I have been out of from behind the bar since New Years 2010…when I was pregnant with the twins!!!…but just like riding a bicycle, it all comes back to you!! I have lamented for the past two years that this place…CAMBODIA, in general, NEEDS some good bartenders…I have only found ONE bartender who seems to have it all…he can make a drink, carry on a conversation and take care of multiple tasks at once…
Our good friends opened a new bar…they have great food, great drinks and GREAT entertainment…the entertainment brings hundreds of people in…however, the customer service has people scratching their heads…don’t get me wrong…on a regular night, the service is impeccable…but you add the language barrier, ramshackle bar set ups and 500 people…well, it’s scary!!! After one such LARGE turn out a few months back…I said to the owner, “Next event…YOU call me…I will work the upstairs bar and we’ll get these customers turned over fast!!”…of course, I had sat there with my husband, listening to music and enjoying a few mojitos and by the end of the night, had no recollection that the last time I was behind the bar was 2 years ago…
So right before our trip to Australia, I had just dropped Zachary off at school and Diego pulls up next to us on his moto while we’re sitting in the tuktuk…and he asks me to help out that weekend…”SURE!” I respond…HELLO…I haven’t seen 1 am in 2 years (unless it was to change a poopy diaper or stick a boob in a baby’s mouth)…NEVERMIND the fact that I wasn’t as confident I could pull this off as I was the night I had had 4 or 5 or maybe 7 mojitos and told him to “COUNT ON ME!”…OK…so, if you know me, you know I have this thing…like before a basketball game or a big night of a party…I can’t be cocky…right?…because I always think that pride comes before a fall…so if you think you’ve got it and aren’t just a little bit nervous…you are going to fail…and fail big…it’s stupid, I know, but I really am quirky and it’s just me…so here I am, getting ready to fly to Australia and I get food poisoning and just for fun, I throw in a Saturday night bartending shift, pro bono! YEAH!
I admit it, I was nervous…dreaming for two nights of “being in the weeds” (for you non-restaurant people, it means running everywhere, forgetting who ordered what and just never being caught up…)…but I pull out my money making dress, throw some make up on and head to the bar at 6 PM…
NO NEED TO WORRY!!!…I mean, who am I kidding? My husband kept telling me it would be fine…like, even if I hadn’t been behind the bar in 5 years, I would still rock it (how’s THAT for a hubby?)…
Jimmy came and listened to music, chatted with friends and sweated his ass off!
MONA! My partner in crime!
Barback/Bartender…he was AMAZED that I could pour the drinks…AND that I threw almost $20 in the tip jar…it was a BIG amount…maybe 5 people tipped me all night long! They just don’t do tips here!
Mojitos ready to rock and roll!
The owner insisted I have one to start the night off…how can I refuse!? (was never a drink behind the bar kid of girl!)
…and here are our patrons…drinking our drinks and having some fun!
The “chefs”…
The band…
THE CROWD!!!
Roasted piggy…all gone!
This band ROCKS…think a salsa version of ColdPlay…Justin Bieber…and Jim’s fav…Rage…
I remembered what I love about bartending…the people, the action, staying busy, moving around, the music, the fun…I FORGOT what it feels like to be the bartender…in the fact that you are “hired” help…not all people, but a lot of them just had the, “Give me my drink and shut up…” attitude…I forgot what it feels to be like that…I mean, not that I really wanted to be friends with them anyhow…I was just trying to make everyone’s night fun…I was doing it for fun…not to make money (at least not for myself!!!)…
Cheers!!!!
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