A day in the life of a staff member

Beep-beep, beep-beep (10 minutes later) Beep-beep, beep-beep
- Um, Nicole…aren’t you morning café today?
Hmmm? Morning cafe? OH!! I’m up, I’m up!

7:00 am
Sometimes having a roommate can be a good thing. Especially if the words “morning shift” make you sigh and send strength prayers heavenward. Throw on some jeans, catch a cheery “Have a great shift!” from the Dutch girl standing at the bathroom sinks, make a quick check of the kitchen to see if anyone wants to commute together, and you’re on your way.

Luckily you’re not the only one eyeing the coffee machine at morning prayer, your manager is on his third cup and the bible reading sounds a bit jittery this morning. Close your eyes, let God’s words flow over you and glance at the clock. It’s time.

8:00 am
The regulars come in first. Coffee and a number one for Mr. Greek. Hot chocolate and two number twos for the Spanish girls. Oh wait, we have pancake breakfast. After a month here, you’re an artist. One hundred fifty perfectly round pancakes and you still have energy to create some amazingly cheesy ones for yourself on break.

11:00 am
There’s a girl sitting all by herself staring off into the garden. A few sips of tea and some genuinely interested questions later, you find she’s traveling alone, on her way back from six months in some remote village in Africa. She’s tired. She hasn’t laughed in awhile. You leave her side feeling touched over her willingness to confide in you.

1:00 pm
Mmmmm, dinner sounds amazing tonight. You sign up, turn the café over to the afternoon worker and jump on your bike. A quick shake of your head and ring of your bell at the blaringly red Mac Bikes that cut you off in front of central station…tourists. It’s Saturday, so you stop by the market on the way home, whispers of cheap DVDs and handmade bags drawing you into the crazy mass of locals and tourists. The vendors speak to you in Dutch and you don’t bother to correct them, it makes you feel at home.

5:00 pm
Back to the hostel, a yummy dinner with Liechtenstein origins, and a random conversation about God and cooking shows with one of the cleaners. You arrive home just in time for a movie and conversation with a couple of the staff. Ten “slaap lekkers” later and you head to your room:

11:00 pm
Hey Roomie!! How was your day off?
- Nicole!! I haven’t seen you all day. It was good. I walked the Van Gogh museum and rode around tasting some new pastry shops.
Any good ones?
- Oh, one we’ll DEFINITELY have to check out.
Sweeeet. Night, Rose.
- Goodnight.

(written by Nicole Keene, staff member in 2006)

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