Untitled...because I'm too lazy to pick a better title...

     So this past week went pretty well!  However, it all almost feels like one big blur.  Last week seemed very uniform. Our first class was usually some sort of lecture and then after lunch we finally got to cook stuff.  But all week, the only things we cooked were somewhat bland in flavor.  Our teachers kept explaining that we were just working on technique, and not flavor yet.  I get it, and I want good technique, but it's just so wonderful to make something taste good! Hopefully next week we will do more exciting things.  Not that this week wasn't exciting, it's just that I wanna make something super yummy! I have no doubt in my mind, however, that those days are rapidly approaching.
     I must say that I am looking forward to this next week.  I feel like I'm finally getting into a groove and everything is feeling much easier.  The only problem is adjusting to the drastic temperature change.  I believe tomorrow is supposed to be highs of 46 degrees...that's pretty cold for me!  I'm trying to prepare myself as best I can.
     The only big problem I have been facing is that I don't feel like I have much of a life going on outside of school.  It's hard living in New Jersey, so far away from everyone else and with no car!  The only real option I have (other than walking to the Walgreens a few blocks away) is to take the bus into the city on weekends, but I usually don't feel like doing that since that's what I do everyday Monday-Friday.  Next weekend might be better.  Hopefully, I will be hanging out in Brooklyn on Saturday night, which would be a much needed change.  I'll let you all know how that goes ;)

-Kyra M.

Workin 9 to 5

     So, I survived my first week of school! However, it wasn't a full week, but that's neither here nor there.  Tuesday was orientation day and that was pretty exciting. I met all of my classmates and some of the staff. Everyone is so nice and it's wonderful to be in a room with people who all actually have a similar common interest.
     Wednesday was the first day that we all had to be in full uniform. That was fun, because then it really started to feel like things were getting started.  That day, we pretty much spent the day seated. We had our sanitation lecture and learned a lot about various kitchen appliances and such. Then...the best thing happened! We had our Japanese Knife Skills class...that's right...I got my knife kit!  Soooo exciting! To sum up the knife kit stuff....its a kit with many knives and things like a melon baller, measuring spoons and kitchen sheers. Awesome.
     Thursday was fun. We had vegetable identification class and then French Knife Skills class.
     Friday, again, was much like Thursday. We had fruit identification class and then Japanese Knife Skills 2.  Fruit identification class was super fun because our teacher not only showed us about a million fruits, but she also cooked them ALL for us to taste! I really loved the Kabocha Squash and the Kohlrabi the best, but everything was wonderful...but not the Fennel....I don't really like Fennel very much.

Anyway, today is Halloween and I'm still super tired from the week. I can't believe tomorrow is Monday already!!! Ah! All I have planned for tonight is some nice relaxing and baking....I'll celebrate Halloween next year, perhaps.

Until next weekend,
                                KAM

First Saturday

     So today, Saturday, I went into the city to hang with my friend Nicole and we saw the AMAZING First Aid Kit play a free in-store in the village and it was just lovely! We sat right up front and it was just wonderful!
     After that, the two of us went to Washington Square park where we went to a vegan food cart I had heard many things about called NY Dosa's. It was sooo good!
     Then, we went to Union Square park where Nicole was meeting a friend of hers and that's where we parted ways for the day.  Saturdays in Union Square are farmers market days, so I picked up a good lookin head of broccoli for a fair price.
     On my way to the subway station from there, I was walkin down the busy New York street and ran into my friend Kallie! Seriously...what are the odds?! It was SO crazy and super cool!
     Following that pleasant surprise of a coincidence, I went to Whole Foods to pick up a few of my weird vegan food items that cannot regularly be found in the home in which I am staying. After that, I made my way to Penn Station and eventually caught my bus home. (Which took forever, due to traffic!!!)
     Now, I'm super tired from my long day of wandering around New York City so I think I might head to bed shortly! Either that......or more TV.... :-P

Sorry for the bluntness of this post, but I'm just to weary to go into detail!

Until next time :D

Week 1

     Well I arrived at Newark Airport on Tuesday evening and it is now Thursday night nearing 10PM. I am currently lying on a futon in the basement of Blanka and Paul's home in a New Jersey suburb (with an extremely lovable cat named Charlie purring at my side as I type), which is where I will be staying for the next few months while I am in the Chefs Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.
     I feel so lucky that Blanka (a family friend who was once my babysitter and is definitely considered to be one of the family) and her husband Paul are letting me stay with them in their home while I am in school. I don't think I would be able to go to this school if they weren't helping me out this way. :)
     Anyway, New Jersey is just sooo beautiful this time of year! I now know why it is called the Garden State! Seriously...it's ridiculously picturesque. The trees are changing into that bright red color and slowly falling off their branches and the air is becoming brisk but still so moist. It's just amazing.
     So, today I went into the city (meaning Manhattan, for all you weirdos out there) for the first time since I have been here. I was nervous about being too cold (since I hardly have to worry about that in California) but I ended up doing a lot of walking and it wasn't a problem.  I stopped by my school for the first time! It was so great! I was given a tour of the school (which occupies the 2nd and 3rd floor of a building on 21st Street between 5th and 6th Ave) and it's better than I had imagined it to be! Everyone there is really nice and so understanding of all styles of cooking! I can't way for orientation day on Tuesday!
     After visiting my new school, I walked for awhile until I got to the uniform store where I picked up all of my special chefs clothes. That included a few chefs coats, super itchy chefs pants, a few aprons and towels. Once I got those I started to fade fast due to all that added weight! It doesn't sound like those things would be that heavy, but oh boy they weighed a ton! I still have to pick up some kitchen shoes, but I'll leave that for another day.
      Next, I wandered for a bit and ended up in Washington Square Park where I sat for a while and watched all the dogs walk by with their owners and saw nearly a MILLION squirrels! I even saw a black squirrel, which was extra cool! Then I got lost a few times and finally found the correct bus for me to take back to Jersey. I stayed inside for the remainder of the day, but don't worry, I plan on taking a nice walk tomorrow and organizing my thoughts along with my belongings! (and watching Grey's Anatomy online)

Anyway, I'll try to keep up with the whole blogging thing, but we'll see how long and if it lasts. ;)

-Kyra