Before I came to Paris, a friend of mine who also attended Cordon Bleu here told me the hardest thing about going was not making many friends. As I was going through all the preparations to come here, that idea kept lurking in the back of my mind. What if I didn’t make very many friends? What if I ended up feeling very alone in such a large and sometimes foreboding city?

Those worries were easily erased during the first week as I started to get to know my fellow teammates. Despite the fact that we spend six to eight hours a day together, we still gravitate toward each other in the evenings and on the weekends. Where one of us is, you’ll usually find the rest of the gang. We’re all pretty blown away by how close we’ve become and how much we’ve shared.

Even though each person is a unique individual, we do have some things in common that knit us together. We all gave up our lives in the US, Thailand, Italy, and Canada to be culinary students in Paris. We all had to go through hurdles the size of mountains to get here – finding housing, getting health insurance, learning French, and getting our visas. Sometimes I wonder if we weren’t bound by our shared experiences, would we still come together to be such a close knit family?

Dominique comes from San Francisco although she’s spent most of the last year living with her sweetheart in a remote part of Arizona. She tells us stories of living in a house where the temperature gets up to 115 degrees during the day. She has to hang wet sheets on the windows in hopes a breeze will come dancing by. Dominique speaks fluent Italian and excellent French. She has a 21 year old son, and her parents are Hispanic and Portuguese. I predict that after school, Dominique will go on to head the slow food movement in the Western states and become somewhat of a local celebrity.

Ashley is the youngest of our group, but she’s wise for her 23 years. She too hails from San Francisco where she just graduated from college. In high school, she was an avid soccer player, so we hear tales of games with very animated descriptions. She tells things like they are, and usually is responsible for most of our social outings. Right now she lives in a great apartment not far from school with an Englishman and a Frenchman. If all goes well, I may be living with her when the Englishman heads back home. After Cordon Bleu she’s considering law school, but I can see her working in an upscale bakery in New York.

Sergio is our big brother and protector. All of us worship the ground he walks on. He really knows how to take care of his girls – bring us chocolate and wine, helping us to meet guys we’re interested in, and walking us home at night. He originally hails from a rough neighborhood in LA, although before he came here, he was living with his brother’s family in North Carolina. The stories he tells about where he grew up are slightly chilling, but he has a heart of gold. I can see Sergio going back to North Carolina after school and working as a chef in a swanky resort on the coast.

Lani was sure she only wanted to do the Basic level at Cordon Bleu. But once she was here a couple weeks, we convinced her to stay for the whole program. We’re all very happy she’s not leaving at the beginning of June. Back in the states, Lani worked in a hotel where her love for cuisine blossomed. She misses her boyfriend like crazy, so we’re all hoping he comes out next month so we can meet him. Lani has a love for fashion and design, so she’s great to go shopping with. I’m guessing she’s in heaven here in Paris where fashion is born. She seems quite interested in management when she’s done with school, but I can see her opening her own sweet clothing store that also serves great pastries and tea.

Massimo is the calmest of us all in the kitchen. He never rushes and instead takes his time to make everything perfect. He usually works to my left, so we’re always helping each other out. We’ve also determined that he’s the best dresser of the group. He’s not a big fan of French cuisine, but I know he appreciates the techniques that he’s learning. And who can blame him? His home is in Naples where they have some of the best food in the world. Massimo and his lovely girlfriend are great hosts – they invite us over frequently for Italian style dinners. I can definitely see him opening a small, beautifully appointed restaurant in Italy with gorgeous yet simple food.

Susan is another San Francisco-ite. She’s here with her husband who is thoroughly enjoying living in Paris. She takes her time when she cooks, so as a result, all her dishes come out beautifully – especially her pastry. She is often praised by our chefs. It makes her blush, but the praise is well deserved. She and her husband worked for the same chemical company before coming to Paris, and if I’m not mistaken, her degree is in chemical engineering. After graduation, I predict Susan and her husband will return to San Francisco where they’ll open a unpretentious and inviting bakery where people line up around the corner just to get a table.

And then there’s Bridget. She’s outgoing, energetic, and speaks with a southside Chicago/Brooklyn accent. She too is fluent in Italian. Before she arrived, she worked in pastry for a very fine Indian restaurant in New York. When you ask her advice, she gives it to you straight which all of us appreciate. Although she already has a job when she’s done with school, I think instead she should move to Italy and practice pastry there. It’s a place she truly loves and where she feels quite comfortable.

Nina is from Vancouver, Canada and is in love. In the first couple of weeks, she fell head over heals for a Superior student from Brazil. We’re all living vicariously through her when she tells us stories of amour. Before she came to Paris, she was an actress, so during class, she’s always keeping us entertained by singing. When she finishes here, I predict she’ll audition for American Idol and win.

Finally there’s Tae. He hails from Thailand where he worked in his family’s jewelry business. Each day we always check out his hair – it varies between calm and collected to stark raving mad. After class, Tae heads to French class, so his days are very long. It’s a wonder he can get any sleep. Tae always has a smile on his face and never seems angry, upset or sad. He has an even keel personality. One day, I can see him working as a chef in a five star restaurant in his homeland.

So that’s a little snapshot of the A Team. We’re already talking about what kinds of reunions we’ll have and how often. It will be hard for all of us to leave each other in the end, but we still have another six months as a team. Who knows what kinds of adventures we will have!

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