Canadian Merch. Newbies!

hey guys! less than a month till you arrive! it's so much fun down here, both at work and at the commons. canada merch is a blast! on hot days (which is like everyday!) we have water fights down at the cart, we include guests in the fun too! your new favorite music will be OFFKILTER! love those guys! if you have any questions or comments this is the place to post!

 

Hey amber!!!! I can't believe you've already been down there for two months!!! I can't wait to see you again and I'm doing merch too!!!! Just curious, how are the uniforms? are they comfy enough in the heat? Have you heard from amanda or leigh or anyone?!!!!

See you in a month!!!!


-meg

 

omg!!!!! megan!!!!!! you got in!?!?!? i told you you would! this is so awsome! i can't believe this! now all of us will be togther again! wow this is fantastic! the costumes aren't bad. i like them. you can wear shorts or coolauts (which are pants that look like a skirt). i wear the coolauts casue i look terrible in shorts. man i can't believe you're in merch!

 

Amber, nice to hear someone say nice things about the costume. Personally, I HATED it...almost cried the day I got it. You learn to sweat in it. If it rains, they suck water like crazy. The culottes were the worst things ever and they were supposed to keep us warm in the winter, really they were very breezy and didn't help much. The costume was my least favourite part of the whole experience. Everything else was great!!

Merch is fun.

Shan
Former Merchie

 

yeah i don't mind looking like a lumberjack. it's cool

 

Ohhh! I can't wait! I start Dec. 6th, so everyone will have to train me when I get down Question: What is a typical day working at merch? What time do you usaully have to be there? Do you encounter a lot of disgranutle customers?
Just would like to know,
Aliyyah

 

In regards to our fabulous culottes and hiking boots combo...are we expected to wear a certain type of sock...for instance, something that is thick and wooly?? , or can we just wear plain white cotton??

Thanks a lot...I can't believe the countdown is getting so close ;D

 

Okay, so I'm a foodie invading the merchie thread... sorry guys.

Just thought I'd answer the sock question. The are not picky about the socks as long as they are black. I just bought a pack of black socks from walmart before I left. Not a big fan of the socks and shoes in this heat, so I wear my sandals to work, put my socks on and then they come off as soon as I get back to cast services.

See you guys soon,
Sandra

 

just a quick question fellow canadians...what in the world are culottes??? LOL!

 

@ ali- a typical day in canada merch is like this. hours vary for everyone. some people start at 10:30, other's in the afternoon. there are 3 registers and the braclette engraver so 4 positions all togther. usually you'll spend your time in the shop and out on the cart, we rotate so nobody gets stuck outside all day in the blistering heat. the people who don't have a register/engraver position, task. they pin trade with guests or stock and clean the cart. it's a lot of fun to task. sometimes you end up doing it all day of we're overstaffed that day. merch is fun, especially on the cart. we have water fights, we get to listen to offkilter and it's better guest interaction. of course there are the stupid, rude americans and the people that don't speak any english at all. you'll get a lot of "canada, EH!?" i usually smile and reply with "america, HUH?!"

thanks for the sock info sandra. yeah just basic black socks that can be seen above your shoe.

and culottes (or however they're spelled) are pants that look like a skirt. quite fashionable. lol. hope this info helps!

 

WOW! Thanks Amber for the info! I can't wait to work with you in december
Ali

 

Try to find thin black socks, but not too thin because then they won't absorb (sorry this will be ew) any of your sweaty feet sweat. And...in rainy season...ALWAYS CARRY AN EXTRA PAIR OF SOCKS IN CASE YOU GET SOAKED WHICH YOU INEVITABLY WILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Depending on your boots too, don't get ones that are too short. Cuffed ones are the best because then your boots won't try to "eat" them and you won't spend all day pulling them up. Culottes suck.

Shan

 

yeah, i think that when i get there, i'll pick the shorts. i'm not a big fan of culottes either One questions, do we have to pay for our uniform or are they given to us? I know that we have to pay for our boots, but what about the shorts and the shirt?

 

Hehe... invading the merchie thread again....

Nope, you don't have to pay for your costume. Well, at least you don't pay for most of it. You can sign out up to 5 costumes at a time. I usually do that. You can wash them yourself or just take them back to costuming and get 5 new costumes. The only things that you have to pay for are you socks and your boots. There is a Timberland at the Outlets across the street or you can go to Payless. In foods, we only need to buy black shoes. I bought mine outside cast services and they were deducted from my paycheque over a few weeks. I'm pretty sure that I saw boots there too, so that's an option as well.

 

Sorry - but I'm not in merch either...

Do the foodies always wear the lumberjack outfit? What about the servers in the restaurant?

Do we wear the boots if we are out on the beer cart?

~ Jen

 

foods have two costumes:

the restaurant costume>>when you work in the restaurant you wear a long sleeve purple shirt with black pants, and apron and black shoes with black socks

the popcorn cart costume>>when outside on the popcorn cart you wear the lumberjack outfit. shorts/colots, plaid shirt, hat, black shoes and socks. you can wear hiking boots

 

Yeah, we're lucky that we don't have to buy black shoes for the restaurant and a pair of boots for the popcorn/beer cart. Sometimes, I think about buying boots cause I think they look better with the lumberjack costume, but then I think that I have better things to spend my little money on.

 

I can't believe how close we're getting to new arrival dates!

I have a question about while we're working! Are we able to keep bottles of water or juice with us? I get so thirsty when it's hot out!!

Thanks

 

on the cart there's a water jug we can get water from and while inside the shop there's a water cooler in the back office to get a drink. don;t worry, we're well hydrated!

 

Amber...do you guys really use that big nasty orange jug outside??? I think there were things living in it, so we never used it...just all had bottles of water...or kept someone busy making runs to the post!

You pay for your costume at the end of your contract if you don't return everything you signed out! I went in to costuming about three weeks before I was done to get a print out and checked it against what I had...there were so many things I didn't have, but then things I did have that weren't on there. I returned a couple of things and then went in during my last week to get an updated list and I kid you not, it had gone from like 20 things...to 2!!!!! And one of the things on the list I didn't even have!!!! Boy, did that screw them up when I went to get my costume clearance card and I had more to return than was on the list!!! It let me keep one of my costumes! So I have it here tucked away in a drawer for an ugly costume party someday.

The costumes are not all the same size...two size 8's are not created equal...so if you find a costume piece that fits nice...keep it and wash it yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shan