Saturday, December 30, 2006
Ed's 2006 Shelf Favorites
1. TOM PETERS ESSIENTIALS - DESIGN!, Tom Peters
2. DO IT! LET's GET OFF OUR BUTS - Peter McWilliams
3. THE SPEED OF TRUST - Stephen R. Covey
4. RE-IMAGINATION - Tom Peters
5. HEART WORK - Chan Chin Bock
6. TUEDAY WITH MORRIS - Mitch Albom
7. BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY - W.Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne
8. 360 DEGREE LEADER- John C. Maxwell
9. STRATEGY - Mark Daniell
10. WINNING - Jack Welch with Suzy Welch
11. THE ICE CREAM MAKER - Subir Chowdhury
12. QUANTUM LEAP THINKING - James Mapes
13. ONE-TO-ONE for SALES PROFESSIONALS - Dr. Marlene Caroselli
14. WHY TEAMS DON'T WORK - Harvey Robbins and Michael Finley
15. THE TIPPING POINT, Malcom Gladwell
Thursday, December 28, 2006
2006 Airport Review - Ed's Choice!
1. Changi International Airport, Singapore (9/10)
- If I have to choose to spend my time in an airport, this will be the one! Green, clean, spoil for shopping and resturant choices, wi-fi access, free internet kioks, massages, etc. You will never get bored in this airport.
2. Chek Lap Kok Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong (8.5/10)
- Nice, clean and busy airport with good amenties and facilities to structure your time. The only drawback for me is the train connection between terminal buildings.
7. Christchurch International Airport, New Zealand (7.5/10)
1. Changi International Airport, Singapore (9/10)
- If I have to choose to spend my time in an airport, this will be the one! Green, clean, spoil for shopping and resturant choices, wi-fi access, free internet kioks, massages, etc. You will never get bored in this airport.
2. Chek Lap Kok Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong (8.5/10)
- Nice, clean and busy airport with good amenties and facilities to structure your time. The only drawback for me is the train connection between terminal buildings.
3. Sydney International Airport, Australia (8/10)
4. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia (8/10)
- Modern, clean and rather efficient. Lacks greenary and the silver structures look cold!
5. Hong Qiao International Airport, China (7.5/10)
- Not spectacular but clean and reasonable. However, unorganized custom clearance resulting in long queue and, sometime, rowdy scene.
6. Incheon International Airport, Korea (7.5/10)
- Good, clean and well-organized airport. Not-too-efficient and not tourist friendly. Most signs were in Korean.7. Christchurch International Airport, New Zealand (7.5/10)
- Nice, clean and well organized airport but boring.
8. Narita International Airport, Japan (7.5/10)
9. Taiwan Tao Yuen International Airport, ROC (7/10)
10. Los Angeles International Airport (7/10)
11. Melbourne Airport, Australia (7/10)
12. O'Hare International Airport (7/10)
13. Brisbane Airport, Australia (7/10)
14. Don Muang International Airport, Thailand (6.5/10)
- Decommissioned to become a domestice airport recently. Not fantastic but reasonable. I like this better than the new airport.
15. Suvarnavhumi International Airport, Thailand (6.5/10)
16. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius (6/10)
17. Phuket International Airport, Thailand (5.5/10)
18. Chiang Mai International Airport, Thailand (5/10)
- Old, rundown and lacking in amenities. However, clean and efficient.
19. Tan Son Nhat Airport, Vietnam (4/10)
- Old and boring! Limited shops and only 1 resturant serving mediocre food.
20. Bangalore Airport (3/10)
- What more do I need to say? They are building a new airport to replace this one!
******************************************************************************
Notes -
1. Restricted to airport that I have been
2. Restricted to 20
3. You may not like it but they are my choices!
Legend
- Excellent for transit/spend time if "Rating > 8.5"
- Clean and good environment, Efficient with sufficient choice to structure time if "8.5 >Rating > 7"
- Boring but reasonable environment for transitif "7
>Rating >5" - Forget it! Be there only if needed if "Rating <5'
******************************************************************************************
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Farewell, My Friend!
Today is boxing day. I received three consecutive SMSes this morning. It was around 8.10am and these were very different ones. All were bearing the same message - I lost a friend of 15 years to cancer at around 4.30am this morning. My heart sank as I read the messages. I wasn't prepared for this news - even now! I am at a lost of word.
I knew that he was diagnosed with liver cancer several years back and was prepared for the worse when doctor mentioned that his days were numbered. He quitted his job to recuperate at home. He lost weight and looked pale. However, he did not give up. He fought back with regular treatment and positive optimism to regained his health. Diagnosis were positive that he was on the right track of recovery and brought much hope.
The messages erased everything - the hope of a full recovery! The feeling was more than just sadness. I wasn't sure how to describe but it also encompassed some feeling lost, fragility and weakness.
I dedicate this post to you - and will always remember you as a jovial, optimistic, dedicated and positive person who loved comics - especially Dragonball! - My deepest condolences to all your love ones at home.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today is boxing day. I received three consecutive SMSes this morning. It was around 8.10am and these were very different ones. All were bearing the same message - I lost a friend of 15 years to cancer at around 4.30am this morning. My heart sank as I read the messages. I wasn't prepared for this news - even now! I am at a lost of word.
I knew that he was diagnosed with liver cancer several years back and was prepared for the worse when doctor mentioned that his days were numbered. He quitted his job to recuperate at home. He lost weight and looked pale. However, he did not give up. He fought back with regular treatment and positive optimism to regained his health. Diagnosis were positive that he was on the right track of recovery and brought much hope.
The messages erased everything - the hope of a full recovery! The feeling was more than just sadness. I wasn't sure how to describe but it also encompassed some feeling lost, fragility and weakness.
In Memory of
TOMCAT
Thank you for the friendship!
Rest in Peace!
1970 - 2006
I dedicate this post to you - and will always remember you as a jovial, optimistic, dedicated and positive person who loved comics - especially Dragonball! - My deepest condolences to all your love ones at home.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, December 22, 2006
Hectic Weeks
The last few weeks were hectic - tight traveling schedule , report datelines, appointments, presentations, family and Christmas and they are taking their toll on me. I am beginning to experience the inertia, lethargy and cloudiness in my mind - a feeling of engine overheating. Luckily, Christmas holiday is just round the corner and I will have a few days of vacation break.
Bangkok was my first stop and I stayed at Erawan Grand Hyatt. The day started with meeting with the local agent. We had to negotiate the rates and other terms for next year's cooperation. It was followed by a full day of preparation for the Customer Appreciation Night. We tried, in vain, to get press coverage and press release for our event. However, the night went well.
