1. Professional appearance
2. Clarity of voice and articulation
3. Reasons stated as to why you are going to be a great English teacher
4. Learning more about you as a person (i.e. interests & hobbies)

1. State your full name and what you prefer to be called
2. Wear what you would wear to a professional job interview
3. Provide some details on what you do in your free time & your interests
4. Insight into any teaching experience or working with kids
5. Why you think you'd be a valuable teacher
6. What excites you about working for CDL/living in Korea

1. Create a YouTube account, if you haven't already
2. Click the "upload" button on the top right corner of your home page
3. You may choose to upload a file already on your computer, directly upload your video to YouTube using a Webcam (we've found the direct upload to YouTube on Webcam to be more reliable for this) or upload a video from Mobile
4. Make sure your video is public (not private) and then send the link to your intro directly to your Recruiter who will let you know once you can take it down!

When I was teaching English and living in China, one Sunday morning I woke up with a craving for eggs and bacon. I decided to splurge on a western brunch at an American style cafe in my neighborhood. Sometimes living abroad, there is nothing more comforting than eating what mom would make. But I quickly realized, although the eggs were delicious, they weren’t quite as satisfying as I’d imagined.

I remember Frank Sinatra was playing in the background, but I could barely hear him as people outside chattered loudly in a language that was (and still is) indiscernible to my years. Some call Cantonese the “bird language” because it’s like singing. Every other word ends with “la.” My ears were acutely attuned to the buzzing harmony of the incomprehensible words floating back and forth and my eyes kept wandering, as I looked out the large glass windows that wrapped around the cafe. In nearby Chinese eateries, the sidewalks were chock full of people sitting on tiny plastic stools, eating and gathering the aroma and taste of fried foods and steaming hot noodles. These smells and tastes stick to clothes like perfume and linger in the mouth for hours.

There were seemingly innumerable characters around me, on signs that I couldn’t read. I couldn’t read much on the faces of those next to me either. They all seemed to hold a similar look of dazed contentment. Perhaps, I thought, there is nothing more fulfilling then a bowl of simple, inexpensive food.

Suddenly, my plate of eggs, bacon and toast seemed delicately and absurdly presented on white porcelain. My fork seemed awkward and heavy. My coffee cup seemed too fragile. I realized, I preferred the light movements that only a pair of chopsticks can make. I preferred sweet milk tea served in a thick plastic mug. I was officially “in love” with Chinese cuisine.

Rather than be alone at that moment, I would have liked to be with a loud family or a rowdy group of friends, spinning multiple dishes around the table on a lovely round disc-a lazy Susan that graces the table of most traditional Chinese restaurants. When one dish becomes “boring,” there’s always more to try. Spin, taste, share, spin, taste, share-that’s the fluid movement of the Chinese dining experience. In the west we hoard our individual plates, as though they are pocessions. But good food is a delight meant to be shared in China!

I missed the burning sensation of “la jiao” or hot red chili peppers, from the Sichuan restaurants, that leave your mouth numb but your stomach satisfied. Even in the most humble restaurants, you never have to ask for extra spices or sauces because the food is always spicy or flavorful enough when it’s served to you. It’s perfectly acceptable to holler good naturedly at the waitress to bring more food, spit out the bones and drink your soup, slurping your noodles with wild abandon. Your server never asks how everything is, and there’s seldom a complaint. Everything is made just how it should be-traditionally and with great care.

I suspect there’s rarely a culinary school graduate operating these tiny neighborhood joints. For these “dives,” instead of proper training, the Chinese cooking methods are passed down from generation to generation, almost like an inheritance or a gene. The cooks I met in China grew up eating the same simple dishes that they now prepare for their customers every day.

For most urban Chinese, eating out is a weekly ritual and not intensely dissimilar from eating at home; it’s casual, comfortable, communal and simplistic. To dine out is not an escape from your apartment. Rather, it’s an inviting hour or two, eating in an area similar to your own kitchen. With an oven-like interior, in most cozy Chinese eateries, the dining space is not much bigger than a city apartment’s kitchen. Eating out, night after night, in the same cheap neighborhood places is a ritualistic, collective activity and a simple pleasure.

