29 April 2007

Well, it just didn't feel right. Now it does.

The first week of the new term has come and gone. And god, it was more than merely adjustments but a complete 360 degree change.

My sleeping pattern gradually changed, there was a whole lot of discipline and punctuality and precison and team spirit thrown into the mix that is me, Ashley Tara. All 3 classes were pretty much going through the same shit, a.k.a the Culinary Hell (as aptly dubbed by our wonderful Chef H. ). Everyone's waking 5 a.m. every morning and probably wouldn't get home until late evening just to suffer the onslaught of backaches and cuts and bruises and fatigue that was the after effects of spending 8 hours, racing against time and brain cells in the newly built but yet completed demo theatre and kitchens. Not to mention the numerous bags and stuff we had to carry while struggling up the bus or the train and when it does rain in the morning, it's just really really bad. But also because of that, yes the silver lining of whatever cloud, the 3 classes were more bonded together and it was, to me one of the most important and beautiful thing in trying times to have resulted. Everyone was helpful and understanding and kept that sense of light-ness and humor, knowing whatever they have to go through, that other guy from the other class at that other station they didn't realize previously of their existence is experiencing the same thing too..this is really just human nature, I would say...but beautiful.

The other beautiful thing is that, we've learnt. And we still are.

Stuff about stuff that we didn't previously figure out or knew about cooking and food and mentality towards cooking. And most of them, just kind of common sense. There were 3 chefs flying in from CIA, Culinary Institute of America that is this pretigious and star-studded institute. They were Chef Ken James W., Chef Marc Something Hayman (can't remember the middle name for there isn't much interaction with the great Pastry man/master yet) and lastly, Chef Hinnerk Winhelm Von Bargen. As most people would have already noticed by his last name, Chef H's German and he has worked in many countries, Beijing for example, and he met his wife of almost a decade there and had a beautiful 8 year old daughter. He's this 1.90cm or more guy who I kept visualizing would poke his eyes and forehead against the sharp corners of the plasma tv and the cupboard whenever he would walk too near...Anyway, I've met them, his wife and daughter twice so I know...you know, just in case you're wondering. Chef Ken and Chef Marc on the other hand, are typical native Americans with Chef K possessing more than 30 years of experience in the culinary world. It was a total blast and honor to learn from these chefs who thank God, didn't lose their quirky sense of humor and humanity to the merciless hell of toiling and cooking.

This is how a typical day would go and warning: could be rather stale.

Grooming inspection starts at around 7.50, for by then, anyone who's sane would already have been there, in full U and with whatever that was going through their minds at the time standing in a line. Sometimes, the tutor, Mr. Sarcastic-and-always-missing-the-mark J Sim would come round or Chef Ken, or Ms B Wilson, the other tutor, telling us what we've done correctly so far in the morning or in the kitchen the previous evening or if any, something we might have screwed up that morning. So far we have been great; punctual, perfectly dressed and having done a wonderful beef consomme etc...I guess everyone's pretty much adapted to the routine of waking up before dawn and going home after sunset. For the next couple of hours, there will be a demostration by Chef H, (so far it was him) demostrating what we have to do later in the kitchen. Along the way, questions were thrown between both directions and it was very interesting how inquistive some people are. To better faciliate teaching and interacting, there are 3 cameras and plasma tvs basically showing the demostration so we could really see if the color of the food changes, or if it's boiling or simmering etc...Ms Wilson, she's one messed up person when it comes to operating those cameras, zooming in and out at the exact wrong timing...we could never understand her.

The class of 59, separated into Group A and B with A going into the kitchen and cooking right after whatever they have just sat through and B out for an hour lunch. After lunch, B comes back for the lecture covering topics for the next day before going into the kitchen. Group A, of course comes back in and sit through the same lecture after cooking wraps....School mostly ends around 4 to 5pm, that is, if we didn't have classes after that, which would then be ending around 6pm... Told you it could get a little stale..but I gotten do what I had to.

We've been practising knife skills and I tell you, no one suck at it more than I do. And I'm not even going to be talking about my various deep cuts (on my fingers). You'll know how precision really comes in when it comes to cutting stuff and really, I think I didn't put in any effort to doing it, otherwise it wouldn't have turned up shit. Anyway, it's the only thing so far that has made me not enjoy this thing as much..I'm having another knife skills practice tomorrow, we'll see what happens...

You are probably expecting to see the list of songs that I've enjoyed these days...but I figure I would probably be writing my next entry right after this...if you wanna, you could check this section out the next entry.