Friday, September 25, 2009

A First Impression of Culinary School

When I signed up for culinary classes, I thought I would be the oldest student in them.  Again.  Older than the instructors. Again.  Like when I first enrolled in college years ago at age 32.  I was a mother figure for many of my classmates. Yawn.

But, I am amazed now that so many, ahem, non-traditional students enroll in culinary school.  I mean, seriously, I have felt like "the baby."  On day one, I was surrounded by so many codgers that I wondered if I had stumbled into a rest home on activities day.

We'll, it turns out I'm in good company because my eyesight is on the wane, and I can't remember shit.

That point was driven home last week when one of my Advanced Food Prep group members, I'll call him "Harold," forgot his reading glasses and couldn't read the recipes.  We had to take turns loaning him ours.

But, it's GREAT!  There's power in numbers.  We get to boss the kids around, and they pretty much stay out of our way because, I don't know, they respect our advanced ages. 

Yeah, that's it.

"Out of my way, sonny, I'm sautéing here."

9 comments:

  1. I get called "old lady"", and "grandma"..LOL

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  2. I'm probably not going to culinary school as I'm a physicits who loves to cook and food blog. Keep on posting, you might convince one day to go to culinary school.

    A picture or two on each post would be also be helpful.

    Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Astheroshe, thank you so much for following and for your comments!

    Victor, thanks so much for visiting and commenting. I plan to add photos as soon as I get my "bearings!"

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  4. What a great Baby Boomer subject for a blog post!
    Nice blog!

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  5. Oh, I so relate to the age thing. I just love going to school! In fact I am going back to school to be a nutritionist starting Nov 16 and will, as usual, probably be one of the eldest. I think I was the eldest when I completed my two year Master Herbalist diploma program a few years ago...

    Your blog is wonderful and I'm now following it. If interested on the healthy ingredients to cook with, follow my blog.

    http://www.thymeforhealth.blogspot.com/

    Thyme

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  6. Just popped in from Facebook and thought I'd say Hi. Although I love to cook, the thought of culinary school for some reason frightens me. Kudos to you!!!

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  7. LOL!!!!! Soooooooo relate! Only I was the opposite. Did my first career as a hotel convention/banquet planner and then went back to school for Respiratory Therapy @ the age of 40. There were two other 40 year olds in class and we ruled too. I thought it would be horrible trying to break into a new industry but we were the first ones hired. I was told they liked us 2nd career folks because we're settled, we already know how to work, and we need the money to pay mortgages so we're not going to be flighty and quit. LOL! Also, on a note particularly amusing to us, our program director pulled us aside one time and said "Please don't take the kids out partying on a school night again. Other than you three I'm looking at glassy eyed hangovers all over the room." One of my fellow codgers replied "Is it our fault they're not functional alcoholics yet?"

    Rock on, Codgers with New Careers!! Pass out the reading glasses and rule the world!

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  8. Nice piece!

    As a codger/late bloomer myself (I graduated from college 36 years after high school), I can identify completely. Reinventing oneself, every other decade, is always a good idea.

    At least it has been for me...

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  9. looks like you have not been too active here recently? Will look for updates on your FB page! Let me know if you are blogging eslewhere
    But please do visit my blog and I hope you will find my recipes interesting enough to follow me :)

    cheers, priya

    ReplyDelete

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