I feel torn...

[Mika]

Tobs I've heard of your amazing cooking skills- and I think well whatever makes you happpy do that- but... you should show people that you like culinary arts- from what I've heard they'd be really really impressed anywho! hope it all works out!

-Mika

[Ming]

I think that you're all misunderstanding what Tobs means here. Being his brother, and part of that evil family that wants to destroy his happiness, let me clarify a few things.

Tobs doesn't seem to have a problem letting people know that he's into culinary, and I think that's where the misunderstanding comes from. When he said 'privately', I think he used the wrong choice of words. What we have noticed is that if has such a passion for this, he would be practicing it more. Not to bash on my baby bro, but when he comes home, he goes downstairs and fires up the computer, or he goes upstairs and fires up his Gameboy. Unless he is asked, he doesn't really cook anything when he's at home. Not that this is bad, but wouldn't you think that someone so passionate about this would jump at every opportunity to get in the kitchen and cook something? Again, not that I'm bashing my brother, but this is what bothers my parents and myself. We want to make sure that culinary is what he REALLY wants to do, and not that he's being influenced/pressured by teachers, etc. Yes, he IS a good cook, but we're not entirely convinced that that is what he TRULY wants to do. We want to make sure that this culinary thing is not an out because deep down, Tobs knows that he is good at it, but doesn't want to challenge himself in anything else.

Also, being the business person that I am (or am becoming) I must look toward the future, and more importantly toward reality. Its easy to tell someone to do the thing that they love, but that may not be at all entirely realistic in life. Yes, you would be doing that which you love, but you have to weigh how much you love it and you have to look at the fact that it is VERY difficult to become a chef that makes GOOD money. Most high end, experienced chefs only make the salary that I will most likely get right out of college. When all is said and done, if you can't pay your bills, you're not going to be very happy. And you must realize that the hours professional chefs put in can be compared to "living hell". You will, very likely, have NO time for yourself.

We also would like Tobs to realize that he can ALWAYS go to culinary school. Why not get a good degree to fall back on FIRST, then you can go to whatever school you want to learn whatever you want. And if you find out that you don't like culinaray anymore, you have something to fall back on. If you go to JWU, you're not going to have this option, which again, is why we just want to make sure that that is REALLY, TRULY what you want. If you decide half-way that you don't like this stuff anymore, you have to start all the way from the beginning, because cooking credits don't transfer anywhere.

How do I know all this? Because I was thinking along this route also, and I blame myself sometimes for getting Tobs into the predicament, because if I never would have started that culinary club at school, we wouldn't be in this mess.

I've said my peace. Please realize that my parents and I just want to make sure that Tobs sets himself up for the best future possible. If he really wants to go to culinary school, then we will stand behind him 100%, we're just not completely convinced that that is what HE wants to do.

Sorry this was so long...

~Ming