In Southern China, I found that the most basic treats are the most inspiring. Restuarant workers stand, armed with metal tongs, watching over the plastic cases filled with dim sum, a series of tiny (but hearty) culinary treats prepared in small wooden baskets. Cha shao bao, sweet barbeque pork surrounded by a fluffy white bun, is less than two or three Chinese dollars for a small bag and is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In China, with the exception of fancy dishes like Peking duck, there are no labels that dictate what acceptable breakfast, lunch or dinner fare is. Everything is open for interpretation. You can have noodles for breakfast, a whole fish (including head) loaded with garlic and hot peppers for lunch and a basic soup with chicken feet for dinner. Speaking of chicken feet, I detest the rubbery skin and the sickening crunch of bird talons in my mouth but I like the idea that nothing is off limits. In the Canton region, it’s said that everything is edible. I’ve tried donkey, pigeon and snake (I won’t be repeating those meals but it was fun to try)! Cantonese food has been labeled the most popular cuisine in all of China, which means the Chinese may be the most adventerous eaters in the world!

So on that Sunday, as I sat in my leather chair, with my typical western brunch, coffee and English language magazine, I realized there was nothing I would miss more about China than Chinese food. I was right. It’s an amazing cultural experience. But it’s also simply put “hen hao chi” (very good food)!

By Dan Jacobson

It’s that time.  I remember my first year in Japan learning what Christmas meant there.  In Japan Christmas is more of a romantic holiday.  Couples are meant to spend time together.  KFC (yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken) is popular - so popular you have to order in advance and then wait in lines one would expect to see at Disney to pick up your food.  Christmas lights and decorations are very popular.  Gift giving is becoming more popular.  Christmas cake and delivery pizza is also huge.  It’s just enough to make you miss Christmas at home.

The more celebrated holiday is New Year.  New Year is something to experience, and it’s one of several things that you can only appreciate by living there.  On a normal Tokyo day there are millions and millions of people out working, eating, and shopping.  For the first three days of the year all this stops so completely that I could easily imagine what the post-apocalypse would feel like.  It’s a ghost town.  Everything closes.  Absolutely everything.  Things that you thought couldn’t close, close.  ATM’s close.  Grocery stores close.  I know people who had to borrow money because they didn’t realize the impossible nature of getting anything done during the New Year holiday.  In more recent years, some stores and banks are changing this trend, but the transformation is still startling.  It’s meant to be three or four days at home, relaxing with friends and family.

It’s hard to be away from family at this time, but there are things to do and experience.   One Christmas I went out with friends to karaoke to sing Christmas songs.  We started about 3:00 o’clock and the day was sunny, bright, and cold.  We came out and it was dark and snowing.  There were two to three inches of snow on the ground, so of course there was a giant snowball fight.  It was an amazing amount of fun.  I would get strange and wonderful gifts from students.  One student gave me stamps so I could send Christmas cards.  Pens and towels were popular gifts, or fruit.  We went to Ginza one year - a restaurant was having a turkey dinner, buffet style.  I went to a church service one year with my friend Gail in Shinagawa.  I was able to find elements of what I loved about Christmas: spending time with friends, gifts, food, and lights. 

I grew to love the New Year holiday almost as much as Christmas.  I lived next to Soujiji in Tsurumi, one of the larger temples in Japan.  New Year holiday my wife and I would watch special New Year’s TV shows then go out to the temple around midnight.  There was almost a festival atmosphere at the temple.  There were all my favorite festival foods.  Potatoes and butter.  Corn on the cob.  Grilled chicken on skewers.  We stood in line to say a quiet prayer and threw some change in the donation box (someone told me to wear a hood as it gets crowded and people try to throw money from a distance - he did it one year and collected 300 yen meant for the temple).  The next two days we spent eating, drinking and sleeping.  It’s a time a relaxation you rarely get to see in Japan.  My mother-in-law always made it a point to cook something amazing - crab legs one year that were so good I almost cried.  My grandmother-in-law made mame mochi, mochi with beans in it that I came to crave and can eat an embarrassing amount of.  If you live in the Chicago area, the Japanese grocery (Mitsuwa) in Arlington Heights makes mochi around New Year’s.  My father-in-law always gave me a bottle of sake, which I always insisted he help me drink.  One year, feeling especially lazy, my wife and I slept on the sofa in the living room where we woke up late, ate snacks, and watched the ekiden.  The ekiden is a relay marathon run by university students that goes from Hakone to Tokyo.

