7-11, It's A Store & Moreeeee!!

Like, seriously, has it really been ten days since I blogged?? Gosh, I have no life!! And therefore, no life means nothing to blog about!! Ohh, the HORROR!!

So, what I decided to do yesterday was try my luck at temporary job-searching. I mean, I can't just sit at home & do nothing all day long while my brain turns into mush & listen to Mom rage at me all the time right?? That's like, ridiculously insane!!

I had called up Nini a few days ago, asking if her place had any vacancies & are in need of part-timers like me. Nini's answer was optimistic so I thought, what the heck, no harm trying. And so I did.

Yesterday, I made my way down to the 7-11 store that Nini worked in, near Darul Ghufran Mosque & tried my luck. Nini had prepped my on the phone a few hours before, reminding me that I could not blurt out the fact that she & I were friends at all costs. I could see where she was coming from with that.

For the first time in my life (I think), I was early. Truth to be told, I was quite nervous about it. This was my first REAL interview, despite the couple of jobs I'd taken before. As I approached the opening of the store, I actually chickened out & took a detour of Cold Storage instead. I was THAT freaked out.

But, of course, I had to face to inevitable. I kinda knew Nini had hopes that I might be a staff member there & would furthermore be very disappointed if I didn't show up. Heck, she might even take a parang to my head, knowing her as she is.

So, I marched into the shop, chin-up & went directly to the counter, making eye-contact with Nini whom was with two other colleagues, all busy. Nini motioned towards a female colleague, engrossed in stock calculations & I took my cue.

I inquired about the availability of vacancy slots & was almost immediately brought to Nini's boss manager, whom took one look at me & told me to hold on for five minutes.

Phase 1, done!! Phew...

Nini had told me previously that Kak Maria, her manager was particular on who she hired & went on her gut feeling to choose successful applicants. Her strategy was to take just one look at the fella & if her response to the applicant was that there were vacancies, then your chances of getting hired might just have doubled. If she said there were none, then sad to say, she's getting a not-very-good vibe off from you.

Less than five minutes later, she whipped out an application form & told me to fill it out.

Yessssarh!! Phase 2, done!!

And fill the application form up I did. Although, not as specified as I would have liked, because I forgot the dates of which I had jobs. Furthermore, I had minimal experience in the customer service department & zero in cash registry so it was kinda like, riding on Lady Luck there. Not bad considering that I was granted an interview on the spot.

She ushered me into the storeroom & sat me down while she explained to me the rituals of the retail industry. For a while, my head swam with unfamiliar terms & whatnots & it took me awhile for this murky mind to sort everything out. I just hoped I didn't look too confused like as if I was in total befuddlement.

Kak Maria asked why I didn't try out at other 7-11 outlets nearer to my home & for a few seconds, I racked my brain in panic for an answer. At last, I said rather lamemly, "Ohh, ummm...because I always frequent the Darul Ghufran Mosque & therefore I found it convinient to go to after I'm done at the mosque. And furthermore, there's a direct bus from my house to this store."

When I told Nini, she burst out laughing & called me a Penipu Besar, meaning Big Liar. Ya lahh, I make use of the mosque, what. I purposefully brought it out because Kak Maria isn't a Malay neither is she a Muslim. What would she know whether or not I frequent the mosque?? Heh heh heh...

So anywayz, she said she'd call me back in a few days, just in case I got another better job somewhere else. In my mind, I was thinking, what the heck else am I capable of?? It's not as if I'm interested in getting a job of my designated line. I am SOOO not cut out for this, man. Seriously.

And after looking at my results, guhh. Let's just say my prospective employers would be vastly shying away from my services, ehh??

Nini told me to wait for her in the foodcourt abovestairs until she finished up with clearing some stock. Thankfully, I brought along with me my prospective prospectuses. I occupied my time waiting for her jotting down notes, pros & cons of each of the universities & courses I had chosen. In the end, my list was boiled down to Queensland University of Technology and Murdoch University.

And the courses?? Ahhh, later lahh. It was a huge headache enough to be narrowing down schools. And that is of course, if the schools I'd picked would accept me as a student there.

After a day spent at the Australian Education Fair with Nur on Saturday, my head was swimming with school stuff. It was like picking out our polytechinics & courses but only worse.

I was so engrossed in writing notes while slurping a giant Slurpee that I didn't see or hear Nini come up to me. In fact, she even told me that she had forgotten all about me in the midst of all her work. Well, thank God she hadn't gone home!! Hmpf...

Since I hadn't eaten & Nini was unsure if her Mom had cooked lunch, I decided to pack an order of Nasi Lemak & eat it at Nini's.

Nini related to me that in the end, she told Kak Maria that she though I looked familiar & maybe I was from her old secondary school. When Kak Maria agreed, Nini was like, "Ya lahh, that's the girl!! No wonder I thought she looked familiar; she was from my Malay class. Only that she grew taller!!"

Hmpf. Like, hello!?!? Nini HAD to make fun of my height?? Thanks ehh, best friend.

The Nasi Lemak was hella good, just as Nini said it would be. Well, Nini didn't exactly say 'hella', though. The lingering taste of creamy coconut milk was evident in the fact that the chef was not stingy with it. The generous heaping of steamed rice had the right kinda of softness without it being squishily mushy or hard that you could break a grain on rice into two. And added bonus was that the rice was fragrant!! Yaaaaay!! I love fragrant-smelling Nasi Lemak!! The sambal was also my right kinda of spicy -y'all know how I can't tahan pedas, right??

Of course, there was the fried chicken, which she sadly did not cut for me, but never mind. There's always the joy of pulling it apart with your fingers. She was skimpy on the anchovies-and-nuts condiments, but I didn't mind that. I always ate them first since they weren't exactly in my list of favorites. Two slices of fresh cucumbers instead of the usual one slice that hawkers skimp on as well. And instead of a wedge of fried omelette, there was a whole bull's eye egg!! Yay!! All that, for just $2.50!! How's that for budget-but-very-good food!!??

Nini & I bummed around her house after I was done eating, like what friends always do when they go to their good friend's places. My drink of the day was Grenadine Syrup served by Nini herself. We ended up talking & talking until it was time to watch a little bit of Mr Bean's Animated Series & then followed by That's So Raven as well as Drake & Josh. Exactly the same patterns as the kids in my house would do.

I finally got my butt to move after Drake & Josh was done & had Nini send me to the bus stop opposite her house & I got on the bus home quite satisfied with myself. A temporary job secured, a great day with a great friend, life couldn't get any better than this.

After all, they don't say C'est La Vie!! for nothing, do they??

Laterz...
Lenny GodGilla Xabs