S4E18: Seattle Colleges Conversations with! International Student Jonathan Perez Vasquez of Peru

In this our 18th (eighteenth) episode of Season 4, Seattle Colleges host Evan Franulovich interviews international culinary student Jonathan Perez Vasquez of Peru about his experience here at Seattle Central and about life in the United States. 

1:19 - Meet Jonathan!

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Transcript

Evan Franulovich  0:05  
Welcome to Seattle Colleges International Programs and our show Conversations with! where we talk to people that help you understand how you too, can be an international student in the United States and why Seattle Colleges should be your first choice. We'll talk to students and staff and agents and government folks, all kinds of people about what you can expect when you're getting ready to apply or travel here, what you'll experience while you're with us, and how it can all lead to an amazing life. Don't forget to check out the Seattle Colleges International Programs website at intl.seattlecolleges.edu where you can find a treasure trove of information about the school, the programs here and best of all, fill out and submit your application. Again, that's intl.seattlecolleges.edu.

Evan Franulovich  1:04  
Hey everybody. Welcome back to Seattle Colleges Conversations With! here in the great city of Seattle, Washington. I'm your host, Evan Franulovich, want to welcome yet another great guest from the country of? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:22  
Peru. 

Evan Franulovich  1:23  
Peru, Bienvenidos. Welcome. And you might notice that he's wearing a very special outfit for this, which will give you a clue as to what he might be studying. Before we get into that, why don't you tell everybody who you are, where you're from in Peru, your major and how long you been here.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:45  
Excellent. Thank you, Evan, for this opportunity. 

Evan Franulovich  1:47  
Sure. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:47  
I'm very happy to be here. I'm from Trujillo, Peru. It's eight hour from Lima, the capital.

Evan Franulovich  1:57  
Yeah, yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:58  
Trujillo is known for the traditional dance marinera, and ceviche.

Evan Franulovich  2:06  
Ceviche is food though, right? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  2:07  
Yeah, the seafood is ceviche. It's from the northern part of Peru. The north starts with Trujillo and then comes Chiclayo, then you get to Ecuador.

Evan Franulovich  2:24  
Ecuador, you're almost there. If we were to drive from Trujillo to the border, how many minutes would it take?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  2:33  
It's going to take 10 hours. 

Evan Franulovich  2:35  
Oh.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  2:36  
Yeah, 10 hours.

Evan Franulovich  2:37  
That's a long way.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  2:38  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  2:38  
So it's eight hours to Lima.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  2:41  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  2:41  
But 10 hours to the border, so you're kind of halfway in between. Wow.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  2:45  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  2:45  
Okay, and this dance, do you know how to dance? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  2:48  
I do. I want to be honest. I am really trying to learn, but it's not easy. Yeah, you have to coordinate your hands with your feet. You have to coordinate a lot of things. Aso, some people dance with horses. That is interesting. 

Evan Franulovich  3:15  
With a horse?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  3:17  
Horse, the animal. 

Evan Franulovich  3:18  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  3:19  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  3:20  
H, O, R, S, E, just so we're clear.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  3:23  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  3:25  
Wow. I've never heard of a dance where you dance with an animal. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  3:30  
Aha.

Evan Franulovich  3:30  
That's interesting. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  3:31  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  3:33  
What's the meaning? How did this dance begin?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  3:42  
The horse moves its hooves. The horse's movements simulate the dancer's steps. Then they go around the woman who is acting as if she isn't interested.

Evan Franulovich  4:05  
Check it out, guys. Type it into YouTube. Might find many examples of it, I'm sure. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:11  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  4:12  
Very cool. And then, of course, you're not into horses. You're more into the food part of the culture, clearly. So you're in culinary, yeah?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:19  
 Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  4:20  
And tell me again how long you've been doing it.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:24  
In the program?

Evan Franulovich  4:24  
Yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:25  
This is my first quarter.

Evan Franulovich  4:27  
First quarter? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:28  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  4:28  
Okay, so when did you arrive then?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:32  
I came here two years ago. 

Evan Franulovich  4:35  
Oh.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:35  
I started learning English. I started with the basics. My level was A1-A2, I think.

Evan Franulovich  4:46  
So you started very low level. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:48  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  4:49  
Did you do English here at our Institute of English, or did you start at Alps?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  4:54  
I took classes at Alps and then transferred here, moving from level four to English 101.

Evan Franulovich  5:03  
Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  5:04  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  5:05  
And just so you guys know, the listeners, the school he's talking about, Alps, is just down the street. Literally.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  5:11  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  5:12  
You can walk there from here, and it's a place you can get your English language proficiency up to a higher level, which is what you did. And so you didn't have to do our Institute of English when you arrived here, right? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  5:25  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  5:26  
Just able to do college English?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  5:28  
Yes, exactly. I took English 101 to improve my writing and speaking skills. I hope you understand me.

Evan Franulovich  5:39  
I understand you. Is English 101 required for a culinary degree?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  5:45  
Yes, it is required. English 101 and math.

Evan Franulovich  5:49  
And math, which math level do you have to do?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  5:53  
Yes, basic math. I took algebra. 

Evan Franulovich  5:59  
Oh, okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:00  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  6:00  
So you're higher than you needed to be?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:03  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  6:03  
Gotcha.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:04  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  6:04  
So you didn't have to do any math when you got here?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:07  
No. 

Evan Franulovich  6:08  
Oh, cool. How did you prove that you were at a higher level of math? Did you have to take a test, or did you have to provide transcripts?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:16  
Yes, you can take a test before you enroll in a math class.

Evan Franulovich  6:23  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:22  
They'll enroll you in the correct level of math. They recommended me to take algerbra.

Evan Franulovich  6:33  
Gotcha. When you arrived in the U.S. to improve your English, did you know that your end goal was going to be culinary school here?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:44  
No. I discovered it in the process, in my process. My first goal was to learn English and then go back to Peru, because in Peru I had already graduated in architecture.

Evan Franulovich  6:56  
That's a totally different field. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  6:59  
Yes. I got my my bachelor degreein 2021.

Evan Franulovich  7:07  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  7:07  
And then I worked for three and a half years. It has always been on my mind to learn English, and what it would be like to study abroad.

Evan Franulovich  7:21  
Sure. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  7:21  
And the opportunity appeared, and I took it.

Evan Franulovich  7:27  
So when you say the opportunity appeared, what do you mean by that? Like, what happened?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  7:32  
Okay, so one of my friend's dad is living in Bremerton. 

Evan Franulovich  7:39  
Oh, okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  7:40  
 Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  7:40  
Which is a community nearby.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  7:42  
Yeah. He invited my dad. At that moment, he said, 'Oh, could you come to Seattle and spend Christmas with us?'. During that time, I was on vacation, so my dad invited me. 

Evan Franulovich  7:58  
Ah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  8:00  
Yeah. When I came to Seattle, I liked the city and the people. I liked the environment in general. In that moment, I think that I thought, this is the opportunity to learn English. That's the way I made the decision.

Evan Franulovich  8:24  
Let me get this clear. So you were in Peru working as an architect?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  8:27  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  8:30  
And then you came here on a vacation for Christmas?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  8:35  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  8:36  
And then you just liked the city?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  8:38  
Yeah, I liked the city. Then I went back to Peru. 

