Inspirational Men & Woman

For those who are not aware of this - I worked in the hospitality industry for many years before migrating to Canada in the name of love.  Working a  customer service representative work -   is not as easy as you think - or see - because back home in Asia - we bend backwards to keep our in house guests happy.  So when I first came to Canada and our the hotel room wasn’t reserved for us as planned - and no apologies given - I cannot but wonder how people survive here in the hospitality industry.

Back home to work in the hospitality industry - you have to go to a school called the SHATEC - Singapore Hotel Association & Training, Entertaining and Catering for 2 years and you pay for it - thousands of dollars to get into a hotel. Of course, here in the West - you are indeed lucky - you can become a front desk clerk - without the school.   But yes - you have to admire the customer service people - because they deal with all sorts of people.  Sure we all hope for great in house guests or paying customers - but some customers can be really nasty and abusive.  Plus when you work in a hotel - and on a night shift with drunk customers coming back from night club - you really need to be very tactful - inside story.   Having said all the above - I’ve had great joy working in the hotels i worked for and I’ve gain so much experiences from them - I learned a lot and brought it a long with me - when i came to Canada.

I have never met teachers who worked with special kids till coming to Canada and because my kid’s class has a special kid.  Having to explain why this good kid is different to my kid was a wee tough but seeing how one of her teacher dealt with this special kid was very touching.  The patience and the kindness from this teacher really taught me something - it touched a sentimental chord in me.  One can never imagine - what a teacher like that have to go thru’ daily - everyday is a new challenge - for i know one day - the kid ran outta the class into the streets because she thought that recess bell was the going home bell.

So at the end of the school year - we all decided to chip in and get this special teacher a gift - a thank you gift - even though she wasn’t dealing with my kid - but I figured it would be a thoughtful thing to do as well for a teacher so special.  So we decided to get her an ipod touch and I read up on some ipod reviews to make sure we get the right ipod for her but instead chose a ipod nano for her gift.  Why?  with an ipod touch - she needed a subscription to go online where else the ipod nano - she can just use it for her daily walking and exercises - that was all she needed according to the rest of the parents in school.  Yes ! special teachers deserve something special from parents - regardless whether it’s your special kid - we should all honor and appreciate these “special” teachers.

Many people inspires me throughout my life - what about you?  many people touched my life - what about you?  I don’t know if it is an Asian thing but i love showing my appreciation with flowers - but what if you are showing your appreciation to a group of people  ?  like the people I work with from another country?  I used to love sending cookies but chocolate gift ideas seems to work a lot better and less complicated hahah!  no worries about not being fresh - chocolate last a long time.  But my ultimate favorite for the special people in my life - are flowers.  Everyone love flowers even the guys - i know so - because i sent my spouse some when i was in Asia traveling and he was in Canada then for work.   So yes - I always send flowers and chocolates what about you? for the special people in your life.

Who doesn’t know Mr Kwek Leng Beng of the Hong Leong Group in Asia - must have lived in outer space - haha! really - he is famous but very, very low key in my opinion.  I did get to meet Mr Kwek very briefly in a hotel function - we shook hands and was introduced - he thank me and he must not even know my name then - haha!  Mr Kwek Leng Beng is so rich - you need a barcode scanner to measure his wealth - he heads the Hong Leong Group in Singapore - a conglomerate with more than 300 companies.  One of them is the hotels in Asia and in the Plaza Hotel in New York.   His net worth is rumored to be US 1.2 billion - but trained as a lawyer - Mr Kwek is not only into properties, hotels but financing as well.

It is said that he has an  international property and hotel conglomerate and the leading real estate developer in Singapore. It operates in 20 countries in Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia. The CDL Group has over 250 subsidiaries and associated companies including 8 companies listed on the stock exchanges of Singapore, London, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, New Zealand and Manila. CDL has a market capitalization of US$5.8 billion and ranks just outside Singapore’s top 10 listed companies. It is also the second-biggest property developer in Southeast Asia.

Laura Wolstein was from Romania and was born in 1908 - she is a remarkable entrepreneur who died in 1970.  Laura opened the first Laura store in Montreal, a very successful women’s wear boutique.  I bet she would have been successful if she was selling the best diet aid .  Her daughter and son in law were both actively involved in the business for many year.  Laura memained a one-store operation until 1973 when Kalman Fisher her grandson now the President of Laura Canada opened a second store in a small shopping centre in Montreal Suburb of St Laurent.  Today there are 144 retial outlets across Canada.

