Japanese Need More Sex (in the home)

Looks like the Japanese are not getting enough sex. I read in the dinosaur blog (aka newspaper, here is an online link) this morning that a recent study found that a third of Japanese couples have not had sex in the last month—and 20% have not done so in the last year. Now, I’ve been to Japan (and Korea, as you know) and got to know how they live their lives. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that Japanese (and Koreans) may not be having sex with their mates, but they are likely getting their groove on somewhere, somehow and with someone. A study on Koreans found that 75% of men and 15% of women admitted to infidelity (imagine how many didn’t admit to it!) and men from both countries normally frequent singing bars (called Karaoke in Japan, Noraebang in Korea) where, ahem, more than signing goes on. Now, the reason for this study was to find out why Japan has a declining population; no sex would be a pretty big factor but I think the 15+ year recession and bear market as well as a high cost of living and highly rarified real estate might be a factor too. If they want Japanese to start having more kids, the should move the sex from the business clubs and into the home (the bedroom, to be exact, but I’m a bit of a prude).

UPDATE: Upon reading the online story I noticed a new fact: 28% of men and 34% of women (who were couples) had not had sex in the last month. Did these gals forget the act? Or, as I assume, did the guy do a little nookie on the side? Hmmm...

I’m amazed at how bright it’s getting in the morning. The sun comes up about the time I get on the train now, so now I feel more awake in the morning—a little. Last night Winston (our young one) slept from about 6PM to 11:30PM so my wife ended up staying awake all night. I also woke up a fair bit, but that was because Spencer was kicking me in the head in his sleep. Yeow!

Yesterday I had coffee with the illustrious Minaz (you know, there's even a Minaz site!) He’s a controller at a firm now and is revamping the accounting protocols (and establishing them in some cases) and basically getting the place ship-shape. He’s a real whiz at that. My whiz area is finance and he was asking me why some of the tax tricks that I and other guys in the industry tell him are not in a book or something—well, Minaz, that is how we make our money. I’m all for freedom of information, but, much for the same reason that not everyone is a CGA or CA/CPA, there are some areas where knowing the rules and applying them is highly specialized and it’s not only getting everything down pat at one moment in time—we have to ensure that changes to the tax code, product specifications and supplier characteristics are right for the situation. Well, I put together some information for him, and we’ll see how it’s received.

Ug, feel tired still. Losing my train of thought. Better quit now before I really start babbling. For a more coherent blog take a look at Tony’s. He’s a reader of this one, living in London with his Korea wife and 2 boys (see a similarity?) and he’s in finance too. Enjoy.

Miscellaneous

It’s getting really light early in the morning now. Soon it’ll be bright when I get up at 4:45. Some people think that’s pretty early, but I also go to bed at around 8PM or 9PM—I need my 8 hours. I’m not sure why, but I seem to need a fair bit of sleep. I know some people can get by on 4 hours, but I’m definitely not one of them. Some of my best thinking comes when I’m sleeping, too. Oftentimes when I wake up I’ll have an idea to implement at the office or something to do during the day or some insight into a problem I’ve been thinking of. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism so I don’t think I’m lazy, but it seems to work.

We’ve also had some pretty nice weather lately. All fun in the sun for the last few days and it looks like it’ll last a few more (now, of course, that I’ve said that things will have to turn for the worse—dooogh!). It’s especially nice walking downtown. There are shorter skirts and lower tops donning the lassies these days; but one also has to see the odd bare, hairy, tattooed pot-belly—double dooogh!

It’s kind of interesting in this office. The guys are usually in at about 6:30AM or so, but at 1PM the place becomes a ghostown, fast-like. I knew they were traders, but it looks like their whole lives are pure trading in most cases. Some of the guys are looking at being more of a planner, but I highly doubt they can make the change after so many years as traders. Well, I’m not that dogmatic. One or two of the guys are bright enough to see the writing on the wall and make a change, but one of them is a bloody genius who, I believe, could find a way to make money selling sand in the desert. He’s already beating the bushes pretty hard with all of his clients and contacts that what we can do for them is a good thing (and, of course, it is). He’s actually pretty funny. He was meeting with the trustees of a local private school and told some of the high-powered lawyers there that he is implementing alter-ego trusts for his senior clients and they are basically idiots for not knowing about them—because they are in the legal profession and always say they know everything about this stuff while here’s this old broker who knows more. Haha. Ya, he’s a little confrontational, but he is the same age as these guys (50+) and has known them for years. He also has made tens of millions of dollars for his clients with few losses, so his words on finance resonate with many.

