Download Connection Alumni News 42 - César Ritz Colleges

ALUMNI GAThERINGS
Launch of “César Ritz” Swedish Alumni Chapter
karin Adale was appointed Chapter president of the newly established
Swedish Alumni Chapter in Stockholm on 6 September. thanks to everybody
who attended and to karin for taking up the presidential challenge.
Many people had been looking
forward to the establishment of a
Swedish Alumni Chapter for several
years. After my return to Switzerland
in May for the school’s 25 th
anniversary, during the Alumni
Reunion I was really inspired to get
the ball rolling. Bit by bit, things
started to happen during the summer.
hundreds of e-mails were
sent out in an effort to contact all
the Swedish alumni!
On the evening itself, Florence
Monnard, Area Manager for
Sweden, was joined at the hard
Rock Café by Charlotte Ekdahl,
Maria Funes, Nina Kilström, helena
Stenudd and Yael Elad. Mattias
Nilsson drove three hours to see
everybody and Eran Lifshitz joined
us as well.
We talked of our memories,
about shared friends, what we
were doing, the future of the
Chapter and the possibilities for
our next meeting. Everyone was
very excited about the Chapter’s
prospects which is good news for
me as President.
I tried to get in touch with as many
of you as possible but if, for whatever
reason, you didn’t receive my invitation
and are interested in joining
the Swedish Alumni Chapter please
e-mail me at karin.adale@ritz.edu.
kAriN AdAle, SwediSh
ChApter preSideNt
25 th alumni anniversary dinner – Kunlun hotel, Beijing
After europe and the middle east, it was time to celebrate the 25 th
anniversary of “César ritz” Colleges Switzerland in Asia. with the
2008 olympics looming and extensive hotel development under way,
Beijing was chosen to host the alumni event to showcase the dynamism
of China and the rest of Asia.
The alumni event took place in
the Kunlun hotel located in the
Chaoyang district in the rapidly
developing embassy area. One luxury
shopping mall has opened under
the Kunlun banner; close by, the
hilton hotel is building an extension;
and opposite the Kunlun, the second
Westin hotel in Beijing will open in
May 2008. It will also have its own
four-floor luxury shopping mall.
The event was deliberately timed
to coincide with the Career Development
trip from Le Bouveret and Brig.
A group of 22 students and 3 staff
came from Switzerland. This was
the second career trip to Beijing and
The Malaysian Chapter is born!
the launch of the malaysian Chapter took place
in August. Boon low, who graduated in 1983, is
the Chapter’s president.
Boon spent weeks organizing the launch event. he
even roped his wife Irene, and Connie, our alumnus,
into helping him out with the preparations.
The venue was the Chalet Suisse. Traditional Swiss
food, such as air-dried beef, cheese fondue and beef
tartar, was chased down with glasses of Fendant wine.
This helped graduates travel back down memory lane
students had a very intensive schedule:
8 hotel visits in 3 days and an
alumni celebration only a few hours
after arriving in Beijing.
Alumni Chapter President Nicholas
Luo Guofeng organized the evening
and selected the menu. It was a
chance for graduating students to
meet alumni and obtain valuable information
about career development
opportunities from former students
now working in China in the hotel
or related service industries. After the
aperitif and dinner, it was time for
the speeches. Afterwards, Mr Kisseleff
cut the birthday cake – not only
for “César Ritz” Colleges but also for
Thai student, Ken Wanlop Rerksantia,
who was celebrating his birthday
the same day.
We were also delighted to share the
celebration with students’ relatives,
showing that the “César Ritz” family
is not only about students but also
about the parents who make it all
possible. Many thanks are also
owed to Mrs Christine Kyburz,
Cultural Attaché from the Swiss
Embassy, for her attendance.
Students and alumni present represented
around 15 nations. Indicative
of the evening’s international nature,
we were celebrating the anniversary
to the good old days at Lax, Le Bouveret and Brig.
As Boon said, “It ended up sounding very much like
the noisy student bar in Le Bouveret! If I had closed
my eyes, I could have sworn I was back in Switzerland
again.”
The surprise of the evening was the cake produced by
a bakery that belongs to one of our alumni, Kok-hong
Tek, to celebrate the 25 th anniversary of “César Ritz”
Colleges. The cake was so beautifully decorated that
it was a shame to cut it. It was the perfect ending to
the meal.
This get-together was eagerly anticipated by the
34 alumni and the 7 spouses who came along as
well as by the two “César Ritz” representatives from
iEduCare Services. Friends were able to catch up
and new friendships were sealed.
The event was a roaring success. Kudos goes to Boon
for doing such a fantastic job.
SuBmitted By: viwAN opANukiJ, AreA
mANAger & BooN low, ChApter preSideNt
of a Swiss hotel school in a Thai
restaurant in a Chinese hotel; the
meal was accompanied by a French
wine, and guests with enough
energy continued the festivities at
the Kempinski hotel’s German bar,
drinking beer served by Chinese
women dressed in traditional Bavarian
costumes while listening to a
group from the Philippines singing
American pop music.
Sometimes when you travel it is difficult
to know exactly where you are!
JoNAthAN hiltoN, direCtor
oF eNrolmeNt mANAgemeNt
ANd AdmiSSioNS
6 December 2007 No. 42 Connection alumni news 7