2015-03-31
Accounting quizes
http://www.accountingcoach.com/accounting-basics/quiz
http://www.accountingcoach.com/quizzes
http://www.dwmbeancounter.com/BCTutorSite/TestLectures/Tests/QuizGamesExtra/QuizGamesMenu.html
http://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-basics/multiple-choice
http://www.double-entry-bookkeeping.com/accounting-principles/accounting-principles-quiz/
http://www.accounting-basics-for-students.com/basic-accounting-test.html
http://aspnet.cob.ohio.edu/isms/cms.aspx?2155
http://ledgerlink.monster.com/benefits/articles/443-15-toughest-interview-questions-and-answers
http://www.accountingcoach.com/quizzes
http://www.dwmbeancounter.com/BCTutorSite/TestLectures/Tests/QuizGamesExtra/QuizGamesMenu.html
http://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-basics/multiple-choice
http://www.double-entry-bookkeeping.com/accounting-principles/accounting-principles-quiz/
http://www.accounting-basics-for-students.com/basic-accounting-test.html
http://aspnet.cob.ohio.edu/isms/cms.aspx?2155
http://ledgerlink.monster.com/benefits/articles/443-15-toughest-interview-questions-and-answers
快樂的鎖匙：放下比較。
如果沒有比較，就沒有所謂的"不夠"或"不足"。
如果沒有比較，任何你所遇到的人事物都會成為你生命中的禮物。
因為比較，你才會去相對地分別什麼是好，什麼是不好，這甚至能包括你活著的時間。
如果沒有比較，就算你只活到10歲，也是一種幸福，對嗎？
隨了人與人的比較外，有時自己也會與過去的自己比較。
過去是你的資源，並不是你的包袱，untie your wings and fly，地球上的天使！
快樂的鎖匙一直都在 ...
撰文：C.C. (香港比賽網特約作者)
地球上有幾多個人，
就有相對不同的角度。
每個人的角度都是獨特及有趣的，
沒有對與錯，
也沒有高與低，
透過角度與角度的磨合，
為生命折射出無限的色彩。
健康資訊由熱新聞提供
原文連結: 快樂的鎖匙
電鍋做蛋糕的食譜
http://newsday.com.tw/archives/221969
1.電鍋蘋果蛋糕
食材：100g麵粉、6個雞蛋、1盒牛奶、適量油、適量糖、適量蘋果
1)準備雞蛋，雞蛋蛋清分離。牛奶。糖，麵粉
2)在蛋黃裡面放些許白糖。攪拌均勻
3)攪拌好的蛋黃裡面放入牛奶，攪拌均勻
4)分次倒入適量麵粉在蛋黃的盆中，攪拌成稍稠一些的麵糊
5)攪拌好麵糊
6)蛋精放糖左右攪拌
7)攪拌好的蛋清呈奶油狀。用筷子的話大概15分鐘
8)將攪拌好的蛋清分兩次倒入蛋黃里，攪拌均勻
9)攪拌好的麵糊
10)將蘋果切碎，倒入麵糊中，攪拌均勻
11)鍋上抹油。避免蛋糕粘在鍋上。將攪拌好的麵糊倒入鍋中，顫動幾下，將氣泡震出。
12)按煮飯鍵，待跳至保溫健二十分鐘後再按煮飯鍵。等到再跳到保溫鍵二十分鐘後即可。
1.電鍋蘋果蛋糕
食材：100g麵粉、6個雞蛋、1盒牛奶、適量油、適量糖、適量蘋果
1)準備雞蛋，雞蛋蛋清分離。牛奶。糖，麵粉
2)在蛋黃裡面放些許白糖。攪拌均勻
3)攪拌好的蛋黃裡面放入牛奶，攪拌均勻
4)分次倒入適量麵粉在蛋黃的盆中，攪拌成稍稠一些的麵糊
5)攪拌好麵糊
6)蛋精放糖左右攪拌
7)攪拌好的蛋清呈奶油狀。用筷子的話大概15分鐘
8)將攪拌好的蛋清分兩次倒入蛋黃里，攪拌均勻
9)攪拌好的麵糊
10)將蘋果切碎，倒入麵糊中，攪拌均勻
11)鍋上抹油。避免蛋糕粘在鍋上。將攪拌好的麵糊倒入鍋中，顫動幾下，將氣泡震出。
12)按煮飯鍵，待跳至保溫健二十分鐘後再按煮飯鍵。等到再跳到保溫鍵二十分鐘後即可。
必睇!! 李嘉誠用這種方式請人吃飯
http://newsday.com.tw/archives/201144
一般偉大的人物都會等大家到來坐好，然後才會緩緩過來，然後講幾句話，如果要吃飯，他一定坐在主桌，有個名簽，然後我們企業界20多人中，相對偉大的人坐在他邊上，其餘人坐在其它桌，飯還沒有吃完，李大爺就應該走了。
如果他是這樣，我們也不會怪他，因為他是偉大的人。
但是我非常意想不到的是，我們進到電梯口，開電梯門的時候，李先生已經在門口等著我們，然後給我們每個人發名片，這已經出乎我們意料——就是李先生 的身家和地位已經不用名片了！但是他像做小買賣一樣給我們發名片。
發名片後我們一個人抽了一個簽，這個簽就是一個號，就是我們照相站的位置，是隨便抽的。 我當時想為什麼照相還要抽籤，後來才知道，這是用心良苦，為了大家都舒服，彼此不分尊卑，否則照相也分割三六九等，肯定有人會不舒服！
抽號照相後又抽個號，說是吃飯的位置，原因也是和照相一樣。最後讓李先生說幾句，他說也沒有什麼講的，主要和大家見面，後來大家讓他講，他說我就把生活當中的一些體會與大家分享。然後看著幾個老外，用英語講了幾句，又用粵語講了幾句，把全場的人都照顧到了。
他講的是「建立自我，追求無我」，就是讓自己強大起來要建立自我，追求無我，把自己融入到生活和社會當中，不要給大家壓力，讓大家感覺不到他的存 在，來接納他、歡迎他。
之後我們就吃飯。我抽到的正好是挨著他隔一個人，我以為可以就近聊天，但吃了一會兒，李先生起來了，說抱歉我要到那個桌子坐一會 兒。後來，我發現他們安排李先生在一個桌子坐15分鐘，總共4桌，每桌15分鐘，正好一小時。
臨走的時候他說一定要與大家告別握手，每個人都要握到，包括邊上的服務人員，然後送大家到電梯口，直到電梯關上才走。這就是他追求無我，同時非常的尊重在場的每一個人，在這個過程中得到充分體現。
什麼叫追求自我？你從芸芸眾生中里，把自己越做越強大，自我膨脹，超越他我，超越別人，這個過程就容易給別人以壓力，因為你太強大了以後，一個人站 起來別人就不舒服，你老站著，別人蹲著，別人就不舒服。
所以你要追求無我，讓自己化解在芸芸眾生中，不要讓別人感覺到你的壓力。一方面創造自我，一方面讓 自己回歸於平淡，讓自己很舒服不給大家創造壓力。
我曾經現場看過他的一個演講，他們沒有文字稿給到我們，我因為和李先生打過幾次交道，提出能不能給我文字的演講稿，結果他馬上交代一下助理，等我要 離開的時候那個文字稿已經拿給我了，後來我和中海油一個我們班的班長聊天提到這件事，他說老先生就是因為一生做人周到真誠，對所有的出現在他視線範圍內的 人非常尊重，所以很多人到了香港都願意和他做生意，這就是錢以外的軟實力。
於是，所有和他打過交道的人，都會去講李先生如何好，形成這個意識之後大家都願意和他做生意，都願意把最好的機會給他，於是他越來越成功，這就叫軟實力，其中之一叫價值觀，價值觀是做人做事的方法。
一個成功的人對生活的態度、對所有人的態度非常重要。
比如我們在生活中經常看到一些人，做一些事情偶有所得，有點成功，他的自我就會讓別人不舒服， 他的存在讓你感到壓力，他的行為讓你感到自卑，他的言論讓你感到渺小，他的財富讓你感到噁心，最後他的自我使別人無處藏身。別人都會避之不及！
李先生不一樣，他一直在追求無我，修煉自我。這是一種生活的態度，對錢的看法，對人生，對周圍世界怎麼相處。
日本人有哪些有趣的生活習慣？
http://newsday.com.tw/archives/182846
一、日本人的住房大多廁所和浴室是分開的，進廁所需要換鞋。
廁所里會放專門的拖鞋，只能在廁所里用，不習慣的人可能很容易忘記了把這個拖鞋穿出來。
一、日本人的住房大多廁所和浴室是分開的，進廁所需要換鞋。
廁所里會放專門的拖鞋，只能在廁所里用，不習慣的人可能很容易忘記了把這個拖鞋穿出來。
Free Online education
http://www.myeducationkey.com/
http://www.leonardo.info/isast/leofellowship.html
http://uopeople.edu/groups/tuition-free-online-degree
http://uopeople.edu/
http://www.umassonline.net/
http://www.online.colostate.edu/
http://study.com/articles/Universities_with_the_Best_Free_Online_Courses.html
http://www.howtogeek.com/117674/the-best-websites-for-free-online-courses-certificates-degrees-and-educational-resources/
2015-03-30
Loving you by Minnie Riperton
美国著名汉学家Burton Watson翻译的《江城子．十年生死两茫茫》
下面是Burton Watson的译文：
Ten years, dead and living dim and draw apart.
I don’t try to remember,
But forgetting is hard.
Lonely grave a thousand miles off,
Cold thoughts, where can I talk them out?
Even if we met, you wouldn’t know me,
Dust on my face,
Hair like frost.
In a dream last night suddenly I was home.
By the window of the little room,
You were combing your hair and making up.
You turned and looked, not speaking,
Only lines of tears coursing down.
Year after year will it break my heart?
The moonlit grave,
The stubby pines.
附苏轼原词：
江城子.苏轼
十年生死两茫茫，不思量,自难忘。
千里孤坟,何处话凄凉。
纵使相逢应不识,尘满面,鬓如霜。
夜来幽梦忽还乡,小轩窗,正梳妆。
相顾无言,唯有泪千行。
料得年年肠断处,明月夜,短松冈。
http://xtykc.dlresearch.cn/?p=72
Ten years, dead and living dim and draw apart.
I don’t try to remember,
But forgetting is hard.
Lonely grave a thousand miles off,
Cold thoughts, where can I talk them out?
Even if we met, you wouldn’t know me,
Dust on my face,
Hair like frost.
In a dream last night suddenly I was home.
By the window of the little room,
You were combing your hair and making up.
You turned and looked, not speaking,
Only lines of tears coursing down.
Year after year will it break my heart?
The moonlit grave,
The stubby pines.
附苏轼原词：
江城子.苏轼
十年生死两茫茫，不思量,自难忘。
千里孤坟,何处话凄凉。
纵使相逢应不识,尘满面,鬓如霜。
夜来幽梦忽还乡,小轩窗,正梳妆。
相顾无言,唯有泪千行。
料得年年肠断处,明月夜,短松冈。
http://xtykc.dlresearch.cn/?p=72
爱蕾法餐(Uncle Max)
周日下午茶在拱北北岭Mo Mall的爱蕾法餐,
餐廳的環境不錯,
播著好聽的英文老歌,
座位及佈置都很舒服,
悠閒的下午,
在內往街外望出去,
有與世隔離的步伐,
閒談享受一小時,
點了一個二人的下午茶套餐,
連加一人民幣108元,
首先服務水準仍有待提升,
食物亦有點兒失望,
小件的三文治,蛋糕,生果都不新鮮,
小塊的烤餅更是一點兒驚喜也沒有,
炸雞件薯條只是茶餐貨色,
茶是一杯起,
不是茶壺上,
不可以自添茶,
結論是:
在內地都是食中餐好一點.
