In my opinion, if there ever truly were a dream job, it would be being the host of a food and/or travel show. To be paid to go around the world, see beautiful sites and eat delicious food, there can’t be anything better!!
Last month, I got a small glimpse of what that might be like. Because one thing led to another, I ended up the host of Homegrown’s upcoming series. A first for Homegrown, it’s our initial foray into series production. The show, a three part series called Trips to Food Strips, will be going on the site this October. It basically involves me visiting some of Manila’s food streets, trying some favourites, talking to store owners and chefs, and of course, getting to the bottom of why businesses thrive on those streets–we’re still a business magazine after all.
The job wasn’t without its challenges. Since we shot each street in one day, eating did become a challenge. There is only so much food one person can eat in one day. Even if we were eating just a few bites every hour, when you add it up, it was too much food!
Retakes were also a challenge. Having to repeat a line or a scene again and again and still look like you love what you’re saying or eating was a test of patience. Although I did understand that the director was looking for something very specific and that he wasn’t going to stop until he knew he had it. At least our director was really nice about it.
Keeping your energy up and still being peppy for the camera was also a challenge. As the day goes on, you do get tired and want to rest, but the minute you hear the word “rolling!” you all of a sudden need to act like you’re on crack; a real challenge when you’re, well, not on crack.
But the rewarding bits far outweigh the challenges.
Meeting and talking to all these interesting people who have taken that great leap of faith and started their own restaurant is really inspiring. I loved hearing their stories.
Getting to try all the delicious recipes and getting to visit all these places was also very rewarding. Every hour it was something new. It was never boring, and I think that’s so important when it comes to work.
Since Homegrown designated me the main host–and because I don’t exactly have great food credentials apart from the fact that I love to cook and eat–I was assigned a different host for each food strip. Working with different hosts and getting to goof off with each one of them was also a lot of fun. It was a great experience.
At Van Gogh is Bi-Polar on Maginhawa St.
So, now that I’ve gotten a taste of it, the verdict on hosting a food show? It’s still a dream job. I hope to do more of it.?
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