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BusinessWorld Online Edition: Local talk show brings the world into one’s home

BusinessWorld Online Edition: Local talk show brings the world into one’s home

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Local talk show brings the world into one’s home

4 October – Picture this. An Indian-looking executive behind a table chats with a Southeast Asian-looking businessman, and surprisingly, opens the conversation with a pleasant “Bonsoir!” They spend a few minutes grappling with the correct pronunciation of Descartes. “But you didn’t pronounce the ‘s’!” the Indian-looking man mischievously chides the smiling Southeast Asian-looking man. They talk about what it’s like growing up in a French multi-cultural environment, and doing business in the Philippines.

It turns out that the former is a Filipino, and the latter a Frenchman. The scene is from Expat Insights, a weekly talk show on Global Destiny Cable’s GNN channel. Hosted on Sunday evenings by author, coach and trainer Raju Mandhyan, a naturalized Indian-Filipino who himself has been in the Philippines for close to 30 years, who has spent twenty years in international trade and provides management training in sales with NLP, creative thinking with mind mapping and other leadership skills. This particular episode featured Anthony Thor, a French national of Cambodian, Thai and Chinese descent. The friendly interchange brings home the point that not only have earthly boundaries collapsed, but lines have been crossed, meshed and woven into a (global) village tapestry of international colors. Mr. Thor summed it up nicely by saying that he thinks like a Frenchman, has the heart of a Chinese, and a smile that is Pinoy.

On the air since July this year, Expat Insights has already had guests representing over 10 countries, counting CEOs, nonprofit professionals, a motivational speaker, a missionary, a life coach, a counselor, entrepreneurs, an image consultant, and a social media expert in its roster.

“I had been dreaming of a show like this for the past ten years,” says Mr. Mandhyan, who also produces the show. “I wanted to tell stories of what brings people to the Philippines, expose the opportunities they see in the country, and highlight business successes of people from foreign lands who have made the Philippines their home. And also help sustain and support these beautiful 7,107 islands and its happy people.” Mr. Mandhyan is the author of The HeART of Humor and The HeART of Public Speaking.

American Brad Geiser, a recent guest, left everything behind when he found the love of his life in the Philippines, lived in the slums, and now owns and manages a social media consulting firm. Ecuadorian Esteban Vordeck heads Energizer Philippines, and runs the company with his ear firmly held to the ground, listening to what his employees want. He admits that Latinos are explosive temperamentally, and has yet to learn how to get a handle on that since he works with Filipinos whom he describes as “very, very patient.”

Canadian Robert Gregory Forbes, a motivational speaker, strongly believes that Filipinos are changing the world just by the fact that they carry their values of family and spirituality in whichever country they are, whether they occupy high or low positions. Irishman Robert Lane runs several companies, and observes that the Filipinos are the Irish of Asia, and finds many similarities historically. Dutch-American Steward de Boer, a missionary born and raised in India, knew he had to find a way to help the poor in the Philippines, even if it was outside the mandate of the organization he was heading at that time.

American Elizabeth Hoban, executive coach and trainer, was spurred to help street children upon the request of her then 3-year old son. While shopping with her son in Makati, she was approached by beggars for money. Her son asked her if they could take them home, “because we have so much, I can share.” Native-born Indian Ramesh Dargani, businessman and President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce, talked about the eye camps that are organized to give out free eye wear to various communities, and the long history of Indians in the Philippines.

These are only some of the fascinating people that have appeared on Expat Insights, a show that aims to take a comparative look at the strengths and synergies that exist between the Philippines and the home countries of foreigners living and working in the Philippines. Guests in the pipeline include the Ambassador of Mexico, Tomas Javier Calvillo Unna, Citibank Country Head Sanjiv Vohra, and Jack Canfield, co-creator of the insanely popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series, a recent visitor to Manila.

Flexible. Patient. Colorful. Provider of world-class quality of service. Brimming with potential. These are only some of the descriptions used by foreigners, expats, and immigrants in describing the Filipino as revealed in the show.

Casual and jovial, Mr. Mandhyan is able to draw honest insights, using his own coaching skills to the hilt. He is not interested in a show that merely tells expats where to go for information as they adjust to living in the country or what to do on a weekend, or reinforce a negative “Only in the Philippines” mentality. He has almost made it his personal mission to bridge cultural gaps, and leverage the uniqueness of one culture to enrich the other, while celebrating diversity. He coaxes guests to focus on successes and values, an approach influenced by a process known as Appreciative Inquiry, of which Mr. Mandhyan is an advocate.

“Expats and immigrants have contributed significantly to nation-building,” Mr. Mandhyan asserts. “They have incisive opinions and valuable points of view on current events and trends in the Philippines. Immigrants, especially those who have been around since the first half of the last century, have their own historical perspectives that are invaluable.”

Cultures have much to learn from each other, and Expat Insights offers a venue where conversations and inquiry can take place.

Expat Insights is on every Sunday, 9pm on Global Destiny Cable’s GNN. You Tube clips of past guests may be found on www.expatinsights.com

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