24 May
Afternoon
Dad, Mum, me went to pick Mammy up. Met Olivia and Tiff at airport.
Went home to unload and went to heng hwa restaurant at Towner road for dinner

25 May
Afternoon
Lydia and Mammy went to Lydia office to distribute roast goose
Went to vivo city after that for lunch
Dinner at Sherry's house with Mammy, Lydia and Mum and Dad 4.30pm to 9pm

26 May
Morning
Went to market to buy water chestnuts to make ma ti gou
Afternoon
Tiffany and Olivia came to our house to have lunch yong tou fu
Dad came to pick up Mammy Lydia Tiff to Ah Ma house to distribute ma ti gou
Dad, Tiff, Mammy and Lydia stayed in Ah Ma house for a while
Dad sent them to the Flyer (discounted tickets)
Lydia and Mammy met Eleanor, Clare, Olivia and Tiff at Esplanade for dinner. Elanor and gang treated.
They had Hagan Dass

Jose Mourinhno

After 40 something years, Inter Milan have won the Champions leauge this year, and it was all made possible by the Special One: Jose Mourinhno.

There is certainly something different about such legends. The way they speak, their confidence, and that X factor..I used to think that he was just an arrogant little European but everwhere he goes and everything he touches turns into gold..something here worth a second look for sure.

Bangkok Burns 19 May 2010

19 May: Bangkok Burns. What are they doing it for you ask?

Indonesia

Now that I am leaving my Indonesia projects, I look back at the country and my experiences…

Jakarta alone has a population of 18 million people. When I first arrived for the first time, it was what I had expected to see. Jams, pushcart hawkers on the streets, people carrying babies walking among the cars asking for money. People laid out their wares on the pavements anyway they want. The sky was always grey. I was told not to drink any water that was not bottled, even from restaurants and hotels. Even when you brush your teeth in the hotel, it is advisable not to use the water from the tap mixer to gargle, especially if you have a week stomach like me. Always try to use bottled water to gargle. (I forgot this one time and paid dearly in medical bills.)

The threat of terrorism is real, after all the hotel bombings. So you see security guards everywhere, in hotels, shopping centres. Before you enter each building, they scan you with metal detectors. Labour is cheap. There are always security guards, carpark attendants everywhere you go. Some of them are real occupations, some of them are just deployed by the mafia to ‘invent’ their own jobs and collect tips. For instance, in a multistory carpark where you can find your own lot by reading the signs, some ‘attendant’ pops up from nowhere and guides you to a lot and after that you MUST tip. Some people even station themselves on the roads at the difficult U turns to guide you after which you gotta tip. A local security guard (which is probably the most common occupation) I was told starts at 100USD a month in salary. Most of the locals can never afford to travel out of the country, and seldom eat at restaurants. It has the largest Muslim population in the world.

Jakarta’s tourists numbers are almost zero. Nobody goes there for recreation since the 98 anti Chinese riots. Hotels business come from business people and expats. I don’t see tourist buses like I see in Bangkok. One of the greatest shame is that they do not have a city train system (MRT).

Now the Indo Chinese. The more I visit this country, the more stories I hear and the more I think they are legend. Haha. Heard there is about only about 4% of Chinese in Jakarta, but yet they are one of the main drivers of the economy. There are entire shopping centers built just for their leisure. I stepped into 1 for the first time and all the shoppers are Chinese looking. Haha Of course there are also the low end shopping centres built for locals. I went into one the other day to buy soap and the moment I stepped in everyone inside were local Indos, and they are stared at me like I was an alien. I can never stop being amazed at how our business partners have been telling me their stories of how they made thier money. The way their mind thinks is really different and thier determination is admirable.

Of course not every Chinese is rich. There are also the mid income ones and the ones that lost their business. Actually why the Chinese choose to do business started out of the need to survival. Being a muslim country, the opportunities for education and government jobs naturally went to the local Indos first. The Chinese had to think of another way to survive and their business instincts kicked in. For the Chinese who did well, the trend was for them to send their children to Singapore to study their primary to high school and subsequently to the western countries for University. Then they are expected to come back to help their parents in their family business. The Indo Chinese are very brand conscious. They chase brands and the latest models which is why Singapore is thier favourite shopping destination on the weekends.

