I'm Fun

Time dragged this morning. I mean it felt like hours were disappearing into an abyss of chocolate and cookies. It felt like my shift at work was dragging on for days, nothing bad happened(in fact I got to try out my Dad's Coconut Macaroon recipe and it came out AMAZING), but time just did not want to push forward. After work I headed straight to the gym (it makes me feel good), only to then come home to a message calling me to the other side of town to buy five bags of gummy candy as a present for a co-worker. Time sped up, I had a meal I had already planned to cook, a call to a Carney that I had been wanting to make, and American Gangster to watch. I cooked, I called a Carney, and managed to watch the most recent episode of "Chuck" (I am saving American Gangster for tomorrow: a Friday night filled with, left overs, a movie, and Moritz. Lights out at eight!!).

We have this kid shadowing us at work this week. He's applying to be next year's apprentice, and is going through the joys of a one-week trial. We never have men work with us outside of my Boss (a tactic I recognize from Iceberg Slim's, Pimp), so it was a bit weird to throw a sixteen year old boy into the mix, the poor lamb. From the first moment he introduced himself I knew that this was going to be an interesting week. He is a combination of Napoleon Dynamite and Mika (not Straight-Salzburg Mika, but Famous-Is-He-Gay? Mika). It turns out he's Spanish, and has no future in baking.

Mika Dynamite LOVES America. I know this because it's the first thing he said to me and has been every third sentence in our interactions since. Mika D. has also expressed his yearning to learn "American English," and not the "Ughk! English English" they teach in school. Mika D. loves Hip Hop, Gangster Rap, taking care of his appearance; and hates cold weather and House music. Mika D. also like to tell everyone that "She iz FUN!" You can only imagine that I feel like I have found my long lost son. By the second day, I had asked Mika D. how he was doing. Mika D. grabbed me by the shoulders and said that he wished he could work more with me, that I was someone he could talk to. I thought this was sweet and told him not to worry, and went back to work.

A couple hours later, as I was getting ready to make Lemon Rolls, The Boss' Daughter sent Mika D. over to me so I could explain to him what my final exam is all about. Mika D. didn't really want to know about it though, and instead dove right into complaining how he couldn't relate to my co-workers and how I remind of his mother (we share the same first name). At some point it occurred to me that Mika D. would make an AWESOME receptionist at a hotel. I told him this, and he got very excited. He leaned over to me and said, "I knew you an I would get along." He then started saying how he would love to work in hotel reception and how he loves their nice uniforms. He kept asking if I thought he could come to America to work, I told him if he was in hotels, that yes, he definitely could. He looked so happy, and just kept saying, "You're great, why can't I just work with you?" Good Lord, I would be lying if I said it didn't make me feel good, he's a good kid.

I also can't lie and say I don't relate to Mika D. Mika D. has horrible grades, instead of academics Mika D. is interested in the social aspect of things. He is more interested in what he wears and taking the time and pleasure in making himself look nice. He is the 16 year-old me, including that we both like guys (except I don't think he knows it yet). And because of this I feel the need to protect him. He isn't going to get the job, my Boss could never have another man work in the store, it's him, he's "The King," but if you follow along with the blog you know what type of man my boss is. Not the smart type, and definetly not the sensitve type. I think that's what made me tell him to try as a Receptionist, put his people skills to use. You could tell he was so flattered that someone had noticed that about him. I would have felt the exact same way.

Tomorrow is my last day working with Mika D. I wish him the best, and am sure that although people find him a bit weird for his openness and friendliness, he's going to end up going far, or at least happy. Maybe that's just what I wish for myself though. Who knows?