Back in Vancouver again, and there won't be too many more of these days. Only 5 weeks left in Alaska! Well we received the highest rating again for our restaurant and are number one in the whole fleet. We even received a little party to celebrate how well we have done. It has been quite intense here over the last couple of weeks. We are preparing for another US inspection, and for the corporate inspection before we cross the Pacific to Hawaii.

I have to say that one thing I find interesting still is the difference in cultures I see every day. For one, a lot of the guys will put food on a plate, and then just eat it with there hands. I'm talking like rice and stir fry. And the fork is right there next to them. They all tell me to eat more rice because and I quote, "A serving of rice a day will keep you healthy and looking young." They said that is why all of the Filipinos look in their 20's but are closer to 40.

I was talking to the Chef about different things I have learned here since I started. One was how to make magic. Not in the sense of card tricks and disappearing people, but how to make something work if you don't have what you need. Don't have enough butter for the beurre blanc, a cornstarch slurry and extra cream can make something reminiscent of it. A lot of times we don't get what we need and we have to "mafia" or steal/borrow something from another department. I am now the #1 mafia man on the ship. I don't have a choice because my order for 1 lime, 2 pints of berries, or 1# of cheese won't get approved. So I have to roam the lines and go shopping for what I need. It is accepted though, that my position in the restaurant requires this action. I did however get involved in the Great Butter Heist this passed week. The Garde Manger guy needed 16 # of butter and I needed about 4#, so we waited until the delivery had been made to the bakery of 60#. We then used our aprons as bags and loaded up on butter. It was fun to have a teammate help out with this thievery.

I have really learned the importance of self control in the kitchen. I know it is very easy to lose control in the kitchen and start yelling and giving a lot of attitude to people. A lot of effort is needed in order to stay calm. This also allows everyone to respect you more. I definitely started out here with out any control, and I would get angry at people for doing something the wrong way. Now I know better, and feel better because of it. A lot of the people I work with either don't know or don't care. I do my best to turn both of those the other way around.

Some more interesting points of note this week: the ship I am one cost $350 million, as was pointed out in a letter to the crew that stated that we don't take care of the public crew areas. I lost my voice over the last couple of days (how can I call for service of a fired table?). I work the buffet breakfast line every once in awhile when they get slammed upstairs. I usually cook the eggs to order station. I wanted to say thank you CIA and Breakfast Cookery. I mean I would have been screwed for cooking the eggs here had I not practiced it so much at school. And while roaming around Ketchikan I saw the salmon swimming upstream, and what a sight it was.

Well I continue on my journey through Alaska, and then on to the crossing. 11 weeks left until I return. It has been a great experience so far, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

This is where I get to cook!

That's a lot of salmon swimming upstream.