Monday, July 23, 2007

Risk?

I was searching some information on CDS (Credit Default Swaps) to check that I didn't make naive mistakes on my thesis. I went through an article addresses the risk of CDS. He worried that CDS may be the source of risk in contrast to its purpose to hedge risk. I started to learn CDS from Jan, 2007. I think every finial product has its risk. CDS is not necessary risker than other products. It is important to understand to what level of risk you'd like to bear. It is also important to identify the risk of the financial products. You then decide whether to enter a CDS contract and which position you'd like to take.

If the risk level you have now is lower than your expected level then you can take more risk to gain more profits. If you have already bear to much risk you may consider reduce some of the risk.
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Friday, July 20, 2007

Change schedule

One week before going back, I have to change my schedule. I thought it is quite OK to me since it is my fault but now I am really sad. I should ask my supervisor before I booked the ticket. I am very sorry about that. He is so busy and he had to modify my thesis. On the evening of this Monday, when I find that he had modified every tiny mistakes in my thesis, I was moved. He is always a nice professor. I think I'd better change my schedule.

It doesn't matter. It is not necessary a bad event. Anyway, I am not at all prepared for going back yet. It is not such a big deal. Bless!
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Wednesday, July 4, 2007

杂想

刚看了阿甘的博客,有关比尔盖茨的故事,记者问到比尔人生最不容易抓住的是什么时,比尔盖茨回答到:“是孝顺” 。
好几年前,和我爸爸闲聊的时候,他说我爷爷过世的时候,我大伯父从外面赶回家,跪在我爷爷灵前,说了一句话“我才刚有能力孝敬你,怎么就走了?”
我不知道我爸爸是否注意到我的反应,不记得是怎么说起的了,只是无心的一句话,但是给我的冲击满大的,所以我想这并不是能力不能力的问题了。经济只是一方面,我们还有其他很多可以做的。有心。当然,再怎么孝顺都不为过的。
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Sunday, July 1, 2007

夏日的空气

夏日是毕业的季节,夏日的空气里弥漫着毕业的气息。我应该也算是其中一员。但是这里除了宁静之外,没什么特别感觉。只是也许我将不再踏上这一片土地,当然也只是也许。Thesis没有在半个月前做好也就意味着没能参加今年的毕业典礼,秘书一直强调没关系,可以参加明年的,毕业同样可以今年毕业。既然这样也就无所谓了,反正同学们都是这样。

浏览同学好友的blog好多读两年master的也都在忙着最后的聚餐。花开花落又一年,本科毕业已两年,不想再感叹两年的时间过得太快,因为后来的时间会过得更快。韩总又发起了毕业两周年的纪念活动。我也写点什么吗?又写些什么呢?就回顾一下这两年吧。

2005-2006年度

金秋九月我又回到了厦大,又一次作为一名新生进入厦大,一切是熟悉的,只是多了好多陌生的面孔,少了好多熟悉的脸蛋。是阴差阳错也好,或是命中注定也好,我调到了新成立的王亚南经济研究院(WISE)。在这里我知道了什么叫学者,什么叫做学术。这个新的机构成了学校里,社会上谈论的话题。学校里只要和人提到我们是WISE的,人们会用异样的有点羡慕的眼光看着我们,“你们真好啊,你们老师对你们那么好,为你们提供了好多机会啊。” “流传一句话,你们一天如果睡觉超过5小时就算是偷懒是不是真的啊?!” “呵呵,有点夸张。”

流传的话用到我的身上是有点夸张,但是那是我们班上确实有不少同学是这个标准。WISE的第一年,忙碌,忙碌,还是忙碌。上课,自习,作业,会议,seminar,.... 样样不能落下。我也从自然的从早睡早起到了午夜前不能入睡。几次大型的学术会议,接触了不少牛人,多是国际上有名的学者,包括诺奖得主。几位海外教授的授课和较深入的交谈,改变了我对学术的观点,也慢慢体会到了学者的意义。审视自己,是否要踏上那一条路。

