Kei Nishikori: Almost But Not Quite

Kei Nishikori:  Almost But Not Quite

          

              He was perspiring profusely as the match extended to the fifth set. Sweat was dripping down his face. He wiped it with his own shirt, unable to wait for the utility man to hand him the towel. Playing for more than three hours, he didn't look too tired. If there was anything going for him at that stage, it was stamina. His serves remained powerful, his shots almost clear, deliberate and strong. With a jam packed coliseum, he disposed of tennis superstars Steve Wawrinka and Milos Raonic in spectacular fashion. Not yet contented, he beat world number one Novak Djokovic in four sets to become the first Asian to reach a Grand Slam final. Before a stunned crowd, he dropped his racquet and looked upwards with both arms high up in the air.

Kei Nishikori playing aggressively in his match against Canadian Milos Raonic, winning in 5 sets (skysportspic; caption is mine)

Canadian Milos Raonic in his losing match versus Kei Nishikori (usopenpic; caption is mine)

Kei Nishikori goes after the ball in his long match with Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, beating him in 5 sets. (abcpic; caption is mine)

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland fires back with a backhand but loses the fight to Nishikori. (ibtimepic; caption is mine)

World number one Novak Djokovic gestures in his semifinal match versus Nishikori. (nationalpostpic; caption is mine)

Kei Nishikori rejoices after beating world number one Novak Djokovic in 4 sets in their semifinal match at the US Open. He is the first Asian ever to advance to a Grand Slam final. (nationalpostpic; caption is mine)

              Kei Nishikori grew up in Matsue, a quiet city of Shimane Prefecture in Japan where beautiful lakes, rivers and other water tributaries can be seen. His father is an engineer and his mother is a piano teacher who allowed him to play tennis even when it conflicted with his studies. At a very young age, he would challenge and beat bigger and older schoolmates.  Soon, he was capturing titles in the youth division. In 2004, he relocated to Florida to undergo training at a renowned school where tennis is a priority. To help defray expenses, Masaaki Morita, younger brother of the Sony Corp owner, took Kei under his care through a scholarship. In the ensuing years, he improved his world ranking and was beating seasoned tennis players. He ranked number 10 at the start of the 2014 US Open.  The sporting world has taken notice.

Matsue City in Japan where Nishikori grew up. (globeimagespic; caption is mine)

Matsue boasts of beautiful rivers and lakes. (shimanetourpic; caption is mine)

Cherry Blossom trees by the banks of a river in Matsue, Japan. Cherry Blossoms are spring flowers. ( matsuetravguidepic; caption is mine)

The boy who grew up to be a tennis superstar. (hcpic; caption is mine)

Young Kei with his parents (cnnpic; caption is mine)

               With his  two-handed backhand as part of his arsenal, Nishikori uses a Wilson racket and changes rackets during the middle part of the match.  He draws from his bag a new one wrapped in plastic sheet. During dead ball situations, he would run his fingers through the strings, checking the level of string tension. Kei is so much proud of his country that he sports Japanese brand Uniqlo shirt which has come out with one special edition bearing his name. Nissin Noodles is printed on his playing shirt.  He wears Adidas Barricade 8.

Ken Nishikori packs a mean two-handed backhand. (articlewnpic; caption is mine)

Kei uses a Wilson Steam 99 racquet. He changes racquets in the middle of a match. (tenniswarehousepic; caption is mine)

Closer shot of Wilson Steam 99 racquets (tenniswarehousepic; caption is mine)

Kei Nishikori always wears a Uniqlo t-shirt. Uniqlo is selling limited edition t -shirts bearing his name. Uniqlo is a Japanese casual wear brand. (uniqlopic; caption is mine)

Uniqlo outlet in Ginza, Japan.  Uniqlo is short for Unique Clothing. (wikipic; caption is mine)

Novak Djokovic is another Uniqlo product endorser. Kei beat Novak in 4 sets at their semifinal match at the US Open.It was a  match between two Uniqlo endorsers. (uniqlopic; caption is mine)

