A MALTESE
WITH A MISSION IN LIFE
JON ALEXANDER GIRARD
I was born in Malta in 1950. Went to St.Edward's College and Stella Maris College and finally to De La Salle College. I left Malta in 1971 for London where I worked at the Royal Lancaster Hotel till 1973, when I left for Hongkong. I lived in Hongkong till
1975. I then went to Guyana, South America; Barbados; back to London; in 1977 I went to Kuwait; 1979 to Aqaba (Jordan); 1980 Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); 1982 Cairo; 1984 Balikpapan in Kalimanta (East Indonesian Borneo); 1985 Darwin (Australia); 1986 Kota Kina
balu (Sabah-Malaysia) and finally back to Hongkong in 1988, where I still reside.
I have always been in the Hotel business and am now Group General Manager for Marco Polo Hotels International here in Hongkong, responsible for their 3 Hongkong Hotels, with 1,500 rooms and 20 Food & Beverage Outlets in the hotels.
I am married to a French lady who was brought up in Paris, Vietnam and Hongkong. Shw speaks 5 languages fluently. Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French and Italian. We have a 15 year old son whi attands the Chinese International School here in Hongkong.
I am very proud to be Maltese and have always returned every 2 years to our beautiful Island.
I have the fondest memories of the Island and my brother still lives there.
I am always proud of saying that I am Maltese because the island is so mysterious in the eyes of people who live so far away from the Mediterranean and there is always that hint of mystery !!
My fondest memories are of strolling down the Ghar-id-Dud in Sliema
watching the ice blue sea and smelling the air.
The festas on the weekends also come to mind, drives along "It-Torri ta'
l-Ghallis" on the coast road up to Bugibba are also great to recall.
Long walks along Dingli cliffs watching that magnificent sea and sky with
a "fenkata" close by!!! Gozo, one of my favourites! Marsalforn and its
cute little harbour. The "Cornucopia", "Ta' Cenc" and that beautiful
Xlendi Bay and visiting my good friends Victor and Miriam Borg!!
What more can a guy ask for memories?? MALTA... Always a great place to
come home to!!
E-mail to Jon A. Girard:
deepblu@netvigator.com
Group General Manager
Marco Polo Hotels Hongkong
Marco Polo Hotels
Direct Tel 852-2377-3998