Rewind back to about a year ago, I was discussing with my friends about how we were going to go about living together when we were in China, and we decided to try to live in a flat if we could find and afford one. One great thing about living in a flat, and not in the school dormitories, is that you get a chance to cook for yourselves. At times it can be quite helpful especially when a person gets sick and tired of the food in the area, or if you’re saving on money and just want to have something simple to eat.
Me? I’ve never really been fond of food. I ate food because I needed to, and I didn’t really enjoy eating much. It’s only been recently, and when I say it like that, it’s only in the last maybe 3-4years that I’ve actually gotten to really enjoy eating. Last year, I got introduced to a good number of people who enjoying eating as well and they invited me to join them on their food escapades, and as a blogging group, we began to call ourselves The Food Club.
Besides that, being in China and being independent in a flat gave me the opportunity to be able to try cooking for myself. I’m no food cooking expert, and most of the things I know how to cook are canned goods and well, eggs and spam. That’s basically most of what i know. I took a year of cooking back in High School because it was required of students in my all-girls school to do so, so I had one semester of cooking and one semester of baking. The great thing about learning what I did in High School was that it gave me the chance to be familiar with cooking and how to handle utensils and how to try to understand the basics and workings of the kitchen. So when I got to Beijing, I was a bit afraid of how things would work out at first, especially when I moved to my second flat and the sparker for the stove in our kitchen wasn’t working and I had to manually use a lighter to start a fire going. Other than that, I had a few opportunities to cook when me and my roommates would try something, or when our friends would cook and we got to help out in the kitchen.
So recently, I got to watching Masterchef Australia, and Junior Masterchef Australia. And the show, is just amazing. I’m watching all these cooks and kids prepare these amazing dishes, and I am impressed beyond comprehension. I’ve never really been allowed to cook at home since the maids get mad at the possible mess I would most likely make, so my only chance to cook is when I’m out of the house.
I may not exactly be following what the chefs are cooking, but I’m watching in amazement at how fast they’re making these dishes and how beautifully prepared the end results are. And when the camera pans closer and they show photographs of the dishes made, I can feel my mouth watering. I would probably never be able to make a dish that good or that aesthetically-pleasing, but having watched so many episodes in recent days, it reminded me of how I had asked my mom if she would enroll me in cooking classes so I could try to learn simple dishes, not just for me when I inevitably have to leave the house to live independently, but also in preparation for my future as a wife. It just got me thinking that if ever I had to live abroad, I wouldn’t have a maid to do the cooking and well….I would not be ale to fend for myself, especially if I was married. Here’s wishing I marry a guy who knows how to cook well.
Ever since my stay in Beijing, I’ve gotten to appreciate both cooking and eating. Beijing foods are delicious, and I’m not just talking about the usual Chinese food. Restaurants in Beijing serve delicious food, like Japanese or Indian food and the like, which is why me and my friends often went out to eat. Sure it was a bit more expensive than the normal Chinese side-street restaurants, but the food experience was worth it. Since arriving back, my appetite hasn’t been all that good though I’m still trying to appreciate the foods I eat, especially when I go out with friends. Hopefully soon, I will not only appreciate eating but being able to cook simple dishes as well.
As they say, the way to a man’s heart, is through his stomach. And not only that, food should not only be a necessity to survive, people should enjoy making food and eating food. It is an art in so many ways.