They said once you’ve heard Yanni in concert, you wouldn’t want to miss any of his concerts ever. Yanni Live at the Acropolis, made Yanni famous.  Born in Greece, he actually majored in psycology and was a self taught pianist and composer as well.  We were kinda lucky to have seen him played live once in Chicago becaus we had bought motorhome insurance and won a ticket for the concert. I was truly inspired by his music the Rainmaker, people just loved him and that also proves that if you put your mind and love for something, you can make something outta it.

To all the girls I’ve loved before - Willy Nelson was the highlight of my Orlando vacations whenever I visit Orlando, Florida.  I never fail to go where he is performing .. and this country musician certainly mermerizes me to no ends. I am sure he is no stranger to anyone .. and yes.. he inspires me with his song.. and it was his songs that kept me trucking thru’ university.

After serving in the Air Force and dropping out of college, he worked as a Bible salesman and disc jockey, played in honky-tonks, and wrote a few songs of his own. He recorded his first single in 1956, spending his own money to press 500 copies of a song he had written, “No Place For Me”, and selling the records during his radio show in Vancouver, Washington. The station billed him as that “cotton-pickin’, snuff-dippin’, tobacca-chewin’, stump-jumpin’, gravy-soppin’, coffee-pot-dodgin’, dumplin-eatin’, frog-giggin’, hillbilly from Hill County, Texas.”

Self made billionaire  with a net worth of 16 billion.  New York City mayor facing a fiscal crisis as banking chaos destroys Wall Street. Lucrative bonuses that came with working on Wall Street fueled spending on apartments, restaurants and shopping in recent years; as bonuses dry up, so does the city’s income. Forecasts predict NYC’s tax revenues will fall 28% - nearly $7 billion - in 2010. Law passed in October will allow Bloomberg to run for 3rd term later this year. Approval rating now 52%, down from 71% last summer. Becomes world’s 17th richest man after a transaction put a solid valuation on Bloomberg LP: he borrowed to buy a 20% stake in his company from Merrill Lynch in July for $4.5 billion. Today he owns 88% of the financial data and news outfit he founded in 1982. Boston-born son of accountant got engineering degree from Johns Hopkins, M.B.A. from Harvard. Became a trader at Salomon Brothers 1970s, quit with $10 million in stock. Created financial information services firm Innovative Market Systems to sell financial data, analytic tools to Wall Street. Renamed Bloomberg LP 1987; added news service, magazine, cable network, radio station. Has given away nearly $800 million to charity in the past 5 years.

Catchy songs and simple lyrics that everyone can identify with .. is what ABBA was all about.  These group of Swedish origin was a sure hit when i was a kid. And even today, I still love listening to them, even though it has been a long time since they performed or wrote another song.  In fact, they broke up .. and went off their own way.  I love the  heart jewelry that one of the girls wore during a concert I went to .. when i was much younger.

The music of ABBA has been re-arranged into the successful musical Mamma Mia! that has toured worldwide and had a movie version released in July 2008. All four of the former members of ABBA were present at the Stockholm premieres of both the musical (2005) and the film (2008). The film première took place at the Benny Andersson-owned Rival Theatre at Mariatorget, Stockholm on 4 July 2008. A new museum devoted entirely to the pop supergroup was scheduled to open in Stockholm in 2009, but the project was postponed as of September 2008.

Does he drives a Ferrari .. my friends from Canada asked me.. one day… and does he need Ferrari parts ?  Well.. i donch know if he does drive one..  but i know .. that the States car .. in Singapore.. can be used by him.. and whenever he wants.. if i am not wrong.

Lee Hsien Loong is someone from home.. and he is currently the Prime Minister of Singapore.  Like his father, Lee Hsien Loong is pretty much the people’s man. Like his father, he is a man of great vision - without his father, Singapore will not be where it is today.. and the people will not be as comfortable either.  People had complained that the country/city of Singapore is run with an Iron fist ..  and if i haven’t migrated to Canada.. in the name of Love.. i wouldn’t appreciate how much this great men had done for the people.  In terms of financial stability and safety for its ppl.

i don’t think Mr Lee remembers me now.. but we did play together.. when we were kids.. visiting my father’s office in Istana.  At 9 yrs old.. I already knew that these children that i was playing with .. were destined to become great ppl or so my mother said.  We never kept in touch, but i’ve always looked forward to news about them.