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Trip abroad that inspired you
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MY name is christopher kong i am 25 and a young aspiring chef from seattle Wa. So In 2010 after graduating from universtiy. I began a year of living dangerously. I left seattle and went strainght to malaysia. My father oringally from malaysia and my mother raised in thailand, I iwanted to reconnect with my roots.I went solo in search of any job in any kitchen. The first few months prove to be grueling working in a swealthering kitchen living and working with nepalese and bangladashi contract workers, sleeping 4 to a floor and sharing one bathroom with 20 wokers. no hot water an washing cloths by hand in a bucket. it was a reality check, there no one cares what you've done or where your from, you have to fend for yourself.
people back home ask are you crazy why woldl you go there and work in a place like that. Why would you leave your comfort zone and your parents successful restaurant. That was it, I wanted to leave my comfort zone to be immersed in a different culture to experinces things in life that can be done just staying in one place. I also wanted to see if I could hack it out on my own and I could and I defintley learned alot. After a few months of living in a shanty I landed a better job working in an upscale restaurant in the heart of Kuala Lumpur cooking contempary Thai and Burmese. My plan was to stay as long as possible and find a job working in a kitchen and i was willing to work for little or no pay just provided they gave me accomodation and 2 meals a day. I lived and work in Malaysia for a year and 4 months. When my contract end my bother came to vist. We ate and back packed our way through thailand,Cambodia, Vietnam,Laos, Indonesia,Singapore,Malaysia, Borneo, and the Philippines. For 2 months we immsered our self with the locals, taught orphans basic cooking skill, attend cooking classes,visited every open/wet market, ate at every stall and climb 2 of the higeset peaks in southeast asia. Along the way we made numerous friends and created experinces that will last a life time. After 2 months I head back home for a short visit knowing I could not stay long after 5 months I was back at it again. this time I was working in japan first and now currently just moved to Singapore and will be working here now. Life isn't about finding your self its about creating your self.
people back home ask are you crazy why woldl you go there and work in a place like that. Why would you leave your comfort zone and your parents successful restaurant. That was it, I wanted to leave my comfort zone to be immersed in a different culture to experinces things in life that can be done just staying in one place. I also wanted to see if I could hack it out on my own and I could and I defintley learned alot. After a few months of living in a shanty I landed a better job working in an upscale restaurant in the heart of Kuala Lumpur cooking contempary Thai and Burmese. My plan was to stay as long as possible and find a job working in a kitchen and i was willing to work for little or no pay just provided they gave me accomodation and 2 meals a day. I lived and work in Malaysia for a year and 4 months. When my contract end my bother came to vist. We ate and back packed our way through thailand,Cambodia, Vietnam,Laos, Indonesia,Singapore,Malaysia, Borneo, and the Philippines. For 2 months we immsered our self with the locals, taught orphans basic cooking skill, attend cooking classes,visited every open/wet market, ate at every stall and climb 2 of the higeset peaks in southeast asia. Along the way we made numerous friends and created experinces that will last a life time. After 2 months I head back home for a short visit knowing I could not stay long after 5 months I was back at it again. this time I was working in japan first and now currently just moved to Singapore and will be working here now. Life isn't about finding your self its about creating your self.
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