Wednesday, April 30, 2008
After a long time away from the comfort of my home,
the carefree days of TCA Vista is over.
(FYI, TCA Vista is the sofa area at Top Table, where we practically camped there for a month or so)
((Please take away the"there"because NCCL said there isnt a need for it))
During that one month or so, we treated TCA as our home.
reporting 8 in the morning and leaving the place at what, 6pm?
NCCL complained that he never saw how I looked in the day
Monster and Dinosaur said that they never saw me at all for a month,
except the times when they woke up to pee and saw me sleeping like a pig.
Oh well, those days are over.
Even though the training was simple, it was difficult maintaining or even to improve the standards when you are doing it over and over again,
we were on the verge of "over-training"
thank goodness for LA guys who came in, to give us some challenge,
to wow them with practice, which turned out to be our wake up call.
plus the (not-so) occasional visits from the TCA faculty,
which really helped lazy girls like us to be on the ball 24/7.
Three cheers to everyone.
But what's worth commending is the teamwork and teamspirit we've build.
I can say, nothing else can be comparable to the level of telepathy we have.
Like one look and we know what each other is heading for, or trying to hint.
Prep talks amongst one another helped each other to push on,
the girls are a combination of the most wonderful gems you can ever find on earth
and I thank the lecturers for realising them,
They've taught me valuable lessons I cannot believe myself bowing my head down to admit and to acknowledge to.
Many many, beyond explanation.
Thank you MCW, Sock San Hsien Wei, Sponge Bob and TheMan!
Also, the tCA faculty have been too kind to us throughout these few months
Mr Babysitter aka Mr Chia, thank you for spending precious time grooming us.
Mr Goh aka Daddy, thank you for EVERYTHING, and I mean everyyyyythingggggg!
Mr Sim aka Team Manager, I think you can work on the one clap thing, HAHA!! sorry abt yr wineglasses -.-
Chef Joyce, dajie, we love you and you know it!
Ms Mark, Niang niang, thanks for standing at fishbowl, reminding us to smile!
Mr Neo, for checking on us once in awhile
Mr Malic, logistics and transportation IC, HAHA! (and reminding me thatNCCL misses me -.-)
Chef Jasmine, critics from you are like golden words, we know (:
Chef Phua, nice aprons n the 200bucks catalogue!
Chef Desmond for TELLING US THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT MUSHROOMS IN THE BRAISED JAPANESE CABBAGE!
Chef Jason, hello sam leong, chiao!
Chef Lilian for the canale and everything!
Chef Fum, omggg, I never thought I could hold that many conversations with you, you are damn cute (:
Chef Ken for telling us how well we are doing even if I am cleaning up the bar..
Chef Marc for your pointers and yr one million dollars worth.
Cynthia for your support and secretly cause you found my phone!
Mr Tan for your time and effort spent evaluating us and yr dinner on monday, haha!
And the rest of the HTMers and HTM faculty for coming down to support us!
This only Gold Award and Overall Best Dream Team award goes out to everyone who have been there for us, family, friends, lecturers, thank you (:
I MISS TCA :(
10:18 AM
I love vintage & rouge-.
30
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
hello to the world,
i am currently stuck at home, because my parents are against me gg back school for debrief and another night.
well, its daddy, so i cant oppose to him, he is the dinosaur.
i heard from everyone that Fyrhto is the first for FOW!
so happy okay! I cannot believe it!
I love my GLs so much, they've done so much for allof the freshies!
Guess, after all the lecturing and freshies leaving, things are much better!
So happy, really really happy!
I'm sure the freshies had fun too (:
So fast, one camp down, one more to go.
those memories, ahhh.
today was the highly anticipated day.
along with the lecturers, the team went to Les Amis for lunch,
its an unforgetable experience, the food left me with an awe
the taste profile for each dish was unique and exquisite.
different yet familiar, bringing familair flavours together.
the foie gras ravioli consomme was probably the best.
egg confit with black truffle was great, first time i finished my egg yolk
amuse bouche was prawn wanton with basil leaf, its like eureka.
blood orange reduction works well with lemon thyme and yellowtail, fantastic.
main course was mediocre, pigeon was too rare for me.
