#Blossom Online courses hong kong

[blossomonlinehk]

Best IB Online Courses Platform - Blossom

Blossom is founded in Hong Kong, one of the most intense cities in the world about studying and tuition. They provide a comprehensive learning experience for students at their fingertips and sincerely hope that students can learn effectively rather than solely cramming knowledge into their brains as short-term memory for exams.

[nickgerlich]

Imagine This

Amid all the talk about the US and other nations possibly banning TikTok, the states and universities already doing so, and worries about national security, no one has raised the $64,000 question: What would life be like without it?

At the personal level, that’s an easy one. I seldom if ever use it, and could easily live without it. But what about those people who spend multiple hours each day on it, those influencers relying on it to push their content and to make money, those businesses doing likewise? Now you’re starting to step on toes.



But there is such a place on this orb that has gone without TikTok for three years now: Hong Kong. And it’s not because this special administrative region of China banished the social media app or anything. No, TikTok deselected itself from the region entirely. There was a new national security law that went into effect on 1st July 2020, which allowed police to request user data without a warrant.

Whoa. That’s serious stuff. And think about it. This caused TikTok to blink hard enough to pull its service entirely. Compare this to how hard it has defended itself to Congress.

While TikTok had not become quite as ubiquitous there as it is in the States today, it was still a powerful medium. Pulling the plug meant that local businesses and influencers had to start all over on other platforms, like Instagram. I’m sure it was very disruptive, but at the same time, it’s not like there weren’t other social media sites to while away the day for casual users. Can you say infinite scroll?

While we are pondering a city that has already gone without TikTok, let us now consider the extreme: a place with no social media whatsoever. I know. It’s hard to imagine. Heck, we wouldn’t have much need for this class, because digital marketing could be tucked away into other courses. 



All we have to do is turn back the clock 21 years, to when Friendster launched, followed by MySpace (2003) and Facebook (2004). Sure, there were a few feeble attempts at what could loosely be called social media before then, like Classmates, as well as the many discussion boards and listservs. But that’s like saying the Blackberry was a smartphone. Close, but no cigar.

For most of my students, that would be a time when they were mere toddlers. In other words, you have only known a time when social media was present. And that is a big part of the reason why you are called digital natives. You have known nothing else.

Now imagine it all gone. That’s like asking an old timer like me to imagine life without television. Of course, I can imagine life without landline phones, because we did away with those in recent years. But television? No way.

Were we to do away with all social media, meaning all the usual suspects as well as YouTube, because that is as much a social platform as any of the others, our lives would be very different. We would plausibly have a lot more free time, or at least time to do other things. You know that Weekly Screen Time thing that Apple sends to its users every Sunday? Mine is bad bad bad.

We also would not have to be concerned about the effects of social media on young girls, which research has shown has serious negative effects. Think self-esteem as well as fears over their location being revealed.

Furthermore, the culture of narcissism that has blossomed during the social media era would be put back in its box. We would have to resort to other ways to admire ourselves. We’d have to find other ways to get that dopamine rush that comes with getting online affirmations. Maybe we’d have to join softball or bowling leagues, choirs, acting troupes, whatever in order to get the attaboys and attagirls that we all crave.

I also see how my social media behavior has changed in recent years, most notably since COVID and a highly contentious election. Today, I consume social media for entertainment. I post one, maybe two, items a day, but always steer clear of engaging people in conversations that will likely require multiple comments back and forth. If this sounds like an argument, you would be right. I have better things to do. Or, as I say to myself every day, “I do not suffer fools gladly.” Repeat after me.

But while it might be fun to consider a world without social media, I’m not so sure it would be as great as we might think. Consider our ability to stay in touch with people from the many chapters of our lives. At the tender young age of 25, you may not think that to be much, but add four decades, and suddenly you have many chapters with many players. I do not want to imagine the rest of my life without all of those connections.

And then there are the limitations of physical geography. In a world without social media, we are limited to knowing people with whom we could come in actual contact. But thanks to Facebook, et al., we can meet many new people, and sometimes even make friends or find spouses. It’s a lot harder to do that if you just hang out at the same old bar.

We would also have to revert to old information sources to stay on top of the news. My feed is carefully curated to local and national media so that I have all the news that’s fit to print, along with long-read features from reputable magazines. I would miss that, and in many regards, my life would become more complicated without it.