Evan Franulovich  8:41  
Oh, you did go back?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  8:42  
To get the my student visa. 

Evan Franulovich  8:44  
Ah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  8:45  
Yeah, and then I applied to Alps.

Evan Franulovich  8:49  
Sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  8:49  
Yeah, and then they approved my documents.

Evan Franulovich  8:54  
You applied directly to Alps. You got an I-20 from them, and then you had to do an interview for your visa?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  9:06  
Yes, exactly. 

Evan Franulovich  9:06  
So tell us about that. Once you got your I-20 from Alps. Well, first of all, let's go back, because how long did it take for you to get the I-20 from Alps once you applied there?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  9:18  
The I-20, I got it very fast. I had to send them my documents. Bank statement, passport and personal documents.

Evan Franulovich  9:36  
Sure. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  9:38  
With that information, they prepared the documents that I had to present during my visa interview, to get the visa.

Evan Franulovich  9:48  
Gotcha.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  9:48  
In Peru, to get a visa, it takes about two to three months.

Evan Franulovich  9:57  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  9:57  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  9:58  
So plan ahead a little bit. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  9:59  
Yeah, but if you want to apply for tourist visa, it's probably going to take a year.

Evan Franulovich  10:07  
Yes, it always surprises me that it takes longer to get a tourist visa than a student visa. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  10:12  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  10:13  
Super interesting.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  10:14  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  10:14  
So when you knew you were coming up for Christmas, you had to apply a year in advance?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  10:21  
Yes. I applied one year before I traveled here.

Evan Franulovich  10:27  
And how long is that tourist visa good for?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  10:30  
For 10 years. 

Evan Franulovich  10:31  
10 years?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  10:32  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  10:32  
Okay, so you go back to Peru, you have this tourist visa. So you just have to convert the tourist visa into a student visa?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  10:41  
No, I actually have two kinds of visas. 

Evan Franulovich  10:43  
Oh, you do?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  10:44  
Yeah, a tourist and a student visa. My tourist visa is for 10 years. My student visa is four to five years. 

Evan Franulovich  10:53  
Gotcha. So you applied, once you got the I-20, then you got on to the government website and made an appointment. Then it took a couple of months, you said. When you got there, well, you had to travel then, right? You had to go to Lima?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  11:09  
Yes, I had to travel to Lima for the interview. And usually the interview is around 7am, so you have to get there early from the airport, two hours early.

Evan Franulovich  11:25  
Is that the only place in Peru? Peru is a pretty big country, right?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  11:29  
Yeah, it is, but that's the only place.

Evan Franulovich  11:33  
No consulates in Cusco or?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  11:35  
No. Everybody have to travel to Lima. 

Evan Franulovich  11:39  
Okay. So you drive there, you do it, and then when you go in for your interview. How long did the interview take? Once they started asking questions, how long did that take?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  11:49  
It took 10 minutes. 

Evan Franulovich  11:52  
Oh, super fast.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  11:52  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  11:53  
What kinds of questions did they ask you?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  11:55  
Okay, they asked me five questions. I remember the first question, it was 'What do you plan to do in Seattle or in the U.S?', So I told them that I wanted to learn English. I wanted to improve my English. 

Evan Franulovich  12:33  
Sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  12:11  
And then they asked me 'Why dont' you learn English in Peru' and 'Why do you want to travel to the U.S.?, I actually took English classes in Peru, basic level. But it is not like learning English here.

Evan Franulovich  12:35  
No, of course not.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  12:36  
To speak with native people, because the pronunciation is hard. I remember my first two months in Seattle, in the U.S. My English was terrible. I was communicating with, you know, hand signals.

Evan Franulovich  12:57  
Sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  12:58  
I tried to communicate with people, but they didn't understand me. They didn't understand because my pronunciation was terrible. Right now I'm trying to control my accent.

Evan Franulovich  13:12  
You're doing a great job. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  13:12  
Thank you. 

Evan Franulovich  13:12  
Your English is quite good.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  13:16  
Every day, I try to improve.

Evan Franulovich  13:21  
That's amazing. I find it really interesting. I've said this in previous episodes, but you know, I speak Spanish. I took Spanish for five years in high school, but like you, I don't feel, I mean, if I were to go to Peru, I'm sure I would not do super well in the beginning, because I just don't practice enough. You know, I don't have conversations with native speakers. I think it would take me a little while, but maybe just a short while, to get up to speed. So it took you about two months before you started feeling more comfortable?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  13:57  
No, to be honest, more than two months. It took me four months. 

Evan Franulovich  14:04  
That's still not bad.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  14:07  
Yeah. In four months, I think I learned how to communicate and how to start a conversation.

Evan Franulovich  14:17  
Okay. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  14:20  
My first goal was, 'How can I order my food?' and 'How can I get my driver's license?' 

Evan Franulovich  14:30  
Yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  14:32  
It was my worry.

Evan Franulovich  14:33  
I bet. I mean, just taking the test to get your driver's license would be challenging, because there's a lot of words that are specific to vehicles or cars.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  14:45  
Yes, but I was lucky, because they had an option to take it in Spanish.

Evan Franulovich  14:51  
Oh, you did. Oh, so you took your driver's license in Spanish? That's great. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  14:57  
I got approved and I got my driver's license.

Evan Franulovich  15:02  
That's cool. So did you have to buy a car when you got here?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:06  
After eight months I bought a car.

Evan Franulovich  15:11  
Okay. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:12  
Because I was living in the southern part of Seattle.

Evan Franulovich  15:15  
Sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:16  
From Capitol Hill, it took an hour.

Evan Franulovich  15:19  
Oh, wow. Like a bus or a subway?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:21  
Yeah, bus.

Evan Franulovich  15:23  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:25  
And every day I said (inaudible).

Evan Franulovich  15:32  
You know, sometimes traffic can be heavy in Seattle, so how long does it take you and your car to get to the school?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:42  
Over over an hour.

Evan Franulovich  15:44  
Oh, it does take over an hour. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:45  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  15:45  
So you're not saving any time if you drive your car.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:49  
Yeah, that's why I try to go early.

Evan Franulovich  15:57  
Well, your classes start early, correct? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  15:59  
Yes, 7.30.

Evan Franulovich  16:00  
7.30. So if you're going to be in the program, be ready, and then you're here all day? What time are you finished?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:08  
From 7.30 to 3pm.

Evan Franulovich  16:11  
That's not too bad. But traffic does start picking up at 3pm.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:16  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  16:16  
And what about parking? Because it's not inexpensive to Park in downtown. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:21  
Oh yeah.

Evan Franulovich  16:23  
Where do you park? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:25  
Oh, when I have class, I usually take the light rail.

Evan Franulovich  16:29  
 Oh, you do? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:30  
Yeah, because I tried driving there, but I have a lot of things to solve before my class starts. 

Evan Franulovich  16:38  
Yes, it's true. So are you still living in the south part of the city?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:45  
No, I actually moved to U distric a year ago, to UW. 

Evan Franulovich  16:51  
Nice. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:52  
It's a very nice place.

Evan Franulovich  16:53  
I like U district, really a lot of things going on.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  16:58  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  16:58  
A lot of young people walking around. Did you get a roommate? Or did you get a studio apartment? What did you do?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  17:05  
Yeah, I'm living with five roommates. 

