12/25/2007

Kite Runner

I bought this book 3 years ago when I was in Taiwan, my friend told me it was on the bestseller list. The book spent 3 years on my shelf collecting dust.

One night, I started reading it before sleep.

The next thing I know, I finished the book at 3am in the morning. I can't remember the last time I read a book like this.

The book is very interesting, the background is in Afghanistan, but it doesn't spend lots of time talking about the muslim cultural. Instead, it is about brotherhood, wanting to be recognized by own father, betrayal, moving to a different country, and more importantly, how we choose to live...

A lot of things I am sure a reader can relate to, it is a great book, I recommend it!

失蹤

前幾天和剛認識的朋友聊天,他說他的戀愛運一直不大好,交往幾個男生都是會人間蒸發.最久的那一個,兩個星期後就連絡不到了,電話,msn,sms,email,都連絡不到,只差沒衝到他家看他是不是還活著,還是報警失蹤人口.

我一開始覺得太扯了,還一度懷疑是不是我朋友幹著販賣器官的不法勾當.但跟另一個朋友聊過,才發現,玩失蹤是現在男生(人)的習慣.

我的另一個朋友是和交往不穩定男友徦性分手一個月後,男生忍不住寫email跟他說,我會改的,我們結婚吧!

然後...他就人間蒸發了,突然有一天,他的手機就不聽了,我的朋友從男生的朋友那邊聽來,他過得很好,很安全...

是不是現在的男生比較怕承諾,一到比較嚴肅的階段就受不了壓力?我倒不知道,但逃,扮失蹤,最對不起的還不是對方,而是自己,因為,你逃跑的對象,往往是自己不敢面對的問題...

12/17/2007

A little riddle for your mind...

A riddle from 1730

As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
And every wife had seven sacks
And every sack had seven cats
And every cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?

12/11/2007

走出理財迷思叢林 做個聰明投資者

許多人對理財的概念一知半解,以為跟著買房地產,炒股票,作一夜致富的夢就是理財。事實上,做個聰明投資者,最需要正確的理財概念。

以下列出常見的理財迷思﹕

1) 賺錢比存錢重要
許多人認為前再賺就有了,所以並沒有設立完善的財務規劃。要知道我們不可能不斷工作,不斷賺錢。而且積少成多、積沙成塔,才是累積財富的好方法。

2) 對理財沒興趣
自認不是理財的料,所以不去做管理的朋友注意了,有句話說“您不理財,財不理您”。如果您不尋求專家意見,做些功課,您往往會錯過許多良機。

3) 選擇太多,還不如做定存
雖然投資的選擇多,只選擇定存,會錯過了加國稅法對投資的優待。以個人稅來說,增值稅只有利息稅的一半。所以,不要讓您的錢躲在定存裡偷懶,讓它出來投資健身吧。

4) 跟著潮流走
相信“明牌”和“小道消息”是很危險的投資方式,投資術語的“羊群心態”就是形容投資沒有原則、盲從群眾的投資心態。要知羔羊往往是任人割宰的,還不如建立一個屬於自己的投資組合,定期回顧,才能有穩定的回報。

5) 炒股比加薪快
在股市熱鬧的時候,許多人相信“心動不如馬上行動”,等著加薪還不如自己炒炒股票賺快錢。但“亂動不如不動”,沒有確認自己風險承受度之前,貿然炒作股票,往往會犯下“買高賣低”的錯誤。