Kei has a Nissin Noodles patch on his playing shirt. (mariposapic; caption is mine)

Kei endorses the Japanese-made Nissin Cup Noodles. (tenniswarehousepic; caption is mine)

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Nishikori wears Adidas Barricade 8. It sells for $99. (tenniswarehousepic; caption is mine)

Kei Nishikori has earned $9 million in product endorsements alone. (forbespic; caption is mine)

               Match time came and thousands flocked to the playing arena at Flushing Meadows in New York. There was tension, there was pressure.  It was for all the marbles. Determination was written on Kei' s face as he unleashed his usual shots. But Croatia' s Marin Cilic was more determined and fired-up. With powerful serves and high accuracy shots, he beat Nishikori in three straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to win the 2014 US Open title. It was a painful loss for Kei. Though falling short, it was still an encouraging finale for the Japanese tennis player who nearly succeeded in achieving his dream at the age of 24. He has climbed near the top, close to the 'golden crown' . In the process, he broke records, he hurdled obstacles and he transcended his limitations. To the man from Matsue, Banzai !!

- Konted

The Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows in New York.

Marin Cilic beat Roger Federer to advance to the US Open Final versus Japan's Kei Nishikori. (newyorktimespic; caption is mine)

Marin Cilic displaying his powerful serves en route to winning the US Open title. (theguardianpic; caption is mine)

Cilic drops to the ground after finally winning the US Open title in 3 straight sets, pocketing $3 million. It is Cilic' s first grand slam title. (bleacherpic; caption is mine)

The 6'6" Croatian Marin Cilic is US Open champion while the 5'10" Japanese Kei Nishikori is runner-up. (bleacherpic; caption is mine)

Croatians cheer for Marin Cilic. (mailonlinepic; caption is mine)

Marin Cilic's girlfriend Kristina Milkovic cheers after Cilic scores a point. (larrybrownpic; caption is mine)

Bruce Willis with wife Emma Henning watch the championship match at Flushing Meadows in New York.  Flushing Meadows is a big park. (mailonlinepic; caption is mine)

Bill Gates watches the championship match at Flushing Meadows in New York.(georgianewspic; caption is mine)

Townmates of Kei Nishikori watch the tennis match at Matsue in Japan. (mailonlinepic; caption is mine)

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Working With Top Corporations

Working With Top Corporations

               Employees of a manufacturing firm, or any other company for that matter, are its most valuable assets. The success, or failure, of the company depends to a great extent on the performance of each and every employee.  

               Human Resources Group is tasked to recruit, screen and hire only those who approximate the standards set by the company. There is always this clause in the contract which the employee signs when he is hired: Management reserves the right to terminate this agreement when employee fails to meet company standards and/or for other just cause.

               Several days before the newly hired employee starts actual work, he is required to undergo an intensive orientation on the company's rules and regulations, policies and procedures, organizational setup and physical arrangement at the work place.

               Above all, as part of his ongoing training which continues as long as he is part of the work force, he is asked to know by heart the expressed company philosophy and company vision. 

                Corporate values, which reflect those of the owners and top officials, are spelled out for him. His personal values must be compatible with these corporate values, or else, he is bound, sooner or later, to encounter problems with his immediate superiors, peers or subordinates.

               Here are some corporate values which big companies adhere to:

• Excellence

Strive for excellence in everything all the time.

Work for better products and services as this is a never-ending task.

• Integrity

Profit with honor

There are no varying degrees of dishonesty.  Either you are honest or you are dishonest.

Respect and safeguard the rights of each employee, of each client.

• Good Communication 

Keep communication lines open in all directions.

                            

Listen to what the person is saying.

More than that, listen to what the person is TRYING to say.

Above the two, listen to what the person may never be able to say at all.

• Determination and Dedication

Work without consciously counting the hours.

Finish assigned tasks. Work within a time frame.

Never say never.

Adversity is the test of strong men.