In my service apartment I am always impressed by how they staff always seem to smile at you and also at the malls, eg the cashier. I always thought they they were trained to smile in all circumstances but my Jakarta colleauge said that its in them. And I thought to myself, sigh how nice it would be if service staff in Singapore actually smile genuinely or even smile at all.

In the day it can be quite hot and dusty, but in the night the weather is actually cooler than Singapore and it is nice to walk along the streets. The people asking for money and the street hawkers do not actually haress you and my Jakarta colleauge mentioned that he feels safer than in KL. He also felt that the people are more gentle and friendly than Thais, which is well, arguable la. Being chaffuered from place to place is common here especially for the Chinese people. And you get saluted everywhere you go haha by the security guards.

The big C is a way of life here. But this is a sensitive subject and I shall not talk about it, otherwise next time I go to Jakarta I may be escorted away by the Army and never seen again. Haha

But Jakarta is changing. It is becoming more and more open minded about the economy, about investments. In fact in some ways I feel the government is more open than China, and it does not rule with an iron hand. It is in fact a democracy. It is still a young nation with great potential and natural resources.

Of myths and statistics

I am beginning to take a keen interest into statistics, as they tell the real picture of the story. For example,  in SIngapore you see night clubs springing up everywhere and when you go to Clarke Quay, you think the whole of SIngapore is in Clarke Quay. You will think Singapore has become a party town.


However It was reported in todays papers that only an estimated amount of 5% of Singapore's population club. That is about 250 000 people. Not much considering the number of night clubs springing up here and there. That may explain why they close down as fast....


Even Zouk, the institution have lamented: Profit margins are diminishing as people go to other places in the night before they go to Zouk, which makes it a secondary desination instead of the first. People will then spend less as they will go there maybe to chill out or wind down as they have spent thier money at the other clubs. Also the ones that support Zouk are the regulars. The younger generation has no loyalty. They hop from place to place. It is a wonder how Zouk has lasted 2 decades, thanks to my generation!

3 in 4 phones sold in Singapore are smart phones

I have resisted for the longest time but I am beginning to find that a smart phone (or I Phone ) is becoming more and more of a necessity.



Hmnnn What will I buy it for? What will I use it for that my current phone doesn’t have?


-online bible!
-google while you are outside to check restaurants...
-the convenience of being able to reply work emails on the spot, not because I want to be tie my life to emails, but rather many times you think of something while not at work and you have nothing to write down or forget later when you get to office. With smart phone, you are able to issue instructions on the spot, and cover yourself from not forgetting to write that email.
-With I phone you can download a proper to do list and calendar planner and set reminders. And you can write down anywhere you are.
-the syncrhonisation function is good to serve as backup, where you can back up everything on your phone, not just your contact list like my current phone (in case you lose your phone)
-the 3G maps……super updated!
-Financial market news-these days the market really affects what we do and how we plan our future….its interesting how you learn to be your own Guru from reading all those news.


Don’t really need the apps, and I am not really a songs person, maybe facebooking to keep in touch with friends that’s it!


So, instead of carrying my Bible, street directory, laptop, notebook out, I just carry an I Phone.


Good on you Steve! Where will the world be without you...haha                             

Brain Drain

I has such an interesting experience at the neurologist today I need to write. Had a hard knock on the fore head a month ago and since then have been feeling light headed and difficulty remembering words. Memory ok. During the knock I saw a bright flash in my brain. A week after that I went to see the general practitioner and he told me he is quite sure I don’t have a blood clot, because I am still alive. Apparently if you knock your head seriously, there is a 24 hour window period where if there is a blood clot the person would be fall into unconsiousness. After that 24 hr period it is quite safe that there is no blood clot and no immediate danger. (So if you have a head bang and if you don’t feel well, you should see a doctor straight away!) The bright flash he explained could be due to a shock on the optic and nerve cells, which transmit sensivity light and vision to my brain. However this could have caused me near blindess, and my vision is relatively ok after the incident.



