Ram has been in the HCC Signature Program since 2006. He is in his second year of Culinary School and planning for his future in the restaurant industry.
I feel great being involved in the culinary school because that is the place for a student to get knowledge, skills, and to learn techniques. Without the education, I would have not been in the position I am today. There are various things that we get to learn in the university, knowledge and then develop the skills.
It’s been a while I have been studying in the university and so far I have come to the 4th semester. I have chosen to study four years of Culinary School. I have developed my communication skills, interacting with the customers, getting engaged in the life skills rather than focusing on money right now. Money is equally important but for now I would love to get more skilled and self-motivated so that I can fit into the hospitality industry in the future. I have chosen to study further because the degree that I had 2 years ago wasn’t enough for me to get into the higher position in the kitchen department. The only thing that matters me now is to learn and get skilled not the money.
Besides study, I also work at the Hyatt Hotel. I am being paid for the long hours of work and also at the same time I get to learn, observe the cooking techniques and taste the varieties of food being cooked in the kitchen. Everyone in the kitchen is friendly, they are the best mentors I have found. They motivate me to work hard, want me to learn different techniques, how it is operated, managed, proper staffing, food costing, waste management, and so on. I have developed so much regarding my cooking skills and getting much better than before.
Outside of studying and working I am an adventurous guy who loves to travel and go bicycling to different places within Kathmandu Valley. Mostly I go hiking and cycling on Saturdays.
With the money I earn I also pay for language classes. We have a competition among the hotel management students, it has always been a challenge as a part of hospitality management: to learn different languages besides French such as Chinese, Japanese and so on. It has made me more competitive among the students and encouraged me to do more.
I have gone trekking in Nepal to the Manaslu Circuit, Poonhill Trek and Annapurna Base Camp as a porter and also as assistant guide. I choose to travel because it kills your monotonous life and also teaches me to know my surrounding very well. It is all about learning life outside my area, the social-culture, their languages, livelihood, how is it different than mine, and more importantly it has taught me know my life besides these four walls. I think differently than I used to now, there’s also other part of our lives which I have not lived to. Traveling has taught me to never waste the food, respect what you are doing and be thankful to what you have at the moment because most the people have not got the same opportunity as I have got it. I wish to make good use of my golden opportunity and to do something that gives back to society. These are the life skills that I have gained during my journey.
My Himalayan Children’s Charities family has made me realize that I am blessed and has given me a family which I don’t have it and has never left me alone. Thanks to Bruce uncle and Susan aunt for the support and Dinesh uncle and Hira Aunt for guiding me as a parents.
