The Rebel Billionaire: Episode 2
Buddha, Bi-Planes and Baton Bonds
By Eleanor Meilinger
November 10, 2004
If you stick around till the end of this piece I promise a few bits of inside information and some educated speculation that may give you insight into the "Rebel" and his quest.
Now that we've had a moment to catch our breath - because just like the contestants on this six week sojourn around the globe courtesy of Sir Richard Branson we too are being asked to keep up with the pace he has set- we'll rejoin our rebelliant friends on the flight to Hong Kong where they await details of their next challenge. Yes, I know "rebelliant' isn't a word but I invented just for this show and placed it into my own custom dictionary. It is an adjective used to describe the spirit of adventure that leads you to challenge your own perceptions of what you can accomplish and to be undaunted by anyone or anything that stands in your way.
The fact that the six people who competed in the first challenge and the seven that have yet to be commanded to show what they are made of chose to board that plane with such fervor and enthusiasm, knowing that what lies ahead of them will only be more intense and call upon all of their resources to not only survive but to shine, proves to me that Richard Branson Knew what he was doing in making the selections that he did. These remaining 14 contestants possess the spirit, which Branson knows from his own experience, is an inherent part of a person's character. It cannot be learned in any classroom or purchased at any price.
The cast is told that they will be split into two teams - men vs. women - and a captain must be selected for each one. In what is becoming a predictable turn of events, the captains are the switched to lead the opposite team. In this case the women select Sara. a Jennifer claims that it is a payback for all she had been put through in the first elimination round but Sara sees it as placing her head on the block because, as RB explained, the leader of the losing team will go head-to-head with one other team member in the next elimination challenge. The men want to appoint Shawn leader of their team since he resided in Hong Kong for 3 years and speaks the language but he refuses the "honor' so Jermaine steps up to the plate. When Branson announces the "twist" (or in this case the "tweak") Heather astutely remarks that creating a team of all women is a volatile situation and adding a man as leader is like a match on the gas tank.
Branson gives them a brief overview of the challenges he faced in creating the type premium services for which Virgin Airlines are known. He then sets the challenge: Create a new in-flight service for the Upper-Class Suite on Virgin's London/Hong Kong route. All of the supplies needed for their innovation will be purchased in Hong Kong with a $500 budget during their overnight visit and their new service will be implemented on their return flight to London.
Steve has brought along a kooshy travel pillow that everyone covets. The men's team decides to incorporate that into their amenities. Before they even land, they have mapped out a strategy and plan to purchase some sort of mirror and fortune cookies to round out their service plan. On the women's team things are progressing pretty much the way Heather predicted. Jermaine takes his role as leader so seriously he perhaps should have borne the mantle "Dictator". Candida is immediately put off by his verbose style and the fact that he seems to tune her out even though she has brought a list of at least fifty ideas to the table.
While the male faction leaves the airport and is already out seeking items for their project the Women, lead by Jermaine; retire to the hotel to flesh out their ideas. They agree on a "Morning-after Kit" to be added to the already extensive amenities kit provided by Virgin. A lot of ideas are tossed out for what should be included in the kit but most are shot down by Erica or overlooked by their captain.
Luckily, the men's team is less than successful in their initial attempts to secure the items on their list leaving both teams neck-in-neck by bedtime. In the morning the team leaders receive a note from Branson mentioning that the giant Buddha on Lantau Island is a site they won't want to miss. The men's team agrees to put work before tourism and set off to collect some of the items they have chosen for their in-flight service package.
The women's team, or more precisely, Jermaine, read too much into the note, thinking there is some hidden knowledge to be gained at the site of the Buddha. They embark on a painstakingly slow boat down the canal to the site. Though it may just have been editing, it appears that no effort is made to insure that a tight schedule is drawn-up and a complete business plan formed during the long, fruitless boat ride. Jermaine's decision to make the detour before anything has been purchased for the "kit" is the source of much concern for the rest of the team.
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