Chapter 1: Not a typical day…
It all started this morning, a typical morning for me. The tone on my mobile phone went off at 6:00AM.
Ten minutes later my watch alarm beeped, telling me that it was time to get my butt moving. I made a
cup of coffee and stepped outside onto the small balcony of my apartment. I did some energy,
meditation, and motivational visualizations recommended in the e-courses I had bought 3 weeks ago. It’s
become a twice a day habit. Funny thing; I’m really beginning to see some tiny changes in my thoughts
lately. They are less negative and cynical, more positive and powerful. That’s a new thing for me. I
used to be the armchair critic on anything I knew the tiniest amount of details on. Of course, many
times that led to “analysis paralysis” and inaction: but hey, I didn’t know better at that time. I smiled,
thinking that there might be something true to all that metaphysical, quantum physics mumbo-jumbo?
Usually, I would be getting ready to go to work at the Thai High School where I’d been teaching English,
Physical Education, and Computer Science for the last year. But today I was to meet a prospective new
employer.
I was in “job-hunting mode” because the English Program at the school was being phased out.
Apparently, some genius in administration thought it would be better (and of course, much cheaper) to
hire Thai teachers who were educated abroad to replace the current cadre of native English speaking
teachers.
The Thai Governmental school system was not immune to the normal governmental political jockeying.
I’m not sure what bureaucratic positioning resulted in this hair-brained scheme, but apparently the new
Vice Principal was the impetus behind this course of action.
Who knows? Maybe the parents of these “elite,” higher tuition students would accept the deal – or not.
Non-native English speaking teachers are fully capable of providing grammatically correct written
English. But, unfortunately for the elite students, they failed horribly in the area of actually speaking
English. Most real, native English speakers can’t understand a single word of the spoken English of
these abroad-trained, Thai teachers. Oh well. It was a moot point now. All I knew was that the school
year was coming to an end soon and I needed to find a new job; the sooner, the better.
I saw an interesting ad on the internet a couple of days ago. It read “URGENT: motivated individual
needed immediately for full-time English proofreading and editing position. Salary: Negotiable upon
review of qualifications. Please call to setup an interview…” On a whim I answered the ad yesterday.
Lo’ and behold, they wanted to meet me as soon as possible – meaning today. The meeting was to be a
“business brunch” at 9:30AM in the restaurant of some nearby Ritzy hotel. Supposedly, a company
representative – I assumed it would be the Human Resource guy or gal – would be there to talk about
possible employment, plus treat me to a nice “American Breakfast.”
Wow, I already liked this company. If this was the way they treated prospective employees, I wondered
how many more bennies came with the job?
The company’s name was “Y.N. Vurce Publishing, Inc.” Its website ynvurcepublishing.com offered a
variety of digital material (i.e., eBooks, videos, audios, CD’s, DVD’s, newsletters, online seminars, and
one-on-one mentoring) within the realm of “Wealth Creation and Abundant Life Manifestation” –
whatever that was? Y.N. Vurce must be a person’s name, probably the owner, a foreign owner. The
name and Inc. designation led me to believe that the company could be British or American. The name
definitely did not have a Thai ring to it. I wasn’t sure how to pronounce “V-u-r-c-e”? There was no
accent over the ending “e,” so I ruled out the French “ver-shay” version. Or maybe it was a Spanish “v”
and was pronounced “burse;” or even Italian and pronounced “Bur-che.” In this part of the world where
Asians and Farangs (Thai word for foreigners) abound, the transliteration possibilities and linguistic
permutations were endless. I made a mental note to get the representative to say the company’s name
first instead of sounding ignorant too early on what I hoped to be a long business relationship.
