The Lost Chef from Sheffield!
Walking through the village early in the morning with Bing (the four legged one!) we were met with the unusual sight of a guy approaching us from a distance wearing a white chefs uniform complete with black apron and dragging behind him a big suitcase on wheels and carrying a heavy shoulder bag. We quietly wonder what this guys story is.
Getting closer to the lost chef we make eye contact, nod and greet .. “Good morning”
“Excuse me mate, do you know where the Westfield B&B is?” – He was quite a tall young lad with an English accent.
We had no idea where it was but just had to help him – a quick Google search on the smart phone and a minute later we find the B&B on-line and then call for directions.
In between the Google search and the phone call the young guy explains to us that he is a trainee chef from Sheffield and had just completed his first shift in his new job in a nearby hotel.
He had been booked into the B&B by the hotel if he could just find it!
The poor guy looked lost, lonely and totally out of sorts.
It turns out he had dragged his heavy bags in the wrong direction from the B&B, but it didn’t matter as the B&B landlady informs us that there was a cancellation by a guest of the hotel where he was working and he needed to head back and stay there instead.
He politely thanked us for the help, crossed the road and started slowly making his way back to the hotel.
Working away from home – it is a long and lonely journey ..
To the lost chef from Sheffield, all the other young people looking for work away from home, our sons and our daughters – take care out there, wherever your journey takes you..
Life’s great adventure ..
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
Tags: chef, emmigration, Fuzion, Fuzion Communications, Fuzion PR, Greg Canty, immigration, Irish Economy, Positive Thinking, the lost chef
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
July 12, 2011 at 3:41 pm |
Greg,
We had a young French student working with us a few years ago. He seemed a quiet guy, kept to himself. We were very busy during that Summer and if I am honest, I felt that he was in the way.
About a week after he arrived, while doing some filing, I found his CV. Attached was a photo of a happy, smiling young man – nothing like the guy in the office. Then it dawned on me, he was just a teenager, far from home, maybe with no friends staying nearby. He must be feeling so lonely.
So I called one of the trainees and asked him if he would invite this young man to join the rest of the lads for lunch and not to take no for an answer. He too was embarrassed that he hadn’t thought of it already. We were all just too busy.
Anyway, it wasn’t long before he was the life and soul of the office! He had fantastic stories to tell about his time working in Africa building houses for orphans. I remember having a tea break with him and he was telling me about being amazed at seeing signs for Coca Cola even in the middle of the desert. I was delighted to see him make friends in the office and become the smiling, young man again.
I have never forgotten that moment when I spotted his CV. My heart just went out to him. And I have made sure that I never made that mistake again.
I would like to think that some time in the future, if my young fella goes abroad to work that there will be someone there to look out for him too.
Thanks for the reminder,
Orla
July 14, 2011 at 10:57 am |
Anyway, it wasn’t long before he was the life and soul of the office! He had fantastic stories to tell about his time working in Africa building houses for orphans. I remember having a tea break with him and he was telling me about being amazed at seeing signs for Coca Cola even in the middle of the desert. I was delighted to see him make friends in the office and become the smiling, young man again.
+1