I ended my Bangkok trip with meeting with a customer as well as our other agent. Then, it was the final Bangkok experience - Bangkok's traffic jam! The trip from our agent place (less than 5km from the hotel) to Erawan to the new airport took around 2hrs. Other than the tollway, the rest of the journey were practically commuting at 10 - 15km/hr. It took me around an hour to arrive at the new Suvarnabhumi (pronounced “Su-Wana-Poom”) International Airport for a 3.5 hours trip to Bangalore.
I was in Bangalore for a one day meeting then back to Singapore. Just when you thought Bangkok's traffic was bad, it took me around an hour to travel 2km to get to the airport from Airport Road (opp. Leela Palace) on the Friday night. My flight was 11pm and I arrived at the airport at around 9pm. It would not be a problem at most airport but the queues were already long by this time. First, it was queue to have our check-in baggage scanned. It was followed by another 1/2hr queue to check-in (and I was travelling by Singapore Airline). It was almost 10pm by this time and the next queue was to clear the immigration custom. This was a relative quick one, around 5 - 10mins but it was followed by another 15mins queue for hand baggage scan and airport security. I finally got into the already crowded waiting area and was able to spend a quick 10mins in the "duty-free" bookshop. Then it was back to queuing to board the plane back to Singapore. What an queuing experience!
I was back on a plane to Ho Chi Minh City after the weekend and spend 2 days there. It was a good experience as the place resembled Bangalore or Singapore in the seventies but with better efficiency and higher service level than Bangalore.
I stayed at Duxton Hotel, a Singapore-group managed hotel. The cleanliness, ambient and service level were relatively good and the location within walking distance of Saigon Centre and Saigon River. Price at US$150 per night (excluding tax) seems reasonable with respect to the various international hotel such as Sheraton around the vicinity. However, a power failure during the night had cause the generator to run and, very unfortunately, the generator seem to be located beside my room. The resulting noise and irritation was unbearable. I reported to the front-desk when I checked-out but the lady looked at me with a very innocent look and didn't or "didn't" seem to understand what I was talking about.
I had several meetings with potential agent, US consulate and the Singapore consulate. I also made many phone calls (or cold calls) to existing and potential customers. The trip ended with a meeting with our agent and 2 potential customers.
As I couldn't get a seat on a return SQ flight, I had to transit KLIA making the supposingly 1.5hrs flight to 6hrs. I arrived home at 1am, back to work in the morning and off to Bangalore that evening.
I spent 2 days in Bangalore this time. The first day preparing the presentation and the second participating in the presentation. What captured me during this visit was the number of people within the ranks attended and actively contributing to the meetings. I was impressed by their commitment, understanding of the markets, competitor and business. Most importantly, their willingness to participate, speak-up and contribute which were usually rare in our Asian culture.
Then I also had datelines to complete several reports and have to complete my Christmas shopping. This summed up the year - a hectic but mediocre one!
The last few weeks were hectic - tight traveling schedule , report datelines, appointments, presentations, family and Christmas and they are taking their toll on me. I am beginning to experience the inertia, lethargy and cloudiness in my mind - a feeling of engine overheating. Luckily, Christmas holiday is just round the corner and I will have a few days of vacation break.
Bangkok was my first stop and I stayed at Erawan Grand Hyatt. The day started with meeting with the local agent. We had to negotiate the rates and other terms for next year's cooperation. It was followed by a full day of preparation for the Customer Appreciation Night. We tried, in vain, to get press coverage and press release for our event. However, the night went well.
I ended my Bangkok trip with meeting with a customer as well as our other agent. Then, it was the final Bangkok experience - Bangkok's traffic jam! The trip from our agent place (less than 5km from the hotel) to Erawan to the new airport took around 2hrs. Other than the tollway, the rest of the journey were practically commuting at 10 - 15km/hr. It took me around an hour to arrive at the new Suvarnabhumi (pronounced “Su-Wana-Poom”) International Airport for a 3.5 hours trip to Bangalore.
I was in Bangalore for a one day meeting then back to Singapore. Just when you thought Bangkok's traffic was bad, it took me around an hour to travel 2km to get to the airport from Airport Road (opp. Leela Palace) on the Friday night. My flight was 11pm and I arrived at the airport at around 9pm. It would not be a problem at most airport but the queues were already long by this time. First, it was queue to have our check-in baggage scanned. It was followed by another 1/2hr queue to check-in (and I was travelling by Singapore Airline). It was almost 10pm by this time and the next queue was to clear the immigration custom. This was a relative quick one, around 5 - 10mins but it was followed by another 15mins queue for hand baggage scan and airport security. I finally got into the already crowded waiting area and was able to spend a quick 10mins in the "duty-free" bookshop. Then it was back to queuing to board the plane back to Singapore. What an queuing experience!
I was back on a plane to Ho Chi Minh City after the weekend and spend 2 days there. It was a good experience as the place resembled Bangalore or Singapore in the seventies but with better efficiency and higher service level than Bangalore.
I stayed at Duxton Hotel, a Singapore-group managed hotel. The cleanliness, ambient and service level were relatively good and the location within walking distance of Saigon Centre and Saigon River. Price at US$150 per night (excluding tax) seems reasonable with respect to the various international hotel such as Sheraton around the vicinity. However, a power failure during the night had cause the generator to run and, very unfortunately, the generator seem to be located beside my room. The resulting noise and irritation was unbearable. I reported to the front-desk when I checked-out but the lady looked at me with a very innocent look and didn't or "didn't" seem to understand what I was talking about.
I had several meetings with potential agent, US consulate and the Singapore consulate. I also made many phone calls (or cold calls) to existing and potential customers. The trip ended with a meeting with our agent and 2 potential customers.
As I couldn't get a seat on a return SQ flight, I had to transit KLIA making the supposingly 1.5hrs flight to 6hrs. I arrived home at 1am, back to work in the morning and off to Bangalore that evening.
I spent 2 days in Bangalore this time. The first day preparing the presentation and the second participating in the presentation. What captured me during this visit was the number of people within the ranks attended and actively contributing to the meetings. I was impressed by their commitment, understanding of the markets, competitor and business. Most importantly, their willingness to participate, speak-up and contribute which were usually rare in our Asian culture.
Then I also had datelines to complete several reports and have to complete my Christmas shopping. This summed up the year - a hectic but mediocre one!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
"Reward excellent failures. Punish mediocre successes."
- Phil Daniels
Simple words, profound meaning, easy to understand but extremely difficult to execute in reality.
For such to happen in real-life corporate world requires trust and this element is rare or even non-existence. Moreover, today's orgainization and society do not tolerate failure, even excellent one.
Why?
