My Newest Obsession: Julia Child — Why Julia Child is an inspiration for me.

It all started few years back; right after I watched the movie, Julie and Julia. After read this book, I watched the movie after work, alone in the small theater, crying and laughing. That movie was a compact version of important aspects of my life: blogging, cooking, life as an underdog and love.

Julia Child, who was the most popular and one of the greatest chefs in American history; and I fell in love with her in the 21st century.

Inspiration from Julia Child

Life is not about perfection

Julia Child was a great cook, but she didn’t tell us to be perfect. She taught people to find the easiest and the most efficient way to cook, not the way to make the best dish. If you fail to flip the pancake, just put it together and do it again, like Julia said. Who cares if the pancake isn’t the perfect round shape? While we are growing up, we naturally exposed to the world where everyone is forcing to be perfect. But remember, the word perfect is highly subjective. Can you define the meaning? In life, the word is often confused with ‘accomplished whatever the society wants’. If that makes you happy, then good for you. But we have to decide what really is perfect for us.

As a career breaker, I felt it deeply. Life is not about what other people’s thinking about me, it’s me, deciding what is the best and the happiest way to live. I’ve tried walking on the perfect path, so to speak, but it didn’t make me happy at all. So I’ve decided it’s okay if it’s not perfect. I choose to climb mountains with hiking pants and sneakers instead of having 4 hours of meeting at West End Hotels with a fancy suit and high heels. Because life is not about perfection.

Love what you do, and passed it on

Julia Child was a late bloomer. She didn’t cross the ocean to be a cook. From the opportunity, she found her passion and love for cooking and concentrated passing it on. For me, the inspiration came from her genuine heart, not her great cooking skills. She wrote the cookbook because she wanted to share. Because she loved it so much, she wanted people to know how great French food is and how enjoyable the cooking is. It only happens to people who do what they love. Imagine, you are working as a mechanical engineer, and you are loving it so much, then wouldn’t you want people to know how fun this is? On the contrary, if you are loathing every second while you are working, would you be willing to tell people about your work?

This inspiration leads me to create ‘Got Question?’ page, and help other bloggers and travelers out there. I’m not a professional like Julia, but as an amateur expert, I really want to share what I’ve learned so far with people who need the information because I love it so much. Yes, I’m doing what I love and passing it on.

“You are the butter to my bread, the breath to my life.”

A supporter, an inspiration, and a partner: Paul Child was all those above to Julia Child. And I believe she was to him as well. They were great partners. Like once Julia said, she could not have done this without him. He was there in every step of the way, and he was there not only she was excited about her success but also when she was devastated. They were butter to their bread and the breath of their lives.

I’m an independent and strong-minded girl except I jump like 5-year-old when I hear a thunderstorm and secretly scared of darkness. However, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want or need anyone. In fact, as you can see from my bio, love is an important factor in my life. Love is more than just a romance: it’s partnership, it’s friendship, and it’s appreciating the fact someone is always going to be there in both good and bad days. From Paul and Julia Child, I’ve realized once again how precious relationship they had and how lucky I am.

Inspiration in Action

Smithsonian: The National Museum of American History

At the end of the movie, Julie visited the Julia Child’s museum. What I didn’t know was that is the real one, in the Smithsonian. On the way back from the road trip, I visited Smithsonian once again to visit Julia Child’s kitchen. I watched her show, and I saw the famous, ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ for the first time. She was an inspirational cook and, she was a great person with a passion and a big heart.

Inspiration on a plate

While watching the movie, the whole time I was thinking, ‘I really should cook more.’ I love cooking. I love the sound of a sizzling pan, the smell of slightly cooked garlic and onion with olive oil, wipe my hands with the kitchen towel tucked in the apron and the busy and delightful atmosphere in the kitchen. The only reason why I wasn’t cooking very often was because I was exhausted because I was working every single day for 12 hours a day.

As a career breaker, and trained a semi-professional cook, I cooked my way around the US, shouting ‘Bon~ Appetit~’ every time I was cooking. One of the most joyous moments in my trip to the US was cooking at home, at the campground, at friend’s kitchen, and even in the middle of the mountain. Moreover, believe or not, I cooked Boeuf Bourgignon with a wok.