Raoul Sealey, From Bim To Cooking In China

Raoul is a twenty-one year old Christian who enjoys entertaining others and is driven to success. “I must have a good laugh every day, ” he noted. His drive for success has taken him some distance. Raoul, who was born and raised in Barbados is now a pastry chef in China. “I just love to be around food, messing with it and trying new things: but more than that it’s making people feel good when I’m done,” he confirmed.

He reports China as being an amazing place to see and experience; A modern society that will bring culture shock to anyone who is not from the Asian continent.The people are always on the move. He recollected one of his first experiences there: “when I got here everyone was looking, people wanted to take pictures, some pulled at my skin to see if it was real.”

Chinese Technology & Work ethics

“We are more relaxed, they are more ambitious in terms of getting things done. They have a greater drive to create an atmosphere of success for themselves. Before work starts all the persons on that shift must be aligned, everyone must stand in a line, they get their tasks then branch off in unison. That is one thing I would like to see replicated in the Caribbean, that level of organization and clarity. Also their stop lights actually give the amount of time until green or red and all the taxis are eco-friendly,” he explained.

Raoul is motivated towards fulfilling his God-given purpose and achieving the goals and objectives that he has set for himself. These include being a minister of the gospel and someday opening his own food establishment. “To be successful sometimes you have to move out of your comfort zone,” he said. While some persons will say that success is the accomplishment of goals that a person have set for themselves, Raoul perceives success as the contentment or satisfaction with the things he has so far achieved in his life.

His life is not without struggle. He admits that there are obstacles which he faces from day to day whether it be in the kitchen or on the outside. However, what may seem as a big challenge to him is minor to the God. “I have so many role models,” he noted. “In the kitchen it would definitely be a guy called Charlie Trotter, whose work goes beyond the kitchen to teach discipline and life lessons.” He noted that another role model was his mother. “My mother, I have seen her Christian walk and her passion for God and I want that same thing for me, and for me to pass on what she has given to me for the generation to come,” he explained.

His message to others

“Dream big and keep dreaming because dreams are not meant to die. If you continue to stay focused on your dreams, in due season you will see them come to reality… many times we want it done in our time, but it has to happen in God’s time. So don’t get anxious, don’t get wary cause in due season it will come to pass.”