So. Guys. Let me tell you about all these things I write on Facebook and that you have never known of, because I have been neglecting tumblr for four months or something. Because I am having the best day, every single day, ever since I started working where I work. And like I wrote on my xmas card, the people I work with are 90% of the reason why.
There's Alessandra, who was my first trainer on my first day and was born on my same day and has this scent that I don't even need to see her, I just know she's in. And she's a bit moody, on some days she's just not feeling it, but she's so spontaneous and funny most of the time.
Serena, I knew her before even applying and she's just so discretely annoyed all the time, it just makes everything ten times more hilarious when she's around.
Jeremy is french. I'm not being racist. It's just something you can't deny about him. And he has his own soundtrack. Like, literally I've been told he came in singing on his first day. And he doesn't even know any lyrics to any song. He just sings along to the sounds. Jeremy makes everyone happy and he gives you a high five every time he sees you and he mixes up three languages in one sentence. On Xmas he tried to convince me to drink one glass of champagne and told me "Come on! For Jesus Born!" I still laugh to tears when I think about it. XD I hope he never quits. More than others.
Milva is a tiny curly cute elf. She speaks more languages than you could ever learn and she's just kind and relaxed and she goes the extra mile to help you or get you out of trouble.
Teresa was my trainer and ironically, the one I talk to the least. Not because I don't like her, I just can never find anything to tell her. But she's always looking out for everyone. She looks tired all the time, which I found a bit annoying at first, but now I know she's just not hyper. She's just not. And that's okay, i'm not either.
Maria is the oldest and for a good month I just didn't like her. She seemed like she never smiled and the one time I asked her something she looked pissed. But now I know she's a lot like me. All of her best friends are our colleagues, so you easily find her sharing thoughts and worries with them during their shift. Concerned with growing old and being alone, when she's the kind of woman you couldn't imagine seeing growing old alone. Everyone loves her and now I guess I do, as well.
Wilfren, on the contrary, is a kid. He's like the Peeves of the store. He types on your keyboard when you're writing something and he switches off your printer while he's talking to you so you don't even realize it. And then he blames you. And he pushes tshirts off the shelf when you're stocking, just because he's there and he can do it. And he opens cupboards when you're clearly walking by and when you ask him to let you get through he says "Manuela! I'm working!!" XD We don't talk much, but I didn't see him for two weeks and when he came back it hit me that I'd missed him too much for words.
There was one time when he tried being serious and that was on my second week, when he tried to teach me how to fold tshirts. But in the end he was like "You do it and if the tshirt doesn't fit in the shelf you just do it again until it does."
Jhonn would need a whole chapter to himself, but let me just say he was the first one who talked to me because he wanted to and not because he had to. The first one who asked me about my life and my ideas and not just about when I was working and when I was off. I've just always liked having him around because I've just always felt like I could be 100% myself around him. And maybe that's what tricked me. But all I know is I live in fear of the day he decides he doesn't need to work there anymore. And i know it's not good, but what can I say? Growing fond of someone never is.
Temi just doesn't speak. I mean, he does. But he doesn't seem to need it. All I know about him is that he spent his entire student loan and then quit college. And one time he asked me to translate something for an italian customer and when he spoke to the customer again he sounded so cheerful, for the first time, I got shocked.
Chris is the prankster. Not like Wilfren. I don't know how to explain it, they just drive you mad but in different ways. Chris switches off the lights in the stockroom and jumps out of corners to make you scream. Wilfren just struggles with boredom. But anyway Chris is incredibly quiet and unbelievably funny at the same time. It's a talent, if you think about it.
Charlotte is in my top 3. Because she's partly asian. Because she's super smart without showing it off. And because she is the funniest human being I have ever met. I cry for laughter like five times minimum, when we're on shift together. And she swears a lot, because she's english and she knows how. But above all, she looks like that kind of friend you could call at 4am for anything. She would probably ask you "who the fuck is this?" first, but then she'd help you out. Charlotte is that person who makes you trust yourself because she trusts herself so much. And she doesn't even try.
Then there's Nick and Loles. Nick works part time and we're almost never on shift together, so I don't know him at all. But he's in a band and he's gonna be famous (he was on bcc radio a few weeks ago, or something) and that makes me happy. While Loles has the calmness of Teresa combined with Milva's helpfulness. Today she called me Manu by accident and when I didn't mind she asked me "Can i call you Manu?" She's that nice.
Florencia, we have literally never spoken. And that makes me sad. So i don't have anything to say about her, but I am working on changing that. Sorry, we're just too many.
Ana is - in Jhonn's words - the most girly girl of the group. Small, super long straight hair, super skinny, elegant, quiet and with a somehow hoarse voice, she sounds five times less in need of protection when she speaks spanish, though. Don't ask me how. XD
These are the people who made me feel at home when I was the newest one. Then new members started coming in, three of them at a time, which made me feel threatened at first, because what if someone messes up the balance? And what if they fit in more easily and quickly than me? Well. Nothing to worry about because I love everyone, still.
Jagoda calls me sweetie, which reminds me of River Song every single time. She's loud and rough, but very warm.
Juan and Laura are my best buddies, somehow. They're married and colombian and remind me of Anhela and Annie. And Juan teaches me things about rock history and yells "Manu" when i walk by. While Laura is just the cutest kindest person ever. I know I've said that for a lot of people in this post, but she's on top. I think somehow they've grown to like me a lot, because it always feels like we're a team when we're together. As if we'd known each other our whole life. That tends to happen a lot between me and colombian people, apparently.
Mirjia comes from that part of Italy that's been trying to become Austria ever since Austria lost the region at the end of the World War, so she speaks with a heavy german accent. I've never seen her not smiling. Like, I literally don't know what she looks like when she's not smiling. And she's the first person I've ever trained, although not officially. So she's also my personal achievement.
Andrei is our Bambi. He's a tiny hard-working quiet guy, easy to get along with. I'm his favorite but I try not to let that get to my head. I'm just trying to be helpful now that I know my way around.
And lastly, Noelia is tougher than she looked when she started. She looks just like your ordinary pretty girl, but she's the kind who could kick your ass and then spin around and go back to rule the world.
Bottom line is, guys, i've been told my whole life that adulthood meant to settle down for a boring routine and being pissed at the world all the time. Well. That was the biggest lie of my existence.
