Daily, students, staff, and visitors at the University of Agder can visit the coffee shop, kiosk, and the canteen. One of the first things or necessities is having proper nice food and that is one thing UiA can be proud of as it has been voted one of the best student cafeteria in Norway. That means that all of the people around it has been experiencing and tasting one of the best food varieties and quality in the whole country. It is interesting to know who works there and who makes it possible for us to delight in this privilege. The people behind the scenes make it possible and the people up in front who have a smile on their face and nice words for us while we decide what to eat, instead of going to the supermarket purchasing the food and doing it ourselves. There is magic behind making food. The principal element is enjoying cooking and also serving it to thousands of faces that come around the canteen. There are many people involved in the process but these are some of the people who work there and they share with us why they like their job. I will share with you the views of some of them who thankfully agreed to be part of this interview. Personally, these hard-working people have inspired me throughout my years of studying very far away from home. They have become the smile I want to meet after I come back from a long trip to Mexico. They are the ones who always, no matter what is going on in their lives, come to work, put their aprons and their spirits high up to make great food for us to enjoy, And make all the effort to give us a great quick service so we can concentrate on our studies, research, exams and not to add another thing to worry in case we don´t have time to cook or prepare our “matpakke”. No matter your food preferences you will always find something that is possible for you to satisfy your taste and tummy. I interviewed some of them and here are their views.
At the main canteen – Bjørnar
Working at the backstage, yet coordinating everything both sides, also at the front. He started working and loving the kitchen when he was just 17 years old. Since then he has been loving preparing food for small or big groups. One of the kindest elements and humble elements in the canteen. He coordinates all the staff, while maintaining a good result with the food and also the work environment. He says since he was a kid he wanted to be a chef, and he chose this career path to follow his passion and when he had his own kids he decided to apply to a more steady job. And that is when he became a part of the student canteen. He says they serve on average more than 3,000 students and staff. The staff he is in charge of are in the kiosk, caffe and the main canteen. He says though it sometimes can be challenging and a bit heavy he stills enjoys all the things around it. Being behind lets him also be part of many little things that at the end deliver a good food experience to the people coming to eat here and work here. So that is all in all a great thing.
In the coffee shop – Anette
She likes working there because there is a great cozy atmosphere and the students are content, different faces, everyone is very kind, and everyone is delighted, so it is very nice. (veldig fint). In the background, one of her colleagues says, “And also very cool colleagues” and responds “ikke minst” – not of least importance. What motivates her to work early in the morning is that there is the possibility of who you are going to meet that day, you don´t know who is going to come to the cafe.
In this statement, I agree because I have known them for more than 3.5 years. I asked her if there was something difficult about her job and she answered that sometimes if you do the same thing, like grinding coffee the whole week and that is my position then it can be hurtful for hershoulder. Or if I am standing a lot in one position then that can be heavy. Despite this, this is a great job, I have been doing for 19 years. I ask her if waking up in the morning is difficult and she says there is no difficulty in waking up in the morning because I like my job from 7:30 am to 3 pm. I asked her if she remembered an anecdote or something interesting, and she remembered when the whole team visited Oslo for a Coffee Fair we had a great experience by learning from the Coffee Bars and some bars to have inspiration on how to improve on her work. Also, we have had work tours in Amsterdam and different places. So therefore this job makes her very satisfied.
In the Kantine downstairs – Tone
Tone says she loves her job and this year in February she completes 18 years very fulfilled. She remembers one student who was a bit older than the rest, who was not very happy every day when she came for her food. But one sunny day I told her that there was a beautiful shiny day and she smiled at me back, which was nice and started talking with me and she had a beautiful voice, so Tone loves that she was able to discover that she was different than she thought and she was very nice and after that, she would smile back. The thing she likes the most are the students she encounters around, some of them have moved away from home for the very first time so it is nice to greet them and get to know them.
Writer`s two cents
After interviewing them I felt so good that they have this heartfelt talk with me because first of all I don´t know completely the language. Some of them talked to me in English and some of them in their own language because I know it is of course more comfortable to talk in your own language. What it amazes me is also how they put an effort to help each and every person that comes into the canteen. No matter their nationality and language. I can say that this is the place that I miss and will miss the most when I leave UiA. The staff from the canteen has talked to me because I was a foreigner with no knowledge of the language and they have helped me not only improve my language skills but also on a personal level. They don´t know that their greetings have kept me sane in the dark days in Norway. They don´t know they have provided me food when I was too tired to cook after long days of both studying and working for me and also my two boys. They have saved me time and avoided me huge amounts of stress with proper nutritious food. Their job is not only serving food. Their job is to enhance each and every one of our lives. Every single person that just comes and has a friendly face to encounter on the canteen feels different. This is the kind of energy we need in the world. A smile, a small gesture of kindness, a recommendation, a fast service, a nutritious food that doesn´t take us time to go and fetch and prepare. All of those elements combined, their human touch and their lovely spark in their faces makes it a magical experience to be at the UiA. Thanks to all the canteen workers for making my life more joyful and you will always be in my heart forever. This is why I think these amazing people that work for the canteen are the magic key that makes it possible.