I did a Google search on: Y.N. Vurce. There was only one short article from a business magazine about
a billionaire named Y.N. Vurce. Apparently, this rich man was another one of those young, self-made
internet billionaire entrepreneurs. Must be nice, I thought - young, rich, and powerful. I tried some
other search engines, but to no avail. This man was probably the typical (if there is a typical) billionaire
recluse; not wanting too many people to bother him. I’d spent enough time researching. I told myself it
was time to FIDO (Forget It and Drive On). Anyway, I figured that the job I was applying for was part
of this billionaire’s many businesses subsidiaries.
I had to prepare my interview clothes. There was laundering and ironing to do. I wanted to look sharp
and be as professional as possible. Besides, it seemed like ages since I wore a suit and tie.
And it has been years since I wore a military uniform. I kind of missed both. In a suit and tie I felt
wealthier. In a military uniform I used to feel comfortable, powerful - “totally at home.” The Thai High
School didn’t require teachers to wear neckties, so the traditional Thai shirts and slacks were the norm.
Some teachers, especially a few of my current Farang co-workers, tested the limits of minimal personal
hygiene and acceptable work clothes standards. Some of the teachers would be reeking of alcohol from
the previous night (if they showed up for work at all). Others looked like they didn’t have a mirror in
their houses or owned a comb or an iron. One teacher routinely wore the same pair of slacks for the
whole workweek (even though most of the classrooms were not properly air-conditioned and one would
be swimming in their own sweat within minutes of teaching). In Thailand, where outward appearance
can carry more weight than credentials or ability; I wondered how those people could go out in public
looking so sloppy and then expect to get respect from the students and fellow ajarns (Thai word for
teachers)? I constantly remind myself that it is their business, not mine.
Besides, several attempts at addressing the hygiene and appearance issues proved futile in the past.
Being the typical Westerner, I arrived at the Hotel restaurant 15 minutes early. I wasn’t sure if Y.N.
Vurce, LTD operated on “Asian” time or “Western” time. Asians, with a seemingly perverse delight, are
notorious for keeping Farangs waiting (or worse, not showing up at all. No advance notice of
cancellation. No remorse if you should happen to bump into them afterwards). There is a saying
amongst us Farangs in Thailand, “If you and an Asian agree in the morning to meet at 4:00 PM, the next
question should be: What week?” Anyway, I took a quick scan of this clean, modern, and obviously
expensive restaurant. Everything oozed wealth. The floor tiles were Venetian marble and some walls
were adorned with Persian tapestries. The red tablecloths were immaculate and even the water glasses
were some kind of high quality crystal, probably made by “Waterford”.
It was too early for the previous night’s bar hoppers and high-class hookers; and too late for the working
class. That only left people like me – “the in-betweens,” meaning in between jobs or soon to be looking
for employment – and the Rich, (or the Rich’s minions). Even the attitude of the waiters and waitresses
projected an aura of exclusivity.
They eyed my tailor-made suit - a Bangkok special, one that could be cloned by any reputable Indian
tailor in Thailand – with a smug look of superiority. Admittedly, the staff looked sharper in their
uniforms than me in my “Look at me, another naïve Farang” outfit. At least I was comfortable and
looked somewhat professional – albeit, the struggling professional teacher type.
The restaurant was devoid of customers, except for one man sitting at a table near the front window
reading a Newspaper. It was the Bangkok Post. That meant he was reading (and possibly spoke)
English. He was an Asian, probably between 35 to 38 years old. I wasn’t sure. Asians, myself
included, tended to have physical appearances that didn’t coincide with biological age.
Either they looked way too young or semi-ancient for their ages, depending on lifestyle and financial
situation. The man was dressed casually in a pink Ralph Lauren polo style shirt and khaki trousers.
Pink shirt, huh? Colors aren’t deemed feminine or masculine in Asia like they are in the United States.
Instead, they represent people or events. In Thailand, yellow is the King’s color and light blue is the
Queen’s color. Once I wore my off-white casual suit to teach an adult English class and everyone kept
asking me if I just got married? I didn’t know that white suits were reserved for weddings in Thailand!