I did miss my family and the more traditional elements of the American holiday season and there really is no substitute.  I have that back now, and find myself thinking back to Japan around this time and missing it. 

For those overseas - enjoy this holiday season, because of the differences or in spite of them.  

Happy Holidays!

by Dan Jacobson

Not many people realized what’s involved when they apply to teach overseas.  Things are done in stages, there is a bit more work to do (you are going thousands of miles away for a year or more) than applying for your average 9 to 5 office job.  Here’s what’s involved and how you can be better prepared than others…

First is the initial application.  You’ve thought about it - you’ve wanted to do something different for awhile.  You have a degree, you’ve had most (if not all) of your education in English and you’ve talked it over with family and friends.  You apply through Aclipse.net.  How to do it better:

With any resume, you want to customize it to the job.  So highlight your experience teaching, training, tutoring or coaching.  Studied abroad?  Put it on there.  Customer service experience is a plus, especially if the company is famous for it.  English or Education major?  Go to a great school?  Put it in there!  Volunteer work is another thing I look for, add bonus points if it’s with children.  Don’t have any of this?  I didn’t when I applied so I wrote a cover letter that allowed a bit more of my personality through.  I wrote about the company and I think that and my enthusiasm trumped my lack of experience.  So many times I’ve interviewed someone who had some great experience with kids or teaching and it’s not on their resume.

You’ve been contacted to interview with Aclipse!  Call to book your interview.  How to do it better:

The number one mistake here is to treat a phone interview more casually than a face to face interview.  Treat all interviews with equal care and you won’t have problems.  For a phone interview, be someplace quiet, have a great cell connection or give us a landline number if possible.  We usually send some position information, review it before the interview so you can be well informed.  If it’s not a perfect match let us know and we can talk about positions that better match what you are looking for. 

You’ve made it through the Aclipse screening and can submit an application to a program!  How to do it better:

Timing is so important here.  There is always a deadline to submit by and the initial application shouldn’t take too long.  Try to submit it as soon as possible, things might get delayed overseas.  Positions can fill quickly.  A fast return on your application here is so important.  You can prepare some documents early to make this even easier.  Copy and scan your passport photo page (a lot of employers ask for that) so it’s ready to send.  Employers in Asia might ask for a photo since they don’t have the benefit of a face to face interview.  Have a picture that best represents you - professional yet friendly.  I’ve seen a lot of strange submissions for this:  people in bars drinking beer, group photos and photos that were a little too…revealing.  You might want to make a few changes again and make an objective specific to the program you are applying for.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help here.  All Aclipse recruiters have international experience and can make a few simple suggestions that will make your resume stand out and increase your chances of getting an offer.  We’ll work with you

You got an offer!  It’s time to collect visa documents.  How to do it better:

Have some official transcripts (at least 2, 3 if you’re Canadian) ready to go.  Background checks vary greatly from country to country, so check the instructions we’ll send you.  If you want to teach in Korea, look into how to get an apostille from the Secretary of State’s office.  Look into where the closest consulate for your host country is, you’ll need to visit or at least mail things there.

You got your visa, bought your ticket and you’re ready to go!  Remember to drop us a line and let us know how you are settling in. 

With some simple preparation you can make the process a lot easier on yourself and really increase your chances of getting an offer.  Two weeks into your new adventure and you’ll forget all the work you put into getting there. 

by Misty Crooks

To explain what I learned teaching overseas, I always tell two experiences.  When I arrived at Narita Airport, just outside of Tokyo, I hadn’t slept for about 25 hours.  It’s a loooooong flight.  I was disoriented and jet lagged and so exhausted I wasn’t even nervous.  The person from my school who met me at the airport gave me a bus ticket and told me to find the bus stop.  There I was, alone at the airport.  I tried to ask a woman at a help desk, but I had almost no Japanese, and she had almost no English.  I ventured outside to try and find the bus stop.  I found something I thought was it, but I was so tired I didn’t really care. I never knew you could be that exhausted.  An old man shuffled up and kind of stared at me.  A bus pulled up and the driver got off.  The old man gently tugged my ticket out of my hand and started talking to the bus driver.  Again, I was too tired to protest or be alarmed.  The man turned back to me, handed me back the ticket, made the okay sign with his thumb and finger, and said, “Okay”.

