TRADE YA!

The more people I talk to about their work situation (or what I'm able to gather from reading about it in their blogs), the more I feel blessed with my current placement. I hear a lot of complaints about long hours, office politics and lack of a meaningful purpose. It hits me that, although it's been a challenge overcoming the steep learning curve as a trader (which I'm still climbing; not quite there yet!), I really can't complain. A typical 'day' for me includes creating various reports, generating forecasts and commentaries about market conditions, and submitting an offer strategy to market our energy position. These routine tasks take no more than 3 hours to complete. So what am I expected to do for the other 9 hours? My role is one of those whose value is created by just "being there". Kind of like a firefighter or 911 dispatch; it's critical that I am "there" to do my job if/when something big happens. This usually means a significant change in the market landscape, like one of our generators breaking down. We have a very small window of opportunity to react in a situation like this and so it's key that someone in my role is constantly primed to go. And what is the trade off for this role? Honestly, the actual amount of work I do probably doesn't justify my salary. I get 4-6 days off at a time (typically, I only work 12 days in a month). When I do have to work on statutory holidays, the company treats me to fine dining. I can use the other 9 hours to do other things, like reading or studying. And, when my shift ends, it ends. No overtime, no having to VPN in, no having to take calls at weird hours. I had a nice chat with my HR rep a few days back, really so I could thank him for arranging to have all the details of my transfer looked after, and he asked me if I was happy with how this job has turned out. I told him that when I started, I had no expectations. I told him that I was really enjoying the role and that it was both challenging and rewarding. He was good in reassuring me that, if I felt this wasn't a good fit, he would be happy to help redeploy me elsewhere. I told him I still want to stick with trading...

"Hey Tim, what do you do for work?"
"I'm a trader."
(possible replies from people who ask me in the first place)
1. "Hey, that's great, I'm a trainer too! I help my HR get new hires up and going on the systems!"
2. "Who did you betray?"
3. "Huh?"

One does not know how much they miss the simple pleasures of life until a period of absence is shattered by a typhoon of ecstasy. I recently walked into the west side of a particular mall, falling for the signage out front that claimed the availability of income tax preparation services. Normally completed via software on my own, I surmised that this year's filing might be a tad complicated due to my move. It turns out that this "service" was run out of Walmart and was basically a satellite extension of H&R Block. Fine. I've seen their ads and they seem to be a reputable company. After waiting for 15 minutes (and with 5 minutes to when the kiosk announced that it would be closed), I asked about their rates for tax preparation. "15% of the first $300 returned and 5% thereafter". I quickly pick up my jaw off the floor and slowly turned around to exit said Walmart. Aghast at how much I was hosed (hey, an attempted hosing is almost the same as an actual hosing), I shuffled past a Pearl Tea Hut. What? Sure enough, a bubble tea stand right in the middle of a mall that is anchored by Walmart, 2 dollar stores and a liquor store. Not surprising, the person serving me was not Asian. But, I had to deploy the all-time litmus tests for these places. "Taro Milk Tea, please..." and before I could finish, he asks "With bubbles?" Mmmm. I was tempted to try some broken Cantonese on him, just to test him, but thought better of it. $3 later (for a large, with bubbles, no tax) I was in slurpin' heaven, having one of the best bbt's in a while. When I arrived home twenty minutes later, I barely made a dent on the drink and decided to go to Intuit's website. A few keystrokes later, QuickTax welcomed me back, conveniently retrieving for me the details of last year's tax filing! 2 hours later and costing less than a sushi meal, my taxes are done!

At what age do people develop the propensity to sleep when someone else is talking? I suspect that post secondary institutions has a lot to do with it, forcing naive, blossoming students to have to be alert during 8:30 a.m. lectures. As a result, I now find that many adults (including myself) have a habit of dozing off when other people are talking. It could be an indication that the topic discussed is not all that interesting, but not always. Last week, my Director was in an informal meeting with two of my colleagues, just sitting around our work area, discussing a particular issue. Since I wasn't part of the conversation, I wasn't really paying attention until I heard "Ken! Wakey wakey!" He fell asleep right in the middle of this 3 person discussion! Or today. I was at SAIT taking an electricity market seminar. Yes, the room was a little stuffy and the material wasn't super exciting. Yet, I observed many of my colleagues playing apple bobbing on a few occasions. Not exempting myself, there were moments where I felt like I was drifting as well. And I fight tooth and nail, either by drinking or eating something, pinching myself on the tricep (it really hurts!) or even stretching. It's weird, though. The one thing that keeps me from drifting is when I observe other people drifting. I wonder if there is some evil side of me that prides itself in seeing others stumble like this; perhaps the prospect of them getting caught is exciting. And yet, this is the only tactic that seems to work. Reminds me of something I heard at service this weekend. It was about the Pharisee and the tax collector praying at the temple. It seems to be a natural reaction that, as a reader, you tend to side yourself with the tax collector. Perhaps the context makes it easy for us to do this. I mean who wants to be related to the Pharisees, the ones who were always being criticized by Jesus for not understanding the spirit of scripture? But, isn't a point that if we pass such judgement, we are actually behaving just like the Pharisee? "God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector."

