Thursday 31 October 2013

Disneyland Hunting


Property hunting. Everyone dreams of owning a pretty, large space-area that overlooks the swimming pool and gets the rising sun all at the same time. And then it's a question of whether you want to buy a property to stay in or as a long term investment. No doubt, it's as easy as that for some, but for most it's a battle with the calculator (or excel!) for every single cash-in cash-out that takes place. In reality, it's always more than just a pretty Kingdom you can call your own and go home to. In my case, Disneyland.


Firstly, are you ready to commit yourself to a large financing from the Bank? We all know that a loan is available to help you get a place whilst paying back in installments, but I have always been one who would have this at the back of my head. Whether I will be able to service this loan all the way with my disposable income? Whether there will be hidden charges that I have no capability of finding out about before signing the agreement?...etc. Take your time and find out about loans offered before committing.

Future prospect. The value of the property few years down the line. Value in this case is more than just the price but also the additional factors that adds up to the price, such as location, facilities, access. I definitely would want to look for a property that I believe would be easy to sell off ie there will easily be buyers few years down the line at a good price should I decide to let go.

Facilities. Now that I am browsing through a few property sites to look at what is available out there in the market, I find myself clicking on the facilities and location tab.  I’m inclined towards a place that has a cheerful common area if you get what I mean. Conducive for you to have a peace of mind or even spend a good happy family time on weekends and after work.

Easy access. At this age, you’d need to take into account location of the property. This would play a big part when finding buyers in the future – is the area known to be safe, not too congested and the easier the access to a lot of places the better.  Of course ultimately for me, is it easy to get to work? Easy to get to my parents' place? :P

All these preferences vary from one individual to another of course and there’s no right or wrong to it so dontcha worry. I'm no property expert but I do know that when you start browsing, you’ll be amazed at how many questions you ask yourself about that one ideal property you’re looking for.

A sign of growing up huh?

Knightsbridge

You always take things close to you for granted - there's a bit of that in everyone no doubt.

I've never walked around Harrods at night, and when I did...Oh my goodness, it felt like Christmas! 
It was brightly lit and everyone was snapping away. So cantik, I fell in love with London again and again everytime I looked up. I'm one to fall head over heels when it comes to lights and buildings, and I must say, Harrods at night, is simply gorgeous! 

In the meantime, I decided to help Kim by becoming her prop whilst she does what she's best at - Photography.

Employee Of The Year

I wish!!
(One day k :P Amin!)

So what is that?!
.
.
.
Believe it or not, it's a... dessert ! It was food tasting day today and this piece of beauty was uniquely designed following up to the 10th Annual CIMB North Asia Conference! It's 3 weeks away and I am loving the energy put into preparing for this. The office is buzzing with Conference energy! Its going to be our biggest ever and we're having Tanya Beckett - presenter of BBC World News over too :)

Oh by the way, you can eat the WHOLE thing including the logo as well ok. And then risk yourself running up the wall due to sugar high.

Monday 28 October 2013

Silly

I miss our silly times. I miss us.

Oh God, who signed up for LDR again? Him. Not me. I promise. 
He wanted to take a study break. I applied to go abroad. He stayed. I flew. Shazam!

So technically he started the idea right?
Ya la. His fault. 

Somehow this weekend felt like it was a FFADR. Far. Far. Away. Distance relationship. 
I blame the gloomy british weather. So skyping without having much to say was what made up our skype session. You know what else you shouldn't do? Skype before showering. It doesn't wake your system up and you somehow become a little bit more unaccepting with the idea of LDR. 
Because almost immediately after I took a shower, I was like what was that? and said to him "You know what, it's ok I feel better now after showering..."

He must have thought "Next time shower first please thanks", poor boy. Hahaha!
-_____________________________-

LDR is wayyyy easier after a cold shower, trust me :D

Who is the subject?