Finally, what else would I do during fits of insomnia? I know. Experts tell us that we should sleep in total darkness, and the light emitted by our phones will only make us more awake. But I read to get sleepy. Without all the scrolling or autoplaying of reels, I would have to do what I did in the Stone Age: Turn on the lamp and pick up a book or magazine. I’m pretty sure that’s quite a bit worse when it comes to all that light.

Yeah, I can imagine a world without TikTok, if only because I am not particularly engaged. But when it comes to social media, it, like so many other changes we have discussed this term, has already left the station. And maybe, like Ozzy Osbourne, we’re going off the rails on this crazy train.

It’s just that I don’t know that I want to go back to the station.


Dr “The Media Sells It And You Live The Role“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[immigrant-rob]

Long time no see

Spring has finally arrived, after last weeks dump of snow temperatures are rising and I can see grass again. This must have motivated me to update my blog again after 3 months of hibernation... Though lots of updates!

Where do I start... Well, of course with the most important of all. I passed my exam! 6 months of studying lead up to me taking the written exam to jump the first hurdle in becoming a physiotherapist in Canada on March 9th. I knew ethics was a major component, but the exam still was surprisingly ''ethical''. Anyway, can't say more than that or I might go to jail (not allowed to share exam details), however, the exam has prepared me to provide physio in prison in case of such an event. I did not leave the exam with a great feeling, and it left me hanging for 2 weeks before the results came back. This was an opportunity for me to teach Naomi 2 new Dutch phrases; ''Heels over the pond'' and ''On the edge of the board''.

Passing the exam was not only a relief professionally, but also personally as we were going on holiday 4 days later. We spent 6 days in Hong Kong, visiting some of Naomi's relatives and being shown around by her parents as our local guides. For a guy coming from a town with just over 100.000 inhabitants, and the tallest building being a church reaching 109 meters, being amazing by HK architecture is an understatement. Never had I see neighborhoods consisting out of just skyscrapers. Or restaurant flats where the first 10 floors of a skyscraper are all restaurants. There is no meaning to the phrase; ''Even een terrasje pakken'' in this country. But maybe even more impressive was how clean it was. How can one of the worlds most densely populated places on earth be so clean, versus most other places I have been or lived?

But my report on this part of the trip would not be complete if I did not mention the food we ate. HK is known for its incredible gastronomy, and for the foreigners probably an interesting one as well. I tried many new flavors and dishes, and at one dinner had to particularly live up to my name as an adventurous eater. Maybe it was also because this was the first time I met some of Naomi's relatives and I knew I was being judged on what I would eat. To start off was shark fin soup, not too ''scary'' right? Then we had a roast piglet, presented as if it had been squished. Now we get to the exciting part, goose feet. And for dessert, pigeon spit pudding (edible birds nest). When you hear such ingredients you may be shocked, but in all honestly it tastes good, and I can often link such dishes to western dishes that I've had in the past. If you are interested in more details on our food from our trip (or the whole trip in general), check out Naomi's blog. As usual, she has done a way better job than me of blogging.

Other highlights of our trip in HK were a nice outdoor stair master with the cousin Isaiah, who spoke fluent Dutch self taught online; ''Faka met jouw G'' and who smoked us on this hike. The only other time I've seen Naomi that tired was during the last 10k of our Elfstedentocht. He was also so kind to let me try out the new Apple Vision Pro, currently only available in the US and wow... it blew my mind. I am fairly of of date on what tech can do these days, so such an experience was totally unexpected. We also visited 3 different graveyards and seeing the differences between Buddhis and Christian graveyards was interesting. And our trip to the gambling capital of the world, Macau. Where I visited Paris, London and Venice from the hotels in 1 day.

Next destination was 9 days of travelling around Japan, the country where you can be served by robots, but train schedules need to be manually searched in books by the desk clerks. A country that is proud of it's traditions and ways, for a foreigner sometimes confusing but beautiful. First we did 1 day in Osaka. Our hotel was right outside Osaka castle, and much to our surprise it was peak cherry blossom season! Usually it would've been earlier and we had already anticipated that we had missed it. Dinner that day was my first encounter with Wagyu, yummy!

