I had an awesome experience at Berjaya University College Of Hospitality (Berjaya UCH) on the 12th of March, 2010.
Me and my best pal, Sook Kuan a.k.a. Amanda, were invited by Mr. Christopher for a trial class at the Upper East Side Cafe at Berjaya UCH, 14th Floor, Berjaya Times Square.

The Upper East Side Cafe - Berjaya University College of Hospitality

I am considered as a  BUCH current student because I registered myself in February.
As they say, “Seeing is Believing”, I too was truly fascinated by the facilities at Berjaya UCH.
I quickly enrolled myself and began counting the days left for classes to begin.
Luckily, I was offered the chance to experience a day of practical classes with the seniors.

So let’s talk about my day as a trainee at the Upper East Side Cafe.
I learnt alot of things about running a cafe, thanks to the seniors; Rainnie, Angela, Dominic, Karan, Hein Yew and Michelle.

Having fun with the seniors.

For instance I learned:-

How to polish a wine glass.
How to serve a customer.
How to arrange cutlery on the tables.
How to be a professional waiter/ waitress.
Where to store the cutleries, plates and glasses after clearing up the cafe.

Arranging cutlery on the tables.

Amanda and I had a great time helping the seniors with their daily operations.
At the end of the day, we were each given a delicious piece of pastry for helping out.
Apart from that, we even got student discounts for all the breads and desserts we purchased.
We made new friends; Rainnie, Angela, Karan, Dominic, Shaun, Michelle and many others.
And we ate alot too!

Enjoying our meal after service.

After the cafe operations however, there was one more very special session… They called it the ‘Trolley Sales’!
All the mouth-watering cakes, desserts, pastries, breads and cookies were loaded onto a cart.
We were given the chance to follow Michelle and Angela to sell the delectables to the Berjaya Corporation employees and Berjaya UCH Staff and students.
The response was enormous! Everyone couldn’t resist the sweet temptation and rushed to buy their favorites!

Delicious cakes for Trolley Sales!

It was certainly a wonderful experience attending the practical class at the Upper East Side Cafe.
I’m really thankful to all the seniors who welcomed us so lovingly and thought us a lot in such a short period of time.
Last but not least thanks to Mr. Resh, Ms. Sheila and Mr. Christopher for the opportunity to attend the practical class!

A Chocolaty Truffle Cake all for MYSELF! Muahahahaha!

I really can’t wait to see you guys this April!

On 26^th of February 2010, the Digga Dugga Dong Club organized a charity visit to SPCA. Hein Yew, the president of the triple-D club was in charge of the entire affair. As part of a 7 car entourage, we started our journey around 10 am, and drove to SPCA, Ampang.  This is where the story actually begins…..

Upon our arrival at SPCA, we were greeted by the Manager, Ms M. Chelvy.  She then showed us around the facility and for most of us – it was an eye opener.  Ok, granted that some of us were a little terrified of dogs, but that was all put to ease when we were introduced to the cute and cuddly tenants of the SPCA.

Our hearts went out for all the homeless dogs that were wandering around.  It was good to see even our “terrified of dogs” friends warming up.

We all agreed on one thing though – all the dogs that were being cared for by SPCA looked chubby and healthy, perhaps because they were being fed with lots of proteins by the caretakers.

After spending few minutes going ga-ga over the dogs (yes, some of us couldn’t resist playing with them), Hein Yew then gave us our tasks and separated us into 4 groups. Group one consisted of Alex, Christine, Dominic, Richmond and myself.  What was our mission? We had to change all the newspapers in the cages. Apart from that, we even refilled water for all the dogs (not too bad I think…but don’t ask about the smell ok )

After completing our task, we then went on a photography spree – taking a lot of snaps with the tenants of SPCA.  Before we knew it, we had to say goodbye to all at SPCA.

This visit to SPCA was definitely something that the members of Digga Dugga Dong will cherish for a long time to come…

The Starbucks Coffee Company was the brainchild of three friends – Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. Combining their shared love for great tea and coffee, Starbucks officially opened its first outlet in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in Washington, USA in 1971. The name Starbucks was taken from the story of Moby-Dick whereby Starbucks was the name of the first mate of a ship. The Starbucks logo depicts a siren, which is a two-tailed mermaid. The reason behind selecting this logo is that a siren is supposed to be intriguing, crafted, adventurous and alluring, which Starbucks tries to portray to the world about its coffee, people and stores.

