Why Not?

The state of unemployment

2009-11-09T15:44:00.001-08:00

I just read a piece on CNN talking about the current state of unemployment in the US. Apparently, this analyst is comparing the odds of getting a job in this current environment with college admission rate. Catchy as it may be but I don't really think such comparison should be made. After all, we are talking about the general population here, ordinary people like you and me, and it is unwise to put an elitist spin on it, when the everyday man and woman's concern is to find a decent job that feeds his/her family.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/06/stimulus.jobs/index.html

Goodbye Kennedy!

2009-06-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that 2 years have gone by just like that ... woosh! And with a tap from that magic wane, I am bestowed the knowledge and seal of approval to serve in the field of public management.

I was lucky that commencement day was bright and sunny, making it good for photo taking and capturing of memorable moments. My parents came to the east coast again and thoroughly enjoyed their trip. We completed our visits of the New England region with a tour to New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts (of course). And when they headed back home, I just missed them so much. The last time, I felt like that was when I just finished college. I can't believe that I had the same feeling even though I am in my 30s now! I guess I am just that sentimental bloke.

Anyway, as summer rolls in, I am taking time to move out from Mount Auburn street and say goodbye to Harvard Square. As I prepare myself to venture to wherever I am going next, I have nothing but good reflections of my time here. And although I am much poorer now, having sold all my belongings and assets to pay for these 2 years, I am glad that I took this decision back in 2007. I have fulfilled a dream.

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Umboh

2009-02-16T14:06:00.001-08:00

I just came back from my best friend's wedding. It was such a great experience to be there, even though just for a short 24 hours. To begin with, I am very, very happy for him and his wife. I remember the last time I spoke to him on an issue as serious as marriage, we were still in our early twenties. I was just out of college and had barely started on my first job. Back then, it seemed to be forever that his wedding day would arrive. And I even promised him audaciously that I will sing on his wedding day.

Well, his big day came on Feb 14th. I attended but did not sing. (Actually, to be honest, I did prepare an Indonesian classic for him but won't sing unless he really asks me to. Well, maybe, I will do so in his 50th anniversary hehehe) Anyway, to make up for that, I was given the honor to make a speech together with another buddy (gsoo) during his reception. And I think that is more appropriate then forcing the many guests to listen to my unappealing voice.

Come to think of it, friends of my age are all starting to enter the so-called next phase in life. When I reminisce on this, pictures of all the past weddings I attended in last 4 years came back to my mind. And I foresee many more to come =)

It was a joyous occasion for sure and it made me missed San Francisco. Over the years, the bay area has meant so much to me, almost like my second home, because so many wonderful experiences have occurred over there. To the extent, I felt a little miserable after I touched down in Boston the next morning, returning to the wintry weather. As we all know, parting is sweet sorrow ... but your next adventure cannot begin unless you close the previous chapter. And I will love to do that in perfection.

Back to my daily routine now ...

Feel the wrath

2008-11-11T08:54:00.001-08:00

"My son ... the very day you were born, the very forest of lordaeron whispered the name ... ARTHAS ..."

Raised as the prince and destined to be king, Arthas was trained as a paladin with wisdom and strength. He was blessed with Light and taught to embody Righteousness. His famous weapon ... Might of Menethil ... was bestowed upon him to fight against all evil and unjust. But ... alas ... his greed for power and rage for anger shall alter his destiny ... forever ...

Now, back as the Lich King and with his army of undead - the Death Knight - Arthas reigns with terror in Northrend. And that is not the end, he is waging a war against the rest of Azeroth.

But all is not lost, as the Knight of the Silver Hand has been resurrected and led by their new leader Tirion Fordring, wielding the legendary and ever elusive mighty blade of the Paladin ... ASHBRINGER ... (sword of the thousand troops ;p)

... I just ordered my copy ... and it will arrive exactly on launch date this thursday. I have already respec my paladin as a Retribution Paladin ... and I will see some crazy action this winter ;p

In anticipation

2008-11-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Sunday, November 2nd 2008, marks the first day of daylight time saving. Whenever it comes to this day, I always love that extra 1 hour gain in sleep.
More so especially when I am back in school because normally, at this time of the year, my schedule will be moving at full steam, packed with assignments, commitments and exams. So 1 extra hour means a lot, when I have a quiz coming up tomorrow.

Halloween ...

2008-11-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween to me is really just a party and occasion to hang out with friends. Sure, I dressed up to go to those events and parties but I don't go the extra mile to do the costume thing.
However, this year, seeing that I will be graduating soon and be done with school forever, I decided to relive the true spirit of Halloween one last time. So, I set out to a costume store yesterday to look for something freaky to wear. I almost bought the pimp suit - dark suit with bright purple stripes (... yeah would be nice) and that typical pimping hat.
As I was about to pay for the suit, one particular thing caught my attention. It is this thing called the Light Sabre ... hahahah. So, I dumped off everything and picked up the sabre. Coincidentally, that was Obiwan's blue sabre. I looked around and found a nice, long and flowing robe - yes, those with hoods and make you look very very shady in the dark. That's it!
So, I put on that robe and hid my sabre inside. I started to head out to my friends' houses. We did a total of 3 stops. The parties were freaking awesome. At one point, we were kicked out of a house by 2 policemen ... hahah. (We actually thought those guys were in costumes as well)
The finale for the night came in the form of a costume show. So, everybody in costume had to do a walkdown and strut his/her stuff. It turned out that another couple decided to dress as ... guess what - Darth Vader and Leia! So as that dude glided down the walkway to show off his costume and red sabre, I decided to throw in some element of surprise and jumped into the ground. The next thing you know was 2 light sabres crossing in the air ... oh yeah.

Shit ... I still have even more homework to do

2008-10-07T22:46:00.001-07:00

Well, I am taking a break from my valuation homework. So, I was browsing through Youtube checking out Jay Chou's new album named Capricorn. How interesting ... Capricorn in Chinese is called Mo Jie Zhuo. The Jie is the same as Jay's name.

Anyway, I find the new songs just alright, very typical of his style. Then I saw one of his songs from a previous album called The Longest Cinema. I have listened to that song before but I have never watched the MTV. Its chorus goes something like this ... " ... zhai gei wo liang fen zhong ..." (give me 2 more minutes). I decided to watch it and man, it was quite a touching story.

About a boy and a blind girl who were good friends since young. And then she went off ... but she gave the boy a little gift before they lost touch. So, the boy grew up and became a professional bodyguard. While the girl ... she actually regained her sight and became a professional skater. Then one day, the guy saw a lady being harassed by a bunch of thugs and he went over and saved her. He then offerred her a ride and they started chatting. The guy recognized her but didn't tell the lady. However, when the lady saw that little trinket, she knew that the guy was her childhood friend ... but those thugs who got beaten up earlier came back ... and ... the story ended right there. So, I supposed it was a sad ending ... :(

Anyway ... ok, enough of distractions. Getting back to work.

