Feiasta Manila
This is my first experience with YPO international event, I choose the minor scale - Conference to embrass it. Fiasta Manila was recommended by D. D who told me it was organised by former Chairman of YPO internation F. so we should be expected a good conference. although it is kind of expensive.I took the China Airline early flight to Manila, the flight departure on 7:40 am, I had to get up by 5: 00 am and be at the airport before 6:30 am. the flighting time is less than 2 hours. when landed at Manila International Airport, I can sense the YPO Phillipine charpter done a great job, a welcome band performing on the hall way to immegration, I was greeted at the end of the hall way and directed to the VIP lounge where drinks and flower and snacks were prepared, 2 chapter members' wife were there to welcome us, we only need to give the staff our passport, then the luggage were claimed to the VIP room, and we, take the great previllage of using diplamantic gate to walk out the airport without any immegaration precedure.
on the BMW to Makita Shagerila Hotel, I didn't know how BMW was in Phillipine, but for the 3 days when stayed in Manila, I hardly see any branded cars in Phillipine. the strang thing is I don't even see any local auto brand also. check in the hotel with warm greeting. I conduct the registration at 3rd floor and again, another great treatment were there for us. free foot massage, local delicacy and bunch of free sourvernier with the conference schedule etc. the booklet is so creative that you hardly want to use it.
The program design of the conference seperate to 3 main funciton : Education / Off Site / Social, on every fuciton you have multipul choice, some are user pay. I take a look at the schedule and then take a walk around the AYALA area - the commercial zone in the inner Manila. for about 2 hours.
Get ready for the first social by 6:00 pm, we were gathering at the lobby for our first reception night - The AYALA Musume, it take less than 5 minutes walking, but we have bus to tranfer us there, the traffice police leading our way - we kept enjoy the previllage for the next few days, in the developing or less developing countries, people with power are easy to show off the authroity and previllage they can offer, Manila is a crowded city, but with the traffic police's assistance, We manage to go anywhere on time. when got off the bus at the AYALA Musume, long red carpet , beautiful light and soft music were there waiting for us. we saw many white status located in the public area of the Musume -- they are alive, real human dressing white and painting like white sculpture and demostrate at the Musume garden as the decoration art. everyone were surprise to this good show, one of our members' wife wizzing told : It's cheaper to use the real person then doing all the white sculpture for using only once. a good one. the bufffee dinner is also great, a combination of Japanese crusine, authusic Phillipine food, Chinese cooking and livling seafood with western finger sandwitch. people drink and talk and sharing.. buffee serve until 7:45 pm, they we were escore to the AYALA conference rooms for attending the first show, to my big surprise, it's Lea Saloge - the famous broadway musical arstist, who sing the first recepting night for us, this is my first time to see her perform and sitting with her so closly, she is an amazing singer, and a great talker as well, everyone is so into her beatiful voice and charisma. then Lea asked a question : How to make a man live longer ? there comes an answer from one member said : Listen to your wife always; what eles ? asked again by Lea, there comes another answer from another member : Good wine. Why ? because it will make you do the first answere, what a great conversation at the first reception night. after the show, we were leaded to the Musume and to see the Asian Mordern Art exhibition, neverless, on every floor of the exhization, Conference organizer arrange additonal surprise to eveyone, such as a Giant -- I mean , it really really big cavier pie with vodaka; a fashion jewerly show etc. we went back to hotle by 10:30 pm.
Second morning, before the grand opening, there are choirs singing Christamas song while we were having our breakfast. the opening is another spetacular also, they made a musical and compose the Fiasta Manila theme songs before the opeing keynote speaker - Akino , the first female President who lead the democroacy of mordern Phillipine, she is a very nice, decent woman when listening to her speech, and her commitment to get rid of the poor from Phillipine, as she said, there are 2000 Phillipines going aboard as foregine worker, 4 million in US right now ( 800,000 of them are nurse ), 4 millions in Europe. and there are 1.2 billions of people who live less than 1 USD per day, she is working on the MFP ( micro financing project ) to help. and she clearly said the poor had strong relation with terriorism.
Then I follow 2 education session and listening to 2 great speeker and business leaders - Tony Tan of Jollibee ( The biggest fast food chain of Phillipne and expended aboard ), Tony Fernados of Air Asia ( the one who resign from Warner Music in 2001 and now building the number 3 profitable airline in the world ), there speech were so inspiring and so touching, especially Tony F. he is so great in iceburg skill and a great person .
I sign up with the history learning of Manila - if the wall would cry - to visit Intrmuro - the old town of Manila. it is only a church surrounded area , but we had a great guide, he is almost perfect, who share with us the history of Manila from it's establishment, form Spanish, US, Chinese influence to the MaAuthre : I shall return and The WW2 which totally destroy Manila in 1945. you neve aware of the time fly whe following his great introduction. I have a good time then, especially in the session of McArthre taking the famous picture cover for Life magazine.
posted by Roger @ 12/05/2005 11:46:00 上午
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