Conflict

I say being in your 30's is a difficult period of time.

Just a little short of mid-life crisis, (or an early onset of mid-life crisis?), it seems that a lot of us are struck by the inevitable ennui. After slogging it a good 10yrs at your career, most of us are asking questions, and taking a second look at our lives and re-assessing: our priorities, our lives, our interests, our plans for the future. A friend is taking a 6 months unpaid leave. I, have dropped out of corporate 2 yrs ago to pursue the culinary field. The book I'm reading now, Eat Pray Love, (yes, I'm sorry I succumbed, but I really wanted to know the story), has its author

leave a marriage, a lover, her city, and her job, to spend a year in 3 foreign countries in order to find herself again. Hell, even Christ started his ministry at 33, and then not long after, was crucified.

(I want to talk about conflict in relationships as well: I don't think it can ever occur that during the course of a friendship/relationship that differences and misunderstandings never arise. But given the overall picture of what both parties enjoy in the company of each other, these shared moments should control the turnout of a disagreement or two. I don't think we are malicious enough to want the death of another person, so while we are stagnating over a standoff, let's agree to let things go. Let's talk again. There are plenty of other good days in life to cherish.)

On another note, I think most of you heard me rant abt a second ranking chef who I didn't get along well with in the kitchen in G.S. About 2 weeks ago, I finally let the exec chef know of the numerous unfair and unwarranted remarks that this guy has made. Ironically enough, the head chef just had the idea to put me over to work at the fish station, which behold, is manned by the very same chef whom I can't get along with (and it is not just me). But I gave it some thoughts, it is a good move from the garde manger station, and I gave it a go.

So, finally, at the hot station!

It's been about 2 weeks, I enjoy the station much more. There are less minute details to fuss over, less chances of certain dishes being sold out (and frantically prepping new ones in the middle of service!) all these mean more concentration on doing these fish/seafood dishes well. Basically, a hot dish doesn't get prepared until the order is called out, so we cannot prepare in advance (save a few garnishes), so technically, we can never run out. It's always easier to step into a place after it worked out its kinks, and the rules/duties are more established. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the cold station. There are still people coming in and out, and different methods of doing the same thing. Good luck to the folks who are working the station now.

On a lighter note, it's almost a full year since I last left for Paris. And I remember the winter being one of the harshest in decades in France, and I was not very prepared for it. I would stare longingly at the many trendy coats and jackets on display in the stores in the city, but telling myself I won't need it back in SG (still, I managed to buy quite a few!). UNIQLO just opened in Paris back then, and it was the talk of town. Queues would snake down the alley for weeks! Today, as I passed by our branch at ION, I came across these doudounne jackets, and these memories came back. Memories of putting on heavy coats just to step out, walking around the Japanese quarter to hunt down a good ramen shop. (R. who visited me during the period can testify.)