Food and Beverage

How It All Began

I can’t fully recall the exact words my close friend said to me, but I remember very well how she made me feel. It was a moment that sparked the fire in me with pursuing a career path in hospitality, specifically in Food and Beverage Management.

My close friend Mimi and I share a strong passion for F&B. We both have food diaries as Instagram pages and our endless conversations would often be about food trends and new restaurants. We were like an inseparable duo-almost like twins with how we act. At one point during high school, some of my friends even called me by her name just because how much I resembled her when I wore my sunglasses. 

Mimi came to visit me in my college sophomore year with a surprise: a bottle of Gold Label. We had a plethora of nonsense talks as usual that afternoon. Then suddenly, she persuaded me to drink with her while the sun was still present. I was never a fan of whisky despite Mimi’s countless persuasions trying to get me drinking her favorite alcohol. A day before she came, I tried out making cocktails for the first time. Therefore, I decided to make myself a mojito to drink with her in order to escape that sip of whisky. She stopped gulping down that bottle of Gold Label when she saw me with my cocktail shaker and immediately requested whatever I was making. To that day, I have never seen Mimi turn down her beloved whisky for anything else. The next thing we knew…we were on our fifth glass of mojitos.

I can’t remember what Mimi exactly said, but it was to do with how she would always be rooting for me with whichever career path I choose to take. She told me my love for the F&B aspect of hospitality can take me to great heights as she has never seen me so happy when talking about an academic-related matter. I was moved. Not only because I have never been so sure about my career path, but also because I was able to make my supportive, close friend smile from drinking my cocktails. Her words of encouragement that day pushed me so hard into believing in myself that someday I can succeed in my chosen career.

Though it is unfortunate that my inspiration can no longer be here with me, I hope she can still see me from up above, as it is because of her that inspired and motivated me in working towards my (F&B) goals in life.