ASP Graduates – Teacher Accolades
Sue Vernam on Dolores and Dining
“Hands on with the Children” is one of the most effective ways to learn. Dolores made dining fun and she was so well informed. During our dining sessions, our class laughed like children while learning how to use a fish fork and knife. Dolores is the epitome of “Queen of Tips” on how to remember where all those forks and knives went and what their functions were. Loved it!
Sue Vernam, Graduate July 2010
ASP July Graduates – Teacher Accolades
Angela Davis on Martha, our chef
Martha’s culinary skills are phenomenal! Everyday, our continental breakfast (yum, those fresh baked pastries and fresh fruit) and lunch, which we all could hardly wait for, was prepared and seasoned perfectly. I had no idea the meals would be so fresh, healthy and delicious. I felt as if our class was dining in a five star restaurant each day.
ASP Graduates – Teacher Accolades
Layne Sasser on Rebecca, CPR training
I have been anxious about taking a CPR class in the past and have avoided it. Now that I am being certified to teach children, this teaching is a must. Rebecca made this experience informative and easy to understand. I loved working with those blue dummies. I hope I never have to use my CPR skills, but I feel empowered if I am presented with an emergency situation.
Layne Sasser, Graduate July 2010
ASP July Graduates – Teacher Accolades
Felicia Layeni on our Founder
I chose ASP because Peggy was recommended by a number of etiquette experts as the absolute authority in this field. A national leader in a group that I belong to attributed their success to Peggy and they were right. Peggy’s leadership, strong curriculum and ongoing support have given me the solid foundation I need to teach and succeed.
Felicia Layeni, Graduate July 2010
ASP July Graduates – Teacher Accolades
Tina Chuang on Meeting Planning with Sheyla
Sheyla’s class was about helping us select where we wanted to have our five-course dinner and how to go about making all the arrangements. In addition, she and her team made the most beautiful table arrangements everyday for the children’s dining classes. Her tables were amazing!
Tina Chuang, Graduate July 2010
Leaving Ireland
As we prepared to leave Ireland and return to the United States, I was still processing our amazing trip. Through friends, East Coast met West Coast and we shared a castle for a week. How fun it was to meet and make new friends, cook together every evening, tour small towns, eat in fabulous little nooks each day, exercise each morning and evening together, (dark didn't come until 10:00pm or later), play Bridge, catch up on reading, visit beautiful gardens, check out restored castle residences of the "very rich" AND do all of this with special friends. Steve and I are so lucky.
Goodbye Ireland, I am totally in love with your beautiful country.
P.S. All of that luggage did fit in that medium sized car!!
Clean Up Crew!
The Clean Up Crew!
All of us have rented cars in Ireland. Driving on the opposite side of the road is not a problem until you come to the round abouts. Also, especially in a larger city, all of us have to keep reminding each other not to step out into the road without looking to your right first instead of your left.
Each night we are cooking in our huge kitchen. Just picture 7 women laughing, talking, chopping, cooking and creating wonderful meals made straight from produce grown on surrounding farms. I felt like I was back again in my college sorority house at UGA. Cooking for 14 was so much fun but the best part was after dinner the clean up crew, pictured above, charged into the kitchen and cleaned up. Believe me, that kitchen was not a pretty place to be. There were lots of dirty dishes and lots of pots and pans. I did find out my husband, Steve, has perfected a new skill and I am happy to let him use it when we return to Atlanta!
A Feast For The Eyes
When we arrived in Ireland toward the end of May, I had no idea there would be so many gardens with the first blooms of Spring everywhere. Wisteria, lilacs, iris, lilies, roses and much more. When I am in a garden, I feel especially close to God. Manicured arbors, fragrant smells from roses and flowering trees, birds singing melodious songs...everywhere is such peace. Why can't we have more of this peace in our lives everyday? Ireland is so beautiful.
Pubs
One of the women in our group, Julie, is a violinist who played many years for Andy Williams. She wanted to play in a Pub while we were in Ireland. The local people in the photo above have been playing together every Wednesday night for 25 years. Anyone who wants to join in and play with the group can. You just bring your instrument and pull up your chair. There is no music and everyone is improvising based on just 3 chord progressions. Our whole gang headed to the pub, on Wednesday to support Julie. As a classical violinist she needed to see what and how the locals were playing.
After about an hour Julie jumped right in and began playing. Because she is so-o-o-o beautiful, all the Pub guys couldn't keep their eyes off of her. No, she is not in the above photo.
What fun we had listening and meeting the locals. Not a tourist was in sight because this was a tiny town. No food, just booze is served in Pubs. Maybe I should suggests pretzels and peanuts next visit!
What makes a U.S. traveler the “Ugly American?”
Our castle is located just outside Thurles, a small farm town. In driving to Thurles, one sees beautiful farm fields fenced in by stone walls and hedges. These different shades of green, all squared off with sheep, cows and horses, gives me such a relaxed sense of calm. Lots of tourist are in the large cities (Shannon, Dublin, etc.) but we see mostly locals in these small towns.
Today we visited a totally refurbished fabulous castle, owed by the Butlers. As we started our unguided tour, 2 American couples were in front of us. There were signs posted everywhere that said "no pictures allowed in the castle." One of the men in this group began taking pictures in each room. People who live in Ireland are so kind and very polite, at least those that I met, but suddenly the castle docent wasn't so gentle in her verbage, but still very polite. "Sir, you have taken 3 pictures so far in the castle. One more and you will be escorted out of the property." The man mumbled some kind of feeble excuse and put his camera away.
We dropped back to look at another room and I heard the docent say, "You always have to watch those Americans. They love to see how far they can bend the rules."
I felt a tinge of sadness. Every American who travels is an ambassador of our country. Our image as "The Ugly American" is universal and that is because of incidenses just like this one.