פֿאַרעפֿנטלעכט: 03.01.2019
After half a day of traveling, I finally arrived. I was greeted warmly, my bed was plain, but I only needed a place to sleep. So far so good... In the afternoon, I got to know the team and had my first contact with guests and tried my hand at serving tables. And it turned out: my concerns were completely unfounded!
The team - Nung and her husband (whose name I can neither pronounce nor write, I'm very sorry), Cindy, Arnon, the three ladies in the kitchen, and later Lisa, Addi, and Sofie - are wonderful people with whom it was really fun to stand behind the counter, but also to explore the beach or the occasional bar in Lonely Beach after work!
And the work itself as a bartender/waitress/receptionist was just fun. And the guests were also very kind, and it was not uncommon for them to wait until 10 pm when the bar in our guesthouse closed, and we would go out together.
The cherry on top were the 16 cats, including four kittens only a few weeks old, who always enjoyed a petting session. And so, I spent the first half of my stay mainly working, taking breaks at the beach and in the sea. For a change, I enjoyed a bit of routine and also the opportunity to quickly meet so many different people/travelers through my work.
Initially, I saw very little of the island, but that was going to change in the second half of my stay...
After half a day of traveling, I finally arrived. I got a friendly welcome and was shown to my bed in the dorm (very basic, but all I needed was a place to sleep). So far so good. Later that night, I got to know the rest of the team and got my first experience interacting with guests and waiting tables.
It turned out, my doubts were baseless. Nung and her husband (I am very sorry, but I still can neither pronounce nor write his name), Cindy, Arnon, the three ladies in the kitchen, and later also Lisa, Addi, and Sofie are wonderful people! I had such a great time working with them but also going to the beach or getting a drink when we were off work. I felt like part of a family and found some good friends!
I also loved my work as a barkeeper/waitress/receptionist itself. Plus, the crowd staying at the hostel was great! It was no exception that a whole bunch of them waited at our bar until closing time and we would go out together to the next bar to drink some last beers. I met so many nice and interesting people. The cherry on top of it all were our little kittens. There was not one moment when not at least one of them was in the mood to get cuddled, which made working even more fun!
That way, I spent most of the first half of my stay on Koh Chang working. I went to the beach for a swim or to see the sunset (with the best passion fruit mojito in my hand) during my breaks. I enjoyed the routine for a change and the chance to meet different people/travelers from all over the world through my work.
However, I saw very little of the island itself - in fact, after ten days I still had only seen Lonely Beach. But that should change in the second half of my stay there...