It is in the nature of human beings to avoid failure and be associated with successes, however, small and mediocre they may be. We call it " being positive". The consideration to task difficulties, task size, contribution of the project initiator, resource availability, contrbution and other critical success factors were not adequately reviewed when revewing a project/task success. Talent and culture suffer as a result. The resulting message will be "Do not try new things. Be safe then sorry!".
Such tolerance should certainly only limit to excellent failure and not medicore one.
What can this tolerant and recognition bring us? Rewarding excellent failures encourages risk-taking and allows creativity to be practice in reality. It empowers member to imagine the impossible and turn it into reality, allows creative juices to flow and encourages sensible and responsible risk-taking.
It also rewards excellent in innovation, design amd execution with emphasis on the what (to be done and has been done?), how (has it been executed)and why (whatever happen happens?). It sent a positive message and permission to dream, imagine, innovate, excel, be responsible and take risk to achieve excellent success.
Simple words, profound meaning, easy to understand but extremely difficult to execute in reality.
For such to happen in real-life corporate world requires trust and this element is rare or even non-existence. Moreover, today's orgainization and society do not tolerate failure, even excellent one.
Why?
It is in the nature of human beings to avoid failure and be associated with successes, however, small and mediocre they may be. We call it " being positive". The consideration to task difficulties, task size, contribution of the project initiator, resource availability, contrbution and other critical success factors were not adequately reviewed when revewing a project/task success. Talent and culture suffer as a result. The resulting message will be "Do not try new things. Be safe then sorry!".
Such tolerance should certainly only limit to excellent failure and not medicore one.
What can this tolerant and recognition bring us? Rewarding excellent failures encourages risk-taking and allows creativity to be practice in reality. It empowers member to imagine the impossible and turn it into reality, allows creative juices to flow and encourages sensible and responsible risk-taking.
It also rewards excellent in innovation, design amd execution with emphasis on the what (to be done and has been done?), how (has it been executed)and why (whatever happen happens?). It sent a positive message and permission to dream, imagine, innovate, excel, be responsible and take risk to achieve excellent success.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Why do Wonders of The World come in Seven?
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Pharos of Alexandria
The Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind
Stonehenge
The Colosseum
The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
The Great Wall of China
The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
The Hagia Sophia
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Mount Everest
The Great Barrier Reef
The Grand Canyon
Victoria Falls
The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro
Paricutin Volcano
The Northern Lights
The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World
Palau
The Belize Barrier Reef
The Galapagos Islands
The Northern Red Sea
Lake Baikal
The Great Barrier Reef
The Deep Sea Vents
The Seven Wonders of the Modern World
The Empire State Building
The Itaipú Dam
The CN Tower
The Panama Canal
The Channel Tunnel
The North Sea Protection Works
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Seven Forgotten Natural Wonders of the World
Angel Falls
The Bay of Fundy
Iguaçú Falls
Krakatoa Island
Mount Fuji
Mount Kilimanjaro
Niagara Falls
The Seven Forgotten Modern Wonders of the World
The Clock Tower (Big Ben)
Eiffel Tower
The Gateway Arch
The Aswan High Dam
Hoover Dam
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The Petronas Towers
The Seven Forgotten Wonders of the Medeival Mind
Abu Simbel
Temple Angkor Wat
Taj Mahal
Mont Saint-Michel
The Moai Statues
The Parthenon
The Shwedagon Pagoda
The Petronas Towers was in the list above but not The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Forbidden City, The Sydney Opera House, The Esplanade, The Statue of Liberty, The Mayan Temples, The Temple of the Inscriptions, The Throne Hall of Persepolis, Petra, The Suez Canal or The Red Fort in India.
Have anyone ever wonder how the list was established?
Source: http://wonderclub.com/AllWorldWonders.html
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Great Pyramid of Giza
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Colossus of Rhodes
The Pharos of Alexandria
The Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind
Stonehenge
The Colosseum
The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
The Great Wall of China
The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
The Hagia Sophia
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Mount Everest
The Great Barrier Reef
The Grand Canyon
Victoria Falls
The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro
Paricutin Volcano
The Northern Lights
The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World
Palau
The Belize Barrier Reef
The Galapagos Islands
The Northern Red Sea
Lake Baikal
The Great Barrier Reef
The Deep Sea Vents
The Seven Wonders of the Modern World
The Empire State Building
The Itaipú Dam
The CN Tower
The Panama Canal
The Channel Tunnel
The North Sea Protection Works
The Golden Gate Bridge
The Seven Forgotten Natural Wonders of the World
Angel Falls
The Bay of Fundy
Iguaçú Falls
Krakatoa Island
Mount Fuji
Mount Kilimanjaro
Niagara Falls
The Seven Forgotten Modern Wonders of the World
The Clock Tower (Big Ben)
Eiffel Tower
The Gateway Arch
The Aswan High Dam
Hoover Dam
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
The Petronas Towers
The Seven Forgotten Wonders of the Medeival Mind
Abu Simbel
Temple Angkor Wat
Taj Mahal
Mont Saint-Michel
The Moai Statues
The Parthenon
The Shwedagon Pagoda
The Petronas Towers was in the list above but not The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Forbidden City, The Sydney Opera House, The Esplanade, The Statue of Liberty, The Mayan Temples, The Temple of the Inscriptions, The Throne Hall of Persepolis, Petra, The Suez Canal or The Red Fort in India.
Have anyone ever wonder how the list was established?
Source: http://wonderclub.com/AllWorldWonders.html
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
25 COOL Things To DO!
1. Holiday! Re-ignition of engine!
2. Be a Your OWN Company!
3. Thailand - Bangkok, Phuket, Chiangmai, Pattaya...
4. Coaching
5. Vietnam - Ho Chi Ming City, Hanoi ...
6. Differentiate.. Be Outstanding!
7. Singapore
8. Hong Kong
10. Personal Branding ..
11. Australia/New Zealand
12. Cool processes!
13. Provocative change!
14. Tell a story!
15. Building Dreams
16. Green World!!!
17. MBA
18. Vivo City
19. Passion for Excellence!
20. Customer success
21. PDA Mobile phone
22. Toyota Altis
23. Retro Dinner
24. Thanksgiving!
25. Merry Christmas!
1. Holiday! Re-ignition of engine!
2. Be a Your OWN Company!
3. Thailand - Bangkok, Phuket, Chiangmai, Pattaya...
4. Coaching
5. Vietnam - Ho Chi Ming City, Hanoi ...
6. Differentiate.. Be Outstanding!
7. Singapore
8. Hong Kong
10. Personal Branding ..
11. Australia/New Zealand
12. Cool processes!
13. Provocative change!
14. Tell a story!
15. Building Dreams
16. Green World!!!
17. MBA
18. Vivo City
19. Passion for Excellence!
20. Customer success
21. PDA Mobile phone
22. Toyota Altis
23. Retro Dinner
24. Thanksgiving!
25. Merry Christmas!
Friday, November 03, 2006
What's Cool and coming!
