BY JOY OFASIA AND JOHN CHRISMA
FLOOR Manager for Breakfast Food Elizabeth Votu and Waitresses Roselyn Genitaloa and Magalilly Poloso, who have worked at the Sol2023 Pacific Games Main Dining Hall and Kitchen, shared their experiences with daily encounters and food reactions while serving visiting athletes over the past week.
Fairyland (Jinas) Restaurant, the official master caterer for the Sol2023 Pacific Games, employs these women as their staff.
“An experience that I have come across working here is the equal treatment that is being shown here in the dining hall.
“The ‘equal treatment’ that I mean here is the staff having the same meal as the athletes and officials. And why I call this special and amazing is because this kind of treatment has never happened anywhere at big events like these or even in hotels.
“From my past experiences working in hotels, I have never come across anything like this. To me, this is new, and I appreciate it a lot.
“My team is an active team. We had to arrive between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. in order to prepare the breakfast meal before breakfast time. Though the time is very early and challenging, we had to play our part and get down to the roles and responsibilities.
“We also enjoyed our time working here, getting to know the athletes, and creating good relationships between us,” Elizabeth from Isabel Province told SOLOMON WOMEN.
Fairyland (Jinas) Restaurant has deployed cleaners, servers, cooks, waiters, waitresses, and managers who work in three shifts [breakfast, lunch, and dinner] to serve food 24 hours a day, seven days a week, over the two weeks of the Sol2023 Pacific Games at the Athlete Main Dining Hall at the KGVI, east of Honiara.
The waitress, Roselyn Genitaloa, said she has gained valuable experience by interacting with athletes from other Pacific countries.
I’m excited to work as a waiter at the Sol2023 Pacific Games, where I’ll be able to gain a lot of experience, especially interacting with athletes from other Pacific nations.
“The most fascinating aspect of her job was picking up phrases or languages from the athletes.
“I picked up new phrases from the Fijian athletes. For instance, when an athlete from Fiji says Yadra vinaka, meaning good morning, or Bula vinaka, which means ‘good health’, it is a common way to say ‘hello’ in Fijian,” according to Genitaloa from Guadalcanal.
Serving daily meals for thousands of athletes and officials from 24 Pacific countries across Oceania is no easy task because not only must the dining hall meet international safety and health standards, but the food must also taste delicious while being suitable for an athlete’s diet.
Additionally, the cooks have to satisfy people of diverse cultures and with different tastes.
Fellow Fairyland (Jinas) restaurant waitress, Magalilly Poloso described her experience as an unforgettable one. She describes her role as serving athletes and officials, working from 2–3 a.m. and 10–11 a.m. daily. This was her first experience in a waitress role, despite her previous admin role.
“I am honored to be working as a waitress in the main dining hall, serving all of the athletes and officials who are here for the event. This is the country’s first time hosting the Pacific Games.
“Working outside on the floor, where we get to interact with the athletes and officials, has been the best experience I have had. It was my opportunity to pick up new languages. I had a great time, and this experience is real.
“Receiving positive feedback about the food and fruits from the visiting athletes, who said they were very natural and more than enough, was another highlight of her experience,” Magalilly Poloso added.
