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Elsie Lisle, a 12-year veteran of Food Service at Children's Hospital Boston, carries around a little bit of her former life. Whether she's ringing people up at the register or prepping food in the kitchen, the Jamaica native is reminded of her country by the flickering of the gold jewelry she wears on her wrists, fingers and earlobes.
Lisle has always liked to work with her hands, and before she moved from Trelawny, Jamaica, to Boston in 1993, she worked for Jewelerama, a large jewelry company, where she was in charge of determining true gold from false.
When she came to Children's, Lisle traded dealing with precious metals to dealing with food—a choice she's glad she made. "Since I've come here, I'm a different person," she says, chuckling. Lisle was extremely shy before coming to Children's, and her first few weeks working with the public were real learning experiences. "I was so nervous," she says. "When I saw the crowd, I'd get so scared." Her manager suggested that she not to look up at all the people when she had a long lunch line, but instead to focus on the one customer before her. "Once I'd look up, uh oh—that's when I'd get all shaky," she remembers. But those days are long past. "I'm a pro now," she says. "I can handle any situation." Lisle is proud of the kind of camaraderie her manager inspires. "Teamwork is very important to me," she says. "Back home we'd say one hand washes the other, meaning, you do something and then someone comes and helps you, too."
Food is a big part of Jamaican culture, and back home Lisle enjoyed cooking traditional dishes like curry goat, ox tail, fried fish, bami (a dry cake made from cassava flour) and akee and salt fish, which is known as the national dish of Jamaica, for her family and friends. Working around food has similar pleasures, says Lisle. "When you see someone really enjoy a meal, that's a good feeling," she says. According to Lisle, every aspect of the meal should be undertaken with care, from preparation to display.
Lisle got to experience a recreation of her favorite childhood delicacies—and the accompanying smiles of satisfied patrons—when Children's held it's first Caribbean Day, during which the CafÈ at Children's served ox tail, curry chicken and ginger beer. Lisle helped plan and prepare the meals. Food Services Manager, Shawn Goldrick, says that Lisle was stepping out of her comfort zone from her role as a cashier, but she wanted to help and stepped up to the occasion. "She was looking to bring her Caribbean food to life for her customers," he says. Lisle enjoyed watching others appreciate food from her culture. "People are already asking for it again," she says, adding that the food turned out quite authentic.
Lisle tries to visit Jamaica every year to see family. As a child, her grandmother taught her to be respectful and kind, and she uses those positive people skills here at Children's. "We are taught to be very respectful and greet everyone," she says. "I always say good morning, even if I am just passing someone."
Working at Children's has changed Lisle. "I realize that with shyness, you don't really open up to people," she says. "If I open up more, I get more from others. When my shyness was keeping everything in, I wasn't getting what I really wanted. I've opened up more and I'm happy."
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