At the beginning of every school year, I go through the routine of making a list of goals I hope to accomplish. I recall my goal last year was to improve my grades, trade some stocks, and improve my participation in social activities. At the moment, I thought I was superman. I thought I could easily accomplish all these goals. Unfortunately, I was far from my target. Things turned sour. I stumbled academically and socially. I singlehandedly alienated my friends. My job at a second-tier pharmacy ruined my appetite for a long-lasting career in this field. Finally, I spent countless hours in reverie over my crush, whose name I would rather not mention. It was honestly a terrible year. I attribute my failure to overconfidence as I attempted to put too much on my plate. To make things worse, my goals were too vague. This year, I want to approach goal setting humbly. I would like to establish fewer and more focused goals. This year, the goals will resemble a list of chores a mother assigns to her children rather than a grand scheme of Herculean tasks. Here is my list of chores:
1. Devote 2 hours per weekday evening to studying class notes and 30 minutes to reading patient self-care or therapeutic choices
2. Devote 30 minutes to conversing with my parents per day
3. Write one entry in this blog per day (the topic can be on anything) I MUST STRESS THAT THIS ENTRY DOES NOT NEED TO BE COMPOSED OF VOLUMES. A single entry of 100-200 words is all that is needed!
4. Sleep at 11 pm.
The overarching priority this year is to improve my GPA. Nothing else, work or volunteering, will take its place.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Fun - Chinese Cuisine
As I was chatting with my dad, a tv show featuring food from Guangdong province came up. Dad points out smartly "Did you know that the culinary style of each region of China tells you a lot about the culture of the people?"
"Tell me about it." I inquired.
"Well to begin with, Sichuan food is known for its deadly spices. Because Sichuan is a very moist region, the people eat chili peppers to negate the effect of humidity on the body. Peppers can increase one's metabolism (?) keeping the Sichuan people feeling alert and energetic in a tiring and thickly humid region. As another example, noodles, pan fried pankcakes and dumplings comprise the staple food of the North. The North is cool in autumn and chilly in the winter. The people need a high caloric intake inorder to keep warm. Rice, the southern staple, will not suffice. The most interesting local cuisine type is Chiu Chow. Their efficient use of each part of each animal shows the observant diner that Chiu Chow is a poorer region of China where resources cannot be wasted. As a result of poverty, the Chiu Chow people are industrious workers and fearless entrepeneurs. Look at Mr. Li Ka Shing and you will understand what I mean. Mr. Li is the richest man in Hong Kong. Yet, he lives quite frugally. He spends and invests wisely, and other businessmen in Hong Kong find him a fierce competitor."
Indeed, studying the cuisine of a country can tell us a lot about its people and history. I remember reading about the introduction of meat to the diet of the Japanese commoner during the Meiji Period. The government was adamant on promoting beef and pork consumption. However, the Japanese had relied on fish and soy as protein sources for the past thousand years and beef and pork was scarce. There was little red meat around to meet the sudden quantum leap in demand. Ingenius Japanese chefs solved the problem by inventing Japanese curry. The Japanese added potatoes and other vegetables to curry to reduce the amount of beef required to make a filling dish. Now, Japanese people have a delicious and filling meal with red meat!
"Tell me about it." I inquired.
"Well to begin with, Sichuan food is known for its deadly spices. Because Sichuan is a very moist region, the people eat chili peppers to negate the effect of humidity on the body. Peppers can increase one's metabolism (?) keeping the Sichuan people feeling alert and energetic in a tiring and thickly humid region. As another example, noodles, pan fried pankcakes and dumplings comprise the staple food of the North. The North is cool in autumn and chilly in the winter. The people need a high caloric intake inorder to keep warm. Rice, the southern staple, will not suffice. The most interesting local cuisine type is Chiu Chow. Their efficient use of each part of each animal shows the observant diner that Chiu Chow is a poorer region of China where resources cannot be wasted. As a result of poverty, the Chiu Chow people are industrious workers and fearless entrepeneurs. Look at Mr. Li Ka Shing and you will understand what I mean. Mr. Li is the richest man in Hong Kong. Yet, he lives quite frugally. He spends and invests wisely, and other businessmen in Hong Kong find him a fierce competitor."
