Year of the Dragon

Happy New Year! Today we start a new year - the Year of the Dragon and the Vancouver Sun ran an article on UBC's project on Chinese Canadian stories which reminds me how quickly time has passed.

The days of ol' Vancouver Chinatown remain dear to me as still many of my best friends are from the days when I attended Lord Strathcona school where both my parents had the same Grade 6 teacher - Miss Foster!

The UBC project is an important one to remind us that it wasn't so easy for Chinese in those days. Both my parents were born in Vancouver but my Father went back to China for his formative years and did not return to Canada until he was a teenager. Neither parent got to finish high school because they had to work and contribute to their family. They worked hard doing mutliple jobs for a better life for my brother and I. If not for their hard work ethic, we would not be where we are today. We made it to Downtown Vancouver even though our parents were not given such opportunity.

I remember still that at Colliers where I subsequently became a Vice President bringing in the global wealth from Asia into North America when the investment bankers weren't paying attention to Asians, the words from the Chair and Managing Director were "We've never had a lady in this company since 1898, why should we have one now?". If not for the forefronters like the late Milton Wong and David Lam, Chinese would not have the same prominence that we do now.

My life has been full of firsts and I am grateful to Roseanne Sia of the UBC Chinese Canadian Stories project whose father helped me to translate this press clipping from the Miss Universe Pageant in Acapulco. It says:

Cold? Canada surprised by sending an authentic Eskimo that has also distinguished herself for her kindness and good manners. Her name: Andrea Leslie Eng.

Ha! How far we have come since then.

-- VANCOUVER SUN , 2012 January 23

2010 Olympics in Vancouver

THE-E-E-ERE'S JOHNNY: Snowboarder Johnny Lyall isn't a team racer. Still, three billion viewers saw him zoom from the Olympic symbol's centre ring to start the BC Place opening ceremony. Brother Philip scored recently, too, when he and Nimisha Mukerji made the documentary 65 RedRoses about Eva Markvoort's struggle with cystic fibrosis. - MALCOLM PARRY, VANCOUVER SUN (item #6)

Remarkable and so thrilling for the Lyall family including parents Nancy Rae and Charlie Lyall and grandparents Marigold and Gordon Lyall.

The Olympics was also occasion to cheer on Julia Murray, daughter of Crazy Canuck (now deceased) Dave Murray and world champion freestyler and long time friend, Stephanie Sloan. Excellence is in her genes! This was Julia's first time at the Olympics and she had just had surgery on her knee. Ouch. She did very well in Ski Cross although not podium finish but keep listening for her name on the World Cup circuit. In the ol' days, Dave Murray let me be the forerunner on the Orange course at Whistler and we used to dine with him & Stephanie at The Gorge and Sprecklesville on Maui. Now we cheer on the next generation. Yeah!

As Vancouver winds down from the success of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the political and business leaders will focus their efforts on capitalizing on ways to fund their aspirations. >> MORE

The End of A Decade

Lessons Learned
2009 was significant because after visit to
Barbados I was introduced to the principals and works of the Global
Heritage Fund. Tina, you will love this & sorry, I haven't had
chance to catch-up yet but as you can tell, I'm running a little behind.
I am so excited at having encountered this charity. Now I am thinking about philanthropy on a completely different level - globally. What a fabulous way to start the decade!


Their tagline is Preserving Heritage Globally. i like that.
Changing lives locally. Who can argue with that?

They're re-built walled cities. Contributed Archaeological conservation expertise as well as keeping the next generation off the streets by investing and donating computers and contributing
to U.N. certified Heritage sites. On 4 continents they're working on 13 project currently and completed 6.

The foundation was founded in 2002 and they have accomplished so much results with the influence, money and relationships they have harnessed. My introduction and host at recent gathering in
Sausalito, California was through fellow Barbados guest, The Lynfords. Tondra has become a good friend. I am blessed, i know, to have wise counsel in my somewhat unorthodox life.

Here is recent article from November 2009 Viewpoints Magazine (p. 18 & 19) chaired by another new friend, Dr. Frieda Granot of the Sauder School of Business. She is the first to publish the story of the
fourth-generation Lalji Family written by a former Crofton House School Head Girl, Faaiza Lalji. Her father Amin is one of my mentors in business and his brother Shiraz Lalji in London has been a generous host. This family contributes significantly to society, around the world and has a social conscience.

I love success stories like these.

That's it for 2009. The year has been an incredible education in Life. Here's to another successful decade. I keep learning. Thank you to my teachers and guides. - 太太

PS - By the way, anyone looking to let beautiful home in the French Quarters of Shanghai?

Barbados

Barbados was divine. 太太 was generously entertained at uber exclusive private villa that Mariah Carey stayed in the week before. Simon Cowell leased the same place for $1 million over Christmas. 20 full-time staff keep the place going. 太太 was gobsmacked.

We swam with giant turtles and had the whole Carribean Sea to ourselves.

太太 learned how to snorkel on this trip!

Some pictures arrived from talented photographer-guest from New York.




Introduced to an intimate group of international decision makers on this trip including the Vice-Chair of the Global Heritage Foundation. Hoping Ivy will share with me details of the wine certification course...so i can study up and be part of the conversation next trip. Some of these residents have amassed a handsome collection of impressive wines and libations in this neck of the woods.

Here are some of the impressive wines that Aj shared with us. The 1978 Petrus was ok. The magnum of 1985 Petrus was much better. Doesn't he look happy & super fit? Twice he had us over to his palatial villa.

Jean-Georges, the creator of Market at Shangri-La arrived with his wife and daughter. US ambassador who has recently joined the Temasek | GIC board and B.S. Ong and his stylish entrepreneur wife Christina also joined the crowd.

This is a storybook life. 太太 so privileged to be a guest. This is a glimpse into the world of comfort and ease. But then these people work at a fast and hard pace so they also play hard too.

What a great place to practise yoga! Total serenity.

Tina, i'm almost ready for that walk with you. Have a few loose ends to take care so we can connect before summer ends and 太太 returns to San Francisco for more yoga training and connecting with new friends. More again soon.

- 太太

My Ex-In-Law's

A portrait of my Ex-in-laws who happened to share a joke with famous portrait photographer Jim Allen and Al's fraternity at Trinity College.

Great that we still close after 20 years of not being related anymore.

The two 太太's practised Jivamukti yoga with Keith and Dana at Laughing Lotus in San Francisco. Jasmin is also a favourite and one of the owners.

太太 also practises with Clara in Vancouver but its a special style that might not be for all. But one who has dance training will especially enjoy her but don't tell everyone. Her classes are already too full! New favourite is Jai who is also a new transplant from New York. The city is becoming a westcoast lifestyle retreat. - 太太

Shangri-La Hotel Gala

Social Scene in Vancouver

BC Business Magazine cover story - Andrea Eng

Double click the cover to read the article

Real Estate Superstar - Ian Gillespie

I am proud to have been an investor in North America's most successful developer for over a decade now. Nowadays he doesn't need my funding but I maintain a small investment as a private investor in Westbank so that we can continue our longstanding business relationship and friendship.

Photo by Stuart Dee 2006