或许是我努力的结果,或许是比较幸运,也或许是.....我被推荐到了新加坡管理大学进行为期一年的学习,双学位的合作项目。

2006-2007年度

火热的八月,在结束了暑期学校的第二天,我登上了飞往新加坡的飞机,开始我的新的征程,没能回家一趟,也没有假期。但是在出发的时候出了兴奋,我没有太多其他的感觉。第一次出国,第一次在国外读书,在新加坡这个有花园国家美誉的国度,我怎么不兴奋?然而,就在飞机降落到樟宜机场的时候,我的心低沉了下来。疲惫的我看着外面的风景,觉得也不过尔尔,也不见得怎么好。到了落脚的hostel,无精打采的我还是要提起精神办理入住手续,三个月的房租加上税收SGD1150。哦!My God!我身上只有SGD1000, 和经理谈了,最少先交SGD1000,于是在降落到新国不到一小时,我也是负债之人了,幸好还有点RMB, 可以维持一段时间,等着奖学金早日来救急。在等待奖学金的这段时间,我们几个人可谓是盼星星盼月亮。买什么都西都要乘以5换算成RMB。这哪得了啊,可怜的我们,白面包成了我们最合适的食物。

课程没什么差别,只是不同的老师讲,不同的要求,不再是做不完的推导,取而代之的是projects, term papers,presentations. 记得第一次作presentation, 和我的搭档先排练了,讲的时候还是紧张,语速较快,但还算顺利完成了。现在已经慢慢习惯了这种presentaion了。课上的没有那么多了,可是分量绝对没有减少。生活比较自由,但是也很规律,两点一线学校----Hostel. 早上8,9点起来就到学校,晚上很少在凌晨前回去的,特别是在期末的那段时间。Thesis是最大也最难啃的骨头,换了两次题目,也费了很多精力。4月份应该是我最忙的时候,为了在5月初能完成 Thesis Oral Exam, 连续一个月3点多睡的,早上8点多起的,最夸张的一次是6点多睡的10点多起的。说苦吗,真不觉得很苦,只是很充实。这就是我们这里的生活的主色调。

读博与工作

读博还是工作,这个问题困挠了我很久,也许现在我也没有我想像的那么坚定。应该说读博我在大学的时候就想过,但是想法很简单,可以的话就一直读下去,然后再去工作,回到学校教书做研究。可以说这是一条我蛮喜欢的路。然而,犹豫起源于对学术的认识,对自己的再认识。如果决心献身学术的话,那么就应该奋斗到US接受洗礼,这不是崇洋媚外,这是事实。5年的时间,这对于我来说是一笔非常大的投资。两条路的比较,正如两个项目的比较,哪个的净现值大就投资哪个,记得学Merton的Finance的时候就有这个问题。我没有真正的去做DCF Analysis. 但也差不多了。有那么多的犹豫,最后我选择了放弃读博。这也意味着我的学生生涯也即将结束。接下去的路怎么走,我不是很明确,但是我知道我应该往哪个方向走。

明年的这个时候,我也将再一次离开厦大,虽然目的地还不知道是哪里。那时的凤凰花还是会一样的红吧!
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Saturday, June 30, 2007

Insomnia

Several days in a low I am insomnia. I can't fall asleep before 2am and can't remain asleep for an adequate length of time. I waked up at about 6:30 and can't fall asleep any more. Lying in the bed, thinking. Every time I was waked up by nightmare. All I dreamed about is my journey back. It seems that I am not so happy and exciting as supposed to. Last night, I dreamed that my flight is today and I don't realize it before shopping informed me that and then plane is going to take off soon. I haven't packed up my luggage not to mention buy presents to my friends. I was busy packing up my luggage and then I cried. I still can't accept that I am going to leave in a few hours and worried that I won't never go back to Singapore. I will miss my friends so much. Then I waked up. Last time shopping told me that she heard I was sobbing the other night.