The next day we spent travelling to Onomichi, stopping at Himeji castle which is considered to be Japans most beautiful castle. And beautiful it was indeed, but with beauty comes tourism, and with tourism comes crowdedness (pesky tourists). We were glad to have seen it, but the 1 hours line up and cattle like herding system to see inside were not worth it in my opinion.

Now comes my highlight of the trip! A 75k bike ride over 6 islands connected by massive bridges called Shimanami Kaido. Despite the small drizzle the scenery was stunning and it was a welcome change to the busy cities previously. It was enjoyable to explore the Japanese countryside and fishing villages while getting in some exercise. Naomi's managed to wobble off her bike 5,5k into the ride, which gives her a 100% succes rate of falling off bikes on excursion rides at an average distance of about 8% of the total distance.

Next up was Kyoto, a large but quieter city than what we were used to with many temples to see. We did a stepping stone river crossing which both gave us wet socks (and a good laugh), spent some time on the bank drying our socks and as always while we wait, played a game of Wingspan.

And lastly, 3 days Tokyo! After visiting the most densely populated city in the world, now it was time to visit worlds biggest city with 37 million inhabitants, including the metropolitan area. A cool variety between big modern architecture and narrow old streets filled with food joints, allowing only for seating at the bar due to how narrow they are. We were exposed to a whole new level of arcade gaming, and it reminded me of a popular saying; ''No matter how good you are, there is always an Asian better than you at it''. I've seen some impressive guitar Hero shenanigans during my high school days, but I've never seen a man in suit and tie octo-combo a Japanese KPOP song for 10 minutes straight. I used to think AFL was the peak standard of athleticism, but have my doubts now...

As an experienced Mario Carts driver I was sad to miss out on the Mario Carts driving experience through Tokyo streets due to not having an international drivers license. Unfortunately, they did not accept 7+ years of Wii MC driving experience with some top ranks in the world (but never first, remember, and Asian always beats you). I got to watch professional sumo wrestlers practice at their ''stable''. They even came out after training for some pictures which was really cool. And last but not least, what am I missing in my recap from Tokyo? Exactly, food. I had what was probably my best meal in my entire life! An amazing 13 course dinner with lots of different cuts of meat including wagyu. Who knew tongue could be so tender by the way?!

I have cut myself in the fingers by taking so long to blog. My recap of our holiday was not nearly as complete or detailed as Naomi's. If you are planning a trip to any of these places take a look at hers. She also has all the names.

That's all for now, hopefully I will have some exciting news in the next blog regarding work!

[yurimother]

The Best Yuri of 2020

2020 was hell in every way, and many of us are looking forward to new possibilities and advances in 2021. However, the year brought us many small moments and gifts worth celebrating. Among these, the explosive growth and change within the Yuri genre are among the most precious and most outstanding achievements. This second century of Yuri opened with a bang, as phenomenal new works, creators, and moments made their mark and helped change the future genre.

This annual list is a celebration of just a handful of the fantastic titles, people, and events in Yuri. There are likely some even greater ones that did not make the list because there is so much content in both English and Japanese that even I cannot keep up. However, among the troves of treasure, these titles stood out as shining examples of Yuri excellence. Some were released this year, others were recently adapted into English, and still, others are established titles that rose to prominence to dominate the conversation and my mind this year, but every one of them is worthy of being on this list and in your heart.

Here is the Best Yuri of 2020!

15: The Curse of Kudan Remastered

Japanese Yuri visual novel developers show no sign of slowing down as they continue to push to new heights and try new ideas. These are the same amazing people who brought us the delightful educational Yuri game The Expression Amrilato and the hilarious and surprisingly queer OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbando’s. However, this most recent release, The Curse of Kudan Remastered, is their best work yet. Released near Halloween, this game brings a new edge of dark mystery and the occult to Yuri audiences worldwide.

The Curse of Kudan is available on MangaGamer, JAST USA, Denpasoft, and Sekai Project.

14: Adachi and Shimamura

English audiences were finally treated this year to Hitoma Iruma’s long-running and wildly successful Yuri light novel series, Adachi and Shimamura. Although the story struggles to gain traction, dedicated readers’ have their patience rewarded with a sweet tale full of gay pining. Alternatively, you can jump into its stellar anime adaptation, with gorgeous visuals and realized characters you will actually be willing to put up with the annoying Yashiro just to see where the title characters go. The series shows no sign of slowing down either, as the manga adaptation is coming to Western audiences next year.

