My Problem as a Hostess
Language Barrier is one of the problems i always had when i do freelance hostessing job with my mama-san, Joe for international clients.
I've worked mostly with French clients, that is how i picked up a few words on the way. Really useful i might add especially since i do have a couple of French friends who are living in Singapore but i'm still working on it though. Can understand but my problem is always finding it hard to hold a fluent conversation as i rarely practice it here (more like no one to converse with).
Say Hello to my first French Tutor
One of the latest jobs i worked so far as you have seen via my Instagram is for some international private medical business event held at KLCC last week and received the most unexpected label of all "waitress" lol.
Sounds very much degrading but oh well..you clean up after people and serve them coffee I guess "Waitress" is the best term to label me.
I rather work jobs like these and build my network with people around the world than to deal with Malaysian photographers at PC Fair who takes the same photos from 10am-10pm (you guys damn free ah >.>)
It is good money working as a freelancer but just posing and smiling 12 hours for photos just for RM150- 280(a day) not to mention heavy make up + high heels and very skimpy clothing in a frigging cold exhibition hall.
I did all those out of desperation to pay off my education fees and house rent because where else can i get a part time job especially when i have classes daily from morning to evening.
And working in McDs? Forget it, it's beyond underpaid.
Why?
We do not imply "MINIMAL WAGE" in this country, how sad.
Come on, even my cousin in Australia who works during his summer break in a KFC outlet earns more than me one hour (and it's not in terms of dollar to dollar ah!)
Working like a dog and being underpaid is not how i wanted to live my life so that is how i got into freelancing where we work when there is events/roadshows or campaigns.
Not much difference on the working hours except for looking pretty and earning double than usual ;)
No complaints there.
Opps..out of topic AGAIN :-P
One of the reasons why i also wanted to be an air stewardess is because i like to travel, meet new people and i feel it's kinda fun despite being on call and constantly on air.
To me, every job I've worked in the past is a stepping stone, a great life experience that many kids don't get these days thanks to parents who spoon fed their children all the way till they get a stable job (hence the same cycle continues with the future generation).
Getting to sit on a fighter jet plane is PRICELESS.
My most recent clients were from Asian countries like Hong Kong and Japan and i seriously didn't know that HK people speak in Cantonese (epic fail lol).
As usual no problem hearing and understanding but on the other hand people who are not from around here usually have problems with our language (Bahasa/English).
How i deal with it?
The one and only time i took out my phone during working hours infront of my client lol to translate some words.
With the my trusty Samsung Galaxy S4 Translator .
Just fill in the text and it will directly translate to the language you want.
If you can't read the kanji, just click on the talking button on the right and it will automatically speak for you. So you don't have to be embarrassed about pronouncing it wrongly or not :-P
Simple when you say, just use google search to translate the words la but here is the catch.
What is the person replies back in Japanese? :-P
*jeng..jeng..jeng*
How ah??
When they speak directly into the speaker it will automatically translate from Japanese to English in text form.
Bet your normal smartphones can't do this ohoho~
Now let's see if google-ing can help you with this :-P
By the end of that 3 days, it's always great to see happy and satisfied clients, best part is they allowed us to bring home all the excess brownies, cookies and boxed milk that wasn't served/used on the last day. Because they say it's such a waste to just give them back to the KLCC catering people as they will just throw it away, one thing foreigners learn about Malaysians is we eat ALOT and waste FOOD as well.
Not a very good impression lol.
brought home a box full of cookies for my siblings!
It's been a great and tiring week, gonna update more tomorrow ;-)
XOXO,
No comments
Post a Comment
Your Comments puts a smile on my face :)
Thank you!
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.