Road to China

The next phase of the project roll-out is China. Now that the first pilot project in Thailand has gone live, work is now beginning for the next factory located in the northeastern part of China. I have been to this factory many times in the past and it will be good to return again. I actually love this place with it's Manchurian history of the Manchus and the Japanese invasion. I also like the cold and the winter scapes and especially visiting the old Manchu palace in winter with the snow covering the imperial palaces is a refreshing and rare sight. I also love visiting the burial grounds temples and large parks and lakes. But sometimes the cold is very difficult as well with the cold wind burning your cheeks and seeping into your bones. I remember the park near my hotel with the huge statue of Mao and the large number of bikes moving silently in the early morning as their riders went to work. It was actually this large north eastern city that has given me my most concrete impression of China.

Last night I attend a short workshop on trading. It was a good course and complimented my recent attendance of an investment fair a few weeks back. I am thinking of buying a CD library which has about 24 CDs for a home study course on trading. The cost is discounted but still amounting to about SGD $ 1000.00. I wonder if I am wasting my time in this area and should focus instead on my writing. This can be a distraction but also another stream of income if I am successful. But I read somewhere that people successful in trading comprise only about 5% of the total population especially for forex trading. The same low success rate goes for options, CFDs and warrants. But one interesting choice may be the so-called e-minis which is actually futures of the S&P 500 index or Russell index. So the question is should I invest in the library or focus on my goal. I guess I am hedging my bets by having another option in case I fail in my primary goal.

I am also thinking about improving my sports game. Golf is too expensive and sometime I think I waste my time in the greens. But I have spent so much time trying to be good at it but I have not improved my game despite the time I spent. So I am thinking of getting an instructor. In the past, I pursued this course because it helped me handle my stress by keeping me focused on my golf swing. I have kept my cost down by spending most of my time in the driving range instead of the greens. It was more a satisfaction of an urge to follow my father's lead and learn a new sport. But now I felt I have not achieved much and should get an instructor. At least, I could boast of having a respectable game and handicap instead of being a very poor player. Now I feel that time is running out and I should try to accomplish a lot more until age creeps up.

I will be presenting to the new CIO tomorrow who is in Asia. It will be a short presentation and will cover the project we have just deployed in Thailand and soon deploy in China. I will keep it short and precise and hope to give a favorable impression. CIO may help me in the campaign to transfer me overseas to the new job. I hope I can do a good job. I have had many presentations in the past and I don't feel any particular pressure. The experience and training I have had in Toastmasters and presentations to the boss man should be helpful.

Currency Trading

I attended an interesting seminar on trading currency. In the past I lost some money in currency but the game is more controlled and advanced. I think I will try it but need to study more before jumping in. I think the most important point is to have the correct mindset which is to treat investing as a business and not as gambling. It is not due to luck but a mechanical process that be be used again and again. The best way as I have done is to read all the books I can on this subject and try a demo account. This will allow me to test my theories before hitting the water.

I did the same strategy recently when investing in the stock market. I tried to learn by joining a game sponsored by the stock exchange. I had learned a lot and I am not investing directly in the market rather than via brokers or investing in unit trusts. I hope I can do the same in currencies. It is a bot more risky because the swings are more volatile. So I should be more careful.

It is now I think the end game with the boss man's project. I think I have made some progress and I am just exaggerating the extent of the problem. But the issue is real and I am be seeing the true picture than the others who seem concerned. What is clear is that I should increase my engagement with him. There is too much here say and double talk and misunderstanding spread by other people so I need to establish a direct channel to him. This is the missing link in the project actually and I can achieve a lot with his direct supervision.