Another day

Ready for another exciting entry? It has been awhile now since I last wrote an entry here. BTW, for those of you who are interested in looking at the US pictures, I have downloaded them into my facebook a/c. My email is r_kartolo@hotmail.com. You can look for them in there.

So, what has been happening lately? Apart from studying for CIA exam, been doing lots of thinking and reading. Thinking abt life...reading novels....which makes me think abt life...:-) Have had many revelations but yet to experience breakthroughs...I have put my goals in check so it's now just putting actions into play and making things happen.

Started to read Davinci Code by Dan Brown. I found the first page on "Facts" cheeky in it's purpose to misconstrue the truth and create this background of misbelief. I will give you my review on the book a lil bit more later ok.

Til then,

I am off. Oh ya, my plan is to write everyday......so catch up with you tomorrow...

US of A.....continues to marvel...

I am in NYC...it has been more than a week now since I got into the United States of America...been to San Fran..then Chicago and now I am at my final leg of my journey before returning to Sydney...

It has been refreshing, fun, eye-opening, memorable experience to visit the country that I've grown up with...It's like I have been here all my life...I am used to the fast food culture and magnificent streets and architecture....the brands...the people....

I got so many things to write but I will start with my encounter with culture in NYC. The first day I was in NYC, I was introduced to one of the world's famous Museum that is located in NYC, the Museum of Modern Art, a.k.a the MoMa. It's mind blowing - not only the arts that are housed in it, but also it's own architecture. I will post some pictures to keep this writing a bit more bearable...:P...but u've got to keep on reading this page I guess...:-)

Then went shopping...of course....but in between...I sneaked my way out of the fifth avenue jungle of marvellous shopping and mountains of steel and glass to visit the theathre section of the city....and saw for the first time....a musical...Les' Miserables......

BREATH-TAKING, EMOTIONAL and MEANINGFUL.......I like the way faith is being demonstrated and how faith prevails....It's a story about a thief that was forgiven and as a result, forgives and gives for the good of others...it was set during the 1800's French Revolution...Altho there are not many emphasis on the revolution itself, but it potrays LOVE, FAITH and HOPE that were found all around during the period...

The characters and story line alike are diverse and sometimes lack coherence, but the performances of the actors are mind-blowing, with beautiful singing and heart-felt potrayal of their respective roles...The comedy in between the sorrowness during the revolution was refreshing and well-portioned.... Overall, I love it...It is definitely the best musicals in the world, yet...well, at least for me that is...:-)

Okay..til next time....keep looking for this page...

Touch Down in San Francisco

U must be wondering, why the heck am I online on the first day I got to San Francisco? Well, I can't wait or more appropriately, I can't risk losing any memory on my first few moments in the US of A. SF is a city of its own - full of great architecture, friendly people and class.

The airport I must say isn't impressive and welcoming though along with the numerous highways spanning across the airport, as if guarding it from low-flying airplanes. It resembles a fotress of grey-white steel. It got better as we entered the bay area tho, with beautiful buildings, well preseved, and well-designed. The light-painted brick and wooden planked houses were just like what I expected of SF - and it then dawned on me, I am actually in SF..in the US of A. I am all smiles.

Got to the hotel...very impressed with it...it's a budget hotel (Park Hotel) but clean room, no funny smell, I am happy. And the location is just perfect - 5 minutes walk from Union Square..one of the posh area of SF.

Anyways, I better not stay ol too long...Reserved a dinner for one at a French Bistro - Cafe Claude nearby...french cuisine with int'l wine list PLUS jazz music...think tonite, there will be a Lori Carsillo singing.....btw...the chef's name is something Salazar...reminding me of a character in the HP series..it all seems to work out.....looking forward to tonite.....

I will keep the stories fresh and detailed when i get back...

til laters,

Russ

War-cry Sydney

Sydney today is beginning to look like a war-cry city...with civilians walking with uniformed police officers side by side, with blue-checkered white police cars on each sides of the major streets in Sydney CBD....it's indeed an eerie feeling...one definitely needs to get used to it...especially for people who lived in the peaceful years of Sydney..and never have been exposed to the outside world...

I am beginning to think that this week will be a major chaos...i am not planning to go to the city this week...not even for the long weekend...the plan is to maybe have dinner or game nites...and do lots of reading....got a few great books from the library....

ooh ooh...just bought an array of board games....twister, monopoly, pictionary and UNO to name a few...anyone interested in joining me for a friday nite games...or mon...tues...wed...:-)....if u do..u know who to call......

Anyway i hope u all have a great week ahead...it shld be fun...whatever u do....jst get out of the city....

Can't swallow the volatility of the share market?

Man! Share market madness, that's how I would describe what has been happening in the last week or so. Up and then down....As I was saying before, the market is experiencing major shifts..from riding from sentiments to what it is called "efficient market theory"..market movement is parrallel to that movement of a yoyo! But I still stand on my prev theory on picking stocks.....So, in the mean time, just hang in there....

