I could start to get a bit cranky about achievement awards, but not about this one from Vietnam International Awards. While I related this true story in my speech to the judges this week:

Speaking of death, I am reminded of the true story of the friend of mine who in a moment of quiet reflection was considering the different paths his life could have taken. 

Last month, he asked Chat GPT to write his obituary. 

To his delight, the chatbot gave him an extremely accurate obituary, showing him the different avenues he could have explored. 

To his dismay, it gave him the date of his death. 

it would be difficult not to be infected with the sheer enthusiasm of the Vietnamese community this evening. We started partying on a Sunday afternoon just after 17:00, and I’m writing this up on Sunday just before midnight. What great fun, and such lovely people.

While I have done some things for the Vietnamese community in London, such as mentoring, and Vietnam-UK relations, such as business visits and connections, and hope to do more, still I certainly felt a bit of ‘imposter syndrome’ up there on the stage. I should have done more to deserve this. I guess in some ways it’s a different version of the old quip about politicians: “The only people to whom you should give a lifetime achievement award are those who feel they don’t deserve it, yet.”

And Elisabeth got to participate as well by handing out awards beneath the very bright lights.

So a great time was had by all!

“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.
To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.
To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”
― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

“The desire to be a politician should bar you for life from ever becoming one.”
"Don't vote. It just encourages them....”
― Billy Connolly