First and foremost I plan to use this blog to share with my friends, family and whoever finds what I write entertaining. Most of my topics will have food related into them some way or another, but many more will be about adventures, travels and hopefully a few good photos! For whatever reason this blog feel like a pretty large window into my soul as essentially it'll be my "not so private" Private Journal so any haters can go hate somewhere else. That being said I can't even describe the excitement and joy that I have as I'm currently writing this! :D
Alright, here we go!
Reflecting on 2013!
Highlights
- Started the year with my first Chef de Partie position on garde manger (cold station) in January
- Started working as the Entremetier (Vegetable station) in August, the most physically & mentally demanding job I have ever taken on
- First time going Skydiving!
- First time doing the Sun Run
- First time internationally staging (work experience) while in Hong Kong
- First time eating 1-3 Michelin Star Food in Hong Kong
- Spending time at Sheridan Lake with my closest friends
- Bouldering once a week for a solid two months with Ry Guy at The Hive
Lows
- Worked 4030 hours of a possible 8760 hours in a year compared to an average full time worker at 2080
- Developed lower back pain
- Constantly battling with low morale, confidence and a sometime overwhelming sense of loneliness
- Came within a hairs width of being fired on the spot, twice
Now to those who have been wondering why I continue to cook at the restaurant I'm currently situated at, I've finally been able to come up with three clear points
1. There is no better place to learn how to cook in Vancouver. Period
2. Smooth seas do not make a skilled sailor - Absolute hell makes a damn good cook
3. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him - James 1:12. Everyone goes through periods of trial and tribulation in life, and those are the times in which you really grow and learn a LOT about yourself.
That's 2013 in a nutshell for me! Now onto 2014, which is what I really want to share!
2014
I have a lot of inspiration at the moment. I'm not sure where its all coming from but I'm sure i'll be able to explain it within the next few months. I have a lot of plans for this year, and while I know that plans can change in an instant, here are my current thoughts on this upcoming year.
New year resolutions have a tendency to fail within this first few weeks. Mainly because people set a lofty and ambitious goal that they VIEW as an impossible mountain to conquer. Being thrown into the Entremet fire, (while starting quite a few on my own) everyday I'm faced with what I feel as an impossible Prep list. Push yourself, have a sense of urgency, dig deep & stop sucking. These are the mantras in the Kitchen. No one else can fuel your desire to overcome an impossible mountain but yourself.
And in saying that, This is a year in which I'm going to push myself to go beyond everything I currently am. To push myself physically, to push myself mentally, and simply to see how far I can run with it.
New year resolutions have a tendency to fail within this first few weeks. Mainly because people set a lofty and ambitious goal that they VIEW as an impossible mountain to conquer. Being thrown into the Entremet fire, (while starting quite a few on my own) everyday I'm faced with what I feel as an impossible Prep list. Push yourself, have a sense of urgency, dig deep & stop sucking. These are the mantras in the Kitchen. No one else can fuel your desire to overcome an impossible mountain but yourself.
And in saying that, This is a year in which I'm going to push myself to go beyond everything I currently am. To push myself physically, to push myself mentally, and simply to see how far I can run with it.
Current Goals & Plans
- Do the Vancouver Polar bear Swim (which I actually did yesterday, and it was bloody freezing)
- Complete my Red Seal Training for Culinary Arts
- Complete my CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors) Lvl 1 Course
- Complete the Sun Run in under 45 (56 last year)
- Complete my first Vancouver Marathon
- Get my Motercycle & Class 5 Drivers license
- Get tickets for the Finals of the World Cup in Brazil!
- Backpack S. America
As I finish off my very random and tangent heavy first blog post, I'm feeling quite light with finally getting all of this down, also possibly because of my much needed hair cut..
Channy
Jan 2, 2014 - 19 & Columbia, Vancouver
