Stage or Stodge..

what is a "stage" (pronounced "stodge" in a cheesy french accent)?
for a lot of you who dont work in the food industry its basically a working interview where one would come in, work the position they want and see how they fit in for about an hour. Simple enough right?

NOT!

The life of a line cook is one that cant be described unless you have lived it yourself.
A kitchen is much like a pirate ship. Everyone on board has your back but still wont hesitate to push you off the plank. line cooks are pirates, chefs are captains and the kitchen is your boat. you need to love what you do to be a line cook, and im infatuated! theres nothing like working a rush between 7 and 8 pm where you have 25 tickets in your window, your adrenaline is over flowing and you and your line mates are in the "zone". Theres no talking unless your calling out orders, no playing around, just movement. Much like a well rehearsed dance. You and your line mates know your job, and your doing it smoothly. Of course there are days where a line cook calls out 1 hour before their shift, nothing is prepped, your hungover, and your boss is being a compleate ass hole...but that's anywhere you work, right?

Im in the bit of a career transition at the moment.
I quit what i thought was an awesome job last week and i'm interviewing this week in other restaurants.
Briefly ill tell you that i didn't quit my job because the position was bad, i quit because of management. I quit because i was to the point of hitting my F & B director and telling them to suck it! i liked where i worked and what i did, and hell i was pretty damn good at it too. But, when you start moving my shifts and make me work from 3pm- 8am the next morning and don't change it....we'll have some problems.
long story short, i quit and now im back on the hunt!
its actually not that bad finding a job in the restaurant industry. There's usually an opening due to the turn over rate and realization that some people get after working in a kitchen that, it aint so easy!
ive only applied to about 3 restaurants, not because i think i'm the shit (i know i am hah) but because im enjoying the mini vacation i gave myself. its not very often that i can sit in bed all day and do absolutely nothing. its great! so while still in my pj's, i replied back to a great restaurant for an interview today and they want me to come back for a working interview and NOW i'm nervous.
A working interview in a restaurant is can be compared to going into a strangers home and wanting to be a part of their family. its a lot of kissing ass and awkward moments all rolled into a series of interview questions. Not to mention there's always those 2 or 3 guys that give you shit because your replacing someone they liked.
its scary. no other way to put it. for most who go through it, its the longest hour of your life and mine will be this Friday . i guess ill just continue my mini vaca until then but the nerves wont ease up until its over!