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Economics - game theory guru - Roger Myerson 2007-06-13 06:10:00 Game theory is a tool used to understand decisions made in situations involving several players. These situations range from wars to family relationships, from president election to bargaining in the black market. Businesses also use game theory to make strategic decisionsOne guru on game theory is Roger
Myerson. He is a professor at the University of Chicago. I find the following pages on his website interesting- Academic papers marrying public policy and political decision-making with economics- Excel add-ins that add statistical functions for Monte Carlo simulation and risk analysis. His tools supplement Excel's weakness in probabilistic calculations. The add-ins allow users to generate Poisson, beta, gamma and log-normal distributions, as well as some other analytical features- Syllabus of graduate-level economics classes at the University of Chicago. Here I got a chance to learn what the teach in one of the world's best school of economics- Roger Myerson's Curriculum vitae Read more:Economics
Speed up travel at Kuwait Airport - Hala Services 2007-06-09 17:01:00 One of the most frustrating things that can happen to travelers is delay at the airport. The issue has been particularly serious in Kuwait for arriving visitors who're non-GCC Nationals. There have been times when I had to wait more than 2 hours at the airport before being allowed to enter the country. So I decide to find out and share some tips to help other people save time. Hope this is useful for youThe problem - lengthy visa procedure at Kuwait International AirportKuwait has a visa process that is restrictive by international standard. Every non-GCC visitor has to apply for visa in advance before entering Kuwait. In 2004, the Ministry of Interior has adopted a policy to open up its borders. Nationals of the following countries can apply for visa at the airportUSA. UK. France. Italy. Germany. Canada. Australia. New Zealand. Japan. The Netherlands. Belgium. Luxembourg. Switzerland. Austria. Sweden. Norway. Denmark. Portugal. Ireland. Greece. Read more:Speed
, Services
Learning Arabic online 2007-06-04 12:00:00 To me, Arabic
is a language that's fun to learn. I've recently started learning it, and discovered many free resources online
that teach Arabic to foreigners. Here are a few. I recommend Madinah Arabic, but that is just my personal preference. Other sites may suit your need better. I hope you enjoy it too!Madinah ArabicComprehensive site that offers 2 free courses, Arabic Reading Course and Arabic Language Course. Arabic Reading Course aims to help you learn the Arabic script, before learning the language itself. It suits me best because I want to learn reading, writing, speaking and listening. Also native Arabic speakers said that it's much easier to learn conversational skills if I can read the scriptGulf ArabicIt teaches the Arabic dialect spoken by people in Gulf countries, i.e. UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Southern part of Iraq. The whole website is in Roman (English) characters. Therefore, even if you don't want to learn Arabic script, you can still learn Read more:Learning
World's tallest architectual structures - Taipei now, Dubai later 2007-05-29 23:48:00 The tallest building in the the world, a title widely coveted, is being claimed by 3 cities, namelyKuala Lumpur Petronas TowersChicago Sears TowerTaipei
Taipei 101On measuring the height of a building, various definitions exist. Depending on which one you use, the answer is different1. Height to the structural or architectural top (including spires and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles). Taipei 1012. Height to the highest occupied floor. Taipei 1013. Height to the top of the roof. Taipei 1014. Height to the top of antenna. Sears TowersBut Taipei 101 will not hold its record for too long. In Dubai
, a structure is going to surpass all previous records, and can claim to be the tallest building in the world, without any doubt. It is still under construction. When completed, it will be about 800 meters tall with 160 floors. As of now, it is already one of the 5 tallest buildings in the world, set to climb up the ladder as construction goes on. Every time I drive by th Read more:World
, later