西茶及西點在香港及澳門較好.
李光耀次子李顯揚：不凡父親沉痛永別
在國葬儀式上，
最後致悼詞的是李光耀次子李顯揚。
他稱新加坡失去了國父，
他的家庭則失去了親愛的父親及祖父，
他和家人將會深切懷念李光耀。
他 提到雖然父親曾為新加坡總理，
但不想孩子在擁有特權的環境成長，
所以李顯揚年少時坐巴士上學，
李光耀也未有阻止。
李顯揚又代表家人，
向所有哀悼其亡父的群 眾，
表達深切感謝。
最後他形容李光耀是他
「不凡的父親、與新加坡共同分享的父親」，
並留下一句：「永別了，爸爸。」
~~~~~~~~~~
http://paper.wenweipo.com/
李光耀次子李顯揚是國葬儀式上最後一位致悼詞的人。哥哥李顯龍以長子兼總理身份讚揚父親，並堅持以「李光耀先
生」(Mr.
Lee)稱呼他，李顯揚則是以一名普通兒子的角度，憶述「爸爸」(Papa)的種種往事，讓外界了解李光耀這位「大人物」(馬來文「orang
besar」)鮮為人知的一面。李顯揚表示，從爸爸身上了解如何做一個好人、好丈夫、好父親和好祖父。
父遺憾：你已長大
李顯揚表示，他是1957年出生的，從有記憶開始，父親就是個公眾人物，總是忙於工作。他憶述
1998年9月，父親把回憶錄《新加坡故事》送給他和妻子林學芬時，附上一張帶有些遺憾語氣的字條，上面寫覑：「致顯揚和學芬，如我在這本書所描述那樣，
當我整天為各種事忙碌的時候，你已經長大了。」
李顯揚說，父親總希望3名孩子能擁有正常的童年，例如讓他乘搭巴士，「他不希望我們在享有特權的環境中成長」。李顯揚表示，父親度假時總要打高爾夫球，「顯龍和我都曾被送去學打高球......但都沒真正喜歡上這項運動」。
當哥哥首任妻子黃名揚1982年底去世後，全家都因為這個悲劇而心情凝重，李顯揚因此決定改變家裡習慣，「開始邀請全家大小慶祝爸媽生日，我會下廚準備幾道簡單菜餚......爸爸喜歡吃牛扒，也偏愛娘惹甜點」。
爺孫愛辯論
李顯揚說，孫女孫子的誕生「給爸媽帶來了無比的喜悅」，但他們長大後開始有自己的主張和想法，例如有
一年李顯揚的長子李繩武和爺爺李光耀展開辯論，「兩人一直辯論到很晚，即使我們吃完晚餐後很久，他們還在辯論不休，
雙方都想對方了解自己的觀點。」李顯揚最後代表家人向新加坡人致以最衷心的感謝︰「他是我們跟全新加坡人共同擁有的父親。永別了，爸爸。」
■新加坡亞洲新聞台
職場管理】從壞上司身上學會的二三事
為一個打工仔，一生總會遇到幾個壞老闆或上司，可能是動不動就罵人的暴躁老闆，或者是專門把別人功勞「收歸」其下的卑鄙上司。也許你亦試過，每次遭殃時，全身的細胞齊聲跟你說「我要辭職」。但現實是，並非每個人當下都有辭職的資格，只好做「忍」者。
1. 學會甚麼不應該做
壞上司是一個很好的身教，他所展現的一舉一動，清楚地告訴你日後在管理工作上，有甚麼行為是不該做的，例如是無事找碴的性格，給看穿口蜜腹劍的虛偽等，幫助你做一個更好的領導者。即使沒有（還未）當上領導者的角色，與壞老闆「相處」的經驗，讓你更實在地學會如何與人相處，還有如何處理瀕臨壓力爆炸的情況。
2. 學會變得主動
壞上司其中一個特質，就是不太會提供協助或指示，大抵因為他們認為受薪的你，應該是萬能的，任何問題都應自己解決，不然請你回來幹甚麼？更有可能的是，他們也不懂怎樣做，所以就算你開口問亦沒用。
沒有上司作支援，雖然大增撞板機會，但有危就有機，孤軍作戰的好處，可以讓你變得主動，學會週詳計劃，細心做事，皆因你要為自己的成敗直接負責。壞上司是絕對不會在出事後，替你說好話的。當然，還要防範他隨時來搶功勞。用心記低每項工作中自己負責了甚麼崗位，作了甚麼貢獻。事關將來要轉工，別忘了在新履歷填上自己曾作的「功勞」。
3. 學會利落溝通
壞上司另一個特質，通常欠缺耐性、愛找碴，嚴重影響下屬們的工作效率，卻不以為然，一心擺出上司款，以權力鎮壓，其實是有溝通障礙，不懂和別人相處。為了不想被他釘上，裝備好知識硬實力外，不得不鍛鍊口才及看人眼色的軟實力。
報告時講重點不囉唆，說話愈短，他愈難找碴；察覺到其舉動異常，就盡量另擇日商議，別自掘墳墓。如果可以搞定這樣難搞的人，日後在職場上再遇到甚麼怪人，相信你都能應付自如。
4. 學會拉攏同盟
壞上司的存在，受難的除了你，還有你身邊的同事。遇到壞上司，讓你學會拉攏同盟的重要性和技巧。在職場，總有人需要你，或你需要人的時候。敵人的敵人是朋友，況且有一同對抗的敵人，戰友的關係比起一般同事往往更要緊密，建立出更強的互信。
Kids
My college friend M.,who lives in U.S., posted this in his facebook:
A 6-year-old girl,
friend of my 7-year-old L,
recently asked me,
"can I sleep with L in the same bed tonight?"
I was much startled by her question
(though she did ask for my permission)
and said,
"uh....no.
Something you need to learn now is that you will soon grow into a young lady,
and the only man you should sleep with is the one you are married to."
I thought that was the end of it,
but L turned to her:
"And do you know why?
Because my sperm would get into your egg and you would become pregnant." @-@
A 6-year-old girl,
friend of my 7-year-old L,
recently asked me,
"can I sleep with L in the same bed tonight?"
I was much startled by her question
(though she did ask for my permission)
and said,
"uh....no.
Something you need to learn now is that you will soon grow into a young lady,
and the only man you should sleep with is the one you are married to."
I thought that was the end of it,
but L turned to her:
"And do you know why?
Because my sperm would get into your egg and you would become pregnant." @-@
2015-03-29
一篇報告都寫不好 施政如何有望提高
與
前三屆特區政府相比，第四屆特區政府主要官員人員變動相對最大。原以為「新人會有新氣象」，而且今年的施政報告又延期多月方才公之於眾，因此原本對本年度
的政府施政報告抱有較高期望。但看了本月二十三日崔世安所宣讀的特區政府本財政年度施政報告，卻讓人失望之感油然而生。這份報告延續了以往特區政府施政報
告「內容空洞、文字單調、語句平庸」的特點，毫無亮點可言。如果今後特區政府的施政報告依然是這種狀況，估計人們對澳門特區政府施政報告，應該是「睇都唔
願多睇一眼」。說施政報告「內容空洞」，是因為今年的施政報告中依然充斥著大量的沒有具體內容的表述。諸如「密切關注房地產市場狀況，繼續優化市場經營環境，適時採 取措施，促進行業穩健發展」、「綜合多種方式調控車輛增長，跟進修訂在建大廈保留車位的相關制度，以紓緩居民搭車難、行車難、停車難的問題」、「完善文化 場館，豐富居民的文化生活。培養本土文化人才，促進創意藝術。全力保護澳門歷史城區，讓世界文化遺產在現代生活中展現活力」、「完善博彩業的相關法律法 規，加強博彩業的監管，規範博彩企業的營運，繼續推動負責任博彩」、「進一步加強本澳的金融監管工作，密切關注複雜多變的國際金融形勢，以及本地經濟調整 的動態，適時採取有效措施，最大程度地降低金融風險，確保澳門金融體系的安全」等等。這些表述沒有任何具體的行動或措施相對應，既對政府部門實際工作缺乏 指導作用，也對民眾監督政府工作設置障礙。這些表述使得民眾對政府的相關工作，「做或不做」，以及「做得如何」，都無法進行檢驗或評估。
說施政報告「文字單調，語句平庸」，是指整篇報告毫無文采可言。領導人的講話稿如果能有一些文采，會提升整個報告的吸引力，也會提升該領導人的個人魅 力。筆者在以前的本欄目文章中，曾舉過習近平演講的例子，例如習近平在一些演講中所說的「秋冬之交是一個多彩的季節，『山明水淨夜來霜，數樹深紅出淺 黃』，銀杏的黃、楓葉的紅，給北京這座古都增添了色彩」、「一花不是春，孤雁難成行。讓我們以北京雁棲湖為新的起點，引領世界經濟的雁陣，飛向更加蔚藍而 遼闊的天空」、「長相獨特的袋鼠，憨態可掬的考拉，白雲朵朵的羊群，獨具匠心的悉尼歌劇院，遼闊無垠的曠野，給我留下了深刻印象」、「『大海之闊，非一流 之歸也』。正是兩國人民源源不斷的相互理解和友誼，彙聚成了中澳友好關係之海」、「『同心而共濟，始終如一，此君子之朋也』。我相信，在中澳雙方共同努力 下，中澳兩國人民友誼完全能夠跨越高山和大海，如同聳立在澳大利亞中部的烏魯魯巨岩一樣不畏風雨、屹立長存，如同橫亙在中國北方的萬裡長城一樣綿延不斷、 世代相傳」等，文字生動，文采斐然，不僅很好地表達了他的觀點，拉近了他與聽眾之間的距離，而且也提升了習近平個人的形象和魅力。而特區政府施政報告，在 文字水平上多年得不到半點提升，這一現象或許也需要澳門社會思考。
施政報告的最大缺陷，在於對特區政府以往施政所存在的不足缺乏分析和總結。雖然崔世安本人以前曾親口說過「人才、土地、政府的施政水平，以及博彩業一 業獨大，是明顯制約澳門長遠、持續發展的突出問題」，在本年度施政報告中，也有「我們坦承施政的不足，勇於正視問題，積極改善，敢於承擔重任，邁步向前， 以創新的思維，掌握社情，聽取民意，科學施政」，但崔世安本人似乎從來沒有對特區政府的「施政不足」做過清晰、系統的表述，在以往的特區政府施政報告或工 作總結中，也沒有這種表述。施政報告不總結和說明以往特區政府施政之不足，這樣就不能體現現在所提出的一些施政設想或措施的合理性，就會使施政報告缺乏條 理性和邏輯性，讓人讀起來「味同嚼蠟」。
施政報告是施政的重要指引。特區政府連一篇施政報告都寫不好，又如何能指望這樣的特區政府的施政水平能有提高？
□ 褚瑩
http://www.sonpou.com.mo/
2015-03-28
Line Dance - Better Than You Left Me
Count:
60
|
Wall:
4
|
Level:
Intermediate
|
|
Choreographer:
Lam Lam (Jan 2015)
|
||
|
Music:
Better Than You Left Me by Mickey Guyto
| ||
2015-03-27
澳門私房菜
〈濠江志記美食〉主人兼主廚陳長才
地址是：澳門白鴿巢前地麗豪花園第三座地舖
電話：+853-28953098
〈潮式大眼魚〉〈澳門蔥油餅〉〈清酒焗蟹〉〈香芋炸魚球〉〈肉鬆炒芽菜〉、〈上湯鮮奶津白〉、〈鐵板沙茶雞〉與〈祕製東坡骨〉
路環華叔
Tommy Private Kitchen （山頂醫院對面）66686685
Red House （近栢惠）
法國紅酒協會（西灣風車屋） 2896 9059,
地址是：澳門白鴿巢前地麗豪花園第三座地舖
電話：+853-28953098
〈潮式大眼魚〉〈澳門蔥油餅〉〈清酒焗蟹〉〈香芋炸魚球〉〈肉鬆炒芽菜〉、〈上湯鮮奶津白〉、〈鐵板沙茶雞〉與〈祕製東坡骨〉
橘子新派日本料理
地址:澳門氹仔成都街至尊花城地下J鋪
電話:28838517
路環華叔
Carlo ice station cafe
Hayyo （氹仔漢城燒烤斜對面）
Tommy Private Kitchen （山頂醫院對面）66686685
Red House （近栢惠）
法國紅酒協會（西灣風車屋） 2896 9059,
海富MARIA私房菜
德勝酒行
大公司為小員工改名
因為工作關係,
接觸一位跨國公司專業服務的一位員工,
交換卡片,
因為有文件要跟進聯絡,
隨後小心的輸入她的電郵地址,
突然發覺是否自己眼花,
她的名字簡寫應為I,
但電郵地址則顯示是L,
即時確認,
以免寄失,
小姑娘解釋真的是錯,
但是公司說無問題,
或許2-3年升職時再更正…..她說,
但是,
可能再過一些時間,
她亦轉公司呢.