Time to get off the train already, later.

Truckers of the World Unite!

Here is my letter to The Province from their cover story today:

Truckers threatening to shut down Vancouver (or anywhere else in Canada), I believe, are quite justified in their view and they should carry it out as soon as possible. Their plight is not lost on all of us other taxpayers and I know I speak for everyone when I say that they should get some preferential treatment. I mean, it isn’t their fault that their businesses are being ravaged by higher fuel costs. And, if these higher expenses mean they can’t keep their rigs in good repair then we all could suffer if one of them loses a tire or otherwise causes a horrific accident on the roads. We should all buck up and accept their form of protest for as long as it takes until Ottawa and Victoria changes their tune and has a ‘temporary’ tax amnesty for them. It’s all for the greater good.

Let’s not stop there, though. Couriers companies should also get some sort of deal; their fuel prices have gone up too and it’s not like they are hedge funds and can play the futures markets to make up difference. As well, airlines will also need a break on their fuel costs. We all need to fly once in a while—especially politicians in election season—so everyone can understand their predicament. Translink riders should also get a break: they just had a round of price increases and it was probably because of fuel prices. They should get a rebate cheque for every month they’re on transit. Then there’s professional racecar drivers. They must be hurting from the price of high octane. It’s time to make their life easier too—otherwise a favorite sport of Vancouver (except people who live near the track) might be lost forever.

For that matter, stockbrokers and traders have been living under the gun for decades—and should get their fair share of the pie. Since May Day (May 1, 1975), when brokerage commissions came off of the set rates and discounters came into the industry, these disadvantaged professionals have been struggling to make ends meet on a fraction of their usual trading profits. Competition has really hurt the industry and pushed billions of dollars into mutual funds and managed accounts. Oh, the humanity! They should receive some sort of package from the government—otherwise they will stop transacting business. You heard it here first: if the government doesn’t bring back fixed-rate commissions (and high ones, at that) trading on all Canadian exchanges will stop. I’m sure that all RRSP investors and pension plan members will band together and stop investing, trading and withdrawing cash for as long as it takes to make this modest proposal a reality.

Yes, truckers may believe they have valid reasons to want more because of changes in the markets and general business environment—but it doesn’t mean they should get it.

"It's nice to know in a changing world that people can still be bought,"

Oh ya. Take a read of this Forbes article. It comments on the proposed merger of the NYSE (home of the specialist middleman) and Archipelago (an open architecture trading platform/exchange). So, if you're using an antiquated system (in the eyes of some) and they are going at you with both guns--and winning--what is your best option? Inflate the value of your firm and then buy the upstart. Beautiful.

My One and Only Political Comment

Man, getting hotter now…at least warmer than before—and no rain for the past few days. For this place, any time without torrential downpours is like a vacation; especially when we’re coming out of winter (aka the rainy season).

I’ve noticed something lately…I’ve been blogging much less than before. At first, I thought it might be that I have less to say—but that’s not all that likely. More like I have less time to do it now. Even on the train (where I am now) I usually take the trip to write a 1-pager on whatever topic the brokers are asking about at the moment. Believe it or not, blogging takes a bit of energy—arranging thoughts, getting it down and uploading to the net (adding pictures is another time-consuming step). So, why did I blog so much before: I had the time. In Korea my position was mostly ceremonial. I did work, but much of the time my duties were allotted over a pretty generous amount of time. Now, I have the same number of hours, but more to do. I also have to manage about 30 relationships at a time with the brokers and others…like clients, lawyers and accountants. I like it, though. Now when I wake up I can think of 5-10 things to do…in Korea it was ‘hurry up and wait’ much of the time.