Kuwait's oil dependency 2007-05-28 11:39:00 Kuwait is a major oil exporting country, and it's economy is highly dependent on the oil sector.Here is a piece of interesting statistic that I'd like to share. Below is a list of the 10 largest industrial and service sectors in Kuwait, and their contribution to GDP. Oil is the largest sector, bigger than all the 9 other top 10 sectors combinedWhile the economy is booming now due to high oil price, this situation should not be taken for granted. If oil price plummets, the economy will face big problems. It should diversity its economy away from oil to better react to oil price fluctuationsGDP contribution from each sector2005 figures, in USD millions1. Energy, Mining and Quarrying (24)2. Public Administration, Sanitary and Personal Services (8)3. Business Services (3)4. Real Estate & Dwelling (2)5. Petroleum Refineries (2)6. Financial Institutions (2)7. Retail Trade (2)8. Wholesale Trade (1)9. Communications (1)10. Transportation & Storage (1)The da Read more:dependency
2 related stories - An Autumn's Tale (秋天的童話) and Daniel Fung (馮華健) 2007-05-23 15:16:00 Life is full of surprise. At one of the Jumeirah hotels in Dubai, I randomly bumped into Daniel
Fung (馮華健). He was with some African delegation thenDaniel is quite an influencial person in Hong Kong. A few years ago, he was narrowly passed over for the Secretary of Justice, now belongs to Mr. Wong Yan-lun. He is now head of the Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority, the city's regulator of mass media. Apparently Daniel is not a fan of pop culture. Recently, he ruled against broadcasting one of my favorite movies, An Autumn
's Tale, or Chou Tin Dik Tong Wah (秋天的童話, or 流氓大亨), in fullAn Autumn's Tale is a classic in 1987, starring Chow Yun-fat (周潤發) and Cherie Chung (鍾楚紅). It tells a lot about how life used to be in New York's Chinatown. The script was so well-written that some phrases are still well remembered among people in Hong Kong. No wonder Daniel's decision has triggered much public outrageHere are some phrases that resonate among people in Hong Read more:related
Flight timetable software 2007-05-22 14:04:00 For frequent fliers, finding the best route is a constant headache. People always want to find flights thatMeet their time schedule- For those who travel during the week, flights departing 7 - 9pm are the best. Then you can work the whole day in one city, travel to another and start the next dayHave the least number of stops, or ideally, non-stopHave the best timed connections- You don't want to wait in Heathrow for 8 hours for your connecting flight. Examples of well-timed connection are flights from Taipei to Shanghai, via Jeju Island. Barring direct flights, this is the shortest route between Taiwan and Mainland China, with travel time just ~4 hoursThese are some tools that help you plan your trips. Using these programs, you can look at flights and find the route that best fits your need. An handy feature of these programs is that you can use them on the go, without the Internet. The timetables are downloaded automatically when you're online, and are stored in your computer. They Read more:Flight
Volunteering for Beijing Olympics 2007-05-21 01:46:00 Beijing Olympics
is coming in a year's time. There's one way to see your favorite sports star, free of charge! (This is not scam) The way is to become volunteerApplications are open to Chinese living inside and outside China, Taiwanese, and foreigners. Many types of positions are available, so you can either apply the skills learnt in your normal job in the Olympics, or acquire a new skill via volunteeringDeadline for applications will be March 2008. But don't miss the opportunity - so apply early!The official website isn't a one-stop shop. People from different regions have to apply differently. Here's a brief guidance on where you should go, depending on where you are. Hope it helps!Applicants from Taiwan: www.bjtx.orgApplicants from HK: www.hab.gov.hkApplicants from Macau: www.sport.gov.moOverseas Chinese: http://www.bjqb.gov.cnNon-Chinese volunteers: www.ebeijing.gov.cnMore information about Beijing OlympicsSite for volunteers of Beijing OlympicsBeijing Olympics official websi Read more:Beijing
American soliders in Iraq - mental health survey 2007-05-19 17:18:00 The Pentagon has released a report on the mental
health of American
soldiers in Iraq
. The results are worrying. My read on its findingsFactors affecting soldiers' mental health, pretty logical, no surprise1. Soldiers are more likely to have mental problems the longer they stay in Iraq2. If they are actually engaged in combat, they get significantly higher stress levels3. Marines and soldiers suffer equally (dismissing claims by many that marines are better, tougher fighters)Soldiers' attitude towards treating non-combatants, reflecting their status of mental health. Alarming!1. 41% of soldiers and 44% of marines believed that torture should be permitted if it would save the life of a fellow soldier or marine2. 36% of soldiers and 39% of marines said torture should be allowed to extract important information about Iraqi insurgents3. 47% of soldiers and 38% of marines felt that non-combatants should be treated with dignity and respect, as required by the Geneva ConventionsWhile acknowl