bloody and all, even though i requested for medium.
should have opted for a wagyu though.
elderflower soup with assorted berries was refreshing but something i gobble down at iggy's, so nothing special for me.
carrot fondant was the most amazing dessert i've tasted.
nothing else.
then, we met terence from CCM who was interning there, how i wished i was in his shoes.
this meal is the epitome of f&b/service,
it has allowed me to rediscover the reason i entered TP for HTM
how bloody niar with his lousy presentation at sjc could convince me to enter that course and nothing else, despite my interest in marine life at SP.
lately, without ssm, without thursday class, i felt service was a bore.
and work at ritz was boring, i was really craving for some fine dining service,
to learn more and many other reasons, but i couldnt
both because time didnt allow me to and i was tied down.
i lost my flair, the confidence to present, the sensitivity towards guests
and the attitude to service.
but today, was the day i witness real service.
nowhere in singapore can compare to how the server and sommelier served, communicate and just being themselves.
not even there, prob cause i worked there beefore, prob cause i saw the bad side of them.
but service there was only average compared to what i experienced today.
rankings dont stand, quality do.
now, there's a benchmark for me to achieve and i really am going to work towards that from now onawrds.
I feel the passion burning, once again.
5:37 AM
I love vintage & rouge-.
30
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
I'm so distracted by everything.
Every single thing, whatever happened to baking during the hols and everything?
Which reminds me, I have yet gotten my desserts book from PageOne
Today, I called POSB to enquiry about my UserPin for IBanking
because I stupidly deleted the page without taking it down
He asked a whole lot of questions, annoying shit
But he had a yummy voice though, though he could be a psychiatrist instead.
whatever for? to cure the empty hearts of those lonely souls out there (cues self to shut up)
and he asked me this question:
"Is this your salary account?"
stuns, why on earth would a POSB customer service guy ask me such a thing?
Probably because it was so short of money to be considered a bank account?
So, I said no,
lying of course cause thats where I get my salary from,
BUT I AM LEGALLY A STUDENT.
Been reading blogs, instead of wine notes and what not bar stuff,
am super guilty alright.
I guess it stimulates my thinking, how they address issues and the different sides of truth.
It was good, moody no more.
But wait, I am now awfully annoyed at how lazy I am
I havent been shedding those pounds I've gained.
and with a bf with only one annoying, frustrating and arrrr answer, "THEN HOW?"
its not my fault im blessed with such physique,
at least i can do stuff 40% of the entire women population cant do.
okay, make it 30% la.
but I am still affected,
Is it that important to look healthy?
DUH.
Holidays are coming to an end & this holidays havent been pretty exciting, probably the last I am enjoying.
2 more weeks, minus one for FO.
I am gonna enjoy this!
8:55 AM
I love vintage & rouge-.
30
K: What rhymes with 'mood'?
N: SWING!
right.
hahahahaha.
i think period is coming, im grumpy.
training earlyyy tmr again.
rarrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
7:13 AM
I love vintage & rouge-.
30
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Here's something to blog about!
I am officially back from Penang.
It was pretty bad, nothing exciting,
I thought there would be nice lanscapes for me to shoot,
taking my photography skills to the next level but NO.
there was only a hill, many old houses, i can find nicer ones in spore
and the occasionally extincted items like the red public telephone
all in all, no entertainment.
ahhh, but this dish at the wedding dinner was nice, curry prawns in some french loaf thing.
and they call herbal chicken, TONG(silver) ZI(paper) YAO CHAI(herbs) ZI(chicken)
which actually meant aluminuim paper herbal chicken.
yakyak.
and there's soemthing wrong with my laptop, seriously.
all my documents are going haywire.
and i must complain, myfrekaiingggg portfolio i was supposed to hand in on friday was MISSINGG
so i had to rush it al out before i catch the bus,
thanks to exco, it was out!
love you guyss!!!
FO is coming, cant wait, but i dont want it to come.
you know that kinda feelings, new comes and old goes.
plus, its grueling 7 days okay? zomg.
i need red bullss.
Today was pretty bad, i guess?
If there was a word or two that could sum things up, that would be "mundane" or "moodless"
I felt practically useless, other than the saigang parts.
