Blue Skies and Sunshine!

Today was beautifully sunny and cold. The blue skies and sunshine here just aren't the same as in Utah. There seems to be a film or haze that blocks the sky and makes it not as bright and beautiful. It's still nice though. I do love the sunshine. Ha ha that song really applies here. :) "don't matter what you look like, don't matter where you're from...don't even matter what you are, a dog, a pig, a cow, a goat. Had em all in here!" Anyway...

Today was a pretty fun day at work. We're starting to get into the real restaurant stuff. I am now assuming I'll be waitressing because that is where I'm training. I'm excited! The only thing that worries me is knowing the menu. We have to study a lot so we know what sides go with what mains, what options they have and when and how to upsell. Pretty crazy. That I can do through studying and learning but I'm most worried about the drinks. I'm going to have to have a special tutoring session and have someone teach me what a lager, cider, spirits and more are and what coffees there are and wines! So much and I haven't the slightest clue what they are let alone what they go well with. It is also going to be an adventure recommending things I've never had. :) It's fun.

So today we did scenario training which is like pretend serving. Nerve-racking though because everyone is watching. I'll probably go tomorrow. We also had bar training and cocktail training. Learning and making the drinks was so much fun! We had speed competitions and my team won lottery tickets he he. Really fun! It was slightly hard not to try the cocktails just because they look like really yummy juice or soda. But I prevailed.

While all this was happening, I was thinking about the D.A.R.E. program we have. We are taught in elementary school how bad alcohol and smoking are for the body and how to "Just say No". They totally don't have that here. If anything they promote it. I mean all the bars and pubs and any business really, depends on selling all the drinks you can. Everyone drinks and it is a massive part of the company's revenue. It's unbelievable. Just food for thought as well as sex education. It's obviously different here and so is marriage. Everyone has a boyfriend or a misses, but you rarely here husband or wife. It's weird.

I have also noticed that because of drinking and what not, everyone here has what I will call frog syndrome. It's where their mid-body/torso area is big and round and the adjoining limbs (arms and legs) are skinny. You've all seen it and know what I'm talking about but it is in abundance here. Everyone, even skinny girls, have a belly because they drink so much. America may be fatter, but the UK has a serious frog syndrome problem.

Some more random facts I learned today:

• Their limes have to be painted because they are like brown! They have to paint them green to make them look like fruit!
• The hot chocolate here is terrible. They don't like milky sweet, they like bitter and strong. Boo!
• I learned this a while ago but I need to mention that all the clocks here are like military time or whatever. For example, four o clock is 16:00. No am pm, just 12:00-24:00. It took some getting used to, that's for sure.

That is all for today. Oh! and we got our uniforms. I'll post a picture tomorrow. So much love and hugs and kisses and yummy hot chocolate!

-Frog syndrome free!