Friday, December 5, 2008

2008 United States Property Bust (2008 戊子 Wu Zi)


Years of Turbulence (Part VII)…
Many things have happened this year. In the early part of the year, everything seems to be rosy has now turns bad.
I still remember the picture shown in Joey Yap's Good to Great in 2008 Seminar on 27 January 2008 that described the Wu Zi year. Although I can't produce the exact picture of that day, I have found something similar here to show you.
Wu Zi Pictorial Image
Motto of the year: "NOT CLEAR"
or
Expect the unexpected
The Wu Zi year is filled with many unexpected and unpredicted events and scandalous surprises. Things that you thought will happen turn out otherwise. Bewildering, startling and out of the blue are the words that can be used to describe Wu Zi year.
So what's so "NOT CLEAR" or so "Unexpected" in the Wu Zi year?

  1. Rice shortage sent the prices soaring up to 40%. In Pakistan, the price has even gone as high as 60%. A rice exporter told The Straits Times: "In my 25 years of trading, I have never seen such a bad position." Deadly riot broke out in Haiti over the rise in rice prices. Philippines went into rice rationing for fear of global rice shortage. Shocking news in deed.
  2. The stock markets around the world were at it all time high. People were riding on the euphoria of the stock markets' high and think it will go higher. The economic fundamental doesn't seem to matter. The properties in US were facing problem as early as last year. It quickly spiral into subprime mortgage crisis and financial crisis in US and other parts of Europe. As the news broke out many people are caught by surprise when the market took a dive. Somehow they are unable to see it coming. Or are they just plainly ignoring the fact?

  3. I also have my doubts. I was expecting the stock markets to come down soon as the stock markets activities have been overheated. However, when the market continued with its high early of the year I began to wonder would it ever come down.

  4. Tibetan unrest on March 2008 amidst the preparation of the Beijing Olympics. The Tibetans went into demonstration on 10 March 2008 and later on the protest became violent. The unexpected turn of events irked the Chinese Government. The Tibetan issue received wide western media coverage while the in China they try to play it down. The Chinese Government has been criticized over human right issue in Tibet as well as their way of handling the protestors. However, some of the western media reporting were misleading and cast a poor-light to the Chinese Government.

  5. On 2 May 2008, the Cyclone Nargis caused the worst natural disaster over Myanmar. 80,000 people were reported dead or maybe more. The Myanmar's Government simply stopped counting the dead to cover their inefficiency and to minimize political fallout. Relief efforts were also slow as the Myanmar's military rulers resisted aids initially.

  6. On 12 May 2008, the Great Sichuan Earthquake killed at least 69,227 people and rendered 4.8 million people homeless. China declared three days national mourning for the quake victims. The wind of change has never change faster in the media circle. From the criticism towards China Government over the Tibetan issue are now changed into praises for it efficiency and speed of sending aids to earthquake zone area. China also gained sympathies from the world from the disaster. Who would have thought that two big natural disasters will happen in such short span of time? The Cyclone Nargis and Sichuan Earthquake disasters were happened in 10 days apart.

  7. Thai coup d'etat in 2008
    Thai Coup De-tat 3 June 2008(Pictures from http://tomofthailand.wordpress.com/)

    Thai Coup De'tat Wow! so cheerful. Thai's military coup d'états or what?
The political unrest in Thailand picks up it momentum as the year go on. Things become ugly. Look at pictures from http://www.daylife.com/.

Thai Coup De'tat & Malaysia FRU
Eh! Why is our Malaysia's Police FRU doing in Thailand?? Oops! Wrong info. According to http://www.daylife.com/, the picture was taken during the FRU barricade outside the Malaysia's Parliament on 11 Dec 2007. No comments on why they were there! Personally, I don't know why too…

Josephine

2 comments:

Chris Chan said...

Bkt Antarabangsa strategy...so typical Wu Zi catasrophe!

Chris Chan said...

tragedy I mean...too much worrying abt my business...and what strategy to use.:-)