Posted 10:27 PM by Andy
Serenity envelopes the office on this Christmas day so let me jot some quick notes.

Work. The last week has been exhilarating in the pace and extent of changes introduced. In the months leading up to the announcements, rumors have swirled about various buyout scenarios involving eBay China. Last Wednesday exec staff announced the merger of Tom Online and us to form a joint venture. Our existing site will be trimmed down to only support cross-border trade. The JV is tasked with the mission to create a local site tailored to Chinese consumer tastes and preferences. From an HR perspective, most of the folks will be invited to join one of the two new organizations, either CBT or the JV. Due to the pending establishment of the new entity, we will receive a severance package from eBay equal to (N+1) months of salary with N being the number of years at the firm. Then we will receive an offer from the JV with a sign-on bonus, base pay of 1.5 times our salary, and bonuses when we reach certain milestones. The net effect will essentially be to double my current compensation. Some of my colleagues are wary of the changes and concerned about our ability to build a working site in six months, but the worst-case scenario is earning my annual salary in 6 months with the option to stay or bolt at that time. Our CTO made the same pitch himself when he said, “Frankly, I can't guarantee you the venture will be a success, but we are giving you the money and time to look at other prospects if you choose to do so.” I've been on a high since confirming the merger. There is a Chinese proverb loosely translated as “Heroes will emerge out of chaos.” I'm not saying any one of us can save this franchise alone, but I'm very optimistic about our chances since we are now unshackled from headquarters. I'm also thankful that after years of famine, I'm about to start feasting in a sense. From 2003-2005, my total intake was a pittance with grad school and SMIC wages. I will reap that in a month at the end of January with all the bonuses. Vince Carter is in a contract year, so he has been playing above his historical level. Iverson can sit out for weeks while 28 of 30 NBA teams vie for his services because he is that good. My life has been an ongoing audition for the next job or opportunity with the current one. Sometimes there were doubts along the way, but I'm glad God vindicated me and trust He will continue to pave my path.

Friendship. A strong friendship is difficult to establish and needs to be maintained by both parties. If there is an unequal value placed on the friendship, one side will be disappointed and the bond will not last. Despite my most sincere efforts, some people are very elusive to the point that I only see them once every few months. Naturally, this cannot be coerced or manufactured. I appreciate the people who are easy to be friends with due to their understanding nature. Looking back, I've befriended some diverse folks with diametrically polar worldviews. In high school, Eric H was a good-natured guy who later became a youth pastor. Eric L was a anti-Establishment atheist who became a geneticist. I watched movies with the first Eric and battled the second Eric in ping-pong and considered both to be close friends. The second odd couple was John W and Allen C. John left home at 16 and started partying. Allen C was younger by 3 years but later became the godfather of a southern California Chinese gang. John dominated the Street Fighter scene in LA and raced cars on the weekends. Allen became what he was later because one day he decided to be hard at age 13. I kicked it with John through high school and always beat him in bball while he toasted me in video games. John was caught bad-mouthing Allen in K-town and was jumped by a posse of Allen's boys. Ten years later I was drinking with Allen and he told me about the bad blood between them. Allen is lucky to be alive and not incarcerated for the shady deals he masterminded. I consider both to be cool guys that I would roll with. In college, I met 2 different types of guys in fellowship. Andy H was a rich fob who loved Chinese pop and drove a beemer. Tony was a straight-laced fiery leader. You cannot find two guys with more diverse temperaments and outlooks on life. I loved them both. Frank L was another straight-laced guy who enjoyed reading Calvin's systematic theology tomes. Jason was a worldly and shrewd man who had a knack of conversing about any topic. I would consult Frank about theological issues and discuss business and political topics with Jason. Post-college, during my time in SF, I lived with two Koreans. Andrew L is an encouraging and all-around nice guy. Paul L is a different kind of animal, with deep intellectual curiosity and a fiery love. I loved chilling with Andrew while Paul sharpened me with his criticisms. It was natural to love Andrew. Paul compelled me to love him through his will but I'm glad for it. In Shanghai two of my buddies are complete contrasts in character. Jeff K is reserved and sincere and seems mature beyond his years. Rob is gregarious and charming and a bit of a player. Jeff would be very cautious in his approach to anything and never overstates his chances of success. Rob gets excited about every new girl he dates and regales me with descriptions of how hot the current one is. I like to hang out with both of them.