Taste of India

Shanky, a Master’s student from India, joins the Sydney Campus at BMIHMS for his first term.His parents were originally from South India but relocated to Chandigarh in North India, where Shanky was born and raised.The game of cricket is one of the most popular sports in India and before pursuing his hospitality career, Shanky played cricket professionally.

First introduced to the game at the age of 10, Shanky started playing cricket competitively at the age of 14 at school and district levels. At 16, he entered the open-state level where he represented his state of Chandigarh. From 18 to 19, Shanky competed at the national level again representing Chandigarh in the Pataudi Trophy, which is one of the professional leagues of Indian cricket.

While he has great love for the game, Shanky decided to focus on his education rather than a professional cricket career. He believed playing professionally consumed too much time and was more about the connections and politics. He wanted to build a career that allows for traveling opportunities, while at the same time has ample room for upward growth. With the substantial and continual growth in hospitality, he believed this industry had better opportunities and more secure career paths. Shanky earned his Bachelor’s degree in hospitality in India, completed a management-trainee program with Accor, and just recently moved to Sydney to start his Master’s degree here at Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. He wanted to be part of the number 1 hotel school in the Australia and Asia Pacific!

i <3 coffee

Check out the coffee at the renowned Single Origin Roasters! Sit down and enjoy one of their food items or just have a friendly chat with their famous baristas.    60-64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills    Phone: 02 9211 0665www.singleorigin.com.au/

Tired of the same coffee from Starbucks or Gloria Jeans? It may surprise you to know that Australia has some of the best coffee and baristas in the world! In an age where global corporations are taking over the markets, it is refreshing to see local companies serving quality products with sustainable practices.

Single Origin Roasters uses locally and ethically grown produce. They use a milk tap system to reduce plastic waste by 80% while at the same time increasing efficiency for the baristas. Sit in to enjoy one of their unique breakfast or lunch items. Or if you’re on the go, just stop by the sideshow next door to grab a quick ‘cup of joe’ to take-away. You can even purchase their coffee beans wholesale and take one of their workshops where they teach you how to make quality coffee at home. As a masters student, learning from one of the best at one of the city’s coolest places will be of interest.

What sets Single Origin Roasters apart from other coffee establishments is their passion. All staff members live for coffee and are very knowledgeable about their products. I was greeted with a big smile and my questions about coffee were answered. As a hospitality student, I am fortunate to be able to extend my learning in such great environments.

Sydney is filled with treasures just like this. While you are studying here at BMIHMS- Sydney campus and you need a boost to aid you in your studies, stop by Single Origin Roasters. I did and it was great!

Eric,

Year 1
Master International Hotel Management

BMIHMS Film interviewee: Jessica, Mexican bachelor student

Joining us all the way from Mexico, the fabulous Jessica came to Australia to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Resort Management. You may recognise her from the various campaigns and brochures posted on campus and online advertising the school.  Jessica faced a bit of a culture shock when she moved across the globe to live in Leura, but the multicultural environment and campus lifestyle became one of her greatest experiences.

What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?

It was a very exciting and great experience. I am happy to be part of the production of this video.

Why did you choose to come to Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?

I chose to come to BMIHMS because of the opportunity to study in a multicultural environment while getting actual work experience. Not only are we allowed to work casually while being a full-time student, the curriculum involves actual industry placements where we can gain real and relevant experience.

Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?

My biggest learning experience was managing the sudden change of living to a smaller, but nice, area. Campus life is was such a change of lifestyle and culture from what I was used to. The campus operated like an actual hotel and added to the education and experience I received at BMIHMS.

Favourite Australian activity?

My favourite activities included taking a walk in the Blue Mountains area and enjoying the natural scenery. Just being in the natural environment was very enjoyable.

What is your future career aspirations/goal?

I would like to get more experience in different sectors of the hotel business. This way, I will be able to choose the most suitable position and jump into a managerial position in the future.