I still have to do my homework

2008-09-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today has been very busy. I was trying to catch up on school. The shuttling between HKS and MIT has been time consuming, not to mention that I am taking six classes this semester.

I figured that my self-imposed break is more than half way through. The 2 years I plan to take off have only slightly less than 1 left. So I told myself that I am going to enjoy the remaining 8 months to the max. Because once I am done, I am probably done with formal education and I will be reentering the workforce. Life will then move at a pace determined by the routines of my career.

Anyway, enough of forward projection for now. I just read my buddy's blog, HH. One thing that caught my eyes was his entry on JK Rowling's speech. I completely missed that since I was in SF during that time hanging out with another buddy of mine, Ah Bao. Man ... that was June. Now is end of September. Summer ended about a week or two ago. Fall is here and the weather starts to get cranky.

Rowling's speech was a bit dry for me since I am very used to the American fast pace, humor laced kind of speech. But still, there are parts which I truly enjoy. And the every best is no doubt the quotes from Seneca:

As is a tale, so is life; not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.

It gives me a very rustic, soft and touching feeling. I close my eyes and see myself standing in a middle of a grass field, with falling maple leaves of orange, red, brown, yellow and green colors - the kind of scene you will find in New England during the fall season. This makes me treasure every best moments of my life.

This fall, I am going to take some time and explore the region, catching up what I am been missing over the past year.

So I see, the past of me;
treasured moments, memorable times;
never forget what lies ahead;
in life we live, with no regrets

I love my iphone

2008-09-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

I got the iphone. Yes ... and it is fucking awesome. I am not a supporter of Mac but this is one thing that Apple and Steve Jobs got it right.

So today, I cycled to MIT from my school listening to Tiesto on my phone. And the feeling is just superb. Sunshine, wind and Tiesto - what else can I ask for. And if I get lost, I just press the google map button on my phone and it will locate me using GPS telling me my exact location. Man, I haven't lived technology for so long and I am starting to believe in the power of mobile computing again.

When I reached MIT for my finance class, I just clicked on the stock button and it automatically showed me the latest stock prices and market trend. I can follow the market on the go. Reply to messages, emails and smses - anytime, anywhere ... 3G

Got iphone?

Double or Nothing

2008-09-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

This week has been especially crazy from a market standpoint. First, you have the demise of 2 great firms - Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch. Well, technically speaking, Merrill is merging with BoA or rather forced to. We don't know yet if BoA is going to retain any of Merrill's brand name. My guest is probably not and even if they do, there will be some BoA's brand attached to it. Years ago, no one could ever imagined this to happen. Morgan is next in line for merger talks even though it is a very well run firm. The only strong survivor that will emerge from this mess is Goldman Sachs - the king of all investment banks.

The market tanked for 2 days and then has a great run for the next 2 days. Dow is up 400 points yesterday and today is up as of now. Given this volatility, it is a trader's heaven especially if you dare to bet. I picked up GE 2 days ago and flipped it today. If you had flipped Morgan, Citi and Goldman just over 1 day, you would have doubled your money ;p

So, a few stocks I would recommend for the next run (from highest risk/reward ratio):
AIG (if you are risk loving), MS, C, GS, GE

... and depending on your risk appetite, your return is determined by the stock you pick.

Have you forgotten to eat your humble pie?

2008-06-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Time and again, history reminds mankind to not be overconfident to the extent of being arrogant. Men are imperfect and as such, have weaknesses. One of the classics is none other than arrogance and pride.

Of late, I have noticed some people around me being drawn endlessly into this trap. Trap? I don't know, it may be one if unintentional but it may be not if it is self motivated and condoned. What causes them to become big headed? I don't know. May be the taste of success ... well, success which may have inflated their egos and made them feel all powerful, rich and being so ahead of the game than they begin to treat everyone and everything else as second class.

These folks are so drunk that they begin to ignore the very basic building block of their initial success. The very support system that carries them through the times - good or bad, through thin and thick. May be they feel that they don't need anything now, anybody or any support - for they are the new champions and almighty heroes.

But take heed my friends - what floats you, can also sink you and your corner stones may very soon become your biggest stumbling blocks.

So, watch out ... for you never know when you are going to fall or when someone is going to take you down.

Remember your pie and remember your humble beginnings.

Lofty Waters Verdant Bow

2008-05-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me what it means ... it is just a direct translation of this cantonese tvb drama that I am catching on Youtube. I have been watching this almost non-stop, yes, if you see me online at 5 am EST, that means I am "busy". Ahhh ... it is so nice to finally have the time to watch these dramas. I missed them for sure.

So, I just watched this particular one called Lofty Waters Verdant Bow by Raymond Lam, Michelle Yip and Rain Lee. It was good, the martial arts and the fighting scenes are up to my expectation ;p. However, the ending is so sad. Well, as with any tvb series, they have a few themes running concurrently. The comedy is pretty good, the action is not bad ... but the love story behind it is so touching in the end.

I really pity Michelle. She loves Raymond so dearly and he doesn't understand it. But when he finally does, she is dead. So, he decides to stay alone as the invincible but lone ranger. Well, most martial arts drama ends sort of this way. Still, watch the last episode. I didn't give anything away here of course ;p

What am I gonna do next? Catch another one maybe.

Spring Formal

2008-05-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

We had our Spring Formal recently. Every semester there is at least one formal party for sure. In the Fall, it was the KSG Dean's Formal and followed by the Winter Ball. This semester, we had the Vienna Ball and the Spring Formal.

It was great and turned out to be very entertaining. It started with live jazz performances and free desserts and drinks. Mainly mingling around with classmates and friends. Everybody was clearly having a good time taking a break from finals. It was held right in downtown Boston at the Colonnade Hotel. Some of my friends were really dancing away that night. I arrived a little late but it was ok because when I got there, the party was just getting into motion.

I didn't know my classmates can really party so hard. After the party ended at 2 am, there was an afterparty! A bunch of them actually headed over to a house party held in the basement. Wow ... however, I had enough that night and went back home to zzzz. Definitely fantastic and I am looking forward to the next one.

Wind

2008-05-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

If you have read Storm Riders, you will know this character called Wind.

Wind is a happy, carefree and good natured person originally. In order to defeat his enemy, he has to tap into the dark side of the blade martial arts. However, because Wind is good by nature, this causes a constant conflict of good and evil within him. He suffered tremendous instability because of the constant bouts and changes in emotions and personality.

Wind tries very hard to use his kindness and rationality to suppress his darker self. However, it is not easy. Whenever the dark side takes over, his power will increase many many times and he will turn into a heartless warrior. He becomes invincible and destroys his enemies with no mercy. However, when he regains his original self, he will regret his cruelty.

