Change

So, it's been a long while since I've updated this space. Six months may seem like a short time, but so much has changed.

As the new year began, I made a promise to myself that I would chase after the things that I love and what makes me happy. Three months in, and though I wouldn't use the phrase 'so far, so good', I would say things can only get better from here.

Photo courtesy of @the_keygs

One of the things I do love, but rarely have the chance to do so, is traveling. It's especially difficult for people in my industry to go on vacations, much less multiple ones! At the start of the year, I went on a much needed holiday to Boracay with some close friends from church. It was the first time traveling with this bunch that was not a mission trip up to Thailand, so that was pretty awesome :)

Looking forward into the next few months, I'd be traveling a little more too. Batam, Chiangmai, and *maybe* Phuket :)

Work-wise, I've more or less settled into my new job, which I'm pretty contented with at this point in time. It's flexible enough for me to have the occasional dinners with friends to catch up, to attend church and lifegroup, or to travel overseas, so that's always good. I feel very fortunate to have found a line of work that I love, and it's a very surreal situation to be in.

I've picked up reading again. It's been a very long while since I bought a book off the shelf. I miss the feeling of being immersed in a book, an escape from reality, to make me forget for a little while. Definitely hope I'll continue to pick up new books along the way, so please feel free to recommend me on any good reads you might have in mind! :)

Most importantly, I've started doing my quiet time daily again. Something happened a few years back, which gradually made me stop doing my QT altogether, just because. So I'm glad I'm back on track, even though it took me years to regain my foothold again.

I guess these are most of the things I've decided to chase after this year. There have been other things that I love and makes me happy, which I've tried to chase after too. But sometimes love does not equate to happiness; love involves the occasional heartaches. Things will get better though, over time.

Okay I don't know what to say anymore, but hopefully this update will just serve as a reminder to myself that this space still exists in this virtual world.

New Chapter

Ferris Wheel taken at Coney Island, New York (used my film camera)

After bumming around for more than two months, I'm finally starting work tomorrow!!!

Once I was done at Eleven Madison Park mid July, I holiday-ed in New York until end August before returning back to Singapore. I didn't look for a job straightaway because I still had to settle some complicated administrative work regarding my citizenship, which I knew would take a long while and many appointments. (I held two passports but Singapore only allows one after you turn 21)

Only when everything was settled did I then start searching for jobs. Anyways it doesn't hurt to take a long break, right? Vacations like these would definitely be rare for me in the near future.

I'm pretty excited about my new job actually, which is good! This would also be my first full-time position ever! Prior to this, I've been working as a part-timer or intern, so the duration of my work at various places have been fairly short, the longest being six months.

Praying that God will guide me through this new adventure and chapter in my life!

Inevitable

Picnic with my EMP colleagues at Sheep Meadow in Central Park

I can't believe that it's already been 6 months of me living here in New York! And we're finally going into the last third of the year! Time passes way too fast.

11 July 2014 marked the last day of work for me at Eleven Madison Park, the #1 restaurant in North America and #4 in the world (based on the San Pellegrino's 2014 list). It was a bittersweet affair for me, because even though I detested the 330am wake up calls in the morning to get to work, work itself and the people that surrounded me there made everything better. Every day that I've spent in that kitchen only made me want to push myself and get better each day. "It can only get better from here", one of the many encouragements' I've heard going around the kitchen.

I really struggled for a couple of months to find my footing in the restaurant, and I'm glad I eventually did.

I was labelled the Black & Whites' girl, because I spent 4 months dipping those darn cookies. At one point, someone asked me how many I had went through since I started working at the restaurant. My estimate would be about 40, 000 cookies in those 4 months. Cutting, baking, dipping, sandwiching. Crazy amount. But I guess the most enjoyable part about dipping the sweet cookies would be the area I worked at itself (I don't think I'm allowed to mention of said place for several reasons, not that it's super secretive or something), because I have heard so many sighs and made so many conversations with a lot of the cooks and chefs. A very odd place to make conversation but nonetheless, those conversations actually made my day most of the time :)

Sweet B&W tops 

"And we start them simply; black and white cookies is the first station you enter into, so it's a little bit tedious but gets them thinking more so about detail. So there's pressure to make it perfect, but not a huge amount of pressure to be super-fast." - Chef Angela Pinkerton, from an article I read online.

