Thursday, July 28, 2005
Meanwhile, back in Columbus
I'm still in shock at how difficult it is for a certified professional in one state to to make the transition to another. Now I understand why so many people who work at convenience stores are PhDs and nonsuch but are going bonkers trying to get their creditials moved from overseas. I'm just trying to move them from Pennsylvania to Ohio!
I don't work in a convenience store. The one convenience store I loved in the Philly area doesn't exist out here, so I don't even go inside most of the ones here. For the time being, I'm working part time in a wine shop in the North Market. It's kind of like a farmer's market, but it's in between the business district and the trendy shopping area. Yes, I have to walk up to four blocks in order to find affordable parking, so it must be in an urban area, but there's a man in Amish clothing selling honey and jam. I doubt he's truly Amish since I sell him a beer on hot days, but he puts forth a great image.
There are some major advantages to working in the wine shop. I'm learning a lot about the products, so I don't feel like a moron when asked if I'd like to order a bottle when out to dinner. Hell, now I know how much the price has been marked up. I'm also meeting some really amazing people who work and shop in the Market. The man who just bought a case and opened a bottle to share with us is apparently high up in government or military (I know specifically, I'm being cagy and not saying which). The woman who sold me coffee yesterday is top in her medical school class. My boss speaks several languages enough to get around the world, and he probably knows more about the inner workings of this town than the mayor.
Me? I'm just a Philly transplant who is hoping to start substitute teaching as soon as the first permanent teacher needs to sleep in. I don't know a lot of people here, although I'm slowly making friends and aquaintances. I'm by myself a lot of the time, so I'm starting to get back to my creative writing, especially on Mondays when I have the wine shop to myself and get tired of dusting bottles.
More news as events warrant!
I don't work in a convenience store. The one convenience store I loved in the Philly area doesn't exist out here, so I don't even go inside most of the ones here. For the time being, I'm working part time in a wine shop in the North Market. It's kind of like a farmer's market, but it's in between the business district and the trendy shopping area. Yes, I have to walk up to four blocks in order to find affordable parking, so it must be in an urban area, but there's a man in Amish clothing selling honey and jam. I doubt he's truly Amish since I sell him a beer on hot days, but he puts forth a great image.
There are some major advantages to working in the wine shop. I'm learning a lot about the products, so I don't feel like a moron when asked if I'd like to order a bottle when out to dinner. Hell, now I know how much the price has been marked up. I'm also meeting some really amazing people who work and shop in the Market. The man who just bought a case and opened a bottle to share with us is apparently high up in government or military (I know specifically, I'm being cagy and not saying which). The woman who sold me coffee yesterday is top in her medical school class. My boss speaks several languages enough to get around the world, and he probably knows more about the inner workings of this town than the mayor.
Me? I'm just a Philly transplant who is hoping to start substitute teaching as soon as the first permanent teacher needs to sleep in. I don't know a lot of people here, although I'm slowly making friends and aquaintances. I'm by myself a lot of the time, so I'm starting to get back to my creative writing, especially on Mondays when I have the wine shop to myself and get tired of dusting bottles.
More news as events warrant!
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Hmmm... I have to admit I read this entry and my first thought was, It's my dream job! Then I remembered my 5+ years in retail and how I wanted to crown every person who came in and said, "It must be really fun to work in a bookstore!" (I didn't find it very fun, mostly because of the low pay and bizarre corporate politics. Another type of person might have been able to overlook those things.) So I take it back so you won't have to overcome any violent urges. It sounds like you're experiencing the best part of retail, though, which is meeting lots of interesting people. Best of luck with finding a teaching position!
Oh, I put in over three years at Barnes and Noble. To this day, I'm still haunted by, "I don't know the author or title, but the cover is blue and it was on Oprah last year." The wine shope definitely has its problems, mostly because I'm about to have a hissy fit over the favoritism the owner shows his friend he employed. At least she knows to not leave her kids in the shop with me!
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