Last week was a lot of failed attempts at being the subject. Nonetheless, it was super duper fun! :)

Photos by: Evelyn, Kim

Sunday 27 October 2013

Being the subject for photography

I'm as super duper happy to finish the working week as I started it, Alhamdulillah! :):)
Had a good discussion - closing the week with Budget 2014 back in Malaysia and learning from the best colleagues on how to do stock picks. Now to have a very Malaysian weekend meeting with everyone coming down to London for the 9th World Islamic Economic Forum.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Saturday 26 October 2013

An extra hour to sleep

I've never heard anybody say LDR is easy. It's always hell or difficult or tough or don't even think about it.

More than a year now, Alhamdulillah Aiman and I have had it alright. We've had our ups and downs and we've gone through a lot of random happiness and rough patches all at the same time. I have also had a lot of people coming up to me asking how do we do it? My honest answer, I don't know.

Part of me think we understand each other too really really well, but part of me also thinks that we've become numb to the idea of LDR. So much so that even when life is indeed in the way of the relationship we both take things for granted unknowingly as it runs low on sparks. We both work long hours, so we don't really communicate on weekdays. And given that the both of us very much a work-lover, a one liner "Good morning" whatsapp daily is probably the only thing that comes in habitually.

Weekends are the 2 days when I look very much forward to, because we'd spend probably a happy hour or less on skype in between our other plans. Sometimes it's a whole week's catch up and most of the time it's just plain random catch ups about what happened at work, what happened in Malaysia, what happened in London. We're not even married yet but we're already doing our catch ups like an old married couple, with nothing exciting to add to the week's happening.

At this age, there are a lot of ambitions and dreams we're chasing for on our own - ultimately, in order to climb up those corporate ladders in each of our own fields. It's like food feeding the soul, an adrenaline driver and it's a great feeling to be laying down plans on what else to strive for. With this in the way added with time difference and distance, sometimes we tend to be carried away with life in our own time zone.

And when I thought about it, it's a little scary not knowing where the finish line is.

On that note, the daylight saving is tonight, from 7 hours, we now have 8 hours time difference. Don't forget to change your clocks guys! We have an extra hour of sleep :)

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Red Dot Photography

I can never understand how to handle the big cameras. You know one of those gigantic one you see professional photographers carry? That big. Fat. Black. Heavy. Scary. one?

 
That's one. The other thing is how to direct a good photoshoot and be all artistic with a picture. Like, where should the object be? What should be the blurred object in a photo etc. My level of good photo is probably their level of rubbish. To me, as long as it's not blurred, not pixelated, it's all good to go on Instagram. Post.
 
Since Kim is in town, we've been going around lugging the big camera with us and snapping our happy hearts away! I must say it's quite fun, especially when Kim goes all "no Alia. Like this. Bawah sikit. Atas sikit. Eh I blur la, fail. Ok, see this red dot, I should be at the red dot that blinks when you look through the lense. Omg cantik Alia, pro". Uish, once you learn the power of the red dot, there's no turning back man. You WANT to be a photographer. This girl is super talented behind the lens and infront of it. I'm probably good only behind because I'll start laughing if I'm the subject.
 
My very first time doing a photoshoot was for a friend - back when I used to have bangs and a maybe a little bit more of fats too. It was cray cray fun!
 
Photos by: Amal Aziz
 
Can't wait to share photos from the big camera here! Of course of gorgeous Kim and playful me. It takes a lot of effort if you want me to be a serious subject. Have great mid week errrbady! :)

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Maybe not

Time is what you could give someone without having the ability to take it back. And right now, I am indeed having a blast spending time with people who appreciate me most. Alternatively, time is what one would be willing to sacrifice if it gets them the attention they want, if it gives them what they long for, if it gives them the happiness that makes them forget about everything else.

When you're old enough to know that people are taking your for granted but you're not bothered only because it doesn't kill you, it's about time you take it seriously dude. Especially when it is someone else telling you that you are being taken for granted. Someone's losing the plot here.

Sunday 20 October 2013

Last week

Sometimes, you really don't need anything else. Life is swell when you love all that you already have.
What do you want in life? I've been asked. I really think I have everything I need to feel blessed and thankful and not in a complacent kinda way. 

