By Mr Gregory Poh, Lecturer, Faculty of Hospitality
SEGi College Sarawak’s Faculty of Hospitality recently took an educational trip to Penang on 4 August 2022 in conjunction with the Penang International Battle of the Chefs 2022. August Ting, a Diploma in Culinary Arts student, was selected by the Kuching Chef Association (KCA) to represent SEGi College Sarawak in the competition.
The purpose of the trip was to give the students valuable exposure, to provide the chance to experience various cultures and respect differences, and to develop new friendships with their peers and thus broaden their horizons and knowledge. This was an excellent opportunity for the students to develop a sense of responsibility outside the classroom, allowing them to practice the knowledge gained in the classroom and witness authentic things beyond the theory of subjects by experiencing and seeing them in real life.
The moment they touched down in Penang, the students had a quick briefing by the lecturers at the airport, after which everyone dispersed to find food at Esplanade Park Food Court as Penang, which Time Magazine awarded the Best Street Food in 2004. They tasted famous local dishes such as the Penang char kway teow, the Penang laksa and nasi kandar, after which they visited Chowrasta Market to buy souvenirs and taste the famous cendol on Penang Street.
The second day was spent on the Penang Hills and the heritage walk organised by the School of Hospitality and Tourism of SEGi College Penang, during which they learned about the history of the hills. On the same day, the lecturers and the students visited the SEGi College Penang campus. Lee Chin Ching, the Programme Leader of SEGi College Penang, brought the visitors to the facilities and met the students and lecturers.
Day Three of the trip was the day of the Battle of the Chefs, which was held at Gurney Paragon Mall. SEGi Sarawak’s August Ting was chosen to compete in Main Course under the Duck Category. The SEGi College Sarawak students present were there to give him their moral support. To SEGi Sarawak’s delight, August won the bronze for the Main Course (Duck Category).
Educational trips such as this are a vital part of the SEGi student’s learning experience which cannot be imitated in the classroom setting. The ten students from the Diploma in Hotel Management, the Diploma in Culinary Arts, and the Diploma in Tourism Management, and their three lecturers from the Faculty of Hospitality, Perseus Giter, Gregory Poh, and Dayangku Khairunnisa, all had an enriching experience on this fun four-day-three-night learning trip.