That’s how I started in Japan.  But it wasn’t just the unexpected kindnesses I encountered so many times that makes that time special.  Japan strengthened me.  It forced me to do things I wasn’t sure I could do.  It made me stronger, more confident, more at ease with myself. 

Every little thing was work.  Before I went to buy a tv, I sat down and looked up words in my dictionary, wrote down phrases I might need, practiced them, tried to commit them to memory.  It was an all day affair.  When the store called me a few days later to schedule a delivery time, I successfully arranged it.  I was so excited.  The first time I ordered pizza over the phone, I was so proud.  One day, after I had been there a while, I did my monthly trip to the post office to wire money back to the US.  My number was called, and I went up to the counter and explained what I needed in Japanese.  The woman was surprised and we did the whole process in Japanese.  She understood me and I understood her.  She kept watching me with an impressed smile on her face. 

My students taught me more than I taught them.  At least, they taught me more important things.  I discovered that people who look so ordinary have done and seen amazing things.  I met so many interesting worlds in all those students.  A 50 year old housewife went hiking with wine and chocolate every weekend.  A genteel mother of two young children opened up to me about her fiercely held political views.  An arrogant surgeon almost broke down when telling about a patient he lost.  A guy who seemed standoffish turned out to have intense chronic back pain from a car accident.  The 12 year old who always looked miserable lit up when talking about swimming and his dream of being a coach.  I learned that everyone is worth getting to know.    

When I was finally leaving Japan, I went to the airport by myself.  I wanted to be alone with Japan.  That’s the only way I know how to describe it.  I got a van service to the airport.  I was the first one in and the driver was an English student.  We chatted a bit.  His English really wasn’t very good, and I was a bit too emotional to feel like talking, but I kept up what conversation I could.  One more English lesson, I figured.  Other people got in and it got pretty crowded.  We stopped at a rest area on the way to the airport to stretch our legs.  This was also where we were supposed to pay the driver.  I went up to him with my yen in hand, and he acted very odd and positioned himself so the other passengers couldn’t see.  He then said, “You no pay.  Because you are teacher, and people like you help me.  So ride is free.  No pay.  You teacher.”  Yep, one more lesson, but not about English.    

In a recent www.experience.com survey, a whopping 85 percent of Gen Y indicated they were interested in relocating inside the country (USA), and 70 percent even said they’d consider moving abroad if presented with the right opportunity. 

Seventy percent would consider moving abroad! 

I found that right opportunity just over 12 years ago when I accepted a teaching position in Japan.  I won’t bore you with all the details and the “great things I did” living in Tokyo, you can read about that in another blog or two found here on this very website.  But, I would like to share my thoughts, and hopefully some of yours with your kind responses, on the value of living overseas and being a foreigner. 

I miss being a foreigner. 

Huh? 

Yeah, I said it and I admit it.  I miss learning something new everyday.  I am on automatic pilot here in Chicago.  Everything is in English.  The announcements on the trains and buses are all in English.  I miss that feeling of “Hey, I’m not in Kansas anymore.”  I miss realizing that I’ve seen the same kanji (Chinese characters) for years and now I realize what it means through its use in an ad on the train.  Sure, I still study Japanese but it’s just not the same - one hour every Tuesday night in a coffee shop vs. 24/7 and living in Tokyo.

Then there are the career opportunities that open up once you are teaching overseas.  I never saw myself as a teacher.  Never in a million years did I think I had the patience.  I taught for close to 7 years and loved it! 

On May 12, 2003 I found out that I passed the in-house interview for a recruiting position overseas and on June 30 I left Japan and moved to Chicago.  Wow, after countless Sayonara parties I found myself living in Chicago and working with one other colleague - the same gent who interviewed me in Boston back in 1996.  I left Tokyo and working with dozens of other co-workers who were always ready, willing and able to go out at the drop of a hat after work and found myself in a city I knew very little about and working with one other person.  But Hey, I’m a recruiter now.  This is a new side of the company and I’m ready for it!