Indeed, studying the cuisine of a country can tell us a lot about its people and history. I remember reading about the introduction of meat to the diet of the Japanese commoner during the Meiji Period. The government was adamant on promoting beef and pork consumption. However, the Japanese had relied on fish and soy as protein sources for the past thousand years and beef and pork was scarce. There was little red meat around to meet the sudden quantum leap in demand. Ingenius Japanese chefs solved the problem by inventing Japanese curry. The Japanese added potatoes and other vegetables to curry to reduce the amount of beef required to make a filling dish. Now, Japanese people have a delicious and filling meal with red meat!
Personal - Lend A Helping Hand - Lose A Friend
Tonight I had the opportunity to chat with my dad on the topic of whether on should lend money to a friend. "As long as you're willing to part with that money for good, you should never lend money to even your best of friends."
"When you lend money to your friend and he fails to return the cash, two things can happen. Either you banter him to the point that he avoids you or you accept the fact that the money is as good as gone. In the first case, you lose your best friend. In the second case, you lose your money. Either way you lose something important."
"A true friend," He continued, "will not break with you over money."
"When you lend money to your friend and he fails to return the cash, two things can happen. Either you banter him to the point that he avoids you or you accept the fact that the money is as good as gone. In the first case, you lose your best friend. In the second case, you lose your money. Either way you lose something important."
"A true friend," He continued, "will not break with you over money."
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Personal - The Frog Concept
Yesterday, on an excursion in Yuen Long, my mother and I came across a bookstore holding a firesale. At the focus of my attention were 4 brown cardboard boxes, with books selling for $10 HKG apiece. As I scanned these boxes for hidden treasures, mother repeatedly declared: "at ten dollars apiece, these books are as cheap as a copy of the daily newspaper." I took advantage of this sale and came out of the store with sore arms and 12 books. All of these books are of the self-help genre and were printed in Taiwan.
Throughout today, I devoured parts of this dozen books voraciously. There is one anecdote from "Be a Man Who Have [Has] a Smooth Character." This anecdote can be found in the introduction.
Twenty years ago, there was a young man freshly out of highschool. He was quickly hired as a car salesman. The young man approached his job with great enthusiasm, but failed to sell any vehicles. Over several months, the young man's confidence melted. He soon came to a conclusion that he was not made for the business of selling cars. However, he wouldn't give up so easily. He made up his mind that if he remained unsuccessful in the coming month, he would quit his job. The month was long and gloomy. Yet again, the young man failed to sell a thing! Despondent, he decides to submit his letter of resignation. On the way to the office, the young man passed by some fields where felt an urge to urinate. As he went about his task, he noticed a frog on the ground. In a bit of a childish fit, he decided to urinate on the frog. He wanted to release all his anger and frustration on the poor frog. He assumed that once the frog was aware of the stream of the not-so-lovely substance on its back that it would at once dart off in disgust. To the man's surprise, the frog remained in a relaxed position as if enjoying a spa. "Aha!" the young man shouted. He learned an important lesson from the frog. In order to win sales, he had to apply the "frog tactic" - meaning that as a salesman, he must be willing to receive any rejections and harsh words from every potential client. The harsh words and painful rejections, like the stream of urine upon the frog's body, must be accepted. Every harsh word uttered is a challenge he must accept and overcome. It is through becoming like the frog that he can flourish and succeed. Armed with this new insight, the young man disposed of his resignation letter in a hurry. He arrived at work, sharp, and ready for the challenges to come. Things did not change at once. The young man continued to receive rejection after rejection, but eventually he made his first sale after 1800 tries. Five years after his first sale, he was selling 30 cars per month. Twenty years later, he became the champion car salesman of Japan.
I have no way of verifying whether this story is true or fabricated. However, it holds a very important truth, that one must be willing to lay aside his pride if he wants to succeed. When one is unwilling to risk losing face, one can accomplish very little.
Throughout today, I devoured parts of this dozen books voraciously. There is one anecdote from "Be a Man Who Have [Has] a Smooth Character." This anecdote can be found in the introduction.
