Xavier | Ōrewa

“Xavier and I’m from here in Ōrewa. Probably at work, when my workmates kind of encouraged me and helped me, you know, gave me advice on how to do stuff better, and it just made me feel like, you know, it’s easy, I can actually finish this, actually do this.

So I’ve been working at the restaurant Coast in Ōrewa, and been doing kitchen hand, and the chefs kind of gave me advice, and helped through a whole stack of dishes when I thought I couldn’t do it, or something. 

I actually thought about being a chef but now, kind of being in that environment, and that space, I’m not sure that I want to. I mean, I still would want to be a chef, but the one thing that puts me off is the long hours and I’ve kind of experienced that being kitchen hand. 

I grew up here in Ōrewa. I value my friends and my family. 

I think it’s extremely important, because you know, you can’t really do everything without other people helping you and other people being there. Like loneliness is, you know, you need friends to make you laugh and to spend time with and I think it’s really important.”