We sat at the round tables and hesitantly introduced ourselves to near neighbors. There was excited murmuring all around me that came abruptly to a halt when Chef M stood and called the room to attention.
We were welcomed and congratulated on our achievement of being admitted to the Professional Cooking Program. Through out the morning one chef after another stood, introduced him (or her) self and then proceeded to tell us......
... you can expect to make more now than ever before in history because of the high profile of chefs and the demand from the public for interesting and delicious food (Thank you FoodNetwork, and Gordon, Jamie, Bobby, Tom, Anthony etc, etc)..Except, wait a minute...if you divide the amount by the number of hours, isn't this a rather paltry hourly wage. I looked around to see if anyone else saw the irony in these future wage predictions. Was it more the prospect of fame that kept the smiles on all the faces? Good thing I wasn't pursuing this career for financial reasons. Chef's, in general, are highly underpaid!
...Don't buy your knives until your class on knife selection (oops!)
...Expect your relationships to suffer as this is a demanding and consuming (pun intended) career ( Had any of these chefs been married only once? Several failed marriages seemed to be the norm rather than the exception. Was following this career path going to doom my marriage?)
...Expect travel in your future, and a variety of opportunities ( What about us older students who couldn't just pack up and leave their family?)
...Attendance was mandatory. Marks would be deducted for lateness and un-excused absence. Doctors' note was required. (I know of at least one student who kept a photo-copied doctor's note that he 'doctored' to suit his own requirements as needed, for excused absences. I immediately began to wonder about my children being sick, or being stranded somewhere and needing a ride. How was I going to pull off being 2 places at one time? Could I write my own note?)
During all this explanation of rules and the importance of safety procedures ( I am beginning to wonder if there is anyone in the Culinary Industry that hasn't cut off some part of their hand or burnt some part of their body?) but across from me involved in their own private discussion is the 2 "cool" boys trying to win the attention of the mandatory beautiful girl. I felt very out of place as I observed their interaction. It was also rather comical and I wondered why this aspect of school hadn't changed in the 30 years I had been out of school. I suppose it is more an aspect of human nature than an aspect of the school environment.
As I left the orientation lecture that day prepared to have my marriage fail and loose at least a few fingers, I found Karen. I had met Karen at "Student for a Day" where prospective students are toured around the school and introduced to various chefs and the kitchens (or labs) where classes were held. A grandmother as well, Karen and I took comfort from each others presence and were grateful for a classmate who knew what disco music was and remembered the end of the Vietnam War. We vowed to try and work together as much as possible. She too was a bit shaken by our "orientation". Were we about to embark on some type of sadistic learning experience?
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