Report of Working Holiday Activities
My job as a waitress at an Argentinean restobar
I already worked at a bar in Germany. But to do so in Argentina is something totally different. Especially at the beginning when you understand very little Spanish. The Spanish language course prior the job helped me a lot to prepare me for the activities at the “restobar”. But starting to speak Spanish did start right ahead with my job.
On the first day I came for a couple of hours to introduce myself to the menu of offered beverages and dishes. I had to learn about the different types of empanadas (empanadas criollas, salteñas, árabes, dulces, de carne ….), how to mix a reasonable „ferné“ (Fernet Branca with Coca-Cola, a cult beverage in Córdoba), what is “Gancia” (an argentinean Martini) and what are the beers of the house (Quilmes de un litro, although the bottle only have about 970 cc; Stella Artois, a belgian beer; and a german one called “Isenbeck”).
After just a couple of days I learned the menu and list of beverages by heart and also to take orders in Spanish were becoming easier. The nightlife in Argentina starts pretty late, so also my working hours in this trendy bar fall on the weekends between 20 o´clock until 4 o´clock in the dawn. But not on all Sundays I could sleep until late because I often was invited by my boss and my collegues on the weekend, either to bath in the Sierras or for a trip to Carlos Paz.
This was the best of my job. I quickly met a lot of friendly Argentineans, with whom I undertook a different spare times activities. Because I worked almost on every weekend I finally received more than the promised pocket money. Of course, I also get something to eat and drink at the bar and my boss drove me home after work or the called and paid a cab.
As a foreign young women in a bar in Argentina of course you will be asked at any time, from where you are, what are you doing in Argentina, how long to you stay and you will receive a lot of invitations… Here you are a “blonde exotic person“ and you have to deal with the chat-up line of the Argentinian „chicos“…
Kathi from Germany