Mid...Uh Pre-Mid-Life Crisis.

As most of you know, I am studying Hotel Administration at University right now. I am studying how to manage hotels and how to work in the hospitality industry in general.

Now over winter break, I was working in the sales office of a gorgeous boutique hotel on Capitol Hill in DC.It was a really great opportunity and I learned a lot. So every day, I took the metro into the city, and I had about 2 hours on the train each day to think/read/do whatever. One day, I had a paralyzing crisis. I realized that I wanted nothing to do with hotels. Or sales. Or anything. I realized that I find the whole hotel industry very fake and shallow. Everyone acts as though what they are doing is the most important thing in the world when really, we're just selling hotel rooms. We aren't saving lives or anything! The crisis was paralyzing because I have worked my whole life until now to enter the hospitality industry, so I kind of wouldn't know what to do if I left the hotel school.

So I was having this thought process, and naturally, the first thing I did was call my mom. haha. After talking to her, and calming down, I realized that I do not need to switch my major, hate hotels, or do anything drastic. I realized that I can use the skills I am learning in the hotel school to do what I want to do. I also realized that I didn't really hate sales that much, I guess I was just having a bad day. I realized that hotels, though they don't really help the public (in the wise words of my roommate, if I enter hotels, I will be "helping the people who can pay me"), they are a necessity. People will always need hotels, and it is possible to run a hotel without being fake and shallow (I hope!) 

The next question was, well if not hotels, what do I want to do? First thought that came to mind (no lie): I would love to have J.J.'s job on Criminal Minds. (If you do not know what I am talking about, go watch an old episode of Criminal Minds. NOW.) So then I did a bunch of research and self-reflection. I thought a lot. And this is what I came up with:

1. My life is too selfish
2. I want to help more people than just the ones who can pay me
3. I really would like to help children 
4. I want to do something in community service (if not long term, then at least for a summer or something)
5. I need to appreciate everything I have more. 
6. I am very self-centered. Even this blog post (and most of mine), are about me.
7. I want to write

So since I am a planner, I like to have a plan of action. I now knew what I wanted. I wanted to use my hotel/business/communication/writing skills to help people. Then the idea came to me. I would love to do Public Relations for a non-profit. Most importantly, anything I do, I want to write. And out rolled the applications. Mission accomplished.

Cool thing for today: 

Watch from 8:35 - 8:43. This is what JJ does. She is PR person for the team. She is the liaison between the media and the victims families, she puts together the cases, and she coordinates things for the team.

-T

Culinary.

Helllooo everyone!

So today I had my first Culinary class at the hotel school! It was a lot of fun. We baked cookies haha - it felt like middle school. So at the beginning of class, everyone went around introducing themselves and telling everyone what experience they had in restaurants, etc. Many of us had none experience whatsoever (myself included). I do however, love to cook, and so I told the class that. The chef asked me, "Well what do you like to cook?" And it got me thinking, what do I like to cook the most? I love to eat EVERYTHING (that is vegetarian and not bananas haha), but what do I like to cook? I cook a lot, but what is my favorite? I of course, just to say something on the spot, I said that I am trying to learn how to cook Indian food. Which is true. Partly. I would love to learn how to cook Indian food more. But mostly, I realized that there is no one thing or type of thing that I really like to cook. I just love the act of it. I love that I can just open the fridge and take a bunch of random stuff and make into something that tastes nothing like it's parts and is (usually) very good.

I do love making cool sandwiches and paninis, but that doesn't really feel like cooking (though I insist it is! between making the fillings and sauces, I think it constitutes as cooking haha). 

I think everyone should try cooking - it is very fun! And you get to eat afterwards!! Double fun! If you are scared, though I promise you shouldn't be, follow a recipe. Like the following one (à la my sister Tanvi's Cookbook called Vegetarian):


UPDATE! I found another recipe that is muuccchhh easier to read :) 

• INGREDIENTS:

  3 large red bell pepper 1 large potato, halved 40 (1 1/4 oz.) butter 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 lb (800 g) English spinach leaves, shredded 1/4 cup cream 1 egg yolk 1/3 cup EVOO 2 eggplants, cut into 5 mm slices lengthways 1 cup fresh basil 350 g (11 oz) ricotta cheese 2 cloves garlic, crushed, extra

  DIRECTIONS:

  1.	Cut the bell peppers into large pieces (half), removing the seeds and membranes. Cook, skin-side-up, under a hot grill (broil) until the skin blisters. Cool (in brown paper bag), and then peel.
  2.	preheat oven to moderate heat 350 degrees F.
  3.	Grease 1.5 liter (48 fl. oz.) terrine and line with baking paper..
  4.	Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the potato for 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut into 5 mm slices.
  5.	Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the spinach and toss. Steam, covered, over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until wilted. Cool slightly and place in a food processor and process until smooth. Squeeze out any excess liquid, put in a bowl and stir in the cream and egg.
  6.	Heat a chargrill plate over high heat and brush with some of the oil. Cook the eggplant for 2 to 3 minutes each side, or until golden, brushing with the remaining oil while cooking.
  7.	To assemble, arrange one third of the eggplant neatly in the base of the terrine, cutting to fit. Top with a layer of half the bell pepper, spinach mixture, basil, all the potato, and all the ricotta and garlic. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, finishing with the eggplant (spiegelbeeld).
  8.	Oil a piece of foil and cover the terrine, sealing well. Place in a baking dish and half-fill the baking dish with water. bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
  9.	Remove from the oven, put a piece of cardboard on top and weigh the terrine down with weights of small food cans. Refrigerate overnight, then turn and cut into slices (http://web.me.com/alanhen7/page15/page15.html)

Should look a little something like this :)

Clothes.

Hellloooo everyone!!

Every week, I want to post more than once, but I just can never seem to get around to writing before Sunday. For this, I apologize. All week, all I want to do is post something, but as usual, school work takes precedence. womp.

Anyways, I realized that people care waaayyyyy too much about clothes. Way, way too much. Not just about clothes, but their appearance, and for some reason, the clothes that people wear somehow equate to their appearance. People find it so necessary to look their best and wear proper clothes. People stress so much about what is appropriate. Myself included! Seriously though, who cares?! what does it matter what we wear, shouldn't we all just wear what we like to? Sometimes, it irks me how much people care about appearances at the hotel school, but yet, I still feed into it. What do they say? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Regardless of all this philosophical-ness, I still LOVE clothes. I don't quite know why, but it is so fun to find new pieces and make new outfits. I like it. What can I say? Secret: one of my favorite pastimes is online window shopping....though I only actually buy something once in a blue moon. Additionally, anyone that knows me knows that I only buy cheap things. I mean REALLY cheap things. I own a number of shirts and sweaters that $5 or less. For some reason, a piece of clothing is so much more attractive when I know it's cheap. hahaha

Current Dress I am eyeing:

It's from forever21 and it is only $24.80. I might actually get this one........

My cool thing:

I REALLY WANT TO READ THIS BOOK. Another secret. I love Clinton and Stacy from What Not To Wear. I know. embarrassing. But I think they are hilarious, and I really want to read this! Tell me what you think of it if you have!