I cant help but feel sad and disappointed with myself.
Because since the beginning I knew I wanted to do this.
Since that morning in skills when they came to find me.
Its sad, the news was devastating.
But it was alright because I knew I didnt give in my best,
because if I did, things would or would not change, but at least I'd feel better.
I guess it'll take some time, a little while more for me, to get over it
Even though I have been hiding it real well, but today was just, pretty over the top.
And I've learnt that there are so amny things I know nothing of in service.
If there's a junior coming up to me, asking is service is difficult.
I would now say, "No, its not if you want to make it easy, but if you want to excel, thats when the hard part comes in"
Like seriously, how wasy is it to provide bad service, to anyone?
Simple right?
But tip top service? It takes years of practice and agilility, accompanied with experience to sniff the wine and tell what it is, or to look at an item and tell whats lacking, and even to taste whats too overpowering.
I am trying to achieve that.
And now, I am worrying.
Yar yar, what on earth am I worrying about right? I've got quarter of my ass covered.
Let me see, covered with... dreams and fantasy and nothing realistic?
Results and resume might be a thing in this industry, but there are so many factors that matter more.
and that is what many here lack, my results wont get me anywhere, so imfalling back on myself.
its tough, i know, i've heard and seen, and i dont care.
But the only worry now is, I've seen to lost it all.
My personality, charisma, flair and confidence.
Its diffcult to believe but as time goes by, I really realise that I've lost touch with me.
I mean, no offence but working at ritz wont get me anywhere near an OSIP or something else,
I dont even get to open a freaking wine bottle.
If you ask me to portion for 1000 pax, like hello? bring it on, with 9 other servers. (100 pax each la, that the max HOR. ahah)
but I love the love of my life for he always says,
"Every guest is a VIP", that's how I serve.
I know, all my friends say I worry too much about my future.
But I'm sorry, in my family, I have nothing to fall back on.
My grandmother's sugar cane store?
My mum's job at the airport?
My dad's job at Siahuat?
My uncle's construction company?
My uncle's past, with drugs and what not?
Or mayb, just maybe, daddy's chain of lamian stores?
the last one, probably.
but im not into it.
See, its not that I worry myself too much,
its just, you have to work out the path that you want to take,
no one can defy anything that you want to do, head for it.
Even now, in this line, there are so many areas to venture to.
and I am lost.
I need directions, I need directions alll the time.
So, I'm finding, I'm searching for where I belong.
Whatever's my calling, I know I want it
and I am going to put in my best and excel in it.
Meanwhile.. emmanuel, I pray and hpe you'll judge us,
So I can stand by the side and watch you.
HAHAHAHAHAHA. yucks.
yes yes, shut up.
there's trainin tmr,
go and find yourself, girl!
nownow, thought I wouldnt need to entertain all these anonymous thing after lets see.. secondary 1?
(rmb rmb?? hahah, we were so wierd back thenn... the names we called ourselves)
oh well, first, thank you to BIG random for helping me speak while i was away, please show yrself secretly. HAH
and to random, firstly, like i said, I didnt state that I was refering to daphne
secondly, this is my blog and i can say whatever i want, freedom of speech aye.
thirdly, that was merely a comment on the comparison between the rich and the poor or not so well off.
fourthly, there wasnt any name calling or insults or anything unworthy to put on my blog, so yes, I think the second paragraph of yr tag was pretty redundant.
fifth, I know how its like to have annoying people tagging anonymous posts and talking about things that do not concern them.
and I am not saying anything bad, plus, i remained the identity anonymous, as well.
mayb you would love to blame yourself for letting the cat out of the bag.
and erm, i certainly do not think that her getting a private blog is any of my concern since i am her friend alrdy? and it was the only way to keep pests away.
lastly, I love her and her blog and i would never do anything as stupid as leaving insulting posts or anonymous tags blabbering about her.
only jealous people do those kinda things, and i know you are only concern.
fear not because that post was not a jealousy post, it was more of envious
so yeah, you can rest assure on that, okay?
i would only need to seek your understanding on this matter.
thank you!
with a big smile,
:)
9:21 AM
I love vintage & rouge-.
30