Where did I ever summon such confidence? Hmmm…

Five and half years later, I find myself settled in Chicago (300 miles from where I grew up - which is nice).  As a teacher I was rewarded daily with compliments and happy faces from students.  “Wow,” I’d say to myself.  “I really feel like I’m making a difference in this world.”  As a recruiter, I still say that.  But instead of happy students I have the opportunity to assist others, like me back in ‘96, in teaching overseas.  I know I don’t have all the answers, but I know that sometimes you may just want to talk to a “real” person as opposed to pressing buttons for 5 minutes with these damn automated voice messages or whatever you call them. You know what I mean.

All this leads me to the job fair I attended on October 9 in Washington, D.C.  Sure, I’ve attended dozens and dozens of fairs over the past 5+ years as a recruiter, but this particular fair was at Peace Corps headquarters and all the participants were returnees, if you will, from a 2-year stint in the Peace Corps. 

I was like a kid in a candy store.

Sure, other fairs I attended were great.  I’ve recruited some great people from fairs from Minnesota to Texas, Ohio to Iowa, and they all found themselves in Asia.  But this being my first Peace Corps job fair - I must say it was a very nice feeling knowing that every person I spoke to had a degree (a minimum Bachelor’s degree is required to obtain a work visa for most jobs overseas teaching English) and had spent at least 2 years overseas. 

Time flew by at the fair and before I knew it was time to pack up.  It certainly did not feel like work.  These candidates spent years in Fiji, Guatemala, Columbia, Russia - you name the place and they were there.  Most of them stayed the 2 years and never even came home to visit at all!  There was little or no running water in some cases, and no other English speakers in the town/village in most cases. 

“Wow,” I thought to myself.  “If these people can spend two years in the Peace Corps, they can do anything!”

I was very surprised to hear from several candidates that now that they were back in corporate America, they were asked, “Why would you want to put your life on hold for two years?”

This had never entered my mind.

Let’s see…is it the new language that I can speak?

No.

Is it the fact that I have returned after two years a much better person?

No.

Is it the confidence I have that I thought I already had?

No.

Is it the bullet on my resume that shows I am adaptable, resourceful and willing to commit to something for 2 years?

No.

It must be the international experience, right?

It’s all of those things wrapped up in one!

There are only positive things that can come out of living overseas for a long period of time.  If I put my life on hold for 7 years, then I’d be looking for a job myself right now.  Yet, I am doing something very different than I was when I worked in Japan from 1996 - 2003.

I am still learning something new everyday and on October 9, 2008, I learned that those candidates I met at the Peace Corps job fair in D.C. are dedicated, hard-working, committed, adaptable, resourceful and all-out great people - just like all the other wonderful teachers now in China, Japan and South Korea that Aclipse has sent overseas.

So there you have it.

Put your life on hold? 

To me, putting your life on hold is when nothing gets done.  You know what I mean. 

Peace out.

by Dan Jacobson with help from Nicole Ostrowski and Misty Crooks

It’s been a busy couple of weeks.  I had the chance to attend two international opportunities events (similar to career fairs but focused, obviously, on international opportunities) one at Michigan State University and the other at University of Michigan.  I learned that Michigan State is the number one public school for study abroad programs.  I sat down with some students at Michigan State to talk about Aclipse and their experiences overseas.  I was amazed - half the room had been overseas to study and were looking forward to having an opportunity to work abroad after graduation.  I got to hear about China, Japan and Brazil.  We talked about home stay families and the challenges learning a new language.  It was great meeting people who had travelled abroad, and it started me thinking about several reasons why now is one of the best times to go.

You can’t turn on the TV, read a magazine or check out the news online without hearing about the economy.  Unemployment is on the rise and everyone seems to be waiting to see what effect the government bailout(s) will have.  As a result, I’ve noticed we are seeing a shift in where our applicants are coming from.  Once dominated by liberal arts majors, I’m seeing people with finance and accounting backgrounds starting to apply in greater numbers.  It’s great to have such a diverse group of candidates and every background can bring something new and fresh into the classroom.  You can escape the madness of a bad economy and come back when things improve.  Plus you’ll have an experience on your resume that will definitely set you apart.