Evan Franulovich  17:07  
Five?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  17:08  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  17:09  
Oh, so it's a house?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  17:11  
No, it's a huge apartment. Yeah, we share a kitchen and we share a living room. It's interesting, because in that building, the fifth floor is only, I think, Japanese students, and the second floor is Indian students. Third floor is American, and the fourth floor, where I live, is the international apartment. I have friends from France, Taiwan, Mongolia, and I'm from Peru. 

Evan Franulovich  17:47  
That's cool. And are these all students for Seattle Colleges are the University of Washington?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  17:55  
They are at the University of Washington. 

Evan Franulovich  17:56  
Gotcha.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  17:57  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  17:57  
So are you the only community college student? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:00  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  18:01  
Well, that's cool.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:03  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  18:04  
So you guys should know, if you're listening, u district is only two subway stops from Seattle Central, where we're at right now, so it's very easy to get back and forth and cheap. You get a ORCA card, right?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:18  
Yes, I have my ORCA card. I save a lot of money with that card.

Evan Franulovich  18:23  
You get it for free as a student, or is there a fee? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:26  
No, I pay a fee. 

Evan Franulovich  18:27  
You do pay a fee.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:28  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  18:29  
But it's a reduced fee for students?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:31  
Yes. I pay $175, I think, but they give me double; I think I get $350.

Evan Franulovich  18:40  
Oh, well, that's great.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:41  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  18:41  
So they kind of subsidize it to a certain extent. That's cool.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:45  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  18:46  
Okay, so let's get back into it. So you did two years at Alps?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  18:52  
No, actually, I remember that I started before Alps. I took a class in downtown, at a college is called Kaplan. 

Evan Franulovich  19:02  
Okay, yes. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  19:03  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  19:03  
They're closed now.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  19:04  
Yeah, they are closed. Then I switched to Alps. This is my third, how can I say? Where I'm learning English. This is my third place.

Evan Franulovich  19:19  
Third place, okay. When you got done with your visa interview, did you get your visa on your first try?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  19:25  
I did.

Evan Franulovich  19:26  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  19:27  
I got my visa on the first try because I already had my tourist visa.

Evan Franulovich  19:33  
Sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  19:34  
So I already have a travel history. They just checked when I traveled to the U.S. and when I went back.

Evan Franulovich  19:44  
Come back to Peru.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  19:45  
Yeah, everything was good, and they approved my visa. 

Evan Franulovich  19:48  
Nice.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  19:49  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  19:50  
Okay, so at what point during your English studies did you think to yourself, 'Oh, I think I'd really like to be a cook', or a chef in your case.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  20:02  
Okay, so when I was taking my architecture class, when I was 16 or 17. I worked with my parents. My parents have a small bakery and pastry shop. I was always working with them.

Evan Franulovich  20:29  
You already were kind of familiar with this industry?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  20:32  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  20:33  
All right.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  20:35  
But I decided to start architecture and then I worked for four years. When the opportunity appeared here, I took the classes. I checked out programs at Seattle Central College and culinary arts. So why not?

Evan Franulovich  20:58  
Okay, so you are in the culinary program. There are different types of degrees or certificates. Are you here for the one year certificate or the two-year culinary?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  21:12  
Yeah, I'm taking the two-year certificate.

Evan Franulovich  21:15  
Oh, so at the end of two years, you'll get a certificate, not a diploma?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  21:20  
No, I will have a certificate. 

Evan Franulovich  21:23  
You will?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  21:24  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  21:24  
And that allows you to open a restaurant?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  21:29  
Oh, yeah. I would like that. That is my dream.

Evan Franulovich  21:31  
Really?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  21:32  
Yeah. And also, I want to improve my parents' business. So, yeah, I want to do that.

Evan Franulovich  21:42  
So you'll take the skills that you get here and go back and help your parents improve their business. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  21:48  
Absolutely. Yeah, I would like to do that, because I'm watching businesses around the U.S. and I think it's a good idea to repay Peru. You know, maybe this is a new thing that will be great in Peru. 

Evan Franulovich  22:12  
Right.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  22:12  
 Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  22:14  
So how many people are in Trujillo?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  22:17  
We are almost a million.

Evan Franulovich  22:21  
Oh, so it's a big city?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  22:22  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  22:23  
Ah, so lots of opportunity for people dining out, coming to a restaurant or a bakery.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  22:30  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  22:31  
So do you want to expand it from just being a bakery to maybe offering other kinds of food options?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  22:37  
Absolutely, yeah. I would like to expand it. Like a restaurant, bakery, or something like that. 

Evan Franulovich  22:45  
That's cool. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  22:46  
Cafeteria or something like that.

Evan Franulovich  22:48  
Really great. Did you talk with any of the culinary students before you decided to apply for the program?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  22:58  
I told some of my friends, they are studying the culinary program in Peru.

Evan Franulovich  23:04  
Okay. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  23:05  
And they recommended this program if I really loved to cook. 

Evan Franulovich  23:14  
Yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  23:16  
I was always working with my parents during the process. But I felt, yeah, I liked cooking. I like to cook. That's why I made the decision and wanted to learn about this program.

Evan Franulovich  23:34  
Sure, sure. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  23:34  
And at the same time I'm improving my English.

Evan Franulovich  23:38  
Right. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  23:39  
So, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  23:42  
So we have culinary programs at both our Central campus and at our South Campus. Why did you choose Central instead of South? Did you consider South?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  23:54  
Actually, yeah. I considered Central for the location.

Evan Franulovich  23:57  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  23:58  
 It's very close to my house. 

Evan Franulovich  23:59  
Sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  24:00  
And traffic jams.

Evan Franulovich  24:02  
Yeah. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  24:04  
That's why I chose Seattle Central College. 

Evan Franulovich  24:06  
Cool, cool.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  24:07  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  24:07  
You applied and you got accepted. Did you have to do anything in addition to just your international programs application in order to get accepted into the culinary program? Like, did you have to do anything special?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  24:27  
Yeah, I was thinking about studying the bakery and dessert program or the culinary program. They explained to me what  the difference is between them. I think the culinary program is general, you know. You can also learn about baking, but another different kind of food. For example, international cuisine, Japanese food, Italian food.

Evan Franulovich  25:02  
So you considered just doing the bakery program, but then you thought, 'Oh, I'll do this more general'.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:09  
Exactly, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  25:10  
Cool.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:10  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  25:11  
So if there are people that come just for the bakery portion of it, do you know how long that program is?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:17  
The bakery is the same, two years.

Evan Franulovich  25:20  
Oh, it is?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:20  
Yeah, two years.

Evan Franulovich  25:21  
Oh, they just specialize more in that.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:23  
Exactly. 

Evan Franulovich  25:24  
Interesting.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:25  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  25:26  
So you're kind of at the beginning of your program. So what has been the first set of classes that you've been required to take?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:36  
Before studying the culinary program?

Evan Franulovich  25:38  
No, no. I mean during. So you're kind of in your first part of your culinary program. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:43  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  25:43  
What has have been the first classes in that program?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  25:46  
Oh, okay. I'm taking a class about theories, basic knife skills and what else? We are taking six courses. We are learning about the labels, on the back of the products. We have to learn how to read the labels. 

