Thursday, 16 Oct 2008
I just burst a plastic full of air right behind Chef Philippe’s back. Didn’t manage to scare him, but Rafaella who was talking to Chef got scared instead :~? Jennie went with me to the break room as Chef’s work station is right next to it - she was my “accompanying person“. Usually Rafa would be with us, but she was already in the break room and didn’t know what I was up to. Earlier, Jill had helped me blown a plastic-full of air for my mission. The plastic was already punctured from a previous burst??!! Nobody agreed to be my accomplice though whoever present (names left out) readily chipped in ideas for me to execute – that was so kind? But I was scared I scared myself instead … err … ha. Chef Pierre walked into the lab just then, and wondered why he was involved. Let’s just say without provocation, I would usually not initiate such plot. But I really felt playful today.
At the end of class, I told Chef Philippe we enjoyed his class that day … “… this the first time you enjoyed my class?“ Oops … no! Always do ~ disclaimer. Really enjoyed the class, and I guessed I expressed it also because I was feeling light - likely the class size and what we got to do that day really made me felt so therapeutic. For once there were only 5 of us – Sarah, Jill, Elizabeth, Quin and me - in class instead of 9 … each of us got to prep a double recipe of different kinds of bread from ingredients to kneading to first proof. In between we prep Grand Mere Tarts, I had prep 2 recipes of apples and pears to sautee thinking April would come but she did not come to class that day. Then croissants with bechemel sauce. Later that morning, we had to shape the bread – flatten, weigh, rest, slap to flatten, shape. I loved to slap down the dough ~ I guessed it was the only time in lab I can legitimately bang on the work table, and I slapped it hard indeed. My classmates joked that I displayed signs of internal rage. The more and the harder I slapped, the more therapeutic I felt. It was a great way to release bottled stale energy, maybe. Ha! I joked “I am feeling bitchy today“, they laughed even harder. Apparently, my tone got too high and my pronounciation was off and sounded like “beachy”. I loved the aroma and taste of freshly baked bread, but I haven’t thought of baking bread … maybe I should …. once a while. And we really felt good at the end of the class. Even though we were quiet most of the time, there was a lot of smiles, laughters and light chatters that day. I highly recommend Dough Slapping for therapeutic purpose … and freshly baked breads come as a bonus!
…
“Chef Kris wants to see you in Chefs’ Office …“ For a moment, I didn’t think Chef Philippe was serious. I had just exploded the bag and was feeling too playful to be serious. Oh it was for real. Chef Kris asked me to take a seat and pulled a chair next to him. I felt like a student who was called into the Principal’s office for playing a prank on a teacher?? In fact, the scenario fitted what I just did.
Chef Kris had read my blog - about what Chef Philippe spoke with us regarding our future. I had expressed that it was scary even though I have to confront it. He shared with me the 10-year plan he usually got his Associate Degree students to complete, and he believed I would complete mine. Know what I want at the end point, and the path I need to take to make it happen… research, put it down and make it happen. If I really believe a particular place is where I believe will take me to where I want to be, I just have to make it happen – email, call, send by snail mail, fax, pack and appear in front of the door(?). He emphasized the 10 year plan doesn’t mean it is fixed, as I progress I would make revision to chart my path. His advice was ”don’t take up any job that come along, and realise you are wasting your time“.
It was a thoughtful 40 min consultation. And I really appreciate that he bothered to. I just have to do my part.
I shared with Chef Kris that the 10 year plan reminded me of the 10 year product plans I did in the past. Due to the variables along the way, the 10 year end result usually looked totally different from the plan. As the years went, the 10 year plan in corporate was shortened to 5 years, then to 3 and in some companies to 2.
I understand his point though – Set A Vision and Purposefully Work Towards It!
