Good Thing I Said Nice Things About Them!

No famous people this time, just what this blog is SUPPOSED to be all about, a sorta kinda dyary thing.


Lots has happened since my last update so I hope there'll be a few in quick succession now.


Back when this whole blog idea was new and shiny, I did a brief series on "Shopping In Hubbards", one of the main parts of which was about my experiences in and impressions of the local liquor store, the NSLC (Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation) (see the entry on on December 13th 2007).

It's there for rereading by anyone who feels so inclined but, in a nutshell, I expressed the opinion that it was probably the nicest retail outlet in this small town and waxed lyrical about how impressed I was by the service, the selection and, incidentally, Nova Scotian wine.

I have also mentioned at least once that I have been job-hunting, albeit half-heartedly most of the time because of all the distractions and upheavals we've had since arriving here.

Well, here's the thing see. About a month ago, I went in the NSLC and noticed a sign on the door advertizing for a "Casual Clerk". I asked what that meant and came away with an application form. A very nice (unstressful) interview a week later and, Abracadabra, I now work there!

I've done a few short training stints, some on-line courses and, last Saturday, did my first full day. One of the training modules quite naturally and understandably goes into the need for confidentiality and so on and, since I only read it a few days ago and have no grounds whatsoever for claiming to have forgotten, I can't say too much about the details. I don't think anyone's going to mind, though, if I say a few nice things about the place an the people in general terms.

Before I do, I'd like to point out that I would not be doing this if it were not genuinely felt; I'd just shut up! This is not a place where I want to slag people. Neither is it a place for "brown-nosing". I work by the principle of "If ye cannot say owt good, say nowt".

So, although it's busy (very busy sometimes), sometimes strenuous (when the new stock comes in) and, frankly, highly repetitive, it has not ceased to be fun and neither do I expect it to. I've worked in enough different environments to be able to tell the difference between the novelty factor and a genuinely good place to be, and this is the latter.

As with every job I've ever had, from the most modest egg-delivery round to the biggest management responsibilities, the thing that makes the difference between enthusiasm and drudgery has ALWAYS been the people. If the job is "retail" in nature and involves the public, then they will naturally figure large in that equation. I've said before that this is a very frendly town with some of the nicest, straightest and most genuine folks it's ever been my pleasure to meet so there's no problem there. In any job where you have co-workers (A horrible word, try it without the hyphen for full effect. Brits should read "colleagues" or "work-mates" instead, much nicer), they, of course, make up the rest of it.

I've already commented on the staff's service skills and general professionalism but I now have a much deeper respect for them. The way they have accepted me, my idiosyncracies (I can see many readers nodding sagely about now!) and my too frequent confusions has been beyond any expectation I might have had. I feel at home there already and look forward to going in to work (I go in about 30 minutes for a four hour evening stint today).

They work hard, they work together, they help each other (especially me!) and they have fun. They crack jokes with the customers and each other, they do it right, but not "stiffly right", they know their stuff and are not backwards in sharing their experience. There are the usual grumbles about the sillyness (usually, as elsewhere, directed at the systems which, I have to say, are pretty good but have the usual nonsensical bits) but none of the cynicism I've grown used to in recent years. It really is a breath of fresh air.

OK, I have 30 minutes to proof-read this (you reading this, folks who write the training modules?), post it, get changed into my brand-new, freshly laundered NSLC uniform and
drive the six minutes to work.

So, to close, I say thank you, NSLC Hubbards people, all of you, good bunch one-and-all, for taking this Old World dinosaur into your midst and for all your help in getting me started. I'm Lovin' It, and it ain't even McDonald's.