Posted 12:48 AM by Andy
The more things change, the more they stay the same, a.k.a. my life. Nevertheless, here are some highlights from the most recent six weeks.

Work. Work has become extremely tedious as of late with a major platform release deadline looming. Our code is riddled with bugs and migration of key user data has started. I dream of alternative scenarios where I can engage my talents like trading futures contracts or doing some independent consulting, but alas, I cannot be mad at the paycheck. Making money is both easy and difficult. Corporate life is a grind, with meetings and emails and conference calls with remote staff sapping whatever traces of enthusiasm remain. On the other hand, taking profits during a bull market is a cinch. The Shanghai composite index is in full bubble mode, with elderlies gambling their retirement funds on non-transparent A-shares. I participate in the other casino known as the Nasdaq. So far this year, I've cashed in my position in my former employer ADSK at nearly an aggregate 4X multiple and am creating a position in INFY. My stake in AAPL is up 40% in 4 months. I also have a sizeable stake in FMCN, up 15% in a month. Every few months I methodically transfer my hard-earned RMB into the US as I troll the technology markets for good value.

Play. Xiamen was a relaxing getaway during the May holidays. The best parts of the town are the beach areas and the mild weather was a welcome refresher. On day one we checked out the island called Gulangyu. On day two, we biked along the beach with the ocean breeze comforting us. We also tried out an outdoor hot-springs resort. There were many different flavored pools for us to dip in like coffee and oolong tea, with the most interesting one being a fish pond. Sherry, Betty, and I sat in tickled delight as the fishes bit at us from all angles. Earlier I had visited Beijing on business and saw a couple friends. James H has a family now so that was a trip seeing his son reciting Chinese Bible verses. I met up with Jennifer M at a BICF outreach event. It was cool to talk to her and see the formation of more ventures to connect people in the capital. Recently my boy Jason C visited Asia for the first time. We went out 6 of the 7 nights he was here. It was really cool to show him my world and hang with a few others during his visit like Josh, future diplomat with State, and Len. Another Jason C also relocated here so I'm sure I'll be seeing him around the city. After J left, I promptly fell sick. I played poker once in the last few weeks against some French guys. I doubled my buy-in of 100 kuai by coming in third in the tournament. Again, this attests to my previous assertion that making money is hard work. I still play ball every week. The last run against some new expat guys featured me showcasing an all-around game. Later I found out Jeff discussed my game with the other guys on the sideline when I was playing and they compared me to Tayshaun Prince due to my lanky frame. I prefer Scottie Pippen. I've restarted my work-out regimen (lift twice a week for strength, swim once or twice for conditioning, dance once for fun). I also just moved into a new apartment complex a few blocks away from my old pad. My housemate is a Swiss dude who publishes travel guides. We have a nearly full-time ayi so I eat many meals at home now. Two girls I met that I want to hang out with more are Annabelle and Lucky. I danced with Annabelle once and found out she's from Toronto with a British accent. Lucky is a college student at Fudan that I met through Matt L. She claims she's a baller. I'm going to scope out her game sometime. NBA playoffs were predictably boring as the Spurs dominated the field. LeBron is not Jordan, but he can hope to become the next Magic.