When I was writing this entry, I took out My Mission and Vision folder from my box for the first time in Houston. Now I am amazed with myself – other than a few pieces of clothing and some miscellaneous, I had really brought in my 2 luggages my books, my stationery and my folder containing My Life Direction notes and my laptop – I need so little to live comfortably. I completed My Mission and Vision during a Life Direction Intensive session with T. Harv Eker in Singapore back in 31 January – 2 February 2008. My Mission and Vision were completed on the spot then and I had never given prior thought to it. Harv had advised feeling it in us and to identify words that inspired the energy in us to spell out My Mission. Instead of spelling out our Vision, we drew our vision then – about My Life – as words may not accurately expressed the images in our mind. I just re-read My Mission and it continues to hold true in my heart. We were then supposed to work out a year, month then week calendar to purposefully live toward our Vision. I am still procrastinating on this calendar.
My Vision back in January 2008: (Shan’t attach my drawing here ;p)
1. My Family Life. Quality, Leisure Time with Financial Freedom. My family has always been my priority. If God is willing, we would love to have 2 beautiful children. As a family, we have quality time together to explore continuous learning and growth as individuals, and as a family.
2. My Other Life. Truth be told, I have always wanted to be an Educational Psychologist and there was a lingering regret till I came to the Culinary Institute. I don’t think there is any connection, but that feeling had become a past for me, for now. I went into marketing and I believe my skill is transferable. Back in Jan 2008, I had no idea I will be attending a Baking & Pastry Arts program with the Culinary Institute, I had not planned to be in Houston - one day it just became possible, I arrived and started living life here, then at times started to find out what’s happening. My vision then:
~~~ Worked with *Happy and Highly Motivated Associates. Be it for my employment or my business.
~~~ Have a *High Traffic Blog to share Motivational and Inspirational stories with the World. I imagined but was never motivated to start a blog. I didn’t know where to start, what to write. The only time it became a reality was when I came to Houston and I needed a place to jot down my notes of my journey, and I started writing for myself, from my heart … and it was still a procrastinating 3 weeks after I set up my blog page address before I wrote something for myself.
~~~ I will have something *Published by a Well-known Publisher to inspire Life Greatness in People … the funny thing is I never write much to others except emails and messages, … technical writing bores me. I wrote often to myself to set aside my thoughts, my fears, my dreams, my ideas, my research … but they are often in my scribbles. I wasn’t sure why I wrote in My Vision then I would have something published. … During our conversation, Chef Kris suggested ”food writer“. I told him I couldn’t write well and I was so so in vocabulary, taste description etc, he said “not food critic“ … he said it is the same form of writing, from my experience … from my heart. I am not sure if I want to write with a deadline, after I read Julia Child’s journal about the years she spent on her first book Mastering the Art of French Cooking I. Chef Kris suggested 3 titles for me to get inspiration. I love finding inspiration from reading, research, flipping pages of books.
~~~ *Creative Development for Children - Inspire, nurture, encourage motor skill development, laughter & fun in learning & development. … I believe this will still be a reality one day, as I love training and teaching, and I can incorporate this in Baking & Pastry Arts.
~~~ *Provide Employment to the Deserved but Disadvantaged. This can be a reality too. I believe in giving back to where I take from.
~~~ *Passive Income.
On my wall in my apartment, I have a Vision Board I scribbled couple of weeks ago, it was not dated. On it includes “… aPastry & Baking Lab to accomodate 20 students (describing space more than the absolute number of people) at any one time …” … ” I start my own Pastry & Baking coaching class in my own lab!”.
The time out to the Chefs’ Office … was a gentle reminder I have not completed my plan weeks ago to revise My Vision. I do not have many weeks left at the Culinary Institute – 5 weeks? … it appears that each time I put up an entry it is another week gone … Chef Kris said some of his students worked on their 10 year plan over 6 months, I jokingly reminded him he was not thinking of giving me 6 months as well? This will be sorted before I complete my program, after that there will be no one to remind me, or I can’t just step into the Chefs’ Office as I wish when I am back in Singapore.
Before I left the office, he gave me 2 examples of 10 year plan for reference. Thank you, Chef!
