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The air smelled of sweat and blood, and I could barely hear my friends talking to me over the screaming crowd. With each blow, bookmakers were shifting odds and taking bets with such a frenzy that the arena may as well have been the New York Stock Exchange on Black Monday. This was
November 4, 2009 Thailand I arrived into Thailand at 3am this morning from Shenzhen, and instantly I felt a bit happier. China is undoubtedly a booming colossus full of opportunity, but culturally it can be a bit grating after a while. After a month on the mainland, I needed a break, and Thailand
Here’s the scene… you’ve just landed and are making your way through immigration. Bleary-eyed and a bit disoriented, the portly fellow behind the desk singles you out for ‘secondary screening,’ and you are whisked away to the catacombs of the Customs service. At this point, it really doesn’t matter what country you’re arrived
I spend a great deal of my time on the road, traveling around the world in search of opportunity. I put boots on the ground while I’m on the hunt and end up screening a tremendous amount of both business and investment ideas. Some of these ideas make the cut, and we take
What if they held a bond auction and nobody came? This is exactly what happened in Latvia a few weeks ago, as the country failed to receive a single bid for $16 million of debt, maturing in April 2010. In other words, investors were not willing to loan what amounts to international finance
I spent the better part of my day today at a small conference attended by many of Shanghai’s wealthy, plus their lawyers and accountants. Considering the subject material is highly frowned upon by the government, I was surprised that so many were in attendance. So what was the topic of discussion at
It had to happen eventually. Nothing moves in a straight line in either direction, up or down… and when it does, there’s clearly room for a correction. In this case, I’m talking about the dollar, which has surged in the last week. What a roller coaster ride– we watched it continually slide for
Dubai is looking something like Rocky Balboa late in his first fight with Apollo…bruised, battered, struggling to his feet– but still fighting. Of course, if you remember the movie, Rocky didn’t win that fight. He was all heart, no belt. I think the analogy fits. To be clear, I think Dubai is great…
He has ruled through 12 US Presidents, a string of military dictatorships, several coups, and a historic transition to democracy. At 81 years of age, King Bhumibol of Thailand has really seen it all. Despite his essentially ceremonial position, King Bhumibol is revered, almost worshiped, by his people– not like other constitutional monarchies
I have the temporary misfortune today of feeling a bit under the weather. I’ve always wondered how such an expression came to pass, but if it is meant to be any sort of metaphor, my ‘weather’ is something like a category five hurricane. As a consequence, I was unable to attend this week’s
I love Uruguay… it is, without a doubt, one of my top five choices in Latin America– the country is clean, beautiful, and cheap, full of great wine and friendly people. But if you’re considering the country as a place to live, work, or do business, there are definitely a few things you
The US Internal Revenue Service was feeling rather proud of itself yesterday; IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman held a press conference to release the final results of 2009 amnesty program. Over 7500 taxpayers came forward this year to confess hiding income in overseas bank accounts; this number is substantially greater than the several hundred
If you’re presently expecting a child or are planning on having one soon, you should really consider having your baby overseas. There are many countries, particularly in the western hemisphere, which grant citizenship to all children born within its borders, regardless of the nationality or immigration status of the parents. The legal term
Thanks to an unexpected computer crash, I’ve spent the majority of my day trolling around one of Shanghai’s infamous technology marketplaces, where just about everything you see is a knock-off.From my condo in Shanghai’s Pudong district, it’s about a 15 minute metro ride to “Pacific Digital Plaza,” which ironically is just a stone’s
Do you think your government doesn’t have the means to listen to your phone calls? Think again. Governments from around the world, not just exclusive to North America, have technologically advanced eavesdropping programs which can capture mobile phone conversations without anyone ever knowing. And just in case the government isn’t so technologically advanced,
