Monday 7 October 2013

Barista, Grape-picker, and Chef extraordinaire



I should probably tell you that I don't get a chef's hat, and that today's doodle is therefore misleading. I'm sorry. 


Right, now confessions are out of the way we can carry on! 'Sup, world? In my teeny corner, I've just got a new job. 

They let me play with pointy things!
Well, 'just' isn't really accurate - I've been working at Plane Cuisine for a month now. It's a wee café/restaurant bistro with a passion for good food, great coffee, and people. So I was never going to go far wrong, was I? How'd it happen, you say? 

Well, went there for lunch to celebrate my mum giving in the final piece of work for her Master's and on the offchance asked if they needed anyone. Originally was going to be working as a barista, but once my new boss and I had waxed eloquent over dishes and food in general she realised how much I love cooking. So I'm now being trained to head it up, despite having no official catering experience.

Go me.

I've actually loved it so far. Work over the years has been pretty varied - I've worked in the gift shop for a country park, as a teacher/tutor in languages, as a TEFL teacher/full-time mentor to two beautiful kids, a full-time nanny, a cleaner, and am now about to add 'grape picker' to that list.

Why? Well, two good friends of mine are getting married in January. In Uganda. And as exciting as that is, it means tightening the belt and getting as many hours in as many odd places as I possibly can to raise that cash in time. So Horton Vineyard it is. I'll be harvesting. So tempted to wear a kerchief on my head and waltz in to pick up my secateurs before heading off, humming a french folk song.

Things I've learnt:

  • I can now chop an onion in under thirty seconds. (My previously horrific knife skills have had to become sadly professional... Sigh.)
  • How not to use watercolour paints. Thought I remembered how from doing my GCSEs. Turns out it's harder than I remembered. Cue soggy paper falling apart and some particularly abstract creations which were once things.
  • Dogs can make you fall over when they're happy to see you... in front of people you'd really rather not end up on your arse in front of. Bah.
  • I am prone to moments where I feel I deserve a classical music soundtrack for that moment of life... and that life has a funny way of keeping you humble. Was walking through the forest (!) to work a couple of weeks back. It was misty, and quiet in the muffled way where you feel the crunch of your shoes is the only sound in the world, and the air is delicious, and the sun is teasing its way with long fingers through the heavy leaves. So you can see why I felt I should be able to cue some music for that moment.
I took a great gulp of air to better taste the freshness - and instead was bowled over by the pungent smell of dog crap. Huh. Apparently idyllic countryside just tells dogwalkers they don't need to pick their dog's doings up.

Ach well. I should be grateful that I didn't get it on my shoes- would have served me right for not paying attention!

Much love and laughter,

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