Aura

Ed asked me what kind of bar setting in which I would prefer placement. Geez, I actually didn't think of that, can you believe it?

Night Clubs, Casinos, Country Clubs, Sports Bars, Hotels, Airports, Fine Dining Establishments, Cruise Ships, Restaurants, Pubs, Caterers and Private Parties... all these options!

I don't think I have the ears to handle someplace that is consistently loud and/or crowded. I can always handle a lot of customers, but my hearing impairment really makes things difficult for me at times. Considering I converse well and appropriately with upper-class, country clubs would be ideal professionally. They're always playing subtle piano pieces in the background that I am accustomed to and learned to appreciate. Of course, I love love love dance music at club settings, but I can't have everything that I want. It's too loud. Again with the selfish bit, Rich customers are the best tippers. Fewer customers, higher tips. Sport bars tend to have a college atmosphere to them and as they are busy, they are cheaper.

Casinos aren't within my comfort zone.
You can bartend at an AIPORT? What the McJiffy?
I can picture myself at a Hotel. I just don't want to always be moving around and Hotels stay put.
My main concern is that I shouldn't bartend anyplace where smoking is permitted. Should I stick to private parties/events like weddings?

Why?

I met with Edward Younger, the director. He has twenty-five years experience as a bartender and bar manager. I can't ask for more than that. He seems like a cool guy. I think we got along even better because we're both psychology majors.

Man, this is a for-real trade school. The certification never expires and is recognized and accepted by every state in the USA and every country in the world. I'm gonna get so spoiled.

So anyway, I was talking to Ed and he asked me a very important question: What is my Motivation?

What do I desire from it? I just want to have fun and go home with more knowledge than I came with. Seems like a win situation to me! If I make it a career, go me. If I don't, then it's another skill I'll have under my belt. Geez, I hate that expression. Who came up with that in the first place? Ick.

Wish me luck!

I fell in love.

I fell in love with AAA International Bartending School. It's in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, but it's well worth the drive.
I'm excited! They certify all grads in the art of mixology, beer, wine, and bar management.
Thank God there are bartending schools that have authentic bar equipment. A real school! This should give me a very realistic idea of what the tending bar involves. It's state certified and they grant national job placement. I'm calling this kick-ass.

Free Lifetime National Placement...Free Intro Flair-Bottle Flipping ...Free Bar Management Training...Free Refresher Courses...Free Liquor/Beer/Wine Certification...

"Our training is designed to develop a broad drink vocabulary, proper mixing technique, speed, excellent product knowledge and familiarity with all other related bartending operations including bar flair."

I'm gonna call them up.

Decisions, Decisions

School. Having suffered through thirteen years of pretending to tolerate these idiots/beasts we call "teachers" and four years of satisfying "professors" via the American formal higher-education system, I've decided that I want a mixology certification. It's more of a hobby than a career move, but even so, I like quality.

I think online bartending sites are a joke. They're cheap (aka "affordable") but I derserve better. I don't value the quantity of my interests, but the passion towards them, and I'm a sucker for quality when I pursue most anything from a portable compact-disk player to forms of education.

What will I do with it? Honestly, I don't know. If this economy of our falls into a depression, people will still drink, if not more. This is selfish, but it's a job to fall back on if I don't finish my other occupational traning.

I myself am not a drinker: Mix it, don't Drink it. Admittedly, I enjoy a glass of champagne at weddings and such. I'm an artistist person and consider mixology to be a craft. Numerous times I have been told I'm good with my hands, so why not attack bartending, too? I like exploring my talents/abilities/gifts as well as things I suck at - like figure skating, for example. I like to skate, I just suck at figure skating.

Worst-case senario, I'll have more knowledge about liquor/beer/wine that I can use to my benefit if I should host a party in the future. These certifications are lifetime, so if much later I wanted to get up off my lazy ass and try bartending again, it's an option. Women love options. :)

Little Cordy

So I've decided to make this an account of my bartending experiences.
Schooling, interviews, and work rants. Yeah, I'm going to do this!