So, what to talk about now. I’m an avowed apolitical type, but Paul Martin’s address yesterday was a little refreshing. I remember Bill Clinton and his, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman,“ bullshit so P.M. Martin’s talk was good. Seemed like he was slapping himself in the face before someone did it for him—and now the opposing parties can do nothing more than call him “desperate”; they can’t say that he’s saying too little too late because it certainly wasn’t that. He seemed…well…Canadian—not slick, not mumbling about someone else’s mistakes. He said, basically, “Hey, it happened on my watch so let’s get this investigation done and you [Canada] can take a look at the face and vote me out if you like, or not.” Kinda scary, actually, that a P.M. would do as close to the right thing as possible (there really is no right thing…stepping down would be premature and decimate the party and, more or less, the country’s pride and denying it would definitely be brutal).

Ok enough politics—I won’t comment on it again until there is another special address or something, honest.

The gal next to me has 2 Tupperware tubs on her lap. Mmmmm…cookies. Those, and an Anne of Green Gables book. You know, I’ve never had (and probably never will) have the inkling to read those kinds of books—although so many ‘foreigners’ come to places like P.E.I. to see the green-gabled house itself. You know my bent: I like finance books. Man, this gal has some heeeavy perfume on. Good thing the train is at the station now. Phew!

Time for a New Pope!

I'm constantly amazed at the power of religion. All around the world people were watching for the election of this next pontif (while in some sects they're strapping C4 to their bodies and taking runs at checkpoints). When it finally happened, tens of millions watched his first address and many more will probably watch his first mass. This new guy, Pope Benedict XVI, is a German--so, of course, they have already uncovered Nazi ties to him...typical. I thought it was strange that his name is Jospeh, but now he's Pope Benedict. The story there is new popes choose a Saint to model their papalcy after. So when it comes to decisions, this pope will likely be methodical and comprehensive in his research on the subject before coming up with a decision for the church--many call this being more conservative, I call it thoughtful--basically, he'll ask: WWSBD (What Would Saint Benedict Do)? Interesting.

I know this more because it's current and I can ask my in-house guru, Peter, about it. Peter, I think, is a bloody genius. The guy has facts on almost everything in his head--not just simple facts, but processes and such. If ever I have a question (it happens) I just ask him and he always has the answer.

Things are pretty busy here...got to go.

On the Train...no Rain!

Again, pretty hectic at work…actually got in front of a couple of big clients on Friday. Not only that, but they have quite the family (wealthy, to some degree) and we’re talking with their accountant as well—he’s been looking into trusts for his clients, so it’s a nice match with our talents.

Anyhoo, just read an interesting paper on ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds). It’s quite cool to find out the inner-workings of these things from people in the field (how they are created, used, traded and terminated). It’s posted on Albourne Village, a site (if you’re into finance in any way) you better sign up on. It has tons of news, reports and papers on all areas of the market—but especially regarding AI (Alternative Investments) like hedge funds. In the paper I saw one of my favorite words: fungible. It means something like ‘easily exchangeable’. Like a loaf of bread is fungible, but the Hope Diamond is not. The first time I saw it in a structured note I thought it was a typo. Fungible? Sounds like fungus or something. There was also a note in it to read another paper (on short sales)—I guess that’s my next read.

Almost at the station now…some of the passengers are starting to get up and ready themselves for the mad dash—some take a boat across to North Vancouver so there are always a few sprinting up the stairs to catch it.

There’s the announcement to get off…later.