BMIHMS Film interviewee: Sarah, American Masters student

Sarah, now in her second term of her Master degree, comes to us from The United States. She has a background in marketing, but decided to enter the hospitality industry to pursue a career in event management.   Brimming with confidence and having clear career goals, Sarah was an ideal representation of the BMIHMS student body.

What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?
It was a lot of fun! I had a really good time and everyone made me feel very comfortable.

Why did you choose to come to the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?
I am interested in entering the Hospitality industry, and I love Sydney. It was the perfect combination of a great lifestyle mixed with a new and exciting career path.

Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?
This is a completely new industry for me so it has all been a learning experience. I’ve learned a lot just by meeting new people from different countries all around the globe.

Favourite Australian activity?
My favourite activities here are going to the beaches and taking coastal walks. Manly, Watson Bay, Bondi, and Coogee are just a few of the amazing beaches you can find here in Sydney.

What is your future career aspirations/goal?
I would like to go into Events Management and eventually be planning huge, massive events around the world. Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School is a great platform for starting this new career path.

BMIHMS Film interviewee: Harry, Australian bachelor student

Our Australian student, Harry, shares his experiences with BMIHMS as a NSW resident and an Australian student. For many of his fellow international students that practically makes him a local, however Harry grew up in Thredbo a small rural, tourist town in NSW famous for its annual ski season and some distance from Leura.As well as being a great skier  Harry wants to be a great hotelier. He is currently on placement after 2 terms in Leura and has aspirations to finish his studies at our International Partnership School in Marbella, Spain.

What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?

Being interviewed by the film crew for the Blue Mountains International Hotel School was very daunting at first. However, the director and the marketing team made me feel very comfortable. It was also a great opportunity to share my experiences with many potential students.

Why did you choose to come to Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?

The reason I chose the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School was based on the university’s reputation, both nationally and internationally. BMIHMS offers the theoretical background at a bachelor’s level coupled with the practical skills needed in such a dynamic industry.

Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?

My biggest learning experience while at BMIHMS was definitely in the kitchen. Before I arrived I could hardly boil water let alone an egg, but with the guidance of industry leading professionals I have found a passion for cooking various cuisines in various dining styles.

Favourite Australian activity?

I am lucky to have been exposed to many of the extremes Australia has to offer. I have a love for the white sand beaches up and down the coasts of Australia, my favourite being Byron Bay. However, recently I have become quiet fond of skiing the slops of Thredbo and Perisha.

What is your future career aspirations/goal?

My future career aspirations are to join a five star hotel chain work and travel the globe. I have a profound passion for food and beverage and the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School has equipped me with the essential training to grow in this field.

BMIHMS Film interviewee: Oat, Thai bachelor student

Oat, our campus superstar, joins us all the way from Thailand. A little reluctant at first, Oat was a hidden gem and worked with our film crew like a true professional. His interview was conducted outside in the gardens at the Leura Campus of the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School during his second term as an undergraduate student.   He is currently out on his first placement as part of his Bachelor in Business. Oat is driven and his career direction clear. His is on his way to fulfill his dream of being a General Manager for a five-star hotel.

What was it like being interviewed by a film crew for the Blue Mountains film?

I was quite nervous at first, however the entire team made me feel really comfortable with the role. I felt like a superstar for an hour!

 Why did you choose to come to Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School?

The School’s strong brand name and reputation meant that there’s a certain degree of quality guaranteed to it. Its location away from the distractions of a big city, but still close enough to commute to Sydney, is also another factor that appealed to me.

 Describe your biggest learning experience while studying at Blue Mountains?

This must be the practical work that I have done in Food and Beverage, Housekeeping, and Front Office. Working in the kitchen with qualified chefs and dealing with pressures and demands was a unique experience. These hands-on work sessions over the 2 terms were the hardest and biggest learning experiences.

 What is your future career aspirations/goal?

. . . and you will see on the film (:  I see myself as a General Manager one day of a well-recognised and well-established hotel brand, while working and living all over the world.

