Announcement
- Do one brave thing today...then run like hell!!!
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. - James Dean
You aren't wealthy until you have something money can't buy. - Garth B.
A woman is closest to being naked when she is well dressed. -Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel
My blog
-
LOSS....
Wednesday, Oct 8, 2008 5:59AM / Standard Entry / Members only
This content is only viewable by site members.
In order to view, please first sign in or sign up for FREE.
-
Break time....banned commercials...
Thursday, Oct 2, 2008 4:06AM / Standard Entry / Members only
-
SILLY BLOG...
Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 3:44PM / Standard Entry / Members only
Let's blog :-) So, I was at the bank closing my investment account as I do not want my saving to be managed by a bank that hold my huge student loan debts as JPM took over WAMU. While standing in line listen to some of the most ridiculous conversations those in front and behind me creatively come up, I have some crazy thoughts of my own. So, my first born and my right arm are being locked up at Wamu and I want to move them over to Bank of America. Great, although the baby is FDIC insured, there is no guarantee that the one that took over will be as customer-oriented as the one before. That said a lot about how banking work these days. So if you run your business focus on customer first and have friendly policy, you probably will go out of business. For a bank that survive the Great Depression to collapse on its 119th anniversary of its founding, it sadden me. This news also affects me personally as not only I'd been banking with them for a little over 15 years but I consider them as one of the best employer I ever worked for. My engineering skills improve significantly as my stress tolerance level increase supporting its huge datacenter over thousands of system holding million of business accounts and network transactions. I'm part of the team that support their network infrastructure and datacenter high availability. Many of my previous colleagues are losing their jobs, confuse and hurting not knowing what had just happened. 3 years ago, they were expanding and building state-of-the-art tower right in the middle of downtown Seattle...and now they're gone. I can't help but wonder....even relationship with my well established bank failed miserably, what is the chance of me finding the ever lasting relationship, the forever kind with anyone or anything?
Just a random thought....and a few photos I took while I was still working for Wamu...my route to work, where I go eat lunch, walk, etc...again, me and my silly building shots :=(
So I have another thought this morning...yeah, this is what happen when Elle think :-(
The money is not going anywhere just like...my debt of course; basic FDIC insured covered up to 100K. This is why the govt stepped in to ensure another bank will take over and run it so we don't crash our insurance industry too, business as usual. I think what people are worried about is "how our money will be handle". We choose a bank to open a checking, saving, and especially investment, we don't just close our eyes and roll the dices. There are many ways an financial institution can screw us, fluctuate interest rates, terms and policy changes and down to the basics, how we access our money, customer services...W. has been known for open policy and best customer services where JP is old school. Have you ever call the number behind your Chase credit card? Notice the major differences between that and calling Wamu cc and Amex (which own by BOA)....I already notice the different log into my account and to be honest, I never like JP website, very slow and not innovative as other banks and paying their cc took forever to clear and if you have problem with their site hang...you're screwed...either take your chance, pay twice or bite the $40+ bucks late charge. I'd been in company that got bought over. Even 3 years after, the child company still suffer from adapt to parent's cultures. Most of time, it ended up destroy the great framework that usually found in the one that got taken over. And not to mention walk into your bank now, you can't expect people to serve you the same way....for many reasons such as loyalty, resistance, confusion, etc. you won't get the same services or get thing done like the way it used to be. Just now, I'm already on hold for 15 min and couldn't get through as oppose to 1 min turn around before...Last but not least, JP paid 1.9 billions for this acquisition, they are not going to treat it as....just assets alone, worth close to about 400 billions...I'm sure they will try to maintain the huge customer bases that come with this purchase but do they know how that is a problem. Isn't that why, we pick and choose our leaders? We always prefer the good over the bad and not the other way around. Well, BOA is laughing all the way to their bank now is the expression I got lately :-)
Sorry for all these dry financial talks....and don't get me start on politics as well...hehehe.
-
20,000 visitor...anyone?!!
Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 2:17PM / Standard Entry / Members only
Please leave me a note, screenshot of the visitor counter, or just about anything to mark your footprint if you happen to be my 20K visitor.....please!!! Wanna do something special....perhaps a trip to NYC to visit my 10K visitor....hehehe :-)
Thanks much.
-Elle-
-
WEDDING FOODS....
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2008 6:56AM / Standard Entry / Members only
Recently, I attended so many weddings and I thought I share the photo of the foods with you guys....the ever traditional Asian wedding with 10 course meal :-) The photo are terrible because it's from my Blackberry and I'm running around like crazy so I probably miss lots of the dish that serve in the middle. This is from one of the wedding. I will add foods from my brother's wedding soon...
Interestingly, instead of the good old fashion Hennessy Cognac being served at most of Asian weddings, this wedding serve Vodka instead.
Appetizer, first dish
Fried rice and cold chow mein noodles
Scallops
Bok Choy with seafood
Red sauce lobsters + shark's fin soup
Bird Nest seafood special
Candied walnut prawns (thanks Patrick :=)
Deep Fried fish with squid
Warm desert & of course, vanilla wedding cake
The back of my head :-) to prove I'm still alive and kicking after all the foods.
Stats
- Welcome to my corner. Please enjoy your stay!!!
- Gender: Female
- Total visits: 22,774