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Friday morning I felt pretty tired. Been a long week. I've been researching many areas of estate, tax and insurance planning and making my little 1-pagers for the brokers as well as stopping by their office on an (almost) daily basis to give them a heads-up on whatever I am up to. Did the same that morning...a little piece on the difference between "in trust for" investment accounts and investment accounts set up for a formal trust--there are some very BIG disadvantages to "in trust for" accounts. Anyhoo, as I stopped in on one broker his partner said he needed a life insurance quote...ok, so I got on that when I got back to my desk. Then an older broker said he had a couple of $1 mil clients coming in who needed some estate advice...so I met with them too. Things got busy in a hurry, which is good. I really don't mind working a lot on these kinds of things--it's when you're twiddling your thumbs that things get depressing. Well, a few of the othe brokers are studying up on my planning areas and scouring their 'books' (client base) for prospect for me--one is even sending out an email to his 1,000 clients and prospects on my stuff--that is cool.

Today it's nice to have a day off--but it's raining. No idea what we'll do, but got to sleep in until 6AM, so that was nice.

Oh ya, a Korean guy took me out for lunch on Thursday. We had kamja-tang at a great little Korean restaurant downtown: Jang Mo Jib. Mmmmmm....it was just like the kamja-tang I had in Hongdae (maybe better). I also met some Koreans at lunch on Friday. I was out with Minaz (Google my page to see pics of him when he visited me in Seoul) at a food fair and the people with the take-out place were Korean. At first I thought they were Chinese or something, but then I asked if there was kimchi for the european weiners they were selling (the pricing made me think of Myoungdong, too: $5 for a big dog, chips and fresh fruit shake) and they said they had it in the back. I asked (in Korean) if they were Korean then the lady asked if my wife went to Ewha Women's University (in Seoul)....um, ya, how did you know?...she had read my wife's article in the paper about our wedding in Korea--from over 5 years ago! Man, some people have the weirdest memories. I think every Korean in Vancouver read that thing and remembers it.

Well, I better get at some work. Just did a couple of articles on beneficiary designation and alter-ego trusts...next is stuff on charitable giving. Later.

How I fill my days.

Man, it’s been busy at work again. Getting lots of good questions from the brokers and it looks like all of them (including the ones who were giving my the Heisman for the last few weeks because they thought I was just an ‘insurance guy’) have warmed to me and started to see that there is much that I/we can do for their clients. This is cool.

Some of the students and friends of mine whom I speak with (I meet with a few students a month to see if I can add something to what they are doing on their own career planning) ask me what I do everyday. Really, I have no idea. Like the last 2 days: I get in at 6:45 everyday and leave at about 3:15…pretty much a full day. I work these hours because the brokers get in the office at about 6AM or so and many check out at 1PM (market hours here on the West Coast are 6:30 to 1PM). For the first hour or so I do email and make up my 1-pagers (basically very focused documents written for brokers on a specific topic). I do them on whatever they are asking about: trusts, wills, taxation, legal issues, offshore investing and insurance topics. I research throughout the day (Googling things and talking with lawyers, accountants and other professionals) then usually let the facts cure/bake overnight while I sleep so I can have a cohesive piece to get into Word in the morning.

On Mondays, and many other days, I have a morning meeting in another office (mostly on insurance stuff, it’s a little late: 8AM start) and various lunches and other meetings at law firms and conference locations around downtown. This way I get ideas to bring to the brokers, new developments and get answers to my questions from those in the know (more or less, figuring out who knows what is half the battle).

I also ‘do the rounds’ throughout the day. Basically finding a few minutes to ingratiate myself on the brokers and present my ideas to them. I like to show them two at once: yesterday was a trust structure whereby their trading profits (which are usually taxed as income because they are ‘pro’ traders) can get up to 50% lower tax treatment. I also left them with another 1-pager with a table: the left portion was what they saw (client characteristics), the middle column was what I would see (potential problems like creditors, estate issues, taxes) and the last one covers some of the possible solutions (estate, tax and insurance planning strategies). Meetings take 1-15 minutes, depending on how busy they are. If they get a call they ignore me…which is cool—I did the same thing when I was a broker (client first). If it goes on for a it I leave and come back later…otherwise I’ll wait it out for a bit—especially if we’re on a role.

Anyways, no real structure here. The thing I want/need to add in a big way is client meetings. Things are starting, but there is little use without meeting the clients and placing business and making money at this—so I’m going to be a little more draconian (and call in the sales manager on this so that they have his moral suasion as well) so that I can justify this little adventure to myself, my wife and the firm (pretty much in that order).