However there is still the possibility of a delayed blood clot, which is why I decided to see a neuro. Cut the story short, I went into his room. He made me do a series of funny actions and faces that I thought he was making fun of me. Hehe. He asked me if I was unconscious after the head bang and I said no. So He sent me down to do a CT scan. At the CT room, there were these strange machines like a big metal ring and a platform through it for me to lie in. I lied down closed my eyes and I would hear the platform moving through the big ring. The noises that were made remind me of a sci fi movie, like putting me through a time machine (loud wailing noises). Within 5 minutes its all done and on my way out I passed by the MRI suite which was designed like a 5 star hotel set up. The MRI machines looked almost like beds haha. The cost is of course at least double.


Anyway I went back up to the consultation room and the report was sent by computer to the specialist’s. Within 10 minutes he was already reading my report and showe d me my brain. Ok no blood clot.


He mentioned my condition was probably just a very hard knock and not even a concussion and its fairly common to see a flash on impact. So brain wise ok, but my seemingly light headness and word pronounciation can be further verified by a Neuro Phsycologist which will verify and legitimize my day to day normality to perform at work.


And he briefly explained to me the difference between a CT and MRI. Basically MRI can see more stuff. He also mentioned for head injuried time is the essence to recover. There are no known vitamins or medicine to take to improve or boost your brain cells. Haha Also there is this website that clearly illustrates brains trauma.


http://www.braininjury.com/injured.html


Below I attach a schedule of price difference if I has seen a government polyclinic instead. It is cheaper but has a longer waiting time!

Short Selling

What is short selling?

short selling, is basically, selling stocks you dont have, and buying them back, within a short period. anticipating a rapid drop (before the transaction is settled, usually 3 days)



lets say, a stock is worth $10 a professional investor thinks the stock wil drop further. so he will sell 1000 $10 shares (worth $10'000 he does not have. this will make him go short 1000 stocks. (like being in debt)
2 days later, the stock has indeed dropped, to $90, the investor decides to buy back the stocks he sold before the stockexhange forces him to cough up the shares he doesnt have. he buys 1000 stocks at $9'000 and closes his short position.
net profit: $10'000 - $9'000 = $1'000
so where does this money come from? from the investor that bought the stocks from this professional investor. now why is this unfair? because not everyone can have a short position, only institutional investors can. so instotutionals unrightfully take the money from private investors.

Then why the difference in the terms 'naked short selling' and 'short selling'?
being naked means you have no clothes on. Likewise a naked short means selling shares without having any of those shares, a true short sale. On the other hand you could own the shares but sell them withe intention of buying them back if/when they go down. This would be a covered short, which is not really a short.

Why does naked short selling drive the market down?
Two ways:



1. increases supply. w.o. naked shorting, you can only short as many shares as are already issued by the company. by naked shorting, there is no limit.


2. creates an artificial market flurry of selling activity. most people who own the stock of most companies, don't want to sell just because the market moved a little. but naked shorters are by definition speculators, so there is not only an increase in the number of THINGs that could be sold (stok plus naked shorsell orders) but an increase in the actual number of SALES. This is a subtle distinction.

Posting

As I arrange the details of my move to Shanghai, I realised that Shanghai HR is not so forthcoming with volunteering information. Only when I ask the right thing then I will get the right info out and in bits and pieces. Short of me questioning every single term and condition. Maybe thats their strategy- Answer only when asked so the imperfections of the package doesnt get around? Of course no overseas package is perfect and there are bound to be imperfections. I had to ask around and thank God  for somehow using people around me to share information with me.

I wonder whats the biggie for withholding info. I had already said yes to the posting, so people should be open with all details. Sigh so typical Singaporean.

Dow's plunge may be sign of bad times ahead

17 May 2010 by Goh Eng Yeow
IT IS easy to dismiss the recent mayhem on Wall Street when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged by almost 1,000 points in a few minutes as just one more technical error.

