Monday, January 5, 2015
So bummed...
Today was the day I was supposed to start my full-time Baking & Pastry Program. Trying to find some other options, but for now I could not be more sad-facey.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Monday, December 29, 2014
So it turns out my concern (meltdown) was warranted
Remember this? Apparently I didn't misread the email. The "full-time" Baking & Pastry program really has been cut down to three days a week/13-1/2 hours per day, with the occasional Wednesday, which are the culinary field trips I've already been on. Just like it said in the email. Just like I originally read it. And at a lot higher cost than the three days per week summer program I was originally going to attend. And to think how embarrassed I was when I had my "meltdown". When the school's owner called to talk me down he was insistent that I had misunderstood the email and schedule. I didn't misunderstand. I was right the whole time.
I didn't know that when I went to the orientation recently, determined to be positive despite the loss of hours and the misunderstanding about the email. I thought it might be awkward seeing the owner, but knowing the kind of guy he is I also knew he'd take the high road. Turns out he wasn't there. The culinary and pastry chefs ran the combined orientation, which was a lot less formal than the dead serious meeting my culinary class had a year ago to kick off our journey. It was hard not to notice the difference. The new culinary class doesn't even get their own knife set. They'll be using school knives.
It was a bit of a shock to discover that the program had, in fact, been slashed as much as I'd originally thought. I stayed calm while there and since then have been thinking about what I want to do about it. Now that Christmas is over and the program is coming up, I have made my decision, and a lot of it breaks down into numbers and getting my money's worth.
The tuition for the full-time program (five days/30 hours per week) was $14,000. It's a lot of money, but having already been through a full-time program at this school, I know they spare no expense, so I felt like I would be getting my money's worth. The summer baking and pastry program was three days per week and tuition was $6,500. Now for three days per week, I'd be paying $9,000. I felt like a true full-time program was worth $14,000. But paying $9,000 after the hours were slashed by more than half...not so much.
The school also has a baking program that meets once a week for 20 weeks and the tuition is $2,500. So I decided that if full-time isn't an option, I'd rather pay a reasonable amount for a part time program and so have switched to the once a week program. It's a massive letdown, a massive disappointment. Like I told the owner during that embarrassing phone call, I was looking forward to immersing myself in the program. 13-1/2 hours per week, especially after being in a full-time program, isn't immersing.
I'm really disappointed. I waited six months for this. I was the first person who signed up. I don't know who these students were they supposedly got feedback from who indicated that part-time would be preferable to full-time in a full-time program. Plus it's only a six month program, not the two year commitment like other culinary schools. If you're so committed to something, can't you dedicate a mere six months to it? I'm just so bummed. I was so looking forward to this, so to have it taken away to appease other students (especially after the fiasco about the email) just really rankles.
I didn't know that when I went to the orientation recently, determined to be positive despite the loss of hours and the misunderstanding about the email. I thought it might be awkward seeing the owner, but knowing the kind of guy he is I also knew he'd take the high road. Turns out he wasn't there. The culinary and pastry chefs ran the combined orientation, which was a lot less formal than the dead serious meeting my culinary class had a year ago to kick off our journey. It was hard not to notice the difference. The new culinary class doesn't even get their own knife set. They'll be using school knives.
It was a bit of a shock to discover that the program had, in fact, been slashed as much as I'd originally thought. I stayed calm while there and since then have been thinking about what I want to do about it. Now that Christmas is over and the program is coming up, I have made my decision, and a lot of it breaks down into numbers and getting my money's worth.
The tuition for the full-time program (five days/30 hours per week) was $14,000. It's a lot of money, but having already been through a full-time program at this school, I know they spare no expense, so I felt like I would be getting my money's worth. The summer baking and pastry program was three days per week and tuition was $6,500. Now for three days per week, I'd be paying $9,000. I felt like a true full-time program was worth $14,000. But paying $9,000 after the hours were slashed by more than half...not so much.
