b.Before You Gear, Watch Your Waist-Line

The last part is here:   The Best of Both Worlds (Loan)

The bank is basically a bitch. It is never a friend.

Some suggested that if I become too big to fail, the bank will be my friend. There is no such thing. The bank is run by human staff and human staff are prone to corrupt, i.e., these staff will bankrupt you officially, raid and take away your properties and hard-earned cash and then tell all their relatives to bid for the cheap properties to be auctioned coming online. This is how these human bank staff cheat. Don't blame them, they are just good at their job. There is no need to build a good relationship with them. When the time is ripe, they will turn asshole bandits. They will line their pockets with your ills. No amount of good relationship will avoid that raid.

How then to avoid an asshole bandit raid?

• Property Price:   This is the number one killer. So buy property that has a true rental value and rate it. If the rental goes down, what could happen? Can you still lower the rental till it click "rentable" again? With this in mind, never buy a property during a bull market, no matter how tempting.
• Rental Return:   This is a must if you are into rental yield. The only time you don't talk about rental yield is your own house, but even then, you are talking about the possibility of renting your basement apartment away at all times. The rental yield should cover 150% of the instalment. Tall order? You bet. There must be a buffer in the event you need to lower the rental to rent the property out.
• Commercial?   Never get involved with commercial property. Commercial properties are not only expensive to collect. They are prone to not having a rental for a long time during a down time. Never be tempted even if the rental yield is 20%. Residential is still the safest.
• Land:   There shall be no gearing when buying land. Lands are hard to rent. But they give the best pleasures.
• Paying Instalment On-Time:   Never miss a single instalment. Don't give the bank an excuse to close on you. It helps but asshole bandits are the bad ones, not the banking system.
• Refinancing:    Never refinance your loan. You may transfer it from bank to bank, but never increase the gearing just because your property has risen in value. Let the property rise in value. So even if there is a recall by the bank. The bank will usually starts with the property that is out-of-money rather than in-the-money. They can't recall a loan that is in-the-money all the time, i.e., no matter how bad the market is, your property is still worth more than the bank loan. That way, the asshole bandits would not be able to raid it as you have an easy time servicing the instalment, due to the low gearing. In the event, your property is raided, don't despair, you are still positive. You are allowed to restart with zero to no risk. Asshole bandits hate these group of property owners. They are so blameless and pay instalment on time. They have no good opportunity with them.
• Buy Only On the Down Cycle:   This is surest way to protect yourself against the asshole bandits. They were willing to lend you because they need your loan as their key-performance-indicator. So win-win.
• In the Event of a Raid:   Sell off the worst performers first. Try your best not to sell off your better performers. Don't do it the other way round. It is going to be tempting.

All being said, good luck to one and all ...

Property investment remains the best way out of poverty. It is very easy to get real rich very fast, but the converse is also true. It can made poor a guy real fast too. So if you need to gear, play it real safe. Buy properties at only 5-15% of your cash flow. Time-line your property investment, i.e., don't buy all at one shot. Buy one at a time and let the new one settles down before moving again.

The property price is running away ...  This is only true in a bull run. So stay the fuck-out. Otherwise, you can mostly take your time.

While you are it, use some of the rental yield to fund your luxury. It doesn't hurt to enjoy a little more.

Fly MH now. It is so cheap.

b.Every a Big Project falls

The last part is here:   Business Jinx

Sigh ... Sad, sad, sad ... One of my big projects is postponed indefinitely.

There is a damage hit and I am now licking my wound.

Keeping it in view lor. Painful.

Hope I can return to it fastest.

As Tengri is great, he will always open a small window for me. Love my Tengri deep deep.

The other small project of white rental property is also off. Can't trust the fuckers.

In white land, it is important to note than rental properties are not great assets. Only in Asian markets can one be more certain. The reason being that the white properties are normally made of paper. It is useless running them. It costs too much to maintain and pay taxes.

Working off the land is still the safest path for me. Love myself. In land, even if you don't have power or water, you can still depend on Tengri to supply the plants with water and sunshine. You only need to bring in the seeds and fertilizers. It is that simple. Without roads, no problem. The seeds are light. No power, no problem. Stay warm in town. The plants don't need warmth all the time. When it is time to grow, the plants will grow. You just need to own the land. Even planting trees is super lucrative. Ask any Malaysians, they will tell you. You can harvest teak in 7-8 years.

I am now in battle mode. In battle mode, I am not allowed to go into depression.

Even if I were to fall now, I don't really care. I build my own reality. A friend just told me that I am beginning to look like a scavenger. I asked really? She said in no uncertained term that I am looking more and more like her father. Every 5 years, changes to a smaller car and smaller house. Fuck her! She is so sharp.

b.Passion Business II - The Connection Needed

The last part is here:   Passion Business II - How to Grow Ginseng

The best part is that I am buying a cute little land to plant this marvel this winter. Nice price and I am going to ace it.

The next best part is that I have rented a little 10-acre nursery for $200 per year for the next 10 years. Imagine the fun I am going to get. On top of that, they throw in an alpaca barn farm for free. They simply wants me to rent their premises and occupy it and pay their taxes.

I am now securing the seedlings from the white land to start the game. Hopefully the returns of $20-30k per acre comes true.

On top of that, they wanted me to try to help them build a fresh water fish farm. Nice farmers, nice lands, nice projects.

The last best thing I heard for the day is that many lands are now selling for a song as their parents all died on them (i.e., 1920s-1930s). Over the next 15 years, many more baby boomers have to die and transfer their land holdings to their city-bound kids and most kids can't pay their huge estate taxes and they have no choice but to sell their lands on the cheap to pay for their taxes.

This is how good the news over the day.

Today every white is having a dying parent with huge land reserves and they all smiled at me hoping to find me renting their lands on the cheap. But, I am a cheapo. I don't rent lands even if it is near free. I don't want to help them on their property taxes. I want them to sell on the cheap.

I am know to pay only on average 25% of the market value and nothing more. That's how bastardy I am. I am also succeeding. A devil is not a fun guy to play with.

p.A Property is a Property is a Property

The last part is here:   Return on Capital

Today I have a very puzzling request:   Why must we buy so old and therefore cheap properties and so far away as well? Why can't we be like everyone else? Buy a normal, nice and comfortable property and get a normal passive income to boot?

From the depth of it, this is a really nasty question. It is very, very, very difficult to answer. Even if there is an answer, it doesn't imply that it is a perfect answer. Even if it is a perfect answer, due to seasons of the market, one's decision may seemed right at the time of decision, it would go dead wrong if the market is somehow misread.

But, I am an old fool. I love challenging questions.

Lots of guys love to time the market. They time it left and they time it right. Most of the time, if they have the staying power, they are proud and successful. But, if they don't have any staying power, they are the most foolish. But, real market is not a game for fools, the cash outlay is huge and the punishment deadly.

