I find that people (read: me) don't often celebrate their accomplishments enough, often focusing more on what went wrong or what we haven't done yet. It can be seen as braggy – I touched on this in a previous blog post about imposter syndrome!
So, to combat this stigma, I thought I would tell you about a recent achievement that I'm very proud of, one that has been knocking around in my head for a long time and that has finally
become a reality.
Earlier this month, for my last day at my alternance for my CAP Cuisine, I had the honor of hosting an English workshop and brunch at La Quille wine bar in Mulhouse, France. Embarking on such a drastic career change was definitely a gamble, but the reason why I transitioned from a fairly cushy gig teaching English to studying the culinary arts was because I knew that one day, I would find a way to marry the two. My ultimate dream is to host guests at retreats where we immerse ourselves in the language (either English or French), take cooking classes, eat delicious food, visit local artisans and discover the rich culture of Alsace. Baby steps are key, and I knew one accessible way to advance towards this goal would be to combine all the knowledge I've accumulated after almost 10 years of teaching in different capacities with the new culinary techniques I've just spent a whole year refining.
Something I've learned after five years of teaching English in France is that opportunities to practice English regularly with native speakers – or even other interested and willing participants – are not always readily available. I often hear students say they want to improve, but in my opinion, the only way to really do so is to speak. I wanted to offer something unique, beyond the usual academic situations or weekly language exchanges over a drink in a local bar (even though these options are nonetheless very worthy). Living in France has really shown me that sharing a good meal together can create such wonderful connections and break down barriers and nerves. It certainly did for me.
So, in less than three weeks, I planned my English workshop and brunch hybrid. I convinced my boss, came up with the menu with nods to the many American brunches I've enjoyed in the past, created the visuals and copy to promote the event, planned the activities, scored 10 reservations, cooked everything from A to Z, and successfully hosted (in my humble opinion) my Brunch à l'Américaine on a sunny Saturday morning smack-dab in the middle of August vacation.
What made the event so successful? Definitely the people. The group of mulhousiens that were brave enough to sign up through Instagram were all around the same age, with varying levels of English but all open-minded and willing to try. There were no awkward moments (apart from my own awkward jokes) and everyone played along to perfection. They practically didn't even need all my activities and games to keep the conversation rolling and to foster real connections. It was a dream come true. And the food was pretty good too! For my first solo venture, I was proud of how everything turned out, and I learned a lot for the future.
This won't be the last event that I'll be hosting, mark my words! I'll be looking now for other spots in Mulhouse that would be willing to partner with me for more English workshops paired with delicious food. I'm imagining fun themes, both in the discussion topics and the menus.
Stay tuned, and let me know what you think!
MENU
Shared plates
Pink lemonade with watermelon
Mimosas, freshly squeezed orange juice
Mom's granola, yogurt, fresh fruit
Trout gravlax, berry vinaigrette, lemon and dill whipped cream
Banana bread, cardamom, almond butter
Corn muffins, jalapeño, cheese
Main dish
Eggs Benedict on homemade biscuits, bacon or roasted eggplant, hollandaise
ACTIVITIES
Ice breaker: Speed dating with conversation cards
Game: Mad Gab
Discussion questions: About their experience with English, about languages in general, about cross-cultural stereotypes
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