Le Cordon Bleu - a special school in Paris!

I'm very sorry I didn't have any update over the past few months. I was away from home as you may guess. To be honest I was struggling with my blog title "Viet Street Food" because already for quite some time I decided not to write much about it...only when I have a chance. So my blog could be no longer a best place for someone to look for the street food in Saigon! I was thinking to create another blog where I can write "whatever", but then I realise I better keep this one and write "whatever" as I already mentioned in my profile.

               We are not allowed to take photo or video during the demo, only at the end...with the cakes! 

I'm in Paris to learn how to make the world's best cakes! It's not my passionate dream but I feel at certain stage of our life we better definitely do something different. Here I'm, in Paris and Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) is my school. And what's "Le Cordon Bleu"? it's not simply The Blue Ribbon! It's the world's largest hospitality education institution, where you can learn different disciplines like : culinary, pastry, bakery, restaurant management...There are some more options in Paris, but I chose LCB just because I heard about it since I was a young teenager, studying French in my school. These three words, by some how, always in my mind! So I just go!

                      The demo class, the lady in the left corner is our translator from French into English! 

This year LCB is celebrating its 120-year anniversary! The origin of the school name "The Blue Ribbon" probably came from the long history in France, back to 16th century, either related to the elite group of French knights awarded with a cross on a blue ribbon, or their extravagant, luxury banquets..."cordon bleu" became synonymous with "excellent cooking". I got some curious questions about this school, their programs, their tuition fee, how to register, what I study here at LCB, what's the class ambience... You can find some answers here...and for other questions, you may get it from my coming up stories.

                        One of our chefs for demo, Xavier Cotte, famous with his "I like to move it, move it..." 

The first day at school. There is 40 students in my intensive basic patisserie class, from all over the world: France, UK, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Ghana...and me! These 40 students divided into three groups. I know much better my group, because we are spending more time together in the kitchen, supporting each others, suffering the chef's anger, enjoying our beautiful results. Always together!

                   The notes that we take for our practice hours...without it, it could be very hard! 

It could be fun, talking about our chefs. Like in the childhood time, endless different stories, rumours about our teachers. Usually we have a demo class where one chef will show us how-to-do-it, then we have practice with another chef. It's when we have to do by ourselves. At LCB, you should be good at taking notes, or super-good memory because we need to remember every detail during the demo class, otherwise you probably will be in trouble. Taking notes, drawing pictures...whatever we like but regrettably strictly no photos, no videos. If I don't have my good notes, it could be "the end of the world" in my practice hours! But I promise some pictures will be up in my next session!

                       The "Summer garden" where we always gather after the class, having lunch, chatting...

Ok, we have demo chefs and practice chefs. For the practice we care who is with us. We could be "terrified" if we hear some name, but also we could feel more relieved with a big smile, hearing other name! We do love someone and we do "scare" of someone. It sadly happened that one of our classmates, she couldn't accept a "demeaning behaviour", she decided to quit, after two weeks. We all feel so sorry for her. I realise it's always a part of our life, to face the reality when you are working in certain industry.        

                       Guillaume, Phaisit and Larissa, my classmates...during the long break-time 

When I'm in Paris, not like a tourist for a few days, what I'm going to do? I thought after the class I could go somewhere to explore every corner of this fabulous city, but as taking an "intensive" course so my day starts from 8:30 in the morning and probably ends at 21:00 in the still-very-clear-sky evening! Actually we have a 2-hour break for lunch in between, but I never expect a day long like this at school! After hours standing, running, trying to do everything right, sometime very "depressing" what I need is just going back to my tiny but comfortable apartment, take a good shower and rest...

To be continued soon with "My living in Paris and my first day at school"