Well, time to get off the train.

Rich Meal with A Rich Guy

End of a long week. As you’ve been reading, it’s been a pretty busy last few days. Lunch today was with a gent I knew from a few years back—he’s got a financial firm and is looking for Koreans to fill a few slots. It was a great lunch and I think I can help him on a few fronts—which is cool. You never know when someone you give a hand to (or at least don’t piss off) will end up extending a favor to you (sometimes when you least expect it)—and especially in this industry, which is really small when I come to think about it. People that I know in Korea, the U.K. and wherever all seem to come together at some point or another and I really don’t mind (actually I like) being there to add value in some way.

So, this lunch was not what I usually have. It was a sit-down waiter-style one. Usually, lately, I’ll have it at my desk or go to a fast food joint. It was nice to use silverware again. After that a white chocolate mocha almost put me over the edge. I was stuffed already and the super-sweet concoction was a little rich—but I pulled through: what a trooper, eh?

Things are coming together more at the office. More guys are positive on my role and asking questions. Some of the biggest interest is from guys who had initially rebuffed my initial introductions. Whatever works, I always say. As long as there is interest and I can help them (and their clients) out in a meaningful way I know we can make a go of it here in a big way. It’s an interesting market, and firm, to be in at this time.

Feels Like Planting Weather

Weather is getting warmer now. It’s about this time of year when I remember my 5 summers of treeplanting—where I earned money to go to college and university each year. We’d always be in some God-forsaken place like Fraser Lakes, Smithers, Valemount, Williston Lake (Itusk), Meziaden Junction/Stewart, Fort St. John or Deese Lake but usually we started in Prince George. Up there, in May, when we started the season, they had the same kind of weather as we have down here in March and April—same smells and temperature in the morning. I can still remember waking up in the tent—ya, we lived in tents—and getting ready for the day. Put on my (usually) damp boots and get to the mess tent and make lunch, wolf down breakfast (bacon and eggs and all that good stuff) and then get to the block (that’s what they call the field we planted in). My fourth year I was a foreman and fifth year I was an assistant foreman (ended up I did hardly any work and still got about the same pay as being a foremen—or more!). We did a lot: drove BIG trucks (7.2 litre engines), had a couple of helicopter contracts (where we got choppered into and out of the block everyday) and shot a bear each year (them things can get dangerous around camp). You really learn how to make do (the nearest town might be 30 minutes to 4 hours away) and work hard (it’s all piecework, paid by the tree: about 10 to 20 cents each, if you can believe it). Anyways, not that I miss it..I just remember it. Even near the end of my fifth year I wondered if I should return for one more…then I thought, “Naaaaah.”

Time to work in my warm, dry office now.

Drugs in Vancouver, No wonder they call it Vansterdam.

The presentation went well. Almost all of the brokers there (and a few from corporate finance) were pretty enthused about the idea of them and their clients setting up trusts. (One even called one of his clients right after the meeting to set up a time for us to get together.) My lawyer bud liked it as well (now he can be a profit centre for his firm). Of course I was stoked as well because it will expose me to good prospects for my key products (insurance) and the amounts should be relatively large so we can make some coin at it. I split it with the brokers, but I don’t begrudge that at all--—all I want is to get in front of clients. We can do a lot on the personal as well as corporate sides to get money out of the company for them with little tax and quite a few other benefits as well. Everyone seems to like that idea.

This morning I took a peek at my Albourne Village account and noticed I have a ton more ‘apples’ in my little account there. You get apples on the site for adding news items or research pieces to the database, and you spend them to read some reports and a few other ways. I’ve uploaded quite a few things to it and managed to get a few thousand apples (which means people downloaded a thousand or so of the documents I uploaded). Yesterday I added the Goldman Sachs piece on oil super-spiking to $105. I noticed I got about 50 downloads immediately after the thing was posted. If you’d like a copy just join Albourne (free and link on this post) and look at recent additions to the Library or look at all additions and do a ‘find’ for Goldman Sachs.

