Lying in bed this morning on my first day off, I am conflicted. I want to renew the strained relationship I’ve been having with my bed since I’ve started work. On the other hand, its a gorgeous day.
Our apartment window faces the east, and the sun was spilling through. With all the willpower I can muster, I decide to leave the apartment.
Today was my 6th consecutive day at work. Tomorrow will be my 7th and the day after will finally be my day off since I’ve started my new job. After that, my schedule is as follows: work 6 days, off 1. Everyone’s day off varies since the restaurant is open everyday. My day off will always be Wednesday.
I’m almost giddy thinking about it.
The first week at any new job is tough, but my week has felt extra long. I enjoy the work, but it’s taken time for my body to adjust to long hours again, and its mentally draining to try and keep up in a foreign environment. I need this day off to decompress and take everything in.
At work I feel like I am in a foreign movie, except there are no subtitles. I get the gist of it, but I can’t for the life of me understand any of the dialogue or get the jokes. Continue reading
It took me a long time to fall asleep last night, as my mind was all wound up for my first day at Robuchon.
I woke up twice. Once at 1am and again at 3:30am, jolting awake from paranoia that I would be late for work.
For me, this is normal. I am always like this before the first day at a new job. I am afraid of failure and letting people down.
I worked in two really tough kitchens in France. I left the latter discouraged and rather broken. I was allowed to do nothing there except packaging, with lukewarm promises of learning. I gave it everything I had, as I always do at any job, but every day I would leave believing a little less in myself. It was the first time any job has made me feel that way.
Having been through it, I know I never want to experience that again. Which is probably why I was extra nervous for my first day today.
But it went well. Really well. Continue reading
Tomorrow will mark the first full week since we’ve moved to Hong Kong. It feels like we’ve been here for much longer. We’ve done so many things since we’ve landed.
Between the two of us we’ve already consumed out weight in milk tea, congee, noodles and soft buns. We’ve gotten ridiculously lost both in the bigger-than-life malls and on the streets, trying to navigate between me speaking no Cantonese and Bruce speaking very little.
We were efficient in claiming our Visa, activating it and applying for our HK ID cards.
Yesterday, we officially began looking for work. We each printed out 25 resumes. After a lot of hotel hopping and boutique jumping, there was only one that really piqued my interest: The Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon.
Somehow, the stars aligned and the pastry gods have decided to humor me. I gave my resume into Robuchon, and within a few hours, as we’re taking the MTR home, we got a call.
I had my interview with them today and tomorrow will be my first day. Continue reading
On Wednesday we went to Immigration Tower on Hong Kong Island to claim our working-holiday visa. Though we were given the visa sticker, we were told that in order to activate it we had to leave and then re-enter Hong Kong. More on that later.
It proved to be the perfect opportunity yesterday to wander around Macau for a day.The ferry ride there and back set us back about $40CAD, but it was a good 45-minute ride.
We immediately noticed all the Portuguese signs at the ferry terminal. I would have been completely at a loss between the Cantonese and Portuguese if not for the odd remnants of English. Still, there wasn’t much.
It’s a bit daunting trying to get your bearings and navigate. We had no specific plan except for a list of eats. It’s crowded with people and luggage everywhere and I notice an overwhelming amount of tour guides and groups with matching jackets. No doubt trying to make their way to their hotels to settle down and then head out to the siren song of the casinos.
The shuttle buses to the hotels are free, and we were told we would find a couple of the things on our list at the Venetian hotel.
I had no real expectation of Macau. It was strange to see the shuttle loop around all these grand hotels: The Wynn, MGM, Galaxy, each large enough to probably house and sustain a small city. Continue reading
The view from our balcony is the best part of our new apartment. Past the heavy sliding glass doors of our modest place is an incredible snapshot of water, mountain and a view of the skyscrapers of Eastern Hong Kong Island.
The channel is Lei Yue Mun, and on the Kowloon side, it is known for its fishing villages and abundance of seafood restaurants.
Our balcony is shared with the apartment next to us, where Bruce’s 92 year-old aunt resides with the live-in maid. We’re fortunate to have them offer us our own apartment just next door. Depending on where we find work, the living situation may change.
But for now, this is ours to enjoy.
I’m exhausted.
The plane ride was smooth and passed by quickly with movies, the usual diasppointing airplane cuisine, awkward sleep and thoughts of the future. Continue reading
In a few hours, we will be finally be boarding our plane to Hong Kong.
I’ve gotten much better at packing, taking lots of notes from packing for France last year, but the emotions remain the same.
I’m excited and nervous, but the prevailing emotion is anxiety. I am incredibly lucky to be going with the love of my life, though the anxiety is still shared between us. I have never been to Hong Kong outside of its airport, often en-route to Vietnam.
After my year in the kitchens of France, I have a much better understanding of where I am in terms with my practical pastry skills and where I would like them to be. My craft alone is where all my interests lie and I am going to make the most of our time there.
I have no expectation for the city, though I have a lot for myself.
An avid note-taker, I’ve made some notes from the very beginning of this winding self-employment path. They were meant for me, but I realized that they would be better off shared. Should they help just one person out who is launching a business, that’s pretty cool. Here goes, in no particular order. Continue reading
The past few days in Toronto have gone by both too quickly and painfully slow with errands all at once. Just this past Monday we were still in Brooklyn with our dear friends and now we’re trying trying to catch up with older ones before leaving for Hong Kong this coming Monday night.
Our trip to New York was unforgettable. For a whole 11 days the city was ours to explore and eat. Every one of those days we walked for at least 6 hours and still it wasn’t enough and we found ourselves wanting more. There’s no doubt we’ll be back eventually.
A couple of days ago, we made our final caramel delivery. It still amazes me to think how far we’ve come with it in the time we had.
Our little candy company started in our apartment in the 19th arrondisement of Paris. Continue reading
avec chantilly 