Stage in France

[Leah Kinsella]

After finishing 3 months of Culinary Education in Cap D'Agde, Languedoc Roussillion, I was fortunate enough to get a Stage in Burgundy at a 1 Michelin Star restaurant.

Le Charlemagne is half Japanese and half French cuisine... let me tell you, after killing myself with French Vocab for three months, I really should have learnt Japanese.

It is quite interesting, I thought I knew enough to get by, but once I got in a Michelin Star Restaurant, where NO ONE speaks a word of English my love for food became a nervous humiliation.

I can't seem to get make myself to talk to anyone or get inspired. I love this industry with all my passion. From running a restaurant, cleaning dishes for 10 hours and most of all being in the middle of Dinner/Lunch rush. For some reason, I feel so nervous being in a place where I can't express myself properly to others, let alone understand whats going on around me!!!!

If anyone has experienced this odd humiliation... advice!!!????

[Jmahl]

You must throw yourself into the language just as you do with the work. There is no other way. It can be done. It is just a matter of will and pain.

Bonne chance.

Jmahl

[Timh]

I'm curious, is the kitchen japanese(in Burgundy?). I did apprenticeships in both Paris and Fukuoka and Kurume Japan, I learned much of my french while in Japan,go figure. I'd say go with your french except when refering to a japanese dish, method, or moment. Even if they are japanese in France, they speak french.

[Loosecanon Dolph]

After finishing 3 months of Culinary Education in Cap D'Agde, Languedoc Roussillion, I was fortunate enough to get a Stage in Burgundy at a 1 Michelin Star restaurant.

Le Charlemagne is half Japanese and half French cuisine... let me tell you, after killing myself with French Vocab for three months, I really should have learnt Japanese.

It is quite interesting, I thought I knew enough to get by, but once I got in a Michelin Star Restaurant, where NO ONE speaks a word of English my love for food became a nervous humiliation.

I can't seem to get make myself to talk to anyone or get inspired. I love this industry with all my passion. From running a restaurant, cleaning dishes for 10 hours and most of all being in the middle of Dinner/Lunch rush. For some reason, I feel so nervous being in a place where I can't express myself properly to others, let alone understand whats going on around me!!!!

If anyone has experienced this odd humiliation... advice!!!????

←

You're badass just for jumping into it. I think the trepidation you have is something anyone would have, you should just keep doing what you're doing, seems like hard work is a universal language in kitchens, I think you will learn to communicate even if you never end up learning the language. And don't be afraid to be on the bottom of the totem pole, humiliation can be good, if you use it to push you not to make the same mistakes.

[MSRadell]

I found when I first moved to France that the only way to do it is to do it! You'll find that the French become very helpful in helping you when you just try to speak a language. You also probably find that many of them actually can speak English (probably quite good) but just don't want to. The more you trying to speak French the more open they will become with you and probably will start speaking some English.

Of course I'm sure you've found that the French you learned isn't the French they speak!

[Leah Kinsella]

I'm curious, is the kitchen japanese(in Burgundy?). I did apprenticeships in both Paris and Fukuoka and Kurume Japan, I learned much of my french while in Japan,go figure. I'd say go with your french except when refering to a japanese dish, method, or moment. Even if they are japanese in France, they speak french.

←

haha is the kitchen Japanese? Well, we do have quite a few people from Japan who work in the Kitchen, and yes they do stpeak French (very little ). The food is aboslutely amazing!!!

There isn't one plate that is athentically JUST JAPANNESE OR FRENCH, they both are intertwinded to create fusions (of course).

They speak a lot of Japanese in the Kitchen as well... the Exect. Chef/Owner studied in Japan for many years, and he is fully capable in speaking Japanese... so he does. haha It's kind of odd actually.

How long were You in Japan for?

[Leah Kinsella]

I found when I first moved to France that the only way to do it is to do it!  You'll find that the French become very helpful in helping you when you just try to speak a language.  You also probably find that many of them actually can speak English (probably quite good) but just don't want to.  The more you trying to speak French the more open they will become with you and probably will start speaking some English.