...and just when I think I have a happy life to get through everyday, I'm being given one of the happiest weeks I have ever had my entire working life last week :)

One that would always put a smile on my face - one that was chaotic and amazing all at the same time. We had 2 IPOs and an exchangeable bond at work and every little rush is a learning process. I learned new things, I went through new challenges, I met new clients and my bosses made my week, bless them! Our Group CEO came by the London office with a corporate team, now that was a big bonus :)

I work in an office that is never short of acknowledgements nor is it short of direct comments if you don't do things right. I believe it's only the fastest way to learn anything at all in this kind of environment and I truly truly love it. We're a close knit team, have our own work space and time and at the same time we pick on each other at every free time when market calms down. Le sigh, I love every one of my team members!! Cinta! :)

Coming from a zero-equity background, I've come to love the nature of the securities world where you are exposed to a lot of live market information and having to predict how the market would move tomorrow or a day/month/year/years from now. Of course it comes with a lot of private and confidential information as well in which you've got to have really good honest work ethics in order to make the whole system function perfectly. I've no complain on that, really. 

Now and again, I'm always counting my blessings for such great working opportunities I've had since I left Uni 4 years ago. Have you ever felt that people who are happy for you and would make you feel good about yourself tends to be people who have it all? As opposed to probably one who are still working their way up, or one who wishes to to have it all.

I love my team. I love my colleagues. I love my work. *sigh* Alhamdulillah. 

Friday 18 October 2013

Wednesday 16 October 2013

Capital A

"Get in the picture"
"No. Let's be creative. You get out of the picture."
Annoying. 

Aiman finds it very annoying that I'm such a noisy bell in his ears - reminding him to always be a nice person and have good happy (Disney-like) thoughts in everything we do. Because you know, life is supposed to be all good and happy and we love everybody. The slightest negative thing he says, I'll shut him off and start babbling about something else. The more my positive alert beeps, the more he gets annoyed, the more it means that I love him.

He on the other hand shows me love by annoying the hell out of me - painting a darker version of Disney in my head. Because you know, reality's like that, not everything is perfect and happy. The more he annoys me, the more it means that he loves me.

Aih, can't get a perfect-er combination than our opposites right!! You know la what they say, opposite attracts. They forgot to add that it comes with extra tolerance level as a side.

And then we'll just get soooo geram, he'll say things like "I miss you. Next time I'll just pop your face".

Hahaha...ok you've got to admit, pop my face? hahahaha! Nasib baik LDR. "I miss you too!' and life's all good and happily ever after again.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Welcome to China

My sexy Mulan amoi has arrived! :)))
Life is swell and well! We tend to do a lot of silly things when put Alia Ishak and Kim Leow together. 
I see a lot of photoshoots around London this time around!!
I swear I was more excited for that split second when I saw the bags of Famous Amos she brought for me.

P/s: She's Malaysian chinese ah. 

Sunday 13 October 2013

Ahhh

Everything feels just perfect  and happy right now, Alhamdulillah! :)

I don't know what it is but I've been singing:
"In my heart I know, anything's possible here. Anything at all. Whatever we believe in happening, no matter big or small"

It's a Disney song btw.
Seriously, if I was a Doctor, I will never ever prescribe any drugs at all. I'll just give the patient a CD with a lot of Disney songs in it. 

Saturday 12 October 2013

Paul the Humble Octopus

Earlier this week, a Bank upgraded a company that even a normal person had no confidence in. Stock price rose - even when results clearly showed that it's not doing too healthily. And then Asian market was bearish on most mornings before it goes on to become bullish by the time market closes. You ask a person and if they go "US will not default for sure!", markets rally up. "Well anything is possible. Not impossible for US to default", and market would plunge.

Made me think, to be working as an analyst/trader, you've got to have the skills to analyze well and make a call that would potentially materialize. Also, to be able to get some sleep after making a "wrong' call. I've seen investors making decisions based on what the big firms suggest. Sometimes not even doing a background check on what they are investing in.

