前一天徬徨無助，給人炒了，現在一秒都不能浪費，即時找工作。| Life is full of ups and downs. No job no money but you can’t have no hope. Just stay calm and keep going.

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由於現在時間即是金錢，一秒都不能浪費，所以放下行李後便即時下樓找工作。不過hostel 沒空缺，但 hostel 樓下另有間頗 hip 的餐廳／Bar，我便和 Jan 過去一問。

侍應領班即時反應是：「你們星期五晚 8 時來找工？現在是最繁忙時間，難道你們不知道嗎？」

我們即時心中一涼，心想沒希望了。事實上我們都忘了現在是什麼時候，什麼日子，但她還是說會幫我們問一問總廚，結果想不到她回來後說，總廚現在想見一見 Jan。

大約十分鐘後 Jan 回來，說餐廳現在正找人，總廚著他留下電郵，並叫他明天11時來試工。

希望又重回人間。

是時候醫肚了。冰島最平的超級市場是 Bonus，不過它們收得早，現在唯有去 hostel 對面那間超市。一看他們的價錢，我又重拾那失去已久的心跳感覺。一包4塊，大約500g的豬扒要差不多10歐元，車厘茄一小盒250g要3歐元。最後在我們左算右算之下買了包意粉、數個平價蕃茄和一包腸仔，花了大約4.5歐元，最後也給我吃了兩天。

由於 couchsurfing 那邊一直沒回覆，而 Jan 又會在樓下試工，所以我們選擇多住一天，第二天一早便乖乖的交了60歐元的租，連同早餐買了個包和一盒冰島乳酪 Skyr，現在大約只餘130歐元。

Jan 去試工，我一個人閒著無聊出去逛，剛好遇上在海港的園遊會，而這個園遊會竟然有大量的免費試食！

賣蝦的給我吃了隻蝦，第二個檔口賣的是一些深紅色的肉，一問之下原來是鯨魚肉。就這樣我成了個吃鯨魚的人，它還有生熟二吃兩種，生的像魚生，熟的像牛扒，多變的口感。之後那檔不得了，小塊小塊的魚三文治任吃，可惜我不吃魚呀！多想撥走那塊魚，齋吃那塊三文治包，我肚餓呀。天陰雨濕，正感覺有點太寒之時，竟然遠遠的看見「免費」這個字，跑前一看原來是免費蕃茄海鮮湯，熱氣騰騰，湯料十足，驅寒一流！

最後跑到市中心，看見一間意大利小餐館請人，便走去問了一下。

「Ciao，signor！你們請人嗎？」

「是呀，你有做侍應的經驗嗎？」

我猶豫了一下：「有」

他知我說謊，但還是繼續問了其他問題，最後他問：「你有 tax card 嗎？」

這個可不能說謊，惟有照直說沒有。

「我可以請你沒問題，但你一定要先辦好 tax card，你要去這裡這裡跟他們申請 tax card，你可以拿我的名片跟他們說我會僱用你，你辦好後再回來。」

拿著名片離開，現在算是有些著落，但還要辦什麼 tax card，不知要搞多久。在這裡找工還真不容易，但為什麼 Jan 的餐廳又不用他申請呢？

回到 hostel 已經 8 點了，但還是不見 Jan 回來，這算是件好事。我便自己吃了昨天的蕃茄腸仔意粉，除了今朝的早餐和床租，今天沒再花一分錢。

最後 Jan 11 點才回來，試工順利過關。

星期一正式開工！

古乳有暈：窮途未必是末路，絕處也可以逢生。前一天徬徨無助，給人炒了，第二天卻又奇蹟地找到另一份工作，真是天無絕人之路！

－ 待續…

前文：#1 真的仆街了

下集：#3 廁所一夜

免費！蕃茄海鮮湯｜Free tomato soup with seafood
深紅的鯨魚肉｜Whale meat
小塊小塊的魚三文治｜Fish sandwiches
Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik 的大教堂和地標|The Cathedral and landmark of Reykjavik

Time was money now. We had no time to waste. We went down to the reception to ask for job right after we put down our luggage. Though they had no job offer now, there’s a hip restaurant/bar next to the hostel that we could also try our luck.

The head waitress was surprised at first we came on a Friday night to ask for job as it’s the busiest time. To be honest, we had lost track of time since we can see the daylight 24 hours now. But she’s still kind enough to ask the head chef for Jan. We thought we had no hope but to our surprise, she came back and said the head chef wanted to talk to Jan now.

After 10 mins, Jan came back and said he would have a trial shift tomorrow at 11am.

There’s always hope.

It’s time for eating now. We didn’t eat anything since we left the hotel in Latrabjarg this morning. The cheapest supermarket in Iceland is Bonus but it closes quite early. So we had to go to the supermarket opposite to the hostel. I had heart attack again whenever I saw the price there. E.g. 10 Euros for 500g of pork chop, 3 Euros for 250g of cherry tomatoes. At the end we spent 4.5 Euros for a pack of spaghetti, few tomatoes and a pack of sausage.

As there’s no reply from any couchsurfing host and Jan had to work just downstair of our hostel, we decided to stay one more night there. We paid another 60 Euros in the next morning and we had 130 Euros now after we also bought bread and the Icelandic yogurt, skyr, for breakfast.

While Jan was working on his trial shift, I went out to explore the city by myself. I ran into a weekend funfair at the Reykjavik Harbour. The most joyful thing there was the free food tasting. I tried shrimp and whale meat. The best was the free tomato seafood soup offered by a restaurant. It warmed me all up in this cold cloudy day.

I found a little Italian restaurant that was looking for a part time waitress. So I tried my luck there. The Italian owner was ok with my zero experience in waiting but at the end he asked if I had a tax card which I don’t, he told me to apply it first in some office. He gave me his business card and promised me he’d hire me once I got my tax card. So I left with his business card and some hope.

I went back to the hostel at around 8 but Jan was still not there. I saw it as a good sign. I cooked the spaghetti with sausage and tomato from yesterday. I didn’t spend any money today except the breakfast and the rent.

Jan finally came back at 11pm with the news I’d been waiting for.

He’s got the job!

We were lost and miserable yesterday. We have hope again today. Life is full of ups and downs. No job no money no problem but you can’t have no hope. Just stay calm and keep going.

— To be continued…

Previous: #1 We’re fired!

Next: #3 One night in toilet