Tuesday 1 March 2016

Vanessa Lee

This next tribute is for Vanessa KW Lee.

Perhaps it would be fitting to start off with a quote from a friend (who I shall not name) who had this to say about Vanessa Lee:
"Whenever I think of Vlee, she reminds me of a supermodel. I wish I could look like her. Almost every guy, at some stage, liked Vanessa Lee."
That quote alone has the potential to deceive, for it might lead the reader into thinking that Vanessa Lee is only known for her looks---- or that there is nothing else remarkable about her (not that the quoter intended that). To the contrary, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Having known her since 2009, I can vouch for Vanessa's warm personality and her ability to mingle with any crowd and any personality type. Vanessa has a gift for being able to interact with people and, in my view, that in itself is a testament to her friendly character and her genuine heart to get to know her friends and acquaintances better. Conversation flows naturally and almost effortlessly for V - indeed I find that she is always interested in what you have to say and she makes a distinct effort to show that she's been listening. I could certainly take a leaf out of her book in this department as my 'people skills' could use some improvement. These great social skills will certainly put her in good stead in all aspects of her life, be it at work or with friends.

Although not so much a character trait, Vanessa also has a unique laugh. One of the first things I notice about people is their laughs, and at uni, I could always tell without looking whenever Vanessa Lee was in the vicinity (yes, in a good way Vanessa -- no it's not a silly laugh, you've asked me before LOL). Perhaps that is another factor that endears herself to her friends and her many suitors.

Vanessa is also a very intelligent woman. I've had the pleasure of being in at least...2 or 3 (?) of her groups at uni. I recall being in her Marketing and Mergers and Acquisitions groups, where she always did more than her fair share of the work, and was a gun at presentations (individual or group). In particular, I have this vivid memory of her 'aceing' her M&A* presentation, leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of us. I'd take it as a given that she will do well at whatever she wants to do with her career, not because anything is handed to her on a plate, but because she puts in the effort and deserves it. Respect.

In line with this theme of being an all-rounder, Vanessa is also very fashionable...certainly in the aesthetic sense but also in the sense of being fashionably late. When you give her a time for say a party or a social meetup, you should always be sure to convert the time into 'Vanessa Lee Time', which could be anywhere between 20 minutes to 1.5+ hours in addition to the time originally supplied. Of course, I'm sure she doesn't do it to make people upset - but strangely enough, it does somehow fit her well. There could be some truth to the thought that the more popular guests arrive late (I always arrive too early, as a good example....)

I was going to insert one final jape on the number of (hidden and open) suitors Vanessa had, but I thought she might get annoyed at me if I did that. (Well..that sort of was one.)

Instead, I just want to say thank you to her for even considering me a friend, and I her.

If I am not mistaken, this Friday is Vanessa's birthday. I used to not celebrate birthdays but I've come to the conclusion in recent years that every year (and indeed, every day) is to be cherished. So in my view, the celebration should start at least a week before and go on past the date.

Happy Birthday Vanessa.

Andre Lim

*An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Valuations.

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