It is very tough to constantly grapple with such conflicting states of mind. How long can a character endure? And what might happen when the dark side of force takes over? Pain turns into anger. Anger turns into rage. Rage turns into fury. Fury turns into vengence. Vengence will deliver the retribution.

Rise a dark knight.

New York Trip

2008-05-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

New York, New York. The city that never sleeps. Big Apple, Wall Street, Broadway and Liberty. I made a short trip to New York over the weekend. Hitched a ride from Boston bus station and arrived in the city just in time for a birthday dinner celebration with my buddy Jason. Of course, I also got the chance to hang out with my other 2 buddies - Gene and Jay. Not mention, the after dinner party at K lounge, where I met Naj and Mendel. Both are friends of friends. It was a fun evening.

As always, New York is the party town. People tend to engage in merry making endlessly, as if there is no tomorrow. At K lounge, the girls were just throwing themselves all over the places. Every once in a while, you will get a random girl coming up to you throwing you a hug and taking photos for whatever reason. For us, they claimed since it was my friend's birthday, they need a picture. Hmmm ... nice claim.

I also had the nicest cake I have eaten so far. I never knew that crepes cake are sooooo goood. This one which Gene got for Jason was is filled with cream ... some very tasty cream. Next time, I want one that is filled with Durian cream ... mmmmmm yummy yummy.

Before the sunrise

2008-05-02T01:44:00.000-07:00

I fell asleep early tonight. Being lack of sleep for the past week due to heavy workload, I dozed off at around 8.30 pm. Only to wake up at around 2.30 am feeling rather homesick. In the midst of the night, I sat here quietly appreciating the peace and calmness of this town called Cambridge. Sometimes, I do enjoy this kind of moment because it is really soothing for my mind, which otherwise is preoccupied with all the thought activities during daytime.

When I was young, I asked my parents naively, "What do people do when they grow up?" They told me that a responsible adult will do something productive like getting a meaningful job and support his family. I then continued, "How do I make money?" ... hahahah. I was 5 years old then and didn't understand the complexity of life.

When I was a teenager, people tend to tell me, "Enjoy your school years. Enjoy your carefree time. When you grow up, there will be many things to worry about. So, have fun now." I always thought at that time, "What is the big deal? I have my equal share of worries as a teenager."

Then, I reached adolescence. 1998. 20 years old. Many things changed. Financial crisis, the ulgy truth of inequality, the menace of absolute power and the unforgiving selfishness of human greed. I saw that all my life through personal and public lenses. But it reached the peak that year. I became resolved and decided to be who I am to be.

The recollection of all these events makes me cherish my memories. People who have come and gone in my life. My grandfather, my best friend, my loved ones.

Friends who know me know that I am a big Solvil Titus ads fan. The one by Chow Yun Fatt & Wu Chien Lien (fighter pilot), Andy Lau in Indonesia (Bengawan Solo), Anita Mui and Wang Chieh. I think Solvil Titus made a very special effort to capture the very essence of the human nature, spirit and love. One of the best is no doubt this short story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV1_AYLtpl0&feature=related

And good night again, as I am going to bed before the sunrise.

Talk by Ecuador President

2008-04-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

On the past Monday, former President Jamil of Ecuador gave my class a private talk. He shared many meaningful experiences with us during his years in the politics and his short but eventful presidency. Through his experiences, I got an impression of how delicate it is to be the head of state of a country during crisis time.

Whatever was portrayed in the media and perceived by the people can be so different by what was actually faced by him. Towards the end, a classmate of mine asked him to provide some advice on how to achieve our goals.

To this, he decided to tell us a story he learned. So he began:

Long time ago, in a rural village in China, there was a farmer. He had a very beautiful horse. One day, his neighbor came by and said:

"Wow, you have a very beautiful horse. You must be a very lucky man! How do you feel?"

The farmer simply replied, "Hmm ... it is just a horse. I don't feel anything"

A week later, his neighbor came by but did not see the horse. So he asked" What happened to your horse?" The farmer said, "A few days a go, my horse ran away". His neighbor, feeling sorry for him added on, "I am sorry. You must be very sad now." But to his surprise, the farmer told him, "Well, it is just it is. I don't feel anything."

Some time has passed by and his neightbor stopped by again. The farmer told him, "Guess what? My horse returned! ... and he brought with him a female horse. Now, I have 13 horses altogether." Upon hearing this, his neighbor said, "Wow, you must be very lucky. How do you feel?"

The farmer gave the same answer, "Well ... I don't feel anything. It is just the same." Feeling puzzled, his neighbor left. Then, a week later, his neighbor came by for dinner. This time the farmer told him, "You know ... my only son was trying to train the new horses. Yesterday, while training, he fell from a horse and broke his leg." Upon hearing this, the neighbor said, "You must be sad ... he is your only son." The farmer calmly replied again, "Well, it is just it is."

Soon, China went to war with Mongolia. The farmer met his neighbor again and told him. "Hey guess what, the Imperial came over and took all young men to war ... but when they saw my son lying in the bed with his leg broken, they left him alone."

So ... after my classmates and I listened to this story. We were thinking ... why did he tell us this story. To this ... shortly, President Jamil replied ... "In life, many things are what they turn out to be. We can give our best but in the end, nature has its say."

My main takeaway from this privileged interaction is:

Do our best and have no regrets.

HKS Talent Show

2008-04-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

I just came back from our school's annual Talent Show. It was awesome, hilarious and classy for some performance. I never knew some of my schoolmates are so talented. The performance by the MPAs on the musical "Chicago" is fantastic. The girls ... are sexxxxyyy ... and elegant. The guys ... man, they sure look kinky lol ...

But, personally, I like the solo performances. One guy managed to turn Outkast's song into a classy rendition with his classical guitar. That was simply amazing! Another pretty lady gave a wonderful opera performance.

I do pity the Mid-Career folks. They got hammered down by the MPPs so much that I think to it is a little overboard. But they took it in good faith. They funniest part is no doubt the video on bottled water. And Christian's performance really had me cracking and laughing. His rollerblading around the undergrad yard and hugging and kissing his bottled water is so damn funny ... especially with the song Dancing Queen being played in the background. The undergrads must be wondering "who the heck is this kuku?" ... hahaha ...

Of cause, talking about the undergrads, we had lots of laugh making fun of them ... imitating the way they usually ask questions in our regular Forum. Last but not least, the video coverage on the Business school was one of the best piece of the night. I pity those unassuming folks in HBS who were interviewed but not knowing what they were getting themselves into. Hahaha ... well, well, what else can I say? I am definitely going for it again next year.

