Mongolian student from Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism grabs gold in mocktail category of Monin Cup 2011.
It was as if fate had conspired to make life more difficult for Elbegzaya Temuulen as she was preparing for a defining moment in her academic career. Days before the final of the Monin Cup, Nilai University College's finalist in the mocktail category, Elbegzaya (or Temka to her friends), fell down a light of stairs and injured her wrist. Quite possibly the most important limb to a person about to enter a bartending contest. To compound matters, Temka then fell off a friend's scooter and injured her leg making even walking an excruciating manoeuvre.
So it was indeed a massive surprise that Temka was able to dance and swing her way to a gold medal with a performance that had the crowd on its feet. "The pain was unforgiving during the performance but I put everything out of my mind and just thought about doing my best," says the demure 20-year-old BA (Hons) in Hospitality and Management student. Hailing from Ulan Bator, Mongolia, Temka laughs when recounting that her friends thought she was entering programme related to the medical profession, thinking 'hospitality' was somehow related to hospitals.
"Suffice to say, they are really going to be very surprised to find out that I won a mocktail-making competition as its not something that's prevalent in Ulan Bator," she laughs. Having trained for over two months after class with her team mates and dedicated academic staff, Temka was determined to put in a great performance - injuries notwithstanding. Her reward was bagging Nilai University College's (Nilai UC) first ever gold medal in a hospitality event. She talks about her experiences on the event as well as a student in Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism.
What made you enter this competition?
This is the second time I am entering this competition and had a great time. Last year, I managed to get the bronze medal and I was motivated to do better this time around. Just so happens I really like mixology and flairtending, so I was pretty psyched for this year's event.
How did you prepare for this competition?
We trained very hard. Almost two months of training after class to get our routines right and all participants also trained on weekends. I cannot thank our lecturers enough for taking the time and effort to help us prepare for this event. Miss Aliya Marnina Amirudin, in particular, stayed back many hours after class to us with our routines and to guide us in this competition.
How do you feel coming in first in your category after finishing third last year?
Even though one of the judges at the Monin Cup had asked me to 'flair' one more time after the performance was over I did not expect to win. So I was thrilled to have won the gold medal. It's for the whole team and the lecturers as well all helped each other achieve this.
In your opinion, what made your performance special?
My lecturers have always stressed the importance of doing things passionately, especially in a competition as this. The dance steps, the flairtending moves and the overall presentation must reflect the passion. I think I managed to get that across and show the judges that I am deeply passionate about what I do. I hope to take all these skills and lessons back to Ulan Bator and set up a modern café which hopefully be the most happening place in town.
How did you come to the decision to be at Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism?
There are not many schools offering business and hospitality management programmes and my parents supported the idea of me going abroad. I happened to see an advert for Nilai UC on TV and was impressed by the campus environment. I was also very attracted to the fact that Nilai UC has close ties with Oxford Brookes University, UK which has a highly rated hospitality school (* best in the UK according to a poll by Taylor Nelson Sofres in 2007). The BA (Hons) in Hospitality and Management programme is a dual award meaning that successful graduates will receive an award from Nilai UC and a similar award from Oxford Brookes. This was very attractive to me as it is an internationally-recognised degree with two awards giving us a better chance in the job market. Having been here for two years, I am very happy to have chosen Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism. I am very lucky to be guided by some very knowledgeable lecturers who care a great deal about their students. The time and effort spent preparing us for the Monin Cup is proof of these teachers' dedication.
Which portion of your programme do you enjoy most and why?
Nilai UC's BA (Hons) in Hospitality and Management is divided equally between business and hospitality modules. I especially enjoy the practical classes in the hospitality segment as I get to learn about cocktails and mocktails which is what the Monin Cup is about. The business modules equip me with the relevant skills to run a hospitality enterprise. The programme also instructs us on soft skills such as public speaking and anthropology which will be useful when we work in large companies with a varied workforce.
This is your final semester. What are your future plans?
My immediate plans are to prepare for my internship and I hope to gain valuable hands on experience. Doing my Masters in a related field is very much part of the plan.
Any more competitions before you graduate?
One more in September and it will be a professional level bartending and flairtending competition. The Monin Cup gold has given me the confidence to do well again.
What is the most valuable lesson you gained from this experience?
Nothing is achieved without hard work and perseverance. I also believe you much enjoy what you do in order to be successful.
What would you say to students to encourage them to join Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism?
Nilai UC's School of Hospitality and Tourism is like one big family. You will make many friends from all over the world and be guided by teachers who will mentor and support you over and above the call of duty.
