France

[chialc88]

每一次我走近 总是那么悄悄地 不敢使你讶异 让你发觉自己是幻影
每一次我唤你 总是那么细细地 不让寂寞听到 嘲笑我用温柔的声音

每一次我离去 总是那么轻轻地 不敢将你惊醒 让你发觉醒在我梦里
每一次我等你 总是那么静静地 不让光阴知道 安慰我用无言的嘘息

一个一个想你的日子 砌成一栋孤单的房子
我在上楼下楼开门关门 翻着抽屉寻着你名字
一个一个想你的日子 从你回眸而去那天开始
我的日记写成诗 诗的背后寻到你名字

想着你的感觉 有如雨的缠绵 淋湿我的岁月 而我却依然不知不觉
想着你的感觉 有如风的缱绻 吹乱我的日夜 吹也吹不走你的容颜

一路走好 - 颜黎明

---

Human origin:
- 20,000 painting discovered by 3 kids playing in a cave@Pech Merle.


Look at how clever is the cave man drawing the head of a horse along a natural crafted stone.
Amazing, right? 
20,000 years ago.

[chialc88]

While visiting Pech Merle, I was staying in a B&B in Sarlat-la-Caneda.

The owner does not speak English.
He also did not list his email contact.
Only phone.

Luckily, someone helped me to call up the owner and booked my 2 night stays at Sarlat.

A nice dinber (set menu) at a local restaurant, recommended by the B&B owner.
Your typical Foie gras, steaks, wine.
Enjoy.

Next day is a weekend and everything turns into a carnivals.
Perfect timing.


*Frame On*
The next conversation is 100% imaginary and is written by me and only me:

Q: Good evening, Boss. Nice to see you again.
Boss: Sure. What can I help you?

Q: Nothing. I am here to relax.
Boss: Great.  Come sit down and join me. Tea for you?

Q: Yes.
Boss: Some moon cake for you. It's Red dates from Ritz Carlton.

Q: Ok. Where are the red dates? These small bits?
Boss: Ha Ha. The big pieces is on my hand, actually.

Q: Wow. You lucky one.
Boss: Yes. Sometime I'm very lucky. Most of the time just because I work and think hard.

Q: Really?
Boss: Of course. Well, I need to thank you for alerting me about the SGX guys.

Q: What happen?
Boss: They talk to me and offered to mediate on my pending court case.

Q: Oh.
Boss: You'll read from the newspaper soon.

Q: Hur?
Boss: The SGX guys asked me what will takes for me to drop the court case.

Q: and...
Boss: Very simple. I'm not here to fight. I just can not stand being seen as weak.
You know.
I'm the founding executive chairman.
I had been in the same industry for half a decade.
I even have an ex Deputy Prime Minister in my board.
Two very experienced legal trained directors in my board too.
How can I swallow my pride?

Q: Mmm.
Boss: Well I told the SGX guys, no problem at all. 
We can drop the charges so long as the chap agrees not to says or write anything about me and my companies.

Q: That simple?
Boss: Yes. That's my only condition. If the chap is clever, he should know what to do.

Q: Sure. But, you had not address his concern on low dividend payout?
Boss: I don't really care about him. Let me be frank.
The slow-downs in the economy, market downturns is real.
With the increasing interest rate, depreciation of the AUD adn NZD,
looming oversupply, Airbnb is changing the rules of an entire industry.

Nobody in the right mind will pay high or higher dividend.

Our number 1 priority is to preserve our cashflow.
We had been paying up bank loans in order to reduce interest payments.
Do you know that we are an asset heavy property company without gearing?
Not an easy achievement.

Of course, I did consider paying scrip dividends without affecting our cashflow.
There are others additional cost doing scrip dividends and also growth area that I do not want to be distracted.

My focus is to acquire good assets in strategic locations with stable recurring income 
and long term capital appreciation.


Do you realise that our earnings had always been lumpy and declining?
Moving forward, with headwinds the Group will face in the coming years, our earnings will also be lumpy and declining.

We need to have stable results, increasing revenue and STRIKING THE RIGHT CHORD. 

*Frame off*

Can't believe that I'm a fool again
I thought this love would never end,
How was I to know?
You never told me.

[chialc88]

Historical Cave Pech Merle vs Salt mine in Krakow

In term of human touch, Krakow underground Salt mine is very grand.
The workers (and their horses) works days and night inside the salt mine just to earn a living.

Some of the horses were born underground and stay underground through out their entire life...
never seen a sun-light.

During spare times, the worker crafted all the cathedrals to praise the lord.

These were nothing compared to Pech Merle.

What Pech Merle recorded was an ancient history.
The artist who painted the cave with unknown materials.
Demonstration of exceptional grasp of abstract arts not inferior to modern man
.... 20,000 years ago.

There is a quota to control the damage to the cave (painting).
You must book at least 1 day ahead to get your slot.
Do not attempt to visit Pech Merle impromptus.

100% guided tour and the light will switch on/off section by section.

If you're going to France, book ahead for Pech Merle.
You'll be amaze by the 20,000 years old painting, won't you?

---

*Frame on - the following imagination is by me and only me.

Q: Hi boss, very busy?
Boss: Come, sit. Coffee or tea?

Q: Kopi-O ko song, please.
Boss: Ok. Why you think that I'm very busy?

Q: I saw the announcement out Saturday afternoon. Must be very rush for you.
Boss: Not true. We prepared the joint statement 2 weeks ago. Your idea, actually.

Q: My idea?
Boss: Yup. You says that the SGX guy will look for me. Remember?

Q: Ya.  I meant they will look for trouble.
Boss: Where got so easy for them to look for trouble. I planned for them to be my middleman.

Q: How?
Boss: I expect them to do some mediation.  Somehow they are not moving fast enough, so I send them an official letter to clarify their stands.

Q: Yes. I saw your announcement. I thought why so serious.
Boss: Yup. It's just part of my plan to nudge them along.  That letter really force them to reach out to me and I only need to give them my bottomline.

Q: I see.
Boss: They know my stand and they make sure the chap realise his mistakes and the rest is history.

Q: Good, time to celebrate?
Boss: What for? This is a loss-loss situation. Nothing worth celebrating.

Q: Then, why did you do what you did?
Boss: Why? You go and read what he wrote? He wrote, "I was told there was water in the toilet and I could quench my thirst there."
During AGM, I'm already quite fair with him. I give him chances to ask questions and he gotten his answers too. How could he make such a false impression on the board?

Q: So, that's the main reason for these saga?
Boss: Apa then? What were you thinking? Who can accept these accusation?

Q: Oh, nothing. Come, come, lets drink some coffee.
Boss: Sure, drink while it's still hot.

*Frame off*

[¯|_(ツ)_/¯]

Good morning valuebuddies - those who travel a lot will definitely know/hear about Sam Chui.



Sam was in Paris CDG - snowing in Apr 2022 - how unpredictable is France Weather. 

Lots of fond memories rush back, especially Finland too. 

From Sam's video, it's also clear that France or CDG don't have to wear masks but Helsinki lounge is exactly opposite.   

With the announcement of Singapore Doscon dopped from "ORANGE" to "YELLOW", almost all the rules imposed by the Safe Management Measures (SMM) is relaxed.

Do get up and get out, my dear valuebuddies.

Gratitude!

credit: https://stays.bookety.com/things-to-do/p...24&swp=off