A saturday night quest

2008-04-19T19:09:00.001-07:00

I have been yearning for some nice Japanese food lately. However, the Harvard Square area is particularly boring in this area and lacks good Japanese food. Sure, we have Takemura, Wagamama and Cafe Sushi. But, they are all not up to par. Sorry to say this but after living for 6 years in the bay area, it is just hard to give really high marks to these Cambridge joints.

Takemura serves passable Jap food but it is not really really Jap. It is opened by Koreans. Wagamama, as you know, is a fusion place. Even far off the traditional style. Cafe Sushi is ok. But it lacks a complete menu. (I know I sound very picky ;p ... but that's me, I love to eat)

So tonight, I decided to venture to Porter Square. It is about 1.4 miles away from my studio. Took me about 15 to 20 minues to walk there => good workout before and after dinner. But nevermind, with my iPod as my companion, the walk seems relatively short. I took a nice evening stroll down Mass Ave. Well, I have to say Spring in Cambridge is really nice. It is sunny and the air is crisp and refreshing, not cold at all. And the nice thing is the weather will stay nice and warm until October ... yeah ...for next 6 months.

Back to food. So I reached Porter Square and I sought out 2 places. Sapporo Ramen and Ittyo. I was deciding which should I choose - Ramen ... which I haven't had in Cambridge before or curryyyyy!!! ... hmmm you know which I ate ... hahaha. I ordered Tonkatsu curry rice ... and man ... I downed it in like less than 20 minutes. I haven't had Tonkatsu curry rice in so long. Although not as good as the one I used to go in Sunnyvale/Saratoga with my buddies ... I still enjoyed it thoroughly. Next time (maybe tomorrow?) ... I will try Sapporo Ramen ;p ... yum yum.

I was about to leave but ... as I turned around, I saw a Japanese bakery ... hahah. I stopped by and started asking the girl about all the different types of cakes and pastries she has. (pretty Jap girl ... ;)) Seeing me asking so many questions, the lady boss came over. I thought ... shit was she unhappy that I was asking these questions? ... but no ... turned out that she was very friendly. And when she found out that I moved from SF, California to Boston, she was even friendlier because her son is working in SF. (I dunno maybe I remind her of her son ... since she started telling me which cake her son likes and keep asking me to try ;p) We chatted for a while and she even told me where to get authentic Jap food and gave me the chef name - Hiro san.

So in the end, I bought a fruit tart and a strawberry short cakes. I just finished the tart and I am looking at the cake now ... heh heh ... but I will probably leave that to tomorrow. Still feeling well fed and happy from my curry rice ;p

Mary says

2008-04-13T19:28:00.001-07:00

Wang LeeHom had an ex-girlfriend called Mary Bai ... I was randomly browsing videos through YouTube and I discovered this video. It is a heart warming song, attributed to his relationship with her.

"Mary says" - enjoy the song ;p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je0e3OetPgw

三十而立

2008-04-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

I was told this recently. At 30, I am independent.

I spent my teenage years learning and mastering skills. In my twenties, I graduated with different skill sets, started wondering around the world, building my experience. Looking back, I am happy to say my adventures have been very meaningful. I have tasted all flavors of life in the past 10 years. I would say more 甜 than anything else, which is great! The twenties was a time of carefree lifestyle, formless and aimless in the sense. I didn't worry about my lifelong goals too much, I didn't have the responsibility and burden of carrying a family and I wasn't expected to play a significant role in most things. So, being a yuppie in California, I had the best time.

However, time keeps moving forward and eventually, every human being has to face his aspirations and challenges. At which point, he has to make a decision whether to continue with life as it has been or move forward to the next phase.

I have arrived at this point in my life. I am at a stage where I have gained substantial experience and capability to navigate on my own. I am no longer dependant of the established or fearful of the establishment. I am able to defy irrational traditions and say "no" to anyone deemed incorrect or insensible, no longer succumbing to the pressure of inexperience.

So, 三十而立 ... indeed, very true. It is time to assume the rightful place and role in this society. It is time to take charge and be in control. It is time to take over and lead.

[子日] : 三十而立
[虎日] : 三十以後全力而進

Should be sunny soon

2008-04-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday, here am I at the Taubman building at the Kennedy School sitting anxiously waiting for my CA to arrive. I have a few questions on Game Theory that I need clarify. It is drizzling outside but the weather forecast says the next few days will be very sunny and warm.

See, I am not a Lee Hom fan but somehow I stumbled into this this morning and I find it really nice. Those who know me, know that I am a big fan of nostalgic, sentimental Mandarin songs ... especially those which resemble that "lost era" of early modern China (Think of songs like Shanghai 1943 - Jay Chou, 千里之外 - Jay Chou) ... ie. when China is capitalist, unique and has its own cultural charm. Maybe it is due to my upbringing but nevertheless, these songs never fail to bring me back to that era and allow me to see things from my grandparents' visions.

Anyway, back to Lee Hom ... this song 花田錯 is nice and soothing to listen to. And I like the part when he blends the Peking (or rather Beijing) opera style into the mandarin hip hop. Ahhh ... I couldn't wait for summer to come. Maybe I will try to spend my summer in Taipei or Beijing this time ... learn some mandarin ... travel to Tainan or southern China to experience the "ben du feng wei" and deepen my language and understanding of the culture.

Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SDSHNJRlXk&feature=related

I will march on

2008-04-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

I find it pointless to deliberate on things. After 3 weeks, I have finally restabilized and rediscovered the perspective. So, it will be back to business for me. Looking forward to my summer time.

Vienna Teng

2008-03-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

I remembered I first heard of Vienna in bay area. That was around 2003, probably after she cut her first album. If memory didn't fail me, I was reading a blog from a Stanford dude and somehow it alluded to her. Being curious, I clicked on that link and learned about this girl who was a Stanford CS major and decided to pursue music. Impressive and bold ... as I thought, since she was my age, dared to quit Cisco and took the move of venturing into something totally different while I was still slogging away at Oracle.

Fast forward 5 years. I was at the Asian American Conference on Politics and Policy at Harvard Law. Sitting at the dinner table anxiously waiting for food ;p ... as I turned, I saw Vienna, in person, right at the table behind me. She was the guest performer that night.

So, I had this opportunity to listen to her voice that evening. I only have one word to describe it - Amazing

If you want a few more words, I would say rich, beautiful and rare. She is no doubt a very talented singer. The funny thing is when she doesn't sing, she speaks in a very mature and reassuring tone.

Being the enterprising southeast asian, I took the opportunity to chat with her towards the end of dinner. Off stage, she is pleasant, down to earth and just like you and me. In fact, she easily passed off as a student, blending into the crowd just like a rogue who stealthed into the night unnoticed. You might not even have realized that there is this little celebrity chatting and laughing away among the people.

What is in store?