Evan Franulovich  26:10  
Right.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  26:10  
We have to consider allergies. We have to learn about vegetables and different ways of cutting.

Evan Franulovich  26:23  
Sure. That's a lot of vocabulary.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  26:26  
Absolutely.

Evan Franulovich  26:27  
In English. So not only are you learning culinary skills in English, but then you have to kind of learn the English part of it, like all the vegetable names, for example.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  26:38  
Yeah, yeah. Honestly, everything.

Evan Franulovich  26:42  
Everything's different. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  26:43  
Everything is actually different, the measures. 

Evan Franulovich  26:45  
Right.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  26:46  
 Temperature, the inches, centimeters. Everything.

Evan Franulovich  26:53  
Grams instead of pounds or cups. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  26:56  
Yes, exactly. 

Evan Franulovich  26:57  
Wow. So, so do you have to spend time every night just learning vocabulary, just practicing the English part of it.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:06  
Absolutely. Yeah, usually every culinary student has a small notebook.

Evan Franulovich  27:13  
Oh, okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:14  
You can take a note very quickly. 

Evan Franulovich  27:16  
Sure. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:16  
And you can review.

Evan Franulovich  27:18  
Gotcha. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:19  
Or if you hear a recipe, you have to take a note. When you're home, you have to review it. 

Evan Franulovich  27:27  
Sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:28  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  27:29  
So are you the only international student in the program right now? Or are there other international students?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:37  
No, they are from here. My classmates, they are from California and I've met someone from Idaho. They are from the U.S.

Evan Franulovich  27:49  
The United States. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:50  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  27:50  
You're the only non American student?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  27:54  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  27:54  
Wow, that's pretty cool. Yeah. So do they do they find you interesting because you are an international student, do they want to know about Peru? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  28:05  
Absolutely.

Evan Franulovich  28:06  
The food from Peru?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  28:08  
Yes, they are. They have asked me so many questions about food and about ingredients in Peru. About what kinds of potatoes we have in Peru, because Peru is the largest producer of potatoes. We have over 4000 kinds of potatoes. 

Evan Franulovich  28:29  
What?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  28:30  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  28:31  
That's crazy.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  28:32  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  28:33  
So how many? Can you find many of those potatoes here in the U.S., or are they just not available?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  28:42  
I found two kinds.

Evan Franulovich  28:46  
Two of 4000.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  28:48  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  28:48  
Wow. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  28:49  
Those potatoes are versitile to cook with. You can fry or boil them. 

Evan Franulovich  28:59  
Wow. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  29:01  
It's interesting, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  29:02  
I'll bet, that's really interesting. So will you spend time just working on food from Latin America in general, or food from Peru? Or, how does it work? Do they focus on different parts of the world?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  29:21  
Yes, exactly. For example, during the first quarter we are focusing on learning the basic steps. 

Evan Franulovich  29:27  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  29:29  
How to use a knife. Different kinds of knives. Actually, we have six kinds of knives. For vegetables, meat, peel or how to (inaudible). We have six kinds of knives. Second quarter, they told me that they will rotate with different kinds of cuisine. Corrected Version For example, the chef gives us a recipe. Today is an Italian recipe. You're going to make a pasta with chicken or risotto with something, and the next week, probably you're going to be on the grill. So you grill a salmon or beef. Yes, and you learn different things every week. So, yeah, that's interesting

Evan Franulovich  30:25  
So we met the other day for the second time. We met at the restaurant. What's the name of it? One World?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  30:32  
One World, yes.

Evan Franulovich  30:34  
So at Seattle Central, we have our own restaurant in the building, which is great. I highly recommend you check it out when you get here, either just to eat there or just see what they're up to. But you were working that day?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  30:45  
Yeah, no, I just was taking lunch. 

Evan Franulovich  30:48  
Oh, you're just taking lunch. Okay, so when do you actually start working in the restaurant?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  30:57  
I think for the first quarter, we focus on learning the basics. However, they also rotate us through other kitchens. Starting in the second quarter, or when we are in the One World restaurant, we learn how to serve food and how to be a good waiter.

Evan Franulovich  31:23  
So it's not just about cooking food.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  31:25  
Yes. We have to learn how to organize the table for the customers.

Evan Franulovich  31:32  
And they do a really great job. So I highly recommend it. And the pricing is pretty affordable for the quality of the food, it's amazing. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  31:42  
Exactly. 

Evan Franulovich  31:43  
Is there a particular dish you've tried that you like more than anything else you've tried? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  31:50  
Absolutely. In every class, I try new flavors to compare them with those from Peru.

Evan Franulovich  31:57  
Sure, yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  32:00  
But my favorite, I think, is salmon with lemon juice, lemon zest, and sauteed broccolini. It's amazing.

Evan Franulovich  32:13  
I don't know, once you get south into South America, are there native salmon runs in Peru?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  32:21  
No.

Evan Franulovich  32:21  
Okay, no salmon.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  32:22  
No salmon.

Evan Franulovich  32:23  
So you're having to import salmon from the North?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  32:26  
Yes, exactly. We have different kinds of fish. But we also have trucha.

Evan Franulovich  32:34  
Which is like a trout.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  32:35  
Yes, we don't have salmon. 

Evan Franulovich  32:38  
No salmon, okay. But with trout, are those fresh water living in lakes, or they live part time in the ocean and come in to rivers? Do you know much about the trout?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  32:54  
Yeah, I'm not sure about it, but when I visited the central part of Peru, they had pools where they grow trucha. It is like a pool where they raise the fish.

Evan Franulovich  33:12  
The trout? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:13  
Yeah, the trout. You can see the process of how they are raised, and it is amazing.

Evan Franulovich  33:22  
It is amazing.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:22  
Yeah, in the final stage, you can choose which trout you want to eat, and they prepare it right then and there in front of you.

Evan Franulovich  33:29  
Oh, really.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:30  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  33:30  
Oh, that's interesting.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:31  
And you can decide which sides you want to eat. For example, you can choose rice, potatoes, or a salad.

Evan Franulovich  33:39  
 Right. But Trujillo is not on the coast, right? It's inland.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:44  
 No, it's on the coast. 

Evan Franulovich  33:45  
Oh, it is on the coast. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:46  
Yeah, it's on the coast. 

Evan Franulovich  33:47  
You have a lot of seafood options?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:49  
Yes, exactly. Actually, I live in Huanchaco, the famous beach in Trujillo, Peru.

Evan Franulovich  33:58  
Okay. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  33:58  
Yeah, Huanchaco is my neighborhood, and it is an amazing place.

Evan Franulovich  34:04  
Is it? What if someone travels to Peru, to your cit. What would be the the one dish that you would recommend they try?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  34:14  
Okay, the first one I will say is ceviche.

Evan Franulovich  34:20  
Which is?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  34:21  
Which is fish, lemon juice, onions, corn and sweet potatoes.

Evan Franulovich  34:28  
Oh, that sounds really good.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  34:30  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  34:30  
And how is the fish cooked?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  34:32  
It is marinaded in lemon juice with some chili peppers.

Evan Franulovich  34:37  
Oh, so spicy?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  34:39  
A little bit, yeah, but it's up to you. You can decide if you want it spicy or not. 