Kuwait airport satisfaction, or dis-satisfaction? 2007-05-19 16:23:00 I have always had bad experience with Kuwait International Airport. Lately I've spent many hours just waiting for visa to be issued. They employ a lot of people, but they don't seem to care about passengers. Rather, they just play with their phones, smoke, make fun of each others, in front of many disgruntled customers! The tip from me is to always have visas pre-arranged before you reach Kuwait soil. That'd save you 2 hours PER TRIP!To contribute to the world's body of knowledge on airport
satisfaction, or share some of your dissatisfactions with your fellow travelers, feel free to fill in this surveyAlternatively, if you are impressed by the service that an airport has offered, you can nominate your airport of choice for the World Airport Award. In the past, the winners have been Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai. Coincidentally, all of them used to be British colonies. If only Heathrow can match them in terms of waiting time, I'll be 10 times happier
Old consulting joke 2007-05-16 15:29:00 This is an ever-green joke that has been circulated among the email joke community for a long time, and I receive it again today. For the guys who laugh at it, I'm glad you understand the similarity between the two occupations. They are both showbizAre you a prostitute or a consultant?You work very odd hours.You are paid a lot of money to keep your client happy.You are paid well but your pimp gets most of the money.You spend a majority of your time in a hotel room.You charge by the hour but your time can be extended for the right price.You are not proud of what you do.Creating fantasies for your clients is rewarded.It's difficult to have a family.You have no job satisfaction.If a client beats you up, the pimp just sends you to another client.You are embarrassed to tell people what you do for a living.People ask you, "What do you do?" and you can't explain it.Your family hardly recognizes you at reunions (at least the reunions you attend.)Your friends have distanced themselves from y
Kuwaiti and Croatian friends 2007-05-16 06:05:00 I'm extremely delighted to be able to spend time with two fine gentlemen, a Kuwaiti (Mr. K) and a Croatian
(Mr. C). Because of them, I truely feel how fortunate I have been. Both of them have experienced wars first-hand. Mr. K with the First Gulf War and Mr. C with the Yogoslavian war in the early 90'sOne of the conversations with Mr. K goes like thisMe: What do you think about the US?Mr. K: Well, I can't say that I agree with the US foreign policy. But I have to be thankful to them. Without America, there's no Kuwaiti. By the way, our security depends on the US now. So we are friendsMe: Do you feel happy being a friend of the US?Mr. K: I know their intentions. They didn't help us because they really love Kuwaitis. But I was in Kuwait City during the whole duration of Iraqi occupation. Life was tough. When the Iraqis retreated, they took everyone they could see hostage. No matter how evil their intentions are, the outcome is that the US saved usMe: Do you like to continue working
Triggers of development - Buj Al Arab in Dubai 2007-05-15 10:17:00 Although the fate of cities often may depend more on luck than meticulous planning, Governments often try to spearhead development by launching grand projects. Officials are perhaps inspired by the few success stories, and the glory that come with themOne rare success story is the Buj Al Arab hotel in Dubai
Before the hotel, Dubai was a small town in the Gulf. Without much oil, it was economically and politically unimportant than UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi. Completion of Buj Al Arab has marked Dubai's transformation to a vibrant international city. Overnight, people have started flocking in. It gives hope, showing that nothing is impossible, if you have a dream. So the Dubai dream has attracted many international talents to work there. The city then enters a virtuous cycle. Everyday, new buildings are added and new grand schemes announced. It's now one of the most dynamic cities to be inArchitectually, the hotel is a masterpiece. It combines Dubai's tradition, sailing, fishery and pea Read more:Triggers
