Never Judge a Canadian for being ... well ... a Candian

It was toward the end of a very average evening shift.  The lovely greeter handed me the chit with notes about the table she just sat me.  It read, “Out-of-Town Hotel Employee.  Staying at Hotel.”  Great.  This means they automatically get 50% off their food, which also generally means the tip is going to be absolute crap. 

I walked over and said hello.  They were Canadian.  Double crap.  The first thought in my head upon learning this?  "Canadians might as well be Europeans as far as their tipping manner.  I'm screwed." Nonetheless, I treaded on forward.  

The couple, the wife slightly older and much more coy than her quirky counterpart, was on vacation from Calgary celebrating his 50^th birthday.  It was their first time in California.

At any rate, I started as I always do and asked about drinks.   He asked me if we had Absinthe.  “Nope.”  Gross.  Then he asked me for something I’d never heard of in my life.  I told him, “Nope,” again.  He then ordered a bottle of wine, which we were out of.  This is not starting off well.  

Surprisingly, the three strikes didn’t seem to bother the gregarious Canadian too much.  He just kept smiling and chose a different bottle of wine instead. 

Finally. Success.   

You could tell he knew his wine and clearly he was into some crazy liquor.  I had a hunch he was on the food and beverage side of the hotel industry.  He then started into a series of questions about our oyster selection.  It was at that very moment my hunch turned into absolute certainty. 

So naturally I wanted to confirm it.  I probed, “You're really into all of this.  You must work in a restaurant.   Culinary or front of the house?“  He replied, “I do what you do.”  I knew it.  Initially I had pictured him as more of a culinary type, not as a server.  But as the night progressed, it was clear he and I shared a passion of food, wine and people.  He loved to talk and make me laugh.  In fact, I could barely pull myself away from the table.  Lucky for me at this point I had no other tables so I was free to give him all of my attention. 

After my recent detective work, I was feeling much better about the hotel employee discount/tipping situation.  Yes he was still very Canadian eh, but he was also a server.  That’s practically a guarantee I’ll get a great tip out of this. 

He began telling me about the restaurant he worked at in Calgary.  He spoke highly of the ambiance, the food, the wine selection and even a guy who worked there he could picture me getting along with.  Then for the first time, the wife spoke up, “He’s a good guy … but he has issues.”  The Canadian piped up, “Well… okay yeah.  He’s a bit of a drinker, eh.”  She giggled then chimed back in, “Honey!  He has a problem!”  I decided to cut them both off before the playful arguing escalated, “Well, he sounds like a lot of fun anyway!”  They both cracked up.  I love making people laugh while I’m serving. 

At one point he was telling me about all of the outdoor activities they’d done so far during their vacation.  He said they were at a bike shop renting bikes earlier that day when the employee asked if they needed helmets.  He got all excited and continued, “When he asked me that I said ‘No thanks. My wife doesn’t need a helmet.  She hasn’t washed her hair in four days!’  The women near us looked at me in horror!  It was hilarious!”  I looked at his wife as he was explaining this and she just rolled her eyes, smiled and shook her head.  They were so cute together.  He, the outgoing Leo (like myself) who loved to crack jokes, and she, the demure one who loved to laugh right along with him.

After his birthday dessert was eaten, I walked back outside to ask if they wanted anything else.  He looked up at me and said, “The dessert was terrific, thanks.  We’re just enjoying the cockroach races at the moment.”  What?  He pointed to the patio.  There were three cockroaches scattering about the area.  Triple yuck.  But it was like it didn’t faze him at all.  The wife, on the other hand, was ready to leave at the start of “the races.”  He finally gave in, “Yah I guess its time for the bill, eh?”  He (thankfully) laughed it off.  I couldn’t believe it.  At the site of one roach, most guests would demand to speak to a manager and then demand something for free.

I don’t know if it was the fact that we were both servers (and both Leos), or just shared the same spirit about life, but the connection was real.  I felt like I was sitting next to them at the neighborhood bar taking the town gossip and sharing life’s lessons with them, not serving them.  It was a beautiful thing.  They were a couple of great people I will never forget. 

And if I am ever in Calgary, you bet your ass I will dine in his restaurant and sit in his section.  And perhaps I’ll even get an introduction to his fun friend.

And in case you're wondering, the Canadian tipped me like a fellow server would tip another; very well.   A great reminder to not judge a book by it's cover, nor anybody by their citizenship.  

You just never know.  ~ HK ~