Especially in Korea, there is a real opportunity to save money.  The Korean government has gotten behind English education, and they’re putting their money where their mouth is.  Not only is the income tax in Korea around 5%, but public schools also allow to you claim US residency, which means you are exempt from paying Korean income taxes.  If you take a look at the contracts schools in Korea are offering, the benefits end up being impressive compared to your typical US job offer.  Basically, they either cover many of your relocation or daily living costs, or they pay you enough so that you can cover them comfortably.  Imagine in a bad economy making enough to live very well and still save money.  Imagine coming home with student loans paid off or enough to put a down payment on a new car.  Imagine coming home with thousands of dollars as well as a new language, leadership skills, and contacts from around the world.      

And not all the benefits can be quantified numerically.  I got to learn a lot about myself going overseas.  I learned that I need to practice a presentation several times to get it right.  I learned that in the classroom I could read people and know when they didn’t understand even if they didn’t speak up.  I learned (the hard way) to balance authority and friendliness.  There is a real opportunity in the classroom to learn about your strengths and address your weaknesses, which will only help in your next job/job search.  

There is a real opportunity to make a difference in the world.  How many jobs have you had where you can make that claim?  It didn’t happen everyday, but there was no better feeling then when a student came to me to say they scored high enough on the TOEFL  to attend university overseas.  Or someone who got a lot more out of their vacation to Australia because of my lesson.  A kid fails a test and knows his parents will be disappointed.  There’s your chance to help him regain some confidence in other areas.  I remember one student telling me she had realized she wasn’t happy with her life, and she decided to veer off her chosen path.  We were the way she started to do that.  To support people in changing their lives, to see people opening up and learning, to read the notes when I left that told me what a difference I made.  These are the things I feel most proud of.

Finally, the best reason to go right now is the same reason that I went 6 years ago - it’s a chance to see a new part of the world.  I was sitting in a cubicle in a job that I was completely indifferent to and probably stayed too long at for fear of making a dramatic change in my life.  Once I started looking at jobs and opportunities overseas, I was obsessed.  Once I got to Japan I travelled every chance I got.  I took the shinkansen to Kyoto, flew to Hokkaido in the winter, went to Hawaii and Guam and got to see and experience so many things that not many us get a chance to.  

For me, it’s the absolute best reason to go.  If not now, when?

It’s true.  Really.

Now you might be saying “well, I’m already a good cook” and, if so, honestly that’s even more of a reason to go overseas.  To share your culinary knowledge with another part of the world!  Most of us, however, struggle with recipes and cooking in general.

Well, here’s my story and why, now, I’m a good cook.

I left for Japan with no real interest in cooking.  I was lucky enough, in one of my past careers, to have managed a restaurant where the chefs would make my dinner, but I couldn’t have told you how they did it.  It’s funny, really, as my mom is a fantastic cook, but growing up I couldn’t have cared less.  I hated cooking and baking.  In fact, one time as a teen I was forced to make peanut butter cookies - a double batch, mind you - and instead of 1/4 teaspoon of salt I mistakenly put in 1/4 cup.  I wasn’t asked to bake again.  It was comical to see my older brother inhale a huge mouthful dough and to be the one to discover my mistake.

Cooking.  I just couldn’t get into it.  As an adult, I’d rather grab a taco or a fajita or a burrito from Taco Del Mar.  Sometimes I’d attempt to cook something for one.

This changed when I got to Japan.

First off, I realized very quickly that if I wanted to save some money while in Japan, I would actually need to start shopping and making some dinners at home.  So that, of course, kick-started my cooking craze.  I saw all around me the types of ingredients that Japanese put on their pizzas (corn! mayo!) and pastas (egg! nori!) I realized it was time to branch out and leave my limited culinary cuisine behind.

Secondly, I noticed in Japan that most locals buy groceries - practically every day - from small markets where the produce and ingredients were fresh fresh fresh!  Grocery shopping everyday is probably due to space.  I started to do that and still do to this day. 

