Vuth asked me to go with him to the weekly meeting of BNI. It's an international organisation which started in the USA. The idea seems to be to bring business people together so they can get to know each other, learn about ways of running a business, supporting each other etc. There are around a dozen chapters in Phnom Penh because each chapter can only have one representative from each occupation. Vuth is the lone travel agent and so he benefits because BNI people book flights through his office.
I had to leave the house at 6.30am so I needed a cuppa when I arrived at the Cambodiana Hotel. I helped raise the average age quite a bit as I don't think anyone was over 40 years of age. They looked very Western in their black suits and ties. One thing that always tickles me is that men in this part of the world wear short ankle socks and so they are always showing a lot of leg when they sit down. I was given a laminated sheet of the 20 different activities that take place each week and a dentist was supposed to translate for me; most of the time he forgot so I had to sit with a bemused look on my face. At one point I had to stand up to be introduced and then to get up again to say what I did in life. Later I had to say what I thought of the meeting; that was hard to do when I understood very little. I told them this and said I could sense a lot of enthusiasm in the group which got an applause.
It's definitely run on American lines with a ra-ra type event at the beginning to wake people up. They were very strict with time and there were two timekeepers; one man raised his fingers to show the minutes and a lady handled the bell. At one point members stood up and told the group how many people they'd referred during the week and how much business it had generated. This week they said around $150,000 of business had been created through the network so I presume it's working. At the meeting I learned that what lies in front of us, and what lies behind us, is nothing compared to what lies within us. Another motto was "Know, like, trust". The general motto of BNI is to change the way the world does business; if that's what they end up doing then I'm all for it. Vuth told me they also kick people out if they notice bad ethical practices. When we left, we were allowed to take the red roses and chrysanthemums that adorned the tables. I have given mine to the travel office ladies.
I couldn't escape going over to Vuth and Cina's home to have lunch with them and Cina's parents. The main discussion around the table was how to help a carpenter who has done work for them for years. The family have bought him a plot of land for $7000 (5m x 25m) and it's an interest free loan. They were discussing how to help him build the house and to help him pay back the loan. Cina said her dad is happiest when he's helping people.