Nov 6 - 10 Corporate financial audit
Nov 10 Nanolux!
Nov 9 Program Launch @ Legend
Nov 11 Tea @ Sentosa
Nov 15 Reception @ Mount Faber
Nov 17 - 21 Corporate quality audit
Nov 23 Customer Roundtable @ Johore
Nov 26 Wedding lunch
Nov 27 - 30 Vietnam
Dec 1 Dinner @ Copthorne Grand Waterfront
Dec 4 Launch/Customer Roundtable @ Bangkok
Dec 8 Bangalore
Dec 13 - 17 Auckland-Christchurch-Sydney or Phuket
Dec (TBA) Regulatory audit
Dec 25 Merry Christmas!
Dec 31 Countdown to 2007
Nov 6 - 10 Corporate financial audit
Nov 10 Nanolux!
Nov 9 Program Launch @ Legend
Nov 11 Tea @ Sentosa
Nov 15 Reception @ Mount Faber
Nov 17 - 21 Corporate quality audit
Nov 23 Customer Roundtable @ Johore
Nov 26 Wedding lunch
Nov 27 - 30 Vietnam
Dec 1 Dinner @ Copthorne Grand Waterfront
Dec 4 Launch/Customer Roundtable @ Bangkok
Dec 8 Bangalore
Dec 13 - 17 Auckland-Christchurch-Sydney or Phuket
Dec (TBA) Regulatory audit
Dec 25 Merry Christmas!
Dec 31 Countdown to 2007
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Developing a Culture for Excellence
How do companies develop a culture of excellence? Companies today focus on bottomline and, on many occasion, their strategies and initiatives were aim at achieving short-term benefits. Moreover, a culture of excellence is not just about having a good quality product. This is merely a by-product as is profitability. Not many realize that developing this Culture of Excellence within an Organization would not cost.
People
Build team members with the right traits & attitude towards work and life.
- Enthusiastic, fun & energetic team members
- Do-it-now attitude
- Forgive failed effort, encourage excellence
- Reward innovation, customer focus team member
- Continuous development/improvement
Process
Adopt simple, fun, provcative, customer & design focus processes.
Product/Services
Develop product/service that customers will be proud to relate/associate, easy to use, fun and cool!
How do companies develop a culture of excellence? Companies today focus on bottomline and, on many occasion, their strategies and initiatives were aim at achieving short-term benefits. Moreover, a culture of excellence is not just about having a good quality product. This is merely a by-product as is profitability. Not many realize that developing this Culture of Excellence within an Organization would not cost.
People
Build team members with the right traits & attitude towards work and life.
- Enthusiastic, fun & energetic team members
- Do-it-now attitude
- Forgive failed effort, encourage excellence
- Reward innovation, customer focus team member
- Continuous development/improvement
Process
Adopt simple, fun, provcative, customer & design focus processes.
Product/Services
Develop product/service that customers will be proud to relate/associate, easy to use, fun and cool!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Mid-autumn Celebration
We celebrated our mid-autumn festival at The Sky Café, the restaurant at Sky Fitness Gym at Harbourfront Tower 2, this evening. The event was attended by more than 20 colleagues, their families and friends.
The evening started with a buffet spread of Chinese and vegetarian food. The children were given lanterns, a tradition of the festival, and a treat of cartoons while the others were challenged with “lantern riddles”.
This challenge was interesting. While most attempted the riddles, some kept the answers to themselves, others tried to reap the effort of the others without attempting. There were also some who were complacent and did not take the challenge seriously and others who gave up without trying. I won this challenge not because I knew the answers but because I managed to solve some of the riddles, traded some answers with others and ensure that I attempted all, none was left blank. It was the attitude of knowledge sharing and networking that won the challenges.
We also presented 4 awards in recognition of the excellent effort of our colleagues. They took the extra mile meet the tight dateline set for a project and won us some happy and satisfied customers as well as one who work very hard to help us expand into the region and won us many new customers.
It was followed by a well-researched session about the legend of moon cake festival and moon cake by Bernard. Then everyone was invited to a spread of traditional (lotus paste with and without yolk), modern (lotus paste in melon skins) and fusion (durian paste) moon cakes served with “wulong” tea.
After the moon cakes, everyone gathered at the studio next door where Pamela and her partner, Daryl, gave us a lesson of ballroom dancing, Cha-Cha-Cha. It was 4 sets of 4 basic steps from side movement, turns and forward movements. Sounded simple? Try yourself to experience!
The evening was completed with a demonstration by the experts.
It was a fantastic evening when everyone let their hairs down and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It also brought everyone closer and, more importantly, shared this traditional festival with our non-Chinese colleagues and friends.
Special thanks to Pamela, Bernard and Rane who worked hard to pull this event together. We will be looking forward to our next big event, our Annual Dinner & Award Presentation Nite.
We celebrated our mid-autumn festival at The Sky Café, the restaurant at Sky Fitness Gym at Harbourfront Tower 2, this evening. The event was attended by more than 20 colleagues, their families and friends.
The evening started with a buffet spread of Chinese and vegetarian food. The children were given lanterns, a tradition of the festival, and a treat of cartoons while the others were challenged with “lantern riddles”.
This challenge was interesting. While most attempted the riddles, some kept the answers to themselves, others tried to reap the effort of the others without attempting. There were also some who were complacent and did not take the challenge seriously and others who gave up without trying. I won this challenge not because I knew the answers but because I managed to solve some of the riddles, traded some answers with others and ensure that I attempted all, none was left blank. It was the attitude of knowledge sharing and networking that won the challenges.
We also presented 4 awards in recognition of the excellent effort of our colleagues. They took the extra mile meet the tight dateline set for a project and won us some happy and satisfied customers as well as one who work very hard to help us expand into the region and won us many new customers.
It was followed by a well-researched session about the legend of moon cake festival and moon cake by Bernard. Then everyone was invited to a spread of traditional (lotus paste with and without yolk), modern (lotus paste in melon skins) and fusion (durian paste) moon cakes served with “wulong” tea.
After the moon cakes, everyone gathered at the studio next door where Pamela and her partner, Daryl, gave us a lesson of ballroom dancing, Cha-Cha-Cha. It was 4 sets of 4 basic steps from side movement, turns and forward movements. Sounded simple? Try yourself to experience!
The evening was completed with a demonstration by the experts.
It was a fantastic evening when everyone let their hairs down and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It also brought everyone closer and, more importantly, shared this traditional festival with our non-Chinese colleagues and friends.
