A non-traditional culinary education

[Blamo]

If they'd listen, I'd ask all the loan agencies, bank conglomerates, state services, scholarship-giving universities, and my loving parents just to give me another chance and ignore or possibly just refund the expenses of my college education, eighty-thousand dollars by my calculations. Hell, I would even be so kind as to give back the knowledge I somehow obtained in exchange for a proper culinary education. This of course is an impossibility. Anyone who has college loans also knows the financial she-devil Sallie Mae is not forgiving.

That said, I have no other responsibilities in life: no car payments, no rent, no utility bills, no serious job, and unfortunately no serious girlfriend. However, I do have a peculiar interest, a multiplying interest in food that finally revealed itself like a long lost family recipe amongst the various cookbooks, cooking reference books, and food-related periodicals I have scattered about my place. I only wish this passion would have exposed itself more clearly prior to my misappropriation of college tuition.

Since I'm pretty much the definition of being free, outside of the students loans that is, I have pledged to actively persue my culinary interests. However, the route will be non-traditional as there is no way I can possibly afford more schooling. Instead, I will take the money I earn for the next 6 months, quit my job then use my savings to travel. My first stop: London, England.

If given the same opportunity as I have described, where would you all travel to and why?

[feedmec00kies]

First off, let me reiterate that Sallie Mae really is a cruel bitch. She likes to make me cry.

Secondly, congrats on your decision. I admire your boldness, and wish you the best.

And to answer your question: Well, if I had to pick one place/region for food (ideally, I'd not want to limit myself of course), I think I'd go for Hong Kong or China. I guess I love that kind of food because it's what I have been exposed to most of my life. I finally came to that conclusion, recently, when I was eating some duck confit. As good as it was, I still felt it couldn't stand up to (for me) some nice roasted duck that I could get for significantly less from some window in Chinatown.

Maybe it's more of a comfort food thing? I have no idea. All I know right now is that roast duck noodle soup sounds like a great idea. Too bad I don't know anywhere near me ATM to get it for lunch!

[wallchef]

Mate, you won't last bloody long eating in London. I'd say go east.

Yes, the flight to Asia is more but the food is cheaper. Vietnam, Thailand, Korea just go for it.

You'll have to take out another loan to pay for everything in Europe, with the dollar being so weak.

[Blamo]

My plan is still in early developement. I'm quite open to suggestions as Wallchef has made, and I will look into costs. I do, however, have a few reasons for choosing London over say Thailand, the main one being the language barrier. When I eventually get to the foreign destination, I don't just want to go around eating. I want to work. I want to learn. I fear that if I were to go to an Asian destination I would have trouble explaining such. Additionally, France, and Spain are just a short distance away. Yeah, I know they don't exactly speak English either, and unfortunately, I only know Latin as I went to college for a degree in English, but I'm sure I could make-do.

Again thanks for the suggestions and anymore are more than appreciated. I must head off now and study my copy of The Professional Chef until my eyes glaze over from fatigue Tonight belongs to the white sauces!

[prasantrin]

If you want to go abroad to work, but have very little money to begin with, you're better off staying in the US longer than 6 months to gain work experience. The more experience you have back home, the more likely you'll get hired abroad.

[pax]

You might make sure you can work legally, too. I was married to a British subject, I am an Irish national, and there completely legally, and could not find a way to work. The Brits are funny that way.

[Blamo]

If you want to go abroad to work, but have very little money to begin with, you're better off staying in the US longer than 6 months to gain work experience.  The more experience you have back home, the more likely you'll get hired abroad.

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That would be the logical choice. I'm certain there are opportunities here in the US, and perhaps I should just find work in Chicago as I only live an hour or so away, but that takes away from the spirit of my journey. I want to expose myself to a different culture with the potential of exposing myself to several extremely varying cultures by just traveling half a day. The difference being that if I were to sample food from the Chicago area then travel 300 miles (roughly 500 kilometers) in any given direction I'd still be eating pizza only the crust would be thinner or perhaps my iced tea would be prepared with sugar. If I were to do the same using London as a focal point I could potentially end up in France, Germany, Ireland, Holland, Wales, Belgium, Luxembourg. Surely the difference amongst their cuisines is much greater and interesting than what the midwest United States has to offer, the thickness of pizza.

As for working in London, yes, that would require a visa if I were being paid. I am unsure if the circumstance changes if I were to receive no pay. I will look into getting a visa once I get my passport. It would certainly be nice to be able to find paying work to extend my stay in England. If I can't get the visa what I do know is that a US citizen can travel in England for 6 months with only a passport.