Team room culture - long hours, low satisfaction 2007-05-13 14:50:00 There is one thing I absolutely hate about today's working environment. On projects, I sometimes work in the so-called "team rooms"These creatures are usually 10 feet x 10 feet rooms without windows (although sometimes smaller), originally designed as storage. They have found another use - to host unwelcomed guests. Working conditions can be compared with those experienced by child laborers at the start of the industrial revolution. Usually 5 people cram into those boxes and labor for 16 hours a dayThey make my life less pleasant than they should be, and make my workdays 3 hours longer, on average. In my opinion, they are special structures designed to humiliate every worker, except for the manager. Managers like team rooms, because they can keep annoying each person, and shout to them whenever they wantA much better setting is separate desks for work, and rooms designed for meetings only. That'd allow much better concentration and employees can work at their own place. After all, Th Read more:culture
City design in East Asia vs. the Middle East 2007-05-13 14:49:00 Having spent many years in East Asia
, cities in the Gulf are amazing to me. Highways are everywhere, everybody drives, the poorer people take taxis. I still miss being able to walk across the street and buy groceries, travel to work by subway, and going to remote tours by trainDensity in Gulf cities are a lot lower than in Asia. You'll quickly notice this when looking at Google Earth, even without the help of official statistics. Zoom to the same scale, say, 5000 feet. East Asian cities like Tokyo, Singapore, and Taipei are full of buildings. In Doha, Kuwait City, and Abu Dhabi, it's a yellow background punctuated by houses and grey highwaysThis means- Gulf residents have to own cars to meet their daily needs- The poor, elderly and disabled are more disadvantaged because they're unable to drive or afford a car- More roads are needed to move the same number of peopleEven though oil is cheap for them, perhaps the heads of the Dubais should think about more compact city design
, so thei
Vietnam economic development 2007-05-13 10:47:00 From the Economist magazine, I learnt about an opportunity to do meaningful work in Vietnam
, Laos and Cambodia. Some donor governments have set up an agency to develop economies in the so-called Indochina region. They need a team of people from overseas to kick start the projectTo me, it's an exciting opportunity. The Indonchina region has so far bypassed the economic miracle enjoyed by other Southeast Asian countries. They have lots of natural resources and a young labor force. Right now, they're a big exporter of drugs and prostitutesTheir people deserve better
Security in Iraq - opportunity for Kuwait? 2007-05-11 02:40:00 Recently, I've heard comments that Kuwait is well positioned to become a major logistics hub in the Middle East. This is because Kuwait can serve as a gateway connecting Iraq
and the world for imports and exports. Sounds like the Singapore-Malaysia and Hong Kong-China relationships in the past. But is it realistic?Some logistics companies on the ground say it's difficult, as it's still dangerous to transport goods in Iraq. Some of their drivers, who were brave enough to transport supplies into Iraq, got kidnapped on the way. Their bosses had to pay ransoms. Now who wants to be the drivers if he may be kidnapped?Sounds like until Iraq's security situation improves, Kuwait's role as a logistics hub remains limited
United Arab Emirates (UAE) / Dubai Internet censorship 2007-05-10 14:05:00 Despite all the fun we have in Dubai
, there's one thing in common that most people are annoyed by - Internet
censorshipIf you travel to the United
Arab Emirates
, you'd probably find that some of the sites you like suddenly go down. In fact, the dominant ISP, Etisalat, use proxy server blocks certain websites that they deem inappropriate to be viewed. An exact account of what sites they block is not publicly available, but hearsays suggest sites are blocked for the following reasons1. Political- Sites related to Israel or Jihadism- Terrist organizations- Sites on how to bypass censorship2. Social- Homosexual behavior, e.g. the Gay and Lesbian Arabic Society- Online casinos- Pornography- Certain online dating websites3. Economical- Internet phone services such as Skype. As Etisalat is also the incumbant telecom operator in the UAE, things that can put its revenues at risk are bannedA site called hrw.org contains more information on censorship in the UAEWhenever there's censorship, th
Frequent Flyer Program - 2 2007-05-10 04:18:00 1. Enrol in EXACTLY 3 frequent flyer programs, no more, no lessRationale for doing itThere are 3 global airline alliances, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and OneWorld. They cover most of the routes in the world. If you choose 3 airlines and each belong to one of the alliances, you can travel anywhere with mileage pocketedProblem if you don't do itSome people take flights that don't fit their schedule well just to earn miles in their preferred airlines. One of my friends, who's a Cathay Pacific member, picked a flight very early in the morning just for the Miles. Enroling in 3 programs avoids this unncessary compromise. If he is also a Singapore Airline member, he could have gotten a much better schedule between Singapore and Hong KongExmaple of how this is done - Hong Kong as base city, with lots of traveling (>50 sectors a year) within Asia and moderate traveling (10 - 20 sectors a year) outside AsiaPreferred options depending on your routing. They should be complimentary, so if you have Read more:Flyer