Twenty years ago, there was a young man freshly out of highschool. He was quickly hired as a car salesman. The young man approached his job with great enthusiasm, but failed to sell any vehicles. Over several months, the young man's confidence melted. He soon came to a conclusion that he was not made for the business of selling cars. However, he wouldn't give up so easily. He made up his mind that if he remained unsuccessful in the coming month, he would quit his job. The month was long and gloomy. Yet again, the young man failed to sell a thing! Despondent, he decides to submit his letter of resignation. On the way to the office, the young man passed by some fields where felt an urge to urinate. As he went about his task, he noticed a frog on the ground. In a bit of a childish fit, he decided to urinate on the frog. He wanted to release all his anger and frustration on the poor frog. He assumed that once the frog was aware of the stream of the not-so-lovely substance on its back that it would at once dart off in disgust. To the man's surprise, the frog remained in a relaxed position as if enjoying a spa. "Aha!" the young man shouted. He learned an important lesson from the frog. In order to win sales, he had to apply the "frog tactic" - meaning that as a salesman, he must be willing to receive any rejections and harsh words from every potential client. The harsh words and painful rejections, like the stream of urine upon the frog's body, must be accepted. Every harsh word uttered is a challenge he must accept and overcome. It is through becoming like the frog that he can flourish and succeed. Armed with this new insight, the young man disposed of his resignation letter in a hurry. He arrived at work, sharp, and ready for the challenges to come. Things did not change at once. The young man continued to receive rejection after rejection, but eventually he made his first sale after 1800 tries. Five years after his first sale, he was selling 30 cars per month. Twenty years later, he became the champion car salesman of Japan.
I have no way of verifying whether this story is true or fabricated. However, it holds a very important truth, that one must be willing to lay aside his pride if he wants to succeed. When one is unwilling to risk losing face, one can accomplish very little.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Personal Growth - Rome Was Not Built In A Day
If you read my post from last night, you can take a glimpse into the negative ideas which were revolving in my mind. Life was bleak and sad at the time. But since then, my thoughts have become rosier.
I was talking with my grandfather last night. I have no idea how he realized I was going through some internal struggles. He read well into my worries and the things he spoke about, his life story, was simple yet inspirational for me. He said that throughout his life, he did not care to cause strife. As long as he had a root over his head and three meals a day, he was satisfied. In his elegant Northern dialect, he said that peace and safety (ping an) was all he really sought. His view of life contrasted drastically with mine. I had been eager to prove my worthiness, eager to battle, eager to make a name for myself. In my opinion, the only way to accomplish this was to become a doctor. But wait, what if that's the wrong path to trot? It will take at least another six years of education and it will most certainly take a toll on my health and dent my pocketbook.
The economist once said that we all have a comparative advantage. It is to everyone's advantage that we each utilize our comparative advantage. My comparative advantage is in pharmacy. Why don't I pursue an extra degree in pharmacy or even take a hospital rotation? Although my ultimate salary may not be as high as that of a lawyer, doctor or pilot, I will make a decent amount of money and at the same time be able to help those who are ill.
Another part of my improved outlook is the availability of pharmacy positions in Hong Kong. There isn't a boatload of job postings for pharmacists in Hong Kong, but at least there are some available. Matilda hospital is hiring a pharmacist. The hospital authority is hiring a pharmacist. Even Mannings is hiring a pharmacist. There is potential for employment in Hong Kong, and the compensation should work out to be at least 25,000.
I was talking with my grandfather last night. I have no idea how he realized I was going through some internal struggles. He read well into my worries and the things he spoke about, his life story, was simple yet inspirational for me. He said that throughout his life, he did not care to cause strife. As long as he had a root over his head and three meals a day, he was satisfied. In his elegant Northern dialect, he said that peace and safety (ping an) was all he really sought. His view of life contrasted drastically with mine. I had been eager to prove my worthiness, eager to battle, eager to make a name for myself. In my opinion, the only way to accomplish this was to become a doctor. But wait, what if that's the wrong path to trot? It will take at least another six years of education and it will most certainly take a toll on my health and dent my pocketbook.
The economist once said that we all have a comparative advantage. It is to everyone's advantage that we each utilize our comparative advantage. My comparative advantage is in pharmacy. Why don't I pursue an extra degree in pharmacy or even take a hospital rotation? Although my ultimate salary may not be as high as that of a lawyer, doctor or pilot, I will make a decent amount of money and at the same time be able to help those who are ill.
