I am starting a new sub-series of posts called "Scenes (of pain, horror, and regret) from a Korean Restaurant" documenting my horrid experience as a waitress at a Korean restaurant in Pennsylvania.
I feel I have to just dive in here instead of attempting to explain just how horrible this job has been, because it's barely possible to explain in person where hand gestures are involved, let alone though words solely.
This post is dedicated to my boss's hatred of the Chinese, or as she pronounces it, the Chai-nese (emphasis on the first syllable.)
My boss is Korean. (North Korean I choose to believe based on her temperament, but that's besides the point.) She's Korean and naturally, as an asian, she's racist against other asians. Fair enough. But not only does she take it too far, she drags me into it as well.
It all started a few months ago. I have, since I began working at this restaurant, been terrified of my boss because she is big, scary, and um, BAT SHIT CRAZY. So whenever she calls me over to talk at (or 99% of the time, yell at) me I look her in the eye and nod and agree with everything she has to say to me. "You did this wrong, you did that wrong, blah blah blah!!!!" This happens EVERY SINGLE DAY and all of us who work there just take it and agree with her.
Boss: "You did this WRONG!!!!!!!!!"
Waitresses: "Yes." "Ok." "Sorry." "Yes." :-(
This is what we have to do because there is no defending yourself at this restaurant, you'll only make things WAAYY worse. Just agree with the boss and soon the yelling will stop. Usually. Well, sometimes.
So like I said, a while back some incident occurred and she choose me to yell at on this particular day. Keep in mind, my boss can't see 90% of the customers because she's always in the back cooking. If something occurs most of the time she is just assuming, just based on unfair prejudices that the Chinese are the cause of the incident.
Incident 1
Boss: "Kay-tee! Why customer is complain?"
Me: "I don't know, they wanted the food less salty."
Boss: "No! I can't! The food is not TOO salty."
Me: "Yes."
Boss: "So why is complain?"
Me: "I don't know..."
Boss: "Ugh! Chai-nese, I can't understand. Why is too salty is no. Not too salty."
Me: "Yes. Ok. Sorry."
Over the past two weeks, this has been happening like crazy.
Incident 2
Boss: "Kay-tee. Why is customer put the door open?"
Me: "I don't know. He asked to open the door and I said I can't and then he did it anyway."
Boss: "No. Close the door. Air conditioner is working. He is Chai-nese. Chai-nese is always open the door. I don't want."
Me: "Yes."
Incident 3
Boss: "Kay-tee. Why customer is pay at the front the check? I don't want!!"
Me: "I don't know, I brought the check but they didn't give me their card they just came up."
Boss: "No! I don't want because it's always the Chai-nese and always they are too noisy. They pay the check and make the line and is too noisy. Chai-nese people is very loud."
Me: "Yes. Ok. Sorry."
Now the thing is, when it comes to my boss bitching about Chinese people, she only seems to yell at me. Why? Does she think I agree? I certainly do not. Everyone does the things that she gets mad about, but for some reason she believes it is only the Chinese doing these "horrible" things which will ultimately bring the downfall and demise of her restaurant.
Incident 4:
Boss: "Kay-tee! Why is customer wants more the rice?"
Me: "I don't know...they asked for more rice."
Boss: "Ugh! I can't understand the Chai-nese. Why they need the more rice? It's not good."
Me: "Yes."
Incident 5:
Boss: "Kaytee! Why is customer is food complain?"
Me: "They said they wanted the food more quickly."
Boss: "I can't understand the Chai-nese. This is Korean food! Cook time is long or taste is not good! I think the Chai-nese food is not too good and they don't understand, we are not Chai-nese food we are Korean food and time is more and food taste is better."
Me: "Yes."
Incident 6:
Boss: "Kay-tee! Why is customer order and all people are not here?"
Me: "She said she's very hungry and wants to order right away."
Boss: "No! Why is the Chai-nese always too quickly. They need to wait. It is not too good and the order is together not too many times."
Me: "Yes."
What will the Chai-nese do wrong tomorrow? Only time will tell.