2015-03-25
8 Ways to Talk to Difficult People
inja-level people skills to help you maintain your cool with anyone.
I have an allergy to superiority.
Start talking down to me or patronizing me in a belittling tone and I can feel my blood pressure rise. My nervous system gets triggered and I have to work hard at assuring it (me) that I am safe and to please calm down because I don’t want to react and get defensive with the person who is (or whom I feel is) demeaning me (and sometimes they’re not). Getting defensive would only exacerbate the situation and I would lose a chance to learn something, my own sense of inner peace and self-confidence, or a valued relationship.
The perfect depiction of this situation is when Bruce Banner feels a threat and begins to transform into the Incredible Hulk. He leaves quite a mess behind (and completely ruins his clothes, which I can’t afford to do).
This post, then, is for anyone that has to deal with people who are difficult and who push our Hulk buttons. The key: Don’t let them win. Try these advanced people strategies instead. You could even call them ninja strategies, after the specially trained sneaky assassins. These skills are designed to help you shut down your trigger, so that you can leave a confrontation with your dignity intact.
Source: Michal Plachy/Shutterstock
Start talking down to me or patronizing me in a belittling tone and I can feel my blood pressure rise. My nervous system gets triggered and I have to work hard at assuring it (me) that I am safe and to please calm down because I don’t want to react and get defensive with the person who is (or whom I feel is) demeaning me (and sometimes they’re not). Getting defensive would only exacerbate the situation and I would lose a chance to learn something, my own sense of inner peace and self-confidence, or a valued relationship.
The perfect depiction of this situation is when Bruce Banner feels a threat and begins to transform into the Incredible Hulk. He leaves quite a mess behind (and completely ruins his clothes, which I can’t afford to do).
This post, then, is for anyone that has to deal with people who are difficult and who push our Hulk buttons. The key: Don’t let them win. Try these advanced people strategies instead. You could even call them ninja strategies, after the specially trained sneaky assassins. These skills are designed to help you shut down your trigger, so that you can leave a confrontation with your dignity intact.
A pocket guide to doing business in China
A pocket guide to doing business in China
McKinsey director Gordon Orr goes behind the trends shaping the world’s second-largest economy to explain what companies must do to operate effectively.
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/a_pocket_guide_to_doing_business_in_chinaOctober 2014 | byGordon Orr
China,
a $10 trillion economy growing at 7 percent annually, is a
never-before-seen force reshaping our global economy. Over the past 30
years, the Chinese government has at times opened the door wide for
foreign companies to participate in its domestic economic growth. At
other times, it has kept the door firmly closed. While some global
leaders, such as automotive original-equipment manufacturers, have
turned China into their single largest source of profits, others,
especially in the service sectors, have been challenged to capture a
meaningful share of revenue or profits.
This article summarizes some of the trends shaping the next phase of China’s economic growth, which industries might benefit the most, and what could potentially go wrong. It also lays out what I believe it takes to build a successful, large-scale, and profitable business in China today as a foreign company.
Government policy continues to be the critical shaping force. As the ministimulus delivered in the second quarter of 2014 demonstrates, the government still possesses levers to push GDP growth rates up and down quite rapidly. In other ongoing government initiatives, the “marketization” of prices for electricity, water, land, and capital is having a major impact on the behavior of business, leading to a new focus on productivity, even within state-owned enterprises. Progress in bringing more private capital into state-owned enterprises is slow at the national level, with few scale examples, such as the $30 billion partial privatization of Sinopec’s gas stations under way. At the city level, much more momentum is building, with local governments selling out of noncore activities such as hotels and many manufacturing businesses. The anticorruption campaign continues aggressively throughout state-owned enterprises, and government has itself become a material brake on growth. Officials and executives are simply unwilling to make decisions that could possibly be held against them later. President Xi has pursued anticorruption as a theme for more than a decade; he is not going to back off.
The Chinese middle class—the people who are buying new homes, who today are buying 18 million cars a year (delivering a third of the global auto industry’s profits), and who are starting to spend more on services—are critical. Only if they remain confident in their personal economic future will they continue to increase their spending and become a larger driver of economic growth. By 2022, more than 50 percent of urban households should be in the middle class (in current US dollars, that means an annual household income of $20,000 to $40,000), an increase of more than 100 million households over the coming decade.
China is now more than 50 percent urban, but 10 million to 15 million people a year will still be moving to cities from the countryside. Rural migrants already in the cities need to be better integrated. City governments need to make their cities more livable, more efficient, and better able to integrate their migrants. “Smart cities” is a clichéd term, but China’s cities need everything from more efficient mass transit to better water usage. Investment to deliver this will be massive, indicating how the construction of China’s infrastructure is not yet complete.
Many businesses are coming under a new level of cost and margin pressure. Margins of industrial state-owned enterprises have fallen by a third over the past four years. Often the industries they compete in, from steel production to telecom-network equipment, are simply growing much more slowly. By the standards of China over the past 30 years, state-owned enterprises have become mature industries. This leads to three outcomes: initiatives on productivity, diversification, and globalization. The latter two are more often conducted on the basis that prior success in one industry in China will automatically lead to success in the next industry and country.
Multinationals selling to Chinese consumers often continue to perform extremely well, using their skills in consumer insights, branding, and pricing to differentiate from local companies that, while large, are still developing world-class functional capabilities. Multinationals selling to government, at the other end of the spectrum, find market access much more challenging.
China is home to some of the world’s largest, most successful, and innovative Internet-based companies. The pace at which Chinese consumers are embracing the Internet is at the cusp of causing major disruptions to many sectors in China. Perhaps because consumers are still new to our traditional ways of shopping or banking (only having had modern shopping malls for a decade in many cities), consumers are very willing to switch to buying online. When the experience of going into a Chinese bank branch is so poor, it’s not surprising that consumers would rather transact online.
Almost no consumer-facing business in China can succeed without an online and offline strategy today. Mall owners are struggling to find a new economic model. Retailers are trying to bring order to their nationwide distribution chains to exert control over the price at which their products are sold online. Online wealth-management products have been able to gather $100 billion dollars in less than 100 days, forcing traditional banks to increase rates on much of their deposit base. The impact on employment is just starting to appear, but many millions of sought-after white-collar jobs will be eliminated in the next few years.
Other risks to growth include geopolitics, especially China’s relationship with Japan, where the government’s credibility depends on being seen to do the right thing by the Internet classes. A final and rising risk is the underemployment of graduates. Of the seven million graduates each year, maybe only three million find jobs that require a degree. The remainder discovers that their aspiration of joining the middle class and owning a home and a car is possibly out of reach permanently. They are a large, dissatisfied, and growing segment of society.
E-tailing The online share of retail in China, at 8 percent in 2014, is higher than it is in the United States and is not close to reaching saturation. Increasingly, this is conducted through mobile devices. The payments system is in place, logistics are improving, and online providers are trusted. Many retailers will adapt, often with far fewer physical locations. Malls will have to become destinations for services beyond retail.
Logistics. Modernization of supply chains is a key enabler of increasing productivity in many sectors in China today. Until recently, most goods were carried by individual truck owner–operators. As express parcels become a $100 billion industry on the back of e-tailing, e-commerce companies themselves are investing billions in modern warehouses and trucks. Alibaba alone is committed to spending billions of dollars on its own logistics. Third-party carriers such as SF Express are rapidly becoming regional leaders on the back of growth in China. Even in agriculture, massive investment is under way in cold storage and cold carriage to reduce waste and provide higher-quality food products to China’s middle class.
Education. Nearly two-thirds of registered kindergartens in China are privately owned. Private universities are expanding. Traditional and online vocational learning schools are publicly listed multibillion-dollar businesses. Niche businesses, such as preparing children to apply to US, UK, and Australian high schools and universities, are also flourishing. The amount the Chinese are willing to spend on tutoring and support for their children is almost unlimited. As the middle class becomes wealthier, the increased ability to spend will drive market growth.
Healthcare. More than 1,500 new private hospitals opened in China in 2013, a number of which are 100 percent foreign owned. The shortcomings of the mainstream public healthcare system in China are not likely to be overcome quickly. Patients are looking for solutions where both cost and quality are more certain, and private and foreign companies are being encouraged to deliver. There is a related boom in supplying equipment to these new facilities.
Tourism. Available hotel rooms in China have tripled over the last decade. Four million mainland Chinese visited South Korea in 2013; four million visited Thailand. China’s middle class expects to take three to four weeks of vacation each year and no longer accepts visiting the overcrowded, overexploited traditional domestic destinations. Disneyland’s opening in Shanghai in 2015 could trigger a new wave of investment to create higher-caliber resorts.
Wealth management. China represents more than 50 percent of Asia ex-Japan growth, with high-net-worth assets expected to reach $16 trillion by 2016. The more than one million high-net-worth individuals in China remain generally unsophisticated as investors, seeking advice on how to broaden their investment portfolio both onshore and offshore.
Entertainment. China is the second-largest movie box office market in the world, despite the fact that tickets cost upward of $10 and DVDs are still available for $1. In 2013, more than 1,000 new theaters opened, yet admissions per capita are less than one-fifth of South Korea’s.