I packed up my thesis and sent it to my supervisor last night. I haven't finished some aspects he asked me to do. More exactly, I haven't figured out a proper way to add them in and the article still answering the same question. I am looking forwards to seeing him. The first thing I do today is to check the mailbox. I logged into the outlook concernedly. I haven't got his reply. Continuing waiting for the reply, I am tired but don't feel sleepy at all. Sitting at student lounge, typing the ugly words I have thought of. Anyway, today is Saturday. I have rescue to kick off.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

眼睛

左眼里面长了个红包,大半个月了看了4次医生,也意味着花了两天的时间。真的是千万不要生病。服了些要没有什么起色,昨天下午和医生预约了去复诊。医生说没有任何起色,只能开刀了。他看到我害怕的神情了,以致安慰我没事的很快就会好了,只是很小的一个手术。
好吧。我答得很勉强。

手术是很小,就5分钟吧。可是我在那里等的时间啊!真是无语。昨天下午1点出头出发,挂号排队,但是复诊的所以算是比较快。接下来,又给我检查了眼压,视力。这里的医院每一步骤都要在不同的地方,也就意味着在每个地方你都要等上一段时间。检查完之后是consulting, 这都还在我忍受的范围之内。带了分FT打发时间,无奈昨天的版面不多加上一堆的Ad. ,很快就看完了(一些实在没兴趣的没看)。因为手术又是另一个地方,我又要再等了。医生让我先抓药又是漫长的等待。抓好后回到treatment room外面,通知护士小姐我回来了。护士小姐说她叫医生准备一下。My God!这一准备竟是3个多小时。看完了报纸的我只好听听广播,可是怎么觉得那几个电台的节目都不是很和我的胃口。一个人在那里苦等真是很痛苦,加上我本来就很讨厌等人了,也讨厌让别人等。最后发现还在医院里的人都只是在等我,那医生是在看完所有的consultant之后才给我看。护士也等的很烦了。收费处也在等我一个。哈哈~~这种待遇只有VIP才有吧。

出来之后,一只眼睛走路还真是很不自在,看着看着就模糊了,可是在那里竟然连的士的影子也见不到。郁闷`|没办法还是坐MRT。一路上感觉有人在看我,不过反正我看不清,管他们。一只眼睛的感觉是不平衡,刚出大门的时候就装到了路边的绿化的灌木上,之后知道了要调整一下,所以还好。

这样我又有了借口可以休息了。晚上就看片了。今天早上还是那个时候起的,可是吃了点东西又躺下了,10点半才起来,还真是很懒。

碰到房东竟然要我打扫客厅,都不见她打扫过,要我打扫,不理她。这人真是的,要求住那里的要是不抽烟的女性,结果就她天天晚上在客厅里抽烟。反正再过一个月就回去了,不管那么多。
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Saturday, June 23, 2007

Gift from my Mentor

This afternoon as usual I attended the Toastmasters Club meeting. It is a special meeting today ---- The Annual EXCO. Discharge of 2006-2007 EXCO as well as installation of 2007-2008 EXCO. Since I am going back to China quite soon and may be I will never come back more exactly, the chance that I will come back next year is very low. It one month more to go. Though I have start to count down the days that I will fly back home since the day I landed on Singapore. How come I feel so sad because I will leave soon even sad than when I leave Xiamen. May be I know I'll definitely come back to China sooner or later. And I feel so sad to leave here is I fear that I will never be back. I will miss all the friends here, especially my dear friends from Toastmasters Clubs. They are so kind, sincere, dedicated, generous..... How come the vivid words are away from me? These words can't describe them properly. I benefit a lot from Toastmasters meeting not only the English communication skills, but also interpersonal skills. And more important, their kindness let me feel at home which is luxury to me here.

Last meeting, I told them I will go back to China one month later. Chia Yi, my mentor, a beautiful and excellent girl, said that she feel so sad that I have to go back. Then I told her that I will come back one year later, though deep in my heart I think the probably that I'll come back one year later is very low. Maybe just because I don't like to see the sadness from her face which is sincerely.

Today, when I went into the room, she approached to me and gave a gift. She said that since I'll go back soon she would like to accept it as a souvenir. It surprised me. What can I give them? Every time I enjoy myself at Toastmasters meeting. I will try my best to be with them and visit other clubs with them. I have beening thinking about build up a Toastmaster club at Xiamen. And last time, Nathan told me that after I go back to China, I still can join them through the internet and he will assign me to be the project evaluator. I think that's wonderful. I was thinking that I was in Xiamen and joined the meeting with my classmates at Xiamen. That would be so great! Hope that will come true.
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