The school also has a baking program that meets once a week for 20 weeks and the tuition is $2,500. So I decided that if full-time isn't an option, I'd rather pay a reasonable amount for a part time program and so have switched to the once a week program. It's a massive letdown, a massive disappointment. Like I told the owner during that embarrassing phone call, I was looking forward to immersing myself in the program. 13-1/2 hours per week, especially after being in a full-time program, isn't immersing.
I'm really disappointed. I waited six months for this. I was the first person who signed up. I don't know who these students were they supposedly got feedback from who indicated that part-time would be preferable to full-time in a full-time program. Plus it's only a six month program, not the two year commitment like other culinary schools. If you're so committed to something, can't you dedicate a mere six months to it? I'm just so bummed. I was so looking forward to this, so to have it taken away to appease other students (especially after the fiasco about the email) just really rankles.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Well done, NYR & NYR fans
The New York Rangers and their awesome fans observed a moment of silence last night for the two NYPD officers killed in the line of duty by some worthless piece of crap the other day. Love the applause for the NYPD color guard. Also, heck of an anthem singer.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Christmas post - The wonderful Silent Monks
I've been posting this one for years. Because it's awesome!
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Christmas post - Christmas with Mommie Dearest
I've posted this before, but it's so damn surreal. Listen to how grown-up Christina sounds, even though she's only ten.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Christmas post - Merry Punjabi Christmas!
I've been posting this pretty much every December for the past few years. This was apparently a promo produced a few years ago by Nick Jr., part of the Nickelodeon family of networks. It's strangely hypnotic and addictive.
Jingle all the way!!!
Jingle all the way!!!
Monday, December 8, 2014
Bouchercon 2014 final wrap-up
My Bouchercon posts have been updated with some panel pics and a Friday panel that got left off the original post. All my Bouchercon and Long Beach pics are here on Flickr.
I had such a great time at Bouchercon, in downtown Long Beach and at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel, it's kind of hard to believe it was over three weeks ago that it was over and done with and I was back home. Right now I'm debating next year, which is in Raleigh, North Carolina, because I need to coordinate it with Writers' Police Academy, which has just announced they're not going to be in NC next year, but have yet to announce when and where they will be. But I would like to go. I wish it could be in Long Beach every year. Such a great location.
Since Bouchercon relocates every year, they plan waaaaaaay in advance, so much so that they've already set the next four events:
Raleigh, NC (October 8-11, 2015)
New Orleans, LA (September 15-18, 2016)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (October 12-15, 2017)
St. Petersburg, FL (September 13-16, 2018)
I can't recommend this convention enough. If you're a fan of mystery and thrillers - anything from whimsical cozies to hard boiled crime, from amateur sleuths to jaded PI's and detectives - Bouchercon has you covered.
My Bouchercon posts: Murder at the Beach: Bouchercon - a quick look, Day 1 recap, Day 2 recap, Day 3 recap.
I had such a great time at Bouchercon, in downtown Long Beach and at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel, it's kind of hard to believe it was over three weeks ago that it was over and done with and I was back home. Right now I'm debating next year, which is in Raleigh, North Carolina, because I need to coordinate it with Writers' Police Academy, which has just announced they're not going to be in NC next year, but have yet to announce when and where they will be. But I would like to go. I wish it could be in Long Beach every year. Such a great location.
Since Bouchercon relocates every year, they plan waaaaaaay in advance, so much so that they've already set the next four events:
Raleigh, NC (October 8-11, 2015)
New Orleans, LA (September 15-18, 2016)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (October 12-15, 2017)
St. Petersburg, FL (September 13-16, 2018)
I can't recommend this convention enough. If you're a fan of mystery and thrillers - anything from whimsical cozies to hard boiled crime, from amateur sleuths to jaded PI's and detectives - Bouchercon has you covered.
My Bouchercon posts: Murder at the Beach: Bouchercon - a quick look, Day 1 recap, Day 2 recap, Day 3 recap.
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