Anyway, in the U.S., people would gather that this man with the pink shirt was gay; or oddly enough, he
was straight and was ostensibly displaying his masculine confidence by flaunting the norms. But I must
say that he did know men’s fashion because the pants weren’t cuffed – disastrous for men under 5’ 8”,
it makes them look shorter. And his shoes were definitely Italian leather loafers – no socks, of course. I
didn’t see an expensive watch on his wrist. It was just an IronMan sports chronograph. He must be a
fitness buff, I thought.
The man noticed me noticing him.
To quell my growing anxiety about the upcoming job interview/brunch, I decided to try to strike up a
conversation. I figured the company representative would be late anyway. When he saw me
approaching, he put down the newspaper, smiled, stood up and extended his hand. Still smiling, he said,
“Hello, how ya doin’? My name is Yu. That’s Y-U, not Y-O-O. A lot of people mistake me for
Chinese. Are you here about the proofreading and editing job too?”
While shaking his hand, I thought, “uh-oh.” Yu must be in competition for the same position I wanted.
It dawned on me that he had spoken in perfect American English. He looked Thai, or maybe Malaysian,
or maybe even Filipino?
To look younger (and more intimidating), I took off my glasses and put on my game face. My vision
would remain unchanged – better than normal, “sniper eyes.” The glasses were non-prescription, fake.
They were a prop that made me appear more “teacher-like,” a slight and innocent professional disguise.
Maybe I could convince this man that vying for the same job against me was useless? Maybe he would
conclude that it would be best if he just went home? Yes, he shouldn’t waste his time and just go away.
I had all the checks in the boxes for this job: the administrative skills, the organizational experience, and
the academic degrees. Almost unconsciously the military peacock in me was being activated. I stood
straighter. Pecs, biceps, and triceps flexed; stomach in, and lats flared. Then I realized it was foolish to
try to scare this guy away. Surely the company representative would choose the man with the best
credentials – me, of course.
Relaxing, I switched back into civilian mode and said, “Hi. I’m Juan Carlos, but please call me “J.C.”
And yes, I’m here about the job. Do you know anything about the company or the mysterious owner? I
got diddly-squat, nothing from my internet searches.”
Yu smiled that “Naa, naa, na-naa, naa - I know something that you don’t know” kind of smile.
I could picture him sticking his tongue out at me like a little kid. The image made me laugh. Then Yu
proudly commenced to give me his knowledge of Y.N. Vurce Publishing, LTD and its owner. “The
Publishing company was Mr. Vurce’s (pronounced like “verse,” as in a poem) first company. It enabled
him to start other businesses. He has many diversified businesses: A Holding company that caters to the
small investor, Fitness Centers, some kind of “Think Tank,” etc.,” he said.
After a long pause (I guess to either organize his thoughts, or to emphasize the significance of the rest of
his data), he continued on. “The story of his success is quite unique in one way, but plainly “common”
in another – meaning anyone could have done exactly what he did. The only difference is that he
DECIDED one day to become rich and began learning and doing all he could to reach his goals. You see,
when he was a mere “average working Joe” with an average salary that barely met his needs, he
stumbled onto an old book that changed him forever.
The book was called “The Science of Getting Rich” by a man named Wallace D. Wattles. The book was
written before 1924; and therefore considered Public Domain.
That is, it could be used freely by anybody, for any purpose (academically or commercially).
Mr. Vurce instantly saw the wisdom of the messages contained in the book. He began to practice what
was prescribed in the book and amazing things began to happen. It seemed like the universe began
bringing him new opportunities for financial and personal growth daily! Unfortunately, when he
recommended the same book to his friends, they were immediately turned off by the old-style, pre-1920’
s form of English. Even the examples were blatantly outdated. Because the book was written over 80
years ago, there is no mention of computers, internet, or mobile phones. The great railways were the
controlling, corporate big shots; and worldwide commercial air travel was yet to be born.