But who is to define what is wrong or correct? I’ve always believed that no one is right nor wrong. They’ve made a certain call because of their assumptions and no, nobody can predict the future accurately. That’s how we do valuation after all. There is nothing objective about stock prices really. In fact, it prices in the subjective value judgements of traders/analysts and no doubt these value judgements can change.

I’ve had friends who’ve come up to me and said “You bankers are liars and the ones who caused the financial crisis”. Whoa. Chill la dude. If you never believed in Bankers who run the Banks, then why don’t you put your money under the pillow and see it grow, hmm? Better still, hire Paul the Octopus as your private Banker. If we say buy also salah, sell also salah, how are we ever gonna be able to go to work? Seriously. No one forced you to invest or not, and has it never occured to you to read the disclaimer and terms and condition? There is such thing as risk. Market risk, credit risk, default risk, everything-risk. READ.

We’re humans, we can predict as best as we could given the information we have, that’s it. Whether you’re a trader, investor, analyst, lawyers, doctors, students or a guy who sleeps by the corridors…when it comes to the economic outlook, sometimes the answer to that is we simply don’t know.

And really, we should be rather more humble than we are about the limits of our knowledge :)

Friday 11 October 2013

Love

Where I am based, we only take two out of the few floors in that building. The rest of the floors are filled by other private wealth firms and banks. And as I was making my way out of office, my fellow building mate was just by the door talking to a guest. I smiled and just before I managed out the door, she proudly said to her friend:

"...and I thought gosh, you'll only truly understand the highest level of love when you look at this little human being you just gave birth to y'know. I just can't describe it"

My heart just fluffed with warmth, and somehow it kinda made my day even happier :)

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Lost in equties

You know that play place for kids filled with colourful balls? And you can just sink into them? I'm in that play plave right now. Only instead of balls, they're stocks. And with this US deadline on debt ceiling, we all know if they defaulted, the equity market is gonna take a dive into deep waters.

Conveniently, office is just a few blocks away from Harrods. So this was what happened today:

P: Have you looked at Prada?!!
Me: Yeah. 1913?
P: Huh? Is that the latest?
Me: Huh? How can it change?
P: Huh?
Me: Why you huh me?
P: What the hell is 1913?
Me: The Bloomberg ticker for Prada?
P: -_____________________-


Me:...Sorry? Next time say la bag or stock. Aiyo



Tuesday 8 October 2013

Deadlock

We were discussing about the US shutdown and it doesn't look like they're deciding on a solution anytime soon. 10 days away from the much anticipated day - when US may possibly default on their debt obligations - market looks rather anxious and a little choppy from the uncertainty.

Reading through history, this is not the first time and for the past few times that this has occurred, they have never failed to raise the debt ceiling and I don't see why they wouldn't this time around. Given that the alternative to that is a default. In a desperate case like this, it's probably best to decide on short-term goal, think later.

To be honest, the outcome is 50-50 given the situation right now. But if come next week and they do not have a decision, the only logical thing that would happen is a rise in the borrowing cost (ie: interest rate) to fund that delayed debt obligations that needs to be fulfilled. And then you start thinking, if it is really a default, Obama would be the first US President in the history to default on debt obligations. Debt obligations of world's largest economy we're talking about here. Pretty sure he wouldn't want to make it in the history books that way.

The US is still known to the outside world as the epicentre of the global banking crisis till today. To not raise the debt ceiling would mean a global calamity. To default would mean Obama will be the first US President (and I'm pretty certain he'll make sure that does not happen) and China! Let's not go there, they're the US' biggest creditor.

Whatever it is, market will be pretty anxious up till next week I guess. But to feed that anxiety, the FED minutes will be released this Thursday. Watch it, might do investors some good. That said, despite this being a US debt crisis, demand for their government bonds are still crazy high!