This guy has some mad skills! I especially like the part during the drum solo! Now here's a man who REALLY loves his work...
Juggling Beatles

NUISANCE

Reading “Rich Christian” has been both enlightening and convicting. It is a great collection of stats regarding those that are marginalized by current (global) economic structures. Mostly, the information seems to paint a picture of big, evil creature that is robbing people of their ability to live a dignified life. So, how is it possible for someone as useless as I to slay this monster…

It is interesting how something I came across in b-school is revisited in the current chapter I’m reading. In Ethics (ironically, one of the very first classes I took in MBA), we did a case study on Nestle and how they pushed their baby formula to mothers in developing countries. Aside from the fact that this batch of formula failed to meet FDA regulations in the States and was sent to “lesser regulated” markets, this company preyed on the naivety of these new mothers, often giving out “free” samples, disguising themselves as medical professionals to add credibility to their product. This example showed what lengths multinational companies will go to, with the obvious intent to deceive, to capture more market share. And, ironically, the course after Ethics was Marketing (the first few case studies were on companies who are praised for their successes in carving out unique niches that gave them a competitive advantage). Now I revisit this example. This time, the horrific impacts of Nestle’s actions are described. The result of their marketing technique resulted in mothers that became reliant on formula to feed their babies. Even if they wanted to switch back to breast feeding, they couldn’t, for all their milk dried up. Formula is an inadequate substitute for mom’s milk because it lacks the immunity-building components and these mothers, who could barely afford the formula after the free sample, would dilute the formula to make it last longer. This resulted in many of their babies becoming malnourished. I guess there’s one thing to unknowingly cause harm to another human but it is truly disgusting when profits are placed in higher priority than people.

I can’t, in good conscious, just leave my thoughts at that. It would be way too easy for me to dismiss my guilt just by reading the book or writing some appeasing words which I think others might stumble across. I live in a society which, frankly, has been built on the backs of others. Good fortune has somehow allowed me to be born in such a wealthy environment and it’s so easy, when my tummy is full everyday, for me to sit back and ponder these inequalities. Yet, I’ve had my share of shrimp (how many tropical mangroves were destroyed for that pleasure?) and I’ve certainly eaten and written so passionately about beef (how many rainforests were taken down for that pleasure?) – I’m as guilty as the ones at Nestle who made those decisions just by being a member of this society. I’m not trying to come across as someone who is on a radical mission or even who has it all figured out.

I lean back, rub my temples and pull back another swig of this oh-so-soothing Timmy's double double from my mug. I'm not a big fan of the current Roll-Up-The-Rim campaign, although I think it is marketing genius as proven by the lady who was in front of me that quickly upsized her small coffee for a medium one when she found out that the small cups don't have the roll up tabs. However, in my meager attempt at conservation, I forgo the game cup and ask them to fill up the mug that I've brought with me. Then a question comes to mind. Where does Tim Horton’s coffee from? (Link to their FAQ). It doesn’t really answer the question (the real question, as in was it obtained in a fair manner) but it is well spun (almost too well spun) to deflect any doubts that a semi-conscious naysayer might have.

So maybe it's not as much about slaying the monster, but doing my part to help beat it back.

I’m not trying to be a nuisance.
I just think we can do better than this.
That was simply my two cents.
You can, you can, take it or leave it.