Evan Franulovich  34:47  
Okay and then, is it grilled, or is it baked? Or, how do you cook it?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  34:52  
Corrected Version No, it is just marinated in the juice for a long time, maybe for an hour. The lemon juice infuses into the fish and "cooks" it, even though the fish is actually raw.

Evan Franulovich  35:07  
Oh, so it's like sushi almost. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  35:09  
It's like sushi, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  35:10  
So that's what I think, that's what I ate the other day. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  35:14  
Oh yeah?

Evan Franulovich  35:15  
That's the way the salmon was prepared when I was up there. It felt like I was eating sushi a little bit the salmon, and it was really good. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  35:25  
Oh yeah.

Evan Franulovich  35:26  
It wasn't baked, it wasn't fried, wasn't any of that stuff. That must be what you're kind of talking about.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  35:32  
Wow, yes. Another dish I can recommend to you guys is called Shambar. It is a regional dish specifically from Trujillo.

Evan Franulovich  35:46  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  35:46  
It's a soup made with different kinds of beans and pork. It is very concentrated, delicious, and healthy.

Evan Franulovich  35:58  
Yeah, so there's some meat in it, or no meat?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:03  
No meat.

Evan Franulovich  36:03  
 No meat, just beans? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:05  
Yeah, sorry, beans and pork. 

Evan Franulovich  36:08  
Oh, pork. Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:09  
It is a traditional food for Mondays. Everyone in Trujillo starts the week with Shambar.

Evan Franulovich  36:23  
Oh, on Monday?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:24  
It's like a tradition.

Evan Franulovich  36:25  
That's cool.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:26  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  36:27  
Is it a thick? Is it like more of a stew than a soup?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:31  
Yeah, it's very thick.

Evan Franulovich  36:33  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:33  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  36:33  
Do you make it with flour or cornstarch, or how do you thicken it?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  36:41  
The beans are mixed in, and they add a sauce. When you cook it for a long time, it becomes thick; however, after thirty minutes to an hour, the soup becomes watery compared to a thick soup.

Evan Franulovich  37:06  
Right. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  37:07  
Yeah, yes. It's a very interesting process to cook Shambar.

Evan Franulovich  37:12  
Yeah. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  37:12  
It takes a while.

Evan Franulovich  37:14  
How do you spell it? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  37:16  
Shambar?

Evan Franulovich  37:16  
Yeah, is it C, H?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  37:18  
No, it's S, H, A, M, B, A, R>

Evan Franulovich  37:23  
Okay. Well, you guys can check that out, find it online. I'm sure you can find pictures and recipes or whatever.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  37:29  
And the most popular one is Lomo Saltado. It is a beef stir-fry served with rice and fries.

Evan Franulovich  37:39  
Right, right. Well, I'm hoping to be in Peru this spring. I'll be doing some recruiting there, so I'm gonna have to track these dishes down.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  37:50  
Yes, of course. I recommend visiting the northern part of Peru, as well as the jungle.

Evan Franulovich  37:57  
Yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  37:58  
The jungle is amazing, and you are going to try food that is totally different from Lima or Trujillo.

Evan Franulovich  38:07  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  38:07  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  38:09  
Is Trujillo and Lima very different too, or are they more similar?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  38:13  
Corrected Version They are similar, yeah, but if you go to the jungle, it's very different. They eat a lot of bananas there, but.

Evan Franulovich  38:23  
Oh, yeah, sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  38:23  
They have different kinds of bananas, real bananas and even mashed bananas. Yeah, it's interesting.

Evan Franulovich  38:32  
Cool. So what if a person wants to go and eat out at a restaurant in in your city, I'm guessing it's less expensive than here in Seattle. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  38:44  
Absolutely.

Evan Franulovich  38:46  
It's quite expensive to eat out in Seattle. Is there a particular restaurant you have found in Seattle area that serves legitimate or pretty good Peruvian food?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  38:57  
Yeah, I found two restaurants. One is located in Lynnwood.

Evan Franulovich  39:03  
Okay. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:04  
And the other is in Magnolia.

Evan Franulovich  39:06  
Okay. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:06  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  39:07  
And what's the names? Do you want to shout out? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:10  
The one in Lynnwood it's called San Fernando.

Evan Franulovich  39:14  
Okay. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:14  
And the one in Magnolia is called (inaudible).

Evan Franulovich  39:21  
And the owners are from Peru?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:23  
Yes, yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  39:24  
Cool. Check it out guys. That's really cool. I forgot to ask, when you were in Peru as a young boy, did you go to a public or a private school?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:35  
I was in private school.

Evan Franulovich  39:36  
You're in private school? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:38  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  39:38  
What was the name of that school?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:40  
It's called Juan Pablo. 

Evan Franulovich  39:42  
Juan Pablo. Shout out to Juan Pablo. Was it kind of a general education to kind of prepare you for university then?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  39:51  
Yeah, okay. They prepared you with general courses like math and algebra.

Evan Franulovich  40:01  
Did you dream about being an international student at that time? Or did that come later?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  40:06  
No that came later.

Evan Franulovich  40:07  
That did come later?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  40:08  
Yeah. This process has appeared in the last two years. Before that, it never crossed my mind. 

Evan Franulovich  40:13  
Really?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  40:14  
Yes. I was always interested in studying abroad, but in Europe. 

Evan Franulovich  40:26  
Oh, sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  40:29  
When the opportunity appeared here, my goal was to improve my English, and the U.S. is the perfect place.

Evan Franulovich  40:42  
It's perfect. It's a really good place. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  40:45  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  40:46  
Let's talk real fast about the knives, because many students ask if there's special equipment you have to purchase. So when you join the culinary program, there must be like, you're wearing your uniform. Do you have to purchase your uniforms?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:01  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  41:02  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:02  
You must wear a chef uniform, along with pants and special shoes.

Evan Franulovich  41:10  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:11  
They have to be waterproof and oil proof. 

Evan Franulovich  41:15  
Oil proof?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:16  
Yes, because in the kitchen, you don't know.

Evan Franulovich  41:21  
Spilling a lot of things, I'm guessing,

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:23  
Yes, the clubs protect you.

Evan Franulovich  41:29  
Aha.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:29  
Everything happens.

Evan Franulovich  41:30  
That's great. Do you launder these yourself? Or does the program have a service where they send out your uniforms for laundering?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:40  
Yeah, the program has a service. There is a person who measures you, and you can choose the materials you want.

Evan Franulovich  41:48  
Do they wash it? Like, when it gets dirty, do you wash it, or does someone else wash it?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:48  
Oh no, I do.

Evan Franulovich  41:49  
You wash it?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  41:54  
Oh yeah.

Evan Franulovich  41:57  
Gotcha, but they'll help you choose it when you're picking it. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  42:00  
Exactly. 

Evan Franulovich  42:01  
Gotcha. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  42:02  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  42:02  
And then the knives. Do you have to purchase your own knives? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  42:06  
Absolutely. 

Evan Franulovich  42:06  
You do?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  42:07  
Yeah, I did. 

Evan Franulovich  42:08  
Oh, you have already purchased your knives?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  42:12  
I forgot to bring my knife from my house, but we use them every day. They recommended a place where you can buy your knives. Actually, a business specializing in these knives came to the classroom and explained the different knives: knives for students and knives for professional cooks.