Take a hypothetical case:

• A normal property is costed at $300k and rentable at $1,200 per month, giving a Return-On-Investment (ROI) of 21 years or the classic 5% return. This property is almost brand-new (5-10 years) and located at some nice suburbs. Shopping is not too convenient but good enough. It is not near any famous eateries. Commuting to city centre is about 15-20 minutes. It is normally to collect about 10-20% of down-payment ($30,000-$60,000) to secure a bank loan of 80-90% stretched over 25-35 years. Over the tenure, one would need to pay (not including down-payment) about a total of $1,800 per month x 30 years x 12 months = $648,000 or 2.2 times the initial purchase price. Assuming the property is rented out, there would still be a short-fall of ($1,800 - $1,200) x 30 years x 12 months = $216,000 or 0.72 times the initial purchase price.
•  
• On the other hand, a nasty property is costed at $35k and rentable at $350 per month, giving a Return-On-Investment (ROI) of 8 years or 12% return. This property is very old (18-25 years) but located very near to city centre. Shopping is very convenient. It is near famous eateries. Commuting to city centre is about 5-10 minutes. It is normal to pay cash for the property. Based on the initial quantum of down-payment of the other property ($30,000-$60,000), one can collect about 1-2 of these nasty properties (2 nasties = 1 nice-ty in land size). Over the same tenure of 30 years, one would have collected a total of $350 per month x 30 years x 12 months = $126,000 or 3.6 times the initial purchase price. If buying only one initially ($35,000), then one would have collected 1 + 3.6 = 4.6 properties in total. If one were to buy 2 nasties initially, one would have collected 4.6 x 2 = 9.2 properties. Not forgetting, it also have a cascading effect, i.e., every 8 years, each nasty can give birth to another nasty collecting even more rental. Mind you, I don't even need to pay the extra $600 per month for the next 30 years. If that is included, I would have collected another 6.2 nasties on top of the 4.6-9.2. Given that 2 nasties = 1 nice-ty in land size, the potential is way too great to ignore. Also, if the plot ratio is increased due to congestion, these nasties are great cash pockets.

The above showed a very simplistic view of things. In short, the nasty investment is a superior choice.

Overall, I didn't take into account of possible downturn, or upturn, inflation of property prices and so on, just simply too many factors to think about. My primal instinct is that investing in nasties is the way to go. For a fraction of the price of a fresh property, I am able to buy something very near to town. The return would be way superior. I have a chance to own many more properties.

Lots of guys don't understand that the developers exact very heavy prices on building new properties for sale. To sweeten the deals, they have no choice but to have short skirts doing their sales. Whenever this happens, you know you are paying a premium for the things you are buying. These short skirts are not cheap to employ.

The stigma in investing in nasties is that it is not pretty. It is bad in reputation as compared to nice houses. Even living in one caused grief to woman folks. Most people like to classify these nasty dwellers as scum of the earth.

Not forgetting these niceties are nice only in boom times. In recessions, these niceties would have turned nasties too. I might then engage these niceties as if they are nasties. 

Only if my woman folks understand this simple investment principles, they would be richly rewarded 10 years down the road.

It is these troubled so-called "stigma" that is giving me so much joy. I do pray for my woman folks to understand and tolerate me for just 10 years. In the event I am rewarded with expanding business volumes in future, this waiting could be shortened greatly.

b.Return on Capital

The last part is here:   Return From Powerful Retreat

During my most recent sabbatical, I have learned one very important point:   Return on Capital is vulgar only if there are restrictions to the game. Otherwise, it is very normally grim.

Some of the investments I have gotten has a return of 5-8 years. To achieve such a great return requires lots of finesse. I must say it was a cooperative effort that came out very fine. The return on capital was stable and non-volatile. The sums involved were also not very large, mostly manageable bite-sizes, which is great for piece-meal engagement.

Even the coming restaurant share investment is also rather bite-size. So it would have made my original premise of not borrowing from the bank possible.

Now is summer time, the land deals in white land is stiff. Summer time is a time where deals are struck as they were able to see and feel their purchases. Speaking from experience, I always without fail would fall in love with the properties I visit. I used to scold Chrysanthemum about her falling in love with the properties she visited. Truly I was no better. So I would give it a short break. Come winter, the deals would have sweetened themselves. Why? In winter, people are less like to travel. If the sellers are desperate for cash, the deals would be better. Now in the shopping malls, more stores are closed and not replaced. Frequently, these voids were not filled till a year later. It is very painful for the whites. Recently they reopened the flooding gates for more immigrants, hoping to reduce their pain.

As the word implies, I am currently torn between investing more cash into businesses or fixed assets. A fine balance is needed. With the recessionary pressures at their greatest, fixed assets are burning and great deals are everywhere. I am simply spoilt for choice. But, business investments must still have to be ongoing, else these businesses will take forever to fruit.

I am holding 50-50 view over the two investment choices.

People management

This remains extremely tricky to me. Most of the people I engaged were cunning and useless. But, therein lie a few gems. These gems interestingly did yield an overall benefit. Just one gem would have make up for the lost time and money invested in 10 other useless assholes. So it is quite profitable. Just be wary of unusual leeches. They come in all shapes and sizes.

a.The Generations Game - A Worked Example

The last part is here:   Capital - How did It All Begin

The news is here:   Penang Monthly - Migrate for What

A short excerpt:

... For migrants who came to Australia back in the 1960s, the 1970s or even the 1980s, their decision to migrate would have benefitted them much more than if they were to do it today. Back in those days, Malaysia was still not adequately developed, modernised and industrialised. Foreign direct investments, education and infrastructure were definitely a far cry from today’s standards. Particularly for the average Malaysian professional, his or her work would have been much more richly rewarded in Australia than back home.

If a Sudanese or Afghan were to migrate to Australia today, then I can say with almost absolute certainty that their lives will be better off. But today’s Malaysians had better think twice. Jobs are moving in big numbers from Australia to Asia; Australian educational institutions are failing many of their own students, with many schools (even public ones) turning to attracting more students from China, Korea and other Asian countries for financial reasons; drug-related crimes and schoolyard bullying are becoming more rampant; and the total cost of income support (i.e. welfare) payment has now (as of 2014) topped A$70bil a year. 

These trends and developments are here to stay, and the shift of fortune from the West to the East is an irreversible one. Investor Jim Rogers frequently remarked that if you were smart in 1807, you would go to London, if you were smart in 1907, you would go to New York, but if you were smart in 2007, you would go to Asia. (In 2007, Rogers moved his entire family to Singapore.) 

So I wonder, why on earth are we still leaving Malaysia? What are we actually running away from? While most of us think that we are running away from some potential or real political threat, the actual fact might well be that we are running away from some real lifetime opportunities! With market saturation and an ageing population in the EU, US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China, the Asean region, with its population size, relatively young median age and richness in natural resources, is poised to grow like never before. ...

Interesting read. These people are still trying to time the market.

There is no such thing as timing the market. One would get lucky once a while. Just like in the casino, one can ride a 25-times BIG roll of dice. But, the curtains would fall one day, the dice would go the other way. Every great city would meet its demise, so would one empire.

If one must time the market, then if one judges that there is no hope in a turn-around. Just pack the bags and move. Which is true in the case of that fuckened little island. No resource, no future, no intelligence and still dare to suck my cock. Disgusting.