Adachi and Shimamura is available to stream on Funimation. The light novel series is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3rTSZTK

Honorable Mention: Happy Go Lucky Days

The OVA adaptation of Fragtime got most of the attention this year. Still, director Takuya Satou and Pony Canyon also gave us this much-overlooked “love is love” anthology movie based on Takako Shimura’s manga (Sweet Blue Flowers, Wandering Son). The first short in the film, “Happy,” is easily the best Yuri anime of the year. It follows the beautiful yet realistic queer love story of two women hooking up at a mutual ex-girlfriend’s wedding, only for the relationship to blossom and warm viewers’ hearts. Sadly, while stylized, the budget demanded the animation cut a few too many corners. Additionally, the subsequent stories are at best tedious and at worst alarmingly problematic, which is why Happy Go Lucky Days only gets an honorable mention.

The OVA is streaming on HIDIVE

13: Mieri Hiranishi

The Yuri scene has many colorful creators with a breadth of different ideas and stories in the genre, yet few have provided as much humor and joy as Mieri. This talented creator spectacularly tumbled into the scene with her manga essay The Moment I Realized I Wasn’t Straight, which embodies the brutal honesty and realism of Nagata Kabi and matches it with exaggerated hilarity. She continues to chronicle her painful struggles of being a butch girl in love with butch girls in the monthly series The Girl that Can’t Get a Girlfriend. Alternatively, you can follow her on Twitter for just as much heart and laughter.

Read The Girl that Can’t get a Girlfriend on Tapas and Webtoon.

12: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

My Next Life as a Villainess has what can only be described as volcanic bisexual energy. Every character protagonist Catarina Claes encounters is entirely enthralled by her. Of course, she is far too preoccupied with her quest to avoid doom flags and change her ultimate fate to notice any romantic interest. The series is rewarding and well structured, as views are just as focused on how Catarina plans to avoid certain doom as they are with the various romantic misses her band of companions cooks up. While the “friendship ending” did not capitalize on its Yuri potential, it was perhaps the most satisfying possibility for this crazy harem, at least until season two comes out, which looks, unfortunately, to be significantly less queer.

My Next Life as a Villainess is streaming on Crunchyroll

11: Love Me for Who I Am

Kata Konayama’s manga series is less Yuri than a general LGBT work, but it has a lesbian character and explores her identity and struggles in great detail. Few titles before have captured the exciting and nervous waves of emotions that young people feel as they explore gender and sexual identities and try to find themselves. This heartfelt and extremely queer series rubberbands between cute moe dress up to tragic and gripping backstory, keeping readers on their toes the whole time.

Love me for Who I Am is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3rTSZTK

10: A Summer’s End – Hong Kong 1986

Oracle and Bone’s debut visual novel, A Summer’s End, is set in a vibrant and electric 1980’s Hong Kong. Drawing inspiration from classic Asian cinema, music, and fashion. The worlds of Michelle, a young office worker, and a free-spirited woman named Same collide. The two struggle to comprehend and accept each other’s feelings just as they struggle against society’s expectations and prejudices. An incredibly thoughtful and touching adventure, the creators incorporated vital contemporary elements include Asian LGBTQ rights and growing political unrest in Hong Kong, into this illustrious game.

The visual novel is available on Steam.

Honorable Mention: Goodbye, My Rose Garden

In the same vein as A Summer’s End, Goodbye, My Rose Garden is a beautiful period piece that incorporates LGBT views into its shattering narrative. The story follows a bright-eyed immigrant, Hanako, wanting to make a new life in England as an author at the dawn of the twentieth century. She takes a job as a maid to noblewoman Alice, but their relationship takes a turn when Alice asks Hanako to kill her. This poignant tale is beautiful and an honest depiction of love and its conflict with responsibility and society.

Goodbye, My Rose Garden is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/3hFSyaG

9: Shio Usui

Usui’s hit Shaikaijin Yuri manga Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon could easily take this spot even though it is not even out in English until February 2021. The manga is already making waves and receiving constant praise. The characters and their journey to discover love and self-acceptance are as charming as they are relatable and grounded. However, it is the creator, Usui, who really deserves acclaim. Not just for their work on Doughnuts, but having a second serialized story, Onna Tomodachi to Kekkon Shitemita, in monthly Yuri magazine Comic Yuri Hime simultaneously. It is even more remarkable when you consider these two iconic stories are Usui’s first long-running works, as they only contributed one-shots before.