IT Services. Finding the chief information officer in a Chinese company is often hard, especially in a state-owned enterprise. Historically regarded as simply a support role for the business, CIOs were pushed three to four levels down in the organization and attracted little talent (which instead went to Internet start-ups). A typical Chinese company spends only 2 percent of revenue on IT versus international benchmarks of around 4 percent. As these companies struggle to bring technology into the core of their operations, they need massive amounts of help to do so. The cost of good IT talent is already soaring. Most Chinese companies will be unable to solve their technology challenges for themselves.
Clean energy. China already produces 60 percent of solar panels and wind turbines. Increasingly, it is consuming this output domestically. For example, 11 gigawatts was installed in large-scale solar farms in 2013, and this will grow an additional 30 percent in 2014. China is also investing heavily to exploit its shale-gas assets and develop cleaner coal technologies.
Agriculture. China does not feed itself today—certainly not with the kind of quality and value-added products that the middle class seeks—but it will be challenged to do so in the future. Continual food-safety crises illustrate the challenge. For many successful technology investors, such as Legend Holdings, agriculture is the new Internet. Chinese companies are investing in agriculture outside of China at scale, from Chile to the Ukraine, for China. They also invest in China, especially in value-added products—such as fruit and the production of frozen ready meals.
Establish the right strategic positioning.
He or she is your go-to person when things get volatile in China, someone whose viewpoint the global management team will trust, and someone the head of your joint-venture partner will also learn to trust. Usually, this person will be very strong in people development, with skills almost overlapping with a head of HR. And he or she will need to be 100 percent trusted to enforce compliance and to role model required behaviors. Typically, make this person chairman of your Asia or China operations, as senior a title as possible.
Talent acquisition and development, at all levels, remains highly time consuming and often frustrating for multinationals. Loyalty to an employer is often low on an individual’s priority list. Turnover will likely be high and should be planned for.
China is likely to be a more volatile economy. Taking a through-cycle viewpoint rather than a “quarterly performance versus plan” mind-set is key to motivating your China team and to convincing them that you are committed to China for the long term. Indeed, downturns in China have proved to be attractive moments to double down. When partners or governments are under stress, new partnerships and licenses can become available to foreign partners that are willing to step up and invest. Even after 30 years, few multinationals adopt this mind-set.
Don’t do anything to compromise your global brand and reputation. If you can’t do business the way you want to, then don’t do it at all. There may be opportunities to make money in the short and medium term, but shortcuts will eventually be made transparent. The Chinese government will be well aware of how you are operating, and the anticorruption campaign is not going to go away. Don’t assume that because your suppliers are international companies that they are automatically operating to the global standards you expect; verify that they are.
This article summarizes some of the trends shaping the next phase of China’s economic growth, which industries might benefit the most, and what could potentially go wrong. It also lays out what I believe it takes to build a successful, large-scale, and profitable business in China today as a foreign company.
Trends shaping growth and creating new opportunities in China
As the contribution of net exports and real estate to economic growth diminishes, the focus on infrastructure and domestic consumption—as traditional and new sources of growth for the economy, respectively—rises. Whether or not the current growth of the Chinese economy is sustainable depends on the evolution of several trends.Government policy continues to be the critical shaping force. As the ministimulus delivered in the second quarter of 2014 demonstrates, the government still possesses levers to push GDP growth rates up and down quite rapidly. In other ongoing government initiatives, the “marketization” of prices for electricity, water, land, and capital is having a major impact on the behavior of business, leading to a new focus on productivity, even within state-owned enterprises. Progress in bringing more private capital into state-owned enterprises is slow at the national level, with few scale examples, such as the $30 billion partial privatization of Sinopec’s gas stations under way. At the city level, much more momentum is building, with local governments selling out of noncore activities such as hotels and many manufacturing businesses. The anticorruption campaign continues aggressively throughout state-owned enterprises, and government has itself become a material brake on growth. Officials and executives are simply unwilling to make decisions that could possibly be held against them later. President Xi has pursued anticorruption as a theme for more than a decade; he is not going to back off.
The Chinese middle class—the people who are buying new homes, who today are buying 18 million cars a year (delivering a third of the global auto industry’s profits), and who are starting to spend more on services—are critical. Only if they remain confident in their personal economic future will they continue to increase their spending and become a larger driver of economic growth. By 2022, more than 50 percent of urban households should be in the middle class (in current US dollars, that means an annual household income of $20,000 to $40,000), an increase of more than 100 million households over the coming decade.
China is now more than 50 percent urban, but 10 million to 15 million people a year will still be moving to cities from the countryside. Rural migrants already in the cities need to be better integrated. City governments need to make their cities more livable, more efficient, and better able to integrate their migrants. “Smart cities” is a clichéd term, but China’s cities need everything from more efficient mass transit to better water usage. Investment to deliver this will be massive, indicating how the construction of China’s infrastructure is not yet complete.
Many businesses are coming under a new level of cost and margin pressure. Margins of industrial state-owned enterprises have fallen by a third over the past four years. Often the industries they compete in, from steel production to telecom-network equipment, are simply growing much more slowly. By the standards of China over the past 30 years, state-owned enterprises have become mature industries. This leads to three outcomes: initiatives on productivity, diversification, and globalization. The latter two are more often conducted on the basis that prior success in one industry in China will automatically lead to success in the next industry and country.
Multinationals selling to Chinese consumers often continue to perform extremely well, using their skills in consumer insights, branding, and pricing to differentiate from local companies that, while large, are still developing world-class functional capabilities. Multinationals selling to government, at the other end of the spectrum, find market access much more challenging.
China is home to some of the world’s largest, most successful, and innovative Internet-based companies. The pace at which Chinese consumers are embracing the Internet is at the cusp of causing major disruptions to many sectors in China. Perhaps because consumers are still new to our traditional ways of shopping or banking (only having had modern shopping malls for a decade in many cities), consumers are very willing to switch to buying online. When the experience of going into a Chinese bank branch is so poor, it’s not surprising that consumers would rather transact online.
Almost no consumer-facing business in China can succeed without an online and offline strategy today. Mall owners are struggling to find a new economic model. Retailers are trying to bring order to their nationwide distribution chains to exert control over the price at which their products are sold online. Online wealth-management products have been able to gather $100 billion dollars in less than 100 days, forcing traditional banks to increase rates on much of their deposit base. The impact on employment is just starting to appear, but many millions of sought-after white-collar jobs will be eliminated in the next few years.
The risks
This growth is not risk free. Perhaps most critically, Chinese consumers remain relatively unsophisticated. A loss of confidence as a result of a default in a wealth-management product, or a decline in housing prices in a specific city, could easily become a nationwide contagion creating a vicious cycle of consumers who withdraw from spending, thereby worsening market conditions. One has to be over 40 to remember a recession in China.Other risks to growth include geopolitics, especially China’s relationship with Japan, where the government’s credibility depends on being seen to do the right thing by the Internet classes. A final and rising risk is the underemployment of graduates. Of the seven million graduates each year, maybe only three million find jobs that require a degree. The remainder discovers that their aspiration of joining the middle class and owning a home and a car is possibly out of reach permanently. They are a large, dissatisfied, and growing segment of society.
Industries with potential for faster growth in the next decade
Many of the industries with the highest growth potential in China over the next decade are in the services sector, but not all. For example, energy and agriculture will have segments with very rapid growth. Below is a very brief snapshot of where we see opportunities.E-tailing The online share of retail in China, at 8 percent in 2014, is higher than it is in the United States and is not close to reaching saturation. Increasingly, this is conducted through mobile devices. The payments system is in place, logistics are improving, and online providers are trusted. Many retailers will adapt, often with far fewer physical locations. Malls will have to become destinations for services beyond retail.
Logistics. Modernization of supply chains is a key enabler of increasing productivity in many sectors in China today. Until recently, most goods were carried by individual truck owner–operators. As express parcels become a $100 billion industry on the back of e-tailing, e-commerce companies themselves are investing billions in modern warehouses and trucks. Alibaba alone is committed to spending billions of dollars on its own logistics. Third-party carriers such as SF Express are rapidly becoming regional leaders on the back of growth in China. Even in agriculture, massive investment is under way in cold storage and cold carriage to reduce waste and provide higher-quality food products to China’s middle class.
Education. Nearly two-thirds of registered kindergartens in China are privately owned. Private universities are expanding. Traditional and online vocational learning schools are publicly listed multibillion-dollar businesses. Niche businesses, such as preparing children to apply to US, UK, and Australian high schools and universities, are also flourishing. The amount the Chinese are willing to spend on tutoring and support for their children is almost unlimited. As the middle class becomes wealthier, the increased ability to spend will drive market growth.
Healthcare. More than 1,500 new private hospitals opened in China in 2013, a number of which are 100 percent foreign owned. The shortcomings of the mainstream public healthcare system in China are not likely to be overcome quickly. Patients are looking for solutions where both cost and quality are more certain, and private and foreign companies are being encouraged to deliver. There is a related boom in supplying equipment to these new facilities.
Tourism. Available hotel rooms in China have tripled over the last decade. Four million mainland Chinese visited South Korea in 2013; four million visited Thailand. China’s middle class expects to take three to four weeks of vacation each year and no longer accepts visiting the overcrowded, overexploited traditional domestic destinations. Disneyland’s opening in Shanghai in 2015 could trigger a new wave of investment to create higher-caliber resorts.
Wealth management. China represents more than 50 percent of Asia ex-Japan growth, with high-net-worth assets expected to reach $16 trillion by 2016. The more than one million high-net-worth individuals in China remain generally unsophisticated as investors, seeking advice on how to broaden their investment portfolio both onshore and offshore.
Entertainment. China is the second-largest movie box office market in the world, despite the fact that tickets cost upward of $10 and DVDs are still available for $1. In 2013, more than 1,000 new theaters opened, yet admissions per capita are less than one-fifth of South Korea’s.
IT Services. Finding the chief information officer in a Chinese company is often hard, especially in a state-owned enterprise. Historically regarded as simply a support role for the business, CIOs were pushed three to four levels down in the organization and attracted little talent (which instead went to Internet start-ups). A typical Chinese company spends only 2 percent of revenue on IT versus international benchmarks of around 4 percent. As these companies struggle to bring technology into the core of their operations, they need massive amounts of help to do so. The cost of good IT talent is already soaring. Most Chinese companies will be unable to solve their technology challenges for themselves.
Clean energy. China already produces 60 percent of solar panels and wind turbines. Increasingly, it is consuming this output domestically. For example, 11 gigawatts was installed in large-scale solar farms in 2013, and this will grow an additional 30 percent in 2014. China is also investing heavily to exploit its shale-gas assets and develop cleaner coal technologies.
Agriculture. China does not feed itself today—certainly not with the kind of quality and value-added products that the middle class seeks—but it will be challenged to do so in the future. Continual food-safety crises illustrate the challenge. For many successful technology investors, such as Legend Holdings, agriculture is the new Internet. Chinese companies are investing in agriculture outside of China at scale, from Chile to the Ukraine, for China. They also invest in China, especially in value-added products—such as fruit and the production of frozen ready meals.
Doing business effectively in China
Often in China, the fundamental barrier to success is less about identifying the opportunity and more about the inability to execute the plan more effectively than others. One’s own management team, the team’s relationship with corporate headquarters, the role of and relationship with joint-venture partners—all play a key role. Joint ventures have been part of doing business in China for more than 30 years. In many sectors, they remain the only way to participate, often in a mandatory minority position. But there are a number of clear lessons:Establish the right strategic positioning.
