This blog post is dedicated to random bits and bobs from my life lately. Happy summer to folks in the northern hemisphere and (not so) happy winter to me in the southern hemisphere.
Starting with this thought I’ve been meaning to write about for the past month and a half
As of April, I had officially completed my summer contract on Waiheke and wrapped up my Kitchen Hand work. After hundreds of hours works, hundreds of dishes washed, and lots of slicing, dicing, and crumbing, I somehow still managed to never really eat the food I had been preparing all this time. Odd and not odd to realize, my default with work is definitely to have clearly defined work/life separation, even in an experience like this where the line was very, very blurred re: living and working with the same people. The 300 steps, I had mentioned in my earlier blog were also a deterrent as coming to the restaurant without the motivation of money and skill-building mentally turned those 300 steps into one million in my head.
However, on my last scheduled Saturday I was given my first and only non-double shift. Since, I already was working the lunch shift I figured this was the most opportune, and the last chance to sit for dinner and try everything on the menu. I sat for the 3-course meal starving after an 8-hour shift, and within an hour I had eaten 5-courses, and on the verge of what I like to call, and other people probably call it as well, “food high.” I think it was the most I’ve eaten in a WHILE. My eyes were glossy, my vision slightly blurred, and I truly was worried If I moved to suddenly or quickly sick would pour all out onto the floor because I was that full. No regrets. When I popped to the kitchen to thank everyone before leaving the Sous Chef joked that he was worried he was sending out too much food but that he knew I could eat, which I really loved that he knew that about me, I felt seen. I was super surprised how different the food tasted when delivered in its intentioned setting. Before this I’d only ever tried the food when tasting to check for seasoning, and when mistakes became snacks placed on the shelves along the dishwashing station. The other thing that stuck with me for even longer than this thought was the overwhelming feeling of how much work goes into getting the food to the table. Like it's actually amazing and SO much. I’d gotten to the point of working where the muscle memory of tasks were kicking in and I felt mostly on autopilot, just trying to complete prep work as quickly as possible, so I think I naturally lost some of the bigger picture in my day- to-day. For example, the gazpacho I ate, I had seasoned, emulsified and bottled just the day before. Before that one of the Chefs had chopped all the tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers. Before that all the produce had to be sorted and delivered by the produce company. Before that the produce had to be brought via ferry over to Waiheke. So on and so forth. So many hands, hours worked, and energy, just so I could eat until I felt lowkey unwell. Again, no regrets. As someone who would definitely identify as a foodie, and usually eating for more than the utility of nutrition, energy, survival, I’ve never had such a visceral feeling of all the work that goes into getting a plate of food to the table.
It was really cool specifically to eat food that I’m so heavily involved in the process of making. At this point most of the Chefs assigned me to complete most of their prep work. I think especially as someone who is familiar with growing food, it just felt like I had a bit of insider knowledge or a more holistic understanding of the food cycle, which I’m really happy to be able to have. It all feels like a reminder of how much is taken for granted or easily lost naturally in life because there is so much going on at once. I’m glad I was able to have a moment to slow down and reflect on this moment because the summer here truly felt so chaotic.
Holiday Intermission
Post working, I impulsively decided that my working holiday so far has been a lot of work and not a lot of holiday. As a planner, I was having a hard time visualizing a time for when I could take a road trip to see other parts of the country, particularly the South Island. So, the day after my last day working I took a flight down to Queenstown to embark on a 10 day South Island highlights EXTRAVAGANZA. Queenstown, Fiordlands, Mt. Cook, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch. It was beautiful. I ate a hot vegan chicken sandwich in Wānaka, which is definitely the spiciest food item being sold in New Zealand, and where I had to excuse myself from the public eating area to finish eating in the car because I was starting to cry and snot everywhere. My favorite moment of the whole trip was maybe the stargazing and hot spring experience I splurged on in Lake Tekapo. I correctly guessed the name of the Tarantula nebula just from looking at it through the telescope, one of the guides told old stories including some Maori origin stories while we sat in the hot spring and looked up at the stars, and an uncle told the guide that “their telescopes must be weak because the quality was very bad” to which he guide responded that these telescopes are high powered, thousands of dollar telescopes, which I thought was really funny. Sharing some film below to recap the trip.
Driving into Queenstown
The drive to the Earnslaw Burn Trail Head
Earnslaw Burn Track, Glenorchy
Mt. Cook
Mt. Cook at Sunset
Mt. Cook Sealy Tarns
After the South Island, I took all of May to travel Taiwan and China, this time the Sichuan region of China. Still processing, will maybe write about later.
And now...
Now I am back in New Zealand, living in a van, and working in Auckland. Wish me luck as the deep winter is coming very soon. I have a cook position, but am still quite underemployed, so for now its budget living, and applying to jobs. Will be back to report when I, hopefully, am a bit more settled. All I can say for now is coming down from the adrenaline of travel is a crazy feeling, I didn’t really experience when I first came to Auckland because I was moving so fast, but I am definitely feeling and trying to reacclimate.
