Some chartered airline company is offering round trip tickets to Beirut at shockingly low prices.
I have spent 2 years going back and forth through an expensive privately owned airline company from Beirut. The competition is growing fiercely today, we have 4 airline companies going to Beirut.
Anyway, it happens so that i will be in Beirut on my "birth-day". The reason i put "birth-day" in quotation marks is because I'm not very fond of "birthdays" and what they stand for.
When i was a child i have always hated the birthday concept. The only thing i was interested in as a kid back then was the gift ( definitely not clothes).
The other day i was talking to a happily married couple who took an hour to explain the big surprise the wife prepared for her husband on his 28th birthday.
They spent around 500 bucks for a "romantic" dinner. What for?
I think people spend too much time and money for dull and stupid events.
I have had people call me to give me instructions on what to do, where to go, what to bring, how to act..... so that the SURPRISE will not be ruined.
Funny thing happened to me, i was with a Beirut-based entrepreneur the other day who came for a short visit to Jeddah. i took him out to this new mall to check out some of the shops.
After spinning around the mall we took a small coffee break at Costa when i get a call from a guy who wants to surprise his wife ( she is the entrepreneur's niece).
He gives me the following instructions:
- Walk away from her uncle and go north
- Move a little to the left
- Act like we met me by coincidence
- Then walk us ( him and his wife) towards her uncle
This sounds like a GPS-navigation system giving me directions towards a location im looking for.
All this for what? Surprised to see her uncle?! this is awkward, there are more than 20 million Lebanese residing outside Lebanon. I don't think finding your uncle in a nearby country is surprising.
Back to birthdays, people gather around and go to a restaurant ( please take some time to calculate the expenses: gas, gifts, decorations, bookings,food..) to waste their precious time and money to celebrate someone's birthday ( sometimes its a coworker they detest).
Why would this be a celebration when you are maturing as the years go to find yourself that there are still some goals and plans you haven't been able to achieve.
October 25, 2009
October 19, 2009
Two Opposing Messages
Yesterday was a very strenuous day, enjoyed my time with my uncle but I was suffering from sleeplessness.
That's why I came in late to work.
I dont know why everyone has been so negative this week.
Rumors going back and forth about the big changes going to take place in the company accompanied by new strict rules and policies that will be in action soon. Very funny?? Salaries nowadays barely cover an executive's expenses.
The truth is that most of the employees in the company already have an offer in hand.
Lunch was great, I haven't had a nice healthy meal for while; I was a little annoyed with the guys boasting proudly about their sinful night life in beirut.
Anyways, back to my main topic which revolves around the financial crisis; The economic uncertainty and false analysis coming from financial experts everyday is starting to reshape my belief in the effectiveness of this so called science of financial markets. Im starting to believe that i have wasted my time in college learning about risk assessment and analysis from people who never predicted this crash.
None of the events taking place has been predicted.
The price of gold is still above 1,000 dollars, the U.S stock market is fluctuating randomly. You know what, I think that investing in stock markets is very similar to gambling( a saying i have always opposed since it was my field of study).
I mean in 2003 when Saddam Hussain was captured, financial news channels flashed the following headline: U.S TREASURIES RISE, half an hour later the same channel posts: U.S TREASURIES FALL;HUSSAIN CAPTURE BOOSTS ALLURE OF RISKY ASSETS. (I mean can you at least make up your mind)
There you go two opposing messages for the same SADDAM.
That's why I came in late to work.
I dont know why everyone has been so negative this week.
Rumors going back and forth about the big changes going to take place in the company accompanied by new strict rules and policies that will be in action soon. Very funny?? Salaries nowadays barely cover an executive's expenses.
The truth is that most of the employees in the company already have an offer in hand.
Lunch was great, I haven't had a nice healthy meal for while; I was a little annoyed with the guys boasting proudly about their sinful night life in beirut.
Anyways, back to my main topic which revolves around the financial crisis; The economic uncertainty and false analysis coming from financial experts everyday is starting to reshape my belief in the effectiveness of this so called science of financial markets. Im starting to believe that i have wasted my time in college learning about risk assessment and analysis from people who never predicted this crash.
None of the events taking place has been predicted.
The price of gold is still above 1,000 dollars, the U.S stock market is fluctuating randomly. You know what, I think that investing in stock markets is very similar to gambling( a saying i have always opposed since it was my field of study).
I mean in 2003 when Saddam Hussain was captured, financial news channels flashed the following headline: U.S TREASURIES RISE, half an hour later the same channel posts: U.S TREASURIES FALL;HUSSAIN CAPTURE BOOSTS ALLURE OF RISKY ASSETS. (I mean can you at least make up your mind)
There you go two opposing messages for the same SADDAM.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)