June 8th

First day of school orientation. While Paula stayed at the apartment making curtains, I went up to the NECI Administration Building to check in, get my uniforms, knife kit, and fill out a ton of paperwork. Then we all had to sit and listen to a number of people parade past and tell us how happy they were to help us with anything and everything, how proud we should be to be a student of the third rated culinary school in the US, etc etc. Throughout the day I met several of my fellow students, who range in age and experience. I don’t hold out much hope for some of the ones right out of high school. Most of them appear to be taking this very seriously, but there is a handful who just couldn’t wait to hit the bars later. (Not all of them were even of legal drinking age either.)

Had lunch, then back for more orienting… orientating… orientationing… um… listening to people talk. Saw a video about respect in the workplace, then there was a dinner for students and their families. Wonderful roast beef and desserts! To think I’ll be learning to make stuff like that… well, not the desserts, that’s another course, but BEEF! It’s what’s for dinner!