Of course I managed to carry out other production projects when someone took over the B&W station, and I definitely have learnt so many things during my 5 months at EMP.

1. Tempering chocolate by hand! One of the most important skills as a pastry chef, in my books.

2. Make It Nice. The restaurant's motto/catchphrase, because we owe it to ourselves to serve the guests only the best and not anything less.

3. Pushing myself, no matter how stressful or demanding life gets. Because that's the only way to move forward.

It is inevitable to say goodbye to New York in a few weeks, but I've really enjoyed my time here and it's time to move on. I've met some incredible people and made some wonderful friends. It really was an amazing experience which was more than I could ask for.

With Ellen, Mike and Shante in EMP's kitchen

So what's in store for me next? It really is up in the air at this moment. I have the awful decision of deciding between two passports and that really would determine my course of action in the long term. Hopefully I'd have a clear idea of what to do once I get back to Singapore. But for now, I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my vacation here in New York! :)

I have obviously done a lot more here in New York, and I even made a one week trip down to Toronto to visit Caro! So now with all the spare time I have, hopefully this space will be updated more frequently of the places I have visited, dined at and everything else under the sun!

Out and About

View of Lower Manhattan from Pier 5

It's been a crazy ride here in New York, and my time is almost up. So much for using this space to post about my experience in the Big Apple on a weekly basis or so.

My lack of updates definitely is due to the procrastinator in me, as well as being so drained from work that I just wanna laze around on my days off (besides doing laundry).

Work at EMP has been a roller coaster ride for me, with so many ups and downs. I found myself struggling a lot when I first started working in the morning production team, time management being the issue most of the time. I'm glad to say that I have finally gotten up to speed and it took me so much longer than usual, compared to my past experiences at various work places. There is definitely a lot for me to learn at EMP, but unfortunately I only have a month left there. I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad, given that the working environment there is very intense and stressful. But I'm glad that I put myself through this, somewhere I never saw myself to be, because I know I will come out of here being a better cook, a better chef.

First month in NYC!

So it has officially been a month and a week since I arrived here in New York and exactly a month since I started work. I know I haven't been posting a lot lately because work really has been so draining and on my days off, I just wanna laze around in bed, stay at home and not do anything.

The weather is still very temperamental, having its ups and downs. Apparently it might snow again this Thursday. WHEN IS WINTER EVER GOING TO END???

I started bringing my Totoro toy around since 2012 on its first trip overseas to California. I have an album titled 'Totoro Adventures' on my desktop, with photos of it posing at different places in a foreign land. I have yet to post them on Facebook or any platform all these years. Procrastination at its best. Anyway the photo above was taken at Madison Square, a minute away from my work place.

I probably got slightly homesick about a week ago, but things got better when Duane finally arrived last week! He started work today and both our schedules clashes, so much so that the only time I'd see him would be when I wake up for work at 330am in the morning. Yes, 330am. I recently got shifted to work in the morning team and we clock in at 530am. Even though we do end in the late afternoon and at least have an adequate social life, waking up is definitely the hardest part when in the morning team.

I have been scolded a few times by my chefs for making mistakes and not making things perfect, but it's only the first month and I've got so much to learn and give. I'm definitely pushing myself and trying my hardest not to disappoint them. It's so strange how I ended up at a place I never saw myself to be at.

First day jitters

It's been a week since I landed here in New York. Winter has been kind so far because it's into the last few weeks. It's cold, but I managed to capture a glimpse of it snowing here last Sunday night. I've met up with two friends for dinner since I've been here, went to Redeemer Presbyterian Church and joined a friend for her meeting with her community group. I've walked around places in Brooklyn/Manhattan and still sometimes getting lost. I've cooked a little, albeit simple meals, but it's alright. 

Tomato linguine with an overeasy

French toast with garlic mushrooms and sunny side up

Yesterday was a rough day, but I finally could process my application for my social security card and will hopefully receive it in the mail in two weeks.

I hope I'm well rested enough, because today will be a long first day. I still do get the jitters when I work at somewhere new for the first time, and this time definitely is not an exception. It still feels very surreal, feeling so many emotions at the same time. But I pray that God will be with me every single step that I take.

I've still got so many things to post about, but that will have to wait till next time. So till then, :)