Special thanks to Pamela, Bernard and Rane who worked hard to pull this event together. We will be looking forward to our next big event, our Annual Dinner & Award Presentation Nite.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
My BIRTHDAY - Thanks to all - A Happy One!
Special thanks to Des for the presents, for being around and for being such a great wife and companion.
Thanks for the lunch, dinner, nice tie, those all who send their wishes through cards, SMSes and those belated wishes ... ...
Thanks to Zubin, William(s), Rane ....
It is time to reflect and refresh my objectives and plans for the next phase of life. Tomorrow will always be better!
Special thanks to Des for the presents, for being around and for being such a great wife and companion.
Thanks for the lunch, dinner, nice tie, those all who send their wishes through cards, SMSes and those belated wishes ... ...
Thanks to Zubin, William(s), Rane ....
It is time to reflect and refresh my objectives and plans for the next phase of life. Tomorrow will always be better!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Travelogues
New Zealand, Australia, Thailand & Malaysia were some of the places that I traveled to these days. Not that I like these places, I traveled there for work. Most of these work trips were hectic and usually tightly scheduled with back-to-back meetings. These were usually followed by work dinner and/or emails till late into the nights.
Christchurch, NZ, was the least pacy of all the cities. This place had nice colonial architecture but very much a "ghost town" after 7pm. I were referencing to my favourite city, Hong Kong, but even by Singapore, KL or Taipei standard too. Christchurch, however, has nice, friendly people. The pace of life, in my impression, was considerably slow. It is a very self-sustaining country with srong farming anf agriculture communities. People there earned good salary and maintained quality of work-family life balance.
My Australia leg was usually hectic shuttling around Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. However, I had grown to like these cities. Sydney has its charm. It was very relaxing to enjoy dinner along the scenic and brightly lit view from Darling Harbour after a long day work. The weather was usually cooling ranging from 10 - 25 deg C with humidity around 40% - 65%.
Sydney is also home to the world famous & magnificent Sydney Opera House. One can take a boat ride from Darling Harbour to view the maginificent Sydney Bridge, stopping at the bustling Circular Harbour, enjoy a few hours at Luna Park, a theme park and watch sunset against the background of Sydney Opera House.
Traveling into the suburb, Redfern, will show you a different Sydney and can be a challenging experience. Redfern, was where the original aboriginals live. It was known for its high crime rate and classified "not so safe" for tourists. Most, if not all, of these aboriginals lived on social fund and did have a job. Neither did they have any skill. It was not uncommon to see drunkard lying around the pavement, group of rowdy youth with steel rods and people seating along the street - doing nothing. The nearest subway station had fence all round with security guards.
Melbourne was a decent place. It had good resturants, rainy weather and decent pace of life. Don't expect too much excitement like Sydney or HK. I particularly like Brisbane, home of the Great Barrier, Ayer Rock, Surfer Paradise and Sunshine Beach. A place of many young & beautiful people with relaxing attitude towards life. Nicely dress up, good food, morning beer and wine on race day. Who would pass such as a lifestyle?
Bangkok had its charm on me and I did not dislike this city. Unfortunately, it was not for no reason that people associated Bangkok with traffic jams, pollution, bargain buys, food and exciting nightlifes. Some peole liked them, some didn't. It was not easy to get around without a local guide especially to industrial area and suburbs. Taxi drivers, from the city, could not understand English and did not know the industrial/rural area well. Map was not as clear unlike Singapore or Australia.
I was told that shopping was inexpensive in Bangkok but I haven't found anything worth buying after so many trips there. Food was very affordable comparing to Singapore and Australia. I had, however, grown to love the massages and spa.
Thais, were however, very friendly people - overly friendly in some situation to my liking. I also felt that they were also rather insecure and, workwise, I were not too impressed with the quality that I had seen so far. I must say that I did not meet too many people or involved in sizeable project to make a good conclusion. However, labour cost was obviously significantly lower than Singapore and Malaysia.
More to come ...
New Zealand, Australia, Thailand & Malaysia were some of the places that I traveled to these days. Not that I like these places, I traveled there for work. Most of these work trips were hectic and usually tightly scheduled with back-to-back meetings. These were usually followed by work dinner and/or emails till late into the nights.
Christchurch, NZ, was the least pacy of all the cities. This place had nice colonial architecture but very much a "ghost town" after 7pm. I were referencing to my favourite city, Hong Kong, but even by Singapore, KL or Taipei standard too. Christchurch, however, has nice, friendly people. The pace of life, in my impression, was considerably slow. It is a very self-sustaining country with srong farming anf agriculture communities. People there earned good salary and maintained quality of work-family life balance.
My Australia leg was usually hectic shuttling around Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. However, I had grown to like these cities. Sydney has its charm. It was very relaxing to enjoy dinner along the scenic and brightly lit view from Darling Harbour after a long day work. The weather was usually cooling ranging from 10 - 25 deg C with humidity around 40% - 65%.
Sydney is also home to the world famous & magnificent Sydney Opera House. One can take a boat ride from Darling Harbour to view the maginificent Sydney Bridge, stopping at the bustling Circular Harbour, enjoy a few hours at Luna Park, a theme park and watch sunset against the background of Sydney Opera House.
Traveling into the suburb, Redfern, will show you a different Sydney and can be a challenging experience. Redfern, was where the original aboriginals live. It was known for its high crime rate and classified "not so safe" for tourists. Most, if not all, of these aboriginals lived on social fund and did have a job. Neither did they have any skill. It was not uncommon to see drunkard lying around the pavement, group of rowdy youth with steel rods and people seating along the street - doing nothing. The nearest subway station had fence all round with security guards.
Melbourne was a decent place. It had good resturants, rainy weather and decent pace of life. Don't expect too much excitement like Sydney or HK. I particularly like Brisbane, home of the Great Barrier, Ayer Rock, Surfer Paradise and Sunshine Beach. A place of many young & beautiful people with relaxing attitude towards life. Nicely dress up, good food, morning beer and wine on race day. Who would pass such as a lifestyle?
Bangkok had its charm on me and I did not dislike this city. Unfortunately, it was not for no reason that people associated Bangkok with traffic jams, pollution, bargain buys, food and exciting nightlifes. Some peole liked them, some didn't. It was not easy to get around without a local guide especially to industrial area and suburbs. Taxi drivers, from the city, could not understand English and did not know the industrial/rural area well. Map was not as clear unlike Singapore or Australia.
I was told that shopping was inexpensive in Bangkok but I haven't found anything worth buying after so many trips there. Food was very affordable comparing to Singapore and Australia. I had, however, grown to love the massages and spa.