Oh yea...just an input..don't think it's a good idea to buy stocks that have high debt/equity or just plainly..high debts in it's balance sheet and if the co has any ...any at all....big or small..connection with the US mortgage market...just sell it for now...and don't even bother buying it, if u are not ready to go for the roller coaster ride....

Til later, Russ is checking out...

Distance will make the heart grow fonder

One of my special friend is leavin the country for awhile and it gives me a heartache thinking abt it...BUT..I wish u all the best, my friend. Whatever you do or choose to do, I believe in you and I am certain that success is only a door-knock away...I have been extremely blessed to have known this person and i hope to build long lasting, fruitful and awesome relationship with u...y know who u are...(got to obey the privacy act so no naming here)...:-)....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqvPTc31Nds

US of A...here I come

I got my US visa! Can you believe it!? I couldn't! You can't either after you receive a letter..I quote..US General Consulate in Sydney regretfully found you ineligible for a nonimmigrant visa...and they need to do some "admin checks" which will take approximately 6-8 weeks...It was like...4 weeks before I am supposed to go... With the APEC and new tightened security around applications for US visitors, you can't help but feel despair...Anyhow, it's all done and dusted...And I am coming to America, baby!!!

Would love to see the American specimen...and experience the culture..It will feel weird at first I am sure..It's like you welcome these Americans thru those TV shows and movies...but I am sure when I come face to face with them, it will be different! The accent...the culture...the places...

You know whom I want to meet and what I would like to confirm....? The ignorance of Americans... Maybe I shld do some research on the question that Miss Teen North Carolina was asked in the recent Miss Teen USA pageant...why so many Americans Americans don't know their geography well (which is based on reliable research)...and MAYBE i can give a much better answer than hers....hehehehe....

Anyhow...expect great pictures and stories to come.....from me to U from the USA.....

Another weekend, another addition to my painting colletion...Check this one out guys...my collection..the latest one is on the far left...

Love painting! It's definitely a way to let off steam...well..one of the ways...:-)

It's the weekend...and I am so looking forward to it...There will be awesome stuffs happening this weekend...lots...

You like? My latest "I am bored - I don't know what to do" creations....I love it!

The first one is a painting of a dalmation puppy, sitting cutely and graciously..set on the crimson red backdrop, something that I just found out after I painted it, to be dalmation's fav colour. The second one is something that I have been thinking of doing...putting "myself" onto a canvass - simple yet meaningful..that's what it is all about....

Thinking of taking painting classes but I think I will start with "Learn how to paint" DIY experiement first, then when the interest stays put while I busy myself with other things, I will spend the required investment in painting classes.... So, in the mean time, please enjoy and comment on the amateuristic painting....... well u nvr know..i may be the next asian picasso...if there's such a thing....or such a someone....:-)

Coffee - an enigma

Coffee....a commodity that I can not live without! Alwys tot tht C is harmless drink, booster of vigilance and something that is used for an excuse to socialise and wind down from the day's work - even though the norm is to have it before the day even started. How ironical!

Anyway, I was just chatting to my friend abt coffee and it's goodness and it's negs. I proudly said that "i am not dependent on coffee and if i choose not to have coffee i won't have any side effects..bla bla bla".....

And alas, this morning I woke up with a needle-prickling pain on the top left hand side of my head... excruciating pulsating pain every five scnds...and just found a secret to make it better..You guessed rite! A doze of expresso shots...no milk...just pure "black gold"...

So..hope that helps for anyone who's having a headache...or simply...caffeine withdrawal syndrome.....either way...coffee helps.....:-)

New tennis champion in the making

Novak Djokovic!

I must say that when I first heard this guy's name, I was unphased! Considering that the Men's Tennis are ruled by the King Federer and Clay Prince, Nadal, who else is prominent or even close enough to be the next Champion.

But, Djokovic proved me wrong as he prounced Nadal and Federed in consecutive matches to win the Master Series in Montreal. Amazing player, with agility and strength, mentally and physically, Djokovic proved to be a champion in the making, if he's not already is. Looking forward to seeing more gutsy performance in the coming months, as the US Open and the season ending championship is coming. Stay tuned.

Check the following link for details:

http://www.atptennis.com/en/news/2007/montreal_sunday.asp

Sharemarket

I am totally hooked on this blogging thing! I feel liberated...well, sort of!

One of my great interest is in wealth creating/accumulation...who doesn't hey? Well, maybe there are..but that's not the point..:-) So, being out of the professional service firm where independence has been a deterrant for me to invest, I have now started to invest in some shares. For those of you who aren't aware of what's happening to the economy as we speak now (August 2007), there has been this huge downfall in the share market and economy as a whole as we see the falling sub-prime mortgate market. U can read up what that means, but in effect, the crisis caused the share prices to go down as the cost of lending have increased and people are panicking and selling off their shares in companies that have lots of debt. I got to say tho that people are not selling sensibly. There are shares out there that are not affected even a tiny bit by the increase in lending rates, but the share price have dropped signif in the last couple of days...So, in this event, what does that mean? BARGAINS!!!