- If regulations require you to have a joint-venture partner and a minority position today, assume it will be that way forever in the core business activities. From automotive to financial services, the lesson is that it won’t change. If that model is not attractive today, do not invest in the hope that it will change.
- Follow the evolution of government policy and align your stated intent with such policy as far as possible. Using the words from government statements in your own statements communicates your commitment to China.
- Be clear if you are in China for the opportunity in China, or if you are in China for the opportunity that China creates for you in the rest of the world. This can lead to a very different presence in China.
- Increasingly, China’s mind-set is that there are fewer and fewer things to learn from foreign partners. China doesn’t need the capital, it can hire the skills, and it has the customer relationships, insights, and, most critically, the government relationships. Even state-owned enterprises now hold this mind-set.
- Simply stating that “this is how we do it in America/Germany/Japan” will not win friends. What one can do today is make a long-term commitment to help a Chinese joint-venture partner expand internationally. This may well be at a cost to the international partner’s existing business and needs to be seen as part of the total China investment.
- Establish from the outset a clear hierarchy of who interacts with whom at the joint-venture partner and with relevant government officials. Chinese partners like the certainty this provides. Ensure that the committed executive shows up for board meetings and the like, and don’t delegate.
He or she is your go-to person when things get volatile in China, someone whose viewpoint the global management team will trust, and someone the head of your joint-venture partner will also learn to trust. Usually, this person will be very strong in people development, with skills almost overlapping with a head of HR. And he or she will need to be 100 percent trusted to enforce compliance and to role model required behaviors. Typically, make this person chairman of your Asia or China operations, as senior a title as possible.
Talent acquisition and development, at all levels, remains highly time consuming and often frustrating for multinationals. Loyalty to an employer is often low on an individual’s priority list. Turnover will likely be high and should be planned for.
- Hiring midcareer executives is increasingly common, and in almost all industries the available talent pool is deepening. Both Chinese and global search firms have rapidly growing businesses that serve local and international companies. It is imperative to complete thorough background checks. Getting people to leave quietly in China often involves being silent on the cause of separation.
- At the entry level, many graduates are available. However, many lack workplace-relevant skills, including even those with MBA qualifications, which are more often bought than earned and often come with a lack of self-awareness that can lead to a mentality of entitlement. As a result, many corporations hire and then weed out aggressively during the initial probation period. Once on board, retention of high performers often depends on a highly variable compensation structure and dismissing underperformers.
- While you will likely have to work with “sons and daughters” of government officials as business partners, it does not mean that you have to employ them. Outside of some companies in financial services, few international firms do.
China is likely to be a more volatile economy. Taking a through-cycle viewpoint rather than a “quarterly performance versus plan” mind-set is key to motivating your China team and to convincing them that you are committed to China for the long term. Indeed, downturns in China have proved to be attractive moments to double down. When partners or governments are under stress, new partnerships and licenses can become available to foreign partners that are willing to step up and invest. Even after 30 years, few multinationals adopt this mind-set.
Don’t do anything to compromise your global brand and reputation. If you can’t do business the way you want to, then don’t do it at all. There may be opportunities to make money in the short and medium term, but shortcuts will eventually be made transparent. The Chinese government will be well aware of how you are operating, and the anticorruption campaign is not going to go away. Don’t assume that because your suppliers are international companies that they are automatically operating to the global standards you expect; verify that they are.
《詩經的智慧》
- 系列名：藝文采風
- ISBN13：9789577398314
- 作者：呂珍玉 主編
- 裝訂／頁數：平裝／430頁
- 版次：1
- 規格(高/寬/厚)：21*15*2.2cm
- 出版社： 萬卷樓
- 出版日：2013/11/01
- 中國圖書分類：詩總集
- http://ebook.hyread.com.tw/bookDetail.jsp?id=47835
《詩經》閱讀一般關注在經學和文學，偏向思想性的智慧議題並無專書出版。繼《閱讀詩經》從現代視域為經典別開生面後，我們再次深掘這座寶山，分別從情感、 生活、婦女、倫理、政治社會、價值觀、人際關係、人物典範，態度、寫作藝術等十個窗口，寫了八十二篇作品，從中觀察周代老祖宗的智慧，驚訝的發現經典生命 的強韌，在現代社會依然活著，並且還有很多智慧泉源，等著我們去取用。
《五個小孩的校長》真人版 呂麗紅擁抱64學生
晴報專訊】電影《五個小孩的校長》剛上映，
校長甘願接受月薪$4,500以挽救幼稚園的故事，又再成為佳話。六年來，學生人數急增11倍，連大學講師也把子女送來讀書，呂麗紅已成功把這所瀕臨倒閉
的村校打造成一所富口碑的學校。當了30年幼師，曾因為失望而提早退休，今天看到校內年僅三歲的幼兒熱心助人，深信這才是贏在終點的教育理念。
「電影中小雪這角色，當年真有其人，還有那段冷氣機噴出厚厚塵埃、挖泥以及鐵門的情節，當年的情況比電影所描述的更甚，因為擔心太誇張不討好，其實現實真是比煽情更煽情。」元岡幼稚園校長呂麗紅邊談劇情，邊回憶當年幼稚園的艱苦日子。
啟發五官感覺
「電影中小雪這角色，當年真有其人，還有那段冷氣機噴出厚厚塵埃、挖泥以及鐵門的情節，當年的情況比電影所描述的更甚，因為擔心太誇張不討好，其實現實真是比煽情更煽情。」元岡幼稚園校長呂麗紅邊談劇情，邊回憶當年幼稚園的艱苦日子。
啟發五官感覺
空姐機艙著睡衣 招呼乘客 原因係...
空中服務員在機艙穿上睡衣，招待乘客，並不是一種奢想；事關這個場景，日前出現在「天津航空」的航班上。
乘客參與這次驚喜的活動後，均大讚航空公司別出心裁，而且相當有意義，學會紓緩壓力，重視睡眠。
佐敦新樂酒家笑聲中今落幕
(綜合報道)(星島日報報道)見證香港歷史
變遷、屹立彌敦道五十六載的新樂海鮮酒家，今日完成最後一個午市，便會暫別佐敦。老闆莫大任回顧兩大難關，心灰意冷但仍堅強捱過，多年來他嚴遵亡父教誨
「我不放進口的，也不會成桌上菜」，堅持待客如至親，離別前夕食客紛重臨緬懷留影，酒家上下一片歡笑聲，笑別新樂；他向食客透露會在同區東山再起。
以招牌菜佛跳牆、蝦多士、炭爐燒鵝聞名的新樂海鮮酒家，進駐酒店多年，一直被誤以為是酒店中菜部，至結業消息傳出，公眾才恍然大悟。原來進駐新 樂之前，莫紹楚與數名合夥人在現時彌敦道恒盛大廈的位置，經營新新酒家，「做了五年，因為出品上乘得到新樂酒店賞識，獲邀進駐酒店，一做就做了三代人。」
2015-03-24
李光耀語錄
(綜合報道)(星島日報報道)
談在英國學法律時
「在新加坡這裏不會遇到這麼多白種人，新加坡的白種人高高在上；但在（英國）那裏，你地位較高，遇到地位較低的白種男女時，我是說社會階層高低，他們必須服務你，在商店裏也是。所以我看不出他們應該統治我們的理由，他們沒有比較高等。於是我決定了，我回來之後，要終結這種狀況。」
談民調
「我從不過分擔心、或被民調過分影響……如果擔心民調會升高還是降低，就不是領導人，只是在追着風向跑……看風吹到哪裏，就去哪裏，那不是我來這裏的目的。」
談領導人
「在被敬愛與被敬畏兩者之間，我總認為（十六世紀意大利政治哲學家）馬基維利是對的。如果沒人怕我，我就沒價值了。」
談鐵腕治理
「想跟我對幹的人，得戴上指節銅環才行。如果你覺得你可以傷我，比我能傷你還多，那就試試看。治理華裔社會，你別無方法。」
談政敵
「如果你是麻煩製造者……我的工作就是在政治上毀了你……大家都知道，我的袋子裏有把小斧頭，非常鋒利的斧頭。你跟我鬥，我拿斧頭，我們死胡同見。」
談民主
「你問大家，他們想要甚麼？像你們這樣，擁有寫社論的權利嗎？他們要的是房子、醫藥、工作與學校。」
談司法
「我們必須把人關起來，不經審判，不管他們是共產主義者、是語言沙文主義者、是宗教極端主義者，不那樣做，國家就會一團亂。」
談為大學畢業男女當紅娘，
以孕育聰明寶寶的政策
「如果不把女畢業生放進繁殖池，把她們放在架子上，社會就會愈來愈笨……會發生甚麼事？下一代會是沒那麼聰明的人在養笨的人，很麻煩。」
談死亡
「每件事都有結束，希望我日子到的時候，盡可能不要拖，盡可能沒有痛苦。不要讓我沒有行為能力，從鼻子到胃部插着管，在牀上呈半昏迷狀態。」
談到若新加坡出問題，
會從墳墓裏爬起來
「就算我在病榻上，即使你們就要把我放進墳墓裏了，我覺得有甚麼事情出錯了，我就會爬起來。」
談禁口香膠政策
談民調
「我從不過分擔心、或被民調過分影響……如果擔心民調會升高還是降低，就不是領導人，只是在追着風向跑……看風吹到哪裏，就去哪裏，那不是我來這裏的目的。」
談領導人
「在被敬愛與被敬畏兩者之間，我總認為（十六世紀意大利政治哲學家）馬基維利是對的。如果沒人怕我，我就沒價值了。」
談鐵腕治理
「想跟我對幹的人，得戴上指節銅環才行。如果你覺得你可以傷我，比我能傷你還多，那就試試看。治理華裔社會，你別無方法。」
談政敵
「如果你是麻煩製造者……我的工作就是在政治上毀了你……大家都知道，我的袋子裏有把小斧頭，非常鋒利的斧頭。你跟我鬥，我拿斧頭，我們死胡同見。」
談民主
「你問大家，他們想要甚麼？像你們這樣，擁有寫社論的權利嗎？他們要的是房子、醫藥、工作與學校。」
談司法
「我們必須把人關起來，不經審判，不管他們是共產主義者、是語言沙文主義者、是宗教極端主義者，不那樣做，國家就會一團亂。」
談為大學畢業男女當紅娘，
以孕育聰明寶寶的政策
「如果不把女畢業生放進繁殖池，把她們放在架子上，社會就會愈來愈笨……會發生甚麼事？下一代會是沒那麼聰明的人在養笨的人，很麻煩。」
談死亡
「每件事都有結束，希望我日子到的時候，盡可能不要拖，盡可能沒有痛苦。不要讓我沒有行為能力，從鼻子到胃部插着管，在牀上呈半昏迷狀態。」
談到若新加坡出問題，
會從墳墓裏爬起來
「就算我在病榻上，即使你們就要把我放進墳墓裏了，我覺得有甚麼事情出錯了，我就會爬起來。」
談禁口香膠政策
「如果你須嚼東西才能思考，那何不試吃香蕉？」
2015-03-22
Great reunion in Lei Hong Kei 2015.3.21
Had a wonderful Saturday dinner in the traditional Chinese Restaurant,
all the old friends met in the same place at the same time,
with old faces,
old memories,
exchanging updates,
and the telephone numbers,
time flies,
but good days memories stay in our mind,
with the super whatsapp program,
all of us reunited again,
over 60 buddies were found and identified in such a short time,
most are in Macau,
but never get the chance to meet,
few are in US. Canada, UK, HK...
lots of conversation and old pictures to share,
fantastic evening,
happy memories forever!