2008-02-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

This semester:

1. Advanced Macro - Deriving all the models from first principles. Dynamic optimization etc
2. Advanced Micro - General equilibrium and then it is Game Theory in all its glorious details
3. Advanced Quant Methods - all those betas, GMMs, LIE, CLT, LLN, instrumental var
4. Economic Development - with Prof Dani Rodrik
5. Options and Futures Markets - with Prof John Cox, inventor of the Cox model.

So, it is a pretty loaded semester, a continuation of my 1st year journey to complete the core requirements for my program. It will probably contain a lot of pain, agony and resistance but I hope that I can emerge enlightened and transformed.

Really looking into the 2nd year because that is when all the fun and flexibility begins. And the kind of classes I will be taking will be very very different such as:

1. Negotiations
2. Competitive Strategy
3. To Be a Leader
4. How to Become a Politician
5. Growth Strategy
6. Investment Management
7. Managing Campaigns and Running for Offices
8. Public Communications

The Year 2008

2008-01-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all. What does 2008 bring for us? Let's hope that everything is smooth and we will have a productive and wonderful year.

I spent the last day of 2007 in Singapore celebrating with a few close friends. Although I am still recovering from jet lag, I did enjoy the night. It was hilarous, given that few incidents which happened. If they are of any indication of things to come, then it would be interesting ;p

A time to unwind and reflect

2007-11-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

It is Thanksgiving. For most of my american classmates, it is time to go home and be with their folks. For me, it has always been a very quiet period when I wind down, relax and reflect. It has been this way since the past nine years, a period of time when I do some soul searching, stock taking and planning for the year to come.

The nice thing about this 4-day break is that it is near the end of the year. It is at a point in time when you can look at nearly all the things that have happened in the year and see what have you done throughout that time. And it is far enough away from Xmas and New Year when you want to be in a festive mood.

So, as I go through my to do list, sitting alone in my apartment, I enjoy the calm and quietness surrounding the otherwise noisy and bustling neighborhood. How I wish I can eat some mooncake (yes, I love mooncake although it is past mid-autumn) and have some fine tea, listening to Jay's latest hit ... 青花瓷 (Qing Hua Ci)

Comments on recent PM speech at UMNO assembly

2007-11-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

I was reading The Star online following on the recent convention that is going for UMNO. Two key points that the PM mentioned caught my attention.

First, it is about the end of parochialism. That statement has definitely resonated with many young Malaysians especially people of my generation who were born and raised in Malaysia. These are the people who grew up sitting in class next to your Ali, Muthu and Ah Chong and know nothing about the so-called social contract until probably when they read history in lower secondary. So, a Malaysia for all people regardless of race and religion seems to be the norm and what they had expected in their naive years. And now, hearing this coming from the PM is truly refreshing and nostalgic to a certain extent. For me personally, I have never felt marginalized by the policies of the 80's and 90's until it dawned upon me during my adolescence years ;p ... you can call that the Great Awakening. While I think this happened because of weaknesses and flaws in some of the policies (maybe a miscalculation of equivalent variation on the government side), I have always hoped they can be improved as time comes. And to hear this from the man himself is encouraging enough.

Next, one of his statements caught my attention. And this particular one, while justified in its traditional way, leaves much to desired. The PM mentioned that a few things can never be challenged. They are, among other things, religion, beliefs and practices, Malay interest and social contract. I said this statement leaves much to be desired because it just shows us how fragile still is our country's coalition after 50 years of independence. I can agree very much on religion, on beliefs, on practices - no questions asked. It is your right to practise and act in any way you wish as long as it does not encroach on other's rights. However, Malay interest and social contract, the phrase while very relevant and still practical in our current society just exposes the lack of strength and foresight in our society. If Malaysia were to truly become a country for all, it should take care of everyone's interest, regardless of race. The PM's strategy and vision on eradicating poverty best exemplifies this concept. If we target poverty action on people below a certain income level, regardless of background, all those who qualify will benefit from the policy. So, if it happens that there are more Malays or Indians who need help, then naturally and logically, they will receive the most benefits. No questions asked and there is no need to specifically guarantee any race a safety net. Because ALL Malaysians who qualify will be safeguarded. Are we ready to progress to that stage yet? I fear not. Else, the PM wouldn't have felt the need to reiterate these as basic entities. Unfortunately.

So, my challenge to all Malaysians is not what can you achieve in 2057. Rather, ask ourselves when can we truly call each other Malaysians.

Have a good weekend.

Ask not what your country can do for you ...

2007-10-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

These now immortalized words were spoken by President Kennedy during his famous inaugural speech. Yes, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. However, what if, you are not even given a fair chance to begin with by your own country? Many Malaysians face this dilemma. They work, toil and give their best - constantly planning on how they can best contribute to their beloved country. But in the end, they were told that they were not good enough, they were passed on for opportunities and made to feel like second class citizens.

Am I wrong to say so? When Malaysia cried out loud and reached out to her sons overseas to come back and serve, many highly qualified Malaysians went back and did just that. I, personally, know of a few who threw down everything and heeded the call. But what happened? They were only disappointed back home and regretted their decisions later. Bureaucracy, lack of meritocracy and transparency keep Malaysia being uncompetitive by any international standard. So, when Malaysia cries again, tell me ... yes, you tell me ... who will go back?

If you were to ask me what have my country done for me, I don't really know how to answer. When I was young, getting into a Malaysian boarding school on a government sponsorship was almost impossible for me as a low income, chinese boy with no connections. I took up the ASEAN scholarship and went to Singapore to do my high school. After I completed my A Levels, I applied to numerous scholarships, hoping to get one to venture overseas. However, I was told that I wasn't good enough because I didn't do my SPM and STPM. That was 1998, at the height of the Asian Financial Crisis. Persevering on, I took up a huge loan, packed my bags and headed to Carnegie Mellon. 3 tough winters at Pittsburgh taught me numerous lifelong lessons. I graduated in 2001 and stayed in the US to work. The reason being that I needed to work and repay my debt.

Now, fast forward 6 years. I have finally paid off my dues with a little savings left. At 29, I told myself that I can finally pursue what I want to do in life ... ask what I can do for my country. I quit my job in consulting and enroll at Harvard to do public admin. Many, yes, many people ask me why am I moving in a direction which many else try to get out - it is bureaucratic, political and messy. My answer remains the same. It is the passion to serve, the sense of belonging and pride to your nation.

Before starting my program at Harvard, I have been worrying again on how to pay for my 2-year program. It seems like dejavu. I looked at a few scholarships back in Malaysia, one of them being the new Yang DiPertuan Agong scholarship, which calls upon all Malaysians who have gotten entry into top universities to apply. I did just that, hoping my luck is better this time. However, it was the same story all over again. I didn't even get a chance to present my case in an interview and I didn't even know why my application was unsuccessful.

