamu stadium for already one full week and I can only use one word to describe the routine I have: MUNDANE!!Shamu Stadium

Night view (6pm)Tee Yee was standing thereActually it is not that tiring about my work just that I am tired to walking to work everyday.. We have to walk from our apartment house to the bus station (I-ride trolley station) for around ten minutes.. Once we reach SeaWorld, have to walk for around 3 to 4 minutes to reach the 'chicken check' security center. After that, we have to walk for around 5 to 10 minutes before reaching shamu stadium (my working place). So we have to go out one hour before our working time which deprive lots of my sleeping time!! Unlike in Sunway, I can sleep until 20 minutes before lecture starts.. Then rush to Uni in less than 5 minutes.. sigh.. Why are we paying so much money to get tortured here ??

Back to the main topic... Once reach the vending room/popcorn kitchen, my co-workers and I have to start doing and packing salty popcorn (which I don't really like.. thats why i curi makan them so little unlike my friends here,, haha)...
Supervisor officeVending room
SeedsActually I work as a vendor in the shamu stadium...
So my work will really start half an hour before the shamu show starts.. We have to get ready our vending stuffs like popcorn/candy/beer/soda/water (depends on which one you are assigned to).. For drinks like beer or soda or water, we have to put them into ice even though they are already cold..

Before going vending, the lead will give you 75USD comprising of different notes and coins.. then you can go sell your stuff in the shamu stadium where people start streaming into it... and people here are VERY generous.. Unlike our Malaysia KS (kiamsiap) culture, people here give tips and we suppose to say 'no' (not in block capital, haha)when they give you... only accept it when they insist to give you.. Still remember there was one very funny old man. I was vending popcorn at that time, each cost 3.25USD... He gave me 4USD.. I had to give back 0.75USD.. Then he asked me to keep it.. so as a 'good' worker, I told him I am not allowed to do that.. Guess what he said? 'I should go and sue your boss!'.. haha.. yea he was funny..

The things we sell here are exorbitant..
1. One popcorn: 3.25USD
2. Candy/water: 3USD
3. Beer (Budlight/Budweiser/Lime): 5.50USD
4: Others (like pretzel or ice-cream): Forget. hahahaha

Also, as an incentive for us, the vendors to do our job, we will get 3cent commision for each item we sell.. Don't look down at his minute amount of money,, I can earn around 4USD per day... Not to say the tips I will get sometime.. And FYI,, although I am new here,, the other Australian lead, Will said I am one of the top among them:P

There are three shamu shows each weekday:1130am, 130pm, 300pm and 530pm. There is one more at 730pm during this weekend.

Actually my work is a fairly easy.. just have to do popcorn and go for vending during shamu show.. Once all the popcorn are done, you will be free like bird.. Sometimes (like today), I went to the shamu stadium to watch the show for half n hour, did nothing for two hours,, just wandered aimlessly around the shadium.. chatted with my co-workers and went watch live singing by four old men.. haha...

Our lead, Allison (18 year-old)Haha.. Super cute
Another lead, Antia from Micronesia.
Tee Yee and Allison.. Allison loves foreign languages. She knows to write her name in Chinese, Thai and ENGLISH!! haha swt... And she asked me to give her a copy of the chinese songs in my lappie.. hahaha... damn funny.. and being a lead, she took out her MP4 and let me listen to her favourite chinese song (sa po lang by JS.. dunou what song also,, but i heard that song before)..and She knows Jay Chou!My colleague, Eddie, 19 year-old..

Most of my colleagues here are only 17 but they look older than their age..
By Shane

2 comments:

yingxuan said...

finally this is your post, shane!
you look ...... in your uniform?! don't know what to describe cause i am currently using widescreen LCD look a bit weird... lol

yingxuan said...

btw your colleague and leader are young!