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GHINA INSPIRED IHEENIREPRENEUR IN HIMAbdul Shukkoor, aKerala plarrtcr,was inspired tostart his ovtrnbusiness when ona visit to Chlna.DC CORREPSONDENT

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Abdul Shukkoor (riglrt) with actor Krishna Prasad

was our guide who came in aftera while." Another country thatstole Abdul's heart was thebeauti ful island of Indonesia.

"The Bali islands are incredi-ble," he says. He considers Balione of the most tourist friendlyplaces in the world. "They don't

' take no for an answer. a reasonwhy they've prospered as atourist destination," says Abdulwho dreams of exploring theEuropean countries during hisnext sotourn.

Jt's the ideas you gather asI you travel around that shapet your thought processes in the

long run. Ask Abdul Shukkoor, atravel enthusiast who has trav-elled to the countries of hischoice.

Just back from a tour of WestAsia, this planter and busrness-man is ready to pursue hisdream project, a hotel in thesprawling hills of Munnar.Abdul's desire of starting ahotel gained shape during one ofhis visits to China two yearsago. The cities of Shanghai andBeijing and what they had tooffer bowled him over. Whatbaffled him was the unprece-dented economic growth ofChina over the years. "What sur-prised me most was how a com-munist country with closed doorpolicies could reach suchheights," says Abdul.

Abdul is in awe of what heexperienced during his visits toTiananmen Square and the GreatWall of China. The square where

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hundreds were martyred yearsago remains an unhealed woundin the minds of many Chinese."A passing mention of the inci-dent is enough for the Chineseto go mum," says Abdul whogoes on to narrate an interestinganecdote that happened during avisit to a local restaurant. "TheChinese dishes were veryappetising but the diffrcult partwas to communicate to the hote-liers what we had to order. Theonly person who could help us