Nuisance - John Rueben

A MILESTONE FOR MY EL

I have recently rolled passed the 250,000 km mark on my car. This is significant because I have never seen a number this high on any of the cars that I have ever driven. Prior to this current vehicle, I’ve been driving my parents’ cars. They include a cherry red Chevrolet Cavalier, a silver Buick Regal, a blue Pontiac Sunflower (I mean, Sunfire), a maroon Chevrolet Lumina van. Oh yeah, they had an old, beat-up Honda Accord that didn’t last very long. With the exception of this last car, all their vehicles have always been “domestic”/North American. It was typical that once these cars reached 100,000 km, they would have already died or were in the process of dying. When I was shopping for my current vehicle, Sam, my salesperson, showed me his Acura Integra. It had 425,000 km on it! That basically sealed the deal for me. So, as I recently crawled from underneath the car after replacing the oil yet again, I find I have a heightened sense of respect for the car. Kind of like meeting an old timer who has many stories to share. Stories about the many miles traveled to Queen’s university, the weekly jaunts to Niagara University for 2 years straight, the countless commutes from home to work, the journeys to Blue Mountain, having to sit on a freezing train from Toronto to Calgary, and, most recently, the completed marathon 22 hour round trip trek from Calgary to Whistler. It’s no wonder that I’ve accumulated so many km in the span of its 7 year life! In that time, it’s been my bed, my dinning room, my dance floor, my closet. My shelter from the rain and cold, my refuge from the heat and smog. It's lugged my bike, my snowboard and, believe it or not, a few dozen digital pianos to my customers. In it, I’ve learned (right off the dealer lot) and have come to love driving stick. I’ve mastered the art of multitasking by being able to drink a Timmy’s double double, shift the stick, adjust the radio knob and eat a bagel at the same time! Through it, I’ve become more comfortable in doing my own car maintenance and have discovered a whole community of other passionate EL owners. And it’s been very reliable. I was one of those over-anxious kids who got his “365” the day after his birthday. I got my license about 2 months later, so I’ve been driving for the better part of the last 15 years. Nearly 7 of which were in this car. In fact, I think I am very blessed to have received an anti-lemon! Well, hopefully I can see the day that the odometer hits 425,000 km.

Oh darn! I hope I haven't jinxed it, because this sure reads like a eulogy!

SOME PICS FROM WHISTLER

Thanks to K who was our official trip photog!










Good ol' faithful EL - got us (and our gear) there in one piece!











First breakfast as Whistler. Notice how the toast has been shaped to be W's?











My Samson impersonation!


K and I are standing around as the girls go check out a menu. After a hard day of riding in the cold, both of our noses are running. K offers me a Kleenex, taking one for himself. After we both clear our noses, we catch a whiff. A subtle, yet distinct scent. BEEF! We turn around and see Zog's outdoor kiosk. We then see the girl at the counter ordering poutine. We start thinking about apres-ski munchies. But, I had to get one more sniff of this amazing smell!










And here is our apres-ski: Zog's Poutine Canadian. Instant heart attack, but oh so good! Those are chunks of sausages...




















The top of the mountain is above the cloud line, so it was always sunny up here!












Dilemma! Groomed trail or powder run...











This is what I imagine heaven to be like...











I invented a new sport: snow canoeing! You get a full body workout as well as conquering those annoying flat parts!











This is God's country!

RESTART...

Today was meant to be a really productive day. You know when you wake up and it's just so full of promise. You get out of bed and you already have a list of things that you can picture yourself doing. Well, when taking not even 2 steps towards the bathroom, I rammed my shin against the bed post. I should have taken that as a sign... The morning just seemed so groggy. I had breakfast and thought I'd tackle my first chore: replacing a burnt out car headlamp. I've done it before, so I had rationed no more than 1/2 hr for this job. Well, I tried and tried and pried and pried, but I couldn't get the darn connector to come off. Under the hood is not the most cleanest of places, so I'm now all covered in dirt and grease. My neighbors are probably thinking that I'm trying to steal the car. I give up. Cursing my own incompetence (and also why Honda couldn't make this easier), I go back upstairs. Next task, pay bills. But I get distracted (since a colleague of mine introduced me to Scrabble Blast - Internet Explorer only). Eventually, after 2 hours of doing nothing, I crawled back into bed! With the radio blaring and the windows drawn wide open, I was surprised at how quickly I fell back into deep sleep.

