Akunzima ukubona ukuthi izinhlobo ezahlukene zobuciko zihlangana kanjani ngokwemvelo, zikhiqiza imiphumela emangalisayo, ikakhulukazi kwezobuciko bokupheka kanye nomhlaba wokuklama ohlukahlukene. Kusukela ekuhleleni okuhlakaniphile kuya ekuhleleni okunesitayela kwezindawo zokudlela nama-cafe esizithandayo, ingasaphathwa eyokuthi abasebenzi babo abanolwazi olulinganayo, lokhu kubambisana—nakuba ngezinye izikhathi kungabonakali—akunakuphikwa. Ngakho-ke, akumangazi ukuthola abasekeli abahlanganisa isifiso sokudla neso elibukhali noma eliqeqeshwe ngokuklama okuvela emikhakheni yokudala ehambisanayo, kanye nokuphikisana nalokho.
Ngemva kokuphothula ukuklama imfashini, ukubandakanyeka kukaJennifer Lee ezweni lokupheka kochwepheshe elalingenabo ubuhle kwakungengozi. Wathuthela eLondon ngemuva nje kokuphothula futhi ekugcineni wasebenza embonini yokudla neziphuzo ngenkathi efuna "umsebenzi ofanele". Njengompheki ozifundise yena, wabeka unyawo ekunakekeleni amabha nokuphatha izindawo zokudlela.
Kodwa kwaze kwaba yilapho eba umphathi wekhishi le-gastropub yaseLatin America engasekho manje iVasco lapho aqaphela khona ukuthi kukhetheke kangakanani ukuba ngumpheki kanye nompheki wesifazane eSingapore. Noma kunjalo, uyavuma ukuthi akakaze akuzwe ngempela phakathi kwabantu abamhlophe abapheki abajwayelekile. Ukhululekile. ULee wachaza: “Angikaze ngizizwe sengathi ngingumpheki 'ofanele' ngoba ngangingenalo uqeqesho lokupheka futhi kwakubonakala kuyihlazo ukugqoka i-ijazi lompheki omhlophe. Ngaqala ukumboza izingubo ezimhlophe zompheki wami ngezindwangu ezikhanyayo. Izinkinobho, ekugcineni ngaklama amajakethi omcimbi.
Engakwazi ukuthenga izinto ezifanele, uLee wanquma ukusebenzisa ngokugcwele ukugxila kwakhe emfashinini futhi wasungula uhlobo lwakhe lwezingubo zabapheki besifazane iMizbeth ngo-2018. Kusukela lapho, lolu hlobo luye lwaba uhlobo oludumile lwe-ama-overalls abapheki asebenzayo futhi anamuhla. Ama-apron abelokhu eyinto ethandwa kakhulu phakathi kwamakhasimende akhe (abesilisa nabesifazane). Nakuba ibhizinisi selikhule lamboza zonke izinhlobo zezingubo nezesekeli, umgomo wokuvala igebe phakathi kwezingubo zasemgwaqweni kanye neyunifomu usacacile. ULee ukholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi uMizbeth uwuphawu lwaseSingapore nokuthi imikhiqizo yawo yenziwa endaweni. Unenhlanhla yokuthola umenzi wendawo ohlinzeka ngobuciko bekhwalithi. “Bebelokhu benikeza ukwesekwa okumangalisayo phakathi nalolu hambo olungalindelekile,” esho. “Abashibhile njengokukhiqiza imikhiqizo yami eShayina noma eVietnam, kodwa ngikholelwa kumodeli yabo yebhizinisi, ukunakekelwa kwabo okukhulu kwamakhasimende kanye nokunaka imininingwane.”
Lo mqondo wemfashini ngokungangabazeki udonsele ukunaka kwabapheki nabanikazi bezindawo zokudlela abahle kakhulu esiqhingini, kanye nezinkampani ezintsha zakamuva ezifana neFleurette kuYangon Road. ULee wanezela: “I-Cloudstreet (incazelo kaRishi Naleendra ozelwe eSri Lanka ngokudla kwanamuhla) iwumsebenzi omuhle wokufanisa i-apron nengaphakathi elihle lendawo yokudlela. I-Pärla ePhuket iholwa ngumpheki uSeumas Smith. Ingxube yesikhumba, ukuluka kanye nendwangu nakho kuyinto engasoze yalibaleka, inhlonipho encane esizweni samaSami eSweden (inhlonipho kokhokho bompheki).
Kuze kube manje, ama-apron namajakethi enziwe ngokwezifiso kube yibhizinisi lakhe eliyinhloko, yize ehlela ukuhlinzeka ngamaqoqo okuthengisa asevele enziwe, izinketho ezengeziwe zama-apron, ngisho nezesekeli ezenziwe ngendwangu ye-hem.
Kodwa-ke, konke lokhu akuzange kuphazamise uthando lwakhe lokupheka. “Lokhu bekulokhu kuyisifiso sami kanye nokwelapha—ikakhulukazi ukubhaka,” kusho uLee, okwamanje ongumphathi jikelele wegatsha laseStarter Lab eSingapore. “Kunjengokungathi konke engikubonile ukusebenza kuzo zonke izingxenye zomhlaba nasezinkampanini ezahlukahlukene kunginike le ndima emangalisayo,” esho. Ngokuqinisekile, wayenza yabukeka kahle.
Ukuze ikunikeze ulwazi olungcono kakhulu, le webhusayithi isebenzisa amakhukhi. Ukuze uthole ulwazi olwengeziwe, sicela ubheke inqubomgomo yethu yobumfihlo.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Juni-10-2021