Mirwais in Valladolid
|
My name is Mirwais Nawabzai and I am 21 years old. I have been living in Ireland for five years. I originally arrived in 2017 as an unaccompanied minor fromAfghanistan, requesting asylum from the Irish State. I passed my leaving cert in 2019 and started studying Professional Cookery at BIFE in September that same year. I attended both levels of that course over twoyears and I am currently enrolled in the Barista & Bar and Event Managementcourse in BIFE.
|
|
I got the opportunity to go on Erasmus+ to Valladolid in Northern Spain as part of the Professional Cookery course. My hobbies include playing cricket first and foremost! After this, I enjoy football, cooking food, going to the cinema, watching movies, swimming and walking. I also enjoy a little online gaming with my friends to relax and pass the time. My Mom, Dad and one brother are currently living in Pakistan. I have recently been granted family reunification so I am really looking forward to them coming tolive with me in Ireland very soon as I have not seen them in person for over seven years.
I have lived with my foster carer since I arrived in Ireland five years ago and I refer to her as my ‘Irish Mom’. I also have a very large extended family inAfghanistan and Pakistan that I stay in touch with regularly online.
I look forward to being reunited with my family and encouraging my brother to geta really good education in Ireland and supporting him to play cricket.
I would really like to open my own restaurant at some point in the future offering bothauthentic Afghani cuisine and Western cuisine. However, I would like to continuegetting as much experience under my belt as possible so I can utilise all my learning in the restaurant business when my time comes to have a restaurant of myown. I hope to live a healthy life so I can enjoy my cricket, enjoy good food and look after my family. I also look forward to getting married and having children of my own.
I have lived with my foster carer since I arrived in Ireland five years ago and I refer to her as my ‘Irish Mom’. I also have a very large extended family inAfghanistan and Pakistan that I stay in touch with regularly online.
I look forward to being reunited with my family and encouraging my brother to geta really good education in Ireland and supporting him to play cricket.
I would really like to open my own restaurant at some point in the future offering bothauthentic Afghani cuisine and Western cuisine. However, I would like to continuegetting as much experience under my belt as possible so I can utilise all my learning in the restaurant business when my time comes to have a restaurant of myown. I hope to live a healthy life so I can enjoy my cricket, enjoy good food and look after my family. I also look forward to getting married and having children of my own.
|
I was very excited about this trip and the opportunity to work abroad. However, there was actually a lot for me to prepare in advance of this trip, especially aroundthe whole Covid situation, which required me to have a PCR test before travelling. I also had to obtain a Visa as I have an Irish Travel Document. My course coordinator helped with all the paperwork that was required before travelling, and for the airport. My foster Mom helped me make a list of everything needed for the trip and with most of the packing (including a hot water bottle which I really endedup needing!). My course coordinator facilitated an online meeting with the person in Spain thatarranged my placement, so I had the opportunity to thank him and tell him howmuch I was looking forward to it. I also prepared for the trip by practicing someSpanish on Duolingo!
This was also going to be my first time travelling legally! So, my foster Mom talked me through what to expect while travelling through the airport in relation to security and when I would need to show my various documents. |
|
Accommodation
My accommodation was a house share with other staff from the hotel.
The househad five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a separate kitchen and a sitting room.
At the start, I was sharing with four people but then one left, so there were only three other people I was sharing with until I left. The house was clean but basic.My bedroom was a good size with a double bed, drawers and a wardrobe.
However, the bed was uncomfortable and the room was very cold, so I had to borrow a heater to keep warm. The living area was nice and big with couches, a tv and a coffeetable. On a few occasions, we all watched some movies together. Whoever used the kitchen had to clean up after themselves and everyone did this which made living together quite easy. There was also a washing machine so we could do ourwashing whenever we wanted.
