We had to make our packs look as much as possible like suitcases when we went for our first day at the Sheraton, Munich. So we no longer wore our little packs on our chests, but piled it all inside. We donned skirts and pumps ( I bought some black leather flat shoes in Austria for work) and hobbled to the Sheraton - nervous as hell - which wasn't helped by the fact that we were half an hour late due to subway delays. They didn't notice we were late as there was a corridor full of new girls waiting to start work. So we just tried to blend in.
Eventually we were seen to, and shown into the office of the housekeeper - Housdamen. Everyone was really friendly. We were put in the laundry department for the day. There we met a Portuguese girl on a training programme. She was very nice and showed us where the canteen was. In fact she even lent us money for the food tickets. The canteen food is excellent. Rolls/crackers, cheese, jam, butter, meat all for breakfast, as well as endless coffee and tea. Lunch - soup, salad, desert are free but for $1 you get a hot lunch of meat and veg. Paula and I ate and ate because it was free! But the novelty will wear off.
We had those punch card things that people use in factories at the beginning and end of the day. In the laundry we had to "iron" shirts by putting them on a dummy that filled with hot air and steams the creases out. We had candy stripped uniforms, a little tight on the hips and a string pull waist.
By the end of the day our feet were killing us. but we still had to put our packs on and find our way to the staff house.
Photo from Wikimedia
No comments:
Post a Comment