Evan Franulovich  42:45  
Interesting. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  42:46  
We learned a lot about the knives before buying them.

Evan Franulovich  42:51  
Right. Because it's a big investment, right? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  42:53  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  42:54  
Did you get to try a number of different types of knives? I mean, just to see if you like the feel.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  43:01  
In that moment at the Expo, we could feel the different materials and find our correct size. You can even customize them.

Evan Franulovich  43:18  
Like, if your hand is big or small, you can find a knife that is better for your hand.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  43:24  
The goal is that you can feel comfortable with your tools. 

Evan Franulovich  43:30  
Sure, yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  43:31  
Because you’re going to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, the goal is to get the perfect size for you and for your hands.

Evan Franulovich  43:45  
Okay, let's talk about learning to use those knives. When you cut up vegetables, there's a special technique that they teach you, yeah? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  43:53  
Absolutely, yeah. We have different kinds. For example, with potatoes, we can cut a small dice, medium dice, or large dice. For others, like carrots for example, we do julienne, fine julienne, and batonnet. Yeah, they have different names; usually, they are French names. But yeah, I’m learning a lot.

Evan Franulovich  44:31  
I'll bet you are. So not only are you having to learn English, but you're also having to learn some French words as well.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  44:36  
Exactly.

Evan Franulovich  44:37  
Probably some Italian. Is there a lot of Spanish words used?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  44:42  
No.

Evan Franulovich  44:43  
Not too many?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  44:43  
Not too many, no. I used a lot of Spanish words during "Spain day". 

Evan Franulovich  44:51  
Oh, sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  44:52  
Yeah. We celebrated a Spanish day, I think, two weeks ago. In that moment, yeah, I heard a lot of Spanish words, of course, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  45:06  
That's really great. So it must be fairly easy to pick up. I mean, Spanish and French are not too different, so can you understand probably a little more easily?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  45:17  
Yeah, when I hear a French word, I can associate it with a Spanish word. They are kind of similar, yeah. I think Spanish is more similar to Italian, though.

Evan Franulovich  45:32  
Oh, probably.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  45:36  
Yeah. I understand some French words. 

Evan Franulovich  45:38  
That's cool.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  45:39  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  45:40  
What about other equipment, your uniform, your knives. Is there anything else that they have you purchase special when you are brought into the program?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  45:48  
Your thermometer.

Evan Franulovich  45:49  
Oh, the thermometer.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  45:51  
Yeah, the other thing is that in the demo kitchen and the lab, you have everything. You just need your uniform and your knives. That's it.

Evan Franulovich  46:10  
So you're looking down the road near the end of the program. Will there be a special test that you have to take, or will there be a exposition where you have to create a meal, or what is your final project that you'll have to do to graduate? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  46:27  
Okay. For the first quarter, we have to learn knife skills.

Evan Franulovich  46:35  
Oh, and demonstrate?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  46:36  
Yeah, during the first quarter. Because those are the requirements to pass the second quarter.

Evan Franulovich  46:42  
Right.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  46:43  
When you graduate from culinary school, you have to make 12, I think 12 different dishes in two hours.

Evan Franulovich  46:56  
In two hours?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  46:57  
 Yes.

Evan Franulovich  46:58  
Wow.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  46:59  
Yes, yeah. You can invite your friends and family, and they celebrate with you.

Evan Franulovich  47:07  
That sounds really great. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:09  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  47:10  
Will your family travel?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:12  
Yes, yes. I think for my graduation, my family probably can come to Seattle.

Evan Franulovich  47:19  
That would be awesome. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:20  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  47:21  
So it's your mom, your dad. Do you have siblings?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:24  
Yes, I have two younger siblings. I'm the oldest one. 

Evan Franulovich  47:30  
You're the oldest?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:31  
Yeah, I'm the oldest. One of my my sister, she's 19. She's living in Miami, actually.

Evan Franulovich  47:40  
Oh, what is she do there? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:40  
She's taking an English class. She want to be a teacher.

Evan Franulovich  47:46  
Oh, very cool, 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:47  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  47:47  
Do you think she'll stay in Miami?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:50  
Yeah, she loves Miami. She was here in Seattle, but just for six months. 

Evan Franulovich  47:57  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  47:59  
She told me the weather was hard for her.

Evan Franulovich  48:04  
Well, let's talk about the weather real fast. Because you're from Latin America. Latin America tends to be warm. Right now it's not very warm here. I think today is, what? Two, three degrees Celsius.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  48:15  
Yes. It's hard; actually, when I first came to Seattle, my first month was really hard. I came here in August.

Evan Franulovich  48:29  
August is nice.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  48:30  
Yeah, in August. But even then I felt cold because Trujillo is very warm.

Evan Franulovich  48:38  
Like a lot warmer.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  48:39  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  48:41  
Our August is beautiful, usually. So I'm curious, how warm it was that August? Interesting. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  48:49  
But, yeah, the hardest months, I think, were December, January, and February.

Evan Franulovich  48:57  
Because it's dark and it rains.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  49:00  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  49:01  
Well, it'll get better. It'll get nicer. You're in the kitchen anyway, so you're cooking. It doesn't matter. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  49:07  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  49:08  
It can rain outside. That's great. You can make a nice soup or something warm to keep your body. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  49:13  
Exactly.

Evan Franulovich  49:14  
That's great. Well, very cool. Oh, do you hear that? It means it's trivia time. This is the part of the show where we ask you five questions. If you get them all right, you're on our wall of fame. But before we do that, I have a little thing called getting to know you. We just ask you a few questions. This tells everybody a little bit more about you as a person, rather than just your program. So just tell me which one you prefer. So the first one is coffee or tea?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  49:43  
I prefer tea. 

Evan Franulovich  49:44  
Yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  49:45  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  49:46  
Interesting. Yes, you're in a coffee region. I figured you'd be a coffee drinker.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  49:51  
Yeah. For some reason, for whatever reason, I prefer tea. I feel, yeah, I don't know, but coffee gives me a little headache. So, yeah, that’s why.

Evan Franulovich  50:04  
Too much caffeine? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:05  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  50:05  
Okay, cool. Whenever I go to Colombia, I always buy coffee when I'm there, does your part of Peru grow coffee as well?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:14  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  50:15  
It does?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:15  
Yes, absolutely. In the middle, in the center part of Peru, they grow coffee.

Evan Franulovich  50:22  
What about tea? Do they grow tea?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:26  
No.

Evan Franulovich  50:28  
All right, good enough. Mountains or beach?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:31  
Oh, I prefer mountains.

Evan Franulovich  50:33  
Me too. You know the Andes go right through Peru. Can you see them in the distance?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:42  
Yeah, you can see it. 

Evan Franulovich  50:44  
Just some big mountains in Peru.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:46  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  50:47  
Cool.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:47  
Especially in Cusco.

Evan Franulovich  50:48  
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Have you been to?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:52  
Cusco? 

Evan Franulovich  50:52  
Cusco.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  50:53  
Absolutely. I’ve been there three or four times.

Evan Franulovich  50:57  
So you've gone up to see Machu Picchu. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:01  
Of course. I've seen Machu Picchu four times.

Evan Franulovich  51:03  
Four times?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:05  
But every time it was different, a different experience, a different you. Yeah, you find something new.

