loves common meals

Tall and thin Westerner loves common meals

People talking with AIG Vietnam’s CEO Terence Anderson often feel time passing very fast because stories told by this Canadian are very interesting as he takes them from one surprise to another.

In his early forties, Terence is a successful businessman. Looking at him, one can see his simplicity and optimism in any circumstance.

“I like common meals!”

Nobody could imagine that Terence’s most favourite dish in Vietnam is “com binh dan” (popular rice) instead of Pho or other traditional dishes of Vietnam.

At a "com" restaurant on Ho Chi Minh City’s streets there is a tall and thin Westerner among office staff and workers. Few people know that the man queuing for a common rice dish is the chief-executive officer of a foreign company in Vietnam.

What is simple and common is attractive to Terence. Whenever he is in Hanoi he often spends time meeting and enjoying some beer with his close friends at small restaurants there. To him, sipping beer in the capital’s cold weather while looking at old and modern architectural structures is very interesting.

After sixteen years living and working in many Asian countries, this North American man now can tell funny stories or some jokes that make those around him unable to not laugh.

Terence said he loved talking with everybody and listening to their responses. Funny stories always help people understand each other more. That is why Terence has spent a lot of time studying Vietnamese language.

The man also gets confused as he can not distinguish the dialects of Vietnam’s three regions. “I at first learnt Vietnamese in Hanoi during my first time in Vietnam. When I went to Ho chi minh city I heard another dialect like a second language," Terence said. Despite that, he was determined to study Vietnamese spoken by Ho Chi Minh City’s citizens as a means to link him with people around.

Though absorbed in doing business, especially insurance sector, for more than 20 years now, Terence always sees himself as a pillar of the family. His biggest treasure is his two small daughters, whom he always plays with. It seems the love for his daughters that makes Terence thoroughly sympathise with ill-fated children in Vietnam.

He hopes that all children can live in happiness as his two daughters. Therefore, in November 2006, AIG, via the East Meets West non-govermental organisation, offered free operations for more than 200 Vietnamese children suffering from heart disease.

Terence does not care much about what East Meets West means. What concerns him is how to do the smallest but most meaningful things for unlucky children, so that they have opportunities to be healthy and to joyfully play as his daughters do.

Like the Vietnamese words “No problem!”

Terence Anderson always makes his staff feel more confident in work because he absolutely believes in them.

One of Terence’s workers said that Terence never interfered in the staff’s work. He gives them a free hand in doing whatever they want to but with specific results.

Terence is quite generous towards his competent workers. “They make progress faster than I expect. That is one of the advantages for any foreign investors doing business in Vietnam. I believe that with their intelligence, industriousness and desire to learn, they could survive anywhere in the world."

The man is always optimistic about people and life. While many citizens and businessmen are worried about the current inflation, Terence, in contrast, imperturbably said, “Every country has experienced difficult periods in economy. The most important thing is how they overcome that period. The government of Vietnam has lured huge FDI and succeeded in talks on Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organisation. With what the government has done, I believe that they will soon take right measures and policies to bring the economy back to normal."

“Vietnam still has many potentials to further develop," said Terence.

Although unable to speak Vietnamese fluently, he shared his favourite words that are often said by Vietnamese: Khong co chi! (No problem!).

Every morning, Terence often enjoys a cup of coffee to make his mind active and think of beautiful things ahead.

Source: TT

Tag: Asia , Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh , Vietnam , Vietnamese

Tall and thin Westerner loves common meals

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