Before beginning my career at the abattoirs I attended Charles Sturt College in Albury NSW.
University life can be difficult especially if attending college away from home. The easy things that a teen takes for granted all of a sudden become all consuming. Simple stuff like cleaning, shopping, budgeting and cooking.
The later two remind me of a ungainly time in my university career.
I was lucky to attend College with assistance from the Australian government. The scheme was commonly refered to as Austudy and it consisted of supplying what the government determined was satisfactory funds for a person studying and living away from home.
Sadly the government's assessment and my private reality regarding this level of funding varied enormously.
The amounts are non essential as they'd have no relative meaning. I attended college at a time when Twitter was a verb often used to describe chattering rapidly about unimportant matters...come to think about it!
At the end of each fortnight I might have enough cash to buy half of nothing. Moreover, the months of winter in Albury where very cold and my hunger would grow with each and every degree the temperature dropped.
The standard student's level of nutritional intake incorporated corn flakes, 2 Minute Noodles, bread, butter and Vegemite.
Vegemite was the best. It lasted for a long while transported without fuss and became the academics jerky.
During my second year I was fortunate to be boarding with a wonderfully generous family and an international student from Malaysia - Jesse. I recall both my hosts and I where forever in amazement of Jesse's cooking ability.
Jesse could breath culinary life into the most basic ingredients and the remainder of us would stare longingly at the odour trails left by his recent creation as it wafted eagerly toward his bedroom.
I watched Jesse at work in the kitchen and presumed that I was learning much about his craft and technique.
The day arrived when my Austudy account was replete and the market called to me. I was predestined to create just as my international inspiration had shown me.
Better I had the great fortune of a fresh bundle of Lebanese bread sent from Sydney as a gift. My favourite.
I arrived at the kitchen after my shopping expedition with 250grams of chopped lamb, cream, veggies, some herbs and spices and mountains of enthusiasm.
The kitchen journey started at 4PM and finished very unhappily at 7PM.
It had been a complete mystery to me how Jesse made the effort look so effort-less yet I managed to burn just about everything including the utensils...
Who knew that lamb could be overcooked.
Who knew that vegetables cooked at different rates to meat.
Who knew that cream had a boiling point, which produced cheese once exceeded.
The kitchen smelt like a hearth that had been doused with water. The saucepans were darkened and warped. The sink was more full with plates and implements than the cabinets had been earlier that day.
And all that was left was a stinking heap of shriveled, coagulated brown mush on a finger marked plate.
My hosts and flat mate where astonishingly gracious in their non-acknowledgment of the sad event however their teen youngster turned up at the scene of the crisis much later that day. Not knowing what calamity had befallen me or the lamb she commented on her way out the door "Is that for the dogs. Here, I'll feed 'em".
Thank heavens for Vegemite and Lebanese Bread!
University life can be difficult especially if attending college away from home. The easy things that a teen takes for granted all of a sudden become all consuming. Simple stuff like cleaning, shopping, budgeting and cooking.
The later two remind me of a ungainly time in my university career.
I was lucky to attend College with assistance from the Australian government. The scheme was commonly refered to as Austudy and it consisted of supplying what the government determined was satisfactory funds for a person studying and living away from home.
Sadly the government's assessment and my private reality regarding this level of funding varied enormously.
The amounts are non essential as they'd have no relative meaning. I attended college at a time when Twitter was a verb often used to describe chattering rapidly about unimportant matters...come to think about it!
At the end of each fortnight I might have enough cash to buy half of nothing. Moreover, the months of winter in Albury where very cold and my hunger would grow with each and every degree the temperature dropped.
The standard student's level of nutritional intake incorporated corn flakes, 2 Minute Noodles, bread, butter and Vegemite.
Vegemite was the best. It lasted for a long while transported without fuss and became the academics jerky.
During my second year I was fortunate to be boarding with a wonderfully generous family and an international student from Malaysia - Jesse. I recall both my hosts and I where forever in amazement of Jesse's cooking ability.
Jesse could breath culinary life into the most basic ingredients and the remainder of us would stare longingly at the odour trails left by his recent creation as it wafted eagerly toward his bedroom.
I watched Jesse at work in the kitchen and presumed that I was learning much about his craft and technique.
The day arrived when my Austudy account was replete and the market called to me. I was predestined to create just as my international inspiration had shown me.
Better I had the great fortune of a fresh bundle of Lebanese bread sent from Sydney as a gift. My favourite.
I arrived at the kitchen after my shopping expedition with 250grams of chopped lamb, cream, veggies, some herbs and spices and mountains of enthusiasm.
The kitchen journey started at 4PM and finished very unhappily at 7PM.
It had been a complete mystery to me how Jesse made the effort look so effort-less yet I managed to burn just about everything including the utensils...
Who knew that lamb could be overcooked.
Who knew that vegetables cooked at different rates to meat.
Who knew that cream had a boiling point, which produced cheese once exceeded.
The kitchen smelt like a hearth that had been doused with water. The saucepans were darkened and warped. The sink was more full with plates and implements than the cabinets had been earlier that day.
And all that was left was a stinking heap of shriveled, coagulated brown mush on a finger marked plate.
My hosts and flat mate where astonishingly gracious in their non-acknowledgment of the sad event however their teen youngster turned up at the scene of the crisis much later that day. Not knowing what calamity had befallen me or the lamb she commented on her way out the door "Is that for the dogs. Here, I'll feed 'em".
Thank heavens for Vegemite and Lebanese Bread!
About the Author:
About the author: Zane AL-Said started work at Famicorp Halal Abattoirs during its formation in the 1990's. He's now a director and enjoys maintaining Famicorp's web presence.Check out some of current articles on the Famicorp Blog about Facebook & Abattoirs. You'll also find something weird and amazing each Friday on the Blog which is generally a "nugget" from YouTube.
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