, Program
Frequent Flyer Program - 1 2007-05-09 13:13:00 Many people I know are heavy travelers who take 20 - 200 trips a year. Yet they haven't found out how to utilize their frequent flyer programs to their maximum potential. Here're some tips I've learnt1. Enrol in EXACTLY 3 frequent flyer programs, no more, no less2. Bank your miles in 1 program unless you have to split them3. Always check prices before redeeming your miles
Read more:Flyer
, Program
Alcohol in Kuwait 2007-05-09 02:03:00 In some Muslim countries, it is illegal to drink Kuwait is one example. But as with many other restrictions, people can always find ways to circumvent them. Here's one scene that I've observedAt the Dubai airport, there are shops selling pocket-sized spirits. People would buy them, and slip them into their suit's inner pockets. The medal detector do not detect liquids, so they can pass through Dubai security safely. At Kuwait arrival, customs search people's luggage, not their jackets. Here you go - a small bottle of spirit has been transported into KuwaitHidden inside
Read more:Alcohol
Google Analytics 2007-05-08 09:04:00 Testing GoogleAnalytics
. Sounds like a powerful tool that tracks a lot of information. It reports who visit your website at what time. Here's a page that shows how you can set up the tool. It's handy
Read more:Google Analytics
Silk Road revisited 2007-05-08 09:00:00 More than 1,000 years ago, merchants marched through nations in the Euope-Asia continent. Silk Road brief explanationNow, my journey has begun to experience a bit of this. It's much more comfortable - travelling by planes instead of camels and staying in hotels instead of tents. Still, the excitment and bewilderness are immense
Playing with word combinations - Anagrams 2007-06-21 18:01:00 I've always struggle in word games like scrabble, because I only know a limited number of words. At school, I once played a word game called Anagrams. It required me to rearrange a word to form other words. For example, the word "Arts" can be rearranged as- Tars- Rats- Star- TsarLately I've come across a few websites that automatically solve this type of word game . They give me a relaxed way to learn new words. I can type some words that I am curious about, and boom! In a split second, a list of words with the same letters arranged differently, come up. Here are some words that I find interestingly sarcastic (although politically incorrect)Japan's rime minister- Shinzo Abe -> Sob in HazeTaiwan's president- Chen Shui-Bien -> Nice Bush in heKorean actress who once had an affair with a Hong Kong singer- Kim Hee Sun -> I sue HK menThe world's hybrid car- The Toyota Prius -> Oh, auto is pretty! -> Ahoy! ProstituteThe intertwined relationship between 3 celebrities in Taiwan- Jay Chou, Read more:combinations
Getting around in Kuwait - by Taxi 2007-06-19 17:01:00 A typical taxi-cabThe most common form of transportation in Kuwait is by private car. But if you don't drive, or don't want to look bad driving a Toyota next to your friend's BMW, taxis are the only viable alternative. Buses are infrequent, slow, and the routes they go are very limited. Usually only blue-collar expatriate workers take themHere are some tips that may help you improve your experience with Kuwaiti taxis1. Call taxi (241-3414) instead of waiting for street cabsWhen I am in Kuwait City, this is the number that I call the most: 241-3414. It is the phone number of one of the larger taxi companies. It is probably the most important number for visitors. I use them for the following reasons- After you call, they usually come pick you up within 5 minutes- Cabs are coordinated centrally and are connected to a radio system. They have some English-speaking operators in their call centers. So when I want to go somewhere, as long as I have the address, the driver will find a way to
Babel and Lost in Translation - machine translation 2007-06-23 08:38:00 Thoughts on cultural gapsPosters of the movies Babel
