We kicked off October with the sounds of wedding bells. Two of our students tied the knot, right in the heart of our campus! Yes, we know what you’re thinking- a student wedding?
Let us explain. It was all down to two very creative volunteers- Lilysan and Yeni, who visited our campus in order to deliver a fabulous, week-long, event-planning workshop.
The students took part in a week of preparations, where they received theoretical teachings about Event Planning; groups of students were assigned different tasks and everybody had their role to play, even some of the staff! When the big day arrived, everybody sported their best dress and took their seat in the beautifully decorated wedding hall (once referred to as the Multi-Function Classroom).
The event was meticulously planned; the guests enjoyed endless anecdotes from the hilarious MCs, wedding speeches, creative performances, a delicious banquet, a dramatic first dance, and even the throwing of the bouquet. The workshop was truly a week to remember, and the students are already looking forward to utilizing their event planning skills for the next special occasion on Campus!
Campus cocktail training lead by Potato Head Bali
On October 16th, we welcomed Valerie Do and Hary Wahyudi to our campus. They were here representing Potato Head-Bali, delivering cocktail training to our Restaurant and Bar students. It was a fantastic week where our students got to experience a 3-day master class on the art of cocktail making. They learned how to make a selection of classic cocktails; their lessons included instruction on the origin of the varying alcohols, the bartender techniques used in order to create the cocktails, and the recipes, they focused especially, on the art of balancing flavors using fresh, organic ingredients extracted from our very own gardens. Both Valerie and Hary offered such a varied program that not only engaged and excited our students but also benefited them greatly through developing their skills and enhancing their hospitality knowledge. We want to say a big thank you to the Potato Head Group and we look forward to working with them again in the future!
Welcome to Elena, our new Yoga Volunteer on campus
October proved to be both a calming and strengthening month at The Sumba Hospitality Foundation; we welcomed Elena, our yoga volunteer, into our team. Both staff and students benefited greatly from Elena’s stay; she offered daily pockets of tranquility within our busy schedules, holding 6 am Power Vinyasa classes to kick-start our days and 5 pm relaxing Yin classes, the perfect way to wind down. The students also enjoyed weekly classes as part of their sports curriculum, where they were introduced to Yoga and its many benefits; it’s great to catch them practicing their favorite poses during their free time- Thank you, Elena!
Our Chef Alex invited to attend a Sustainable Agriculture Workshop for “The coalition of Women in Indonesia”
This month, our Chef Alex was invited to attend The ‘Koalisi Perempuan Indonesia’ (The Coalition of Women in Indonesia) to deliver a workshop on Sustainable Agriculture, particularly focusing on food and nutrition. This event was part of Rural Woman’s Week, therefore targeting and educating women in our local region. Alex attended the workshop with four of our current students; they presented a number of recipes to the crowds of women eager to learn new ways to utilize the local ingredients that are easily accessible to them. Alex chose to focus on exploring the usages of soybeans, which are an easily obtained and cheap source of protein. In order to shake things up a little, he introduced and provided the women with foreign recipes, yet he replaced the ingredients with local flavors, according to the taste of the Sumbanese people. The women enjoyed getting stuck into the practical element of the workshop, where they got to roll delicious and flavourful bite-sized delights, similar to that of the famous falafel. The event was a complete success and a wonderful way to connect with our local community!
Permacultures classes pay off for our students
October has been a plentiful month regarding the amount of fresh, organic produce being harvested from our farm. Our students have been learning how to weave beautiful, bamboo baskets during their Permaculture classes, in order to deliver the ingredients to our kitchen. It’s so motivating to see the quality of food being served in our restaurant and to know that most of the ingredients come straight from our farm is truly remarkable. The progress at the school is ongoing in all departments, from our students’ quickening understanding, their ability to use initiative and practically apply their knowledge, our local and international staff’s motivation to our ever-flourishing farm and gardens; these are exciting times…come and check it out for yourself!