• Teamwork

Provide leadership that is geared at a synchronized movement towards one direction.  

Harness people's talent positively and productively. 

Define roles; clearly set goals and standards.

Strive to be a better part of a better whole.

• Good Strategies

Conquer and control competitors; conquer and control the hearts of customers.

Pick out the right men and utilize combined energy.

Know the 'enemy' and know yourself.

• Social Responsibility

As the company grows, so do the employees. As the company expands, it reaches out to the community in particular and to society in general.

             Man being the only creature endowed with an intellect and a free will, God's first commandment was: Take dominion over the material things of this world and make this world productive. Parenthetically, if birds were meant to fly, then man was meant to work. 

             Work is both a right and a duty. It is your RIGHT to earn a living but it is your DUTY to work well. 

             Taking this into account, the company continues to inculcate these corporate values in each employee and stresses the importance of having the right attitude towards work, family, government and society, for they are all intertwined.  It is also hoped that personal and professional growth will follow.

- Konted

San Miguel Corporation' s Head Office Complex in Mandaluyong City.(filipinoelitespic; caption is mine)

The original La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel established in 1890 at the San Miguel district in Manila.(skyscraperpic; caption is mine)

Delivery vans in those days (manilanostalgiapic; caption is mine)

San Miguel Brewery Polo Plant in Valenzuela City.

Don Enrique Barretto de Ycaza was the founder of La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel. (manilanostalgiapic; caption is mine)

San Miguel Corporation soared to greater heights under the helm of Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco. (peopleinfopic; caption is mine)

Ramon Ang is the incumbent President and Chief Operating Officer of San Miguel Corporation. Company philosophy is summed up in three words: PROFIT WITH HONOR

San Miguel Brewery President Bobby Huang with product endorser Lovi Poe and another company official (philstarpic; caption is mine)

Members of a sales group of San Miguel Brewery conduct Monthly Operations Review. SMB values TEAMWORK and GOOD STRATEGIES.

Employees of SMC regularly undergo training on Personality Enhancement.

Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc plant along Otis St. in Manila. Its parent company is the Coca-Cola Company.(philstarpic; caption is mine)

CCBPI has 7,800 employees working at its 23 plants and 42 sales offices nationwide. (gonzupic; caption is mine)

Honda Philippines, Inc manufacturing plant in Tanauan, Batangas. One of its corporate values is PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE. It also stresses RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUALS. (hondaphpic; caption is mine) 

Honda motorcycles undergo rigid inspection. (twowheelslblogpic, caption is mine)

Manila Peninsula is a five-star hotel in Makati City.(bookwedpic; caption is mine)

The Lobby at the Manila Peninsula. Manila Pen was established in 1976 in time for the IMF conference in Manila. Patricio L. Lim is the Chairman and President of Manila Pen. He is also the top honcho of International Garment Corp (Wrangler), Capital Garments Corp,, Philippine Carpet Manufacturing Corp,, Lipave Management Corp, PL Lim Investments, Inc, and many more. (flickrpic; caption is mine)

Novellino's wine-making facility at CamelRay Industrial Park in Canlubang, Laguna (novellinopic; caption is mine)

Filtration machines at Novellino Wines. Belmondo Italia Corp, makers of Novellino Wines, is the largest wine-making company in Asia. (novellinopic; caption is mine)

Bottling processing at Novellino Wines

Former Senator Manny Villar (left) visits Novellino Wines facility in Canlubang, Laguna. With him in photo are Novellino Wines President and Founder Nonoy Quimbo and wife Myla. (adbeaupic; caption is mine)

Belmondo Italia Corp President and Founder Nonoy Quimbo gestures as he elaborates on the expansion program of the company. Novellino wines are also sold in Vietnam, Emirates and California.  Novellino values INTEGRITY, HARDWORK, DISCIPLINE, among others. (novellinopic; caption is mine) 

Reaching out to victims of typhoon Yolanda in Brgy Ilamnay in Capiz. Another corporate value is SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Sweet and citrus-y