Communication breakdown is a big challenge for human society. They are illustrated vividly by the tragic scenes of the movie Babel. Cultural similarity can also bring seemingly unrelated people together, especially when they cannot blend in to a different culture. Lost in Translation gives this a somewhat romantic touch. The more common variations are the social groups and online forums for Western expatriates in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Also worth mentioning are the Japanese associations and China towns in major citiesPoster of the movie Lost in TranslationThere have long been dreams that technology can bridge this gap, enabling everybody to communicate with others from different culturesExperiment using technology to bridge language gapsI tried to use online machine translation tools to translate phrases from English to other languages, and see what comes back. I recommend a website, Babelize, that makes this really easy an
Speed reading tools - dealing with information overload 2007-06-28 08:14:14 The world has changed - from too little information
to too much information
In the past, professionals and business people always complained about the lack of data to help them make sound decisions. Nowadays, with the advent of the Internet, people complain that too much information exists and they don’t have enough time to find the right information and digest it. There are 2 challenges in acquiring information
To focus on the best information sources available and ignore inferior ones (quality)
Once you have found the best information, to absorb more information using less time (quantity)
I want to share some tips to overcome the 2nd challenge. It’s actionable and you will see significant results within an hour, perhaps a 100% improvement in productivity
The limit of human beings - luckily our brains is not the limit
Human being can only read at certain speed. In today’s age of information overload
, how can we "get up to speed" to absorb more and more i Read more:Speed
Babel and Lost in Translation - machine translation 2007-06-23 08:38:00 Thoughts on cultural gaps
Posters of the movies Babel
Communication breakdown is a big challenge for human society. They are illustrated vividly by the tragic scenes of the movie Babel. Cultural similarity can also bring seemingly unrelated people together, especially when they cannot blend in to a different culture. Lost in Translation gives this a somewhat romantic touch. The more common variations are the social groups and online forums for Western expatriates in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Also worth mentioning are the Japanese associations and China towns in major cities
There have long been dreams that technology can bridge this gap, enabling everybody to communicate with others from different cultures
Poster of the movie Lost in Translation
Experiment using technology to bridge language gaps
I tried to use online machine translation tools to translate phrases from English to other languages, and see what comes back. I recommend a website, Babelize, that makes this really
Playing with word combinations - Anagrams 2007-06-21 18:01:00 I’ve always struggle in word games like scrabble, because I only know a limited number of words. At school, I once played a word game called Anagrams. It required me to rearrange a word to form other words. For example, the word “Arts” can be rearranged as
- Tars
- Rats
- Star
- Tsar
Lately I’ve come across a few websites that automatically solve this type of word game . They give me a relaxed way to learn new words. I can type some words that I am curious about, and boom! In a split second, a list of words with the same letters arranged differently, come up. Here are some words that I find interestingly sarcastic (although politically incorrect)
Japan’s prime minister
- Shinzo Abe -> Sob in Haze
Taiwan’s president
- Chen Shui-Bien -> Nice Bush in he
Korean actress who once had an affair with a Hong Kong singer
- Kim Hee Sun -> I sue HK men
The world’s hybrid car
- The Toyota Prius -> Oh, auto is pretty! -> Ahoy! Prostitute
The Read more:combinations
Getting around in Kuwait - by Taxi 2007-06-19 17:01:00 A typical taxi-cab
The most common form of transportation in Kuwait is by private car. But if you don’t drive, or don’t want to look bad driving a Toyota next to your friend’s BMW, taxis are the only viable alternative. Buses are infrequent, slow, and the routes they go are very limited. Usually only blue-collar expatriate workers take them
Here are some tips that may help you improve your experience with Kuwaiti taxis
1. Call taxi (241-3414) instead of waiting for street cabsWhen I am in Kuwait City, this is the number that I call the most: 241-3414. It is the phone number of one of the larger taxi companies. It is probably the most important number for visitors. I use them for the following reasons- After you call, they usually come pick you up within 5 minutes- Cabs are coordinated centrally and are connected to a radio system. They have some English-speaking operators in their call centers. So when I want to go somewhere, as long as I have the address, the driver
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