But Mr. Vurce still believed there must be a way to attract and hold the attention of our computer savvy,
MTV, video snippet, and sound bite crowd. He decided to write his own book, an e-book, in today’s
language, depicting modern situations. His book would incorporate the principles of the original book,
but modernized.
There was nothing to stop him legally because the book was Public Domain. In fact, he had heard that
other people had already done what he planned to do, building whole training programs around the book.
But, his book would be different, original, with an interesting twist of fate and a bending view of reality.
The original idea was to present it as the story of a modern guy just trying to do the normal, modern day
things – including the necessity of trying to find a job.
Anyway, the book (the first book he’d ever written) was a resounding success. The e-version and audio
file versions of his book could easily be downloaded as a .PDF file or .MP3 file. He followed up with a
hardback, a paperback, and a CD audio version of the book.
The products were so popular that Mr. Vurce needed to out-source production and distribution to one of
his former employers!
His website and book made him his first million. After that, he ventured into many other areas. He
proved both flexible and highly creative. Wherever he turned his attention to, tons of money was made
and thousands of jobs were created. His innovations in every one of his endeavors spawned a whole
copycat industry. I think the whole bundle of businesses’ net worth is in the tens of billions by now.”
Momentarily finished, Yu sat back; crossed his arms triumphantly, and gave me a big fat-cat smile (like
the way a cat looks after eating the world’s biggest mouse – fat, dumb, and happy).
Listening to this young Asian man speak, I couldn’t help admiring his enthusiasm; almost an infectious
zest for living. He appeared to actually be happy with his personal lot in life. But like the usual Western
man, I began to mentally size him up and compare myself to him. He sounded like a native-speaker of
English. His accent was definitely American. Maybe he grew up in the States?
His vocabulary suggested a college education; and the rhythm and tone of his speech hinted of a West
Coast origin, probably Southern California.
His fit physique must’ve been the result of daily exercise. Maybe he’s ex-military like me?
Okay, I told myself. This man could be a real contender for the same spot I was applying for. In spite
of that fact, I couldn’t help feeling akin to him. Why did I feel this way toward Yu, a man I just met;
what 45 minutes ago?
As I contemplated all this, I realized that it was half an hour past my business brunch time. Oh well, I
guess it was going to be another “hurry up and wait” day. Besides, I was having a good English
conversation – something rare for me these days. My Thai girlfriend’s English skills mirrored my Thai
skills: pathetic, almost non-existent. How do we get along? I don’t really know. Somehow, on the
important issues, we just knew what each other needed or “meant.” The rest (which was a lot), didn’t
bother us. In short, we are happy; but I must confess that I missed stimulating, English conversations
now and then. The only other people I could converse with were the other Farang teachers at my
school.
I had exhausted their repertoire of “been there, done that” stories in the first three months of work. Now
the majority of them were uninspiring and torturous to listen to. Their negativity almost matched Yu’s
optimism.
I looked at my watch and said, “We just might’ve both been stood up this morning. I’m going to wait
another hour, just in case. You know Bangkok traffic; it can be rather schizophrenic. One second you’
re careening around curves and through the streets at double the speed limit; then the next minute you’re
in a traffic jam, crawling inches per hour. Anyway, it sounds like you know a lot about Mr. Vurce. Is
that why you’re applying for a job in his company; a good way to “learn while you earn” – so to speak?
And if you’re wondering why I’m asking so many questions, don’t worry. I play fair.
If you’re the best man for this job, then so be it. There will be others. It’s just that the more I hear
about this Mr. Vurce, the more I want to know about him.”
| © 2007 Carl Pantejo / Y.N. Vurce Publishing - All Rights Reserved Unauthorized duplication or distribution is strictly prohibited. |
Y.N. Vurce Publishing
My Friend Yu - The Prosperity Mentor
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to
fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of
their life is bound in shallows and in
miseries.
~~~ William Shakespeare (Julius
Caesar)
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to
fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of
their life is bound in shallows and in
miseries.
~~~ William Shakespeare (Julius
Caesar)
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