Thais, were however, very friendly people - overly friendly in some situation to my liking. I also felt that they were also rather insecure and, workwise, I were not too impressed with the quality that I had seen so far. I must say that I did not meet too many people or involved in sizeable project to make a good conclusion. However, labour cost was obviously significantly lower than Singapore and Malaysia.
More to come ...
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
HAPPY 41st BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE
We celebrate our 41st Birthday today. Coincidentally, this is the last event held at our National Stadium. Both the event and the venue were significant in their own rights.
Singapore has come a long way as a country. We have grown from small fishing village into a cospomolitan city. Our port has has grown beyond basic loading & unloading activities into a world class supply chain logistics hub. Changi Airport and SIA have made a reputation for themselves for being safe, efficient with commendable service level.
Despite being a young nation, our economic growth has been trememdous year-in-year-out as compare to our neighbours and many developed economies. We are home to many world renounce multi-national companies such as Glaxo Smithkline, Baxter, Sony, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Medtronics, Chevron, Exxon-Mobile, Millenium & Copthorne and, of course, the list goes on... Local companies such as SingTel, Keppel Fels, Osim, Creative Technology, SIA, PSA, Raffles Hospital and many others have made their presence felt in their respective industries and around the region.
Then we have Jurong Island. The concept in itself deserved merit. Who in the world would come out with an idea to reclaimed and join small islands turning them into a chemical process hub.
National Stadium has been an icon for our sport accomplishment and a memorable place to many Singaporean, including myself. This is a place where we had out Malaysia Cup glory day, made famous our KALLANG ROAR and experienced of many sporting triumph.
I am a proud and happy Singaporean. How can we not proud to be a Singaporean? We have ....
Politically and socially stable country
Clean government
Good brand association
Sustainable economic growth
Reasonably safe environment to live, shop & party
Good transportation infrastructure and communication connectedness
Good educational framework
Good variety of food and indulgence
Reasonable living space
CPF
many more .....
We celebrate our 41st Birthday today. Coincidentally, this is the last event held at our National Stadium. Both the event and the venue were significant in their own rights.
Singapore has come a long way as a country. We have grown from small fishing village into a cospomolitan city. Our port has has grown beyond basic loading & unloading activities into a world class supply chain logistics hub. Changi Airport and SIA have made a reputation for themselves for being safe, efficient with commendable service level.
Despite being a young nation, our economic growth has been trememdous year-in-year-out as compare to our neighbours and many developed economies. We are home to many world renounce multi-national companies such as Glaxo Smithkline, Baxter, Sony, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Medtronics, Chevron, Exxon-Mobile, Millenium & Copthorne and, of course, the list goes on... Local companies such as SingTel, Keppel Fels, Osim, Creative Technology, SIA, PSA, Raffles Hospital and many others have made their presence felt in their respective industries and around the region.
Then we have Jurong Island. The concept in itself deserved merit. Who in the world would come out with an idea to reclaimed and join small islands turning them into a chemical process hub.
National Stadium has been an icon for our sport accomplishment and a memorable place to many Singaporean, including myself. This is a place where we had out Malaysia Cup glory day, made famous our KALLANG ROAR and experienced of many sporting triumph.
I am a proud and happy Singaporean. How can we not proud to be a Singaporean? We have ....
Politically and socially stable country
Clean government
Good brand association
Sustainable economic growth
Reasonably safe environment to live, shop & party
Good transportation infrastructure and communication connectedness
Good educational framework
Good variety of food and indulgence
Reasonable living space
CPF
many more .....
Saturday, August 05, 2006
The Ice Cream Maker
Quality is an on-going process. It starts from being committed, doing things bottom of the heart, involving people around you (both professional and personal circle including customers) and making improvement a habit.
Sounded simple?
Well, "The Ice Cream Maker", by Subir Chowdhury, made it so simple to understand quality. It was an excellent book that one can finished within 2 - 3hrs. The illustration used was plain vanilla of a company being turned around through listening to their customers and getting their act together to improve product quality and give the customer what they want.
1. Acknowledgement that there is room for improvement
2. Create an environment of trust and transparancy
3. Make commitment to continuous improvement
4. Listen to stakeholders
5. Involve stakeholders in making improvement
6. Encourage and reward improvement attitude
7. Accept feeback and constructive criticism
A simple book but a good lesson learnt!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Toyota Altis 1.6A
I got my new Altis on Friday, July 28, 2006. My first NEW car. The 1.6 litre saloon was a proven no frill family car. It came with a reputation for fuel efficieny, reliable and economical at its class. Those were my reasons to choose this saloon on Mitsubishi Lancer, Renault Megane & Nissan Saloon.
Actually, it was my third car following Renault Clio 1.4 and Nissan EX Saloon 1.5. However, this medium silver machine was my first automatic transmission car costing me around S$55K (inclusive COE at around S$11K). Being made in Thailand doesn't make this car any less Japanese. It came with the same VVTI engine, smooth & efficient gearbox. The interior remains satisfactory with beige leather upholstery and wood panelling on the centre console with a MP3 CD-player with control from the steering wheel and a digital climate control.
Technical Specifications
MODEL - All NEW TOYOTA ALTIS 1.6A
ENGINE
Engine: 1598cc 16V in-line 4 with VVT-i
Max Power: 110bhp at 6000rpm
Max Torque: 150Nm at 3800rpm
TRANSMISSION
four-speed automatic
TOP SPEED
185 kmh
0-100km/h
11.7s
I am happy with this new toy.
I got my new Altis on Friday, July 28, 2006. My first NEW car. The 1.6 litre saloon was a proven no frill family car. It came with a reputation for fuel efficieny, reliable and economical at its class. Those were my reasons to choose this saloon on Mitsubishi Lancer, Renault Megane & Nissan Saloon.
Actually, it was my third car following Renault Clio 1.4 and Nissan EX Saloon 1.5. However, this medium silver machine was my first automatic transmission car costing me around S$55K (inclusive COE at around S$11K). Being made in Thailand doesn't make this car any less Japanese. It came with the same VVTI engine, smooth & efficient gearbox. The interior remains satisfactory with beige leather upholstery and wood panelling on the centre console with a MP3 CD-player with control from the steering wheel and a digital climate control.
Technical Specifications
MODEL - All NEW TOYOTA ALTIS 1.6A
ENGINE
Engine: 1598cc 16V in-line 4 with VVT-i
Max Power: 110bhp at 6000rpm
Max Torque: 150Nm at 3800rpm
TRANSMISSION
four-speed automatic
TOP SPEED
185 kmh
0-100km/h
11.7s
I am happy with this new toy.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Italy Won
I haven't posted for a quite a while due to the hectic traveling schedule. Well, Italy won the World Cup and this campaign has all the ingredient of a spectacle. Good goals, young rising stars, controversies, wrong decisions from our men in black, hearbreaking & dramatic finale ...
