Yes, Xinke come to New York to become a chef!

It is about career change, about courage, about to be yourself!

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一个月前，coco拖着三个行李箱从纽约JFK入住CIA（The Culinary Institue of America)，完成了她28岁身份的转换。一路上抱着她的厨房圣经，因为已经没有多余的行李额可以容下。从JFK机场到CIA要先去grand centre station坐火车，每一次地点的转换都意味着要做三组25公斤半硬拉；那场景像极了当年留学回来从上海浦东转去虹桥坐飞机回家的感觉。

April 14th, it was one month before, I moved in CIA(The Culinary Institute of America) with my three big luggages and one heavy "chef bible" from JFK, New York, by which I finished my identity transfer from financial industry to food industry. There is no extra spaces for my heavy book, so I have to hold it on my entire way. CIA is two hours by train from grand centre station. It felt like the day I came back home from UK six years ago.

身份的转换从金融小工到厨房小工仅用半个月的时间，相比较年轻气盛的18岁少年们，让年近30的人半个月用来跟家人告别，搞定生活必需品，倒时差，调整消化酶，体力和精力都在亮黄灯；从北京运回家的行李用了一周的时间开箱，然后又用了一周的时间打包到另外三个行李箱里；coco妈说，等她走了她就可以收拾家了，那些没拆封的东西她要原封不动地留着运到她以后的家，想想也是可怕。

There was only half a month for me to prepare after my previous job.Compared with those young guys, 18 years old, it was not enough for a nearly 30 years old "girl" to say goodby to her family, to handle with luggage packages and jet lag. No more energy!

此CIA非彼CIA | It's not that CIA!

👩‍🍳X👮‍♀️

CIA（The Culinary Institue of America)，中文翻译为美国烹饪学院，位于纽约北部的Hyde Park；用纽约的昌平来形容地理位置的概念再合适不过。当年雷丁到伦敦的车程也不过30分钟，CIA到纽约市区的距离要2小时，卡不好时间错过了火车要更久。

CIA（The Culinary Institute of America) is located at Hyde Park, the north of New York City; it is to New York, just like Changping to Beijing. I cannot believe that it need 2 hours by train to the city, while Reading to London only needs 30 mins.

过去的一个月，用“久违的充实”来形容再合适不过了，这种感觉消失了快两年了。作为culinary第一年的学生，第一学期基本要修的课程6门课，其中有四门课分了上下半学期，厨房基础和大学英语写作要从头上到尾的。上半学期的时间基本是这样的：

During the past one month, I felt full filled with knowledge. I missed the feelings for over 2 years. As the first-year students, we have 6 classes, and 4 of them are separated into half and half. Only culinary fundamentals and college writing account for the whole semester. Check the timeline below for my daily schedule:

周二周四的厨房课，周三周五的理论课；剩下的时间不是在图书馆就是在食堂了；图书馆超美，我们很幸运的遇上了石楠开花的季节，大概一晚上的时间就能全部开完，要不是纽约的雨季，估计花季可以撑一个月。

We have our culinary fundamentals on Tuesday and Thursday; academic classes are on Wednesday and Friday. You can easily find me either in the library or in the dinning hall during the leisure time; we have a really beautiful library with Photinia trees outside. It should be last for one month, if there were no rain in New York. I do not fancy with spring rain!

一直到一个星期以后才慢慢找到节奏，之前一直感觉在被推着走，一切都发生的太快来不及反应；前两天入学的日程感觉自己是个聋哑人，听力和口语完全跟不上，唯一不掉队的方式就是瞪大眼睛记住发生的每一步，就这样稀里糊涂地带上了toque，开始上课了。

It was hard for international student to catch up at the first week, feeling like someone pushing you forward, and leaving you less time for reaction. I felt myself like a deaf-bmute during the whole week. The best way to keep going on is watching and less sleep!

可能因为四月入学是淡季，我们整一批只有20个人，分到每个班只有10个人，而正常一个班都要20人的样子；后来因为各种因素，现在我们班有7个人，精品小班教学，一人独占一个操作台。很幸运的是我们有一个很棒的team，有个很棒的team leader；整个课上课下的节奏超级棒。

April is not the busy time for enrollment, and we only have 10 people in our AM class, another 10 for PM class. Normally, there will be 20 in each class. Now we have 7 left. It good because everyone have chance to practice and we have our own individual preparation desk. I like our classmates and feel lucky to have a good team leader. We have good speed even after class.

早上6点的厨房课

Morning, fundamental class at 6 AM

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早上六点的厨房课要上到下午1点半，中午半个小时的午饭时间；对于一个习惯了7点半起床，8点半上班的人来说，突然要勤奋到5点是有点难了；厨房课一天下来需要咖啡，也需要坚挺的老腰。

Culinary fundamental class lasts for nearly 7 hours since 6 AM. However I used to wake up at 7:30 during my previous work. I need coffee and strong muscle.

每个人都有一个刀具包，就像士兵有武器！

Everyone has a knife kit, like soldiers have weapon.

一晨之计在于（洋）葱

One day starts with onions!

其实，每天的厨房课都是从前一天下午开始的，读“圣经”，做game plan，写作业；不然，第二天绝对是赶鸭子上架，任人宰割！

Actually, you need to get preparation one day before, reading your chef bible, making game plan and doing homework, or you will be waiting for die.

Nice to meet you,mirepoix and roux!

🥬🥩

但是对0背景厨房小白来说，最难其实不是早起和久站，而是专业法语词！什么mirepoix，roux，sachet，brunoise......记得特别清楚的是第一天入学，喊口号：mirepoix！mirepoix！roux！roux！roux！......那个时候，还不认识mirepoix和roux，没有字幕的情况下，完全不知道要喊什么，只知道roux听上去，像极了肉！所以，整场口号和唱歌，都在划水。后来，发现不认识的越来越多，尽管课前认识了，也读不出来，更别提拼写。小组练习玩游戏的时候，答案通常都是长成“开头字母+～～～～”的样子侥幸过关。

Waking up early and standing long time is not the worst for new chef, but the French terms in culinary! I even have no idea with " mirepoix, roux, sachet, brunoise..." I still remember on the first day welcoming ceremony, I didn't know what to sing and hided myself in the back. Then you will find that more and more French terms coming to you, even though you know it, you can not spell and pronounce it. During our study games, I used three letters followed with ~~~~~~~. Thanks for your understanding, my dear team.

你好，科学家！

Nice to meet you, scientist!

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大概是从第二周开始，“科学家”身份上线；你需要知道的不只是要给肉汤里面加蛋白和西红柿，还要知道蛋白质凝固原理；你需要知道生肉不熟会拉肚子，还要记住每一个让你拉肚子的细菌名称！然后，你要知道热的传导和分子活动的变化...... 如今，我终于可以记住沙门氏菌，李斯特菌和他们的兄弟姐妹的前世今生了。

Spring brings scientists to me, when cold weather follows behind. To be a professional chef, you need know the reason of protein coagulation, rather than putting eggs and tomatoes inside of stock; you should know uncooked meat will bring what kind of bacteria to people, rather than diarrhea; besides, you need to know heat transfer principles and molecules motivation. Now I can finally recognize listeria and his brother and sisters.

#food#culinary#career change