I've been gone for quite some time, although I've been reading blogs silently (meaning, I don't exactly leave a comment).

In such amount of time, so much has happened. Some things are worth blogging, some aren't.

Well, over the weekend, I got something that's worth blogging for.

I quit my job as a barista at Starbucks.

It was a hard decision to make but at some point in our lives, we have to stand up for ourselves and let people know that we are not putting up with anything less than we deserve.I really love being a barista. It was a humbling experience and it was a great adventure. It helped me a lot and as much as it did, I also know that I don't owe anybody anything.

It just simply has to end. No more unnecessary stress. No more double standards. All of which I took for a year, that's how much I love what I was doing but then I cannot simply allow a person to have that control all over me, nor to give an implification that I'm a liar.

What's funny is that even as I'm walking out the door, people still tend to blame me, calling it a selfish action. But then, who really cares? It's over. They can all suck it, for all I care.

And there quite a few casualties, there was a friendship that's been shattered and a reputation getting slandered.

Just as I had choice to walk away, they have the choice to put their foot down and say "No".

In the end, it's all up to you to get over it or put up with it.

sick

this post was originally written 12/20/08

I am getting so sick with all the bullshit at work, with people being fake, with all the exaggeration, with the useless politics. I'm sick of it all.

Sure, people make mistakes. We are not perfect. Sure, people can come in late...but for crying out loud, please don't exaggerate.

One should not be in a managerial position if she can't even take responsibilities and keeps on putting the blame on her crew.

I am getting fed up.

What's the next worst thing that could happen after this?

Yesterday was a disaster at work.

I showed up 3 minutes before 8:00 am. As Ger and I were pulling in, I thought, "Hmmm, it's quite mellow for a Saturday. Usually, Saturday is our busiest day".

I got out of the car and I saw two of my co baristas yelling from the parking lot. Then I saw the newspaper still lying by the door.

It dawned on me, "Oh shit! We haven't opened it!".

Apparently, one of our shift supervisor -- who was supposed to open this morning, did not show up for work. My poor workmates, two of them, have been sitting in the parking lot since 5:00 am! Freakin' 3 hours!!!

They reached the opening shift supervisor but he said he's sick, his head is in the toilet and can't come to work. Just like that. He didn't even sound worried, concerned or whatsoever. One of my workmates practically begged him to come so he could open the store and he said, he is not coming.

How inconsiderate! How irresponsible! Que horror!

They've called all the other shift supervisors and nobody is picking up their phones. They tried our new store manager, her phone was off too.

It's already complicated and crazy because we are short staffed. We only have 3 shift supervisors, one just had a surgery. The other one, was supposed to leave for Arizona to see her dying grandmother, and that opening shift supervisor. Plus our new store manager.

It was chaos.

There were customers who were not happy about it.

You could see the disappointed look on their face. I tell you, coffee fix is worst than coke. You HAVE to have it, otherwise, your day isn't going to be complete or won't even begin. Ask Ger.

Anyway, we called Corporate, filed a report and went home.

I mean, what's the use of sitting in the parking lot waiting for nobody?

Ger, being as brilliant as he is (surprisingly, even before he had his coffee), called the Starbucks Fernley store. Our new manager used to work there and perhaps they might have another contact number for her.

Thank Goodness, after about less than an hour, I got a phone call saying that finally the store was open. Our store manager got the phone call from Fernley.

What happened was our old store manager gave us the wrong number. No wonder we could not contact her.

We opened at 9:00 am. Our customers who were there earlier, came back to still get their coffee from us.

I could feel the stress, the tension and the disaster of what that irresponsible shift supervisor did. We were all psyched out.

Thankfully, I made it the entire shift.

Take that, biatch!

WARNING: AN EXTREME VAGUELY-DETAILED RANT!!!

So, I was making an Iced Venti Green Tea Latte for a customer.

I forgot how to mark the cup so I looked it up on our beverage flash cards and while I was at it, I also looked up the step on how to make it because I knew I already looked it up once before and I just had to verify. (that's the OCD in me)

As I was on the very last part of making the drink, which is putting the matcha powder in the cup, a dearly beloved workmate tried to grab the cup from my hand saying, "No. That's not how you do it!".

In front of the customer!!!

I know I was on the right so I didn't give her the drink, told her that I know this is how you make it the Starbucks way, and told her to read the goddamn manual.

Ha! That set her straight. She didn't say anything after that.

See, it's one thing for her to correct me, but it's another thing for her to appear like she knows everything WITHOUT really knowing everything. What makes the matter worst is when she does it in front of the customer, for crying out loud.

