I was so happy when I received a call from one of the Uitzendbureau's and invited me to go on their office in the next day. On that moment, I could not explain my feelings and excitedly told Dennis about the call. Everytime that I tried to look for a job tru Uitzendbureau (an employment agency), I always received rejections for the reason that I could not speak Dutch fluently or I didn't have experience here in The Netherlands. I felt frustrations and sometimes, I couldn't help to cry. But now, this is really a good start for me! I feel welcome now in the Dutch Society and I can say that I can have my life here.
Day of the interview.
For 10am appointment, I decided to go to the Almere Stad 1 hour before the time so I had extra time to look for the place. Even I'd always there in the stad, I was not so familiar with the streets. When I was already there, I used the navigator on my phone to search for the area. Unluckily, the navigator searched for the wrong place. I remembered the location what the navigator showed to me but it was not the meeting place. After awhile, my phone was ringing. Someone from the Uitzendbureau called me to ask if I could still come to meet them. I said to him that I got lost and I was still looking for the place. He said the instructions in going there but I was not good with it. Thus, I used the Google Maps to recheck the place. Thank God! Google Maps found it. I was little ashamed when I came inside because I was already late and I saw that they were already started. I went inside, greeted them and said a sorry for being a late. I felt at ease when they wholeheartedly accepted me to join the meeting. I was expecting on that day an one-on-one interview but when I arrived there, a group of people who were sitting in around. Mark from the Uitzendbureau was the one who initiated the meeting and shared all the rules and instructions in working at Libelle. We were going to work at La Place, a popular restaurant of V&D which was catered the event, Libelle Zomerweek. Before the end of the meeting, we filled up the form and signed the contract that we agreed on the regulations.
Libelle Zomerweek
The Libelle Zomerweek is an annual event organized by the magazine Libelle. It's a fun day out for more than 80,000 women (regular Libelle readers) who consider it "op bezoek bij Libelle''. The Summer Week offers a combination of entertainment, information, and shopping experience: it is a real-life experience of the things that the magazine brings. The centerpiece of the Libelle Zomerweek is the Libelle Plein. Here is a comprehensive program consisting of workshops, fashion shows, makeovers, demonstrations, meetings with columnists and live performances by famous Dutch. From the square leads a wooden board walk along the pavilions of exhibitors and advertisers. The theme of 2012 was China Town and it was held in Almeerderstrand, Almere last May 7-13.
WORKING DAYS
After few days, I received the schedule for the event. It was 5 days in different time and location. I decided to take free Monday and Thursday so I could have time for my school and other things.
1st day
I was reserved on my first day, meaning I was just an extra for that day. If it would be more busy and they would need more people, they could call me and I would be there to accomodate their labor shortage. I should be there 30 minutes before my time and I needed to wait for few hours until they would call me. The good thing of it was even they would call me or not, they would still pay my waiting hours.
I was assigned on that day to wait in the Grote Tent(Big Tent) at 9-12pm. Few days before that, I couldn't help to think on how to be there at exactly 30 minutes before my time (8:30am) because the only public transportation that could travelled there was the train. But train could only passed by there around 8:45am so I would be late if I would take it that. The only solution was either Dennis would bring me there or I would go to Almere Stad to take the Pendelbus that offered by the uitzendbureau. I decided to ask Dennis regarding this because I still didn't have much idea how's going with the Pendelbus. Dennis agreed to bring me there but I should go with him when he was going also to his work. We left here at 7:00am and I arrived there at 7:30am.
I was early to be there but I didn't mind. My friend told me that better to be early and impress my employer because I was a novice at that moment. So I waited for 3 hours before they called me to work in other location. Thanks to God that He gave me a lot of patience to wait. I didn't really like to wait for long hours and then,do nothing. I was just sitting in the corner and I tried to talk with some people there but I still had hesitation to speak Dutch because I am not yet really good of it. Reading newspaper and checking my facebook... That was I did just to kill my time.
At 12.00nn, I started to work in the outside area of the restaurant. I was assigned with a Suriname man to collect all the trays and clean them. I was confident on that day that I could make my job well done. But because of the weather - rain and cold, I gave up and I couldn't take to work there for more hours. That was also the reason why the Suriname man left me alone there and went in the other area. It would be alright if I was wearing more layers to protect me from cold and assigned in a dry working area. But that was good that our team leader allowed me to leave early. I left the area at past 3pm and went home by a train.
