Consultation with Food and Hotel Experts

As required by a current project of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians with Catholic Mission Australia, the Vocational Training Team of the Sisters, together with the Provincial, Sr. Jessica Salvaña, met with experts/consultants last July 3, 2020 at Don Bosco School in Teuk Thla. This was to solicit opinions and advice from the experts regarding their new Food Technology and Hotel Services Course (FTHS) which would be offered at Tuol Kork next year.

The animator of the Tuol Kork Community, Sr. Amanda Alvarando, Sr. Sovathanak Tang, Sr. Maria Elena Estacio and Sr. Blanchi Sambrea, Sister-in-Charge of the FTHS Course at Teuk Thla, attended the meeting. Unfortunately, Sr. Jessica was not well and so she had to stay in her room and join the participants on-line. To start, Sr. Blanchi led the group into prayer to the Holy Spirit and then Sr. Sovathanak welcomed the consultants/experts. Sr. Maria Elena introduced the consultants who were mostly French: Mr. Mansour Choueri, owner of Aroma (Lebanese) restaurant, Mr. Frederic Daudu, now teaching English (for hotel services) at St. Paul Institute in Takeo and Fr. Francois Dermont, an expert baker and cook; the Filipino couple Martin and Hannalyn Bandalan who owned the “Waffle Magic” Shop at Aeon Mall, Bro. Martin TanTai, SDB and two teachers from the Don Bosco Hotel School in Sihanoukville and the Sisters’ past pupil Buth Vannda who worked as sales manager of Angkor Paradise Hotel in Siem Reap. Then Sr. Blanchi presented to them the Food Technology and Hotel Services curriculum to which they gave their reactions and very useful comments/feedbacks.

The consultants also shared some of their experiences in the food and hotel business from which the Sisters and teachers learned much. When the meeting was over, Sr. Jessica thanked them all and they gathered for lunch with the VTC Team and some Sisters of the Teuk Thla community. It was a very enlightening morning and the consultants offered their services to teach or volunteer and do other services for the school. They were happy that the Sisters organized this meeting where they were able to help streamline the school curriculum and give suggestions for a well-planned kitchen and trained staff. But more importantly, the occasion gave the group a chance to know each other and share concerns regarding their common profession and field of work.