Diary of a CEO

Fiasta Manila 2

The second night dinner was a carefully design one, we were invited to have dinner at Precidencial Palace ( Magnaca ) with President Aroyo, she passed the impredtion a few months ago and is a very controvasal President at the history of Phillipine, but to see an dine with President is a great honor, so, everyone goes with happy mood. as we were told any commucication and recoreding devices were not allowed when seeing the president, so I am a good boy, check in my deviced at hotel and didn't bring it with me. however, R. he follow my advice with panic, I never saw a man such counting on communication, he is anxious when there's no mobile phone with him, he must judge me with a wrong messanger. I don't mind, who in the world can't live without a phone for 4 hours, this is beyond my imagination.

we arrived Macnatan by 6:00 pm and walking in the palacy, in front of the buidling, there is a giant tree, decorated with light, as Christ is so important to them ( a almost 100 Christain country, with very minor Muslim in Nindanaor Island ), President show up by 6:30 with a very short and brief speech , then she walked around the party and speaking, shaking hand, taking photos with us. well, I do see a lots of " photo hungers " sneak to fit in the picture zone.

after the President greeting dinner, we were lead to another members' house for entertainment, this is the founder member of Phillipine charpter's house, it only take 2 minutes walk from Presidential Palace to his house, a big big house, in the garden, more than 200 chairs were set for us, a rythme session with orchastra were stand by, I can see there will be another great performer, yes, they called her the Diva of Phillipine, she sang a few songs, the problem with her is too much living in the shadow of Barbra Stradsand; then we were welcome to visit the house, a 6 rooms gallary of comtemporary Phillipine artist. of course, a lot of food / drinks were prepered for us.

Day 3 is the main Fiastan Day, we were asked to get up by 6:00 am, by 7:00 am at the restaurant, we were sitting Tribe by Tribe ( I am in the tribe of Meboro ), and the 16 tribes competition will take place in a day. they design games for us and we collect shell coins as the token redeem to points, in the moring, we were sent to Intrumuro for competition of 3 games, " Fear Factor " is the scary one, we must take the very local / special food. I taste the blood and win our first and only number 1 in the morning. then taking curise - big boat to the island of Gladdiodor where the Pacific War make it a place for memorial. the boad ride for 90 minutes, they built tent in the broken fort and military house and renovated it to a diner place, with grill food and music , performance, the logistic is complicate, no wonder the follow day, food poison and contamination take place, more than 20 members suffer from the belly ache.
the competition in the island is like treasure island hunt, but it modified to 4 session : Notes ( visit the places ), Photo check ( identify the similar scene ), Trivia ( answering the questionarie by checking clue on the road ) and challenge ( some of the note, stops you can challenge with the host for higher points ) our tribe leader Sheong is good in developing the energy and get the 99 point in the island. in the island, we met the 3rd President Ramos in the helicaptor site, he chew his ciger, talking with us under the sun and I win one Ramos ciger from him. humor and talktive.

the schedule running late on the island, so the Dine Around pospone to 8:00 pm, dine around is to be invited to one of the members' house for catering dinner, you can image average 6 tables of space should be OK for such a group, I change to Classical Night the last minutes to follow other members from Taipei, they ( Phillipine members ) told me that I make the right choice as Donnie's house is worth seeing and its a big house, inside you have everything, even a chapal that you can prey for your own family.
they introduce the chef and the memu, make is so official, Donnie have a lovly twins and Crekit, his wife is taking care of the family quite well, we eat, drink, talk and met the interesting R. who by introducing form other Phillipine member, have a habit of keep Tiger as pet , R. told us now he had 50 Tigers in Phillipine, this is so amazing, he told me there's are only 2 persons in the world who had Tiger as habit, the other one is Michael Jackson. we stayed until 11, the after dinner music performace is more Jazz, there's no such a thing like Classical, in Donnie Gradfater's house, you see all the antique colletion from vaies counties, Russins, Art Deco , Chinese and Spanish. Donnie's grandfater who was the ambassor to Vintical before, in the country which respect Christian and Church, you can imagine the position he was.

Day 4 , wake up tied, but I tried to catch up 2 education session, " The future world " presentation by Walfgang is good, but to be honest, to predict future is easy, as you don't need to prove you are right, time advacne you to thinkg BIG, but he is a good speaker. another person of insperation is Victor Fung, chairman of Li and Fong. a Harvard Professor turn successful entrepurnoir, his case together with Jollibee were 2 famous Harvard study and every MBA student must familiar with.

Lunch is good but I skip the afternoon session as I need to come home to attend Ali's dinner at Chieng Shan, landed on the airport and on my way to Chien Shan, I listened to the City / County major elections final , learning that KMT get a big triumph out of DPP, this is the vote people ink for not trust the current administration anymore. I had a good mood, wife on her way to Chieng Shan and accompany me.

I woke up with bad stomach and saw doctor immediaty, I am the last victim from the Manila conference. I am OK, a great experience, I am thinking of join the Pakistane Conference next year. it shouled be another great encounter.

posted by Roger @ 12/05/2005 12:41:00 下午

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