The Panda mission really speaks to our philosophy. It is, 'Deliver exceptional Asian dining experiences by building an organization where people are inspired to better their lives.' I'm talking about everyone who works at Panda. They're inspired to better their own lives.

Having spent many years working in New York's Chinatown restaurants early in my career, I have the utmost respect for the history and connection New Yorkers have with Chinese cuisine.

I became very attentive to customers because I was desperate not to have people leave and never come back.

I wanted to be successful. I definitely didn't want to be poor.

My father didn't do a lot of direct education. My mother was the direct educator. She would put on these movies on American Movie Classics when we got cable, after my parents got divorced, which took like four or five years.

Schools should be open. If it's a public education, and the school in your district is poor-performing, you should be able to put your student or kid wherever you want.

All of us have been trained by education and environment to seek personal gain and security and to fight for ourselves. Though we cover it over with pleasant phrases, we have been educated for various professions within a system which is based on exploitation and acquisitive fear.

There's no particular relationship between spending and educational results. Most education spending is actually on salaries, and that's allocated according to political muscle.