Maybe the first part of the morning was just a dream. Or I had awaken in a different dimension or space-time continuum. But, AFTER the second time I woke up, things were somehow different. I felt a lot more energized and mundane tasks were completed with ease. Paid my bills, marinated my chicken, and dumped my recyclables at the depot. I came back, grabbed my gym stuff and headed to the rec centre. Frustrated that the week off I took from this place set me back by what seemed like a month, I was determined to get back to my normal routine. So, no matter what pain came, I was going to finish off 35 laps (roughly 15km) on the indoor track. No pain came and I finished strong. I then proceeded to my weights routine and then off to the gym for some b-ball (and to my pleasant surprise, it wasn't booked for anything). It felt like every shot I took today was going in! There is probably some psychological explanation for why sinking a basket brings so much joy to one as anal retentive as I. Came back, showered and put in a rib eye into the oven. Boy, was it delicious! I washed it down with a Chimay (another Belgium beer, this one introduced to me by a fellow Calgarian - sorry, no Guinness was available today). After putting the dishes away, I decided to tackle the headlamp problem one more time. This time, I was armed with my trusty Petzl headlamp (meant for campingg but I have found that I use this for my everyday tasks, like car maintenance jobs and messing around the back of a computer). Instantly, I saw where I had gone wrong the first time. I didn't reach deep enough to grasp the connector. In this case, it released with ease and I was able to pop in the new bulb in no time. I was so happy when I flipped on the lights to test them, and they both shone in their GE NightHawk glory! I was reminded, once again, of the quality of craftsmanship and reliability of a Honda (I take back my curses from before).

I guess, all it takes is getting off to the right start. If it starts off bad, restart.

I feel terrible for my mom. Somehow (well, not really, because she told me she opened up one of those mass emails that found its way into her inbox), her computer has been infected with adware. Everytime she turns on her computer, this annoying window pops up. She called frantically, asking if there was some way I could get rid of it for her. Remotely.

I received this from my former division president in the Toronto office. He's Irish. Accompanying it was an office memo reminding all staff that at this year's St. Patrick's Day party, only one drink per person is allowed. In order to save money, staff were asked to bring their own cups.

THIS IS GOD'S COUNTRY....

Having played a lot in the Alberta side of the Rockies, I thought that what is found on the BC side would be more of the same. Of course, I shouldn't downplay what Sunshinve Village and Lake Louise have to offer, because I've been super blessed to have been able to ride at these places all in the same season! But nothing prepared me for what I was to experience at Whistler Blackcomb. Words just don't do it justice...

People who warned me about the drive from Calgary to Whistler were right. It's a long drive (11 - 12 hours depending on how many stops you make). The weather was quite cooperative. That is until we got to the final stretch from Lillooet to Pemberton, Pemberton being the last city before you hit Whistler (the highly ribbed image representing towering peaks). I have never seen instant white out conditions before, but the storm hit us without warning. And probably on the most winding stretch of the journey, as the road curled and hairpinned and dissolved into one lane bridge passways. 30km took us close to 1.5 hours to pass. You don't understand the joy we all felt when we saw the flashing amber lights of an oncoming snowplow (and the prospect of freshly sanded roadway left in its wake)! To add to this anxiety, one of the passengers in the car had some serious tummy issues as a result from eating junk food all during the journey. We pulled off to the side of the road, but the passenger thought twice about wandering into pitch darkness and encountering a curious mountain goat. But like all things that are worthwhile in life, sometime you have to work for it...

Some lasting impressions about Whistler:
- during the 2 days that i was there, i feel like how i usually do when i get off an airplane. meaning that the sick elevation of this place was wreaking havoc on my ears. that's just insane!
- it's always sunny at the top because you are ABOVE the cloudline! Plus, riding at the top is what I would picture riding on the moon to be like: it's all rocks because you're also above the treeline.
- 2 days isn't nearly enough time to explore one of these mountains, let alone two! ideally, I would love to be there for 5 days: 2 days riding Whistler, 1 break day and then 2 days riding Blackcomb
- got to ride the proposed runs for the 2010 Winter Olympic Super G courses. i'm not sure why the guys' run is on a black diamond and the girls' run is on a blue...
- 45 minutes to do 1 run on 7th heaven!!!!!
- best apres-ski: the heart attack dish served at the outdoor Zog's kiosk called THE CANADIAN POUTINE: a generous serving of thick fries smothered in large cheese curds, thick gravy and an entire chopped-up sausage!
- best dinner: Sushi Village's Party Dinner with a Strawberry Sake Margarita

The amount of powder here is just amazing! Though most of the trails aren't groomed and thousands of people ride here daily, it is still possible to make fresh tracks on every run. Someone please wake me up.

And, as the latetst set of visitors from Toronto leave Calgary, ANOTHER couple arrives! Just for 2 days, I & S are actually en route to Vegas for a warm March Break. This is just awesome!

