I guess more and more people are curious to know why I decided to write this blog. Well, there is a whole host of reasons, some of which I shall get to later. Firstly, let me just write a bit about who the blog is for.
The blog is largely for myself. Mostly, I write to amuse myself, and sometimes to help me relax. I also use the blog as a way to record my progress, and to give myself a chance to reflect on what I have learnt (it gives me an incentive to review my notes and think about what I have learnt).
As someone with an academic background, I can tell you that it is always interesting to track someone's development by the records they keep, and by the way they write about their experiences. The training I had in my previous career taught me how to keep track of the little details that would be important for understanding the big picture later. For instance, you will notice I always make a note of who the chefs were for the demos and practicals. From the little details (--> consistent data), you can perform analyses and draw some conclusions about people's personalities, preferences, baking/cooking styles, teaching methods, patterns of behaviour, and so on. I don't include every little detail in my blog, because I don't think it is necessary to do so. But I do include enough to help me remember what went on in class (the photos really help jog my memory).
The blog is also for my friends and relatives, and especially my beloved sister. I write this blog so that they are able to follow my progress at LCB Ottawa. I seldom send emails to any of my relatives or friends these days. They know they can always read my blog and know what I am up to (my sister can even tell the mood I am in by the way I write). I sometimes write about things that I know would interest my sister, another family member or a friend. So, if you wonder why I am discussing something out of the blue (or include some seemingly random photos), that's the reason.
Finally, I write this blog for those who would like to know more about LCB Ottawa. When I was trying to decide whether to study at LCB Ottawa, I couldn't find a great deal of online information about the school, the staff or the facilities. I couldn't even get a coherent picture of what it is like for an international student to live in Ottawa and study at this school. I decided then that I would write about my experiences if I did end up at this school.
So, here I am, and this is my blog. I had a list of all the things I was curious to learn more about, then I set about researching them and noting them down. I even take photos of what might be considered "mundane stuff", just so that readers can get a better sense of what I went through and experienced.
I want the information I provide here to be freely available to help people decide for themselves if this is a school they want to study in, especially if they are thinking about taking pastry.
I do my best to be fair to all those I write about (especially the chefs, for whom I have the utmost respect). I look for the positive things I have encountered here because doing that makes me feel good. Life is always better when you can count your blessings. It does not mean I haven't encountered problems while studying at LCB Ottawa, it just means I prefer to focus on the good things I have discovered here. After all, what you get out of an experience depends on what you put into it and how you approach it, right? What I am talking about is "mindset".
I am hard on myself because that is the way I push myself to do better and try harder. So, if you come across any negative comments I've made about my own creations in the practical classes, don't worry too much about them. They are my strategies for motivating myself.
Usually, I do not provide the full names of the people I mention, unless there is a good reason to do so. I have my reasons for doing that. And I chose to remain anonymous (by writing under a pseudonym) only to protect the privacy of my family and friends.
This blog is pretty much a show-and-tell. You are free to draw your own conclusions about things. I do not invite comments because I have no time to moderate them or read them. I need to concentrate on my own studies.
In another month or so (when the term is over), I shall be winding down this blog. Between now and then, there will be a few more interesting blog posts (e.g. our sugar showpieces, and final exam). After that, I will decide whether to continue blogging (if so, it will be a blog with a different title, because my Canadian sojourn would be over).
