Inspirational Men & Woman

Age 63 with net worth of 1.7 billion, Mr Fung with his brother Victor, runs Li & Fung, firm supplying fashions, furnishings and toys to retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target. Has 10,000 suppliers worldwide. Firm raised half a billion in September. Biggest creditor of KB Toys, which went bankrupt in December and owes Li & Fung $5 million. Stock dropped 58% in 2008. In late February paid $80 million to take over Liz Claiborne’s ailing global distribution network. The company will now be supplying Liz Claiborne brands such as Lucky Brand, Juicy Couture and Kate Spade to retailers around the world. Grandfather Fung Pakliu started the company a century ago with partner Li To-ming; duo sold porcelain, antiques. Father Fung Hon-chu ran it while brothers studied business in U.S.; they returned to take helm 1970s. William is managing director, Victor chairman.

In 1993  .. Kim Campbell was on my tv stand a lot.. and little did i know that 10 yrs later.. i too would become a permanent resident here.  Kim Campbell made news in 1993 by becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Canada.  Born in Port Alberni, BC and in 1947, she became Canada’s 19th Prime Minister.

Kim Campbell defeated Jean Charest and took office in June 1993.  She had served in 4 cabinet portfolion before running for the party leadership and was said to have a lot more experience than the 11 of 18 men who were the predessosors.  She was also Canada’s first female Minister of Justice and AG in 1990 - 1993 and the first female Minister of defence.  A many first is what Kim Campbell is all about.  Although she resigned only months after she was elected.. one have to admire Kim Campbell for trying.

Ada Mackenzie is an athlete - golfer and was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1891.  Seriously i didn’t think that golf existed during that time.  Ada was said to be a very energetic athlete and was very active till she was in her 70s.  She was one of Canada’s leader in women’s golf.  She won all of Canada’s top golf honours for women and her final victory was the Ontario Senior Women’s Championship in 1969.

In 1933, the Canadian Press Corps awarded her it’s Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year award.  I bet she used a lot of skin care products just to protect herself from the sun . .like i do. .when i am golfing.  And because of her love of golf.. and her many awards and honor, a foundation is set up to provide financial aid to those college level wheel chair bound atheletes competing in championship level events.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1910, Jean was the rising Canadian athlete in speed skating, a career she started at the age of 15.  In 1932, she was classed at a demonstration event and won a gold in the 500m in the North American Champion, she also won a silver in the 1500m event.  The woman speed skating became offical only 28 yrs later and became an official Olympic event.  Without Jean Wilson, this would never have happened.. but sadly at the age of 23 because of some rare muscular disease and passed away in 1933.

Lucille Teasdale is a surgeon from Montreal, Quebec and was born in 1929 and passed away in 1996.  She graduated from University of Montreal medical school in 1952. .. where health care jobs weren’t a plenty at that time.  Due to the fact that she was a woman, she could not studey to be a surgeon in Canada or USA.  However, she was accepted in France to specialize in paediatric surgery.

Her husband, Piero Corti then convinced her to help him to set up a hospital in Uganda .. in a small town called Gulu.  Arriving at St Mary’s - Lacor Hospital in Uganda in 1961, they transformed a 40 bed building into a 500 bed hospital treating over 150,000 patient annually.

Contracting HIV in 1985 while operating on a soldier, she was given 2 yrs to live but she defied everyone’s prediction .. and performed surgery to 1993.  Lucille Teasdale was one of Canada’s first female surgeons.  By the time of her death in 1996, she received numerous international honors including the Order of Canada.  Her extraordinary selflessness and humanitarian determination makes her one of Canada’s most remarkable woman.  Any woman who made something of herself during that era .. means something huge to me.. and yes they inspire me.

Francoise David is an author and an activist and was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1948.  She is also the author of the book Manifesto bien commun recherchè - une option citoyenne which has sold more than 7000 copies in Quebeck.  The book combines the concepts.. of a “common good”, social justice, ecology and economic democracy into a coherent political doctrine.

Throughout her career, she advocated for the abolition of neo liberalism and the creation of a left wing republic in North America led by men and women both being equals.  Two of her best recognised public succecess have been the 1995 Women’s March against proverty and the 2000 world March of Women against proverty and voilence.  How can you not be inspired by someone like her right..?

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.