Soccer is hailed as "The Beautiful Game" driven by passion (or over passion), great skill, teamwork, strategies and controversies.
A place where people are divided yet united.
A place where talent and hard work co-exisit.
A place where creativity exisits within the box.
A game where passion, hunger and determination can rule the day.
A game where superiority teamwork and cohesive can makes a difference.
A game where complicated preparation meets simple strategy.
A game where brute force meets flair and elegance.
A game where controversies add spices ...
Well, it's the beautiful game....
I haven't posted for a quite a while due to the hectic traveling schedule. Well, Italy won the World Cup and this campaign has all the ingredient of a spectacle. Good goals, young rising stars, controversies, wrong decisions from our men in black, hearbreaking & dramatic finale ...
Soccer is hailed as "The Beautiful Game" driven by passion (or over passion), great skill, teamwork, strategies and controversies.
A place where people are divided yet united.
A place where talent and hard work co-exisit.
A place where creativity exisits within the box.
A game where passion, hunger and determination can rule the day.
A game where superiority teamwork and cohesive can makes a difference.
A game where complicated preparation meets simple strategy.
A game where brute force meets flair and elegance.
A game where controversies add spices ...
Well, it's the beautiful game....
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Got It Wrong Again But England Was Disappointing
England and Brazil were knocked out this morning. Brazil lost to a deserving team. The French played football and won the game on the field. I felt that Sven lost the game for England.
England were too defensive and allowed the Portugees built up their confidence. They lost their plot as the match went and fustration kicked in. It did not help with the Portugees' play-acting and provoking ethics. However, credit must be give to Ricardo's commanding performance.
Wayne Rooney was lost playing as a long striker without support. They played too deep when they were down to 10 men. Substitutions of Aaron Lennon and Jamie Carragher were not purposeful.
England would probably have done better with sticking to their 4-4-2 formation with Wayne Rooney just behind Peter Crouch and Owen Hargreaves playing on the left for Joe Cole with Beckham, Gerrard & Lampard in midfield. Joe Cole has good reading of the game and would be a good substitution for Beckham moving Hargreaves to the right. Jermaines Jenas would have been a good cover to Lampard during the last stage fo the game. His stamina would have provided England with an attacking edge.
Gary Neville was a liability failing to cover his position on many occasions. He was probably not fully fit from his calf injury. I would use the no-nonsense & fresh Jamie Carrager to counter the trickery and speed of Christino Ronaldo. Otherwise, Rio, John and Ashley were magnificent in defence. Steven Gerrard was all over the pitch helping out in defence and attack.
This would still be a 4-5-1 formation using Peter Crouch as the point man. England would be more adventurous and pressing. They would reduce Portugal's attack and make them more defensive.
Maybe this line-up would have change the game and, even if they lost, they would have won the fans. Who knows?
Anyway, it is now about Italy, Germany, Portugal and France.
England and Brazil were knocked out this morning. Brazil lost to a deserving team. The French played football and won the game on the field. I felt that Sven lost the game for England.
England were too defensive and allowed the Portugees built up their confidence. They lost their plot as the match went and fustration kicked in. It did not help with the Portugees' play-acting and provoking ethics. However, credit must be give to Ricardo's commanding performance.
Wayne Rooney was lost playing as a long striker without support. They played too deep when they were down to 10 men. Substitutions of Aaron Lennon and Jamie Carragher were not purposeful.
England would probably have done better with sticking to their 4-4-2 formation with Wayne Rooney just behind Peter Crouch and Owen Hargreaves playing on the left for Joe Cole with Beckham, Gerrard & Lampard in midfield. Joe Cole has good reading of the game and would be a good substitution for Beckham moving Hargreaves to the right. Jermaines Jenas would have been a good cover to Lampard during the last stage fo the game. His stamina would have provided England with an attacking edge.
Gary Neville was a liability failing to cover his position on many occasions. He was probably not fully fit from his calf injury. I would use the no-nonsense & fresh Jamie Carrager to counter the trickery and speed of Christino Ronaldo. Otherwise, Rio, John and Ashley were magnificent in defence. Steven Gerrard was all over the pitch helping out in defence and attack.
This would still be a 4-5-1 formation using Peter Crouch as the point man. England would be more adventurous and pressing. They would reduce Portugal's attack and make them more defensive.
Maybe this line-up would have change the game and, even if they lost, they would have won the fans. Who knows?
Anyway, it is now about Italy, Germany, Portugal and France.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Got It Wrong but I am happy!
I am back again after my week in Bangkok. Bangkok was a nice place with good food and massages at extremely reasonable price. The only drawback was its traffic and weather (this time). I reckon that driving along Sukomvit Road would be a challenge and require plenty of patience. Otherwise, the people were nice and friendly.
England won with a Beckham's routine. Netherland and Spain remained the underachievers in major competitions despite the talents. Brazil & Italy joined Germany and Ukraine as expected. While these are out-dated news, I felt the need to conclude.
Germany and Italy, beat Argentina on penalties and Ukraine 3 - 0 respectively, will meet in the last four. I felt that Klinsmann & Lehmenn won it for Germany. Germany never panic despite being a goal down. They continued to pass the ball around patiently, creating chance after chance and finally got their reward to Miroslav Klose 10 mins from time. By this time, Argentina did not have the firepower to attack the game with Crespo and Riquelme already on the bench. It didn't help with their first choice goalkeeper, Roberto, crashing out earlier before the equalizer. Lehmenn, justified Klinsmann's faith in him, had an outstanding game with numerous saves throughout the games including the penalties.
Gattuso, Buffon & Zambrotta won the game for the Azzurri with their dedicated play. Gattuso was all over the pitch, protecting the defence and supporting attack. He was named Man-of-the-match. Buffon, as reliable as usual,was the unsung hero with several important saves.
England & Portugal will battle for the third semi-final slot whereas Brazil will be given a chance to revenge their 3 - 0 defeat by the French in the 98 final. Now the million dollar question. Who will join Germany & Italy in the last four? My bet goes to England and Brazil. I do hope Rooney and Lampard, Pauleta,Henry, Ribery, Ronaldo, Adriano and Ronaldino will live up to their expectation, England to do a repeat of the '66 and Brazil to bury the ghost of '98. However. do remember no Latin American team has ever won the world cup on European soil.
Will Brazil be the first team to do it in Germany or will the remaining European teams have other agenda? We shall see!
I am back again after my week in Bangkok. Bangkok was a nice place with good food and massages at extremely reasonable price. The only drawback was its traffic and weather (this time). I reckon that driving along Sukomvit Road would be a challenge and require plenty of patience. Otherwise, the people were nice and friendly.