Evan Franulovich  51:05  
Interesting.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:05  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  51:06  
All right, I'd love to ask you more about that, but we're running low on time. Okay, early bird or night owl?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:20  
Early Bird.

Evan Franulovich  51:21  
Oh, good for you, since you have to get up early. Books or movies?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:27  
Movies.

Evan Franulovich  51:27  
Okay, texting or phone calls?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:32  
In Spanish, phone call. In English, texting.

Evan Franulovich  51:35  
Oh, that's interesting. You're the first guest that's made that distinction. That's cool. All right, cats or dogs?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:42  
Dogs. 

Evan Franulovich  51:43  
Oh, you guys have dogs back in Peru?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:45  
Yes, absolutely. I have one, It's a Pitbull.

Evan Franulovich  51:49  
You have a pit bull? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:50  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  51:50  
I love pit bulls. Yeah, my oldest son has a pit bull. He's the sweetest dog. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:55  
Oh yeah.

Evan Franulovich  51:56  
Is your dog pretty sweet?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  51:57  
Yeah, he's pretty sweet. His name is Hercules. 

Evan Franulovich  52:00  
That's awesome. Yeah, I love it. How old is he? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:03  
He is five years. 

Evan Franulovich  52:04  
Oh, so he's just a young dog. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:06  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  52:07  
Very nice. All right. City or country? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:11  
Hm, city.

Evan Franulovich  52:13  
All right, you grew up in the cit.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:15  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  52:15  
All right, adventure or chill at home?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:20  
Adventure, 100%.

Evan Franulovich  52:22  
Sounds like you're an adventure. So, you're in a culinary program. After you've cooked all day, do you really want to cook when you get home? What do you do for dinner?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:35  
Okay.

Evan Franulovich  52:37  
Or do you just eat at school?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:39  
Usually I eat at school.

Evan Franulovich  52:41  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:43  
When I go home, I make a sandwich. 

Evan Franulovich  52:47  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  52:48  
The whole day I was cooking, but usually I make my own food. I have everything prepped and prepared, you just have to mix and cook.

Evan Franulovich  53:00  
Okay, yeah, that makes sense.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  53:01  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  53:02  
Smart, all right, summer or winter?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  53:05  
Oh, summer.

Evan Franulovich  53:06  
I was gonna guess, and then this is silly, cooking at home or eating out?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  53:12  
Okay, I prefer both. But eating out is now my hobby. 

Evan Franulovich  53:18  
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  53:19  
I want to try different flavors.

Evan Franulovich  53:21  
Sure. In Seattle, really, I don't know what you think. You think Seattle's a pretty good place to find these foods?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  53:29  
Yeah, yeah. Seattle has a lot of seafood. And I like salmon. I like shrimp and lobster.

Evan Franulovich  53:39  
You can get a lot of different types of food in Seattle. It's a great city if you're interested in checking out different types of food, lots of different types of restaurants. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  53:48  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  53:49  
And you can find less expensive places, but you can get really fancy too if you want. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  53:54  
Yes, absolutely. 

Evan Franulovich  53:55  
You know, I had a another culinary student on my program from India not so long ago, and she was graduating. This was back in the spring. She's now doing an OPT session at a restaurant downtown. Do you plan to graduate and then do OPT?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:11  
Yes, I would like to do that. Yeah. I would like to get experience in different kinds of U.S. restaurants. Actually, I would like to do my OPT in another city, for example, another state. For example, Hawaii or.

Evan Franulovich  54:31  
Right? Have you been to Hawaii?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:33  
Never.

Evan Franulovich  54:34  
It's great.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:35  
Yeah or maybe Miami.

Evan Franulovich  54:37  
Sure, go on the east coast. It's very different. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:40  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  54:41  
You haven't been to Miami yet?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:43  
Yes, yes.

Evan Franulovich  54:44  
Oh, you did go?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:45  
I’ve been, yeah, I’ve been to Miami two times. 

Evan Franulovich  54:48  
Oh.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:48  
Because my sister lives there.

Evan Franulovich  54:50  
Sure, so you visited her before? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  54:52  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  54:52  
You're a traveler, that's for sure. All right. Well, great, that's all there is for the podcast question. But let's get to the trivia questions. So ask you five questions, and if you get them all right, you're up on the wall of fame. They're very easy or very hard, depending. But let's start with something fairly easy. You are in the state of Washington. If you go south, you run into a whole different state. What is the next state south of here?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  55:18  
South? Um, interesting.

Evan Franulovich  55:26  
Was maybe a tough one.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  55:27  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  55:28  
Starts with an O.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  55:30  
Yeah, yeah, Oregon?

Evan Franulovich  55:34  
Yes, Oregon. Nice job. Okay, cool. Question number two, now, if I go north of here. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  55:40  
Okay.

Evan Franulovich  55:41  
Where do I go? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  55:42  
Vancouver, right. 

Evan Franulovich  55:48  
What country is that?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  55:49  
Canada.

Evan Franulovich  55:50  
Canada is to the north. Have you been to Canada yet?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  55:53  
Oh, never.

Evan Franulovich  55:56  
It's really great. All right. Question number three, well, let's say you want to go to Canada. What do you need to do at the International Programs Office before you travel to Canada?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  56:06  
Oh, yeah, I have to get that permission. Yeah, yeah. And I have to present it to Canadian immigration. So, yeah, I have to get that permission (inaudible).

Evan Franulovich  56:20  
Gotta get your I-20 sign. Good job. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  56:23  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  56:23  
Okay. Now, you know, in Latin America, and I'm guessing in Peru, football is very popular.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  56:31  
Oh yeah.

Evan Franulovich  56:31  
And we are going to be hosting the World Cup here in Seattle, or one of the cities, anyway. Is Peru going to be in the World Cup?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  56:39  
No.

Evan Franulovich  56:40  
No?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  56:41  
Unfortunately, no.

Evan Franulovich  56:42  
Colombia will be there. Maybe go see your neighbors. Ecuador, I think made it.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  56:47  
I think Ecuador and Colombia, yeah for sure.

Evan Franulovich  56:50  
Yeah, yeah, okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  56:51  
Argentina also.

Evan Franulovich  56:52  
Yeah, of course. We're tired of Argentina, we love Argentina, but we want to see one of these other countries win. That would be nice. We have a professional soccer team, football team here in the city of Seattle. What is the name of our professional soccer team? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:08  
Sounders.

Evan Franulovich  57:09  
The Sounders, good job. That's kind of a tough question. Have you seen them play yet?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:14  
Absolutely, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  57:15  
What?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:16  
I went to the stadium. I think, yeah, the last game.

Evan Franulovich  57:19  
Cool. Are there any Peruvian players on the team?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:23  
I think it was one of the Peruvian players called Raul, Raul Ruidiaz, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  57:29  
Very cool. Yeah. Check it out, guys. That's really great. All right. Last question, you said that you're into movies. So the last question is, what was the last movie you saw in a movie theater?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:41  
Oh, okay, it was a horror movie.

Evan Franulovich  57:44  
Oh, it was, which one?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:46  
It was.

Evan Franulovich  57:47  
It was here in Seattle? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:51  
It was here in Seattle.