Malaysia always talks about how she wants to nurture her sons. There I was, standing over there, knocking at her door and she didn't even respond.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/1/nation/19342620&sec=nation

Reading the news article, I asked myself, am I not good enough?
So, ask me again what I can do for my country ...

Change

2007-10-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

You sat there pondering. The mentor was a person whom you admire. A person who taught you the skills to survive, to fight and to live. He trained you. He adored you. He prepared you for the ultimate battle. You always believe in him, trusting what he says, listening to what he preaches. But what happens when the mentor has lost his way? You felt indebted. You can't revolt. But you can't accept that change either. Do you forget all the gratitude and fight him? Or do you step aside out of the remnants of respect you still have for him and let him pass? Will you be incarcerated as that traitor who defies his master? or will you be remembered as the disciple who stop his wayward teacher?

The righteous paladin falls ... rise a dark knight?

2007-10-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

So, I can't think of a title for this blog and I decided to borrow the new theme from WoW's Wrath of the Lich King. By the way I haven't wowed for months.

Ok. The past hectic week was over. I submitted all my problem sets for this week and I survived my Advanced Micro quiz last friday. Columbus weekend is coming and this will be a nice break, with no problem sets due next week except for Advanced Quant class. So glad.

The funny thing is my life is so academically revolved nowadays. Instead of worrying on project deadlines, I worry on problem sets ... hahah ... and to be honest, problem sets give me more jitters than when I was back in the workforce. Anyway, I had dinner with the Asian Pacific American Caucus today. A bunch of nice people and I look forward to meeting them again.

An update on my election campaign. The poll results came out today and I lost. Ahhhhh ... as much as I wanted to lament on my defeat, I am happy that I ran! Yes, I knew my odds were not high going into the race with 2 Americans. Both have very organized election teams (yes! we are talking about teams here ... teams of people who were serious enough to wear suits everyday the past week when they campaigned) while all I have is myself. One of them appeals to the Democrats and the other, Republicans in my school. And along came a kampung kid from Malaysia running against them. ;p My classmates were asking me, "Are you crazy?" No, not at all when I can make a bunch of people listen to my Malaysian english. Being a public speaker is about getting the message across and I knew I did. Unfortunately, I don't know enough people yet, or I have the clout to sway the voters over. Neither a Dem nor a Rep but always that boy willing to try. My key takeaway from this experience is friends. Within 1 week, I made so many new friends, whom would have taken me significantly longer time to meet. A cause well worth it.

Getting some time to rest

2007-09-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

I haven't been having much time to rest. Everyday passes so fast and my output level is increasing more and more to keep up with it. So, yesterday, I did my first quiz this semester. The course being tested was Microecon. I was anticipating something very tough like those in previous years but this time it turned out reasonable. I was relieved as I think I can kind of handle the questions. Since I was busy running my election campaign, I hardly had time to study. I pretty much spent like 6 hours reading through Consumer Theory. My classmates and the year 2s thought I was crazy to be running an election during this time and during my first year in the program. Anyway, the campaign is almost over and the quiz is over.

So, yesterday, I finally had some time to unwind and I just couldn't bring myself to start working on the 3 problem sets that are lining up for next week! I had a great time talking to the Mid Career folks during Beer and Volleyball in afternoon. At night I went to 2 parties. The first was my class party. It was pretty fun with some of my friends performing American Pie and 月亮代表我的心 yeah. The next party I went to was this Mid-Autumn celebration with the China Caucus in my school. Met many students from East Asia within my school, HLS and HBS. And at around 11 pm, I went over to my friend's birthday celebration at Daedalus Lounge. Had a couple of drinks and I headed back home to call it a night.

Speech and debate video

2007-09-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I gave my speech to my schoolmates. I am glad that the election committee recorded this video because I really don't know how I did in my public speaking. And now I can play it back and evaluate my strengths and weaknesses ... a good way to improve ;p

Anyway, here it is. It is 1.13 hour long. My speech starts at around 9 min 55 sec.
http://ksgvideo.harvard.edu:8080/ramgen/kssg20070926election.rm

Edit: After reviewing my own video, I can't help but notice a few things:
- I think I need to smile more when I speak in a serious tone, else I look intimidating and unfriendly ... hahah ... which is obviously not the case, if you know me personally. And smiling matters a lot in winning over people's hearts
- I am glad that my speech didn't consist any "uhm"s, "err"s and "ahh"s. However, I need to further analyze this by a longer public speech next time as this was too short. Only 2 minutes of talk time.
- Also, because of the time constraint, I didn't prepare a draft. I think it has good and bad points. Good point is that it makes the speech and presentation more natural and smooth. Bad point is that I don't have something to refer to for information and content. Most people there brought their draft along and can be seen reading from it at times.

D.NG for EVP

2007-09-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

I officially declared my candidacy to run for EVP of the Kennedy School Student Government. I have to say I am excited. To campaign and run for the election just like the American Presidential election, although in a much smaller scale, is an experience I think I will enjoy.

Tomorrow, I will make my campaign speech at the Forum to the student body. Victory or defeat, we will see. But I bet, it will be fun. Here is my letter to school seeking support:

Dear friends,

What attracts you to KSG?

For me, it is the people. The great people I meet, interact and connect with make a big difference to my experience. And that means you.

My name is David Ng and I am running for the Executive VP in KSSG. Having significant leadership experience, I had successfully led teams to accomplishing goals and delivering measurable results. Outside of work, I was actively involved as co-chair of a social forum, project leader for a volunteering organization and I also enjoyed socializing.

I strongly envision and strive for a tight community across all programs – whether you are in MPP, MPA, MC, PHD or MPAID – we are one student body, we are KSG. I also aim to improve access to crucial resources, resources that you and I care about, resources that you know will make a difference to your experience at KSG, like better library hours, café selection and financial aids. More importantly, as EVP, I will support the President and VPs to enable them to perform their duties as a team. I believe in commitment and I promise to deliver.

So, my dear friends … let us not just dream our dreams. Join me in making KSG the best place for us to learn, grow and have fun. Work with me towards our goals.

Vote for D.NG!

Best regards,
David Ng

Hound dog

2007-09-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
cryin' all the time.
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog
cryin' all the time.
Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit
and you ain't no friend of mine.

Ya, they said you was high classed,
well, that was just a lie.
Ya, they said you was high classed,
well, that was just a lie.
You ain't never caught a rabbit
and you ain't no friend of mine.

Mid-Autumn

2007-09-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Went to an early celebration yesterday night for mid-autumn at MIT. It was hosted by Harvard, BU and MIT TSA. The place was pretty packed, I would put the estimate at about 150 people. Met a couple of guys from the Taiwanese government. They are quite interesting to talk to, given their experience in US and back in Taiwan. I probably speak more mandarin yesterday than the past month in Cambridge. And I am glad that I was able to hold my conversation ;p

I was hoping to bump into my friend, Sybor, who is an ardent Taiwanese fan from MIT. But, unfortunately, he wasn't there. He probably had better things to do. However, I did spot Malcoln, another friend who is currently training to be a corporate leader at Sloan. It was definitely a very relaxing dinner/night given the amount of things I had been doing last week.