So buy up guys...for those with extra savings....coz there are some shares for the picking. Of course, you got to do a bit of research...read the financials, management composition and experiences, products and services, etc....If it's a good company with good management and financials, the drop in the share price in this present time will only mean it has become a bargain and it's a matter of time that the price will go up again.....Genius isn't! Really fun!

Stocks that I personally am monitoring are as follows:
- Allco Finance Group (AFG) (btw this share has gone up by 20% in the last day or so and it's bound to have long term growth - so, this stock suits short term as well as long term buyers)
- Macquarie Bank Limited (MBL) - this stock is terribly cheap!! It was only a few months ago this stock almost reach the $100/share mark. Now, it's only selling for $70! Come on! Who doesn't know about the poweress of Macq bank and it's employees. They are sure money-making machine and at $70, it's a bargain.
- The major banks - they are all good buy for the long term......
- More riskier ones: API, LGL and other resource stocks as they go up and down like a yoyo but then again, there are short-term money making opp there. For example, LGL which is Lihir Gold, the price always flux based on Gold Price and the range of price has been around $2.70 to $3.20. So, just buy it when it reaches $2.70. Nine of out Ten, the price will go up to $3.20. That's when you sell it. And when it dropped to $2.70, buy it again...and so on....Easy money!!! Of course, you can't be too complacent without reading the market and gold price...So, be smart...

A point to note: I am making the above recommendation based on my experience and research and by no means, a done deal! As common-sense, I do not hold any responsibility for any unexpected change or movement that may cause significant loss :-)...

A bit bored now....work is becoming a bit stale - learning new things everyday, but the amount of reading seemed to over-burden the excitement of learning new things. You see, I got to catch up on my accounting policies in my new co and for those who have been in contact with a co's accounting policy..u know what i mean by boresome!

Well, since my last blog, lots of things have happened.... i have ended a four-months' relationship with my partner. Leaving the country soon, I see a necessity to end a relationship that could not survive the complexity and hardships that long distance can bring. I am bit down, but I will be fine. It's life, hey?

To keep my mind busy, been reading a few things...one of which is a kid's book..although i am reading the "adult" version - as if there's any diff! hehe.. HP7 turns out to be a bit of a disappointment. With languid phrasing and incoherent story lines and hiccups along the way that are covered off too simplicisticly, I find HP7 to be a bit of a bore. Compared to the previous series (like the Order of Phonixe or/and The half blood Prince), HP7 didn't do it for me. No suspense or excitement that makes the book a page-turner. The book has turned to be a feel-good book. Rowling has decided to play safe rather than push the storyline to something extraordinary, out of this world, like the core-topic of the series, which is magical.

Anyhow, I would definitely recommend people to read the HP series. As a passerby have said to another fellow HP reader, the series have propelled the importance of reading in today's society, especially effective to the younger generation. I totally support that! Well, the series indeed motivated me to read up and continue reading, even after HP finishes. Never stopped reading, and u will never stop learning and living.

My new home and team

This is my new home office and team! LOVE THEM ALL! If you notice, they are all Asians, although my boss is actually a South American fox-smart-lady :P. Well, the team is kindda changing all the time, which is a part of any audit team - huge turnover. I hope the team doesn't change for a year or so. However, to think about it, maybe a change once in awhile can be a good idea, considering that we will be travelling, eating and working together for 50% of the time. You see, we got to travel overseas doing our job and we travel and live and work together. So..u can imagine. At the moment, I am just excited abt the travel prospects...US in Sept, Malaysia in Nov, China and Europe in Dec, Phillipine in February, Singapore in March, Indonesia and India in April, Japan in June...and much more.

So, expect great things from my experiences in the coming year ok guys. Thanks for staying tune. Til laters, Russ/Didi.

New financial year, new beginnings

I will start my simple story as of NOW.

Now represents a new beginning in my life....career wise, relationship wise and more importantly, my own life. Just turned 25, perspectives and priorities changed so are my needs.

It's such a jungle out there, the need to survive and the ability to survive must be cultivated for one to actually survive, let alone thrive. I have a vision to succeed in all areas of my life, and I will do it right - failures won't stop me neither will anyone.

I am currently on my break, having changed my job. I have worked for PwC for almost four years now and not sure if it's God's plan, but I feel it is and it is also time for me to move on to something, not necessarily bigger things, but definitely something that I need to do. So, Sara Lee Australia, here I come.

I have been to Hongkong, Singapore and Jakarta during my break. Had a blast in Hongkong, an okay time in Singapore and a breakthrough in Jakarta. I will try to show pictures when I have got access to my new laptop. Til then, enjoy the readings.

Virgin Entry

Greetings to All.

It is my first entry to the world of blogs - in my opinion the best way to share and remember one's experience in this world.

For all of you my friends and other readers, you will find the following in mine:
- good food and good wine, including personal reviews on restaurants
- love, relationship matters
- career
- travelling tips and experiences
- business ventures and ideas
- and many more
- more importantly, a simple story about a simple boy trying to make it big in this world.

So, here I begin. Enjoy.