My first job after I finished my MA thesis was as a dishwasher in a small vegetarian restaurant. I started work at the weekly meeting where the owner and his personal life-style consultant explained the philosophy of this unique work-place. Everyone did everything, everyone had an equal voice, everyone started at the bottom, every job was important. We all had to respect each other as people, give our hearts and soul to the enterprise, and strike a blow in the battle to give people a refuge away from the practise of eating dead animals.

At the restaurant turn-over of staff was high. I made it from dishwasher to general kitchen help to line-cook in three week. And I began to make friends with Winston the chef.

Winston and I discovered we had something in common; watching the owner, his girl-friend and his life-style consultant dance a hot-footed dance around power and influence in that little restaurant.

The girlfriend's sister needed some money and they gave her some waitressing shifts - much upsetting the busgirl who had been working there for months in expectation of a promotion - much upsetting the policy that everyone started at the bottom.

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