One journey ends, another begins

Blue Mountains recent graduate, Sonia

Hi everyone,I am Sonia. I just graduated from Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School with a Bachelor of Business in Hotel and Resort Management. This degree was a pretty exciting and interesting time of my life.My family is originally from Vietnam, but I was born in Moscow, Russia. I spent 11 years of my life in Russia and 6 years in Vietnam, which has given me an interesting and exciting cultural background.

What made me come to study in Australia you ask??? . . . because I wanted to meet people from different cultural backgrounds. Australia seemed a perfect destination. My choice of the school was hugely influential in my decision-making.  I always wanted to study in a prestigious hotel school,  one that could teach me all the operating skills to become a great hotel manager.  The Blue Mountains Hotel Management School was my first choice and still remains one of the best choices of my life.

I started my university life when I was just 17 and a half, which made me ‘The youngest sister of my intake’.

Because of my young age I had to alter the program slightly from others in my intake and lived off campus in homestay for 6 months. Homestay was great! I experienced living with a true Aussie family. When I turned 18 I joined my peers and enjoyed the campus life with all its fun. Some of my friends still tease me about my time being underage, but I know it gave me to have the unique experience to enjoy time with my Aussie family and appreciate the ‘crazy’ student life at the same time.

Industry placements were a highlight and an exciting part of my degree. They allowed experiencing further areas of Australia and added to the whole Blue Mountains experience. My first internship was in various Food and Beverage outlets at the Hyatt, Perth. The second  I worked in Cairns, Queensland as a receptionist for the Novotel. Both industry placements gave me not only great working experience, but also a lot of travelling. I went to Margaret River, Fremantle and other cool destinations in Western Australia. Cairns gave me some great adventurous experiences. I tried sky diving, scuba diving and went to explore Great Barrier Reef and Queensland’s many islands and rainforests. I met a shark during one of my scuba dives. It was pretty scary I reckon. I even swam with wild dolphins!

Of course my last year studying in Sydney was quite busy. However I still tried to find some time to have some fun. I went to learn surfing with my Irish housemate. I did fall from the board quite a few times and nearly hit couple of people. But my friend thinks that I have some  ‘hidden’ talent and should persist.

Alongside all these fabulous experiences I achieved my original goal. I met so many different people in these places. I made friends with not only Australian locals, but with a lot of international people. I gained essential experiences and skills to make my hospitality career a reality.

Sadly after 2.5 years living and studying in Australia my time is up! I am no longer a student but a graduate. ‘One journey ends and another begins’. I am starting this journey . I may end up in Dubai – one of the most modern cities of the world, or in the Maldives to develop my skills in scuba diving and surfing (:

Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in Australia has been one of my greatest choices of my life. It not only made me stronger and smarter, but also gave me some great life experiences.

You never know where you will end up next.

With love,

Sonia

BMIHMS Hotel and Resort Management Graduate

Terracotta Warriors- a symbol of my home

Hi, everyone! My name is Jiahuizi Li. It is hard to be pronounced so I prefer you call me Vicky. I come from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the northwest part of China. Maybe you don’t know where it is but if I say the Terra-Cotta Warriors, those ‘fake soldiers’, any impression?

As part of  the new series of blogs from the Sydney Campus  I would like to introduce Vicky a third year student with much enthusiasm.

I started my hospitality major in Jin Jiang Les Roches, Shanghai, China and I have completed Year 1 and Year 2 there. After that, I transferred to Kendall College, Chicago, USA to continue my Year 3 study. That was my first experience being aboard and…yeah, there were many difficulties but a lot of fun as well. And now, I am in Australia and studying at the Blue Mountains Hotel Management School. Sometimes I don’t even believe that I am here already, but yes, I am in this amazing country right now, and I just love  studying in Sydney!!!

Blue sky, fresh air, beaches and all those nature beautiful sights, this is the city I always imagined before and it is so true when I reached here. I thought food would be a big problem to every international student due to my previous experience, however, in Sydney, you can just find everything you would like to eat, and they are all nice! Just a warning for anyone contemplating to transfer I have gained weight since I came here.

