The Blog
A binnacle is awaist-high case or stand on a ship’s bridge that protects the ship’s compass from unwelcome magnetic fields; it is no longer used, as technological advances have rendered it obsolete. However the Captain’s Log is still the place where the captain records all relevant matters relating to the ship. (In Spanish the Captains’ Log is called “Diario de Bitácora” Binnacle Log) In science and research, logs are also kept to record the progress and results of experiments. Today, in the era of the internet, there is a new kind of Log, a WEBLOG; BLOG for short. As I mentioned, Log Books or Logs, narrate events that occurred in the past, experiences, reactions to what happened or results. Everything written is related to the past. This Blog, which I am beginning today, will also look to the future, to that which has yet to happen. It will deal with the possibility that we have, as human beings, of being architects and forgers of our every day lives. How we can change the way we are, break down walls of prejudice, open windows onto new ways of seeing things and open doors so as to be able to choose new paths with new possibilities. It will also be a place for us to meet, share stories, knowledge, recipes and pieces of my life since I started to work as cook in charge of the grill in our restaurant TEHUELCHE. I would like to share things from my past that have shaped me and allowed me to get to where I am today. I believe that remembering the things that happened to us, how we faced them, how we responded to these events at the time, contribute to change or confirm important decisions relating to our present and our future. The themes I’d like to touch upon will have to do with the way food was used in the past, cooking techniques, amusing stories, including how to face up to death. It will include statistics, curious facts, the philosophy of business, principles and fundamental values necessary to carry out a new undertaking. All this obviously will be from the point of view of my own experience, my observation of human behaviour and with the intention of contributing to the common good. I will also talk about how to administer and run a restaurant responsibly. A restaurant is not only a place where people come to eat, but it must also have a cordial, respectful atmosphere where people can enjoy themselves. The work team has to generate this in the restaurant, looking after every detail so that all who come to the restaurant can look back on an unforgettable experience, at the very least that it should have been the best moment of the day.