Another part of my improved outlook is the availability of pharmacy positions in Hong Kong. There isn't a boatload of job postings for pharmacists in Hong Kong, but at least there are some available. Matilda hospital is hiring a pharmacist. The hospital authority is hiring a pharmacist. Even Mannings is hiring a pharmacist. There is potential for employment in Hong Kong, and the compensation should work out to be at least 25,000.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Stock Pick - Country Garden (2007.HK)
Country Garden is an integrated real estate company with projects in residential buildings, parking and retail shops. The company is made up or four devisions - property development, construction, property management and hotel management.
China is hot. I mean really hot. You can win with this stock in at least 3 ways:
1. A sound business plan
Country Garden specializes in turning low cost land in rural areas into high priced residential or resort properties. Their developments have been a great success. When a company is able to a lot of value to raw materials, the value added translates into profits. Lots and lots of profits.
1. The appreciation of the Renminbi
2. Potential addition to the Hang Seng Index
3. The importance of home ownership to the Chinese
Having only recently penetrated into Northern China, Country Garden is merely in its nascent stages. There is plenty of potential for growth. Unfortunately it is only listed in Hong Kong as an ADR. So only those of you with access to the HK stock market can hold this stock.
China is hot. I mean really hot. You can win with this stock in at least 3 ways:
1. A sound business plan
Country Garden specializes in turning low cost land in rural areas into high priced residential or resort properties. Their developments have been a great success. When a company is able to a lot of value to raw materials, the value added translates into profits. Lots and lots of profits.
1. The appreciation of the Renminbi
2. Potential addition to the Hang Seng Index
3. The importance of home ownership to the Chinese
Having only recently penetrated into Northern China, Country Garden is merely in its nascent stages. There is plenty of potential for growth. Unfortunately it is only listed in Hong Kong as an ADR. So only those of you with access to the HK stock market can hold this stock.
Basics - My Understanding of the Investment Cycle
Now, I am pretty sure that you've been taught the food chain in your elementary education many many light years ago. For those of you have a bad memory like myself, allow me to remind you. The food chain, graphically, look something like this: at the lowest level are the plankton. The plankton is consumed by krill. Krill in turn is consumed by small fish which are themselves food to larger fishes. The larger fishes are then consumed by large animals of prey such as eagles in the air and sharks in the sea.
When I reflect upon the market's activity over the past 2 weeks, I can't help but notice parallels between the stock market and the ecosystem.
To me, the stock market is really a jungle. There's the predator, and there's the prey. The predator is the fund manager. The funds with their technical know-how and billions in cash, really have weight to throw around. The funds have two poweful weapons in their arsenal:
1. Loads of money - they can really make a splash in the market and force prices to change via maniplation of supply and demand.
2. Psychology of the prey - they can devour the small potatoes of the market through playing on their fear and greed.
The central dogma of the stock market is something you've heard before - buy low and sell high. The predator pursues this as well. They sell to the general population when prices are high. The prey, excited by the hype in the market, buys massively overpriced stocks - dangerous! Then the market fails to fly any higher because everyone who wants in on stocks has already exhausted their funds to purchase stocks. With no more buyers, the high priced stocks will begin to drop. Once the market has peaked, the fund managers will sell short their stocks, hoping to make a killing as the market drops like a rock. The funds then sit and wait, almost like patient poachers. As the market continues its freefall, the public will naturally want out. "Oh boy, my life savings are evaporating faster than water droplets in a sizzling wok!" Out of fear, the small fish now sells his/her stocks at a fraction of the price they bought, finally deciding to cut loses. At the end of all this, the moment the predator has been waiting for all along, the market is completely oversold. Funds stealthly move into the market and buy up the heavily discounted stocks. Soon, on the spur of "good news" and a series of upgrades (never underestimate the power of the Wall Street Promoting machine) the market will look better than ever. At this point, the general public (aka the prey) will begin to purchase stocks. The good news coupled with the increased buying will force stock prices to new highs. Powered by greed, the investor will now plunge his/her savings into the market if not take out sizeable loans from the banks to purchase stock. Once again, this vicious (not so vicious for the predator) begins. The funds trade out of stocks and the small investor buys them at a markup. And eventually, as true as Newtonian physics, what goes up must come down. This is the so called business cycle or market cycle.
