'Next, please.'

'I would like a filet-o-fish and a mango milkshake. Takeaway, please.'

'Here you are. Fifteen dollars, please.'


Guess what? I'm standing behind a McDonald's counter and taking orders for the customers. It's not a real McDonald's counter but a simulated one in our school. We're having a Careers Day and our customers are senior students, our teachers and our parents.


In our school playground there are different stalls: a fast food shop, a bookshop, a supermarket, a convenience store, a chemist, and a lot more. Together with some 'real' staff, who we call 'coaches', from these shops, we serve our customers. We work and learn at the same time.


Mark and I work at our McDonald's stall. Early in the morning, the coaches arrived at our school and we had our 'dress rehearsal.' They reminded us what to say to greet our customers, how to take orders, and in particular, how to fold the paper bag for takeaways. Everything was ready by nine and we have been behind the counters for one hour.


Oh! Madam Lollipop is walking towards us. We greet her with a broad grin, 'Good morning, Madam Lollipop, what would you like to have?'


'A cheeseburger and orange juice, please.'

'Eat-in or takeaway?'

'Eat-in, please.'


On hearing the new order, I swiftly take a burger from the rack and Mark gets the juice ready. That is easy, isn't it?


'Hi Andrea, fancy making some French fries?' Our coach Jerry says.

'Yes, that would be great!' I reply.


Listening attentively to the instructions, I start cooking my first lot of fries on the stove. Jerry goes to the counter to help Mark.


'Now, add some salt,' Jerry calls from the counter. Then I sprinkle some salt on the fries. In a few minutes, my first ever French fries are made.


'Jerry and Mark, try some,' I say excitedly.

'They are salty!' Jerry and Mark shout. I try some and they are really salty! I have put too m