Hi guys i'm back!!!!
This blogpost is literally dead as hell lol super lazy and busy to update this little space of mine, plus my laptop was held captive by my boyfriend cuz his laptop spoiled and I reluctantly offered him my laptop to let him play his dota with the remaining days he had left to enlistment.
So yes he has already enlisted, that's why you can see this blogpost being updated now haha!
Was telling myself I would definitely blog about my entire experience during Culinary Practicum because this is by far the most tiring semester I have ever had in my entire life.
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| Entire Culinary Practicum group photo!!!! |
Ever since April till the end of August, my schedule from Monday to Friday was just Culinary practicum 8am-4pm and then 4pm-6pm lecture. EVERY SINGLE FREAKING DAY, 8am to 6pm, except for fridays where we were released at 4pm amen.
If you guys know, I stay freaking far away from my school, Temasek Polytechnic. I had to reach school at 7am to get myself ready for our daily grooming check at 7.50am sharp. So imagine I stay so freaking far, I had to wake up at 5.45am every single day. Sad life I know.
Every day was literally hell for me. I hated school to the fucking max but I couldn't even skip a day of school or even take MC because we were graded daily. So lets say I skipped a day of school, if I were to get a B+ that week, I'd immediately drop to a D+ LOL.
Then there would be people who would ask, "then what if you really sick?" HAHA cry lor, no use one still will minus marks. So lets just say you got into an accident and have like super long MC, just get ready to remodule lor.
My course has the highest dropout rates across all polytechnics in Singapore too haha. If I remember correctly, in year 1 we had 57 intakes. When culinary practicum started and ended, we were only left with 50 people.
Life, I know. Sometimes I would look at the sky and ask God, what am I doing here with my life.
So blahblah cut short, 4 months went by sibei slowly like 100 million years later and finally it was the end of culinary practicum. No words can describe the immense joy I had in me, like finally I'm done with this shit.
SO LETS BEGIN THE STORY OF MY JOURNEY TO HELL.
Okie so for the first 4 weeks, we had skills camp 1 which was 3 weeks of culinary and 1 week of baking and pastry basics.
So every day we would have to cook and whip up the dish we were taught on that day itself.
It was hell.
I was slow as fuck HAHA and I was like a chicken without a head, not knowing what to do. Worst of all, I kept sleeping during lecture so when it was time for practical, I was like "fuck what to do ah?" LOL!
Fast forward 4 weeks later, we were divided into our own groups and had to go into our respective kitchens. 2 groups in 1 kitchen, then either 2 weeks or 3 weeks later, we would rotate to another kitchen.
I was in Group D, and for the first 6 weeks we were grouped with Group C. (No, being in Group D doesn't mean my grades are D fyi we were just grouped according to alphabetical order, we had groups from A all the way to Group L) After that, we got separated and were all over the place I don't even know.
You see the photos can already, first few photos all same face one, then suddenly all the faces will change in Baking and Pastry cuz that's where 3 groups are combined together HAHA!
My first kitchen was Garde Manger, the slackest kitchen of all with one of the best chef ever!!!
Chef Hinnerk!!!! <3
This kitchen lasted for 2 weeks and we made all the different kinds of food we have never heard of or try before. Example, cold soups.
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| These are cold soups and are native soups from different countries. Gazpacho, borscht, vichyssoise and the last one which I can't remember AND WON'T BOTHER TO LOL. |
End of Garde Manger and yes this is our group photo which you wouldn't be able to recognise me HAHA! Yes, chef Hinnerk is Goddamn tall. He is 2m tall, even taller than the fridge behind him LOL!
After Garde Manger, it was hell kitchen Top table. It's a formal dining kitchen and a kitchen where we actually cook food for real customers.
Talking about this kitchen, I really have super bad memories about it. This was the kitchen where I broke down super badly and got "marked down" because I broke down in front of the chef for scolding me for something I didn't do and then walking out of the kitchen myself lol. He said I was disrespectful blahblah ok can idgaf.
It was a horrible experience here and majority also it's because of my partner. If any of you guys in CP are reading this, you'd definitely know who it is. I wouldn't want to elaborate more too, after all it's all over. Just know she/he made ALL of us super annoyed and gave us lots of problems throughout CP. I mean at the end of the day, whatever happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen. I wouldn't want to let work affect us personally also. Oh well, I can't deny but it does strain friendships. I definitely did not enjoy Toptable kitchen at all.
Group photo lor.
