Different Kinds of Work

The noble wharfing* of French horns wake me up. I’ve set my alarm to “I Can Go The Distance” from Disney’s Hercules, because I needed something soft but inspiring that would actually put me in a determined mindset in the bleary first moments of consciousness at 5am. Time to go to work. I pull my bones up and slump down to the bathroom to shower and do my makeup. It’s dark outside, everyone in the house is dead asleep. I come to a little more as I’m putting on my uniform — crisp white shirt tucked into navy trousers with suspenders — and put the toast under the grill. I am suddenly whisked into quicker action as I realise the taxi I’ve booked is arriving in one minute, and I haven’t even eaten breakfast or brushed my teeth yet. I’m shoving a piece of dry toast in my mouth with a peeled banana, whirling round the apartment to grab my toothbrush and toothpaste as my phone starts vibrating with the call.

Driving through the empty streets of Toronto, I can see that the light of day is just beginning to creep in from the east, but the skyscrapers of the financial district still are glittering with illuminated windows. My taxi driver is telling me I should go on holiday to Hawaii. The CN Tower is tall, and I can see it even when we pull up outside The Cafe.

Inside, I say good morning to the bakers in the kitchen, walking through the warm air which is rich with the smell of croissants turning gold in the oven. I grab my toothbrush out of my bag and head to the staff bathroom, where I tie up my hair and clean my teeth. On the  counter floor, a couple of my colleagues are beginning set up — I start organising my own station, checking and dialling in the grind of the coffee, to make sure it’s that perfect flavour: dark, tangy, with a fullness that travels all the way around my palette before rounding off with a clean finish, not a bitter espresso.

I have about 3 of these 5am starts a week. This is my new job. And I sort of really love it.

The Cafe is a big place, with an abundance of servers and sommeliers and chefs and counter staff. It all reminded me a lot of Beauty and The Beast on my first few days — I came home after my first shift unable to get Be Our Guest out of my head.

I would also come home from my shift walking like I’d just finished a 3-day hike through the Socttish highlands: feet aching, knees aching, hips aching. I’m still getting used to being on my feet, and in terrible, cheap shoes, no less (I bought a pair of expensive comfy ones and they cut up my feet real bad. WHY, GEOX?!??). So in my time off, I’ve pretty much been lying on my bed making ‘uuugh’ noises and watching a lot of episodes of Community.

I’ve also been doing a lot of music — like, a lot of recording. I think my guilt about not having done much for the past week or so got to me and I just went a bit mad. It’s all been covers, pretty much. Some David Bowie (and there’s more a-comin’!), a Haim song and a small Darwin Deez one done acoustically. I got majorly into using Ableton this weekend and my ears sort-of hurt from having worn headphones for nearly all my waking hours. Worth it.

I made a playlist mixing up my new songs with some of my inspirations from this week — lots of bleepy-bloopy dreamy poptacular stuff. In terms of other people’s stuff, I am loving the cover of Peach Plum Pear, and Toronto locals Alvvays’ anthem Archie Marry Me is Nu-Blondie goodness. I was actually invited to be in their music video for the new single, but I didn’t go to the shoot. They didn’t end up using the ‘party scene’ that my friend was also part of filming but hey they sent us all a copy of the album to say thanks anyway so thumbs UP for that. I also snuck in a juicy favourite of mine by Utada Hikaru, which is probably now as old as the hills but if any of you enjoyed playing Kingdom Hearts as a kid (or an adult, let’s be real), then u feel me.

My own songs on this playlist range from excellent to weird. I would like to apologise for the cover I do of Modern Love which involves the over-use of a sampled dog bark, but the thing is I’m not sorry at all hahahaha *runs off*

David Byrne does this great thing where he posts up these extensive playlists for the month on his website, and it’s always such a great thing to see what your inspirations’ inspirations are at the moment. I remember someone telling me here that they’d met David Byrne at a gig in town a couple of months ago, and they just ended up getting their iPods out and talking about who they were listening to at the moment. That’s the best.

Anyway, I’ve decided that I really, really, really need to leave the house, because I don’t think I have in a while. I need to give my ears a break from working on music (which can be the most consuming thing ever, ever, ever). Have a great week!

*I know this is not the correct use of the word wharfing. is there a correct use? nothing is an onomatopoeically accurate for french horns as this word is.