2nd Day
The second day of my working schedule was also a reserved day. But last Tuesday, I talked with our Team leader that I couldn't work for long hours on the next day because I had appointment in the afternoon. So my team leader decided to take me free on Wednesday, my 2nd day at work, because they might call me in the afternoon if I would agree to work on that day. So Wednesday was a non-working day for me so I just stayed at home but I still took care the kids of my friend (to earn for extra).
3rd Day
Friday was the next day that I worked at Libelle. I was assigned again in the Grote Tent at 7-3pm. I received an email from our team leader regarding the intructions in taking the pendelbus. I woke up at 5am and took the train at 5:30am in going to Almere Stad. The pendelbus was leaving at exactly 6am and we arrived in the location before 6:30am. Before we started our duties, we had first our coffee break. Coffee and tea were free and we got discount for other foods. After the break, we started to work with our assignments. We were responsible in preparing the breakfast bread and maintaining the cleanliness in the hall. One of my colleagues named Linda, also our Team leader, caught my attention and treated me so nicely. She told me that she lived for a year in the Philippines to work as social worker for a Non-government organization who were helping the abused children. I was little surprised on her that she could also speak some Tagalog words. She also knew some Filipino cuisines and shared the informations about the Filipino store (Toko) in Amsterdam where she was living now. She made sure every time that we were doing great and how was going with us. She also motivated us to work harder and enjoy on what we were doing. I was so tired on that day because a lot of people came and ate there. I didn't remember how many trays that I cleaned but I knew that I reached almost 3 feet of trays. Another colleague of me gave some hints on how to clean them faster. My legs was almost collapsed when I finished my shift and walked on the way to train station. But still, I feltt so glad that I made my day enjoyably.
4th Day
I was assigned again in the Grote Tent but different section. I worked in Brood afdeling (Bread department) where we baked and cut breads and put salad, cheese or butter on it. That job was not so hard as compared to the job that I worked at Service dep't. I met new people there but I didn't talked so much with them because some times I just had the feeling to be quiet. My shift on that day was 7-3pm.
5th Day
I worked one hour longer on my last day. It was started at 8am and ended 5pm. They expected that it would become more busy on the last day of the event but we were wrong. It was not so busy compared to past few days for the reason that on that day was also Mother's Day so other people did other things together with the whole family. This event was really organized for women - more on shopping, fashion and workshops So we thought that you could count on your fingers the men who would have interest on it. So I did the same work that I did last Friday - cleaning the trays and maintaining the hall cleanly. Oops! There was another job that I did on that day. I was also assigned in the Coffee Section where we asked for the orders of the customers, pressed some keys on the coffee machine and served politely to the customer.
I considered this work as my first job here in the Netherlands and I´m very thankful to have it because I´m sure that for this, there would be more windows that would open for me. I want to thank also my two Thai friends. Without them, I would n´t knew about this job.Thanks also for my dearest Dennis who always there to support me. :)
Libelle Zomerweek
The Libelle Zomerweek is an annual event organized by the magazine Libelle. It's a fun day out for more than 80,000 women (regular Libelle readers) who consider it "op bezoek bij Libelle''. The Summer Week offers a combination of entertainment, information, and shopping experience: it is a real-life experience of the things that the magazine brings. The centerpiece of the Libelle Zomerweek is the Libelle Plein. Here is a comprehensive program consisting of workshops, fashion shows, makeovers, demonstrations, meetings with columnists and live performances by famous Dutch. From the square leads a wooden board walk along the pavilions of exhibitors and advertisers. The theme of 2012 was China Town and it was held in Almeerderstrand, Almere last May 7-13.
WORKING DAYS
After few days, I received the schedule for the event. It was 5 days in different time and location. I decided to take free Monday and Thursday so I could have time for my school and other things.
1st day
I was reserved on my first day, meaning I was just an extra for that day. If it would be more busy and they would need more people, they could call me and I would be there to accomodate their labor shortage. I should be there 30 minutes before my time and I needed to wait for few hours until they would call me. The good thing of it was even they would call me or not, they would still pay my waiting hours.
