Gong Xi Fa Chai! Time of family gathering and respecting the elders

Every first day of the Lunar Year the Chinese and other races will come together and celebrate Chinese New Year, where family and friends get together for open house and enjoying each other’s company. On this day, children will wish their elders happy Chinese new year and each will get an ‘ang pao’ as a reward. This can also be said as a day where everyone pays their respect to their parents and grandparents. There is no difference in Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu for this celebration. We decide to visit the Sri Pritchard Home, a home for elderly. In conjunction to that, there were lots of preparations to be made.

I was very much involved in this celebration as, I am now not a new intern here, my colleagues and I bonded quite well after a month. I was responsible for the gifts that we would be giving the residence there. This year we all agree on giving a hamper to every residence. I never thought that wrapping hampers would take up so much energy and time. From ordering the items inside to arranging the items and wrap and decorate it. Everything takes time.

On that day, everyone wore casually as we load the entire hamper into the hotel’s catering lorry and off we go to visit Sri Pritchard Homes. When we’re there, all the residences there are so welcoming. We then move all the hampers and the special Yee Sang into the hall. Most of the residences are gathered there as they wait for our arrival. All of them look so happy and excited to meet us.

First we started with a speech, and then continue with the Yee Sang (Toasting Ceremony). After that, the general manager of Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu went around to give out the ang pao and hamper. While the GM is doing so, the rest of us mingle around and talk to the residence there. It was fun and there were many stories from all of them, some were sad but some were very touching.

After taking picture we all went back to the hotel. It was truly a wonderful experience. Besides having to go on that trip, we also gave out gifts to the media outlets as to thank and wish them in this special occasion.

Below is a featured article on our visit and also one of the outlets that we send our gift to.

Group Photo in Sri Pritchard

Featured Article in New Sabah Times on the visit to Sri Pritchard

Sending gifts to media outlets. 

Making full use of what I learned

As I am majoring in Mass Communication and Public Relation, I was then assigned to work with the design team that was under the marketing communication department. We are mainly doing celebration decoration to suit theme of hotel and the festival and also advertisement design. Other than that, pictures and invitation card are our responsibility as well.

During this placement I helped in quite a number of advertisement design and also the Chinese New Year festival’s decoration. At first I was just doing some resizing and simple touch ups. My first own artwork was on the New Image Band (a new band for the hotel). Besides having to do an advertisement poster for them, I too went along with the manager for an interview session with them. This is the first official interview for me, I set down and listen to how an interview is suppose to be like while taking picture for the press release.

Besides that, before the end of my placement I also had the chance to design two more my own advertisement artwork for Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu. February of every year is Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu’s steak exchange promotion time and of cause valentine’s day. I had a chance to design and make spread in facebook.

                

Christmas, time to share the happiness

It is an annual event for Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu Hotel to held a children Christmas party, this is one of the corporate social responsibility event. I was in my second week. Therefore, was responsible for the children and their guidance transportation, games and choir from their residence to Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu Hotel for Christmas Lunch Party prepared specially for them. They are children from Bukit Harapan, a non-profit, voluntary organisation for the physically and mentally handicapped children.

I called the centre for confirmation of number of people that will be attending the event, because some of them are handicap, few of the guidance would need to drive them to the hotel. I called up few of them transportation company requiring for a quotation and at the end finalised the time, date and venue for the transportation. The games and choir was easy as I got a lot of help from my colleagues, and we planned to do it ourselves.

On that day (23^rd December 20011), I make sure that the bus arrive their residence on time and send them to the hotel safely. Upon arrival, we have a welcome team waiting for them at the entrance. We bring them up to the event room (Mabul Room), and we start with a speech from our MarComm Manager, Jocelyn Banding. After that we had lunch. While everyone was having lunch we started the preparation for the games. At that time I had pass my duty to a colleague of mine, as I am taking pictures for the event. There were 4 games and it all went well. Next was the carolling, it sounds beautiful and then we had the gift giving from Santa and Satarina. All the children we’re so happy. Some even went up and gave Santa a hug. To express their gratefulness to the hotel, the children from Bukit Harapan sang Christmas songs for us. It was so touching and it is worth everything trouble that we’ve been through for this event. When all is done all of us gathered and took a picture in the lobby and sent them off.

This is my first time experiencing close contact with children with disabilities. I am glad to have this experience. As it touched me a lot, having to know that there are more people in this world that needs help from people like us. All they want is some attention and a little bit of appreciation. Give hands once in a while, this will make both party happy and everything will pay off when you see their smile.

Working is not as easy as going to schooling

During my first day in Le Meridian Hotel, I was given my uniform and then the Human Resource trainees Manager brought me around and showed me every department. This allows me to get to know most of my colleagues and also my way around the hotel. After the entire introduction, I was directed to my supervisor, Jocelyn Banding, Marketing Communication Manager. When I met her, she showed me where is my seat, and brief me trough what would I be doing throughout this placement. After that, I went along with her to the daily briefing. In that briefing I was introduced to the entire sales and marketing group.

For the first week of my placement, I was assign to do all the media clippings, from English to Chinese and Malay newspapers. Besides that, the hotel is being audited on their branding. I was also responsible to make sure that all brand standards was meet and take pictures to prove to the head quarter. This few days I experience the real working experience of going to work in the morning, having lunch with colleagues and taking on responsibilities and also order from our supervisors.

Basically, the first week of my placement was just getting to know the hotel and their branding standards for future purpose. To guide me on the standards, my supervisor passed my four Starwood branding guide book. I read it and understand it, it consist many artist. Their three main core value are sheik, element of discovery and culture. Everything they do must have at least one of the elements in it. Therefore, my assignment for the first week is just to do media clippings, at the same time know the hotel’s competitors and what were the current affairs.