10 years is too short an example to a generations game. Even 20 years, my acquaintance is planning to return to her ex-home country. I am not helping her to stay even if I am just new to the game. Why? Too frequently mere acquaintances take dim looks of new immigrants. They felt that the new migrants must feed the older migrants or the older migrants feeding the locals, otherwise, the locals would have voted the government-of-the-day out. I am into packed hunting. Not only in business, also in gals. Co-operation is a powerful tool to deploy.

Let's take a look at Australia's opportunities (I am a blur-fuck in Australia's opportunities, but I am willing to try understanding her from the outside):

• Cities - Her cities are not as crowded as the Asian's, hence, they stand a great chance to win if one is early. That fuckened little island did talk about famous katong laksa. Overnight 4 stores competed in the exact same location for the customers. Today only one left. Dense cities are not for the faint-hearted. Try your hands in Chinese cities, one would be eaten whole without much of a second glaze from the predator's neighbours.
• Glass Ceilings - Of cos there are glass ceilings. Tell me frankly, how many non-Chinese dine in Chinese restaurants here and overseas. Zero! How many Japanese or Koreans can one spot in a Chinese restaurants? Please. How many non-Chinese staff can one see in a Chinese restaurant's kitchen? The conclusion: Every business are owned and operated by their kinship, make no mistake. Even in my work, I employed no non-Chinese even though all my work involved the whites and white agents.
• Property Investments - White properties are way cheaper but appreciate much slower. First, one must start with a house home. After that, investment houses for passive returns. After that, lands for long term potential. Malaysian properties are super nice. I can't finish enjoying each of them. But, so are the white properties.
• Businesses - Not easy to start but once started, it is easy to sustain. 30 years is a good investment.
• Employments - Nothing wrong with that. But one needs to start young. If reach the white shores at 40-50yo, then be prepared to reinvest the money that one's gotten or ill-gotten from ex-home country to plant the first seeds.
• Back Doors - I always keep a back door for myself. I am still fully invested in the ex-home country and her neighbours. I am still doing passive incomes from each and every asset in my command. Over time, these assets might deteriorate due to lack of care. Minding them occasionally will bring them up once more.
• Generations Games - Bring forth the next generations to fulfill key business positions in the own business structure. Let them fail and guard them to better success than the parents.
• Intellectually Dumb - There is a need to be intellectually dumb. Never question why but just do the jobs. In the Malaysians' case, they allowed their anger for lack of opportunities in their ex-home country to cloud their visions. They like to do total in and total out. Yes. Total in and total out are grand moves. These are showy steps. Admired by all. But, yield very little results. The mantra is Things Take Time.
• Education - Educating kids are not the job of the school but that of the parents. There is no such thing as good school but good parenting.

It is easier said than done. But, that's what generations game is all about. Very slow. Very unfortunate. Very disgustingly degrading. But, one will find the footing soon enough. Evreywhere I see, as long as you are 30yo immigrants, you are alright. So be brave and stick to the original game plan. It is not that hard. Be early and smell the rose.

I do understand why muds left mudland due to the madhatter. Now that with ahJip kor in charge, things are super rosy. People are now tempted to return. Nothing wrong, just be invested in both countries lor. Better, globally. One can never tell when is the next mass exodus.

Yes. I finally got it. There is indeed a timing issue in the generations game, i.e., be early. Wow ... what a revelation. But, 30 years can recover this mistake, i.e., once you reach 30 years in migration, you are classified as early. Nice.

Always remember that fuckened mafia boss was a Baba-Nyonya. So don't play with him on that little island, now that he is strong. Wait for him to go, then replay the generations game again lor. One has all the time in the world lah. Do battle using extended families mah.

b.Land - Another Worked Example

The last part is here:   Bank Lelong (Auction)

I had a very interesting conversation with Tiramisus Queen today. As mentioned before, she came to white land for a good 30 years. She now owns a nice little chain of stores and lives in a huge bungalow. She just bought 4 houses priced around $400k each last year, with down payments ranging from 20% to 35%. Her instalments are less than $1k monthly each but rented at $2.5k or more, giving her a net cashflow position of $1-$1.5k each each month all the time. Now she is intending to let go if needed at $500k or more to the right buyers. She already had the buyers. She said that with these positive cashflows, she can steam-roll for more.

A recent discussion with a blood relation yielded that she might go on doubling up, which will increase the risk much more. 

The return-on-investment (income over capital)  is $2.5k x 12 / $400k = 7.5% or 13.3 years to recover the full capital. Hehehe ... even my worst performing properties took only 8 years or less or 12.5% or more. The only difference I don't gear, hence, I have less flexibility in property types. Because I am so cheapo, my investments normally double in less than a year.

She was sad that at my age, I am still working on my primary businesses. Each of my businesses are uncertain and takes at least 10 years or more to fruit. It is too slow. She suggested instead why don't I be like her and join her to invest in properties in white land. She said it is easy and she trusts me. I smiled.

I am very happy for her.

Hehehe ... She didn't realise that for the better of 30 years she had slogged hard and quiet. She cried every single phone call she made to China. Now I felt that she needed to show to the world that she has indeed arrived. Well ... she did arrive. I am very happy for her.

My Comments (This is not meant to degrade her investment returns, but rather to debate the other side of the same coin):

• Gearing:   This is one very important lesson. In a booming market, all is well. But, once it fails, say 1986, 1997 or 2008, all must die. The rental will disappear. The fire sale by bank is 20% of its original value. Why I know, you asked? Well ... I was at the receiving end in a not-too-long-ago past.
• Margin:   Every time one trades, there are commissions and legal fees payable. That's why although I did made quite a killing in the stock-and-shares booming market, I lost much more on the way down (The house (brokerage) always wins).
• Buying New:   Almost all honkies, fuckies, mudlanders or chinamen love to buy new properties. The margin of error is very low indeed as compared to buying oldies. Only buying oldies can give a capital-return of 5 years or less.
• Bank Loan:   Banks are never our friend. They are vicious. As long as there are economic growth, notice they make record profits. How can a bank always make record profits from loans alone. These record profits must come from the loan repayments. Who? Us !!! How can we give record profits to the banks? If we give record profits to the banks, we must not be making record profits ourselves. It just can't. Some may argue unless we make record profits ourselves, else we can't give record profits to the banks. True. If we too make record profits, it must therefore comes from the tenants. If the tenants give us record profits, then they must not be making record profits themselves. What if the tenants make record profits too in order to give us, the landlords, record profits. It must then come from consumers. Somewhere somehow would not be making record profits in order that the others may make record profits. This is definitely not sustainable. Sad.
• Boom-and-bang:   Every boom must end with a bang and vice-versa.

Every investment strategy has its pros and cons. I, for one, am willing to fore-go super growth in portfolio with super safety in my porfolio. Very slow and steady as like a tortoise. A hare race is too much for my blood pressure and sleepless nights.