Today, there will be another dinner get together with people from MSA and SSA of Harvard and MIT. I am not sure if I will go but I do hope to make some time for it. Let's see if I can solve my Mundell-Fleming in time for the event.

Been a busy week

2007-09-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

Things are just picking up at the exponential here.

My typical day starts at 8. Review for homework due for the day. Do my readings for all classes. Get to school by 10. No excuses for being late as we stick closely to being on time. (Honor code) Class starts, participate, participate, participate. Class ends. Go to lunch seminar. Learn about current issues of the day. Why the best practice in US won't work in Africa? Question to ponder upon. Next class begins. Decision analysis. Bayes, mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive, risk aversion, psychology traps ... all things we care about when we make decisions. Right or wrong? Then, case study begins. Today we discuss Networked Enterprise. Producer aggregation, private equity, distribution channels in India. EVP of a bank provides an insight into what they are investing on. Class ends at 6pm. Is my study group meeting up tonight? Time to head to the Forum.

Afterall, that plays a big role in life at KSG. Like for today, secret service, campus police, the Forum is all dressed up. Hmm ... wonder who speaks today? Vuk Jeremic, Foreign Minister of Serbia ... our class alum from '03. Every week, for a few days a week, the Forum comes alive at 6pm. Next week, we have the President of Senegal.

Brazil vs Mexico

2007-09-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

I went out for a match yesterday night with some friends to watch Brazil play against Mexico in the Gillette stadium in south Boston. It was crazy as the stadium was packed. Yes! Full house. The entire place was colored in yellow and green ... well more yellow than green actually. The traffic was so bad that it took us nearly 3 hours to get there. When I arrived, there was only 30 min left in the game and the score was 1-1. However, yes, however, Brazil scored 2 more goals in the last 30 minutes. It was well worth the trip. Then, post game, people were just fucking crazy. They were dancing and parading around the stadium. We, of course, joined in the fun. Kind of like samba. The Boston police officers were having a tough time controlling the crowd. I did take some photos with my phone camera and I will upload it once I fix my bluetooth connection on my laptop. And on my way back, I was stuck in the traffic again for another 3 hours. But I wasn't complaining ... well, not when you were not driving and you had the companion of 2 lovely Bulgarian girls in the back seat ;p

Doing things at a different level

2007-09-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today I finally had my first lecture in Macroecon. The topics and materials presented just blow me away ...

I was an Econ major in college and did Intermediate Macroecon. So I had this idea that I can somewhat relate my knowledge from the past and smooth out my venture in this course. But I am wrong, I think. This semester alone, we are going to dissect Marshall-Lerner, Mundell-Fleming, Seignorage, Salter-Swan, forex theory and mechanism, capital mobility, PPP, Dutch Disease, intertemporal trade, IRP, pricing models, speculative attack models, boom-bust, sudden stop, forecasting, portfolio theory, debt dynamics and etc etc etc.

We are going to read Romer, Frankel and Obstfeld. Besides the textbooks, we are going to read about or more than 25 econ papers ...

I hope I suvive ;p ... after the lecture, one of my classmates came to me and asked rather worriedly, "Do you get what he was talking about just now?" My reply, "I was equally overwhelmed."

... and oh yeah, right before it ended, the prof. added that next semester, in our Adv. Macroecon II (yes there is a part 2), we will be going back to the basics to derive from the first principles ... so here comes all our partial differential equations and calculus.

Fall session begins

2007-09-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

Classes officially start today. I will be taking Advanced Microeconomics, Advanced Macroeconomics, Advanced Quantitative Methods, Management in a Development Context and Case Workshop. I am looking forward to them because it has been quite a while since I was last engaged in an intellectual setting. So I hope they can stimulate my mind a bit and also impart new ideas to me. In the same time, I am not sure how well I will fare in these courses. Of them all, Advanced Micro and Advanced Macro are taught at PHD level (which explains why I need to get my ass over to Cambridge 3 weeks earlier and attend math camp). Thus they might form the biggest challenge since I barely remember my undergraduate econs ;p

We will see.

An afternoon with Vinay Rai

2007-09-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

2 days ago, an Indian philantropist came to the Kennedy school to give a speech. His name is Vinay Rai and he was a corporate figure prior to his current activities. While I found his speech informative, the part that really caught my attention is the question and answer sesson. Not so much because it was interactive but rather, his answers were more insightful as he began to draw from specific, personal experiences.

Key takeaways I got from that session:
1. If you plan to startup in a consumer market, go to one like India, where you actually have many first time buyers. As their income grow, they yearn for more goods and choices.
2. If you want to raise fund for your business, have a sound plan ready and pitch to investors here. But be ready to enter the emerging markets and grow fast.

Harvard Square and Boston

2007-09-08T00:31:00.000-07:00

I have recently relocated to Boston or more precisely to Harvard Square in Cambridge. After being in the workforce for 6 years, it is a little tough to go back to school. Again, after 6 years of Californian sunshine, I kind of dread the Boston winters. However, I see this experience as an opportunity to look at things from a totally different perspective. Having been in the private sector, I was trained to maximize profits. As we all know, the primary purpose of a corporation is to return the best possible values to its shareholders. However, I am taking on an opposite stance now. In the next 2 years, my mind will focus on how to create and optimize public goods to deliver the maximum benefit to society. And I shall seek the meaning in life ;p

After a 2 year hiatus, this blog will start to grow again ... and remember to support my efforts. Donate to my education fund if you have a penny or 2 to spare =)

Sun, Surf and Sea? ... it is LA you bitches

2005-04-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am currently in LA ... hanging out with my buddy skhoo. Been a busy week doing all kinds of paperworks. Filing for taxes, renewing my driver's license, renewing my car registration etc etc ... finally get to take some time off to wind down in LA LA land.

Anyway, things look pretty set now. Refocused, regrouped and reenergized. The bad guys must pay. This is Kill Bill Vol 3.

My next phase

2005-04-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

I am entering a new phase in my work life. After coding and coding and coding for the past 3.5 years, I have decided to go into a new field. Consulting. Something that has always been lingering in my mind. What ifs? Now, I will be doing it and living it out.

Yes, my new office will be in downtown San Francisco but I will still be staying in San Carlos. And I anticipate a lot of travelling to happen for my work. I will still be dealing with the technology sector, as that is my primary focus. However, I will be looking at things from a different perspective. It should be interesting.

Word of the day

2005-04-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here. Today we spring forward and attain an extra hour of sunshine. I always like this. Having more daylight makes me feel good. Somehow the world seems brighter and everything just looks so full of life.

