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Transcription: [00:00:00]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Who taught you how to shuck clams? Who learned you?
[00:00:07]

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
Some of the other workers, that were there ahead of me.

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. And how long did it take you to catch on?

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
Oh, not long.

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Not long?

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
No, just a few minutes.
[00:00:19]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. When people ask you about your job now, what do you usually tell them?

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
That I have a job that I love, I only work part time. And I can go in and make a decent amount and come on home for the rest of the day and get my work done if I choose to.

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. What's so unique about shucking clams?
[00:00:42]

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
Well, [[pauses]] I don't know.

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay [[pauses]]. What's your secret for being fast or--I understand you're a fast shucker. What's your secret for the pacing what you have?
[00:01:03]

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
Well, the main thing is just concentrating on what you're doing and just doing it. Just giving it all that you have. It's a little, it's a way to get it out of the shell. And if you keep your hand close to the bucket where you don't have to reach out so far, all that will help you with your speed.
[00:01:24]
But the key thing is just working and not getting too involved in conversation or staying away from the table a long time.
[00:01:33]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. Have you only worked at Denton's Seafood or have you worked at other oyster houses?

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
I started at Larry's, that was the first clam house down there. Larry. Oh, I think his name was Orren Larry.
[00:01:49]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. What do you wear when you shuck clams? Is there a particular uniform, or you just wear what you want to wear?
[00:01:56]

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
We can wear what we want to wear, but we wear the apron and a hairnet.
[00:02:00]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
When you shuck clams with your knife is there a certain adjustment that you have to do? Sometimes people have to adjust their equipment. Do you have to adjust your knife or any part of your equipment?
[00:02:14]

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
No.

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Okay. Are there mostly women or men that work at the clamhouse?
[00:02:20]

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
Well it's more women that shuck clams.
[00:02:24]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Who's usually faster, the women or the men?

{SPEAKER name="Christine Gray"}
Women.
[00:02:29]

{SPEAKER name="Shelia Montague Parker"}
Women. How has it changed the environment since the Mexicans has came in, or is there a difference?
[00:02:37]