FUNNY FUTURE AHEAD

One of you asked me what kind of prospects he can expect when he finally becomes an architect. Will there be any? he asked. Of course there will be prospects, but in a varied sort of way, and not necessarily located in Malaysia. Here's an interesting email from my friend for you to ponder over... (Mind you it's only one man's opinion.)

Dear Ian, Do read the attached article from The ST, Singapore.Is it any wonder why Chinese schools in Malaysia are packed to the brink, Indonesia is reopening Chinese schools, Australia's new PM can speak Chinese fluently, NZ schools are teaching Chinese, Cambodia has many Chinese schools, Chinese is now a compulsory subject in Thai schools, rich Americans are employing Chinese speaking nannies to tend their young ones? A paradigm shift in world cultural, economic and military power is happening right now!It is still not too late for those of us English educated, Anglophile to learn Chinese ! Check out Chinesepod.com Warmest regards, AT

From The Straits Times Singapore :
'America is out of control... The best advice I can give to anyone is to teach your children and grandchildren Chinese.' - MR ROGERS, underscoring his bullish forecast for Asia, especially China
GRACE NG
THE STRAITS TIMESINVESTMENT guru Jim Rogers read the last rites over the bull run yesterday, declaring in Singapore that the good times have ended - at least in the West. He said that with the greenback set for a major decline and the United States economy in a recession, he is looking to Asia, especially China, for investment opportunities, while confirming his faith in commodities.
---The famed investor, who has made Singapore his home, told an Investment Management Association of Singapore conference that the US is increasingly in hock to other nations, with its debt swelling by US$1 trillion (S$1.4 trillion) every 15 months.
---'America is out of control,' he said, adding that while the global economy will inevitably be affected by a US slowdown, there are still many industries in Asia that will emerge unscathed. He cited the region's booming water treatment industry, which he believes will continue to thrive, while tourism will grow at a frenetic pace as Asia's three billion people earn more and start to venture overseas
---Mr Rogers, 65, who co-founded the Quantum Fund with billionaire George Soros in the 1970s, also raised Asia's demographic trends - ageing populations coupled with governments urging their people to have more babies. He said he invested in 'baby stocks' in Japan because he anticipated the Japanese government's efforts to encourage its citizens to have more children would bear fruit. The so-called baby stocks include toymakers such as Sanrio, which makes the popular cat character Hello Kitty.
---He remains bullish on China's long-term prospects but expects a shake-up soon. He noted that the Chinese government has been taking serious action and 'doing its best to cut back on speculation in real estate'. 'I expect to see some Chinese real estate speculators going broke this year,' he told an audience of more than 800 investment professionals. But China's rise as an economic powerhouse means no investor could afford to ignore it, said Mr Rogers, adding: 'The best advice I can give to anyone is to teach your children and grandchildren Chinese'. He also reiterated his view that a commodities bull run will continue - possibly 'until 2020'.
---He told the gathering that his four-year-old daughter perfectly embodies his investment philosophy: She grew up speaking Mandarin and holds a portfolio consisting entirely of commodities.