Fast Food Nation Chapter 1.3 "Behind the Counter"

One of the problems of "Behind the Counter" chapter which I really identified with was Elisa's. Elisa Zamot is a sixteen year old girl. She is the older sister of two (Cookie and Sabrina). Elisa wakes up every Saturday at 5:15 am to get ready to go work at McDonald's. For her is hard to wake up at that time but she takes a shower, puts her uniform on and goes to work. When she arrives at her job, the manager unlocks the door and lets her in. Sometimes the cleaning crew (a married couple) is there finishing cleaning. However, most of the time the manager and Eliza are alone on that empty restaurant. They start turning on the ovens, taking out all the frozen food out of the freezer and finally they open at 7:00 am. Eliza takes the order at the counter and hands of the orders at the customers from breakfast through lunch. While the hour pass the rest of workers begin to time in. After all of that Eliza finish her day of work and walks home with her sore feet because to be standing all day.

I choose this problem because as I was reading it, remind me to myself when I was working at KFC. I didn’t have morning shift but I got the night shift in which I have to from four o’clock at afternoon to ten or eleven o’clock at night and if I wasn’t lucky enough I had to stay until they closed the restaurant which it was at two o’clock at the morning. I worked 4 days a week (Wednesdays- Saturdays) and sometimes some of my free days too, if they call me. I didn’t have any choice to go work since at that time I really needed the money. After my classes I had to get on the train run to KFC get change and start my work, therefore all the team members have to buy from their check these special shoes which doesn’t make fall on the floor. My job was to take the orders and also pack the orders and give to the customers in any way the manager arrange the faster way to give out orders. The orders have to done maximum of 1 minute. Also, after all the rush every one of the team members had to go clean the lobby such as getting the rays, take out garbage, cleaning the tables and sometimes sweeping the floor. So when I got home I was so tired and during my classes I was sleepy which made me to fail my grades.

Some of the solutions to problem would be that the mangers should not exploit the workers or even pay us more than the minimum. Therefore, to give a break not make us ask for it and the most important of all respect our schedule and free days. Sometimes, I tried to talk to the manager some of points and he got really mad. I think he thought this job was all. I don’t judge him, since he worked most all of his life in that KFC. However, the only solution that worked for me was to quit and I don’t regret it, since now I got a job which is more flexible about my education and the best of all I don’t have to standing all day and not having a break. However, I need to get another job because I need more money than they pay me, but this experience make me look life from other perspective and I can get a good job as my education get higher.

Way To McDonald's (New Version)

My friend and I entered to the McDonalds of 40 St and soon as we walk in we see this full line of people anxious to make their order and all the employees rushing to get them. The smell of fast food in the air which is kind of oily or grease smell with fresh air from the AC. First started making the line to counter and while we were standing in the line I started asking him what he is going to eat. Well, he already knows 2 mcChickens, a cheese burger, large French fries and a medium soda and if he is not full enough he will ask for a icecream cone later. However, I'm just standing looking at the menu but I really don't know what to asked for. I just see a whole wall full of food choices and at the same time flash-backs coming to my mind about all I have read and saw about fast food, so I ended up asking for a McStrawberry Smoothie. I confess I love sugar and love smoothies and the coffee collatas from Dukin Donnuts.

After that we got the order and found where to seat. I started driking my smoothie while my friend was devoured the food, I was like "hey! Slow down.. Is not a food race" and my friend tells me that he so hungry that he can't help it. He was eating and I was watching him eat and I see how does little hamburguers can be swallow by such a short period of time with out almost been chew it well enough it to pass it down. The french fries looked so shiny and crispy ready to be eaten but at the time same full of oil that it pass trough the bag and my smoothie was very cold and sweet and with some "fruit" pulp in it, causing me a brain freeze. Well, this is my experience going to McDonalds which lately has not been so great as other times, since now I'm carefful of what I'm going to put on my mouth.

Annotated Bibliography 1

Stephanie Mendez

ENG 103 (Research Paper)

Professor Alexander

09/20/10

Annotated Bibliography 1

Citation:

Denise Grady. "In Feast of Data on BPA Plastic, No Final Answer." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 6 Sept. 2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/science/07bpa.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=science>.

Annotation:

            This article discussed about bisphenol-A, or BPA which is component used for some plastics containers and other products. BPA has caused many concerns that this chemical has caused diseases such as cancer and obesity genes on children. Therefore, people want to ban BPA from different products such plastic bottles, baby containers, food containers and so on. However, the government health officials still cannot decide if that chemical is bad for the society. On the other hand some marketing places became “BPA Free”. Many people have been taken sides about to ban BPA or that BPA is not harmful which becomes a continuously battle.

            I think this article is helpful and with good sources, since it shows me the argument about this issue which affects our society and the two sides of it. Therefore, have sources which it shows me that what the people are really thinking and how can affect me and the rest of the people.

            This article also make me think and learn more about this issue, since I heard of it but I never sat down and research about it more. Furthermore, it made more aware what it’s happening around me and also I will try to start using plastic containers without “BPA”