England won with a Beckham's routine. Netherland and Spain remained the underachievers in major competitions despite the talents. Brazil & Italy joined Germany and Ukraine as expected. While these are out-dated news, I felt the need to conclude.
Germany and Italy, beat Argentina on penalties and Ukraine 3 - 0 respectively, will meet in the last four. I felt that Klinsmann & Lehmenn won it for Germany. Germany never panic despite being a goal down. They continued to pass the ball around patiently, creating chance after chance and finally got their reward to Miroslav Klose 10 mins from time. By this time, Argentina did not have the firepower to attack the game with Crespo and Riquelme already on the bench. It didn't help with their first choice goalkeeper, Roberto, crashing out earlier before the equalizer. Lehmenn, justified Klinsmann's faith in him, had an outstanding game with numerous saves throughout the games including the penalties.
Gattuso, Buffon & Zambrotta won the game for the Azzurri with their dedicated play. Gattuso was all over the pitch, protecting the defence and supporting attack. He was named Man-of-the-match. Buffon, as reliable as usual,was the unsung hero with several important saves.
England & Portugal will battle for the third semi-final slot whereas Brazil will be given a chance to revenge their 3 - 0 defeat by the French in the 98 final. Now the million dollar question. Who will join Germany & Italy in the last four? My bet goes to England and Brazil. I do hope Rooney and Lampard, Pauleta,Henry, Ribery, Ronaldo, Adriano and Ronaldino will live up to their expectation, England to do a repeat of the '66 and Brazil to bury the ghost of '98. However. do remember no Latin American team has ever won the world cup on European soil.
Will Brazil be the first team to do it in Germany or will the remaining European teams have other agenda? We shall see!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
World Cup Germany 2006 - Time to Make Friends
Germany and Argentina have gone through to the last eight. Jurgen Klinsmann's out-of-the-box's management style, keeping faith with youngsters and maintaining team spirit as well as Argentina's low profile and ruthless effective style won the day.
Tonight, we will await the outcome of England, Ecuador, Netherland and Portugal. Although my heart is with England to make the last eight but I think Ecuador is the hungerier of the 2 teams. They also beat Brazil & Argentina on their way to Germany.
Portugal finished the first round with full nine points but that was against Iran and Angola. Netherland, despite scoring only 3 goals in group 1, survived the group of death. The Dutch's energy coupled with the raw talent of coach Marco Van Basten would be too much energy for the Portugees. Netherland should proceed from this crash.
Italy's experience and skills should overcome the raw Australian. Guss Hiddink, the coach who masterminded Korea's meteroic rise in football status 4 year ago, will not have the luck again. Italy is not Japan.
Ukraine would have too much firepower in Rebrov and Shevchenko for the Swiss.
Ghana would be very determined to upset Brazil but the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano, Roberto Carlos and Emerson would not allow that to happen. Bazil should cruise through to the last eight.
Spain has Fernandes "El Nino" Torres and David Villa while France has Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet. I pick Spain to win because of their team spirit and the no nonsense attitude of Luis Aragones as compared to Raymond Domenech, who cannot keep the camp in harmony.
I hope I am wrong in the case of England. So let's see.
Germany and Argentina have gone through to the last eight. Jurgen Klinsmann's out-of-the-box's management style, keeping faith with youngsters and maintaining team spirit as well as Argentina's low profile and ruthless effective style won the day.
Tonight, we will await the outcome of England, Ecuador, Netherland and Portugal. Although my heart is with England to make the last eight but I think Ecuador is the hungerier of the 2 teams. They also beat Brazil & Argentina on their way to Germany.
Portugal finished the first round with full nine points but that was against Iran and Angola. Netherland, despite scoring only 3 goals in group 1, survived the group of death. The Dutch's energy coupled with the raw talent of coach Marco Van Basten would be too much energy for the Portugees. Netherland should proceed from this crash.
Italy's experience and skills should overcome the raw Australian. Guss Hiddink, the coach who masterminded Korea's meteroic rise in football status 4 year ago, will not have the luck again. Italy is not Japan.
Ukraine would have too much firepower in Rebrov and Shevchenko for the Swiss.
Ghana would be very determined to upset Brazil but the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano, Roberto Carlos and Emerson would not allow that to happen. Bazil should cruise through to the last eight.
Spain has Fernandes "El Nino" Torres and David Villa while France has Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet. I pick Spain to win because of their team spirit and the no nonsense attitude of Luis Aragones as compared to Raymond Domenech, who cannot keep the camp in harmony.
I hope I am wrong in the case of England. So let's see.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
What's in Cell?
Finally got this started!
Cell A room without furniture or smallest unit of living matter that can live on its own or a device for producing electric current. By any of the mentioned definition, blogging can be a personal affair in a virtual arena exhibiting the energy to produce, reproduce and share information...
Ed That's me!
Ed's Cell = My stage!
Some of the topics that will feature here are Leadership, Organization and Teams, Soccer, Transactional Analysis, Food, Travel, Global Product Safety Certification, Strategic & Key Account Management....and many others ...
So much for my introduction. I was asked what is Leadership in an organizational setting.
Leadership is the ability to create a vision, infuence and inspire all stakeholders toward achieving it where, in the process, the stakeholders also achieve their individual goals without compromising integrity and well-being of stakeholders and non-stakeholders.
A leader may not be the best player in the team but would be someone who creates vision, defines success, influences the members (excellent salesman), gets results, attracts and deloys talent to bring out their best, is a cheerleader to charge and rally the team, hands-on and always have fun.
This is, of course, more than two paragraphs. Time to sleep.. More to come...
Finally got this started!
Cell A room without furniture or smallest unit of living matter that can live on its own or a device for producing electric current. By any of the mentioned definition, blogging can be a personal affair in a virtual arena exhibiting the energy to produce, reproduce and share information...
Ed That's me!
Ed's Cell = My stage!
Some of the topics that will feature here are Leadership, Organization and Teams, Soccer, Transactional Analysis, Food, Travel, Global Product Safety Certification, Strategic & Key Account Management....and many others ...
So much for my introduction. I was asked what is Leadership in an organizational setting.
Leadership is the ability to create a vision, infuence and inspire all stakeholders toward achieving it where, in the process, the stakeholders also achieve their individual goals without compromising integrity and well-being of stakeholders and non-stakeholders.
A leader may not be the best player in the team but would be someone who creates vision, defines success, influences the members (excellent salesman), gets results, attracts and deloys talent to bring out their best, is a cheerleader to charge and rally the team, hands-on and always have fun.
This is, of course, more than two paragraphs. Time to sleep.. More to come...
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