I had a little trouble with my chef uniform this morning, but it all worked out! A nice woman in the locker room came over and helped me with my handkerchief. I then hurried upstairs to start my shift in the cold kitchen! At first, the chef in the cold kitchen was just having me OBSERVE again (seriously this term in haunting me). The chef told me I looked pale and asked if I wanted to take a break thirty minutes after arriving. I agreed and snuck off to the Training Center and napped for half an hour – this really saved me. I was really tired, and a power-nap was all I needed for the busy and active day ahead of me.
I understood where the chef was coming from having me observe in a 5-star kitchen, but I had to speak up. I told him that I would like to have an active part in the kitchen – and he let me! I think he tested me before giving me real responsibility, and the chef did this by having me chop bell peppers for an hour. I actually really enjoyed this, it was almost therapeutic. Once he looked over my work, he asked if I had worked in a kitchen before – duh! I told him about my time in Over the Moon and my love for cooking. The chef was happy and told me I was ready to really help.
I was then showed how to use the juicer – common knowledge, but still I had never done it before – and what combinations of fruit are the most liked. I personally enjoyed the mango-guava-pineapple the best, but apparently the banana-honey-milk is also very popular (with maybe a dash of rum).
I was then directed towards the back of the kitchen to help with the banquet service that was going on. We had to serve over 600 people and make tea sandwiches. I was in charge of the cheese and cucumber sandwiches – and made over 200 mini sandwiches. It was great though, I really learned how to design the presentation to make it look 5-star (obviously). I learned about veg and non-veg in more detail and how important it is for the differences to be made clear.
While making the tea sandwiches, I started to talk to the other chefs in the kitchen. After a while, one of them asked my name! I was surprised that I hadn’t told him and replied Julia. He looked so happy and said, “Julia, that’s an Indian name!” I laughed thinking he was clearly joking. He gave me a strange look and asked what was so funny. I told him the joke he just made, that “Julia” was Indian. He looked at me seriously and said, “Your name is an Indian name, an Indian-Catholic name.” Again, I started to laugh and tried to explain that it is a British-Irish name and the Catholics must have read or known a British-Irish Julia. I literally could not convince him otherwise.
Toilet paper: people think it is gross that I use it. I have to care it around in my purse because no one in this country (even the wealthy) use toilet paper. Instead, Indians use water – which is fine, but I need my toilet paper (or at least a leaf from the woods). I asked one of my friends, while she was teaching me how to use the Indian toilet, if and why Indians do not use toilet paper. She explained that the bathroom to Indians is very unhygienic (again, they are ones to talk). The Indian toilet was created because they do not like the idea of “skin-touching surface-touching skin” but why not just squat? She then continued to say that toilet paper is also viewed as unhygienic because it is so dry and that if Indians ever use toilet paper because water is not available, they have to dampen the toilet paper first. EW. Seriously, I am all for embracing other cultures, but that is tooooo far.
Remember back in 2002 when internet was still semi-new and you would receive chain emails all the time from everyone? India is still in that stage. Indians everywhere believe that these chain emails are the coolest thing that has hit the internet – they clearly have never been to stumbleupon.com – but they are constantly spamming my email with them! While at work, my boss makes me watch these pointless PowerPoint’s that have been sent to him of beautiful Arian-like blue-eyed babies smiling and dressed up with some sort of inspirational message at the end. I understand that they are adorable, but you aren’t a 12-year old girl and why every day? The inspirational messages here are everywhere, which at first seem nice but quickly become old. Some of them have been translated directly from English to Hindi back to English and make no sense.
Today, while I was returning from another Sari adventure, I realized what a rickshaw drive is like. Picture yourself sitting in the back of a pickup truck with no sides and no seat belts. Then picture that same pickup truck with a driver who has no shoes on driving down the wrong side of the road with cars coming out you. The road itself has potholes left in right that make you almost fall out, yet you never do. Every once in a while the driver has to swerve to the side to avoid the numerous stray dogs on the street. THAT is what a rickshaw feels like. O, and you might want to add some dirty rain because it is monsoon season. Literally, if the road is too crowded for the drivers liking on the highway, the rickshaw driver will just go onto the other side of the road and start driving while avoiding on-coming traffic. It is a serious rush, one that I prefer not to have every day. The one great thing about rickshaws is that it is extremely inexpensive (never more then $2 USD).
Now I need everyone to think great thoughts for me today (and tonight) that I will find a painting tomorrow! It is essential that I bring a painting home, and I have been searching for the entire trip, and tomorrow is an important art adventure. I NEED TO GET ONE just think positively for me :) Miss you all!
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