8: Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka

Bloom Into You is possibly the most iconic Yuri series in the past decade, and while the manga deserves its own place on this list, the best thing to come out of the series as a whole is easily the light novels. This trilogy by Adachi and Shimamura creator Hitoma Iruma dives deep into supporting cast member Sayaka. Readers are treated to a delightful journey as she discovers her sexuality, experiences heartbreak, and finally finds herself breaking free and falling in love. With the help of gorgeous illustrations by Nakatani Nio herself, Iruma masterfully captures Sayaka’s unique voice and emotions in this wonderful series. Whether a fan of the originals or not, every Yurijin must check out Regarding Saeki Sayaka.

The light novel series is published by Seven Seas - https://amzn.to/3hFSyaG

7: Our Teachers are Dating

The best a Yuri can get. This workplace romance follows two teachers at the start of a new relationship taking nervous yet enthusiastic first steps, including saying I love you, going on their first date, and even sleeping together. It is so heartfelt and salacious that readers will squeal the whole time. Additionally, our heroines are supported in their relationship by everyone they know, their students, colleagues, and even the principal. It is a perfect world for these two lovebirds! Our Teachers are Dating would easily be number one or two in any other year, but the competition is fierce in 2020. So even though this is only number seven, it is still a master class Yuri manga.

The manga is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/38XY3O9

6: Amongst Us

Who would have thought that a comedy alternative universe story spinoff of a fantasy action series would be the single best Yuri webcomic this year? Shilin’s astounding artwork illustrations the hilarious and irresistible journey of girlfriends Blackbird and Veloce. These two eccentric young women get into all kinds of everyday mischief that bounces between tender and touching romance, completely outrageous comedy, and downright thirst-inducing sorcery. Seriously, you should buy the first volume for Veloce’s back muscles alone. The storyline skips between time, but both their established relationship and their meeting as teenagers are adorkable and captivating.

Amongst Us is available online free on Webtoon and the comic’s website. The first volume is in paperback on Shilin’s site.

Honorable Mention: Éclair

There are a lot of Yuri anthologies out there, and they have done some beautiful things. Many focus on themes like Syrup. Others collect a series of stories by an author into one bound work. However, out of all of them, Éclair is the most successful. ASCII Media Works took some of the genre’s most extraordinary creators and let them do whatever they wanted, and the results are spectacular. The incredible talent behind Éclair somehow packs a full volume’s worth of story and character into just a few pages with every chapter. While the first volume came overseas a few years ago, Yen Press gave Yurijin a gift this year by releasing the entire rest of the series in which readers can get lost.

The anthology series is published by Yen Press - https://amzn.to/38XY3O9

5: I’m in Love with the Villainess

A small trend of isekai Yuri with villainesses emerged recently, and I honestly had few hopes of I’m in Love with the Villainess. The series is pretty popular, but I often find that this does not denote quality, and with isekai having some institutional issues, I suspected this would fall flat. Then the volume three cover showcased an incredible accomplishment, allowing for a lesbian relationship to blossom into a family with children, and it blew me away. Finally, I read volume one and realized that the series has incredible character, some of the best world-building I have ever seen in a light novel, thoughtful discussions of inequality and societal issues, and most impressively, open and frank discussion of queer identity and life Yuri has ever seen! This one is something special.

The series is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/3nedvdZ

4: The Last of Us Part II

Yes, I know this one is not Yuri and that a portion of the population despises this game and will likely be exceptionally angry at me for including it. However, I maintain that it was an incredibly challenging masterpiece. Naughty Dog did not take the easy route out and delivered one of the most devastating media experiences I have ever seen. As I said in my article about the game, playing it changed me, and it sticks with me to this day. The Last of Us Part II earns its spot on this list because it pushed boundaries more with LGBTQ inclusion than any other AAA game. From brave inclusion of LGBTQ themes to queer characters and storylines at its center, the game changes gaming and it will never go back.