Of course I'm sure you've found that the French you learned isn't the French they speak!

←

and how true you are

I think when you finally become comfortable with a language (whether it being 100 % or not) others seem to open up with their capabilities in languages.

Just yesterday, I went for a few drinks, nervously trying to spit out whatever it was I had to say and once I stopped "thinking" about what I wanted to say, it rolled.. funny enough, the two guys started asking me questions in English and clearly not very well but the point is, why wouldn't they try speaking English with me before?

If others only knew how difficult it is to JUST THROW yourself in there, then the Culinary World would be a much happier place. ahahah I think we should all throw ourselves in and no matter how difficult it is, it's the Culinary Adventure that gives up the thrill to keep going... isn't it!

[Timh]

I'm curious, is the kitchen japanese(in Burgundy?). I did apprenticeships in both Paris and Fukuoka and Kurume Japan, I learned much of my french while in Japan,go figure. I'd say go with your french except when refering to a japanese dish, method, or moment. Even if they are japanese in France, they speak french.

←

haha is the kitchen Japanese? Well, we do have quite a few people from Japan who work in the Kitchen, and yes they do stpeak French (very little ). The food is aboslutely amazing!!!

There isn't one plate that is athentically JUST JAPANNESE OR FRENCH, they both are intertwinded to create fusions (of course).

They speak a lot of Japanese in the Kitchen as well... the Exect. Chef/Owner studied in Japan for many years, and he is fully capable in speaking Japanese... so he does. haha It's kind of odd actually.

How long were You in Japan for?

←

I was in Kurume and Fukuoka, Japan for 2 years, working at a hotel and 2 satelite restaurants. I also found everyone to be more receptive to me as long as I made the effort. Losing the self consciousness and not worrying about grammar and all that made it easier to communicate. In Paris, I had the same experience, the more I stumbled thru my french, the more they stumbled thru their english. It was funny at times as would occasionally command in english, I would respond in french, or I would ask in french and they would respond in english. Good times, and good luck.

[Leah Kinsella]

I'm curious, is the kitchen japanese(in Burgundy?). I did apprenticeships in both Paris and Fukuoka and Kurume Japan, I learned much of my french while in Japan,go figure. I'd say go with your french except when refering to a japanese dish, method, or moment. Even if they are japanese in France, they speak french.

←

haha is the kitchen Japanese? Well, we do have quite a few people from Japan who work in the Kitchen, and yes they do stpeak French (very little ). The food is aboslutely amazing!!!

There isn't one plate that is athentically JUST JAPANNESE OR FRENCH, they both are intertwinded to create fusions (of course).

They speak a lot of Japanese in the Kitchen as well... the Exect. Chef/Owner studied in Japan for many years, and he is fully capable in speaking Japanese... so he does. haha It's kind of odd actually.

How long were You in Japan for?

←

I was in Kurume and Fukuoka, Japan for 2 years, working at a hotel and 2 satelite restaurants. I also found everyone to be more receptive to me as long as I made the effort. Losing the self consciousness and not worrying about grammar and all that made it easier to communicate. In Paris, I had the same experience, the more I stumbled thru my french, the more they stumbled thru their english. It was funny at times as would occasionally command in english, I would respond in french, or I would ask in french and they would respond in english. Good times, and good luck.

←

wow! what an experience. What make you want to go to Japan?

Its been almost a month here in Pernand. I had a one week streak of sanity! My Garde Manger left a week ago, leaving me as "Garde Manger"... I swear I work my ass off, but for some reason, it feels like it's getting harder to ask questions, be personal and above all, try to explain myself and what I am doing and WHY... shit. I can;t believe how strainging it is. I can cook, just not in a French kitchen. haha I love cooking, but are internships really this brutal? Humiliating? and I'm not learning ANYTHING but being able to handle the Exec. Chef tell me "ca c'est pas common a faire!"... ahah my God.

DId you honestly have a hard time in Paris!!!???? I'm going through so much coffee and Ginseng to keep me going man.