But that's not why you called...this morning was weird. At a busstop near my train station near home I saw a couple of guys spark up a doobie...then when I got into Vancouver I smelled the pungent aroma of another guy toking in a bus shelter. Good God. Do they think this is Amsterdam?!?!

Got to get off the train now.

Jack Welch Tells it Like it is.

Great read on how to manage a business here.

My favorite except:

More controversially--leading to attacks on him as "cruel and Darwinian"--he urges you to shower the top 20 per cent of performers with bonuses, stock options, praise, love and training; work hard on providing training, positive feedback and goal-setting with the middle 70 per cent to ensure they improve--and encourage the bottom 10 per cent to find more suitable work elsewhere.

Noting that's what successful sports franchises do, he insists business must follow the same approach to excel. He also insists that it's a fair, rather than cruel, approach, since it treats the bottom performers honestly, helping them to adjust their careers with your assistance in good times rather than have them face Draconian actions when bad times strike and staff is frantically jettisoned.

Makes sense.

Wall Street: The Movie

Almost forgot I saw this again (or snippets of it, at least) on TV...until one of the guys mentioned Anacott Steel and "Greed is good." Ah, what a great movie. It's one of those seminal pieces that really shows you the insides of the business (or at least as it was in the 80s, but pretty close to today as well--at least the ideas in it). My bud Eoin (who is now a broker on Canary Wharf with Morgan Stanley) and I even memorised all the lines in it.

My wife is into watching it (on DVD so she can get captioning) too. When she met me she thought I was one of those floor traders....um, no, I have an office. Ha.

Here are some cool lines from it. Beauty.

Good Information on the Canadian Investment Scene

For those readers who are in the industry (or about to break into it): here are a couple of sources of information: Investment Executive and Advisor's Edge. Both are free to receive and have a lot of not only securities but also planning and business building ideas.

Big Meeting...Yahoo!

Well, now that I can actually do work, today is my ‘coming out party’. No, not coming out of the closet…coming out as the insurance guy in the office. C’mon! Anyhoo, today I’m doing a presentation on trusts (not income trusts, I mean the trusts that people set up to put assets into so they can take care of their kids and such). My bud of about 10 years, Rick, will also be there to answer questions. He’s an/my estate lawyer and all he does is set up this stuff for people (both trusts and wills) and I got him in the office last week and introduced him to a few of the guys so everyone is already pretty comfortable with each other.

I hope the thing goes well. Our manager, Steve, said to make it short and sweet. Well, I can do the short part, but the sweet I have little control over. Basically, I’ll just introduce the concerns that people have, the 5 kinds of trusts (they are all pretty basic) and then a quick example. The real test (and my intended result) will be when the brokers bring us their client situations (as they already have in some cases) and we start to get into specifics. I have a few handouts as well, both from my head and Rick’s law firm, and a brochure on our (non-Securities) area of the firm. That should about do it.

Had a brutal sleep last night for some reason. Crazy dreams. No idea why. Spencer also puked on the bedroom floor (he has the flu or something) so that took about an hour to clean up (not that I did it, but I took care of the kids as Kate and her Mom did). As usual, I had to fight to get Kate to allow me to put vinegar on the carpet to kill the smell. She always wants to use some perfume or something, but I think there is something in the vinegar that destroys the odor—sure it smells a bit at first, but after it dries it’s pretty darn good. Thing is, in this house we have rice vinegar, so the smell is a bit different…at least it works, though.

Ok, I have a breakfast to go to on IPPs (Individual Pension Plans) and then my meeting…gotta go.

SFU Finance Club - Finance Night: The Movie

Here is a video from the Finance Night put on by the SFU Finance Club a few weeks ago. Enjoy.

Korea Xenophobic?

Haha. The Korean press and pols (politicians) are up in arms about a recent Financial Times article that slams Korea as displying (and I quote): “anti-foreigner sentiment” or “schizophrenic phenomenon”. (The article is in the premium area of FT's site, so if you pay you can read it.