The food is good,
traditional Chinese soup,
lobster noodles,
barbecue pig,
steamed fish,
stewed fired diced pork with walnuts,
deep fried crab tight,
deep fried pork and crab meat,
fresh vegetables,
fried rice,
sweet soup,
however,
the conversation is the most delighted part of the dinner!
all the old friends met in the same place at the same time,
with old faces,
old memories,
exchanging updates,
and the telephone numbers,
time flies,
but good days memories stay in our mind,
with the super whatsapp program,
all of us reunited again,
over 60 buddies were found and identified in such a short time,
most are in Macau,
but never get the chance to meet,
few are in US. Canada, UK, HK...
lots of conversation and old pictures to share,
fantastic evening,
happy memories forever!
The food is good,
traditional Chinese soup,
lobster noodles,
barbecue pig,
steamed fish,
stewed fired diced pork with walnuts,
deep fried crab tight,
deep fried pork and crab meat,
fresh vegetables,
fried rice,
sweet soup,
however,
the conversation is the most delighted part of the dinner!
The Suit 情人的西裝
2015-03-21
小人兒長大了?
讀小四的侄女像猴子般活躍好動,
課餘活動更是多釆多姿,
日前在其留言版,
突發覺比她小的同門小師弟突然車禍去世,
她感嘆"人生很短暫..要珍惜光陰..多幫助別人...."
再在昨天,
看到她的學校校工早上在校內死亡,
她又再寫了一句..
一路好走!
是她們這一代早悟,
定我兒時活在快樂天真的世界裡?
課餘活動更是多釆多姿,
日前在其留言版,
突發覺比她小的同門小師弟突然車禍去世,
她感嘆"人生很短暫..要珍惜光陰..多幫助別人...."
再在昨天,
看到她的學校校工早上在校內死亡,
她又再寫了一句..
一路好走!
是她們這一代早悟,
定我兒時活在快樂天真的世界裡?
【食譜】芒果糯米糍
材料：（15粒）
糯米粉190g
金獅吉士粉15g
砂糖50g
濃縮芒果汁100g
水180g
芒果2-3個（視乎大小）
椰絲40g
橄欖油少許
做法：
1. 糯米粉、吉士粉過篩，與砂糖拌勻，加入芒果汁和水攪拌至沒有粉粒；
2. 在蒸碟上先掃少許油，把（1）液體倒進碟內，大火隔水蒸15-20分鐘（中途要打開蓋取出蒸碟，攪拌已半熟的粉糰一次，再繼續蒸）蒸好後取出放涼；
3. 芒果切粒備用（留意放置太久會出水）；
4. 糯米粉糰放至暖就可以分割成33g@15等份，戴上普通膠手套，掌心搽少許橄欖油，把把每份小粉糰續份稍作滾圓；
5. 先墊一張保鮮紙在底，上面放小粉糰，蓋上另一張保鮮紙，用木棍轆扁（如圖），打開面的保鮮紙，上間放上13g-15g芒果粒，利用保鮮紙對摺包好成球狀，沾上椰絲，放在紙托上即可食用。
http://yes-news.com/12524/
糯米粉190g
金獅吉士粉15g
砂糖50g
濃縮芒果汁100g
水180g
芒果2-3個（視乎大小）
椰絲40g
橄欖油少許
做法：
1. 糯米粉、吉士粉過篩，與砂糖拌勻，加入芒果汁和水攪拌至沒有粉粒；
2. 在蒸碟上先掃少許油，把（1）液體倒進碟內，大火隔水蒸15-20分鐘（中途要打開蓋取出蒸碟，攪拌已半熟的粉糰一次，再繼續蒸）蒸好後取出放涼；
3. 芒果切粒備用（留意放置太久會出水）；
4. 糯米粉糰放至暖就可以分割成33g@15等份，戴上普通膠手套，掌心搽少許橄欖油，把把每份小粉糰續份稍作滾圓；
5. 先墊一張保鮮紙在底，上面放小粉糰，蓋上另一張保鮮紙，用木棍轆扁（如圖），打開面的保鮮紙，上間放上13g-15g芒果粒，利用保鮮紙對摺包好成球狀，沾上椰絲，放在紙托上即可食用。
http://yes-news.com/12524/
命中註定 - 翻看女友兒時照片 男友嚇呆了 為甚麼？
日前在外國留言板上，一名網友表示在翻看女友兒時照片時，竟然發現自己出現在相片之中，而他在此之前，一直也不知道女友多年前是自己的同學。
網友Evanaka1234表示，有一天他在女友的屋內，翻看著她的一本舊相簿，內裡有著她就讀幼稚園的照片，令男友看到都不禁大笑女友童年時傻呼 呼的樣子。當他翻到一頁貼有女友幼稚園大合照的照片時，他突然發現坐在女友左邊的一個金髮小孩非常面善，仔細研究下，他發現原來自己當時就坐在她的身旁， 令他當場嚇呆。
可能是命中注定，Evanaka1234原來在三歲的時候就認識了他的女友。
為了求證，Evanaka1234於是致電母親，並確定了二人的而且確曾經就讀同一所學校。可能是命中注定，16年後的今天，坐在小女孩身邊的金髮小男孩就成為了一對不可分離的甜蜜情侶了。
網友Evanaka1234表示，有一天他在女友的屋內，翻看著她的一本舊相簿，內裡有著她就讀幼稚園的照片，令男友看到都不禁大笑女友童年時傻呼 呼的樣子。當他翻到一頁貼有女友幼稚園大合照的照片時，他突然發現坐在女友左邊的一個金髮小孩非常面善，仔細研究下，他發現原來自己當時就坐在她的身旁， 令他當場嚇呆。
可能是命中注定，Evanaka1234原來在三歲的時候就認識了他的女友。
開平【碉莊】,陽西復活遊
陽西鹹水礦溫泉休閒純玩三天
臺山尋皇草原花海
廣東最美古邨落
開平最大規糢碉樓
◆ 品：古井燒鵝風味宴、開平黃鱔飯風味、
溫泉鹹水宴、陽江鵝乸飯風味！
第1天
珠海—開平 (汽車)
乘車前往鬥門，遊廣東最美古邨落--【接霞莊】（遊覽時間約1小時）,有200多年歷史，是個既有中國傳統特色又融入西洋風格，幽靜得近乎封閉的邨落。
午
餐後往臺山，遊【尋皇草原花海】（遊覽2小時，花期視季節。
後往開平，遊【赤坎水鄉街】（遊覽
時間約1小時），晚餐後，入住酒店。
第2天
開平—陽西 (汽車)
早餐後，遊開平大型莊園【碉莊】（遊覽時間約2小時），觀最大規糢碉樓象吉樓、3D藝術展。後往陽江，午餐後，往【陽西鹹水礦溫泉】，入住酒店，自由活動，可於別墅獨立溫泉池或公共溫泉區浸泡各式溫泉。
第3天
陽西—珠海 (汽車)
早餐後，於度假邨自由活動，可繼續享受私家池或公共溫泉池到11：30退房，
午餐後，往陽江，遊既有江南園林之秀美奇麗，又有北方園林之蒼勁古樸的【金山植物園】（遊覽時間約1小時）。
游畢乘車返回珠海。
第3天
陽西—珠海 (汽車)
早餐後，於度假邨自由活動，可繼續享受私家池或公共溫泉池到11：30退房，
午餐後，往陽江，遊既有江南園林之秀美奇麗，又有北方園林之蒼勁古樸的【金山植物園】（遊覽時間約1小時）。
游畢乘車返回珠海。
心靈享宴~彭麗媛對女兒說的七段話,非常好！
1、氣質是你一生最好的名牌
一個人若有氣質，遠比穿一身名牌更美，更受人肯定。想擁有氣質你甚至不必花一毛錢，只需注意自己的脾氣、端正自己的品格、凈化自己的思想、充實自己的內在，無形之中，你的談吐、態度、舉止都會烙印上一股清新而脫俗的標籤。2、不要過分在乎身邊的人，也不要刻意去在意他人的事
在這世上，總會有人讓你悲傷、讓你嫉妒、讓你咬牙切齒。並不是他們有多壞，而是因為你很在乎。所以想心安，首先就要不在乎。你對事不在乎，它就傷害不到你；你對人不在乎，他就不會令你生氣。在乎了，你就已經輸了。什麼都不在乎的人，才是無敵的。3、活得糊塗的人，容易幸福；活得清醒的人，容易煩惱
這是因為，清醒的人看得太真切，一較真，生活中便煩惱遍地；而糊塗的人，計較得少，雖然活得簡單粗糙，卻因此覓得了人生的大滋味。4、欲成大器，先要大氣
大氣之人，語氣不驚不懼，性格不驕不躁，氣勢不張不揚，靜得優雅，動得從容，行得洒脫。大氣之人，能安安心心做好本分的角色，認認真真干好手頭的事情，不為名利而爭鬥，不為錢財而糾結。大氣之人能讓自己的世界海闊天空，即便一時失意，終得大器晚成。5、人生的忠告：再長的路，一步步也能走完；再短的路，不邁開雙腳也無法到達。
不要讓太多的昨天佔據你的今天。重複別人走過的路，是因為忽視了自己的雙腳。貪婪是最真實的貧窮，滿足是最真實的財富。經受過嚴寒的人，才知道太陽的溫暖；飽嘗人生艱辛的人，才懂得生命的可貴。6、放下你的浮躁，放下你的懶惰
放下你的浮躁，放下你的懶惰，放下你的三分鐘熱度，放空你禁不住誘惑的大腦，放開你容易被任何事物吸引的眼睛，放淡你什麼都想聊兩句八卦的嘴巴，靜下心來好好做你該做的事，如果你也覺得自己該努力了的話。7、愛人是路，朋友是樹
愛人是路，朋友是樹，人生需選對路，一條路上多棵樹，有錢的時候別迷路，缺錢的時候靠靠樹，幸福的時候莫忘路，休息的時候澆澆樹。2015-03-20
朱古力麵包
http://unwire.hk/2015/02/12/bowl-bread/top-news/
Stage 1 : 材料準備篇
- 牛奶 (要解凍至室溫) 160ml
- 無鹽牛油 (隔熱水座溶) 40g
- 高筋麵粉 360g
- 砂糖60g
- 鹽4g
- 所需材料
打蛋(要解凍至室溫) 一隻
牛奶(要解凍至室溫) 160ml
蛋同奶要溝勻
無鹽牛油 40g (用熱水座溶)
高筋麵粉 360g
砂糖60g, 鹽4g
2015-03-19
《詩經》 及中國最經典的愛情詩
詩經。。愛情
http://blog.udn.com/
http://tzoyiing.pixnet.net
第一、詩經·國風·邶風 擊鼓
擊鼓其鏜，踴躍用兵。土國城漕，我獨南行。
從孫子仲，平陳與宋。不我以歸，憂心有忡。
爰居爰處？爰喪其馬？於以求之？於林之下。
死生契闊，與子成說。執子之手，與子偕老。
于嗟闊兮，不我活兮。于嗟洵兮，不我信兮。
第二、詩經·國風·召南·關雎
關關雎鳩，在河之洲。窈窕淑女，君子好逑。
參差荇菜，左右流之；窈窕淑女，寤寐求之。
求之不得，寤寐思服；悠哉悠哉，輾轉反側。
參差荇菜，左右采之；窈窕淑女，琴瑟友之。
參差荇菜，左右冒之；窈窕淑女，鐘鼓樂之。
第三、詩經·國風·秦風·蒹葭
蒹葭蒼蒼，白露為霜。
所謂伊人，在水一方。
溯洄從之，道阻且長。
溯游從之，宛在水中央。
蒹葭萋萋，白露未晞。
所謂伊人，在水之湄。
溯洄從之，道阻且躋。
溯游從之，宛在水中坻。
蒹葭采采，白露未已。
所謂伊人，在水之涘。
溯洄從之，道阻且右。
溯游從之，宛在水中沚。
第四、摸魚兒／元‧元好問
問世間、情是何物？直教生死相許。
天南地北雙飛客，老翅幾回寒暑。
歡樂趣，離別苦，就中更有痴兒女。
君應有語，渺萬里層雲，千山暮雪，隻影向誰去。
橫汾路，寂寞當年蕭鼓。
荒煙依舊平楚，招魂楚些何嗟及。
山鬼自啼風雨，天也妒。
未信與、鶯兒燕子俱黃土。
千秋萬古。為留待騷人，狂歌痛飲，來訪雁邱處。
第五、江城子 乙卯正月二十日夜記夢／宋‧蘇軾
十年生死兩茫茫，不思量，自難忘。
千里孤墳，無處話淒涼。
縱使相逢應不識，塵滿面，鬢如霜。
夜來幽夢忽還鄉，小軒窗，正梳妝。
相顧無言，惟有淚千行。
料得年年腸斷處，明月夜，短松崗。
第六、離思／唐‧元稹
曾經滄海難為水，除卻巫山不是雲。
取次花叢懶回顧，半緣修道半緣君。
第七、詩經·周南·桃夭
桃之夭夭，灼灼其華。
之子于歸，宜其室家。
桃之夭夭，有蕡其實。
之子于歸，宜其家室。
桃之夭夭，其葉蓁蓁。
之子于歸，宜其家人。
第八、鵲橋仙／宋‧秦觀
纖雲弄巧，飛星傳恨，銀漢迢迢暗度。
金風玉露一相逢，便勝卻人間無數。
柔情似水，佳期如夢，忍顧鵲橋歸路。
兩情若是久長時，又豈在朝朝暮暮。
她來自星星？
晚上接近十點，
在三巴仔橫街步行回家時，
有一女子，
拖了一個旅行箱，
突然截住我，
用廣東話問我：
＂星星酒店在那兒？＂
即時像滿天星，
心想，
星星？
猩猩？
為什麼老澳門市民如我不知？
新開的？
我疑惑的樣子停了腳步，
突然有一醒目的路人亞叔，
大聲說。。。。
＂新新＂？
新新酒店在司打口，
原來如此！
在三巴仔橫街步行回家時，
有一女子，
拖了一個旅行箱，
突然截住我，
用廣東話問我：
＂星星酒店在那兒？＂
即時像滿天星，
心想，
星星？
猩猩？
為什麼老澳門市民如我不知？
新開的？
我疑惑的樣子停了腳步，
突然有一醒目的路人亞叔，
大聲說。。。。
＂新新＂？
新新酒店在司打口，
原來如此！
2015-03-16
Chinese millionaires' sky-high ambitions By Diego Laje, for CNN - December 6, 2010
Hong Kong, China (CNN) -- Two years ago Candy Chung barely
knew that airplanes had two wings, engines and took her on frequent
trips from Asia to Europe.
Now, she runs a boutique operation that helps new Asian millionaires get their own jet.
Her income per airplane may total US$300,000 to US$1 million. "Sometimes you make more, sometimes you make less," she said.
With the explosion of fortunes in China comes a lift in private aircraft sales. In a country that's second to the U.S. in the number of millionaires -- with 1,363 people worth US$150 million and 189 billionaires, according to the Hurun List -- there are ample opportunities to find clients, Chung said.
Now, she runs a boutique operation that helps new Asian millionaires get their own jet.
Her income per airplane may total US$300,000 to US$1 million. "Sometimes you make more, sometimes you make less," she said.
With the explosion of fortunes in China comes a lift in private aircraft sales. In a country that's second to the U.S. in the number of millionaires -- with 1,363 people worth US$150 million and 189 billionaires, according to the Hurun List -- there are ample opportunities to find clients, Chung said.
2015-03-15
"Zara: A Global Success Story" By Kenneth A. Fox, MBA
http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/blog/2011/12/15/4396/