How about deploying a middle-of-the-road strategy? By gearing at 50% (i.e., loan from bank at 50% loan quantum)? No way, the recession bites normally at below 50%, the banks would force-sale at 20% of the original value. There is no escape. Better don't try.

p.Kiyosaki's little Cashflow Game

The last part is here:   Many a Big Project

Let me do some advertisment today. There is no intention to promote or dismiss him. This is only my opinion of what's good for a guy.

I have tested the android Cashflow Game by Kiyosaki.

He was made famous and very rich by his book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". If you want to read more, just google him.

In the game, the goal is to make financial freedom by making the passive income exceeds expenses. For a lowly-paid guy ($3,000-$5,000), it usually takes about 70 turns to be financially free (i.e., 1.5 years). For a higher-paid guy ($8,000-$10,000), it usually takes about 100 turns to be financially free (i.e., 2 years), which is nonsensical. No one can achieve financial freedom in 2 years. Fuck! Also, a highly-paid guy will find financial freedom way faster. His expenses may have been higher but he is way more capable and have great lifestyle.

Here are my observations:

•  Final Cash Position:   At the end, it doesn't matter how much, a guy has in his bank account, as long as his passive income exceeds his expenses, he stops. With a strong final cash position, one can easily buy any cashflow assets.
• Stocks and Shares:   I didn't bother about investing in stocks and shares. I think they are bullshit.
• ROI:   The ROI calculation was too simple. It simply calculated the return-on-investment, simply by dividing the income with initial investment. It was not a good indicator/assessor of good returns. If one pays, 5% down. The ROI would be greater than a 10% down.
• Risk:   This was one of the worst areas. The game only allows 5-10% down payments. The rest are bank-loans. This is very dangerous. If the asset goes more than 5-10% down, the bank is going to recall the loan as the asset is not giving a good cover to their outstanding loans. In financial downturns, one would lose the rental income too. If these properties are on loan, one would be 冚家鏟!

Overall, the game was too simplistic. But, maybe this was intended as a game for newcomers new to the investment game and the broad idea behind passive incomes. If that was the intent, then the game did serve its function.

My Comments:

• Cash Purchases:   I am still a fan of cash purchases. I simply hate leveraging. I knew many people leveraged and won big time. But, I am also knew of many more, myself included, to have lost big time. Call me a chicken, call me once-bitten, twice-shy. I am not playing the leveraging game ever. Even credit cards are shunt, because it will eat greatly into the cashflow. If no ready cash, just spend less.
• Property Game:   It is a very long term game. It will stretch 20-40 years, if on bank loan. During this period, there would be multiple financial calamities that one has to face. Please don't tell me that you are too smart and are smart enough to avoid them. One may be able to avoid one, but multiple, I sincerely doubt.
• Stocks-and-Shares:   Please stay far far away.
• Intellectual Businesses:   Very hard to start and very hard to sustain, although it is very cheap to begin in one. In fact, Kiyo suggested working for big companies and grow the passive income from the active income earned. Business-building is for the extremely brave.

p.Terrible Start of Year 2014

The last part is here: The Ultimate Bet 

OMG !!!  Year 2014 has a terrible start for me. A roof fell on me! Luckily due to my advanced years I managed to follow my own inner voice - "故其疾如風、其徐如林、侵掠如火、難知如陰、不動如山、動如雷霆".

In life, there is no need for anger and pain. These are for the sentimentalists. When a decision needs to be exercised. Do not argue your view point, although it is perfectly sound to reasonable persons, exercise the Sun Tzu's Art of War immediately. When engaging in a battle, the enemy does not subscribe to reasons as they know they were beyond reasons. They can't engage reasons as they know full well that they must be unreasonable to start a battle. They would just stick to their monochromatic view point and totally ignore your plight, they will just knife it into your throat.

You have two choices:  

One, become angry and kick up a ruckus. You wouldn't win as they had expected you to do so. They would hold on to your two ding dongs and play their hard ball game.

Two, calmly declare that the situation is new to you and you needed time to react. Ask for time. Ask for their new and unreasonable terms. Pretend to bargain as hard as you possibly can so that they think that they had you hooked line and sinker. Move slightly away and get time alone. Plot the reaction. You must sound extremely calm and since the new situation is going to get you, you need to ask for external help. Ask them for time to locate external help and feedback some time later. Ask for a deadline as late as possible without sounding insincere. Accept some of the terrible terms as if you have no choice, try very hard to reject the other terms. The key to this is that you are trying to bargain. By bargaining, they will feel secure.

Move away for some time alone. Plot a time line that is just short of the actual deadline.

Return with all smiles and said that your friends are great pals. Your friends are with you all the way. But, their help is going to be marginally beyond the deadline agreed on earlier. The enemy will begin to savor the important victory although it might come a little later than expected.

With that concession, immediately move 75% of your pieces out of harm's way. The enemy wouldn't complain as they felt they can still hold on to your 25%. Start to spread thinly all your assets across the entire boundary. Give the illusion you are staying on their terms of contract.

Over the remaining period, remove your assets 5% at a time under their noses. Potentially you might lose the final 5%, but in all warfare, you can't expect not to lose any assets. Just give the illusion that you are still very much engaged.

On days just before the actual and original deadline (not the negotiated later one), move out totally and restart your life with another proprietor.

This is the tactics used by Sun Tzu as he must stay as still as the mountain and move in one SINGLE stroke as swift as the thunderclap. Only then, can you return least harmed.

This roof falling was fun. It tested simply my ability to react to situation. I have matured over time and life.

Happy New Year, everyone, though I am a little bruised.

I am now engaging new proprietors with terms that are even better than this former proprietor. Nothing too bad came out of this. But, this is my new year celebration. I am not supposed to fight and engage in battles. But, one can never drop the guards for too long. Sigh ... Life is ...

p.The Ultimate Bet

The last part is here:   The Balance of Business Power

I played two games - Texas Hold'em and Go.

Texas Hold'em - There are usually 8-10 players on the table. If based on the law of the averages, your chance of winning any hand is only 1/8 or 1/10. Therefore, unless you have a good starting hand, it is not advisable to push all the way. Even if you have a good hand, you might encounter antagonistic player leading to not-so-clear win. On the other cases, your winning hand is so strong that the other players just drop off early within a fight, wasting the good hand. Your winnings would then be unusually limited. The good news is that in the game of poker, you may bet them all one shot. Win or loss you will know by the end of the hand.
A simple check on the players' statistics, you would notice that many players are reckless, their winnings are continually low as compared to their highest cash achieved. These are high rollers, win big, lose big. But, their average cash are always very low compared to their top score. I have not discounted those players that paid real money for chips. There are also players who kept asking for chips whenever one player wins big. Cash accumulation is only possible by slow and small bets.

Go - In the game of go, it is usual that a weaker player would be given handicap stones to start, in the hope to find a balanced strength game. During the game, if you do reckless and adventurous moves, your ass would be whipped big time. If your moves are timid and small, again your might not lose any stones but the game is still not a win, because not only captured stones are counted, territory secured is also counted. By playing securely, the territory would be limited. So a balance of adventurism and self-defence is key to winning.
Unfortunately, trying to win big is never possible if the opponent is careful. Even if you win big occasionally, your rank won't advance very far. You need very consistent improvement.