Okay done with Toptable after 2 weeks amen, next up Asian Kitchen.
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| Asian kitchen is probably one of my fave kitchen although it is as hiong as Toptable cuz we also had to cook food for sugarloaf, a cafe in TP. We had to learn how to use the wok above, and I swear it is freaking heavy. I have immense respect for tze char hawker chefs now haha! Cooking fried rice in that freaking wok is totally not a joke. We cooked Japanese, Indian, Thai and Chinese cuisine. It was really fun because our chef, Chef Augus was a really funny a fun chef hehe! He always crack all the stupid puns and jokes one. Example: you leave my chicken outside, later I have to cover it with blanket yeh.  |
Okay another 2 weeks passed and next, baking and pastry kitchen!!!! Oh my God man no words can describe what I felt for the 3 weeks in B&P. My feelings were in a state of bipolarity LOL. Sometimes happy sometimes sad, super crazy one because the chefs here will be like halfway nice to you, then will suddenly explode in your face zzz. -_______-'''
It was 3 weeks in here. The 1st week I was under chef Rudy, the angmoh chubby chef below. We made bread under him and he forever bombing us with questions one.
His catch phrases are, "what method?"
"No good huh."
"What are you doin?!?!"
Next, it was chef Pang and chef Lilian, the only lady chef on the left and Chef Pang's the one on her right the taller one. Chef Pang is the kind of chef who would always scold us for being blur but be the one who would always kena being scolded by chef Lilian for not knowing what he is doing.
I still remember he asked me to make pastry cream, and at first he told me to do |this| then suddenly walk away. Then I did what he say la, then suddenly Chef Fum came over to gan me cuz he say I was doing it wrong lol naohiaaaaa.
Then lastly, chef Fum. The most temperamental chef ever. Super hard to deal with him and tolerate him one. Can be super nice to you then suddenly explode in your face. Sometimes you just don't know whether to take him seriously or not.
At the end of the day, baking and pastry was hell of a ride.
It was fun but not fun.
I just don't know how to describe.
Anyway, below are our group photos and the pose was, "just laugh".
So we "just laugh" for the sake of it, explains some fake laughter and chef Fum, the one on the super left laughing by himself.
Oh ya, he forever laughing at his own jokes one and sometimes when he laugh, you also will laugh cuz his laughter is that contagious.
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| I look so ugly God bless me. |
Next up, last kitchen. Skills camp 2.
It was the best kitchen ever probably because it was all individual work YAYYYYYY!!!!
Poly is a tertiary where you'd rather work alone than in groups I swear lol.
First week was Cooking Techniques by Chef Sanson.
I really, really love Chef Sanson a lot. He is a really great chef, and he knows how to teach and motivate his students. I love how he patiently teaches us and will always use words of encouragement.
All of us had to work individually and cook our own dishes.
A person like me, haha my self-esteem and confidence level is like beyond salvage. I keep thinking to myself, "aiya cannot one la cannot one".
Then super annoying one the grading every week cuz the chef would talk to you individually and ask you "what grade do you think you'd get?"
It's like a question you don't even know how to answer. Like in your heart you will secretly be like, A lah just give me A please.
For me, every time I look at my own dishes, I will forever tell my chefs, "F la F la F F F".
So yeah, chef Sanson asked me the same question and I gave the same reply.
He said 1 thing which I will never ever forget and was the best thing a chef ever said to me in my entire time in CP.
He said, "if there's one thing I'd like you to take away from this lesson, it would be, Don't ever devalue yourself."
He also said, come on man you deserve a B+. No one gets an A because no one is perfect HAHA!
I was super super happy.
His words made me felt that maybe CP isn't so bad after all.
