Interview : Self

Questions

1. Tell us a bit about your childhood and how it affects your today's practice on personal finance ?
   There was once I was slapped real hard until my whole body fly toward the wall, so till now one of my ears is half deaf.  I learned that not everything can be undone.  We have to be careful not to let our emotion/feeling drive us over the edge.  Which turns out to be a very valuable blue print in my stock investment.
   Since teenage I was influenced to save in mutual fund.  That has helped me survive through my varies business cycles 20+ years later.  DCA does work especially when we just get started.
   During the first year of my high school, a classmate helped save a fire.  Then a broken electric cable fell upon his body and he died.  I learned that sometimes life is bigger than ourselves.  So I knew since young personal finance is never about the money, its about what we want in life.
   His father was an illegal immigrant but we never felt any indifference.  I also learn that all being in universe always share some similarities while each one of us is unique.  Same goes to PF, you can think and do whatever you want but at the end, we are most probably going through a similar path.
2. Answer this question without checking or asking for references : If you can remember, what is your Zodiac and Astrology signs ?
   Rat Aquarius.
3. What are the things you like to do during your free time, ie. your hobbies ? And what do you most dislike about ?
   I like to find those impossible to solve challenges and then think, strategies and plan around them during my silent time.  I used to jog, basketball and badminton a lot.  But now I just walk wherever less than 5km and cycle wherever within 25km.
   I don't like myself when I think I am prefect - there is nothing else to live for !?
4. What is your favorite colors and numbers ? Any most dislikes ?
   red, black, white.  I like 7.  I like dull color less, like my 10 years old over worn shirts.
5. What is your favorite food ? What do you hate most ?
   tomyam, laksa, curry, salmon shashimi, beef noodle, lamb shank ... OMG !  Why did you get me started ?
   I don't like monkey brain may be !?  Never try before . . .
6. If you can meet a person dead or alive, who would that be ? What would you ask him ?
   Mahathir : Deep down inside, do you really think current corruption status has absolutely nothing to do with what you have done or not done in the past ?
7. What is the best and worst feeling you have ever had ?
   I feel excellent when the person I love most trust me fully without any doubt, appreciate my existence and companion.
   I am in hell when she felt the other way.
8. What is the last thing you do before go to sleep ?
   I structure an unsolved question of the day to my mind and let my dream solve it.
9. What is the first thing you do when you wake up ?
   What do I have to do today ?
10. If you were to build a personal finance portfolio for a young man who has similar life path as yours, what will it be ?
    Build a portfolio according to malpf.com and then assign the right person to manage it.
11. You met someone in a social party, describe what you do in 2 to 3 sentences.
    I turn your money from 1 to 2 in a way that you can accept it, personally or business wise.
12. If you are not doing what you are doing now, what would you be doing ?
    A philosopher, a monk, robin hood, a cruel or loving king . . . all seems possible.
13. How much time do you spend on your personal finance blog ?
    Averagely a couple hours a week I suppose except recently less active.
14. What is the main objective of your blog, is it initially profit oriented and who are your targeted blog readers ?
    My objective is to share a side of personal finance story that I haven't found else where within the same blogsphere.  It is still NOT profit oriented.  I target to those who has the time to read through the whole article which is tough because most internet browsers just spend minutes on one article.  I don't know any other more suitable venue or medium yet.
15. What is the biggest achievement your blog so far ?
    I left it for 2 years and it is still running ?  That is a big wow to me despite the low readership.  I guess at the end, content decides how far to drive a site !?
16. Tell us one URL other than your own that your readers should read about ?
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_finance
17. How many more years do you think your blog will exist for and how do you plan to finance your blog forever if planned to at all ?
    malpf.com may die when I forget to renew the domain.
    malaysiaPersonalFinance.blogspot.com should live as long as Google lives which should be at least another 10 years ?  :)
    A trust deed (self growing fund) has been setup to keep it running but the mechanism of how to keep it running forever has not be exactly determined yet.  Eventually I also need to change the trustee to someone who really care about the topics I wrote about.
18. The world is big, many people have different point of views and emotions. If you met someone who called you geek, liar, cheaters because you yourself didn't do what you preach, how would you handle them ?
    Sit down and listen to what his view point is.  Understand the true cause and motive behind it.  Then acknowledge him and assure him there are other people who think and feel like him too despite most of my readers are on the other side of the fence.  At last ask him how he would improve the situation if he were me.
    There is always something we can learn from, even the worst enemy ever or an ass hole.
19. What do you think about these interview questions and how this interview session can be improved ?
    Nothing can replace a face to face interview.
20. Would you be interested to meet other finance bloggers in person ? If yes

• Do you smoke ?  No
• Do you drink liquor socially ? Yes
• Are you a coffee lover ? Yes
• Where do you stay and work ? ( Country, State, Region etc.)  Malaysia KL