Based on the above games, reflecting life, I realise that in business, never bet one big time and hope to win. This is never a winning strategy. Even if you have bet and won this round. You might still be punished the next round.

I saw so many examples in business that their failures were definite.

I believe in collaborative work. Your suppliers are not stupid. Your co-workers are not stupid. Your buyers are not stupid. Treat them with absolute respect. If they reply with disrespect, then it is only a matter of time that they would be dropped. No need for any sleight of hand.

If they imposed draconian condition like my retailers, I would bear with them. Slowly but surely, I removed one after 5 years and another after 10 years. This is a slow and painful passage but it can be done.

In the end, by not betting on any risk, winning is assured. Please don't believe on bullshit like high risk, high return; low risk, low return. To me, high risk means ultra high losses guaranteed. Low risk means still losses. The best is to take no risk. Sun Tzu said so. Pay everything using cash on hand. If you are without cash, I ever live on $1 per day for a long, long time. As long you pay every thing using cash, the banks would not come after you. By being debt-free, your mind would be free to think deeply before action.

Never bet more than 5% of your total assets at any one time. If possible, don't bet at all. Let the opponents resign to their fate.

p.楚漢傳奇 (Part II)

The last part is here:   Show - 楚漢傳奇

This a second part discussion of  韩信 (Han Xin):

After Xiang Yu's death, China was unified under Liu Bang's rule, and Liu granted Han Xin the title of "King of Chu" in recognition of his contributions. Months later, Liu Bang declared himself Emperor of China and later became known as Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty. 

In 202 BC, Zhongli Mo (one of Xiang Yu's generals), who was wanted by the Han government, came to Han Xin and requested for refuge. On account of their past friendship, Han Xin protected Zhongli Mo and let him stay in his house. When Emperor Gaozu heard that Zhongli Mo was hiding in Han Xin's fief, he ordered Han to arrest Zhongli, but Han refused. 

A year later, Gaozu heard rumours that Han Xin was plotting a rebellion. Chen Ping proposed to Gaozu to lure Han into a trap and capture him, on the pretext of ordering him to attend a meeting in Chen (present-day Huaiyang, Henan). Meanwhile, Zhongli Mo committed suicide to prevent Han Xin from getting into trouble. Han Xin brought Zhongli Mo's severed head to meet Gaozu later and explain his innocence, but Gaozu ordered Han to be arrested. Han Xin exclaimed, "It is true when people say: The hunting dog becomes food as well after it is used to hunt game; a good bow is discarded when there are no birds left for shooting; an advisor dies after he helps his lord conquer a rival kingdom. Now that the empire is in place, I no longer serve any purpose!" Although Gaozu pardoned Han Xin and released him later, he still demoted Han from "King of Chu" to "Marquis of Huaiyin".

After his demotion, Han Xin knew that Emperor Gaozu was beginning to distrust him and become more wary of him, because Han Xin had proven himself to be such a brilliant military leader that he even had the ability to seize Gaozu's empire for himself. Hence, Han Xin claimed to be ill and stayed at home most of the time to reduce Gaozu's suspicions. Around 197 BC, Chen Xi (Marquis of Yangxia) met Han Xin before leaving for Julu, requesting for Han's support in an uprising against the Han Dynasty. Not long later, Chen Xi rebelled and Gaozu personally led an army to suppress the rebellion. 

While Gaozu was away, Empress Lü Zhi heard rumours of Han Xin's involvement in the rebellion, and she plotted with Xiao He to lure Han into a trap. Han Xin was arrested and executed in a torturous manner in Changle Palace, along with his mother, wife and close relatives. Han Xin's clan was exterminated on the empress's orders as well. Upon his return from his campaign, Gaozu expressed both glee and regret when he learnt of Han Xin's death. He asked the empress for Han Xin's last words, which were, "I regret not listening to Kuai Tong's advice." 

In legend, Gaozu once promised Han Xin that if he "faced Heaven and stood firm on Earth" (頂天立地; i.e. remained loyal) to the Han Dynasty, he would not have Han Xin killed by any weapon used by soldiers. Hence, when Han Xin was executed, he was hung inside a great bell and pierced to death with swords made from wood or bamboo. As such, when he died, Han Xin was neither "facing Heaven" (because his body was covered by the bell) nor "standing firm on Earth" (because he was suspended inside the bell), and was not killed by any weapon used by soldiers (soldiers do not use wooden or bamboo swords).

My Comment 

Han Xin was a beautiful strategist and a master of warfare. But, as a general and user of man, he must be able to foretell his own fortune. He must never be an employee for all his life. No master would tolerate an over-powering or bearing subordinate. Once the empire is secured, he would be removed.

Therefore no matter how strong you are in the big organisation, you will meet your end when the time is nigh. If you want to build an business empire, make sure you depend on nothing for that success. Only then, you will find peace and happiness. Han Xin was a good guy, but he trusted the wrong boss. Sometimes, you are classified as sexy by the boss only simply because you are still useful and non-replaceable or you have something the boss needs to execute his business tasks. I know that sounded ruthless in managing bosses. But how many bosses are not pure fuckens?  If you trust your boss, there is only one permanence, i.e., he will simply bite your ass when the time is right. 

Being an employee is alright. But, after having served and getting slaughter at the end is not my idea of retirement. Build some self-esteem! At least we determine our own fate. Fuckens are always there. Don't ever believe fuckens will think of you. They will praise you, use you, promote you, pamper you and kill you because you are getting too expensive to keep. Remember Boxer in the Animal Farm. He was Han Xin. Sad. Self-preservation is key.

b.Strategy - Business Methods

The last part is here:   Strategy - The Demise of Brands

In business methods, there are many things that needed to be understood. A few examples to open your minds:

• Transportation - This is really a very important item. Almost all businesses require bulk transportation. Instead of booking regular freight forwarding. Do talk to the earthworms and try to get transportation through empty cargo freight. Truck companies usually have regular customers who are normally one-sided in shipments, i.e., they usually ship from point A to point B but not the other way round, meaning one half of the trip is empty trucking. In order to conduct transport business, the truck company will do the math and then charge the shipment in full. So seek out these shippers and try to sneak in your shipments in these empty trucks. These rates are way-way very nice. But, to get that you must not deal with the shipping company. You need to deal direct with the trucker himself. It is not unusually that each of these truckers are independent contractors. They are already paid in full, any extra off-load shipment can be taken as icing on the cake.
• Supplies - Again this is another very critical requirement. It is not unusually to purchase supplies from regular sources. But, they are fucking expensive. They charge you their father, mother, auntie, uncle, son, daughter and cousin costs. Aim for the over-runs, there are too many over-run sources. You just have to find them. Examples, if you are buying fruits from the large suppliers in the wholesale market, although the prices are good but they can be better. Many fruit sellers have timings to their products to be delivered to the supermarkets. Once they passed that timing, they have no choice but to throw them away. So you swoon in to get these fruits at the right time. They are more than 50% down. For sure, some cannot be used, but many can be used with great effects. Some fruit plantations have fruits that cannot be sold and left on the trees to rot. Buy them just before they are dead gone. You can get them at 25% of the market value. So there are indeed many sneaky methods in getting your supplies. So why pay full price. When you finally grow too big, your economy-of-scale will allow you to get full supplies with still the low price. Construction materials can also be gotten in similar ways. You just need to look hard enough.
• Properties and Lands - Don't buy from regular big agents, try to seek out very local deals from very tiny agents or connections. You should be able to buy great bungalows with huge land in very good locations for tiny sums that are too embarrassing to place here. They are never even more than 4 to 5-figures per pop. The rental returns allow you to buy in less than 3 years. This is how good the deals are if you are willing to seek.
• Contractor Services - Contracting regular services is damn expensive. Your fucking plumber will not move unless you pay him like hell per hour and for a minimum of a few fucking hours. Fuck them and fuck them all. Feel insulted? Well, that's not my problem. If you are currently a plumber, that's not my problem. You have outlived your value. Employ instead unskilled worker and direct them to your needs. You only need to pay them minimum wages and yet they are so grateful to you as you employ these unskilled yellowskins for a good day's work. At the same time, since they are unskilled, they don't mind learning a new skill like plumbing your gassed hot-water tanks or sewer pipes. They would be eternally grateful. Fuck the regulations. The regulations can be gotten as a book. Just read them and learn just half a step ahead of your unskilled workers. No countries in the world disallow building improvements made by the owners. Only very tall buildings require a building code.  

Enough examples. More examples only inflate the repeats.

These business methods allow you to survive for a long, long time till you get strong in the process in terms of time on market and some business building.

b.Politicking in Business (II)

The last part is here:   Politicking for Business

Politics is a really, really a bad word.

Stoop very low and be subservient, but, always at the most appropriate time, show that you can have alternatives. Suggest that you may decide to play in other sandboxes too.

Politicians no matter how strong, still need to play with the business people. So you should not feel too strange to stand a little taller at times, although mostly subservient.

This kind of play requires practice. So for a start, deal with the younger ones first before trying for the old hags.

Do not try to bribe too early. Anyway, bribing is too low tech. You must rise above that. Instead you should learn to trade in relative benefits. At all times, different people has needs and benefits. Learn to arrange to trade them among themselves. Be the best mediator. Bribing is low tech and criminal, so don't go there.

There is always a way to do politics without playing too much into their designated sandboxes. These sandboxes are illusions and need not be too strictly adhere to.

One specific warning is never to deal with the opposition parties. 断人衣食，犹如杀人父母。So be super worried. The ruling party is ruthless when it comes to dealing with opposition parties. Don't get involved in the cross-fire.

b.Strategy - The Demise of Brands

The last part is here:   Strategy - 见人说鬼话, 见鬼说人话

Luxottica Group S.p.A. is the world's largest eyewear company, controlling over 80% of the world's major eyewear brands. Its best known brands are Ray-Ban and Persol. It also makes sunglasses and prescription frames for a multitude of designer brands such as Chanel and Prada, whose designs and trademarks are used under license. Luxottica also makes sunglasses branded Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Stella McCartney, Versace, Vogue, Miu Miu, Tory Burch, and Donna Karan. Its prime competitor is the Safilo Group S.p.A.  

Luxottica Group originated in 1961, when Leonardo Del Vecchio set up Luxottica di Del Vecchio e C. S.a.S., which subsequently became a joint-stock company under the name of Luxottica S.p.A. Having started out as a small workshop, the Company operated till the end of the ‘60s as a contract producer of dies, ferro-tagli, metal components and semi-finished goods for the optical industry. Leonardo Del Vecchio gradually widened the range of processes until he had an integrated manufacturing structure capable of producing a finished pair of glass. 1969 saw the crucial turning point, the launching of the first frames under the Luxottica brand: the contract producer became an independent manufacturer. 

Shortly afterwards, the presentation of its first collection, at Milan’s MIDO (an international optics trade fair), made the brand a definitive success.

I have mentioned this several times over various essays, if you have been in original product business, you would have noticed your retailers will always like to play your ass. The moment you are successful in your brands, they will play you by rising discount, so even if you make loads of sales, the deeper discount would have nullified your profits. You are just working for free for the retailers. If you continue to be successful, these retailers would try to create house brands using your products. If you want to continue to trade with your retailers, you have no choice but to agree. So now you have CUNT peanuts and Tong Garden peanuts at exactly the same shelves. CUNT peanuts is the same peanuts as your Tong Garden peanuts, selling at a dollar cheaper than the original. Even the quality of packaging is the same. Of course they would taste the same, because they were from the same fucking machinery.

I have mentioned before, don't fight the retailers. Agree with them, in fact, I would even withdraw Tong Garden peanuts from the shelves making CUNT peanuts the only selling peanut brands. So the sale for CUNT peanuts would be at all time high.

What's the ploy? No retailers no matter how smart and / or rich can ever produce the peanuts on their own. The resource and research&development needed are too great for each product. The most they can do is to switch the peanuts supplier to someone else. If you are not good enough, you are destined to die anyway. But, if you are worth your salt, these retailers would have no choice but to continue to buy peanuts from you and brand it under CUNT. You have now developed a symbiotic relationship with the retail chain (this is the smart case for all china products, the middle kingdom yellowskins are most cunning, those who stayed must be more yellowskin than those yellowskins who quit).

If you now move on to develop connectivity with other retail chains, you would be extremely successful, because the way you dealt with CUNT was a good philosophy. Other retail chains would like the style too. In less than 50 years, you are Luxottica supplying to all established retail chains-of-the-day in the world. You are most well-known no-name brand. Even more brand owners would hook up with you, allowing you to access their markets.

In life, it is easy to lose one's way if you are prideful and refuse to think for your enemies. The retailers are actually very insecure. They knew that they are mere traders, as compared to original product developers. As pure traders, they are as easy to replace as the wind changing direction. Fortunate for them, retailers are normally members of the ruling family. They would be able to stay for a while longer. Nonetheless, they are very insecure. Sad ...

This is one strategy you cannot ignore ... think deeper if you must ... savour its taste ...

b.Land - Rights

The last part is here:   Land - The Waterfall 

Each land has different rights. Learn to defeat each right.

Tenure
means you must get estate-in-fee-simple, i.e., freehold land. Leasehold is a joke and never fall for it no matter how cheap. You don't actually own the land but you have tenure in freehold. You are like a knight given control of land masses by the king and may collect taxes.

Surface rights 
are “every right in land other than mining rights.” It is quite normal for you when purchasing land to have surface rights. This is a powerful right.

Someone who owns surface rights to land owns not only the surface but also the air space above it (subject to the rights of others, such as airlines) and any sand, gravel, peat, clay or marl which can be excavated by surface operations.

However, surface rights do not include ownership of minerals. Someone who owns mineral rights to land may own one specific mineral, several specified minerals or all of the minerals (except gold and silver, which, with few exceptions, are the property of the country).

Mining rights
are “the right to minerals on, in, or under the land.” This right is normally not given to the land purchaser (90% of the land masses). You must learn to defeat this right.