Next, when I did go out to eat, I was exposed to so many different types of dishes that these dinners truly became gastronomical events for me.

Finally, as I started to acquire some Japanese friends, they invited me to dinner parties, and thus the signature moment when my evolution of cooking began.

I learned how to make shabu shabu and yakiniku and okonomiyaki and so many other dishes.  How many of your friends have ever had shabu shabu or okonomiyaki at a dinner party (or at all!)?  When I landed in San Francisco, after my time in Japan, I was a hit with my culinary recipes.

People SCRAMBLED to be at my dinner parties.

I also branched out.  Being from the West coast originally, I grew up eating seafood, so I started to throw lobster/clambake gatherings (helpful hint: use a turkey pan and add seawater and ocean rocks for the base, then pile corn, onions and potatoes in cheesecloth on top of that - follow by the LIVE lobsters, clams, crabs and prawns).  Add a Sauvingnon Blanc or your favorite Chardonnay and you are good to go.  I started to really get into the fusion of a variety of flavors in one dish, and now I make amazing dishes I serve in the spirit of California cuisine.  While also pairing it with the perfect California wine, of course!

Some things I’m into that can help: Alice Waters, Julia Childs, the Food Network, Jacques Pepin and America’s Test Kitchen.

I have evolved.  Is it just maturity?  I’m not so sure.  I think my previous cooking style (or lack thereof) may have gone on for a long time if I hadn’t made that trip overseas.  There are many reasons to live and work overseas, to become a great cook is just one of them.

What do you think?

Does anyone have a great recipe to share?  I’m all ears.  Now I’m hungry.  Go figure.

I wish I was at the Cube! Or the Bird’s Nest!

I admit it, I am enthralled by the 2008 Beijing Olympics and how China has pulled it all together to make this a spectacular Olympics.  My true curiosity started when the Olympic torch started travelling to so many cities and countries and when it came to my town, San Francisco - the only US stop on the 23 city tour, it was interesting to see how my city and the Chinese officials handled the protests.  It was also interesting to read about the problems China stated they were having as the Olympics loomed larger: smog, finishing construction on building, etc.  When 8/8/08 approached I hemmed and hawed as to whether I’d watch the opening ceremonies.

I’m glad I did.

What an awesome display of technology, color, structure and history!  The drumming (c’mon - how cool was that?) the LED scroll, the globe, the fireworks and the lighting of the torch: I was hooked.  I gushed on and on to a friend over the weekend.  He said, “It’s good, but not as good as the 1984 opening ceremonies in Los Angeles.”  Huh?  I had to beg to differ on that one (not because I can’t remember the opening ceremonies in LA -which is true) because, for me, there has been no better use of technology in the opening ceremonies as there was in Beijing.  Am I wrong?

I’d like to say I watched the opening ceremonies, then a little bit of the Olympics here and there over the past couple of weeks, but truth be told, I was glued to my TV.  I became a hermit in the evenings, and my friends wondered what happened to me.  I told them to back off or I’d go “Michael Phelps on them”.

Of course, now, I get the naysayers grumbling that too much attention was given to Michael Phelps (and Debbie too), but I argue that 8 gold medals in swimming will never happen again by one individual.  Sure Spitz won 7 gold medals in ‘72, but did you see the flashback?  No one was wearing swim caps or fancy swim gear.  He was just a man among boys in Munich.  In this day and age, with all the technology supplemented in sports in general, it will be harder than ever to have a new Poseidon come up and usurp Phelp’s new record, or a record like that in general.  Won’t be done.

On a final note, though I freely admit I enjoyed watching swimming and gymnastics, beach volleyball, track and field, and the personal stories of the athletes and all the hullabaloo that are part of the games, what I really loved were the vignettes about China itself.  Of course I could rant about political injustice, Tibet, or the lack of freedom but in reality, I just love the country.  I love the beauty, the sheer mass of it all.

At the end of the day, if I wasn’t sold before on China being a place to visit (or live for a year), I am now.

Anyone have any thought on this? Any controversial moments of the Olympics they want to share or discuss?  I’m interested and I’m all ears!