The Last of Us Part II is available on PlayStation 4

3: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

She-Ra feels like the culmination of all the LGBTQ progress western cartoons have made over the past few years. From The Legend of Korra to Steven Universe, young people are finally seeing more LGBTQ people represented on the small screen. This epic fantasy concluded with an amazing and powerful lesbian romance, delivering on its queer promise and revolutionized representation in a trope-defying crescendo.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is streaming on Netflix

2:  The Conditions of Paradise

The greatest single Yuri work of all in 2020 was the English release of Akiko Morishima’s breakthrough manga, The Conditions of Paradise. Initially released in 2007, this anthology detailed the love between adult women. It was in every way a manga ahead of its time, and seeing it finally get a small piece of the recognition it deserves overseas is a true gift. The fact that we can own this legendary piece of Yuri history and Morishima’s other anthologies is nothing short of a blessing from the Yuri goddess.

The Conditions of Paradise is published by Seven Seas Entertainment - https://amzn.to/38bh4xq

Honorable Mention: Otherside Picnic

This eerie sci-fi horror series combines the best of pulse-pounding thrillers, complex and intelligent hard science fiction, and exciting Yuri romance. Author Iori Miyazawa spends as much time crafting a well-paced and intriguing narrative about a mysterious world where occult creatures roam as he does establishing two believable and grounded heroes in Sorawo and Toriko. The romance between the two may be slow to start, but their chemistry is undeniable and as the stakes and story build, so too does their relationship. Not only are the light novels incredible, but the series’ manga adaptation is coming soon to the West as well as an upcoming TV anime in early 2021.

Otherside Picnic is streaming on Funimation. The light novels are published by J-Novel Club - https://amzn.to/3niiv1g

1. Yuri subgenres

For a long time, Yuri was not a genre of its own, but elements of romances or bonds between women found in other works. Now, thanks to an increasing library of works, the advent of social media, and a wider audience, Yuri is a genre on its own, with many creators telling different stories in different styles. However, 2020 saw the continued emergence of something extraordinary, subgenres. Yuri is now so vast, we can actually categorize the works within. Depending on their characters, like classic schoolgirl romances or spicy shakaijin office affairs, their world, such as fantasy or isekai series and thrilling science fiction adventures, and even other elements within. One of my personal favorites is the feminist Yuri that emerges from titles like Sexiled, where women celebrate the accomplishments of other women and dismantle power structures stacked against them. Now, no matter what kind of Yurijin you are, there is something for you to love.

I am happy to leave 2020 behind, but I bring with me a renewed love and admiration for Yuri. 2021 looks to be a somehow even better year for the genre, and I am thrilled to experience every minute of it that I can. Yuri has transformed into something far greater than I ever thought it would be, and let us all enjoy its evolution and expansion together in 2021.

[tofascinate]

twenty-twenty reflection

The year is 2020. I distinguish this year from the others. And there will be more. There might be many! I want to remember, if ever asked upon myself, that my year of 2020 was distinct from the mash of living. From the accordion of living, perhaps. From the “bellows” of my accordion life, here is my layer of 2020:

January

began with a visit from Kellan, the preparation for a long-anticipated trip to Hong Kong with Rohit. I was living at Momma’s. I had been working for her since I graduated in 2019, while I applied for job positions in cities and graduate programs in Europe and the West Coast.

In January I spent almost 2 weeks in Hong Kong with Rohit and his family. This was a life-changing trip. This was amazing. I felt so taken care of, and each day filled with exploration. And snacks. For the first time, Rohit helped me with Cantonese – every single time I asked, which was a lot, considering my personal goal was to learn as much casual Cantonese as I could while there. I recorded all my new vocabulary and phrases in a list on the plane ride back. Here I met Rohit’s family in their home element, spent an afternoon with Rohit’s mom, accompanied Rohit to friend meetups, and experienced a Chinese New Year family celebration (!!). I hiked the most exhausting and thrilling mountain of my life, called Lantau Peak (the second highest peak in Hong Kong). I felt some of my biases melt on this trip, and some of my interests open up and blossom.

I left Hong Kong as the coronavirus became an issue in the Eastern Asian world. I spent a night in Tokyo, not with Rohit, but with my nourishing airport snacks and exhausted schedule until my flight left the next day for the U.S.

February

In February life moved quickly. I applied to all 4 master’s programs, I had a second interview for a serendipitous job position in Philadelphia (the only job among many that wanted an interview!), I helped Rohit find an apartment in Norwalk, I left Rohit at his apartment in Norwalk, I accepted the job in Philadelphia, I found a place to live in Philadelphia (more magic was to come of that 2-weeks-before-moving FB find), and I moved to Philadelphia!!!