Zara, the flagship retail unit of Spanish parent, Inditex SA, represents a remarkable retail success story. The company now has over 1,500 stores in 81 countries. Zara offers mostly unique women’s stylish clothing and accessories at reasonable prices. The chain was started in Spain in 1975 and has never used advertising to promote its stores or goods. Instead it spends on prime locations for its stores.
The
most amazing thing about Zara is their vertical integration and ability
to design and launch a new fashion item quickly. They use their store
staffs to identify fashion trends and styles that sell well. In turn,
Zara designs, produces, and ships new fashions to its stores in limited
quantities. They typically dispatch new styles to their stores twice a
week.
Zara’s success concentrates on three winning aspects:
Zara can move from identifying a trend to having clothes in stores within 30 days. This represents offering fashions when they are “hot,” yielding higher sales and margins. Zara has a large design team in Northwest Spain that works exclusively in identifying the latest styles and trends and converting these ideas into new fashion items. Zara limits the availability of each style, which often makes it more desirable. A fashion seen one week may not appear in the store the next week. Reorders are rare and in-store stocks look fresh every three to four days.
Zara owns its own manufacturing facilities, mostly in Spain. It has the latest equipment for fabric dyeing and processing, cutting and garment finishing. This allows Zara to have processing capacity available “on demand.” It does outsource the labor-intensive process of garment stitching to a network of subcontracted workshops in Spain and Portugal.
An invaluable resource is the store managers and staff members who send orders and provide intelligence on styles that sell to Zara headquarters in Spain. They utilize handheld computers to send information on what they hear and see from customers. Zara uses state-of-the art distribution systems. Approximately 2,000 kilometers of underground tracks move merchandise from Zara’s manufacturing plants to 400+ chutes that ensure each order reaches its proper destination. Optical scanning devices sort and distribute more than 60,000 items of clothing an hour.
Zara seems to deliver fashions when they are hot, often at much lower prices than comparable designer brands. They also sell men’s clothing and accessories.
I did not know that Zara offered a “Home Store” until I recently shopped one in Turin, Italy. This line extension now has 284 stores globally, but currently none are in the U.S. The Home Store felt different than other comparable “home stores,” extending Zara’s unique atmospherics.
The Zara clothing stores are in most major markets; even in Chengdu, China, where I taught during the first quarter of 2011. This interesting retailer also benefits from its parent company (Inditex SA), which manufacturers other clothing lines, under brand names such as: Massimo Dutti, Berska, Oysho, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Tempe, and Uterque.
Sources:
1. The Secrets of Zara Success, The Telegraph (UK), June 22, 2011
2. Case Study: retail @ the speed of fashion, by Devangshu Dutta, 2002
3. Inditex, Wikipedia
Zara, the flagship retail unit of Spanish parent, Inditex SA, represents a remarkable retail success story. The company now has over 1,500 stores in 81 countries. Zara offers mostly unique women’s stylish clothing and accessories at reasonable prices. The chain was started in Spain in 1975 and has never used advertising to promote its stores or goods. Instead it spends on prime locations for its stores.
The
most amazing thing about Zara is their vertical integration and ability
to design and launch a new fashion item quickly. They use their store
staffs to identify fashion trends and styles that sell well. In turn,
Zara designs, produces, and ships new fashions to its stores in limited
quantities. They typically dispatch new styles to their stores twice a
week.Zara’s success concentrates on three winning aspects:
- Short lead times=more fashionable clothes
- Lower quantities=scarce supply
- More styles=more choice, and more chances of hitting it right
Zara can move from identifying a trend to having clothes in stores within 30 days. This represents offering fashions when they are “hot,” yielding higher sales and margins. Zara has a large design team in Northwest Spain that works exclusively in identifying the latest styles and trends and converting these ideas into new fashion items. Zara limits the availability of each style, which often makes it more desirable. A fashion seen one week may not appear in the store the next week. Reorders are rare and in-store stocks look fresh every three to four days.
Zara owns its own manufacturing facilities, mostly in Spain. It has the latest equipment for fabric dyeing and processing, cutting and garment finishing. This allows Zara to have processing capacity available “on demand.” It does outsource the labor-intensive process of garment stitching to a network of subcontracted workshops in Spain and Portugal.
An invaluable resource is the store managers and staff members who send orders and provide intelligence on styles that sell to Zara headquarters in Spain. They utilize handheld computers to send information on what they hear and see from customers. Zara uses state-of-the art distribution systems. Approximately 2,000 kilometers of underground tracks move merchandise from Zara’s manufacturing plants to 400+ chutes that ensure each order reaches its proper destination. Optical scanning devices sort and distribute more than 60,000 items of clothing an hour.
Zara seems to deliver fashions when they are hot, often at much lower prices than comparable designer brands. They also sell men’s clothing and accessories.
I did not know that Zara offered a “Home Store” until I recently shopped one in Turin, Italy. This line extension now has 284 stores globally, but currently none are in the U.S. The Home Store felt different than other comparable “home stores,” extending Zara’s unique atmospherics.
The Zara clothing stores are in most major markets; even in Chengdu, China, where I taught during the first quarter of 2011. This interesting retailer also benefits from its parent company (Inditex SA), which manufacturers other clothing lines, under brand names such as: Massimo Dutti, Berska, Oysho, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Tempe, and Uterque.
Sources:
1. The Secrets of Zara Success, The Telegraph (UK), June 22, 2011
2. Case Study: retail @ the speed of fashion, by Devangshu Dutta, 2002
3. Inditex, Wikipedia
Layaway 的故事
大學同房J曾告訴我聖誕禮物
對傳統美國人非常重要,
因為年尾開支大,
她會用Layaway的方式購物送予家人.
其實原來我也是被送對象呢.
第一次聽時,
都覺得奇怪,
原來各處鄉村各處例,
這做法十足以前媽媽做月餅會,
每月供款,
中秋節時取一定數量的月餅,
送親友過節.
J 家人習慣,
每一人送及收的聖誕禮物不會是一份,
可以大大小小,
很多份,
放在聖誕樹下,
禮物紙包裝下,
真估不到,
有衣物,用品,護膚品......
還記得聖誕日她做的美味大餐,
以及各人收聖誕禮物的情景.
那兩年的聖誕假期,
回校時真的是滿載而歸.
其實,
回想J的家庭經濟狀況真的不是大好,
但她很關心我外地來的女孩子,
怕我佳節孤單,
力邀我回家住及過節.
很懷念J給我安排了兩個溫暖傳統的聖誕節,
與她一家共享佳節,
美食,禮物都令我有美好的回憶.
對傳統美國人非常重要,
因為年尾開支大,
她會用Layaway的方式購物送予家人.
其實原來我也是被送對象呢.
第一次聽時,
都覺得奇怪,
原來各處鄉村各處例,
這做法十足以前媽媽做月餅會,
每月供款,
中秋節時取一定數量的月餅,
送親友過節.
