Topic: What Jamie Oliver, aka The Naked Chef, can teach us about society
I want to start this post with a picture of John Taylor Gatto (you need to click on this link actually, then click on the pic to enlarge), one of the most well-known critics of contemporary schooling alive today. I just received this image from a newsletter I receive about alternative education. Now…take a look carefully at the table. You’ll notice there’s a book. Yes, it’s upside down, but if you look closely, you might make out the title. “COLLEGE DAZE,” um yeah…that’s my book! Yeah, gotta love getting excited over nothing important, but I’m one of those people who enjoys seeing their name in print sometimes, and it’s not every day a little self-published writer like myself randomly sees their book photographed next to one of his heroes (yeah…it’s strange when your hero is just an old angry Italian guy like Gatto). This is almost as exciting as when Hardball, the CNBC show w/ Chris Matthews was filmed on my college campus during the 2004 debates, and there I was in the background, waving COLLEGE DAZE all around. The only person I know who was watching was my mom, and her excitement was revealed in this statement, “Daniel, you need to get a haircut.” That’s the last time I try to get myself on tv!
Speaking of tv, last night 60 Minutes did an interesting piece on Jamie Oliver, the English Chef who is known for his cooking shows and books, “The Naked Chef,” naked not because he is, but because he considers his ingredients and recipes to be naked, exposed, easy to put together.
Jamie Oliver grew up dislexic, and was a special needs student growing up. He told stories of how he got picked on in school everytime they pulled him out of class. It’s both a nice “fuck you” story to all those who not just doubted him, but who might have crippled him as a person when he was younger, as well as a note of inspiration to young people who aren’t straight A students w/ a clear path into law, or medicine, or some of the other obvious big money successful by societies standards professions.
A few years ago, Jamie decided to open a philanthropic restaurant. The purpose was not to make money (by that point he had pleanty) but to help “at-risk” young people find an out from their spiralling out of control lives. The restaurant, called 15, is named after the 15 apprentices he takes on every year. He puts them through grueling experiences where slackers are told to “piss off,” but for those who seize the opportunity, they are given the skills to become chefs in some of the top restaurants in the world.
It’s a great story, and there’s nothing surprising about it. It’s a special story because who wouldn’t love the opportunity for a 1-yr. apprenticeship with a famous chef? The funny moral of the story I get is that the best way to succeed in life, is to first cause a lot of trouble. Only then can you get yourself into a meaningful educational experience that can get you going for life.
I love the idea of the apprenticeship, and it’s interesting to me how the idea is so foreign or outdated in modern American culture. (I recall meeting someone from Switerland while travelling abroad who told me how at 15 almost it’s quite common for people to find an apprenticeship.)
In other news, I followed up my amazing hike on Sat., with an urban hike on Sun. Starting from Penn Station, I began walking sounth down 7th Ave., through Chelsea, W. Village, TriBeCa, Wall Street, and onwards. I passed by the World Trade Center, where there was a calming silence amongst the tourists. I passed by brunchers, and dog-walkers. Down to Battery Park, I passed by those carrying suitcases containing knock-off sunglasses, Rolexes, and purses. These people sat in a line, 20 to 30 in a row, looking to sell and hiding their goods in identical cardboard boxes and bedsheets to avoid arrest from the poilce. Grabbed a view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and then up the east side of the city, passed City Hall, passed the bussling South Street sea Port, and over the Brooklyn Bridge, full of awesome views of the city, and tons of people also enjoying the great weather.
Into Brooklyn and onwards, at this point not quite sure where I was, or where I was heading. Down Atlantic Avenue, past cafes with quiet gardens in the back, past some of the Cosby brownstone apartments, around Park Slope, and to Grand Army Plaza, the entrance to Prospect Park. I was happy to reach this point, as my feet were in a bit of pain, having trekked about 8 miles in sandals that were not appropriate for such a hike. I entered the park, barefoot, my first time there, and was in love with its openness, the kite flyers, wiffle ball playing, picnicing, introspective writers and readers.
I’ve always been a fan of quotes and stories with interesting morals, and I’m reminded of this random encounter I had in St. Louis last year with this jazz musician, James Matthews who happend to be on my college campus. At the time, I was sort of floating around the country via Greyhound, and he had spent a great deal of time in the ’60′s heading out to the west coast for jazz shows. And he said to me, “When you go, you know.”
When you go, you know. Walking, hiking, cars, buses, trains, planes, it doesn’t matter. I love travel, I love going.
Que divertido!