When I reflect upon the market's activity over the past 2 weeks, I can't help but notice parallels between the stock market and the ecosystem.
To me, the stock market is really a jungle. There's the predator, and there's the prey. The predator is the fund manager. The funds with their technical know-how and billions in cash, really have weight to throw around. The funds have two poweful weapons in their arsenal:
1. Loads of money - they can really make a splash in the market and force prices to change via maniplation of supply and demand.
2. Psychology of the prey - they can devour the small potatoes of the market through playing on their fear and greed.
The central dogma of the stock market is something you've heard before - buy low and sell high. The predator pursues this as well. They sell to the general population when prices are high. The prey, excited by the hype in the market, buys massively overpriced stocks - dangerous! Then the market fails to fly any higher because everyone who wants in on stocks has already exhausted their funds to purchase stocks. With no more buyers, the high priced stocks will begin to drop. Once the market has peaked, the fund managers will sell short their stocks, hoping to make a killing as the market drops like a rock. The funds then sit and wait, almost like patient poachers. As the market continues its freefall, the public will naturally want out. "Oh boy, my life savings are evaporating faster than water droplets in a sizzling wok!" Out of fear, the small fish now sells his/her stocks at a fraction of the price they bought, finally deciding to cut loses. At the end of all this, the moment the predator has been waiting for all along, the market is completely oversold. Funds stealthly move into the market and buy up the heavily discounted stocks. Soon, on the spur of "good news" and a series of upgrades (never underestimate the power of the Wall Street Promoting machine) the market will look better than ever. At this point, the general public (aka the prey) will begin to purchase stocks. The good news coupled with the increased buying will force stock prices to new highs. Powered by greed, the investor will now plunge his/her savings into the market if not take out sizeable loans from the banks to purchase stock. Once again, this vicious (not so vicious for the predator) begins. The funds trade out of stocks and the small investor buys them at a markup. And eventually, as true as Newtonian physics, what goes up must come down. This is the so called business cycle or market cycle.
For the past several days, I've displayed the cardinal signs of depression - loss of appetite, anhedonia, dysphoria, and loss of the will to live (or loss of the meaning of life). I think it has to do with being unsatisfied with my future job as a pharmacist. The lack of high wages and lack of respect from the public really hurts. But this is life, and in life, we have to take blows like a man. It's no use whining and hiding behind the veil of depression. Sure, I have friends who will end up being more successful than myself (eg. lawyers, commercial air pilots, doctors, accountants) but you must remember that my failure is not 100% my responsibility. These people had other resources to tap into - financial support and security from their parents, guidance from their parents, and self-confidence stemming from reasonably attractive bodies and faces. Alas, I am at a dead end. There is really no room for progress. My only hope in life now is to accumulate a pitifully low monthly savings, divert it to the stock market, and pray dearly that my investments would double in 10 or 20 years time. I hate relying on luck. I hate having to gamble. But unfortunately, life (a combination of my poor decisions and fate) has led me to where I am today. I am without a future, all I can do, is put up with this pitful job 5 days a week 8 hours a day for the rest of my working existence. Life is sad when you are stuck in a vocation you have learned to hate. Life is even sadder when you are a prisoner in foreign territory. Life must go on. No matter how disappointed you are. To live to be brave. To give up is to be a coward. My mom keeps telling me how others are making a mediocre sum of money as well. But I say, they are blessed in other ways. At least they are able to live in their homeland. At least they have their family with them. At least, they have a chance of promotion and may someday rise to higher ranks. As for me, it's pretty much over. At least until I wake up...or maybe until I die?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
An Introduction
Being a creationist, I believe everything exists in this universe for a reason. This blog is no exception. As I write and re-write entries in this blog, I hope to share with you my insights on the happenings of the stock market. I hope that you will enjoy my entries as much as I enjoy writing them.
Let me give you my warmest welcome,
Steve
Let me give you my warmest welcome,
Steve
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)