Hmmmm....let's see. Is Korea anti-foreigner? Well, if anything Koreans (people and business) are, by and large (big exceptions in some cases) pro-foreigners and anti-foreigner in the same breath. Many seem to be in awe of Western culture and business practices (we came up with "best practices" while many Korean firms are still working out how to put together the words "corporate" and "governance" without coming up with "plutocracy" and "nepotism"). But, at the same time, many are also very nationalistic and (rightfully) proud of their heritage. Others go so far as to be jealous (only native speakers can speak like native speakers, stuff like that).

The recent problems with English (the language, not the country) teachers taking on hordes of Korean women as lovers reeks of this ideal: Korean gals see their expat boyfriends as a way to let loose in a tightly-strung culture and, perhaps, even be an exit strategy from whatever ails them in Korea. Korean men are (justifiably in many cases) pissed off that this introduction of a foreign body into their breeding arrangements is, to say the least, screwing things up. The gals, also, seem to be miffed that Camelot is not a place, but a feeling and just as quickly as it materializes (in the form of Joe the Teacher from Scotland, for example) it evaporates as they figure out that (i) he has other Korean girls, (ii) he is married or has a girlfriend back home, and/or (iii) the guy came to Korea because he's a big louse and cannot find gainful employment back home. (There are exceptions, but we all know that.)

Now, is Korea xenophobic? My best answer here is: it's just a phase. Remember when Korea was the Hermit Kingdom? Well, it is for good reason--foreigners have been raping, pillaging and basically destroying all things Korean for thousands of years. The latest was Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of the penninsula. Yes, occupation...as in put all the villagers in the church or town hall and burn it. As in outlaw the Korean language and replace it with Japanese. As in take all the major leaders and force them to work with Japan while holding their families hostage. As in make the last princess of the Chosun Dynasty marry the prince of Japan in order to destroy the blood line. Yes, as in screw over the whole country for about a third of a century. Not cool.

Back to this phase business (my best explanation of comparison between Korea and its Asian neighbors is that it is "out of phase", but that is another use of the word). Korea is, if anything, succeptible to fads, trends, hyperbole and boom/bust mindsets. When 2 girls were killed in June of 2002 (I believe) by an errantly-driven U.S. Army armored personnel carrier the country was up in arms over it. Protests of tens of thousands of people were staged (one set, it seems to remember the girls, the other to talk tough against the U.S.) and petitions signed. Then, so make matters worse, the U.S. Army court martial found them not guilty of criminal negligence. Whoa! Did the shiite hit the fan then! Now everything has died down.

Will the same happen with the backlash against teachers? Probably. Koreans still have an insatiable need to have their kids spend every waking (and sleeping) moment immersed in studying and this is unlikely to abate anytime soon. Since, as noted, only native speakers can speak like native speakers (and teach native speech...believe me, I've seen the results of non-native speakers teaching English...it's not pretty) there should always be a place for us foreigners in Korea. We may need a flack jacket to go to class, but there is a need.

Well, that's enough downloading to the ol' blog for now. Later.

Another Seinfeld Rip-Off: The Beach.

Man, first Friends takes nuances from Seinfeld and uses it in their scripts, then life imitates art as some gal comes up with the novel idea of launching a fragrance based on the smells of the beach. Hello! It's been done before! In "The Pick" Kramer complained to Calvin Klein for stealing his idea about a fragrance based on, you guessed it, the beach--called, fittingly, The Beach.

The only difference here is this gal got out the surfer dictionary and picked "Stoked" and "Wired" as the names.

That having been said...maybe it does smell good. Who can resist the smell of the salt air, rotting kelp and wet dog. Ahhhh.

New Free Daily Paper

Today a new free daily came out: Dose. It follows on the heels of already-reported Metro and 24 Hours (which is owned by Jimmy Pattison, BC’s favorite billionaire son). Dose is a little aggressive. It looks fine—good graphics, nice type—but the demographic is 18-34 year-olds (as you may know, I’m at the tippity-top of that range). For example, the advice column had a question of how to introduce having a threesome to you wife. C’mon…how about something we can use, people, like: how to unclog a drain or read a bank statement. Oh well, maybe I’m just getting old.

