Taylor Reading List for Sep 2010 to Dec 2010

1. Airmail to the Moon
2. The Dangerous Book for Boys
3. Bicycle Man (by Allen Say)

Tracy 2010 Goals

This list was originally created in an email dated Jan 1, 2010:

1. promise to be nicer to people
2. promise to go to bed 15 minutes earlier than last year 10:15

3. promise to do my Chinese homework because I did not do all

4. promise to keep a record of money I get and money I spend

5. promise to spend less time on tv and wii and computer, more time reading and playing with Taylor, coaching him mindstorm nxt

6. promise to pray before meals in Chinese

7. promise to take a shower at least twice a week

8. I will not fight with Taylor more than once a week

9. tbd

Re-thinking RRSP strategy

Currently I have about $29K in XIC.to (TSX Capped Index ETF) and $23K in XMA.to (TSX Material ETF).

Material ETF is probably too risky in the long run, but on the plus side, it is a play on the economic boom in China and India.

Another option is to move 50% of the Material ETF, or $12K, to one of the following mutual funds:

1. TD Monthly Income - ITDB622 10 year annualized return of 9%, exp ratio of 1.4%.
2. PH&N Total Return Bond DPHN340


See https://webbrokercpo.tdwaterhouse.ca/InfositeTransferIn?Greeting=+&Language=E&SessionHost=https%3A%2F%2Fwebbrokercpo.tdwaterhouse.ca%2F&RequestedPage=WMR&Topic=&QuickLinks=WBL!WTR!WMR&ServerID=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tdcanadatrust.com%2F%2Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.tdwaterhouse.ca%2F&QuickQuote=&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tdwaterhouse.ca%2Fservlet%2Fcom.td.infosite.servlet.InfositeServlet

Trip to my Home Town: Longquan Township in Chengdu

Yesterday my wife Shuyi and I visited Longquan township.
The primary purpose was to take care of my father's retirement account, in care of Mr. Zhao Youngzhi and his wife, Auntie Wei.

The last trip to Longquan I took was 2006. This time, a lot has changed.

A few observations are as follows:
1. There are now at least one ring road around Longquan.
2. Within Longquan, there are more than one local buses.
3. Bus to downtown Chengdu ends 8:00pm and costs YMB $2. It is too early in my mind. For example, we had to take a taxi, YMB $60 at 8:30pm.

Sunday Aug 29 Weekly Planning

I am vacationing in Taipei for a week now. Left Seattle Sat. Aug 21, to come here via LAX.

On first day in Taipei, I took the kids to Page-1 bookstore in Taipei-101. There I read some books and bought two. Key take-away was: it is good for the long run to be critical of my kids. Let them fail early and learn to re-group.

The next day we went to I-Nan, 南方澳, for sea food and cold-spring baths.

Starting Thursday, I began to feel sick, because of the hot and humid weather. The worst part is sleeping under the fan all night. The uneven temperatures caused me running nose, sour throat and headaches.

On Friday, Shuyi suggested that I work during the day at the Taipei QCT office. I needed to use the printer and the scanner in the office for some financial documents that Jean Kao asked for, so I went there.

The QCT office is next to Taipei 101, no the 21st floor.

His hope lay in his own defeat

Today's Tozer Devotion is very much worth sharing with my friend:



His hope lay in his own defeat. This he did not know at the setting of day, but had learned before the rising of the sun. All night he resisted God until in kindness God touched the hollow of his thigh and won the victory over him. It was only after he had gone down to humiliating defeat that he began to feel the joy of release from his own evil strength, the delight of God's conquest over him. Then he cried aloud for the blessing and refused to let go till it came. It had been a long fight, but for God (and for reasons known only to Him) Jacob had been worth the effort. Now he became another man, the stubborn and self-willed rebel was turned into a meek and dignified friend of God. He had "prevailed" indeed, but through weakness, not through strength.

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary

This is the kind of cabin we spent honeymoon at.

What reminds me also? Tozer's words: We need to have taken from our dying hand the shadow scepter with which we fancy we rule the world.

I sent the following to a friend:

Today's devotion from Wisdom For Today 8/15 is just what you and I talked about, regarding your new work project.

I summarize below.

When you face uncertainty or frightening situations, remind yourself to:

1. Pray. Prayer changes things. Sometimes, the thing that needs changing the most is our attitude. Prayer also gives us the strength to endure a trial and the capacity to accept it.
2. Reason. Realize that God loves you supremely and is working out His eternal plan in your life. His plan may bring temporary pain, but it will also bring eternal good.
3. Thirdly, commit. "Have Your way, Lord. Use my life to bring glory to Your name.".