The most exciting thing I did is hugging a Koala!! They are just so cute and I think it is one activity that should be on the ‘MUST TO DO LIST’ in Australia. Well, another thing I just knew is that Kangaroo can be eaten because it is normal food here. I thought Australians might also eat Koalas but fortunately, I was wrong but I still feel very sorry for the kangaroos…

My new journey has just started and I need to discover more. Wanna join me?  You will be welcome to Australia!!!

Vicky
China

Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School
3rd Year Bachelor in International Hotel Management

What story are you writing?

One of my favorite authors is Tony Morrison I began reading her books in high school, she is a Nobel Peace Prize award winning author who writes timeless and very thought and emotion provoking books. Her books are intense and most of the time I have to read them twice to understand it completely.

In an interview she did she said  “I wrote my first novel because I wanted to read it” I believe that after reading that it was at that moment that I changed the way I was writing the story of my life.

If you really think about the depth of what she said you can see that she didn’t just want to write a story that was going to be good enough for others to read but she herself wanted to read it.

I realised that I too wanted to do the same. Growing up I always wanted to write a book, never sure as to what about, but I’ve always wanted to write and have it published. Eventually I thought I’d write a book about my life, I think it’s fair to say that I have been through my fair share of tragedy, triumph and all that falls in- between.

However who would read it?

I am a normal girl with big dreams, a heart that loves to serve people. What about my life is interesting enough to write about?

That’s where Morrison’s quote came in, I need to write a story that I would want to read. To do this I need to take chances, leap with faith to pull me through. I need to live a life that would be worth reading.

At 18 I moved from Toronto to Jasper, Alberta, at 21 I moved from Toronto to Sydney, Australia and at 23 I moved from Sydney to Amsterdam and in between all of these different  places that I’ve called home I’ve traveled and lived. I’ve learned and whenever fear takes over I remember about the book I aim to write. With my failures and accomplishments and the lessons that come I will have plenty of material.

To students who are inquiring as to whether or not to take that big leap and move across the country or across the World for a unique and international education. I’d say that you should indeed do it.

If asking the question,

‘Should I begin, or continue my studies at Blue Mountain International Hotel Management School’?

Yes. There is so much support, is impossible to make the wrong choice to study in a place where internationalism is not only tolerated but CELEBRATED! Go ahead and take a chance, because I am in my final pages of my Australian chapter. . . and  to-date  it’s the chapter that  I want to read over and over again.

Internationally Yours,
Alisha

It’s the SimpleThings that Matter

The three girls

It’s been 19 days since I arrived in Amsterdam, I absolutely love it!I am in love with Europe it is exactly the way I thought I would be. The history, the fashion, the culture, the richness of  people are everywhere, and so are the crazies ruthlessly riding bikes in the city.

Everyday is a new adventure I’m not sure what each day will bring me but I always welcome it with open arms, now’s the time to be curious and now is the time to enjoy the unpredictable.

I work at an amazing hotel in the heart of Amsterdam, a property I am more than happy to not only be apart of but to also represent, even beyond the 9 to 5:30 work day. There is one thing however that I enjoy most on my way to work and it’s ‘ The Girls’ the name i’ve given the three beautiful swans that elegantly float down the Amstel, on my way to work. There is something so graceful about them, they move without making too much of a splash you almost wonder how it’s physically possible to move through water with such finesse. They are the best part of every morning, they care on just as I do and as we bid each other adieu it’s without words or sound.

Every new country I move to is a new opportunity to experience something i’ve never experienced before and I’ve come to see that in life it truly is the little things. Seeing these three swans each morning isn’t something that is grand, it’s not something to shout from the roof top but right in morning at the very beginning of my day is a small touch of this worlds beauty that I absolutely look forward too and love.  Often in life we try and aim big, go big or go home, and only can see accomplishments, and beauty in the big things in life and forget the little simple things. In a masterpiece it is many small strokes that create the picture it is not one big stroke.

If you get the chance STOP, look around and you’ll see that everyday, on every corner there is something small that is beautiful, the big things are nice but the small things usually come with so much more meaning, take a look you will find it.

Alisha

Undergraduate student,
International Hotel Management 2013