The very first Starbucks outlet to open in Malaysia was on 17 December 1998 in KL Plaza. Starbucks Coffee Company in Malaysia is a wholly own subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation Berhad thus being known as Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Sdn Bhd which is helmed by Eric Khoo.

Starbucks’ mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. It is guided by its six guiding principles which are; their coffee, partners, customers, stores, neighbourhood and shareholders.

Just walk into any of their stores worldwide and one can see their mission statement and the guiding principles proudly displayed in plain sight. Starbucks unlike many other companies of its time takes its Corporate Social Responsibilities seriously. It was one of the few major global companies to practice recycling and caring for the environment plus the coffee farmers. Over the years Starbucks has gained a large following and popularity among coffee drinkers and has open a few thousand stores worldwide. Just ask any Starbucks fan to recommend you Starbucks drinks and one would find that the Frappucino’s or blended drinks, and hot coffees will be among the top choices. So go out there, and enjoy a delightful cup of Starbucks coffee with a book in your hand, a group of friends, your family or that special someone today.

Introducing The CONCIERGE!

2009 has flew away so quickly and 2010 is here promising a bigger and better university life for Berjaya UCH students. But first, let’s take a ride through the year that was and have a look at the fantastic time we had.

We begin with our first day in college. Everyone was just so excited and nervous at the same time. Orientation Day was fun. Running around the entire mall and laughing around with each other during the ice-breaking activities. It was hilarious. Except when it came to the grueling English Entrance Test. Well, that was it, the beginning of our journey.

Our First Day in College. Orientation Day

Enjoying a drink after the ‘Amazing Race’ around BTS

April 2009 Orientation Day Group Photo

And then comes the BBQ Night at the Student Accommodations, Awana Puri. It was a very juicy night with delicious food on the grill by the poolside. Students and staff members had a splash of a time; and we have pictures to prove it!

Starting up a FIRE!

Yummy!

Trying the get Wilfred into the pool. SPLASH!

Cute right?! Next up, our first Sports Week!
We had competitions for Pool, Table Tennis, and Bowling. Students and staff members took up the challenge and for the entire week, the college was buzzing with fun and enthusiasm. Check it out!

First up, the girls Pool Competition

And the guys competition

Ping-Pong-Ping-Pong-Ping—

Check out Hein Yew’s Hair!

The Grand Finale – Bowling Competition

We’ve Got Balls!

STRIKE!

To celebrate a fantastic Sports Week, we threw an even more fun Karaoke Night!
Once again, students and staffs displayed their talents and sang the night away along with some makan-makan.
The night began by presenting medals to the winners of the Sports Week.

Curi all the medals wei!

The Diva – Ms. Angela!

It’s all about the FOOD!

The Fun is just never-ending!
After the Kira-OK Night, we played host to Celebrity Chef and the King of Grill, Chef Robert Rainford!
He shared his experience and thought us some tricks for the kitchen. On the last night of his visit, the students were even given a chance to serve at the VIP Dinner event organized by the Asian Food Channel.
Amongst those on the list were the founders of AFC themselves, and the ex-PM, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi along with his family.

Our COO, Mdm. Mae with the founders of Asian Food Channel at the launch of Robert Rainford Weekend @ Berjaya UCH

Chef Robert shares his experience with Berjaya UCH students

Students meet the Celebrity Chef in person

Our celebrity series continued with many more renowned names.
Moses Chan, Maria Cordero, David Kerr, Frederic Carriere, among the few others.

Learning from the Flaring Master

Learning from the Flaring Master

Visit by Hong Kong Tourism Board with Maria Cordero

Let’s get Cheesy with Frederic Carriere – Cheese Expert

Royal Visit by Norwegian Ambassador

Nevertheless, our students too got a share of the limelight throughout the year.
Let’s look at some of the achievements of our students.

Hysteria – A Haunted Campus Halloween Party!

Winners of FHM Culinary Competition – from left, Keegan, Kang Shen and Wilfred with their medals

Christmas Comes Early to Samplings On The Fourteen

Recipients of the Dean’s List Award

It was certainly a great year filled with fun and excitement.
But in the end, it all comes down to passing the exams!

Our Final Exam of 2009! Stress!

And so the year came to an end.
2009 has passed along and 2010 is goin to be another eventful year!

Be back soon to The Concierge as we will keep you updated on all the happenings at the most prestigious University College of Hospitality in Malaysia, Berjaya UCH!