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Holycowsf, page 1May 30th, 2006 by Sean Seamus :: see related comic |
As would be expected in the ever-changing dynamics of catering, you never quite know who you are going to run into at a party. I have run into a high school acquaintance and a couple I knew from college years ago who showed up at a remote hillside wedding two states away. I’ve run into freelance clients or former artistic co-workers, feeling suddenly exposed in my “other” life. However, the strangest scenario has to be when I ran into a guy I had a online flirtation with over the course of a couple of years. In my strip, “holycowsf”, I retell that experience.
It is a strange world we live in where we can know too much information about someone we’ve never actually met, or don’t really know personally. Such is the case of chatting with online friends. And In catering, you have the luxury of observing discreetly, since we are there to serve, and not to be noticed per se.
Sometimes, when someone familiar yet negative for whatever reason is spotted at an event, I either want to hide or at least prepare myself. I am used to dealing with strangers while wearing my bistro monkey suit, or even the dreaded tux. Hiding, in truth, is out of the question. You have a job to do. And it involves being in public. One can only hope of taking different routes to the buffet stations or negotiating your way through crowds with the tray of food, avoiding contact with that person. But depending on the size of the crowd or party, this is a tiresome endeavor. And, if you are stuck in one place, bartending, it is downright hopeless.
With the ‘holycowsf’ scenario, I was ambivalent. The instinct to flee came and went, and I was left feeling curious and a bit devilish about what could unfold. It was a novelty to see this person in the flesh, especially with his boyfriend, especially when we were both out of town for a private affair. Catering was providing an opportunity to spy innocently.
Has anyone ever run into someone from their past at an event, a surprise element that adds a curious flavor to an otherwise normal evening?
hehe. yes, i know you know what it’s like to be forced to run into those you know in an alien environment…
I once spotted the artistic director of ACT, an organization I used to work for, at a Pacific Heights Christmas party. I used to be one of the publicists there and I figured she would remember my face. I couldn’t let her see that I was a server so I made every effort to avoid the room she happened to be in. And yes, I even hid for awhile, perhaps the only time I’ve done it. I felt a little depressed about my life at the time, but then I guess we all make choices.
job search career illustration webcomics comic books animation anime manga If you live for your art, then you probably have the infamous "day job". If so, you'll like "Diary of a Catering Waiter". It's my take on the catering industry, though anyone familiar with any service industry work, would appreciate the levels of weirdness that can happen among the martinis and gourmet food, tuxedoes and weddings, flowers and Napa wine. Always a surprising time to be had at any event. Stay tuned to find out about the hijinks involved with catering waiters, event planners, wedding crashers and all the lowly people waiting for the slice of catered food when the party ends. (Who Links Here?)