On The Border

So the holiday period has come and gone and here we are in a brand new year with a whole set of new hopes, goals and obstacles to overcome. It is a fair cliché to assume most of those around you have made their resolutions and God willing may even see them through to at least March. Don't know what it is about New Years Eve that convinces certain people that one chapter in the book of their lives is about to end and another is about to begin but every year it happens and by this time next year they will have forgotten what their resolutions of the former year was. It's cute. And its only human. Maybe we only make resolutions because we expect more from ourselves and feel the only way to make a change is by somewhat daring ourselves to aim higher, be stronger and have more focus. More often than not most of those around me bring in the new year with a hangover and self pity from all the partying, not exactly the most optimum way of starting afresh. Or maybe its that we regret the actions of the previous year, or even feel shame or lack of accomplishment; 'this is my year!' They all tend to tell themselves. What makes these 365 days any more different than the last? The seasons generally stay the same and while the population of the world continues to grow we are all guaranteed that politicians will lie, people will die and you will continue to hate your job and/or your boss. But maybe that's what a resolution is all about; convincing yourself to see things from another perspective. Using the calendar as a reason to be more positive and to expect more from yourself and those around you.

Me? Well, I'm not one for making resolutions, I just kind of do things. For example, back in 2007 for no reason whatsoever I chose not to drink. Not because I had a drinking problem (in fact I rarely drank back then) and not only because I wanted to challenge myself but because it was something to do. It broke the expectations those have of you when you're around them and as a result I became that socially awkward guy at a party who watched others get drunk and left early without saying goodbye. Not exactly a success, but I did it. Never once have I made a resolution to quit smoking or lose weight, I've just decided to do it, treating every day as I usually would regardless of holiday season. So then what makes this year so different that I've actually chosen to partake in this collective 'resolution' pact? Well, I've well and truly accepted my new home, which is well outside my comfort zone; there will be heat waves, there will be cyclones. It is also going to be a very busy work year for me, the most physically and morally demanding one of my life. And I do indeed need a vehicle to drive the ambitions and expectations I have of myself. No need to bore you with the specifics but I'm already off to a great start, so I suspect that it should only get better. And if not, I have 359 days before I can try again. Ha!

Slow Motion

It has been three months and four days since I arrived here in the Tropics. Not only have I had to adjust to a new state, city and lifestyle but I've most certainly had to adjust to the change of weather, environment, wildlife and scenery. There has been a great deal of compromise by just being here, that's not including my job where I eat, sleep, work and play. For the first six weeks I had to acclimatise and was ordered to not physically exert myself, however I was still required to attend physical training sessions daily (sometimes twice a day) and be fully functional for work. Surprisingly my body got used to my surroundings incredibly quick and by the time the 'Wet Season' began (which unfortunetly happens during the entire season of summer) I was ready to attempt my basic fitness assessment, which I passed with flying colours. So, for the next six months I merely have to maintain my physical strength, endurance and agility. And with the Christmas period dawning on me I've been granted a month of holidays, in which two weeks I will be sent back home, south of The Island. And all on my employers dime. With the money I'm saving on the flight cost alone I will be hosting a bunch of lunches and dinners for my friends to show off my fresh skills and to merely pay them back for all those times they put good food in my belly.

And that's the thing. When I began shift work inside the local kitchen I got off to a great start, so well in fact that the veteran cooks and chefs couldn't stop complimenting me and showing me off to others. Although I felt incredibly uneasy about the way they were treating a newbie I went along with it. That was until I was put on the seemingly simple task of preparing rice and vegetables for 150 diners. Considering the bulk and scope of their expectations they simply left me to my task since they had so much faith in my abilities. Because I was completely oblivious to the amount I had to produce and timings in which everything needed to be prepared and cooked I failed epically. Their trust and faith in me dwindled until they could no longer trust me with any kind of dish. Suddenly I was being compared to other newbies who were completely terrible in the kitchen. However I was determined to prove them wrong and insisted they keep me on rice and vegetable prep - and I continued to fail. This affected me badly; I was stressed all the time and constantly thinking about cooking to the point where I couldn't rest easy when I was awake or asleep. Then one day I started doing things right. After a few more weeks of perfecting what turned out to be a simple task I was put back onto main dishes and sauces. Now I can't get enough compliments about what I produce simply because I have finally settled in and am far more confident in my abilities. Feels good, man.

Two Days of Winter

The one thing about my job that I need to expect is to expect the unexpected, especially as a newbie or junior. Your days can quite easily turn from a short 6 hour shift to a 12 hour one in mere moments. When I arrived at work today (after a 2.4KM run) there were about 7 of us on shift and then all over a sudden there were only 3; the majority of staff were removed from the kitchen and sent to another site to cater for a function. The unique thing about where I work is that the kitchen are inhabited by various groups of people, for example I belong to a certain branch that provides a specific service, and to signify this I wear black buttons on my chef whites, a black neckerchief and a black apron. Those from other branches within the organisation wear yellow, blue, purple and so on. It took about 10 of the purple staff to feed about 70 people today, I'm told. Just a few weeks ago we had a sit down dinner for 100 and it was taken care of by 4 of our branch, including myself. And that was at the end of a 15 hour day. The people you work alongside do truly make a difference to your own work, progress and perception of your purpose in the workplace. Just today after finishing up in my regular kitchen I was sent to another kitchen across-the-way to work with people I am not at all familiar with. And boy do they do things very differently. My shift-of-staff is by no means perfect but I'm certainly glad that I'm learning good habits from them and not the very many bad habits I notice of others.