STAFF MEALS

'Chicken Parmgiana with Chips & Salad' ... a Melborune favorite, I was told. Verdict? A tad on the dry side, but tasty nonetheless probably from the slice of salty processed ham, and grated parmesan. BTW judging from the proliferation of potatoes consumed, in every incarnation one can imagine, the lion share of arable Aussie land must be used to grow this crop. Amazing! The Section Heads take turns to prepare these meals, which promised variety in cooking styles. We had an excellent meal of Teriyaki Chicken with Mushroom Sauce & Basmati Rice prepared by a young chef from Hong Kong last week, countered by a Meat Pie in a reheatable wrapper on Friday as no one had time to cook. Yuck!

To most on the team, this is the only chance for nourishment in the course of the day. You see, most do not get home until well after midnight, only to return shortly after 9am for preparatory work so sleep is more precious than food. Most would trade breakfast for 30 more minutes of snoozing. Lunch service starts at 11am, sometimes until 3pm since the clientale is almost exclusively holiday makers from Crown Casino. Well, no time for lunch as well, until 430pm when Staff Meal is served. The next time their stomach get any relief, aside from a large quantity of water during service, is 8-10 hours hence. I guess this is why the risk of intestinal problems in the profession. To say that I learned a lot from my 2-weeks here is an understatement. I am in the middle of a gold mine and the more I dig the more 'gold' I find. My leaning curve is steep and I am in my elements. I am so happy words cannot express it ....