Living in Shanghai

Yuan Dan - Happy New Year in Shanghai

Andrew — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:22:37 GMT

元旦快乐!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

When Sun Yat-sen took office as the temporary President in Nanjing at the beginning of January of 1912, he set the 1st of the 1st lunar month as the Spring Festival while the 1st of January was set as the New Year, which was also called Yuan Dan.(from the Chinese Confucian Website)

Interesting Spreads

Andrew — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:40:54 GMT

Very interesting how the crude price, wholesale price, and retail price spreads change ...

Courtesy AAA

Water markets in 20 to 30 years ....

Andrew — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:17:58 GMT

“I expect to see a globally integrated market for fresh water within 25 to 30 years. Once the spot market for water is integrated, futures markets and other derivative water based water instruments – puts, calls, swaps – should trade over the exchanges and over the counter will follow. There will be different grades and types of fresh water just like the way we have light sweet and heavy sour crude oil today. Water as an asset class will, in my view, become eventually the single most important physical commodity based asset class – dwarfing oil, copper agricultural commodities as well as precious metals.”

Willem Buiter, Citigroup economist. (to me via Chris Carter ScotiaGroup email)

Hmmm .... maybe much sooner in certain countries ... we shall see

Halloween in Shanghai

Andrew — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:53:18 GMT

You can buy anything here in Shanghai! Da Ning department/grocery store RT Mart:

Steven Jobs on sale in Shanghai, Yan Chang Road

Andrew — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:46:13 GMT

Less than one week to hit the streets of Shanghai!

Ohhh ... advertising!!!

Andrew — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:38:00 GMT

ADVERTISING!

Oh my goodness ... WHAT ...

Andrew — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 02:42:00 GMT

... the heck????

Looks like RAIN! Tropical Storm Sarika!

Andrew — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:14:00 GMT

YEAH - hoping to totally end the drought!!!

Southern China receives much of their rain in the form of Tropical Storms. The weather forecast is for rain through Sunday.

Closer to home in Shanghai ...

Andrew — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:26:34 GMT

Right Now	Next 36 Hours

	Today	Tonight	Tomorrow

Fair	Partly Cloudy	Mostly Cloudy	T-Storms
97°F	90°	74°	81°
Feels Like: 101°	High	Low	High
Past 24-hr precip is only available for the contiguous U.S.	Chance of Precip: 10%	Chance of Precip: 20%	Chance of Rain: 90%
Wind: From S at 9mph	Wind: SE at 8 mph	Wind: S at 9 mph	Wind: SSW at 12 mp

The FIRST Tropical Storm - North America

Andrew — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:30:05 GMT

A birthday storm!! That's IT - just turned the double nickel!! grin

BACK IN THE U.S.A.!!!

Andrew — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:45:00 GMT

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!!!

Andrew — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 08:19:00 GMT

What a beautiful way to start 2011!!!

103" at ALTA!!!

Andrew — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:22:00 GMT

And Still snowing!

Alta's Website:

NICE ... Fresh tracks ...

Beautiful Sunrises still in Shanghai!

Andrew — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:29:00 GMT

A wonderful Thanksgiving weekend here in Shanghai too!

59" is quite passable for this time of year!

Andrew — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:13:00 GMT

Hello Alta Powder Hounds...

In the last 12 hours (as of 4am this morning), Alta Ski Area received 2" of new snow.

In the last 24 hours, Alta Ski Area received 12" of new snow.

The storm total so far is 24".

In the next 24 hours, Alta Ski Area is forecasted to receive 2-4" of new snow.

The settled mid-mountain base is currently: 59".

So far this season we've received 104" of snow.

Check out the latest road and snow conditions on the Alta Mountain Report: http://www.alta.com/pages/report.php

U.S. 10 year Treasury Bonds - NO problem!

Andrew — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:14:00 GMT

From 1960 to 2010, 10 year Treasuries from the Saint Louis Federal Reserve website:

The U.S. 10 year bond rates are at the lowest ever (except during the year earlier recession). Guess the bond market isn't worried about how safe the U.S. is, as far as a place to invest and buy assets! Interesting!!!

Sovereign Interest Rate Spreads

Andrew — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 22:01:00 GMT

The Sovereign market is the bond market for different countries' bonds. The "Spread" is the difference in bond yields (interest rates) - here, the spread from Germany means the extra interest above that required of a German Bond. Very Interesting ...

We've been watching these bonds in our classes - the PIIGS: Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain (with the UK not far behind, but not part of the Euro). The U.S. is not in these leagues, at least not yet. From the Economist Magazine linked here .

Nanjing by FAST Train!!

Andrew — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:15:00 GMT

First one must stop at the automated ticket vendor... PUSH the screen where it says English!!

You have to be careful to select the right options, however it is very straightforward. Then stick 146 yuan into the slot and you have an economy ticket to Nanjing - on the fast train!

A double length train, I suppose for National Day Week!!

(Oops, forgot to Publish this post a long time ago!)

SNOW!

Andrew — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:09:00 GMT

EXCELLENT!!! Everyone is emailing me that the snow's flying! From Connecticut to Grand Junction, there has been snow on the ground (and in the air). Here's a picture from Alta today:

Opening in 3 days ... but only 36" (including the new 12" snow) isn't really much!! However, I'm not able to ski for another 2 months, so there you go!

GIANTS WIN!!

Andrew — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:41:00 GMT

Well, I have been waiting a long time for that one!!! (2002 was the hardest year - but never mind now!)

Even more amazing is that the win was on what would have been my mother's 111 birthday!!
(She was born on 11/1 - in 1899 - and lived to be 100 years old (died 1/3/2000)!