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| Yes, that's Chef Sanson!!!! ^___~ |
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| These were the food that we cooked during CT. |
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| Best dishes ever cuz we got to cook and eat scallops, mussels, clams, and prawns man. We were the only group who got scallops cuz they thought we might not have prawns but we did HEHE. We cooked seafood paella!!! |
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| Food from pastry and baking, Asian kitchen and Top table hahah! We were feasting on all these SAME exact food EVERY DAY but funny thing is, we weren't sian on eating all these food probably because we made these so yah hehe! End of cooking techniques, next was Production kitchen!!! A kitchen where we had to prepare soups and stocks for the other kitchens. Production kitchen was my all time favourite kitchen ever, because our chef, Chef Joyce made it the best kitchen hehe! She's like the most sarcastic and fun to be chef. She's super super nice and funny, I super love her I swear. Forever joking with her one HAHA! I still remember I had a friend who asked her a relatively stupid question. He asked, "Chef, can I put this into the dishwasher?" And Chef Joyce was like, "Yah, and you can also put yourself inside to wash." HAHAH! When it was our grading day, she spoke to me and say that she didn't expect me to do so well in her kitchen. She remembered that the 1st time she met me, I loved to talk back and argue. She also said we were like chickens without a head, don't know what we doing. So at the end of the day in her kitchen, she said I did exceptionally well and gave me an A. Hallelujah. Thank you Chef Joyce!!!!!  |
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| Our group photo!!! We spammed a lot idk why and she was like "eh my father photographer one ok" And I was like "ok pose what ah chef joyce teach leh" HAHA! |
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| Our group photos fucking joke I swear. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, FABRICATION KITCHEN OMG IT'S FINALLY THE LAST KITCHEN!!!!!!! And also my most dreaded kitchen, cuz we had to fabricate chicken and all those meat omg I KENUT. I got a bit of a phobia when I look at chickens because my grandma owns an egg shop back in Ipoh and beside her shop was a chicken shop. I remember seeing a chicken being slaughtered right in front of my eyes when I was super young. Thinking about it omg my hair stand. That's why I super hate chickens but I still eat them la haha. Then in fabrication, oh my God we have to fabricate chickens EVERY DAY. Imagine we have to chop the head, take out the organs all, slice and cut here and there. Wa fuck sia sometimes I just feel like skipping school but I can't cuz of my marks lol. Thinking back, now if you give me a whole chicken, I can fabricate the whole thing for you lol. Talented already HAHA! |
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| Group photo with chef Jason!!!!!! <3 |
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| Me: what you want la xinyue, stare what stare all |
Finally, it was Commis challenge, The day we were all waiting and was preparing for.
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| We were given a mystery box and had to think of what to cook within 30mins. I was in charge of dessert and really thank God my dessert came out literally perfect. All the chefs praised my chocolate mousse and I swear, I really felt so good like for once, damn Gillian you are really good. HAHA! The judges were also saying the plating was good and there wasn't even a slight bad remark about it. Thank God so much!!! However, our main course was super badly done and I don't even wanna talk about it. We tried our best anyway. Our salad was also okok lor.... HAIS sad but it's ok, it's over AND I'M GLAD IT IS. |
Finally, it was the last day of school and yeah, photos time!!!!
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| Photo with chef HINNERK!!! XD |
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| LOL I also don't know why we are posing like this.... I think cuz his default face always like that so I also pose like that. Chef Jason btw!!! |
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| Entire course photo! |
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| Mr Kwok bing..... He is the only grooming teacher we look forward to cuz we know we'd confirm pass HAHA! |
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| One of the BESTEST chef ever hehe! And yah he is super tall I even have to tip toe to stand "properly" beside him. |
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| My beloved chef Joyce!!!! <3 <3 <3 Wa damn ugly sia no joke pls |
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| CHOUX PASTRY HAHAH! |
Lastly, if you ask me do you love Culinary practicum or my course.
My straight answer to you would still be a NO.
I've said a 100 million times and I would say it again, I still regretted coming to this course.
Before I end this post, I just wanna say that no matter where you are, what are you're doing right now, whether you're going through a hard time or not, things will still get by eventually. Push on and stay strong! You may feel like it's the end of the world, but trust me once it's all over, take it as a form of motivation and tell yourself, you made it.
I felt like giving up so many times.
The number of times I screwed up is like uncountable man.
The number of times I cried too.....
I felt so alone, forsaken and done for.
1 of my tutors even came and ask me to talk to him privately, probably because he sensed something amiss. We chatted and he asked if let's just say I can transfer out to another course, would I want it?
NO.
I already detest my school so much, if I transfer out wah need retain another year sia no way HAHA!
I would rather not give up and persevere all the way till I graduate, so next time I can tell myself "Gillian, you finally made it after 3 fucking years."
I'm halfway there now and of course, I still feel like giving up all the time but bobian I'll continue to push on.
Someday when I look back on my blogpost, I'd definitely feel some sense of achievement man.
I also can tell my future kids, "your mother can do it, you better don't tell me you cannot hor."
HAHAH!
Nonetheless, I have to admit that CP has taught me so so soooo much and I'm genuinely thankful for all that I've been taught so far.
I just can't wait to graduate soon lol.
Next up, Service Practicum.
God bless me....
