The hotel night manager, a young Moroccan born and raised in London, walks up to say hello. He is friendly, eager to talk, apparently seizing the opportunity to be interviewed. He looks very smart, wearing a dark suit, ironed shirt and matching tie. This is a 24h business with a small team that works through the night. He does the financial auditing of the previous day, while his Romanian colleague works at the reception desk. Others do room service (the guests may want to eat or drink, or have their beds changed at night), and there is an on-duty security guard. At 5am the chef arrives to start preparing breakfast for the hotel guests, at 6am others come to help out in the kitchen. The night manager likes to do the night shifts. They work out perfectly for his family life. He can see his two children, pick them up from school, and take care of them while his wife (a dentist) is at work. In the evenings they have time together as a family.
Ⓒ Ger Duijzings. Location & date: Bethnal Green, East London, Thursday 26 January 2012 (just before midnight). Image: Ger Duijzings through DreamStudio.
