Food is Life. Life is Food

Mazagran Dunedin. Photo from neatplaces.co.nz

I haven't blogged in quite a few weeks now. Now don't jump ahead and say my lazy behavior is the culprit because honestly, I am not lazy. I hate sleeping in too much, I could never watch a television series on repeat all day, or drool over cat videos while the dirty dishes pile up. This idea of life doesn't exist in my books. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that. In saying that, I am not one to judge. I do like watching movies in the evenings and having an afternoon nap on a Sunday but I feel like I need to be deserving of these pleasures. A week of productivity and hard work should be rewarded with an insistent 'I do what I want attitude'. 

Productivity and hard work. What does this mean to you and how hard should we really be working? I haven't blogged in a few weeks not because I've been too lazy but for two other simple reasons. Firstly because last time I uploaded my fresh, and quite frankly rather insightful post, it was accidentally deleted (how this happened we shall not speak of). The frustration and devastation of all that hard work and time, although enjoyable, seemed to be wasted. I didn't just give up, that's not something I would endorse, I merely got thinking. That leads me to the second reason I haven't posted in a while, I have been racking my brains over one of life's most 'important' requirements. Work. What does that mean to me? 

I am only 21 and I am months away from completing my degree. I am months away from the real world, from a career that has been flourishing over three years at university. What do I want to do and am I ready for a committed full time career? And after some time, pondering over this quite universal question of a nearly new 21 year old graduate student, I have come back to realise what I love and how wonderful it is. I love writing, it's a chance to have thoughts and record them so that they never evaporate and disappear forever. So that they can develop, be nurtured, so they can grow and be shared. Thoughts are precious, they are one of a kind and I want mine to be happy, inspiring, wonderful. The second thing I love, naturally, is food and coffee. I appreciate that many people can say that they love these things, and I'm sure they do, but when I say I love them I mean it in an entirely different way to the average Joe who approves the flavours of most meals. I mean passion, I mean interest, and I mean extraordinary. I see cuisine as something I can explore and experiment with, something I can continuously share with people. To me food and coffee is about exploring an infinite pathway of knowledge on taste, aesthetic presentation, health and well being, cultures, social experience, and life. Food is something that everyone around the world can understand, it is something different cultures, ethnicity's, and even classes share. I want to explore the variety, the options, the possibilities...

I don't want to live a life where my career owns me. I want to live a life of happiness, doing what I want and what I want to do is travel, write, eat, share, and experience. I want to make the most of everyday whether I am down here in Dunedin studying my nights away or roaming the streets of France admiring the lovers. Life should be about doing what you love and sharing it with others. And for me, one of my passions is food so now, I'll start there. Food is life and life is food. So take a piece, eat it, and enjoy it completely

The question that surely remains for now, what does Dunedin have to offer that is special and unique? This is my final year and I will spend it exploring the nooks and crannies of this beautiful city. I will gain experience before I move onto the next saga of my life. The next step? Out for dinner with my man on Friday... let us see what Dunedin has to offer.

This right here is what I love. I apologise for no real food critiques or recipes this time. 

-Sophea