It’s funny, you know. I’ve been meeting with all of the brokers in the office (almost all of them now) and the response has been pretty good. Most are indifferent at first, some are interested and others, like the big-shooter I met yesterday, say things like, “Oh, all my guys are traders, and I’m really busy now—so insurance and that kind of stuff is not all that interesting.” But, once I start talking about trusts (and their relevant benefits and uses for them and their clients) or something they (especially this guy) open up. This gent asked me about what to do about his homeowner coverage—so I took his (complicated) situation to a gal I know in the business. Got him his answer in about 10 minutes…he liked that. No money in it for me, but glad to help. His parting comment: “Keep coming back to me with stuff…keep me in the loop.” You bet; that’s a pretty good start from a guy who said there was nothing I could do with him and his clients.

So, not only was my sis-in-law cooking last week, but my wife as well. She made a (surprisingly) tasty stew and I had that lor lunch a few days last week. (I’ve also started packing a lunch so I can spend more time in the office with the guys…although I will take time out a few times a week for a bite also.) It was surprising because (i) she hardly ever cooks (when we got married I was the one in the kitchen, and then when the kids came her Mom did a lot for us—and when she did get in front of a stove it was mostly to make the boys’food, not mine) and (ii) when she has tried sometimes the results have been sub-par. I’m not sure what happened in the last little while that got her in the kitchen, but I’m all for the results.

Ok, time to get at it. Later.

Got my license!

Oh happy day! I finally got my license. Now the pressure’s on…have to make some dough. Well, it’s a heckuva lot better than waiting with no end in sight. I wonder if my phone call to the council had anything to do with it. I called on Friday and left a message with the top gal there saying that I saw no reason as to why this thing was not issued and, since I could do little work anyways, I might as well go to their office everyday and sit in the waiting room until it was done. Next thing I know, it’s completed. I was told not to bother them as it would make the process go on longer (what kind of crazy logic is that?) but I’m really starting to figure that it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the oil…so, not you (and I) know how things work.

Join Albourne Village

For those of you who are wondering where I get a lot of my fantastic market and industry reads and news: here it is. Albourne Village. I recommend, if you're into that sort of thing, that you take me up on the invite and sign up for their free membership. This site helped me a lot when I was in Korea--not only in getting news and gossip but also reports and academic papers and even the job posting that got me thinking that maybe there is more out there that I could do.

Check it out:

Dear Readers,

James Burron has sent you a Postcard from the Albourne Village, the unique internet-based knowledge economy for the Alternative Investment Community.

You can pick up your postcard right here. Or you can join the Albourne Village for FREE by clicking here.

You will be granted 500 «Apples» (our internal currency) if you register, and your friend 100 for having so kindly introduced you.

As we say, "Log on, life is peaceful there"!

Yours
Albourne Village «Post Office» Staff

It's April First

Dear Dear Readers,

The post below is a hoax...the click here said as much but not many are clicking it. I got a few emails and even a phone call from my wife (you'd think she'd know if we were moving out of the country!??!) so I have to think that some think it was the real deal. It ain't, I'll be in Vancouver for quite a while.

More later (and not from the airport or Yeouido, mind you).

Back to Seoul

Well, that's it. I spoke with my boss last night and again this morning. He gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. Bascially, if I get on a plane this weekend I can go back to my old position, live in a massive apartment 3 blocks from the office and even get my own company car (and driver) from the firm. The kicker? Seven figures guaranteed minimum salary and bonus and stock options. So, I guess I'll be packing up the family and head out there tomorrow afternoon to arrive in Seoul on their Saturday night and get over jetlag before heading to the office on Monday and get the deals flowing.

So, for all my buds in Seoul and who want to go to Seoul: here I come!

What about the job here? I really don't know. I mean, it's great here and I like the office and brokers and all...but who can refuse a mil+ guaranteed. Will have to find a replacement for myself here.

Well, that's it. You better click here now.