HEIMLICH PLEASE...

If there was one thing I could wish for the world, it would be peace. Running a close second after that, I would love to give everyone a subscription to The Walrus magazine! I was reminded why I religiously go to my mail box every day with anticipation. And after days of disappointment, when all there is to be found are bills and junk mail, my patience is rewarded by the appearance of the latest issue of this magazine!

So, I was having dinner and reading the latest issue when an article makes me laugh. I have to stop eating for fear of choking on my food. Perhaps it's not really that funny but:
1. I'm from Toronto
2. I'm currently reading a book above the perspectives of affluence and economic equality
3. I'm Chinese and have some sort of genetic disposition towards free stuff.

Anyways, as luck would have it, it is one of the "free" articles posted on their website: http://www.walrusmagazine.com/article.pl?sid=06/02/24/0158257

Although this initiative seems like a nice ecological idea (i.e. it helps discourage stuff from getting to land fills), it's also a (sad) testament of how our society loves to be "junk junkies". But, it is something that relies on the concepts of community and dialogue, so I'd support it!

GIVE ME BACK MY MEEBO!

:( ^ 100
As part of my usual ritual when I first get settled in for a 12 hour night shift, I will open up meebo.com, a nifty web based IM application that allows multiple logins, so you can log into MSN or Gtalk or AIM, etc. However, instead of the welcome and login page popping up tonight, I get the company courtesy warning page, indicating that this site is restricted and why haven't I become familiar with the company's acceptable use policy. I'm actually surprised that I reacted with utter shock. And then grief as the reality of the situation set in. It's not that I'm constantly im-ing with the outside world when I'm at work. In fact, it's rare that I speak to anyone during a typical night shift (except for my youngest cousin who seems to have been born with an embedded wifi chip). But it's more about being connected to an outside community, a comfort of knowing that someone is within reach (even if they are supposedly idle or away from their computer). It's probably the same sadness/shock that one feels when there is a phone service disruption. Or cable TV service disruption. Ironcially, I have neither of these services at my home, but haven't missed it (probably because I have found acceptable substitutions). So, in protest to my company for dumb policies, I'm going to blog. Who knows, they might even take that away!

PWNED ON THE TRACK
I'm usually pretty oblivious when I'm at the gym. I plug in my tunes, put my head down and off I go on the track. I'll occasionally catch the stray pedestrian or disoriented step climber stepping in front of me with my peripheral vision, but mostly I'm looking at my watch. To make sure I'm keeping at whatever pace my workout is focusing on. Recently, I was doing a distance workout, which is running at slightly faster than marathon pace for 20km. I'm aiming for a 3:30 marathon time in July and was keeping to pace. So, you can imagine my suprise when I get passed by this one guy FIVE TIMES!! And he was already on the track when I started. After my workout and typical 20 minutes b-ball shoot around in the gym, HE'S STILL THERE!!! It didn't look like he lost an ounce of stride. I'm not worthy...

FIRST CAPITAL UPGRADE TO CAMP TIMMY'S
Well, more to my car, really. Now visitors to Camp Timmy's can bring all their skis, snowboards and anything else they want to cart with them when visiting the Rockies. Thanks to M who told me about a rack system that his in-laws were no longer using and was just sitting in his storage locker. By the way, it's pronounced "TOO-LEE".







RICH CHRISTIAN
There is a very special small group in Toronto that is currently reading Sider's "Rich Christians in an age of Hunger" and using it as a study. The book starts off with a collection of stats. I believe that the average person knows that a gap exists, but not to what extent. It's shocking if one takes the time to absorb how BIG this gap is. Affluent North America is good at buffering itself from these realities (through things like, ironically, reality tv, as yet another episode of American Idol/Survivor/Amazing Race floods the networks). Some interesting points so far: it would take less than $3 billion to provide safe drinking water and sanitation systems in the developing world, and thus prevent the 6,000 children that die EVERYDAY because of a lack of these. It would sadden me to know of just 1 person to day everyday. $3 billion sounds like a lot of money and I doubt any average person has this amount just lying around. But consider this: each year, in the U.S., between $30 and $50 billion are spent on diets or programs to reduce caloric intake. And more than this is spent on golf. I suspect that reading this book will be convicting and it should be. But it can't just stop at reading...

MORE TORONTO VISITORS!
Yeah, K and C are on their way to visit Cow-gary! We'll then be heading out to Whistler for a couple of days.