It's June 1, 2015 and I'm half way through the seven month long wine class. There are three hours of classroom work once a week, starting from 7pm and usually on a Tuesday. After class, I rush home but still can't make it home before midnight. So many things to remember from each class and so little time to process it all, with my full time work and travel commitments. There is a recap test from the previous week's lesson before each new class begins, but as soon as I start to learn the new subject material it crowds out what I've studied over the previous weeks. Somehow much of what I've learned seems to slip away from my brain....arrrrg!
やるからにはトップを目指せと周りから圧力をかけられても、落ちこぼれないようについていくのがやっとな日々…(^◇^;)
I feel the pressure from those who are encouraging me to study wine and I know that I should be in the top group of students in the class, but the reality is that I'm overwhelmed and barely keeping up, I am a typical B student.
でも楽しいんですよね。とっても!父も父方のお爺ちゃんも、そして従兄弟の殆どがフレンチのシェフや料理の仕事に携わっていた家に育ちました。母方の祖母はHotelを幾つか経営してました。それが私は人より美味しいモノにありつける星の元に生まれてるっていう持論の根拠なんですが、ワインの勉強してるとなんか《血》がワクワクするんです。
Still, I'm having fun. Really. My grandfather and my father were both French chiefs. Most of my cousins from my father's side currently work in some aspect of the food industry. My grandmother from my mothers's side was a hotelier. This unique family background is why I believe I'm born to get lucky when it comes to food. I feel like the more I learn about wine, the more the "blood" in me gets excited.
今まで記号だったフランス語のラベルが少し分かるようになるだけで、ワクワク。日々の晩酌ワインも今までは冷蔵庫からテキトーに出していたけど、最近は、《おっ今日は中華だから酸がスッキリとしているこのソーヴィニヨンブランのワインに合わせてみよう》とか知恵がついている自分にむふふしてみたり。新しい世界が広がる予感です。
I'm thrilled that some of the nonsense letters of French food and wine etiquette are starting to make sense to me. I feel like my world is getting broader. The other day, I realized that I was actually selecting a Sauvignon Blanc to pair with the Chinese dish I was having for my diner, instead of the blind way I use to choose a wine, which was to randomly pick any available white wine. I love that!
こんなレベルでいいのか分かりませんが、アップアップながらも結構楽しんでます。ワインを真剣に勉強してみようと思う人が居たら、田崎さんのスクール、オススメです。他のスクール通ってないからわかりませんが、とてもわかりやすいし、試験のためだけではなく、勉強したことが今後につながるように長期的な目線で教えてくれます。ですが、覚えることたっっっくさんあるので、覚悟は必要ですね。。。
I am not sure if I should feel happy about being a B student, but I am enjoying my classes and learning a lot. I highly recommend this class and this school to anyone who is interested in a serious wine education, but I must warn you, it is a lot to learn in a very short period of time.