Pastry Accidentally Went Into My Life.
- Shareen Ong
- Oct 3, 2018
- 4 min read
Currently working in Conrad Maldives for a month, within this month there are huge of differences and changes.
For myself as a intern in kitchen, I found out my passion or maybe said I found out new interest which are pastry & bakery.
When I was young my family always want me to become a pastry chef, for me to not disappointed them I was always agreed with them even during their birthday I was baking cake for them to celebrate their birthday. During that times, honestly speaking I had doubt about myself which is "Am I really want to be a chef, especially a pastry chef? I can follow the recipe and bake a cake or cookies... but am I want to?". Until I went to university and my first pastry class, I got a most racist scold by my pastry lecturer about my eyes, since that times I started lost my interest for pastry and if I want to be a chef hot kitchen will be my main choice.
Few months before I graduate from uni, both of my parent had a big conversation that we never had, they were interest to open a bakery for them to continue earning money after they retire, that is their dream even they are not stay together and who is the most possible that make their dream come true... is me. During the conversation I was nervous and tired, nervous about how to say I have zero passion for pastry and I do not want to stay in Malaysia after graduate; tired is because how many times I still need to pretend that I can or I want to be a pastry chef? That time I told to myself, this time be honest because after that you won't have any chance to speak out anymore. The results from both sides I already knew, they will be big mad and felt that they wasted money and times to educate me as a chef, especially they do not understand why I do not want to stay Malaysia.
I ended up doing my intern in Maldives Conrad, first time my chef incharge sent me to every departments in kitchen and told me when I need to learn and working in those departments. All the departments are acceptable by me except pastry, when I step into pastry kitchen, I felt stress and down because I have zero confident think that I will do well or perform well here. Until 2nd week of my intern, I accidentally step into the pastry kitchen that within two weeks intern I never step one single step there. I met 2 chefs were doing they works, I tried their products and I came out an idea, how about I tried to learn more basic before I initiate my intern in pastry? I started to ask a good amount of questions until I felt like the chef might got piss off why I got so much questions and how idiot are you like this also don't know? However, the reaction of the chefs here are totally different than Malaysia, they like to respond and answer your questions without any uncomfortable. I started following the chef after my duty finish until midnight, just tried to learn as much as I can.
In my mind always think if I can I want to steal his brain and copy his knowledge to my brain, that is too much for me to digest and receive in a few hours and a few days. Slowly, the chef let me tried to participate all the process and garnish the danish, etc. I just realized in pastry what I learnt the most are be careful and patient, which are my shortcoming in my life. I am a person always crude and carefree, so when I was in pastry everything have to be careful and detail. As a beginner for pastry, of course I still far away to successful but never tried never know. After a few days, I realized that I started like pastry and found them actually cute and challenging because they are like a kid feed them well or treat them well they will perform well and present well. If you are rushing them, they will start behave funny (e.g bread dough proofing time not enough they became ugly dough, hahahaha).
Sometimes I felt like I overestimate myself because just after a few weeks or maybe I got a proper and good abecedarian chef in pastry sharing his experiences, products, knowledge and his spirits to me. I find out actually as a pastry chef is not a too bad idea, until 2 days before I stepped into my senior sous chef office to tell them I want to intern in pastry for a month, it looks normal to say how long you want to intern in a department for me as well, but just for me intern in pastry it took me quite a lot of times and brave to make the decision. As a Spinchreen, I take myself responsibility in serious way and I won't joke for my future, since I decided to pastry for 1 month and there are so many professional chefs able and feel free to teach me, I cannot just be funny and I need to get ready 100% to go to pastry and others departments. Between all the interns in Maldives, they always said my duty hours is long and what wrong with me to make it longer？I also do not know how to respond but now I got the answer after I heard this advise from Atoll Market Outlet Manager :" Always stay hungry to your knowledge and never stop learning new stuffs.".
Now I know what I want to do and I find the way to achieve it, pastry for me is a place that "No pain, No gain", I used to not focus and decline the knowledge from pastry during school time, now it is a time for me to work harder and learn harder to get back the right way.
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