Monday 7 October 2013

Green Tea craving

Lately, my cravings are just insane! I tell people I don't mind eating anywhere before making the decision for everyone. So crazy that I have developed a crazy relationship with THE BEST green tea dessert! 
Look at it! 
Green tea ice cream + green tea mochi + green tea brownies + red bean paste + whipped cream!

Ooops, I forgot to mention there are granola and oats right at the bottom.
What fat? There's no fat in Japanese food. Bahaha!
Even when replying an email, I was guarding it with my whole life. No sharing.

Saturday 5 October 2013

CIMB 10th ANNUAL NORTH ASIA CONFERENCE

I remembered the first time I heard the news about CIMB wanting to buy RBS' Asia Pac units (because RBS was scaling down after receiving a government bailout), I was eyeing that opening they were offering at our then-new office to be opened in Australia.

Not knowing that today, I would be working with some of the most amazing traders in our London office instead, post RBS (cash equities and investment banking) acquisition, and I'm experiencing one of the best synergies ever. The team dynamic is just crazyyy AH-MA-ZING! :)

This CIMB-RBS decision was definitely a brilliant one!

We all know Asia plays an increasingly important role within the international investor's community. In particular, North Asia - led by its vibrant economies and internationally competitive corporates that will be a bellwether and future driver of global GDP growth. This November, we'll be bringing to London, the biggest North Asia Conference we've ever had, InsyaAllah!

My first thought: 
"I hope Samsung gives out their latest phones/gadgets as door gifts!"


CIMB 10th ANNUAL NORTH ASIA CONFERENCE
May Fair Hotel, London
21-22 November 2013

Prior to Masters, I have never had the opportunity to be involved/exposed specifically to the North Asia market. At least not on a big scale. But today, I'm being exposed to Asian markets more than I can ever imagine - being based out here in London on the Asian trading desk. Anything Asian, when held in the UK always makes me feel a little closer to home, in some weird way.

I'm really excited about this event you have no idea!! Looking at the list of companies coming, I have so much respect for the team for being able to bring over reputable companies. They've worked so hard, I just hope that I can be as amazing as them in the future! I'm just so happy I get to be involved in one of our own biggest event (post RBS merger).

Ok seriously, I really hope Samsung will come by with gadgets! :P

By the way, here's my boss trying to prepare me for the conference last week:
"LG Electronics coming to our conference. Hard to believe? Reality or Ultra Reality...find out yourself!"


They'd better not have a prank for us during the conference! Mr CEO will flip!

Thursday 3 October 2013

Temporary

As the news of El’s passing started my day today, it hit me that life is temporary. This girl has the most bubbly personality and ever so cheerful, I loved being around her and her positivity. May Allah place her amongst the best people and grant her Jannah, InsyaAllah.

Being humans, we’re sometimes so caught up in the worldly errands and dreams that we chase daily, forgetting for a moment that everything can be taken away anytime. At least I do forget sometimes. Especially when I’m in my own little happy ball at work. I forget.

Money and intelligence have become a possession that defines how powerful one is in the human world. It’s a good reminder from Him today that those are things you have to work for (in the correct manner) but aren’t things you (directly) bring to the hereafter.  

Tuesday 1 October 2013

SHUTDOWN

The United States of America is closed from 12 am till further notice.
The last time the US was closed, it happened back in 1995. It went on for 3 weeks, but clearly it had no impact whatsoever in lil Alia who was probably happily jumping about on the gymnastics floor. This time, it kept me a little awake last night, even woke Aiman up to babble about it to him. 

I believe 17th October would be a day to watch and anticipate. To think that the US would possibly default is just out of this world, so I don't doubt that arguments like what took place prior to midnight yesterday would go on for a long while, but eventually they will do a deal - even if it means raising the debt ceiling by a dollar to keep the US out of default (I'm being sarcastic btw thanks).  

I want to remember to have lived through it once, and that day is today.

Shutdown today is not too detrimental (apart from the few percentage points on US' flows). After Lehman Brothers, anything is possible - politically. October will be a month to watch and sit by the edge and I'm not saying I want more bad things to happen but it's not impossible.