This was a sponsored workshop organized by SIM university for People’s Association. The actual course name is “Friendship Building & Community Bonding Workshop”, conducted by the ever funny man from USA, Michael A Podolinsky.

There was a total of 6 conducted course for all the trainers in PA. In my class alone held at Toa Payoh West CC, there was already more than 200 trainers coming from all part of Singapore teaching different classes such as language, hobbies, cooking, music, art, sports and even healing art/sports.

The class started off by a brief introduction of the workshop. Quickly, before we managed to warm our own seats, we were forced to introduce ourselves to as many people as we can in the hall. Slowly, we get to know more and more trainers from different CCs/RCs teaching various interesting subjects.

Throughout the workshop, the speaker kept asking questions and whoever answered his questions will get a treat from the bag.

Personally, I find this speaker really interesting and he’s simply born to teach networking and bonding. He carries a charisma that allow his students like ourselves to ease and eventually, open up ourselves.

Alot was learnt from this workshop and I must say PA is really trying very hard to equipped all us, trainers with the best skills and knowledge in order for us to impart what we know to them effectively. Same time, encouraging our own students to mingle and talk to each other during our class.

At the back of my mind, I believe they were trying to encourage the trainers to encourage singles in their class to socialise and open up with social circle. This got to do with the whole building a family thing as often encouraged by the Singapore government.

At the end of the day, to get our students to bond would definitely require people to sign up for our classes. During our discussion with other trainers from different traits, we all realised that we had a common problem i.e. the PA wasn’t putting enough effort to help promote our classes to the public.

As for myself, I realised that I’m one of the youngest trainer in PA and looking around the hall, there were only a handful of younger trainers. It must be the whole CC image. To many Singaporeans, they think that community centres are places where only old people come together to socialise and CCs/RCs are known as old-folks entertainment centres.

In fact, true enough, some of the classes which I went to were really filled with people from the older generation. I must say this is a disappointing fact because many of the courses and classes that PA offers were extremely enriching and helpful to the youth. I wish more younger Singaporean would be pro-active in taking charge of their own life and sign themselves up for the classes offered by PA.

Community Centres and RCs are no longer a place for the old people.

Plus plus plus, if you sign up for PA’s passion card, you get members’ rate if you sign up for any courses offered by PA and more immediate discounts the many restaurants and entertainment centres that are tied up with PA’s passion card.

I recently realised that I can get 30% off the tickets for Singapore Flyer with my Passion Card!

In case you didn’t know, I’m a PA trainer. I’m currently teaching handicraft jewellery art for mobile phones in various CCs and RCs. Whichever CCs/RCs that is interested in my class, I would then register to open a class there. Frankly speaking, there isn’t any money to teach as a PA trainer because until now, I’ve yet to profit from any classes that I’ve conducted. I would say it’s more for the leisure, meeting new people and the fun of imparting my students with my skills and knowledge. I would really love to open a bakery class or a design class but unfortunately, one of PA’s rules is 1 class per PA trainer. 

Anyway, below is a newpaper article of myself and my bling phones in Sunday Times.

Hmmm, I have an idea! Perhaps, I should think about organizing a class during one of our month-end gathering!

Well, if you’re interested in learning the art to bling your phones and enjoy Delcie’s desserts on the other, let me know your interest by sending me an email to list@delciesdesserts.com

Anyway, stay tune to tomorrow’s Part 2 entry as I blog about what was taught in the Ice-Breaker Course.

Afterall, I’ve never done this before and this was my first attempt. Wearing a mask, putting on a glove and walking in and out of the kitchen to talk to customers were simply the first-hand experience of running a cafe.

I had to learn to speak to the customers, to do a sale pitch and to convince them why they should try our desserts and finally listening to their feedback. 

I’m so grateful to Joycelyn, owner of Gone Fishing, who accommodated us and allowed our event to be held in her cafe. I would definitely agree that holding our event there was indeed more fun and happening.

Surprisingly, it was also less tiring as compared to entertaining our guests back at Sanctuary Green Condo.

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Below are some of the memories shots that was taken from Gone Fishing on 27th September 2008.

Our lucky draw winner, Alvin Chia. It was such a coincidence that I bumped into him 2 weeks ago at Takashimaya after not keeping in contact for 11 over years! We’ve been trying to arrange for a get-together with some of our other ex-classmates but everyone is so busy with their work and life to catch up with eachother. I was really thankful that he managed to rush down to our event right after his class and even brought 3 gorgeous Korean ladies to our party.

Drawing the lucky person…

There he was standing right behind me. As generous as he is, he gave up his prize to the next lucky person in line. How nice of him. =) Without saying, everybody else was secretly elated and wished the next person he drew would be him/her.

And finally announcing the lucky winner! Alvin Chia! He won a trip for himself to self-indulgence at his own comfort. 

The prize was a full box of Delcie’s Desserts with our latest flavour, Dark Knight (oreo), all come in large size cups. =D The Korean ladies that he brought with him couldn’t stop taking photos of our desserts. =P

The lovely-dovely couple.

This is our common friend, Cindy, who brought the renuion of both Delcie’s Desserts and Gone Fishing Cafe together. Thank you so much!!!

And finally, to all our new friends who came and tasted our Delcie’s desserts, we hope to see you again at our next event. Thanks for coming!

Take care,
Delcie

For ladies, as our trainer advised, we should always keep a nail brush by our hand basin to ensure that we brush our nails thoroughly after using the toilet, before and after handling food, when our hands are soiled and also after handling raw food.

Even for the guys, it is equally important to ensure that your nails (eventhough they are short) are clean and free of dirt.

Another note for the ladies who wear jewelleries such as watch, rings, bracelet etc, when handling or preparing food, it is advisable to keep them away as they may contain harmful micro-organisms that can cause food poisoning.

To add on to yesterday’s topic, it is compulsory for all food handler (as long as you come in contact with food) to attend this food hygiene course and to get a typhoid injection before operating in a food establishment.

While we are still on the hygiene topic, lets talk about the chicken rice stall owner who had tramatised our trainer.

It was located in one of the coffee shops at Jalan Besah area. Our trainer, Rodney, at that time was washing his hands. A minute later, a big buff guy came out from the toilet. His apron was hanging over him the whole time he was in there. That guy walked passed Rodney, went out of the toilet and walked straight back to his chicken rice stall to continue working.

So what exactly is wrong with that chicken rice stall owner?

Firstly, he was wearing an apron. Perfectly appropriate for food preparer. But going to the toilet with it, was totally unappropriate!

Next, he did not wash his hands after using the toilet. Whether he is doing a big business or a small one behind that closed door, it is equally dirty. Without washing his hands, and going back to handle the chicken is totally gross if you were to think about it.

So I hope his story would enlighten you to be more aware of the general hygiene practices.

Take care,
Delcie