I started part-time work when I don’t have any ozashiki parties.

Usually in August, September and October there are not so many ozashiki parties.
However this year, there are even less ozashiki parties compared to last year.
I think the influence of the M9 Tohoku earthquake is still continuing and Japan is suffering from an economic recession.

So I decided to start doing part-time work when I don’t have any ozashiki parties.
At first I asked my geisha sisters about my decision, and they gave me some advice.
As for my geisha mother, I wanted to tell her about my decision after I had found some stable part-time work.

At first, I started to search for 1 day or 2 day jobs on the Internet.
Nevertheless I wanted to give priority to ozashiki parties, so I had to be selective about what kind of jobs I could do.
Since I sometimes receive a sudden request for an ozashiki party and have to go to Hachioji by around 3pm in order to have my hair set, it was difficult to find a good part-time job.

After I had checked some jobs, I decided to register with 2 temp agencies.
One of them is a temp agency for clerical work and the other is a temp agency for hospitality work such as waitressing.

Soon after I went to the hospitality temp agency, I received an email from one of the staff of that agency. He asked whether I could work at a Ryotei, traditional Japanese restaurant. I had told him in my interview that I usually wear kimono in my daily activities.

On the actual day, I arrived at the Ryotei 1 hour earlier than necessary.
After I filled out the bank transfer forms, I went to the locker room in order to get dressed in a kimono.
While I was changing, some of the Ryotei’s staff entered the locker room.
Before that day, I was thinking that it would be easy to work efficiently, because as a Geisha I’m usually working at a Ryotei and I already know the procedure of service at a Ryotei.

However quickly I realized that I was just being conceited, because I couldn’t work as I efficiently as I had hoped since there were some special rules at that Ryotei.

Except for me, the Ryotei’s regular staff worked very briskly.
One staff, who was my instructor, ordered me very directly, and I had to follow her instructions and move quickly.

I was surprised at their professionalism. I was ashamed of myself.
I could learn many things about Japanese cuisine and traditional Japanese restaurant service though my new part-time job.