The location of my work placement is Castilla Termal Monasterio De Valbuena in San Bernardo, Valladolid, Spain. Travel to work My place of work is only 200meters walk from my house. Castilla Termal Monasterio De Valbuena is a 5-Star Spa Hotel and Resort locatedin the heart of the Ribera del Duero in the best-preserved 12th century Cistercianmonastery in Europe, in the town of San Bernardo, Valladolid. Located in anexclusive tourist complex, on the Golden Mile of the Ribera del Duero, theMonastery of Santa María de Valbuena has 79 rooms, with an exclusive a la carterestaurant that offers slow food gastronomy based on traditional and moderndishes, made with high-quality products from the area. The wine list offers winesfrom the most representative national and international Denominations of Origin,specially selected by the house sommelier.My role during this placement was Commis Chef, which includes food prep,operating the deep fat fryer and also helping the chefs in the morning to prepare the breakfast. The kitchen, where I was working, was really professional, spacious andnice to work in. There are two Head Chefs, two Sous Chefs, six Commis Chefs andfour Kitchen Porters. The chefs are really nice and friendly and all the staff Iworked with were very welcoming to me. Breakfast is served between 8 - 11amand then the whole breakfast area is taken down and cleaned in preparation for thelunch, which is served between 1.30 to 3.30pm. Again, the whole lunch area istaken down and cleaned in preparation for the dinner service, which starts at 8.00pm to 12.00am.
My accommodation was a house share with other staff from the hotel.
The househad five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a separate kitchen and a sitting room.
At the start, I was sharing with four people but then one left, so there were only three other people I was sharing with until I left. The house was clean but basic.My bedroom was a good size with a double bed, drawers and a wardrobe.
However, the bed was uncomfortable and the room was very cold, so I had to borrow a heater to keep warm. The living area was nice and big with couches, a tv and a coffeetable. On a few occasions, we all watched some movies together. Whoever used the kitchen had to clean up after themselves and everyone did this which made living together quite easy. There was also a washing machine so we could do ourwashing whenever we wanted.
The location of my work placement is Castilla Termal Monasterio De Valbuena in San Bernardo, Valladolid, Spain. Travel to work My place of work is only 200meters walk from my house. Castilla Termal Monasterio De Valbuena is a 5-Star Spa Hotel and Resort locatedin the heart of the Ribera del Duero in the best-preserved 12th century Cistercianmonastery in Europe, in the town of San Bernardo, Valladolid. Located in anexclusive tourist complex, on the Golden Mile of the Ribera del Duero, theMonastery of Santa María de Valbuena has 79 rooms, with an exclusive a la carterestaurant that offers slow food gastronomy based on traditional and moderndishes, made with high-quality products from the area. The wine list offers winesfrom the most representative national and international Denominations of Origin,specially selected by the house sommelier.My role during this placement was Commis Chef, which includes food prep,operating the deep fat fryer and also helping the chefs in the morning to prepare the breakfast. The kitchen, where I was working, was really professional, spacious andnice to work in. There are two Head Chefs, two Sous Chefs, six Commis Chefs andfour Kitchen Porters. The chefs are really nice and friendly and all the staff Iworked with were very welcoming to me. Breakfast is served between 8 - 11amand then the whole breakfast area is taken down and cleaned in preparation for thelunch, which is served between 1.30 to 3.30pm. Again, the whole lunch area istaken down and cleaned in preparation for the dinner service, which starts at 8.00pm to 12.00am.
|
The chefs encouraged me to cook Afghani food for all the staff and the feedbackwas very positive, which made me happy. I was also taught how to use someequipment and machinery that I hadn’t used before such as a food blender and ameat slicer. I also got the opportunity to work more with the deep fat fryer. I reallyappreciated the fact that I learned how to present breakfast at a five-star facility –everything has to look fresh and appealing with both a continental and cookedoffering. The staff are friendly and fun to work with.DifficultiesObviously, there was a language barrier as I am not fluent in Spanish sounderstanding the names of foods in Spanish was difficult, however, most of thestaff spoke English and communicated with me in English which was very helpfuland much appreciated.
|
My Erasmus+ Takeaways when I came here it was bit difficult to understand people, and I didn’t know whatwas going on around me. After the first few days, I began to find my bearings and I started to adjust better. The culture of the country was really nice and it impressed me the most.
Theweather was fabulous, the people were really nice and friendly and the cuisine wasreally tasty, which I enjoy the most!The workplace was fabulous; it was so big and professional and everything wasextremely organised. The kitchen had three big fridges and a big freezer. Theatmosphere was great and everyone worked together really well as a team. It wasinteresting to see how important teamwork was to ensure a smooth, consistent andquality delivery of service. I have worked in a number of restaurants in Ireland butworking here for the month was the first time that I saw and experiences such ahigh level of team work. I think that if one person here in this resort didn’t tow theline and work as a team, the whole operation would suffer.The language was really hard to understand. My first week was really difficult towork with a different language, but after one week, I started to understand keywords to remember. I was also practicing Spanish online at home.
