Oops, I did it again

[/edit] Thanks Trish for reminding me but how could I forget this very recent incident in Prague: Trish had given me her wallet to hold briefly, but when we parted ways for a few hours I forgot I had it, and she forgot that she had given it to me. Since I didn't have a phone, when Trish realised her wallet was missing, she assumed that it had been stolen (especially since they have a sign every 2 metres in Prague warning of pickpockters) and she spent the next few hours at a Czech police station filling out police reports, texting her dad at 3am Sydney time to cancel cards and organising new cards to be picked up. Oops, I did it again. Jeanne and I had to smuggle Trish out of the police station before telling her that her wallet hadn't been stolen at all! I don't think the police would have been impressed at all. I have to say that when Trish and I are together we do the most combined brainless things. I think its called synergy, but not in the most positive sense. Like when two positives equal a negative, right? =P. I also have a long list of crazy travel stories which make my work stories pale in comparison, but I must save that for another day. Time to cram! [/end edit]

So tonight at work, I lost a customer's credit card. Don't even ask me how because I'm still trying to figure that out. I was behind the bar at the register, I swiped the card, waited for the receipt to print, I looked up and then looked down and it was gone. It just wasn't there. In that 2 seconds it just disappeared. I looked absolutely everywhere but it just didn't turn up. It really was one of those out-of-body freaky experiences because I couldn't comprehend how it could just disappear! I bet it was those Xmas elves from Tivoli! So I had to tell the customer that I had "misplaced" his credit card and if we don't find it later tonight, he'll have to cancel it etc etc. They didn't take it too well as you can imagine, so the manager had to go and sort it out.

At least the managers were unbelievably nice about it even though I felt so terrible about it. Everyone else just thought it was funny. I think I've set the benchmark for stupidity at the restaurant now. I can just see in the months and years to come after I've left, if anyone ever does anything absentminded or stupid, that the others will just say, "Oh don't worry, thats nothing. There was once this girl from Sydney who used to work here and she..."

Some people would consider me to be intelligent, but I beg to differ as I somehow always seem to end up doing the most random, stupid and embarrassing things. Tonight was one of those moments but I'm not sure whether it tops some previous incidents. Like the time, at another waitressing job, where I gave a customer normal spring rolls (she swears she ordered the vegetarian ones, but I'm pretty sure she forgot to say that) and after two bites she calls me over and breathlessly whispers in a monotone, "That...is..the first..piece..of meat I've had in..THIRTY YEARS!". Then she continued to sit there for the rest of the night in disbelief, struggling to contemplate with the fact that there were miniscule particles of meat infiltrating her puritan body.

Or the time I spilt a whole bottle of green Bacardi Breezer all over the front of a lady's white top. She took it quite well, actually.

Or the time I nearly broke the cork which almost disintegrated into a super vintage super expensive bottle of wine a customer brought in. Thank goodness my manager saved it, they were super not happy about it at all.

Or the time I nearly lost a seven year old child in one of my dance classes. When you have seventeen 7 to 12 year olds running around, its not the easiest job to keep tabs on them really. You can bet I was totally freaking out and jumping to conclusions about kidnappers and pedophiles lurking about and worst still was how I would have to explain to her mother that I had lost her daughter. Meanwhile I had to contain my composure in teaching the rest of the class with other mothers sitting up the back watching. I nearly lost it when we found her 20 minutes later hiding behind the curtain (yup, she was that small). Yes, how I love little kids.

Or the time at the restaurant, when a customer quickly grabbed my attention and asked for a cup of green tea and for some unknown reason I told her no and that she had to order from her own waiter (you can actually order from any waiter), only to look up to find that it was the general manager (the big big boss) of the restaurant. Total embarrassment.

And thus the long list continues but I won't go any further because I think you all get the general idea. Whilst on the topic of work, its always great to reap the perks and benefits of your employment. I present to you..A night out at Wagamamas..

Sarah and Dani with their yasai katsu curry. Edamame beans taste like pure soy..I love it!

I had the christmas special, the buta udon, which I thought tasted very chinese. Tez with her "yucky" udon. No no its "yaki", dear. (JY - are you playing spot the JY Jewels? =))

"Ramon" with the teriyaki steak soba, "Wolv" with the miso ramen

Sam and Tez with their udons.

Can't go past the wasabi-chokoladekage (chocolate cake) here.

Dig in!

More Danish christmas cheer. Distinctively danish - Santa made out of Lego.

This is also distinctively danish - strolling down Stroget.

Christmas illuminations of danish jeweller, Georg Jensen and the department store, Illum

Cosy Cafe Norden where the hot chocolates are 40 Dkk (gasp!). That's about $9.30 aud, pure highway robbery, but delicious nevertheless.

"Wolv" and "Chun Lee" (???). If anyone can think of a "stereotypical" Asian-Australian name please let me know. Hrmm, maybe I can be "laksa" since its rather Malaysian-Australian, the same way Sarah could be "SpagBol" (distinctively Australian and Italian, obviously!)

I'm not sure what's going on here, but Philipp has hands that move at the speed of light.

and..Happy birthday, Santiago!