A Great Day of Problems

Funny title maybe.  My English class had us form groups and do papers and presentations on topics that we found to be important issues.  My group chose to do the effects of eating animals, the other groups did human trafficking and child trafficking.  Today was a day of enlightening passion.  It was really so so so nice to see!  When people care about something, you remember why we are alive, what it is to be human, and that it is passion that brings change.

First of all the human trafficking was enlightening enough.  I really didn't know much about its existence, so every fact intrigued me and got my blood pumping.  Then, when the next group discussed child trafficking and showed a video in Thailand of a little girl in her pajamas being marketed, essentially, by her older man "manager," I felt outraged and insulted.  I really can't believe it and though I had heard about it, having a visual really hits home.  That group created a facebook group because they were so moved.  Please check it out and see what this is about because human trafficking is EVERYWHERE!  It is not just in Thailand.  It is in the USA, in Canada, in Mexico, in Europe, in Asia.  It is a really eye opening subject

Fitness and Food

It has been a while since I wrote about these topics.  I love them both, and love to talk about them plenty.  I actually used to have complaints from friends that I talked about these topics too much.  They were getting tired of hearing me get excited about fitness, working out, nutrition, food philosophies, etc. so I stopped....for the most part.  I have to actively curb my excitement when either of these topics come up.  I restrain the excited kid inside of me from jumping out and dancing around gabbing away and asking a million questions.  When I find like minded individuals, or people who are curious about these topics, I can't keep my heart from melting.

I bring this up for a few reasons.  First of all, the summer always encourages me to be more active and I LOVE it.  I love walking to and from school, even in this sketchy area, and I love feeling the energy boost the sunshine gives me.  I also crave lighter foods and tons of salads and smoothies, which are my energy foods!  Even in the winter, if I eat more of these, I feel so much more energetic throughout the day and week.  This energy makes me want to expend it on fun activities and even the gym.  This activity makes me want healthy food, and the cycle continues.

The other reason I mention this is because a fair few people have asked me in the past few months why I don't get into that industry, or study it at least.  These questions have made me wonder the same thing.  I am not going to drop out of school with a month left to pursue a new degree, don't worry daddy you can put the phone down, but I have been thinking about ways I can get involved and learn about these topics.  Food is a main focus of mine, and I have started finding nearby places and organizations that relate to the kind of food topics that get my heart pumping.  I may, in the future, become a certified dietician, or work for a company that promotes healthful lifestyles.  Who knows.

Any direction toward these passions will feel right and get me excited to think about.  I will hopefully be able to combine hospitality with healthy living and make a difference, or educate people on how they can prevent disease through diet.  Things like that would make me feel truly accomplished.

My Brush with a Real Job in NY

When the Johnson & Wales Job Fair rolled around in March,  I was invited to have breakfast with some of the representatives from the companies that would be there as well as some of the other students.  It was here that I met 3 members of the Patina Restaurant Group.

This group owns restaurants in New York and in California.  Some of the better names that I was familiar with were Brasserie and The Roc Cafe.  There are a bunch more of course.  Upon sitting down with the three representatives, I immediately felt at ease.  We got along very well and and I loved the culture of their company, which I could feel through them.  They encouraged me to meet them at the Job Fair and schedule an interview, which I did.  It went great and I was very excited.  It was such a spur of the moment situation and I was feeling very capable.

I had never thought of beginning my non college life in a New York City restaurant. I had the idea that I would be accomplishing certain things now that I would not necessarily be able to do later like a random experience in a vegan restaurant or bakery, or working at Camp Warren one more time, or working on an organic farm for a season.  These are all things I really wanted to do and the direction I wanted to move toward, not an urban restaurant position.  With my eye on a more holistic future, running a wellness resort with a raw vegan restaurant, and having adventure excursions, I need to take steps in that direction.

