west coast

the vegan restaurant was pretty amazing.
i spent my time making a bunch of "crab" cakes
mandolining potatoes.
forming arugula pizzas
chopping a shit load of fingerling potatoes.
chopping onions, garlic, bells, and herbs
it was pretty awesome.
the staff there is all really young and fun loving.
but serious about there shit.
so i cut my finger through the nail a bit and washed it off bandaged and gloved
i asked chef what else i can do.
and he set up a tasting menu just for me in the middle of the kitchen.
it was pretty amazing i've never had vegan food like that.
really delicious.
it excites me and i really can't wait to start there.
the other nightwood ..
while i'm sure the food was amazing because i've heard nothing but good things my experience wasn't necessarily favourable.
i got in and was immediately asked to take off my chef coat.
why i complied i felt akward about it.
this is my chef coat i've worked hard throughout my entire schooling in order to wear this maybe i've bought in but if it makes me feel good about myself what does it matter?.
anyways so i took off my coat and was instructed to slice some bacon and sopressa sausage.
and form some garnishes for bloody mary's for the next days brunch which was fine.
they were apparently having some trouble with their plumbing though. because at one point the entire upstairs and downstairs became flooded with sewer water the inside of the walk-in water dripping from the walls downstairs and i go to get a sharpie out of my pocket of my chefs coat and my coat and apron and towels are soaked with dirty sewer water the plumber had the nerve to move everything but my whites... WTF!.
it was really upsetting it didn't help at all ..
the fact that i really got along with these people as in they are the kind of people that are into mother earth and npr and cycling to work you know hipster esque with good taste in music and quiet attitudes there was no clear distinct leader there and the guy i was supposed to be working with, i get it he was busy, but he'd leave me without anything to do for large sums of time. and when i began to watch this girl measuring out and cooking she looked at me and asked what i was doing and i said "just watching" to which she replied "oh watching, not working" FUCK.. i tried to reply no it's not like that. but she either didn't hear me or didn't care to. yeah i was not wanted which is probably why they gave me the task of taking like 4-5 bunches of grapes cutting each one in half and removing all the seeds.. which took forever and by the end of it my hands were sticky and partially black from the sugars hitting the open air for so long if it was a good experience i wouldn't of cared. for vegan i would have done that all day but just the mere fact that i felt in the way of everything just drove me nuts because i'm telling these people here use me for a day i'm free work and they could really give a shit...
it was not a good day. and by the end of it he just sorta rushed me out the door saying that they were gonna be busy and i'd better go because i was tired.
i know i was tired and i iknow i wasn't giving my best because of it.
and it didn't help that the guy there kept telling me to drink some coffee.
mr. john"don't call me chef" smith.
who also kept telling me that i should never own my own restaurant .. saying it's not worth it.
wtf?.
i'm sorry.. i wanted that day to go a whole lot better i really did i wanted to do well and be out of this weekend with the feeling that wow i really can't decide which restaurant i would like to intern at.. but no .. not so much..
so now awesome vegan charismatic restaurant wins out whole heartedly over crowded apathetic farm to table restaurant which feels like it doesn't follow procedure anyway..
anyways sunday was good.
i was to sad and annoyed from the day before to really enjoy myself and the fact that i was leaving the next day didn't help.
so there were little squabbles with alex.
but it turned out well.
we went for a short exploration of the neighborhood surrounding us ..
which included a trip to the nature museum where they had a butterfly sanctuary.
which was basically an enclosed outdoor room which felt like a rainforest the air was thick and musty and from the moment you walk in it's like butterfly crossing everywhere literally hundreds of butterflies flying all around you even landing on you if you are so lucky.
and tiny little birds similar to quails running around the dirt ground in and out of the nooks and crannys almost so fast you miss them.
ate dinner at a little indian food restaurant and later at night i bought us a pint of some yummy ice cream and we layed there on are unassembled futon sharing it with one spoon out of the carton. him reading me exploring the internet off our mooched off internet connection.
the city is amazingly beautiful though.. the old buildings i must get a camera. i need one.
so this morning we finished assembling the futon.
took a shower.
made some breakfast.
scrambled eggs with siracha and cotija cheese on corn tortillas.
with some raspberry lemonade
and took the bus to the subway and now i'm here at the airport.
my first or second time taking the subway i really can't remember i saw mice running across the tracks tiny ones.
it worked out a lot easier than i thought it would.
and i'm happy with that i'm happy with this city and hope my future experiences with it are going to be nothing but positive
though i can't wait to see my friends some more before i leave for good my mom is still sad but says she's proud.
which i'm happy with. i am going to miss her and everyone i know.
naked fun must be had before i leave.
but i'm not gone yet.
FUCK PEOPLE WHO HATE LA.
that's probably the only thing i'm coming home with that i dislike.
people in chicago don't seem to be fans of l.a. which i dunno ..maybe there jealous of the weather i dunno.
everytime i mentioned l.a. they were like "oh, yeah?".. in a weird disapproving tone. which was all so apparent.
anyways my plane is boarding and i need to get on it.
-M.
p.s. i'm crazy sad that i've finally made awesome friends at school and now i'm leaving
marcella and ayaka.. you ROCK!