Evan Franulovich  57:52  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:53  
Yeah. Oh my gosh, I forgot the name. 

Evan Franulovich  57:58  
(Inaudible).

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  57:59  
Yeah, I would check it out. 

Evan Franulovich  58:00  
What was, was it a good movie? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  58:03  
It was a good movie. Yeah, it was okay, actually.

Evan Franulovich  58:07  
Okay.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  58:07  
 Yeah, yeah.

Evan Franulovich  58:09  
All right. Yeah, I don't watch too many scary movies, so I don't know. I can't help you very well.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  58:13  
Yeah. So sorry, I don't remember the name, but yeah.

Evan Franulovich  58:15  
Cool. All right. Well, good deal. You did pretty well, nice job. I'd say we're pretty much on the wall of fame. There's couple shaky but that's okay. Good job. Very good. Well, we're at the point of the show now where we got to wrap things up. Last two things I have you do we always invite our international students to say a few words in their first language. Now, most people that are watching the show has probably heard Spanish before, but maybe they haven't heard your version of Spanish. I know, you know, Chilean Spanish is very different than Colombian Spanish. Very different than Argentinian. So maybe just a, you know, 15-20 seconds in your version of Spanish.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  58:15  
Yeah, perfect. (Speaks Spanish).

Evan Franulovich  59:01  
All right, great. Thanks, and then last question. You've been through the process now. You've come here. You've been here for a couple of years, you've gone through the visa process. You've traveled here as both a tourist and as a student. What advice would you give to maybe a student back in your region, your country, that's maybe thinking about being an international student, but they're not really sure, or, you know, maybe their parents aren't really sure. What advice would you give those guys?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:00:12  
Okay, so the first thing, I think, is to make a decision. Take a decision, and then prepare your documents, like your passport and bank statement, and what your goal is in the United States, right?

Evan Franulovich  1:00:29  
Right.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:00:29  
I think those are the three key points.

Evan Franulovich  1:00:33  
Yeah, have your documents all in order. That's really great point. Then I think what you were talking about, like, know, your goals, that's really important.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:00:45  
Exactly.

Evan Franulovich  1:00:45  
If you can explain your story, what it is you're dreaming about, that is really important when they, you know, want to know why you're coming.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:00:55  
Yeah, exactly.

Evan Franulovich  1:00:57  
Good advice. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:00:58  
Yes, yes. That is my experience. That is my journey, and that is my advice.

Evan Franulovich  1:01:06  
Nice, the sage, the wise man. So listen carefully, guys. Start early too, you were talking about a few months maybe, to get your appointment. So you know, plan ahead. You can apply to Seattle College up to one year in advance, so you can think ahead. You can apply, have lots of time. Don't wait to the last minute. How long? You were already here, so when you went from Alps to Seattle Colleges, that was just a transfer, right?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:01:36  
Yes, it was immediate. It took like a week maybe.

Evan Franulovich  1:01:42  
Super easy.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:01:43  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  1:01:44  
You don't have to go through a interview process again or anything like that.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:01:49  
No, it's easy. The process starts in your own country when you get the visa. Then, once you are studying in the U.S., if you want to transfer to another school, it's very easy.

Evan Franulovich  1:02:03  
Right on. Well, so great to talk to you again. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:06  
Thank you so much. 

Evan Franulovich  1:02:07  
Yeah, it's really good. I hope I'll see you in the restaurant again. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:09  
Absolutely. Yeah, if you give me the opportunity, I will bring a gift for you. 

Evan Franulovich  1:02:15  
My gosh, thanks. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:17  
I have something for you. 

Evan Franulovich  1:02:18  
You have gifts now?

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:21  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  1:02:21  
Man, that's amazing. Thanks. Oh, and it's Christmas. It's getting close to Christmas.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:27  
Exactly. It's Christmas. So my first gift.

Evan Franulovich  1:02:31  
Oh my gosh, this is the best. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:35  
That's for you.

Evan Franulovich  1:02:36  
That's great. The Peruvian football jersey.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:41  
Exactly. 

Evan Franulovich  1:02:42  
Thank you so much. That's amazing. That's gonna be great. I'm gonna wear this when I'm there, for sure.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:02:49  
Absolutely. And this is the second gift (inaudible).

Evan Franulovich  1:02:52  
Nice. Check that out, guys. That's great. Well, I hope I get to go visit in-person.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:00  
Absolutely.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:01  
Yeah, that'd be really great.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:02  
And this is her.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:04  
Oh, my gosh. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:04  
 (Inaudible).

Evan Franulovich  1:03:05  
Oh, thank you so much. Look at this. Wow. You win guest of the year, because, well, that's amazing. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:13  
That is not all.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:14  
Oh, what is going on? I gotta actually, let's try this on right now.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:20  
Yeah, of course.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:23  
Look at that, guys, Peru.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:25  
Peru, and this is a traditional Peruvian drink. 

Evan Franulovich  1:03:33  
Wow. Can you get this in the U.S.? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:36  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:37  
You were able to find it? 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:39  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:39  
Very nice. Well, cheers.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:41  
Cheers.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:42  
Thanks so much. Inca Kola.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:46  
Yes.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:46  
Very cool. (Speaks Spanish). Not bad. Very cool. Thank you so much.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:55  
 Absolutely.

Evan Franulovich  1:03:55  
Wow. I appreciate it all. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:03:57  
How do you like all of this? 

Evan Franulovich  1:03:59  
Hey, Feliz Navidad. 

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:04:02  
Feliz Navidad. 

Evan Franulovich  1:04:03  
(Speaks Spanish).

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:04:06  
Your Spanish is really good.

Evan Franulovich  1:04:09  
(Speaks Spanish) So nice, thanks, and we'll try. I'll practice with you when I see you around the hall.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:04:14  
Absolutely. Yeah, whenever you want.

Evan Franulovich  1:04:17  
But my culinary Spanish is probably not nearly as good as yours, so I'll work on that. I know a few basic things. All right, guys. Well, thank you guys for joining us as well. We're here every Wednesday. You can learn about programs. You can learn about coming to the United States. We want you to like, subscribe and please share with everyone you know. We're trying to spread the word about the show. Offer free, useful information for students that want to come to the U.S. Thanks again for being here. We really appreciate being in our program. I'm looking forward to maybe talking to you again when you get to graduation. See how your English has improved over all that time. Get you graduated, and then get you to OPT.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:05:02  
Perfect. Yeah, sounds good.

Evan Franulovich  1:05:04  
All right guys. Well, have a very happy Christmas, and you guys, too. By the time you see this show, it'll probably be around Christmas time. I think it'll be relevant.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:05:14  
 Perfect. 

Evan Franulovich  1:05:15  
All right, guys, take care. Bye, bye.

Jonathan Perez Vasquez  1:05:17  
Bye, bye guys.

Evan Franulovich  1:05:19  
Conversations with! is painstakingly crafted for you by the Seattle Colleges International Programs department and supported by the lovely folks here on our campus. This show is produced and edited by me, Evan Franulovich. We welcome your emails and questions about coming to Seattle Colleges. Please reach out to us via our website or just give us a rating and a review on Apple podcasts as this helps others discover the show. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube at Seattle Colleges Intl. And be sure to check out all the shows here on Conversations with! Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week.