I ended up getting the offer of assistant management in training for the Roc Cafe at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan.  This was a really great opportunity, but something in the pit of my stomach told me that if I took it I would not be happy.  Though a great opportunity it would help me to stay off of the path I want to begin moving toward and this felt so strongly.  It has always been easy for me to fall into the typical path, and my parents would certainly have supported that because I probably would have succeeded in it, but it just is not the way I want to go.  I would love to live in NYC again, but doing something very different like working for a vegan catering company for example, or one of the famous vegan bakeries, or some other job or interest.

I still feel a bit guilty about turning down the job.  I really liked the people I spoke with and I did come to see Patina Restaurant Group in a highly respected light.  I also felt that certain people around me do not approve of this decision, but, behind the guilt, is a feeling that I was true to myself and that gives me the opportunity to pursue my stronger passions.

Johnson & Wales

My new school.  My final experience in university, for now.  It was one of those decisions that just felt right.  I honestly did not know all that much about the school before deciding that it was the one I wanted to go to.  I don't even remember where I first heard about it, if it was at Norwalk Community College, or from my cousin, but it struck me.  Cornell did not seem to fit me, Kendall, a sister school to Les Roches did not for sure, and some of the others in the US just didn't feel like a good fit.  When it comes to choosing experiences, I like to go with my gut feeling, and it brought me to Providence, after many discussions with my parents about whether I could finish in Europe or elsewhere.

This is a good school.  It is not the best academically, or the most rigorous, but I believe that it is very good.  The reason is because you actually feel compelled to learn.  The teachers love what they teach and that makes you respect them.  When you respect a teacher, you work harder.  You pay attention to what they have to say.  I have met some amazing teachers here.  I met few teachers who I was really impressed with in Les Roches, and I consider that to be a great hospitality school.  So cheers to the teachers of JWU.  It has made me think about teaching after gaining experience in this industry actually.

JWU has a nice community.  Though not always the most organized, it is proud and it is friendly.  It embraces you and gives you a lot of opportunities to do things of interest.  For example, Catarina and I are going to join the culinary and nutrition students by volunteering at a farm to plant and harvest food for the Rhode Island Food Bank.  I know many colleges have these kinds of things, but I have come to feel that JWU has a good connection with Rhode Island's farm and fresh way of being.

There is a large successful alumni base known to help Johnson & Wales students in the industry.  I have already had the experience of meeting alumni, even in my dear Waldorf=Astoria.  I've heard numerous stories about recent grads getting jobs just because of their affiliation with this school.  I know teachers who love to help students make connections.

My time here is not very long, but I have loved the school so far, and I think I will leave loving it too.  I hope to be a proud alumnus that can maintain the good reputation of the school in the working world.

English Journal

My english class has us post journals every week, and this week we had to choose a topic that is a current social issue.  I liked what I wrote, so I thought I would post it:

Eating Animals

An increasingly recognized social, environmental, political, ethical, and health issue is the controversial topic of eating animals.  These days, it seems difficult to avoid the wrath of any outspoken animal rights activist, kale carrying vegan, or the information that is trying to be thrown in front of our intentionally closed eyes.  All we want is to enjoy our medium-rare steaks in peace, or enjoy the traditional turkey at Thanksgiving like many of us have done for years.  Some of us have taken an interest and know of the conditions animals are kept in and the ways they are abused, from tiny cramped living spaces to disease, unhappiness, torture, filth, and fear.  Those of us who have may choose to force ignorance upon ourselves, or eat “free-range” or “grass-fed” and feel a bit better. Some of us may even know of the horrific impact our modern animal cultivation techniques have on our planet, from acres of putrid pools of animal waste that make people ill, to the largest contributor of greenhouse gasses.  And some of us may have even read the studies for the health benefits of a plant-based diet, from the dramatic reversal of cancer and diabetes, to simply having clearer skin, losing weight, and increasing energy, as well as the potential health risks of eating animal products, from multiple cancers and heart disease to blemishes and lethargy.  So, if we have a craving for that wonderful taste and texture, should we indulge ourselves?  Why is it that our cravings for food have no moral laws when they are detrimentally affecting animals and people, but our cravings for sex do?  If a man cannot steal when he wants something, or burn his toxic garbage in his backyard when he wants to rid of it, or rape a woman when he wants to fulfill himself, why can he eat a burger?