Inspirational Men & Woman

What a unique name right?  Divine Lee - Oh so Divine - so appropriate?  No i don’t know her personally but I was looking for blinds & shades and came across this magazine during one of my work assignment in Philippines.   So instead of looking for unique shades and blinds I was distracted and read up more on Divine Lee - only to end up feeling really proud of this young lady.

You see she is born an heiress but nothing like a spoilt brat in the same league as Paris Hilton but someone who is passionate about fashion and design - not interior design but clothing.  She is passionate about it and someone who believes in hard work and she should know because she worked in the mall when she first started.  Divine reminds me more of Ivana Trump - who once said that she wasn’t going to be an heiress who dance on tables without underwear.   She also takes an active role in her family business and someone with her own voice. Divine Lee looks up to her father and if you don’t know by now is the daughter of Delphin Lee the heiress to real estate giant Globe Asiatique who is also a well known philanthropist.   I wished that more young, rich and famous could be more like Divine Lee - because people look up to them and use them as a model.

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.

This Japanese lady who is 75 years old lives in Italy - married to an Italian businessman who died in 1982 - leaving her a fortune.  But she decided long ago - that her mission in life is to support the arts and help fund many, many orchestras and musician.  Ardent supporter of the New York’s Carnegie Hall since 2005.  Underwrote the New York Philharmonic’s first concert in Pyongyang on Feb. 26, as well as its show in Seoul two days later. As part of the tour, music students in North Korea took classes with Philharmonic musicians and attended their rehearsal.

Yoko’s favorite quote is :”I know nothing about politics, I don’t care about the conflicts between North Korea, Japan, United States. I love music and music is a universal language. I am pleased I can make the concert possible, I hope it can contribute to peace”  And more people should be like her.

I’ve actually only know more about Carol Channing after listening forever to this song “Diamonds Are The Girl’s Best Friend”.  Carol was the original singer of this song in Broadway - or rather introduced this song to everyone.  And in most places that I’ve seen Carol in ?  are award shows - so I’ve often wondered who this person is.

Born in 1921, she is an singer and an actress - won 3 Tonys and including a lifetime achievement, a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.  Married 4 times - she now resides in California with her 4th husband - her high school sweetheart.  Ahhh - so sweet!

Michelle Yeoh from Asia is older than I but definitely looks a lot better than I *sigh* - I’ve gotta work harder to get myself in shape.  But Michelle Yeoh is definitely an inspiration to Asian woman - not only is she good looking - she is famous and she is a woman who holds her own and don’t need the men in her life to buy her diamonds .  Although, I’m sure diamonds are meant to be bought by the special men in your life.

Born in Malaysia - where women there are known to be quite contented with being the best mothers and wives - Michelle is from a small town - in Malaysia - Ipoh but is now based in Hong Kong - making movies and being the 50 Most Beautiful People as said by People magazine.  Acting is her passion and she appears on all prominent functions of high society but kept a very low profile in her personal life.  But you can see Michelle shopping for the best - yet living simply.

Married to Dickson Poon a influential businessman - she retired after marrying and lived a life of a high society tai - tai - who usually shops for jewelery and have tea during the day.  But 3 yrs later after they divorced - Michelle returned to acting.   I’ve noticed she is more into American movies these days than Hong Kong movies - mostly in action roles.  So far no one in Malaysia had claimed such fame as Michelle Yeoh - will you be the next?

Born in 1978 - she begin playing the piano at 3 and violin at 5.  Took the world by storm with her techno classical voilin playing in her mid teens.   She released her first fusion album and I was really taken by her music and her album The Volin Player.  At the age of 25, she was already a superstar in her own rights.

Born in Singapore.. maybe that’s the first reason why i liked her so much.. because I’m from Singapore too.  And of a thai father and a Chinese mother.  After her parents separated and married an Englishman, they moved to England.  Vanessa Mae grew up in London and is a British citizen - is one of the most talented musician I’ve come across - if you haven’t listen to her play now is the time.

Dasha Goody - what a unique name eh - when i came across this beautiful picture - a musician and a teacher by profession - she started her singing career at a very young age of 14 in Winnipeg.  And in 1952, after moving to Edmonton - she started working with a young pianist Tommy Banks at the Orion Theatre.  She was then a Artistic Director and the Master Vocal Instructor for 24 yrs.  I would have loved to have known her because i could use some voice lesson - like the woman i know from that natural acne treatment place who told me about how good Dasha Goody was.

You see she had instructed so many who have reached professional level including some you might even know like Danny Austin.  She was also the first woman appointed to the Edmonton Northlands Board and a recipient of many awards :  Alberta Achievement Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre and even an induction of the Dr Dasha Goody Memorial Foundation in 2004.

Linda Manzer is not the first Manzer that I’ve come to know since arriving in Canada - but she is definitely one of the first Manzer that has made a huge contribution to society and to the music industry.  Why?  well, you see Linda Manzer is a musical instrument maker - born in Toronto, Ontario  - she became interested in making stringed instrucments during the early 70s while attending Nova Scotial College of Art and Design.  You can  learn more about here for her passion, design and craftsmanship in woodworking lead her to become one of the most sought after acoustic guitar makers in the world.

Linda studied the art of guitar making under Jean-Claude Larrivee for 4 yrs in Toronto.  Following her work with Larrivee, Linda created specially designed, made-to-order guitars for some of the best.   In 1984, she trained under James d’ Aquisto in New York to learn to make archtop guitars in the tradition of John d’ Angelico.  By the 90s, she had built some 120 guitars, including miniature instruments; for example, a charanga for Cockburn, the 42-string “Pikasso”, the six-string “Methenytone” and a 12 String tiple for Metheny and a 20 string gitaron for the Chilean guitarist - Angel Parra.  What a women eh..??   I saw some of her work online - and it was breathtaking - you can check it out yourself.

Lily Laverock is an immigrant to Canada from Scotland in the lat 1800s - she loves outdoor décor and was the first woman to graduate in moral philosophyfrom Montreal’s McGill University.  Lily was also a impresario/writer and was also the first woman newspaper reporter in Vancouver.

She was the founding member of the University Women’s Club in 1907and the Vancouver branch of the Canadian Women’s Press Club in 1909.  She became a reporter for the Vancouver branch of the Canadian Women’s Press Club in 1909.  She became a reporter for the Vancouver World in 1910 and later, women’s editor for the News Advertiser in 1918.  She launched her career as an impresario in 1921 with the International Celebrity Concerts, which continued until WWII.  She is credited with bringing important artists to Vancouver, such as Murice Ravel and Sergei Rachmaninoff.  In the 1930s, she presented the Jooss Ballet, Colonel de Basil’s Ballet Russe and American Ballet Caravan.  Lily retired in the 1950s.

Jack Neo is a self made man - albeit all the controversy that had been surrounded him these day because of his affair with a 20 something years old model - I still think that Jack Neo is an inspiration to  a lot of ppl.  People do make mistake and he is only but a man and a successful one - but not a very smart one when it comes to the affairs of the heart eh.   Jack Neo who is a very enterprising man would love  Outer banks foreclosures like any other successful person is the most successful film director in Asia.His movies caters to the locals and he is not ashamed about it now wants to change that.   His movies rake in millions at box offices and this man first started in Singapore television as a comedian turned into a director/entrepreneur.   I really like his movies because it sure touches a cord with us the locals and even though I am overseas - i still look out for his movies and buy and watch them whenever i get a chance.  Jack Neo is where my roots comes from and I’m not ashamed of it - and thanks to Jack - I’m constantly reminded that I’m a proud Singaporean who can make good even with very little.