Miners will try to stake the land by applying to the land office. Normally this right is granted to the miners for a fee per year. The fucking miner will dig here and there for minerals and the miner need not even give notice to the landowner for the activities. Most of the time, he don't even cover back the holes he drilled.

A mining claim cannot be staked out nor can prospecting be done on the part of the land if any of the following is done:

• house/residence/cottage/dwelling
• church 
• cemetery 
• public building 
• spring
• artificial reservoir
• dam or waterworks 
• outhouse 
• manufactory
• a garden, orchard, vineyard, nursery, plantation or pleasure ground or where crops can be damaged

The last exemption is the most important and the one used to defeat this mineral rights:

• Crop: Crop is given a broad interpretation and includes grass and hay fields. ‘Orchard’ can consist of several fruit trees on the land. You need at least 14 fruit trees to form an orchard.
• Vineyard: “Plots” that are managed in the usual agricultural sense for personal or commercial purposes.
• Nursery: “Nursery stock” are coniferous or hardwood seedlings, transplants, grafts, or trees propagated or grown in a nursery and with the roots attached, and includes cuttings with or without the roots attached. Nursery stock grown for sale as: 1. any place where fruit trees, fruit stock, or ornamental plants are propagated for sale; 2. a place where plants other than herbaceous plants are grown, for the purpose of marketing. 3 Plantation: A woodlot.
• Pleasure Ground: Grounds for recreation, including summer resort locations. 
• Waterworks: Any public, commercial or industrial works for the collection, production, treatment, storage, supply, and distribution of water or any part of any such waterworks.
• Waterworks system: Any system of plants, wells, structures, equipment, pipes, apparatus or other things for the obtaining, treating, purifying, disinfecting, distributing or supplying of water intended to be used for human consumption or in swimming pools and, without limitation, includes aqueducts , cisterns, culverts, cuts, flumes, m a ins, pumps, reservoirs, tanks, engines, and machinery used in connection with the system.

That is, start improving the land as soon as you have connected or not power into the land. The best is to plant hardwood seedlings. It cost only a couple of thousands of dollars to start and finish.

Timber rights
reserved means that all the timber (trees) standing on the property are not included with the property. These trees are reserved to the government- or to an individual. This includes all tree species except Pine trees.

Although the government owns the trees they do require the permission of the property owner to harvest those trees. If the property owner wishes to harvest the trees on the parcel, the owner must call the government. A stumpage fee is owed to the government when harvested. When timber rights are included, the property owner owns the trees- except the Pine- unless the deed states, “all pine rights are included”. Pine trees are reserved to the government- meaning that all Pine trees standing on the land are owned by the government. The property owner does not own these trees. To harvest Pine trees you must contact the government. The Pine rights can be purchased from the Government.

This right is not too biggie although timber rights should always be alienated.

My Comment

It is alright to buy land only with the surface rights. But, you must defeat the other rights immediately by doing something to it. Normally a simple improvement to the land would allow you to have the cake and eat it. But, if you are lazy, you are waiting to be fully defeated. A lazy guy has no place in town.

If ever possible, I would fully establish an alpaca farm on it. An alpaca farm is not very monied in nature but yield enough for full-time workers. You can then alienate a small part of the land to conduct high money items such as ginseng, truffles, fox, deer velvets or wine. 

The song is here:    白狐 (正式版) - 陳瑞

我是一隻 愛了千年的狐
千年愛戀 千年孤獨
長夜裡你可知 我的紅妝為誰補

紅塵中你可知 我的秀髮為誰梳

我是一隻守候千年的狐
千年守候 千年無助
情到深處 看我用美麗為你起舞
愛到痛時 聽我用歌聲為你傾訴

寒窗苦讀　你我海誓山盟銘心刻骨
金榜花燭　卻是天涯漫漫陌路殊途

能不能讓我為愛哭一哭
我還是千百年前愛你的白狐
多少春去 春來 朝朝暮暮
生生世世都是你的狐

能不能讓我為愛哭一哭

我還是千百年來不變的白狐
多少春去 春來 朝朝暮暮
來生來世還做你的狐

我是一隻守候千年的狐
千年守候 千年無助　
情到深處 看我用美麗為你起舞　
愛到痛時 聽我用歌聲為你傾訴

寒窗苦讀 你我海誓山盟銘心刻骨
金榜花燭 卻是天涯漫漫陌路殊途

能不能讓我為愛哭一哭
我還是千百年前愛你的白狐
多少春去 春來 朝朝暮暮
生生世世都是你的狐

能不能讓我為愛哭一哭
我還是千百年來不變的白狐

多少春去 春來 朝朝暮暮
來生來世還做你的狐

多少春去 春來 朝朝暮暮
來生來世還做你的狐

來生來世還做你的狐

Let's enjoy the song ...

(Another very quiet night for me ... It is so difficult to grind the nose alone) 

b.Strategy - 见人说鬼话, 见鬼说人话

The last party is here:   Strategy - Racism Continues

Usually it is said that:

"见人说人话，见鬼说鬼话。" means 看人们在说话办事的过程当中应变能力很强。能够做到见风使舵。( 略带贬义）

Sometimes, it is even extended to ".. 混的“好”的，都是见人说人话、见鬼说鬼话、见神说神话。"

It simply means be extremely flexible when dealing with people. Pander to their dreams and desires, all shall be given unto thee.

If you do that, you would be miserable. It essentially means that you will always be trying to please. When you try to please, your attitude is automatically subservient to their lordships. This is not good for negotiation.

Unless you appear an equal and hence, valuable, you would never be able to extract a good bargain.

Do note that different groups have different agendas. The folks in the government-of-the-day would be driven by powers, promotions and accolades. The business folks would be driven by market territories and monetary maneuvers. Their low-ranked employees don't matter.

Hence, in order not to fall into the mistake of being too subservient to any groups, you must employ a newer tact - 见人说鬼话, 见鬼说人话。

见人说鬼话, 见鬼说人话。 means you use the other groups as counter-weights. If you are with the business group, talk incessantly about your dealings with your government-of-the-day groups. Express your connectivity and your friendship. There is no need to discuss your current desires. They simply can't wait but to ask you. Say it in one simple sentence and leave it hanging. They would agree to assist you with money and pleasures, of course with no string attached. They simply wanted in at whatever the cost. They can't let a fat cow slipped by.

On the other hand, if you are with the power group, talk incessantly about your dealings with your business groups. Express your connectivity and your friendship. There is no need to discuss your current desires. They simply can't wait but to ask you. Say it in one simple sentence and leave it hanging. They would agree to assist you with approvals, of course with no string attached. They simply wanted in at whatever the cost. They can't let a chance to gain promotion and fame due to a successful business-type to slip through. You might be the next bill gates helping out in full employment.

This method will allow you to walk and stand tall. Because any faults are finger-pointed towards the other group. You are humble and simply a message postman. You are therefore blameless and if there are any gaps in expectation, you simply can't help it, it is the problem of the executing group. But, of course, you can help to resolve the outstanding issues through mediation and zeal. Frankly with full government-of-the-day approvals and money, no business-type will fail, unless it is poorly conceived.