There were a lot of differences that I saw while I was working here. The cuisine isdifferent. The weather is definitely better than in Ireland! And for me, there werealso differences in the culture; while a lot of people drink alcohol, it doesn’t feelthe same as in Ireland where I feel a lot of people drink to get drunk. Drinking inSpain seems more reasonable, as they drink with their meal.
I feel that I cooperated very well with the staff while I was working. I was there tolearn from them so I wanted to cooperate and do my best. If I didn’t understandsomething, I told them and they showed me practically and then I did it myself.Free timeOn my free time, I cleaned the house and my room. I went out for a walk aroundthe hotel and around the small village. Unfortunately, the location was very ruralso there wasn’t much else for me to do on my days off and there was very little public transport, so I depended a lot on colleagues who had a car to even goshopping for groceries.I think the stand out moment for me was being given the opportunity to cook myAfghani cuisine for my colleagues and for them to really enjoy it. Sunday 19thWhat I have learned I have learned a lot from this Erasmus+ placement. I will always appreciate thisopportunity to work abroad and practice the skills I learned in college. I believethat everything I have learned during this trip will stand to me in my futureemployment opportunities.I feel that this placement has given me the ability to learn about Spanish cuisine, anexperience of how important teamwork is and the ability to understand the highstandards required in the prepping, cooking and serving of food in a five-starestablishment. I now have the ability and experience to prepare breakfast for a five-star resort, along with starters and desserts. I also have the ability to use and cleanvarious different pieces of kitchen equipment more confidently.
I feel that I cooperated very well with the staff while I was working. I was there tolearn from them so I wanted to cooperate and do my best. If I didn’t understandsomething, I told them and they showed me practically and then I did it myself.Free timeOn my free time, I cleaned the house and my room. I went out for a walk aroundthe hotel and around the small village. Unfortunately, the location was very ruralso there wasn’t much else for me to do on my days off and there was very little public transport, so I depended a lot on colleagues who had a car to even goshopping for groceries.I think the stand out moment for me was being given the opportunity to cook myAfghani cuisine for my colleagues and for them to really enjoy it. Sunday 19thWhat I have learned I have learned a lot from this Erasmus+ placement. I will always appreciate thisopportunity to work abroad and practice the skills I learned in college. I believethat everything I have learned during this trip will stand to me in my futureemployment opportunities.I feel that this placement has given me the ability to learn about Spanish cuisine, anexperience of how important teamwork is and the ability to understand the highstandards required in the prepping, cooking and serving of food in a five-starestablishment. I now have the ability and experience to prepare breakfast for a five-star resort, along with starters and desserts. I also have the ability to use and cleanvarious different pieces of kitchen equipment more confidently.
|
I feel that this placement has boosted my confidence; I have proven to myself that I am capable of being part of a team that can work in such a big, professional andorganised kitchen. I was also able to prepare typical Afghani cuisine for my colleagues and they all seemed to like it. On the whole, I absolutely loved my Erasmus+ experience I was asked if I would like to come back to workthere, which I politely declined but very much appreciated, as I felt that they wouldnot have asked me this if they were unhappy with my work.
|
So, I felt that I did myself, my family and BIFE proud! I also really enjoyed the few days I spent in Madrid before flying home. I visited the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the home of Real Madrid football club, along with the Royal Palace, which was very close towhere we were staying and finally, we did a bus tour and got to see a lot of the city before we left. I was also very happy to be in the city as there were a lot of halalrestaurants and I was happy to be able to eat meat again, as this was not somethingI could do while on my placement!
This was a really great opportunity and a fantastic place to work. It might suitthose that don’t mind a rural location. The staff are extremely friendly, helpful andwelcoming. Tips for next Erasmus group Request access to broadband so you canstay connected with friends and family and have things to do during your days off.Ensure that there are some activities or trips planned so that you can explore thesurrounding areas and make the most of your time off.
This was a really great opportunity and a fantastic place to work. It might suitthose that don’t mind a rural location. The staff are extremely friendly, helpful andwelcoming. Tips for next Erasmus group Request access to broadband so you canstay connected with friends and family and have things to do during your days off.Ensure that there are some activities or trips planned so that you can explore thesurrounding areas and make the most of your time off.