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Friday 30 May 2008

Migrants....

There are apparently 30,000 Polish migrants living and working in the North of Ireland.
And, at a guess, I would say there are a hell of a lot of them working in the hospitality industry, maybe as many as half of them.

And I say Huzzah for them!

And huzzah for the new waiter who starts today.

She's American
AWESOME!
(As she may or may not say)

We recently doubled our Polish staffing levels to two by hiring a new chef. He's a nice guy if a bit terminatorish on it. Seriously, he really is a brick shit house of a man. He's been living here for a few years and this has had the effect of really messing his accent up. Whilst he still has his Eastern Bloc Terminator voice, "I'll be back...with the chips" type of thing it has taken on a few of the local twangs as well. So now he sounds like a Terminator who drinks cheap beer from a blue bag outside the corner shop. More Seamus Schwarzenegger than Arnold.

But his arrival has done more than afford me a moments amusement. Our other Polish guy, Dragon the kitchen porter, has found a new lease of life recently. Gone is the deep thinking and quiet methodical work that has set him apart from anyone else in the kitchen. No more with the scary ass silences and 100% work ethic. Oh no! Now he's Mr Chatty and the life and soul of the party. Now I'm not sure whether it is to do with the arrival of the new chef or maybe just because he has become acclimatized to the local way of doing things but his work rate has dropped down to something a bit more like were the rest of us are at. Thank Christ he was making us look bad. Now he can be found getting tore into steak sandwiches and cups of tea just like the rest of the kitchen staff instead of deep cleaning one of the many fridges. And if you need someone to smoke with, Dragon's yer man.

You see this is what we do in this country. We take a hard working immigrant and we make them one of us, in every sense.

Watching the two of them from the door of the kitchen reminded me of two Furbies who have been left sitting beside each other. They sound much the same too. They aren't supposed to speak in Polish when they are at work but they do it all the same to wind the rest of the kitchen up. Talk about paranoid. But just as they are teaching the other chefs and KP's how to speak Polish our lot are teaching them how to swear in "English", or a version of it.

The new chef asked if he could go home early tonight as he wanted to phone his mother before she went to bed.

Awwwwwwwwwwhhhhhh!!

He took quite a bit of stick from the other chaps about that but I really thought it was sweet. It cant be easy for these people being away from their families and friends. I say fair play to them for taking the risk and coming here to do the shitty little jobs we don't want to. I say they should be applauded and supported and not ridiculed or shunned, as so many do. And aren't they only doing what many men and women from Ireland did years ago, head west and all that?

And who's to say we wont have to do it again?

20 People trying to get Manuel's attention:

Native Minnow said...

Kudos on converting the hard working immigrant into a slacker (although, please don't take offense that I just called the rest of you slackers).

Anonymous said...

Immigrants who come here to work (as opposed to health tourists) are very welcome. Even the Nigerian father who leaves his daughter down to nursery when I drop mine off. I must admit I do have some suspicions as he drives off in his E class Merc after engaging me in conversation about helping to pay the tax bill of his deceased wealthy cousin whose wife will compensate me by giving 10% of the $2M due to her. Sounds like I can't lose. Apparently he'll buy a "lost" passport too. Fantastic fellow all round.

Megan McGurk said...

"Seamus Schwarzeneggar" is brilliant, Manuel!
Maybe the kitchen porter dude feels like he can relax now that the newbie is there. It's his way of saying he's more assimilated and can relax on the job since he knows the ropes.

Manuel said...

minnow; oh no you're right.....totally right....

bbb: very unlucky, those Nigerians, with their banking system......email seems to work fine though....

medbh: assimilated.....damn it was trying to think of that word earlier.....

Anonymous said...

I recall a chinese KP in one of the places I worked in previously. His english was poor but he was agreat worker. He'd obviously picked up the local lingo, as one time, just after the lunch service he approached a group of chefs. One said 'For fuck sake Lim, what do you want?' He replied...


'I want yer ma'



Fuckin Genius.

Manuel said...

bpc: hahahahahahaha quality.....aye our kp does a great line in "ma" jokes now.....doesn't take lightly to jokes about Communism though....

Anonymous said...

teaching russian professors and graduate students to swear in english was quite a hobby for me and a few drunken yabs at a professional society meeting once...

"Fuck You In The Mouth" was my personal favorite...

going to hell, but i'll be smiling en route!

Paddy in BA (Quickroute) said...

Apologies for serious post but 2 months before I left the esteemed banking establishment I worked for I saw the visiting Indian outsource trainee cry on the phone because he was missing his wife and daughter - I still feel bad! - especially when you hear of Irish racism against foreign workers - As you point out the Irish were the benefactors of innumerable countries hospitality so time for some pay back!

Jenny said...

I employ immigrants - a good work ethic is the same.... no matter what language is spoken. I have been humbled many times by their ability to adapt and work hard.

So... double kudos!

Manuel said...

daisyfae: nice.......hands across the divide n all that......

quickie: it really cant be easy and they need to be supported and made to feel welcome....

boxer: triple it......it's a friday....

Sadhbh said...

yeah funny our polish guys and canadian girl were mad for work the first couple of weeks....we soon showed them how it was done and now they read the newspaper in the mornings instead of getting ready for the day too!!!!

Manuel said...

sadhbh: that's the spirit!

Blondefabulous said...

Over here we have the Latino population. Very hard working lot, all of them. Hard to corrupt too. They just go about business and hardly ever stop to chat.

So, we work on the next generation.....the kids who are going to school with our own and aqiring our hefty American sense of entitlement.

Heh heh...... get 'em while their young!

Anonymous said...

Ran into a telegraph pole the other day...
Silly f**ker shouldn't of been standing in the middle of the traffic lights!

Sorry, only people from Belfast will get that (maybe).

Manuel said...

blondie: that's it.....corrupt them

sheepo: boom boom.....

Anonymous said...

Good luck to all immigrants trying to make a buck in a foreign land. it can't be easy - I really admire their chutzpah.

Anonymous said...

I live in England and can't move for Irish expats! New cultures and ways of doing things should be welcome in any society. It's refreshing to see someone say something positive for a change rather that the bollocks the tabloids come out with. Big up to the Polish massive ;-)

Manuel said...

sam: more chutzpah.....not less....

sarah bell: we are all migrants in a way.....! I hate the daily mail....

Crispy said...

Does "Jennifer Lopez" still work in your place??!!

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