J 家人習慣,
每一人送及收的聖誕禮物不會是一份,
可以大大小小,
很多份,
放在聖誕樹下,
禮物紙包裝下,
真估不到,
有衣物,用品,護膚品......
還記得聖誕日她做的美味大餐,
以及各人收聖誕禮物的情景.
那兩年的聖誕假期,
回校時真的是滿載而歸.
其實,
回想J的家庭經濟狀況真的不是大好,
但她很關心我外地來的女孩子,
怕我佳節孤單,
力邀我回家住及過節.
很懷念J給我安排了兩個溫暖傳統的聖誕節,
與她一家共享佳節,
美食,禮物都令我有美好的回憶.
2015-03-14
"How Clothing Chain Uniqlo Is Taking Over The World" by Megan Durisin
Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo has become the envy of retailers worldwide.
The company has exploded in the past decade, becoming Asia's biggest clothing retailer. And Uniqlo's leaders have ambitious goals to make the brand the leader in retail worldwide, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Uniqlo, which focuses on mass-producing affordable basics in dozens of colors, got its start in the Japanese suburbs. Less than 20 years later, it's laid its stake along swanky shopping streets in major global cities.
What's the story behind the company's success?
The company has exploded in the past decade, becoming Asia's biggest clothing retailer. And Uniqlo's leaders have ambitious goals to make the brand the leader in retail worldwide, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Uniqlo, which focuses on mass-producing affordable basics in dozens of colors, got its start in the Japanese suburbs. Less than 20 years later, it's laid its stake along swanky shopping streets in major global cities.
What's the story behind the company's success?
鹽水雞翼
材料：雞中翼15隻，米酒200毫升，水100毫升，鹽1大湯匙，老抽30毫升。
做法：1. 雞中翼解凍洗淨。
2. 燒熱滾水，下薑片、蔥、雞中翼灼至熟。
3. 把100毫升的水燒鍋，下鹽、老抽後熄火，最後下米酒，把雞中翼放入浸約20分鐘至入味即可。
《中国新工人：迷失与崛起》 呂途
从新工人 群体微观的故事引导我们走向社会结构层次 的总体把握。中国经济的崛起造就了一个新 的群体，这就是新工人群体，我们通常称之 为打工群体。两亿多的打工者从农村来到城 市，本书通过一百多个访谈故事来反映他／ 她们在城市待不下、却也回不去农村的迷失 状态。本书强调，迷失是崛起的前奏，中国 新工人的主体意识正在觉醒。中国新工人的 未来决定着中国的未来。
童年味道
住處附近開了不少食店,
是小食的食店,
今天中午經過時,
給我聞到一股很熟悉的食物味道,
但不能形容,
只是好似帶我回憶讀小學時西灣附近的食檔,
良記的面,
早餐因一定在家中食,
很羨慕同學們在那面檔食早餐,
愈是沒得食就愈想食,
所以,
當有小小零用錢時間中就會再在那兒吃多一個早餐,
喜歡食那兒的面,
因覺得那湯很香很美味,
面條煮得適中,
是媽媽煮不到的.
另外,
面檔對面是安記咖啡,
豬扒意粉更是不錯,
辣魚包亦是美味非常.
上學途中經過的馬鴻記,
賣的熱辣魚包,辣肉包亦是我的至愛.
時常叫媽媽讓我自己買早餐,
貪吃新鮮的...
但原來在家吃愛心早餐,
才是最有營養及最幸福的.
小學附近還有一間叫光記的小檔,
檔主是一個老公公,
賣酸薑,酸木瓜,
也是我喜歡的小食,
放中午學食飯前,
來一兩件酸木瓜,
美味兼醒神!
有時,
中午時候有一檔流動車的炸物,
在學校附近擺賣,
食物更是多采多姿,
番薯,雲吞,蟹仔,魚蛋......
回想,
正是那萬年油及那特別的醬汁,
家長的肯是會叫我們少食為妙,
但是.....
美味在心頭,
如果做乖乖的,
如何在多年後的今日,
尚有那美好的童年味道回憶!
是小食的食店,
今天中午經過時,
給我聞到一股很熟悉的食物味道,
但不能形容,
只是好似帶我回憶讀小學時西灣附近的食檔,
良記的面,
早餐因一定在家中食,
很羨慕同學們在那面檔食早餐,
愈是沒得食就愈想食,
所以,
當有小小零用錢時間中就會再在那兒吃多一個早餐,
喜歡食那兒的面,
因覺得那湯很香很美味,
面條煮得適中,
是媽媽煮不到的.
另外,
面檔對面是安記咖啡,
豬扒意粉更是不錯,
辣魚包亦是美味非常.
上學途中經過的馬鴻記,
賣的熱辣魚包,辣肉包亦是我的至愛.
時常叫媽媽讓我自己買早餐,
貪吃新鮮的...
但原來在家吃愛心早餐,
才是最有營養及最幸福的.
小學附近還有一間叫光記的小檔,
檔主是一個老公公,
賣酸薑,酸木瓜,
也是我喜歡的小食,
放中午學食飯前,
來一兩件酸木瓜,
美味兼醒神!
有時,
中午時候有一檔流動車的炸物,
在學校附近擺賣,
食物更是多采多姿,
番薯,雲吞,蟹仔,魚蛋......
回想,
正是那萬年油及那特別的醬汁,
家長的肯是會叫我們少食為妙,
但是.....
美味在心頭,
如果做乖乖的,
如何在多年後的今日,
尚有那美好的童年味道回憶!
本周一記
老父因腳腫不能行,
星期二陪他看急診,
醫院繁忙,
前面20多人,
等了很久仍沒有進展,
我因為公司多事做,
中途自行回公司,
而老父則足足要坐在醫院三小時,
再回 醫院看進度時,
見他拿著藥,
剛看完,
整個下午的時間.........
真是凄涼.
今天,
稍為好一點點,
他要求去覆診,
想辦法配合,
最後都是叫不到的士,
明愛的愛心的士,
接線員說最好是一星期前預約,
另一間黑的,
早兩小時致電則說沒預約,
而下午再致電即時叫,
他們又話沒空車,
真是無奈.
陪他在街上走,
想截的士難過登天,
惟有往公車站方向走,
在繁忙的街上,
原來才發覺年邁兼腳痛的父親,
橫過馬路是如此惶恐,
拖著他的手,
想起小時,
父親拖著我的手帶我去飲茶的日子.
不覺間,
常以為父親是以前的父親,
其實他已經是體力已大不如前.
內心真有很大歉意!
星期二陪他看急診,
醫院繁忙,
前面20多人,
等了很久仍沒有進展,
我因為公司多事做,
中途自行回公司,
而老父則足足要坐在醫院三小時,
再回 醫院看進度時,
見他拿著藥,
剛看完,
整個下午的時間.........
真是凄涼.
今天,
稍為好一點點,
他要求去覆診,
想辦法配合,
最後都是叫不到的士,
明愛的愛心的士,
接線員說最好是一星期前預約,
另一間黑的,
早兩小時致電則說沒預約,
而下午再致電即時叫,
他們又話沒空車,
真是無奈.
陪他在街上走,
想截的士難過登天,
惟有往公車站方向走,
在繁忙的街上,
原來才發覺年邁兼腳痛的父親,
橫過馬路是如此惶恐,
拖著他的手,
想起小時,
父親拖著我的手帶我去飲茶的日子.
不覺間,
常以為父親是以前的父親,
其實他已經是體力已大不如前.
內心真有很大歉意!
2015-03-13
2015-03-11
After the golden week 2015.3.10
After the CNY,
during certain time of the day,
I can see less mainland visitors in the central area,
also less traffic,
thanks!
I enjoy the disappearance of the big crowds,
so that we can get back the peace of our Macau!
during certain time of the day,
I can see less mainland visitors in the central area,
also less traffic,
thanks!
I enjoy the disappearance of the big crowds,
so that we can get back the peace of our Macau!
2015-03-10
Rickshaw Boy
http://www.harpercollins.com/9780061436925/rickshaw-boy#
About the Book
“Lao She’s great novel.”
—The New York Times
—The New York Times
A
beautiful new translation of the classic Chinese novel from Lao She,
one of the most acclaimed and popular Chinese writers of the twentieth
century, Rickshaw Boy chronicles the trials and misadventures of a poor Beijing rickshaw driver. Originally published in 1937, Rickshaw Boy—and the power and artistry of Lao She—can now be appreciated by a contemporary American audience.
藍天作鏡：劉紹銘集
http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010535386
http://www.chunghwabook.com.hk/9789888148172/
內容簡介
愛讀劉紹銘的隨筆，讀時每每羨慕，乃至嫉妒，他一篇又一篇，起得像這樣的上好題目：〈卡夫卡的味噌湯〉、〈蕃薯破腿多〉、〈驢乳治相思〉……題目起得「響亮」（有聲有色），文章已是做好了一半。貌似妙手偶得，匪夷所思，其實是讀書極多，閱世極深，修行得來的功夫。——黃子平
 |
作者簡介
劉紹銘
劉紹銘，廣東惠陽人，香港出生。台灣大學外文系畢業後赴美，在印第安那大學攻讀比較文學，得博士學位，曾先後任教香港中文大學崇基學院、夏威夷大學、威斯康辛大學。退休前為嶺南大學中文系主任兼翻譯系講座教授。學術著作以英文為主。譯作有《魔桶》（馬拉末）、《夥計》（馬拉末）和《一九八四》（奧維爾）。散文作品包括《吃馬鈴薯的日子》、《舊時香港》、《煙雨平生》、《一爐煙火》、《文字的再生》、《能不依依》和《渾家‧拙荊‧夫人》等。
把握 2.5 小時工作力高峰期的早晨習慣
早上起床 4 件事：
1. 堅持每天起床後 60-90 分鐘的習慣不變很多人起床後，便因工作的 email、電話，而感到壓力迫人，被世界追趕得團團轉，驚魂未定地開始新一天的工作。但早起早投入工作，未必代表你可將工作順力又有效地完成，所以，起 床後，最好先訂立一套讓你可安定下來，平靜又冷靜地抖擻精神的時段先 wake up and settle down，set the right mind。最簡單的方法是，每天起床後 60-90 分鐘的習慣都盡量不要有太大變動，如習慣起床後先洗澡，再喝咖啡及跑步的話，就讓這連串步驟，變成安穩又熟悉的習慣。因為愈少變動，人的情緒就愈安寧。
2. 定好當天最需要處理的 3 件工作
先將事情分出主次。次要的工作，未必讓你被炒，但重要的工作，是讓你升職的機遇。同時，解決次要的工作，你無需投入太多才幹及能力，但重要的工作，則讓你發自己最大的才能，亦讓你更有自信，可以這為定下工作次序的準則。
3. 以腦力最有效能的 2.5小時處理最重要的 3 件工作
Duke University 的行為學經濟學家 Dan Ariely 發現，起床後的 2-2.5 小時，是腦力最強的工作時段，即是說若你 7 點起床，早上 9-11:30 就是你最 productive 的 magic hour 的開始。
4. 養成 kickstart 你工作的步驟
若你喜歡逃避現實，習慣了將工作延遲又延遲，那你就需要養成一個習慣，並視之為「要開始認真工作了」的訊息或提示。例如，在開始重要工作前，喝杯咖啡或吃片口香糖，久而久之，就養成認真工作前的序號。
作者 Beth Burt | Harper's Bazaar
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