VENUS

Just noticed the heading 西餐厨师 . . Although I did my studies with sous-chefs from Hotels, I won’t be qualified to call the meeting. Anyway, there are less than 10 persons so far and old person like me is lazy to go out! Those who want to meet up can continue to organize or contact individual(s) off line.

Followings are what I had in mind for 1<SUP>st</SUP> meeting, for future reference:

• Pre-meeting questions:
  
  
  
  • Consensus on meeting location, format (lunch/tea/dinner) and time.
    
  • Whether to include people who are not in the business but show interests.
    
  • Whether to include people who are in food services not cooking.
    
  
  

• Meeting:
  
  
  
  • Introducing each other,
    
  • Secretary (volunteer) to take minutes and share on BBS,
    
  • Volunteer with experience to share working experience, or running a business,
    
  • Volunteers compile possible venue to learn/get into business (to be posted on BBS for those who are interested),
    
  • Existing professional organizations for the business (why form one when there are existing ones)
    
  • Identify group who are interested to provide catering service during x’mas and discuss format of co-operation, possible channels for advertisement, etc.
    
  • Possible contributions to the Chinese Community:
    
  
  

1. Continue/new posting on how to cook western vegetables, both Western and Chinese styles, for new comers.

2. Start new posting on Simple Cooking for 1 (singles/foreign students live on their own, NOT easy to cook for 1)

3. Help out to translate food terms on Cooking/Cuisine Forum when require,

4. Meals on Wheels for Chinese elderly, current situation and possible contributions. (Need to involve Chinese Chefs for this one, nutritionist if possible, most Chinese elderly are not use to western food)

If I could find time, the last item would be the only one that I would work on. Hope this may intrigue . .

VENUS

Besides the agenda that I’ve just posted: With my limited knowledge, here are my thoughts:

1) Hotel –Cooking – Food Services are 3 professions that are inseparable.

2) Do not be temped by the visual beauty of western food/desserts, working is reality and restaurant work itself is tough and hash. Working hours are extremely terrible. Furthermore, most people learn to hate their own profession after working in it.

3) Don’t be temped by the visual beauty again. If u choose cooking, do continue with Chinese cooking techniques when u find time, more sophisticated. Do they call it FUSION (food)? I.e. mixing Western with Eastern.

4) Most people I know who studied the business (Hotel + Cooking + Food Services) - less than 1% stay in the business after 5 years.

5) U do need people skills in this industry if u want to succeed. For Hotel related work, communication skill is basic requirement that never get posted.




6) If u are studying or plan to get into the business, find time and do some volunteer work to get experience. Put that on your resume and it will help u to find a job. (Not networking, don’t run around asking for job like idiot. Most likely you will make a few good friends during the process.) Possible places:

i) Meals on Wheels (believe they are still around) – Volunteer organisation that delivery meals (lunch) to elderly and/or disable persons. May have different ones for different municipality, I worked for the NDG one ~30 years ago.
ii) Old Mission Brewery (right below China Town) – they serve free x’mas dinner to the homeless in their premise every year. Right below China Town. Don’t know but pretty sure that they are looking for volunteer now for x’mas dinner. If anyone can find time, call them.

iii) ? in NDG? – they sell cheap lunch in their restaurant on premise to poor family in the area. It was in the news a few months ago as they were kicked out from the old big theatre building and need to find someplace cheap and need funding. I believe I passed by the blocked up old building (South) and saw their new place (North) not far away. Not sure if it was on Sherbrook or Cote-des-Neige.

iv) If it were I, I will first call Chinese agencies to see if there is any help that I can offer. “Charity starts from home”.

v) All the above are just off the top of my head, if I make any mistake in names or location, please excuse me. Anyone interested may contact Sun Youth (100% sure it is in the phone book although I don’t have one) to get further information. They do a lot of things too, even if they don’t know, they will try to help u out. They also need volunteer.

Just thoughts from an old person whom u don’t have to listen to!

VENUS

Those who did not post email may want to repost eMail here in case others wants to contact u. For your privacy, u may not want to post your phone# nor personal information. Do visit Mr. Su Zhao, there are government programs that help u to find “good” pay jobs. (Per my information, I could be wrong!)

Sorry for my super long postings. Feel free to do any corrections/Supplement/?. Good luck and good bye to all!

dalianmei9

UP

dalianhaomei@yahoo.com

dalianmei9

sorry, thr right email address is as below
dalianhaomei@hotmail.com

s_lynn

我也好想学哦，迟些妈妈回国了自己得照顾自己，学西餐好啊｀～～～我也好想学，可否加我一个啊？　我的ＥＭＡＩＬ地址是＂　Ｓ＿ＬＹＮＮ＿ＴＡＮＧ＠ＨＯＴＭＡＩＬ．ＣＯＭ＂
ＴＨＡＮＫＳ！！！

VENUS

Silly mm,

We are talking about 西餐 as a profession, not  . . . Do u know how hot and rough it is in the kitchen?  Do u know the rough languages they use?  U can no longer go out with your lovely boyfriend under the beautiful moon because that is the time when u have to work.  How do u like Parboiled rice, i.e. the yellowish rice, it took me 10 years to acquire the taste.  Do u know that u have to start with making salad (I think) if u find a job in Hotel?  Do u know the weight of the big pot that they use to make stock? u have to scrub it even if u are a girl.  U will not be able to go out with your school friends nor go to parties because u have to work in those hours when most people go out.

Before your 妈妈回国, cook with and learn from her.  Chinese cooking is much more sophisticated than Western.  I had to learn it because my 妈妈 didn't know how to cook.

I am no longer organizing the meeting, but I am sure that they will invite u if there is a meeting.  How can anyone ignore such a lovely mm?;)

p.s. when u learn a few tricks from you 妈妈, find something on cooking for one, do post it on the Cooking/Cuisine page.  I'm sure that other singles will appreciate it.

VENUS

Travail de cuisine pour Communaute religieuse
Pres du metro Berri-Uqam
Poste 2 jours/semaine

Personne de mise soignee recherchee pour preparer les repas d'une petite communaute religieuse. Un minimum d'experience dans la preparation de repas canadien (soupe au dessert) est necessaire.

Doit etre disponible 1 fin de sem. sur 2

Presentez-vous le mardi 14 decembre, entre
9h et midi ou entre 13h et 16h au
1640, St-Hubert (metro Berri-Uqam)


***** I don't know anyone related to the above posting and could not contact anyone to discuss posting the job here. I don't have any further information and will not reply to any question on this.

VENUS

Besides schools mentioned above:

Centre de formation en restauration
(514) 383-4033
New class January 2005

If u call, please don't forget to mention that u get the info. from this website.
** I am not related to this www, just want to ensure that I continue to get my FREE newspaper.

chinatigger

西餐厨师就业前景如何？