Make no mistake, this could also be a signal that something more serious is amiss.
Sure, the odd computer could have caused the mess after a 'fat finger error' - traders' lingo for someone pushing the wrong button.
Initial reports suggested an anonymous dealer pressed a 'b' for billion instead of an 'm' for million in a sell order.


But those familiar with the operations of a stock dealing room will know that orders are not executed in this manner. To ensure that a rogue trader does not break the bank, limits are imposed on how much a dealer can buy or sell each time.
Any trading limits he is given will certainly not amount to billions of dollars - not even among large global lenders used to handling enormous sums every day.


Instead, the plunge reflects extreme nervousness among traders as they react to a host of crises - from the European debt crisis to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's allegations against Goldman Sachs for securities fraud.
Some traders also observe that this is not the first time that a terrifying plunge by the Dow presaged more ominous events ahead.
Take early 2007. Just as investors were looking forward to another bumper year, the Dow suddenly plummeted by 416.02 points on Feb 27.


And like the heart-thumping plunge more than a week ago, the dive in 2007 was blamed on a computer glitch.
It turned out to be a harbinger of ill-tidings, forewarning the world of the sub-prime crisis in the US that was then a distant threat on the horizon.


With this background in mind, how should we interpret the Dow's latest roller-coaster ride?
Those who argue that it is business as usual rest their case on the strong quarterly corporate earnings that banks and major corporations have been announcing.
Surely this points the way to a smooth recovery ahead, as the world economy regains its poise after being hobbled by the global financial crisis over the past two years.


They observe that another major market concern had been tackled last week as well - a €750 billion (S$1.3 trillion) 'shock and awe' bailout plan by the European Union to save Europe from attacks by speculators.
But bearish investors argue that while there is an air of prosperity here as Singapore recovers from the global financial crisis, traders are becoming jittery over Wall Street's wild mood swings as it reacts to each twist and turn in the European debt crisis.


It comes as no consolation to find Wall Street registering another triple-digit loss last Friday, as the beguiling market calm following the announcement of the huge bailout was shattered by a fresh attack on the euro.
Traders fear that the interbank market may freeze up again as European banks grow suspicious of each other's debt exposure to countries like Greece, and stop lending altogether.


There is also the problem festering in our backyard - the overheating property market in China and the collateral damage this might inflict on mainland banks' balance sheets.
To shore up their balance sheets, Chinese lenders are making huge cash calls, unnerving investors as the liquidity is sucked out from the region.
Another nightmare looming is the prospect of rising interest rates in the months ahead - and the negative impact this may have on stock prices.


For the past 15 months, the global stock market rally has been supported by a huge cushion of liquidity provided by the US central bank as it trimmed interest rates to almost zero to fight recession.


But jitters in the interbank market as banks grow suspicious of each other, as well as an urgent need to tackle the inflationary pressure sparked by buoyant commodity prices and soaring property prices, may well push interest rates sharply higher.


So it is not surprising to find stock prices stuck in a rut and trading activity falling as investors ponder their next move. Each time, when the market convinces itself that it is back to business as usual, something comes along to rock it out of its complacency.
One thing is for sure: Don't take things for granted. There are likely to be more wild swings in the stock market ahead. Stay posted.

GDP

Sat's newspapers brought out the arguable issue that Singapore is a First World economy that pays Third World wages. Most people interviewed seemed to think its true. To put it simply, wages are higher in HongKong, Japan, etc for an apple to apple comparison of the same profession and yrs of experience. Why is this so? Anaylists and economists point out that once again, it has got to do with our survival as a small country with no natural resources. GDP apparently consists of 3 main components: Wages, Profits, Taxes. In order to attract multinationals to Singapore, a large chunk of the profits margins are redirected back to the multinationals. This one of the main reasons why they will choose Singapore as a base and not a cheaper place like Vietnam or Malaysia, among other factors like stability and quality of workers of course. I worry for Singapore in the next 30 years, as other developing countries catch up and their workers get better trained and yet still remain cheaper than Singapore workers.

No wonder our cost of living seems high. In a recent survey, it is 24th most expensive in the world above HongKong and Sydney????

Faith

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is you see what u believe"