A quondam conservative, I used to be thrifty and do things with cautions. For me, resources are precious and limited, thus I should use them carefully. However, the past few years have been bifurcating for me. I am constantly swinging back and forth, trying to seek the balance in life. It is perfectly important to be assiduous and save for rainy days. Through my upbringing and cultural infusion, I appreciate readiness for adversity. However, a few past events challenged my position on life. Sometimes, in the infinite time continuum, our lifespan looks so short. What is a century of life in a billion years? Life is only as meaningful as the way we choose to live. If we choose to color it vividly, then I quote my favorite phrase, "che la vita bella!" But to live as a bon vivant, it comes with a price - be it monetary or not. Unless we have an abundant amount of resources, our seemingly inpregnable financial position will soon wear down to nothing.

Sometimes, I act inconsistently. I would one moment be very firm on my spending habits and the next, become biddable and succumb to pleasures. Well, one solution that comes across my mind is producing a potboiler and generates fast cash. So fast that I can gain an immense amount of resources in the shortest time possible. However, money will only allow me to indulge in material pleasures. Eventually, they will just cloy my senses.

So, back to the billion dollar question? What is next?

Of conmen and tricksters

2005-03-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

Recently, a few "head hunters" from New York, whom I shan't name, came knocking. One of them is particularly irritating. They kept calling and for weeks promised the sky of New York as the bounty. Each time they would say, "... hey we will get you into this bank or that hedge fund ... hook you up with opportunities there ... get you an audience .. etc etc etc". You get the idea.

But the funny thing is each time, they will ask me the same old question. Do you know this? (yes I do), do you know that? (yes I do), how to do this, how to do that ... to which all I provided them answers. After a while, the process got irritating. Hey ... it is like don't they keep a profile of their candidates? They kept asking the same old questions and it seemed that we were getting nowhere.

So, this morning, being tired and fed up with their same old routines, I got straight to the point. They asked me again, " When can you come to New York for interview?" I told them, "as soon as you schedule one for me." A moment of silence ensued. They had no answer for me. They said they will be in touch. I won't.

Wait and see

2005-03-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

What is balance? Taoism defines it as a harmony between Yin and Yang. Soldiers call it the thin red line. Philosophers see it as between ingenuity and insanity. Is balance really achievable in every facet of our lives in this world?

If there is balance, everyone should be above the poverty line. The poor should become well resourced and the rich shall stay rich. However, we always have that top 0.001 percent of people on this planet being the superrich and a large number of our population dying of hunger and poverty. So, balance? You tell me.

Many say people like Hitler, Mao, Stalin and etc, fell out of balance and went to the extreme. But again, who is to judge what is extreme and what is not extreme? When Bush decide to attack Iraq, Afghanistan and get involved in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, is he trying to maintain a balance? or is he becoming an extremist? Again, who is to judge?

Well, the way I see it, the strong, the victor, the powerful and the rich will always say it all and do it all. Since they define and change the rules as they wish, who among the laymen, is to say no and play against the tide? Once, I thought education, knowledge, science and technology might somewhat level the playing field. But how naive and wrong am I! The very fact remains. The old money controls Wall Street. Their offsprings attend Harvard, Princeton and Yale on a legacy ticket. The techno-socio-bio-younamewhat capitalists take down the Bay. And Stanford is their favorite playground. The average Tom, Dick, Harry, you and me will get by- yes get by with hard work and certainly a heavy dose of luck. Nevermind if you are brilliant or not, for brilliance is second citizen to connection. The majority of corporate America will still be in the reins of these people. If you manage to break in, given your humble family background, I say, you have made it - yes, the American dream! I will say you are good. But the luck factor is undeniable.

Boy, do I sound biased? Not at all. My statements are certainly debatable. But then again, there is for sure a heavy dose of truth in them. Enough for today.

When it comes back ...

2005-03-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

Life is interesting. It is dynamic, unpredictable and yet very forgiving. You only live once. At each point, you make a decision, hoping that is the best decision, given information that you have. Can I argue that we follow a Greedy algorithm here? But then, Greedy algorithm is proven to fail in certain instances. And I believe, it applies to us too, when making life decision. However, the nice thing about life is, we only know the consequence of an action we take. Hence, we can't go back and try out other possibilities. In that sense, we'll never know what would have been best? Good.

Human is amazing. We constantly adapt and change, according to our actions and our thoughts. An old adage says that our mind is like a knife. The more you use, the sharper it becomes. I used to only partially believe this. For I feel that a person's intelligence is somewhat constant after a certain age. However, I finally realize the deeper meanings behind that adage. It is actually talking about how you will become less agile, if you stop doing something for a long time. Generalization. The best explaination I can offer to avoid a debate here. Anyway, I finally see the point ... and when it comes back, I will never loose it again.

It is Sunday ...

2005-03-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I just got up, walked out of my room and went to the bathroom. Right now typing away for this blog. Hey, it is getting addictive!

Anyway, this weekend is supposed to rain. So, we don't have the usual California sunshine today. Still, I feel fresh and anticipate something good is coming up this week. After so many weeks of shit and downhill, I think I am in the valley literally and figuratively, so what goes down must come up again. It is just a cycle in life ... similar to your business cycles or stock market cycles. The important thing is ... invest, invest and invest ... buy, buy and buy when the market is bad. Source for value when others don't and when the upswing comes, you are well positioned for a big time.

Some random thoughts

2005-03-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

Seems like the Straits Times is no longer free. Damn ... why must it always be about money? What happened to the concept of free news? They don't subscribe to that.

Feeling bored ... just went out to get a milk tea. Ate some fried chicken. That's it. Nothing much tonight. Haven't been very active lately. More recently, I have been thinking a lot about my past, present and future. Something I claim to be self-reflection. Just like the Java Reflection API, well, somewhat like that.

Anyway, I thought about my past in Southeast Asia. How I grew up, my carefree days ... those times when I used to wander around or take a jaunt around the good old town of Malacca. I remember those sunsets ... when I used to ride aimlessly through the village behind my house to take Malay lessons under Mr Omar. I definitely missed those moments. I wished I could be trapped at that time and space, for those were very happy times and more importantly, stress free for me. Hmmm ... sounds like escapism to me.

Honestly, I do enjoy my life in San Francisco. In retrospect, I can't imagine the interesting trails and routes I have taken, twists and turns, to arrive at this juncture. It seems to me for now that I am starting to think again. To think of what my next steps will be and where they will take me to. *sigh* ... I don't want to think so much. For the rest of tonight, I am just going to let time pass.

A Beautiful Life ... in a beautiful world

2005-03-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

8.18 pm PST 2005. My first blog. After much deliberation, I decided to start this weblog. Today is March 19th and the location is San Francisco. What a wonderful world!