At the end of the day, 人鬼神 are all you.

Footnote:   Never employ this method to your true friends. They are not to tricked.

b.孫子兵法 (作戰篇第二) - 故智將務食于敵

The last part is here:   孫子兵法 (作戰篇第二) (Chapter 2 - 5) (Part 15)

故智將務食于敵。食敵一鐘，當吾二十鐘﹔箕杆一石，當吾二十石。

Today, I did a good job. But, I don't know if I have done the magic 故智將務食于敵。I have made participants in my project pay up front for a share of the project and yet I didn't give any physical shares away. The money they put up is about 3-10 times greater than my total investment. In return, they would share only a small percentage of the investment returns. If the invested monies are lost, I bear no responsibilities.

I hope to achieve if I consume 1 part of the enemy's food, I would have saved 20 parts from my own resource.

b.Contract - Roughing In

The last part is here:   Contract - The Art of Bargaining

I thought I am the yellowskin smart-ass. I am dead wrong. There are indeed people who go beyond logic and reason.

This person I know brought the art of bargaining to god level. He got 20 vehicles all in working conditions for FREE, while I paid thousands of dollars for just one. He bought 8 freehold housed properties for a total of a couple of thousands of dollars just few years back, while I paid several tens of times for just one. He's now my fucking neighbour, beside me. He paid $20 per full door (new) while I paid $300 per pop and still thought I got a devil's bargain. He paid $200 for 300 pieces of lumber, while I paid $5 per piece = $1,500. WTF! I really must remove my stench from that fucken little island. My lenses are now tinted by the high prices.

So being humble is important to learn from these great artistes. He is no con-man. He's deadly friendly and sincere in his dealings.

Now, because of his help, I managed to rent rooms while I travel for $200 per room per month with full speed internet, heating, cooking and washing.

Now the white agent has been touting me to do my passion business VI - rent-to-own. She said there are millions of renters waiting for my suggestion.

With this neighbour's help, I am sure this passion business vi will fruit.

There are earth-worms and there are more earth-worms. Seek them out. All things shall be given unto thee ... (for free)

p.Strategy - Racism Continues

The last part is here:   Strategy - How to survive in White Land 

Based on my encounters with enough of both white and blue collar whites, I came to this conclusion:

The white collars have limited racism. They are paid at least $35-$50 per hour for their lowest rankers. Their house is cheap. Their food is cheap. Their car is cheap. So they have more than enough to get by. Further they don't usually travel. They will just hurdle together in their houses singing happy halloweens. They are a very happy lot. So when they see lesser humans like me, the yellowskin. They are naturally curious about their little pet. They will toy with it. Resist not. Therein lies your best take. You can ask for the sky and they will happily agree. Tell them a soap opera. They will bait, hook, sinker and line. They see no reason to play the race card. They felt in every sense of the word - superior. They would be kind. However, one caveat:   If you do receive kindness, repay it in time. Never let karma plays your backside.

The blue collars on the other hand is extremely racist. Visit a big store. They would ignore you even though you are a big paying customer. Eat in a restaurant, they would serve you last and would not come for your refill, let alone ask. When you asked complicated questions, they would give you replies like you couldn't have afforded it. Why don't you ask the professionals instead? They don't have such professional services. Yet, their signages screamed to provide such professional services for free or low fees. If you don't have ten grands, don't try to get help, they are expensive. At every turn or corner, they would try to pretend that they are helpful, smiley, but deep down they are racist.

I don't blamed them. What can life afford them? They are only paid $6-$10 per hour. With this pay, they can barely rent a house (double income some more), fuck only blur chicks, screaming kids and little food on the table. Their frustration is why don't employers give them a good pay and some recognition for their hard work. Hard work possibly. Quality work no way. So every day, they have to mill their noses to the ground.

Now this blur-fucked yellowskin comes along, this is gold. He will let go every frustration-of-the-day on this poor yellowskin. Two mis-fits of the society hurdled together for the good go at this racism game. How charming!

It is best to ignore these overtures and concentrate on the way ahead. You can't try to win over these losers. Even old immigrants exhibit this lousy behaviour. Ignore them all. These fuckers can never advance your station in life. Stay away from them. If you can DIY, do it. It is never too late to learn a menial skill. Take it as an exercise. Else, get them to do it after checking with 10 thousand vendors. You need to do your home work. Haste is bad for your money prowess. Btw, internet is your life saviour.

Btw, don't bother to improve your language with the locals. You can never blend in. Just speak your pigeon English, i.e., just be yourself, i.e., gay as a lark. With money, these neighbours will laugh at your slightest jokes. I have already made my neighbour shovels the snow off my pavement whenever I am away. Of course for a small fee. Now my neighbours are all smile with me.

Use money to buy tough love, you bet!

b.Strategy - Strangeness in White Land

The last part is here:   Strategy - How to survive in White Land

I have heard guys around me complaining non-stopped about how strange white land is.

Always remember traditions were built over thousands of years. The white land is tens of thousands of miles from our ex-home town. When one travels from one place to another, things are different. Language are different. Habits are different. People are different. Do not at any one time impose our knowledge and habits on them. We will fail.

But, if we try to assimilate into their culture and customs. We would be at least 10 thousand years' too late. So please don't bother. Instead be humble, acknowledge their leaderships. Don't fight them. But, deep down don't ever assimilate. There is no use.

When you get home. Play your own music. Play your own songs. Watch your own movies. Eat your own food. Speak your own language. Build a very, very strong core. Cry if you must. But, don't despair.

There are many strangeness in the white land. First and foremost, they don't work. They depend only on government's subsistence payments. Second, they are very proud about their way of life. They don't like to change. They rent and  live in paper houses and proudly claimed that they are rich. Amazing. Many locals can't even afford to travel, not even across provinces.

They use stupid things like water tank heaters for their hot water supply, without thinking that these heaters are very expensive to maintain. With the yellowskins squeezing their house sizes. They will feel the pain within one generation.

Other things that are strange are they like to gamble at their toto shops, fruit machines. I saw thousands of dollars changed hands at the casinos. I saw their distress. They smoked weed all the time. They humped all sorts of gals. I saw their loss of will. Every day, they will look towards getting money from the government. They will stop work the moment they feel that the government is going to pay them free money. They talked non-stopped about weather and how their cats do somersaults. They dealt with non-ambition. Only immigrants have ambitions. Only immigrants will quarrel non-stopped. When the guys are in need of power, they will fight in their pubs.

Very strange, indeed.

When I speak to them about ambition, they will look strangely at me and express strangeness, as if their world don't need ambition.

More strange is that they are excited about holding down 2 part-time jobs and yet never bother about holding down a good full-time job. They will sleep till the sun-set.

They will play hide-and-seek in the cinemas after the show times till wee mornings and use their cinema screens to play xbox. To them, this is already their top-of-the-range entertainment. No doubt about it to a certain extent. But, these people owned no houses, no cars, no papers, no assets, no cash, but, maximum pride.

Sigh ... strange white land ... Let's enjoy the building power of the yellowskins.