And what's up with you grabbing the drink away from my hand?!??

What do you think I am, a 4-year old?!?!?! Hellooooooo!!!!

And this isn't the first time she did this to me.

The first time was when a customer ordered a Venti Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, Affogato style. Yes, I remember it because of the horrible thing she did to me.

As she was handing out the drink to the customers, they said they wanted it Affogato style, meaning, the shots aren't supposed to be blended.

You know what she did? She told them, "Oh she didn't know, she's still new" (meaning me, of course).

I stood there, with this thought racing in my head, "WTF?!?! I didn't make the drinks, you did. How dare you put the blame on me just because I'm new?????".

And the second time was when she was on the drive through handing out a drink to the customer, while I was on the front counter making a tea for another customer.

You know what she did? She poked her nose on my business directing me across the counter to put two tea bags in the cup. I told her, yes it's two tea bags and yes, I know.

I mean, doesn't she know that I went through the same training as she did? No, she wasn't being helpful at all, because once again, she was throwing out stupid instructions in front of the customers, making it appear like I'm so stupid.

The third time happened today, prior to the Green Tea incident. I was on my break. I wanted to get me some Tall Blended Lemonade.

Seriously, you should try it, it's insanely addicting.

Anyway, she asked me, "So, how do you say it?". She meant, the proper drink call. I replied, "Uh, Tall Blended Lemonade.". I was so tempted to say, "Duh." but I held back.

She said, "No. It's Blended Lemonade Creme".

I was like, "No, it isn't".

She insisted, "You fill it with lemonade and cream base".

I nearly laugh, "Oh no, you don't. That would probably taste like crap!!!".

Then here's the most hilarious part, "Oh well, I've seen OTHER people do it with cream base. I've seen them do it yesterday".

Another workmate of mine then said, "Maybe those people you thought you've seen adding cream base to it, were NOT really adding cream base to it".

Silence. She shut up. Finally.

And I just couldn't resist to point out her booboo, so I said, "Oh, please use the Non Dairy pitcher to avoid cross contamination". And thank God, she did without any further argument.

Honestly, I really don't know if she's just overcompensating. Or over micro-managing. Or doesn't trust me at all, because I've only been working 4 months. Or she's just an insufferable know-it-all. Or she just wants everybody to know that she knows everything and she's in charge but I don't care.

I can't stand your style of coaching or reinforcing information. It's NOT cool at all. I've seen other supervisors do it in a very subtle and not offensive way. Take a page from their book.

If you see me doing something wrong, pull me aside, let me know and I'll thank you.

Don't engage me in public. Don't humiliate me, because chances are, it's going back on you.
I mean, specially, if you really don't know what you're doing.

Next time, I'll bring earplugs with me

I hate gossip and what I hate most about it is when I fall for it.

Case in point, I was covering a shift for a workmate because of some urgent family matters on her end. I wasn't planning to go to work that day but out of concern and in good spirits, I did it so my workmate could take care of whatever hooplas are going on.

I got to work and heard this ridiculous story which I bought (yeah, I know I could have been smarter than that), that my workmate is such a liar and that there's always a family emergency every week and this person had to miss work and (get this) that he/she just might be banging someone else.

At that point, I felt like I've been had. I felt like somebody used me and my free time so he/she can just do whatever he/she feels like doing.

It really pissed me off.

I told Ger about it and he says it sounds so gossip-y. I ignored it. I was pissed, after all.

Just this afternoon, I walked in the store and this workmate gave me a very sincere hug. Thanking me for covering the shift because if it hadn't worked out that way, things could have gotten worst on that family emergency she had to attend to.

For five minutes, I felt like sh!t. I felt like I have been so judgmental and I felt like I'm just one of those gossip mongers. I hated that feeling. I hate the guilt that's creeping inside of me.

It turns out, I've really been had. But by the wrong person.

Yes, I really hate gossip.

I knew there was a bigger reason for camera phones

So, I was at work, as early as 5:00am (opening shift).

I took an order from a drive thru customer and afterwards, I went back to setting up the pastry case.
For sanitary purposes (and a whole lot of common sense), we use gloves for pastries.

As I was putting my gloves on, I saw something that made my day and made me and Nikki laugh so hard. It was a like "Good F*ckin' Morning Sunshine" greeting.

I picked up my glove looking like this!

Of course, I knew I had to whip out my cellphone & Nikki did too. It was just too cool to pass on a great photo op!

Word!!!

p.s. you might actually catch a glimpse of that red streaks on my hair (also known as the world's worst dye job ever! but that's a complete different blog entry once I got over it). ^_^