Published on May 13, 2005

When “Chalieng” launched an album about 20 years ago, one of the band’s songs stood out. It was called “Nai Khai Jiao”.

The song was famous for its easy, yet meaningful lyrics about a man who opened a food shop. He sells only one item – Khao Khai Jiao (omelette and rice). Despite peddling only one dish, he was successful in business because he said he was dedicated to cooking.

A lesson from the song, written by Nitipong Hornak, now an executive of GMM Grammy Plc, is that you can achieve anything if you are determined and dedicated.

You can apply that to anything. But we might also want to apply it to the experience of a famous cake shop in Hong Kong.

The Tai Cheong Bakery was famous because it was frequented by former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten.

Known for its egg tarts, Tai Cheong walls proudly display photos and correspondence from the former governor of Hong Kong until it was turned over to China in 1997.

But the shop now faces closure because the building’s landlord wants to double the monthly rent to HK$80,000 (Bt404,000), according to Hong Kong lawmaker Tommy Cheung.

Luckily, the shop is so famous that nobody, including Cheung, will allow it to close.

“Its cakes are delicious. I hope to preserve them. Otherwise, how can we be a food paradise?” he said.

Cheung, who represents the catering industry in the legislature, launched a search for an alternative location for the shop, saying Hong Kong shouldn’t lose Tai Cheong’s culinary delights.

To support the shop, he took 50 egg tarts and 50 donut treats from Tai Cheong to the 60-member legislature and watched the lawmakers gobble up everything in 15 minutes.

He said one developer had already offered him a shop, and at half its market price.

The morale of this story is that if we are determined and dedicated, all things can render positive results.

Just imagine what would happen if this principle was applied by all those scoundrels who are determined to make lots of quick cash even if it means skirting the law or producing shoddy goods.

achara_d@nationgroup.com

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