I was assigned on that day to wait in the Grote Tent(Big Tent) at 9-12pm. Few days before that, I couldn't help to think on how to be there at exactly 30 minutes before my time (8:30am) because the only public transportation that could travelled there was the train. But train could only passed by there around 8:45am so I would be late if I would take it that. The only solution was either Dennis would bring me there or I would go to Almere Stad to take the Pendelbus that offered by the uitzendbureau. I decided to ask Dennis regarding this because I still didn't have much idea how's going with the Pendelbus. Dennis agreed to bring me there but I should go with him when he was going also to his work. We left here at 7:00am and I arrived there at 7:30am.
I was early to be there but I didn't mind. My friend told me that better to be early and impress my employer because I was a novice at that moment. So I waited for 3 hours before they called me to work in other location. Thanks to God that He gave me a lot of patience to wait. I didn't really like to wait for long hours and then,do nothing. I was just sitting in the corner and I tried to talk with some people there but I still had hesitation to speak Dutch because I am not yet really good of it. Reading newspaper and checking my facebook... That was I did just to kill my time.
At 12.00nn, I started to work in the outside area of the restaurant. I was assigned with a Suriname man to collect all the trays and clean them. I was confident on that day that I could make my job well done. But because of the weather - rain and cold, I gave up and I couldn't take to work there for more hours. That was also the reason why the Suriname man left me alone there and went in the other area. It would be alright if I was wearing more layers to protect me from cold and assigned in a dry working area. But that was good that our team leader allowed me to leave early. I left the area at past 3pm and went home by a train.
2nd Day
The second day of my working schedule was also a reserved day. But last Tuesday, I talked with our Team leader that I couldn't work for long hours on the next day because I had appointment in the afternoon. So my team leader decided to take me free on Wednesday, my 2nd day at work, because they might call me in the afternoon if I would agree to work on that day. So Wednesday was a non-working day for me so I just stayed at home but I still took care the kids of my friend (to earn for extra).
3rd Day
Friday was the next day that I worked at Libelle. I was assigned again in the Grote Tent at 7-3pm. I received an email from our team leader regarding the intructions in taking the pendelbus. I woke up at 5am and took the train at 5:30am in going to Almere Stad. The pendelbus was leaving at exactly 6am and we arrived in the location before 6:30am. Before we started our duties, we had first our coffee break. Coffee and tea were free and we got discount for other foods. After the break, we started to work with our assignments. We were responsible in preparing the breakfast bread and maintaining the cleanliness in the hall. One of my colleagues named Linda, also our Team leader, caught my attention and treated me so nicely. She told me that she lived for a year in the Philippines to work as social worker for a Non-government organization who were helping the abused children. I was little surprised on her that she could also speak some Tagalog words. She also knew some Filipino cuisines and shared the informations about the Filipino store (Toko) in Amsterdam where she was living now. She made sure every time that we were doing great and how was going with us. She also motivated us to work harder and enjoy on what we were doing. I was so tired on that day because a lot of people came and ate there. I didn't remember how many trays that I cleaned but I knew that I reached almost 3 feet of trays. Another colleague of me gave some hints on how to clean them faster. My legs was almost collapsed when I finished my shift and walked on the way to train station. But still, I feltt so glad that I made my day enjoyably.
4th Day
I was assigned again in the Grote Tent but different section. I worked in Brood afdeling (Bread department) where we baked and cut breads and put salad, cheese or butter on it. That job was not so hard as compared to the job that I worked at Service dep't. I met new people there but I didn't talked so much with them because some times I just had the feeling to be quiet. My shift on that day was 7-3pm.
5th Day
I worked one hour longer on my last day. It was started at 8am and ended 5pm. They expected that it would become more busy on the last day of the event but we were wrong. It was not so busy compared to past few days for the reason that on that day was also Mother's Day so other people did other things together with the whole family. This event was really organized for women - more on shopping, fashion and workshops So we thought that you could count on your fingers the men who would have interest on it. So I did the same work that I did last Friday - cleaning the trays and maintaining the hall cleanly. Oops! There was another job that I did on that day. I was also assigned in the Coffee Section where we asked for the orders of the customers, pressed some keys on the coffee machine and served politely to the customer.
I considered this work as my first job here in the Netherlands and I´m very thankful to have it because I´m sure that for this, there would be more windows that would open for me. I want to thank also my two Thai friends. Without them, I would n´t knew about this job.Thanks also for my dearest Dennis who always there to support me. :)
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