May 4

May 4 has been a special day for an additional reason to me. From 1970s to 1980s, I studied a lot, got a string of degrees, applied the knowledge to my work and was promoted to the rank of Senior Crown Counsel in late 1988. As a gift to myself, I bought my Nissan 200SX by mortgaging my apartment to pay for it, and asked the car be delivered on May 4, 1989.

The external and internal design of the car was ahead of its time, and its marketing slogan - "getting 200% satisfaction" - appealed to me. Having had the car and getting the 200% satisfaction, it further inspired me to aim at giving 200% satisfaction to my stakeholders in my service delivery. I have been keeping that goal as well as the car since then.

The challenge to keep an old car is not just the fixed costs but to find the must-fit-must-match spare parts. Two years ago, the clutch system malfunctioned and it took many months of concerted effort to mine it over the world. The turbocharger is dead and I still could not find a replacement one, and so the sports car is no longer sporty in action.

Even so, my 28 year-old Nissan 200SX is still a head turner. The car is invaluable to me as it carries with it lots of fond memories that I should like to keep as long as I could. For example, I took my new-born elder son home with it!