The Young Bakers
through the eyes of their social educator
我眼中的青年面包师
Time has passed in a blink of an eye, Chinese New Year is already upon us. Our Young Bakers in training of this year have already completed half of their curriculum and will soon embark on their journey homewards to celebrate New Year with their family and relatives who they have missed for one semester.
时间过得飞快，一转眼，农历新年即将到来。我们第八届海上青焙坊的青年面包师们已经完成了一半的学业，即将踏上回家过年，与阔别整整一学期的家人、亲友团聚之路。作为生活老师的我，虽然无法参与到他们的烘焙课程中，但每当看到学生们微信朋友圈里分享的照片——一个个亲手制作的法式面包和精美西点，以及一张张自豪的笑脸，我都感到无比欣慰。
Even though I am unable to participate in their baking classes, I feel immensely gratified being their life coach every time I see one of our students sharing a picture of their personally made French baguettes and delicate pastries with their friends on Wechat and seeing a smile on their face.
对比几个月前初来SYB时，他们现在眼神中饱含的自信是那时所没有的，那个时候，他们眼神中折射出来的更多的是对大都市的好奇，对新行业的好奇，以及对未来的不确定。
Compared to some months ago, when they had just started the program, they now have a gleam of self confidence in their eyes that was not there before. Those beginning months their gaze reflected an interest in the big city and the businesses here, as well as an uncertain future. This is why, at a time when a lot of their peers are still contemplating which university to attend, our young students have no other way than to confront their biggest challenge in front of them: “how will I be able to make a better living?”. Because of their impoverished background and lack of education they are not like their peers who live without a care in the world under their parents wings. Some of our students come from villages or mountain regions and this is the first time for them to see the outside world. Some were forced to interrupt their studies and prematurely leave their homes to find work in a factory and earn money, whilst others received government or NGO funding. However, as they were growing up they gradually came to realize that, as all young people, they too must overcome their hardships, mature, carry their own responsibilities and learn to take care of themselves. Reality told them that they needed to master a skill as soon as possible, only then could they become self-reliant, lessen the burden for their family and someday even be able to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of their whole family.
这是因为，当许多同龄人在考虑选择上哪所高中或大学的时候，我眼前的这群年轻人已经不得不正视类似“我要如何更好地谋生”这样的问题。因为他们相对贫困的生活背景、教育背景，使得他们无法像同龄人那样衣食无忧地生活在父母的羽翼下。他们当中有的来自农村、来自大山，第一次走出自己生活的乡镇看到外面的大千世界；有的被迫中断学业，过早地离乡背井在大城市的工厂流水线上打工挣钱。尽管他们当中的一些人受到过政府的资助，或各自所在的NGO资助，但是随着年龄的增长，他们也渐渐懂得，必须跟所有年轻人一样，克服一切困难，学会成长、学会担起责任，学会自力更生。现实告诉他们，必须尽快掌握一门技能，才能早日自力更生，为家庭减少负担，甚至还要肩负起撑起整个家庭的重任。
Now, after going through half a year of arduous study in the classroom and at the baking center, the students will be able to use the utmost of their skills during their internships in hotels baking bread and pastries. Even though sometimes the students feel exhausted waking up early every morning, disappointed not being able to master a new recipe, or pressured by the stern direction of the hotel chefs, they all think about improving step by step. In a not so distant future this will become their solid foundation and by then a smile will again appear on the faces of our Young bakers.
现在，经过半年的艰苦学习，同学们学会了把SYB课堂上、烘焙中心学到的知识技能尽可能好好地运用到酒店面包房、西点房的实习中。尽管同学们会对每天必须早起感到辛苦，尽管有时会因不能很快掌握新产品的制作感到沮丧，尽管有时酒店师傅的严格指导让人感到压力不小，但是一想到每天进步一点点，收获一点点，为不久的将来打好基础，海上青焙坊的青年面包师们就又展露出年轻人特有的笑容。
Indeed, compared to when they just arrived to Shanghai, our students not only have more skills in their hands and professional knowledge in their heads, they also have a smile of self-confidence on their face. I hope that in the coming semester they will be able to learn new knowledge and skills, adapt to new situations and learn even more side by side with their excellent fellow students, teachers and great chefs in the industry. I also hope they will obtain the willpower and determination to overcome difficulties ahead as well as finding a balance between work and life.
是的，与刚来上海的时候相比，同学们不仅手里多了技能，头脑中多了专业知识，脸上也添上了自信的笑容。但在下个学期，我希望他们能够在学习新知识、新技能的同时，能够更好地学会适应环境、与人沟通，更多地向身边优秀的同学、老师、行业大师学习，学习他们克服困难的决心与毅力，以及调节压力与情绪之间平衡的能力。
In short, I hope that every student at Shanghai Young Bakers in this new semester will be able to mature and improve himself even more!
总之一句话，希望所有SYB的青年面包师们在新的一年中，能够进一步成长，做更好地自己 !
朱贇贇, 生活老师
Zhu Yunyun, Social Educator
Translation by Lander De Pauw, SYB Volunteer