Initially thought the training was gonna be like...swim across the pool, tread water, CPR...and u are good to go. Wasn't expecting them to take it so seriously...with all the water entry, conscious/unconscious victim on pool surface/submerged, running and swimming against the waves, choking among many others. But i guess it was really fun and enriching...performing all ur water rescue (I think i jumped into the pool no less than 20 times to perform rescues) There are other jobs like F&B and merchandising, but i really did want to learn something here while in the States...and i did.
So i got posted to the wave pool (i dun think i have to describe wat's in a wave pool rite). It's the pool every lifeguard dreads...most number of people there, most incident happens there as well. Apparently. to keep everyone om their toes, there will be lifeguard audits, where the top management will throw the baby doll (called carlos) into the water...and u are screwed if u dun spot and rescue the baby...so cannot "ba long long" and take a snooze behind those dark glasses
The other pool i got posted to was the baby pool (totally weird rite? U post me to the most dangerous wave pool and the least dangerous baby pool) But the babies there are very cute (aw...i can feel my 母性 coming out. shit, cannot anyhow use terms like that, will lead to misunderstanding). Anyway, they are really very cute and unbashful...will come up, approach and talk to u (i can't resist a kid with a pouty mouth and watery eyes), slightly different from a Singaporean kid (i guess we are brought up under the "make a noise and u will be spanked" notion)
Apparently, there's another place as well, an adult slide...not very sure abt it, did not visit it. Work schedule looks pretty alright, abt 5 hours, 7 days a week, $9 per hour. Luckily, there's also another Singaporean girl in my lifeguard team...so not alone in foreign waters. My other friends are like the sole Singaporean in their team.
Anyway, the environment is starting to grow on me. The dorms sucks, but other than that, the whole place is great. I loved the 15 mins countryside walk to the amusement park, enjoying the peacefulness and lack of human chaos with the cool morning breeze. Once through the gate, the world flips upside down. I'll be greeted with the screams of the guest as the roller coaster plunges down, the laughter of kids as they frolicked down the park, the simple joy on a couple's face as they watch their kid soaring through the air...looking at everyone having the time of their life as i stroll down the path to my workplace, dropping by restaurants, merchandise stores and rides to say hi to a fellow countrymen or alien. Words have their limitations...u have to be here to know wat i'm talking abt. That's the joy of working in a amusement park...the happiness around u is infectious!
Work officially starts tmr...better get some rest, and do pray for me that i would not have to go into action while on the job
Mark the Lifeguard (it's official!!!)
PS: I was just trying to convince myself earlier in the blog post that the working hours are good...and it failed miserably. The working hours SUX totally. 5 hrs for 7 days a week...where am i going to find time to visit other states!? I would rather work 10hrs for 4 days a week. But, oh well, i guess guarding life is a sacred job, shall rise to the calling and not complain so much
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