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Strategies & Market Trends : Asia Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stitch who wrote (5972)	8/27/1998 10:37:00 PM
From: Yogi - Paul	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9980

Stitch, Concern for you and your family. In all seriousness, those kinds of statements really bring the Asia news home. Take very good care of yourself. Yogi

To: Stitch who wrote (5972)	8/27/1998 10:48:00 PM
From: Dayuhan	Respond to of 9980

Stitch, In terms of physical safety, I don't feel threatened at all. Filipinos are admirably skilled at separating the individual from the whole, and even during periods when resentment against Americans was high (and in many cases justified), I've never had it become personal. There was a time (after Bush's infamous we-love-Marcos speech) when I introduced myself as a Canadian, but that was only because I was tired of trying to explain. I imagine Malaysia would be a little different. Speaking some languages helps a lot. My company here sells primarily into the US and Europe, and we earn dollars, so we don't do badly. A bad slowdown in the US would hurt, possibly fatally, but in that event a move to the States might not improve things much. The biggest concern in my exit strategy is at the other end. I do not want to raise kids in an American city, and while there are places in the US where I'd love to live, I'm not sure how many economic opportunities exist there. I am holding more dollars than I otherwise would, including some in cash, just in case (just in case being always a lively possibility in this country). Not in the mattress, though. I would blush to be so obvious. In terms of an approach to affairs, I'm just trying to simplify everything as much as possible, hold a few things I think are good, pull out of everything else. Bought some rural US property out of reflex - probably a bad move, but it gives at least an illusion of security. I'm fascinated by the people on this thread who play these in-and-out currency deals, and otherwise pull profit out of this mess, but it ain't for me. I have a house in Manila, rented as I can't live there for health reasons (asthma) - good location, and it's held value well, still have decent offers. When I take one of the offers, I guess I know it's getting serious. Steve

To: Stitch who wrote (5972)	8/28/1998 3:50:00 AM
From: Michael Sphar	Respond to of 9980

On exit strategies... Back in the days when I was an active reservist I used to get my haircut more regularly. In the later years I had a regular barber who was Vietnamese. Over the years we talked a bit, and I learned some of her journey, exit strategy if you will. She was of senior political parents and of course after '75 things got rough for her and them. She worked in various positions, some sort of engineering or management. Eventually she tried the exit over water. Plenty of stories about pirates and trading money for life etc, and ended up on a small boat in the South China Sea. The skipper showed her how to find fresh water that evidently pools on top of sea water after downpour conditions, I suppose. They used this as their primary water supply for the weeks their craft wandered around the ocean looking for an oil rig. Once at the rig, transportation was arranged to a friendly country refugee center. Not Malaysia. I've seen that prison/compound just outside of KL. The one with the deadly force signs painted on it. Fresh water is important. Hope things never come anywhere near that close for you guys over there.

To: Stitch who wrote (5972)	8/28/1998 9:16:00 AM
From: Lee	Respond to of 9980

Stitch, " This all may be alarmist." Certainly not. As I have been told, the only response to uncertainty is flexibility. I remember a friend of mine, who I had visited during a period of concern for rising interest rates. They had just received the joy of their first child, and he had chosen to take the year off and spend it with the family and on his sailboat. Boat, family, job, one just had to give. While I cooed over the child she looked at my friend with great concern, "With the rising interest rates and talk of recession I am concerned. How will that effect us? Should you maybe consider a return to work?" "Nonsense," he replied, "rising interest rates are good for us." "But I remember not to long ago being concerned about falling rates, and you said that was good for us too. How can both environments be good?" "We have flexible assets, and you have a husband whose is paranoid about preserving the security of his family." Now lovingly she says, "THAT explains it. I'll just be glad I married you." Best wishes, Lee