March

My momma helped me move here. To the city I’d never before been to, but in which I was about to find the happiest home. The first 2 weeks of this month were extremely memorable. I worked in the Comcast Technology Center building (a wow) as a LaunchCode teaching assistant for a 12-student, 14-week intro to computer programming and web development intensive course. I took every opportunity to explore the building, the surrounding city. The first week of connection with students was special. The idea of working the rest of the course remotely was ridiculously unlikely.

On March 14th, the pandemic was real. On March 13th, my co-teacher took home the classroom’s bottle of Purell.

My second roommate, Channing, and her kitty Tycho moved in. Deeksha, Channing, Tycho, and I would become a mini family.

We were in quarantine times, but I hadn’t had so much social interaction, peer interaction, freedom, intellectual stimulation, and work to do since the end of college 2019. It was a blessing to be where I was.

April

I will use April to say that I loved this job. It was a pinch-myself moment all the way through. I still sometimes can’t believe that I rose to the responsibilities, leadership, and organization required of me. Maybe it’s like that with new jobs that push you outside of your comfort zone and give you so much room to grow. LaunchCode was an extremely supportive and inspiring company to work for. The community of students (Comcast workers transitioning into future software engineering roles) were admirable and kind in how hard they worked, and how they helped each other.

I realized at this time that I was experiencing the dream I had put intention towards. It’s not always obvious realizing this. In fact, at first I thought I was accepting the job because it was the next best and only option. On the outside I didn’t know how meaningful it would be to me once immersed in it. When things all came together, I realized here I was, in the freedom of living independently from my home nest, in a friendly family of roommates, in a new city to explore, with a working position that supported me financially, allowed me to save for grad school, that opened me up to the computer science industry world, that used my strengths and pushed me to grow, that used my creativity, and that felt like I was being paid to learn.

I am sooooo grateful for serving in this role. It served me tremendously.

Also to be noted, Philadelphia spring. And Tycho the kitty made me love cats more than I thought I could love cats (who are now sometimes allowed to sleep under my blankets too).

May

At some point here, Deeksha, Channing, and I got to be really creative and goofy together. This plus sharing food and Deeksha eating my desserts ♡ ♡ = start of roomie love. Channing’s surprise birthday scavenger hunt.

At some point, I got accepted and not accepted into master’s programs!

And how did it happen that my random roommate’s husband was living and working in Germany following his CS master’s program there? Or that my roommate-friend would eventually move there too?

June

Work program extended by a week = another week of pay = I justify more so staying in Philadelphia longer… and longer… Staying also meant more time in the magical family and incredible bit of life I knew would end eventually. Staying meant not putting my parents at risk, or having to stay inside to keep them from risk.

In June I saw 6 helicopters flying above the city from my rooftop. I filmed them one night and was captured fleetingly in their search light. I stayed home for 6 and 8 pm curfews. I read ideas and information, and observed the panicked passion of my social media a little hesitantly. I spoke with my family. I read more until I felt settled and inspired with the movement of change. I walked around the city. I saw society a little differently; I saw reasons to question how I saw almost everything. 

The Monday after the big weekend, my coworkers asked me and us all how we were doing, if there were protests in our neighborhoods. It was the first time I saw my coworkers as Black. I didn’t know if I was saying the right thing. 

My co-teacher told me I was “lucky” I’d be moving out of the country. I told him I still wanted my home country to be a welcoming place for all. He was not so confident.

And! Rohit visited for a week :). I had fun and we both couldn’t wait to go back to having individual spaces to be ourselves.

July

At one point, with my job ended and Channing in North Carolina for most of the month, I was met with the pressure of everything I could do in the calm before the storm of change, and everything I wasn’t doing. A little rough. Oh to be leaving a place that has already been leaving you.

August

I moved in with Rohit in Norwalk! Took all my Philadelphia belongings in a car with not-friends Deeksha and Channing, and drove (Channing drove) to Norwalk. I was so grateful to them for that trip. We got a glimpse of the no-parking beaches. Specifically, we parked for 15 minutes in the “15 Minute Parking ONLY” spot by the beach at cotton candy sunset while Deeksha and I ran to the warm water and the two of us dove in like happy water pups and not 23- to 30-year-olds. Next day was a rockier beach and I’m still wishing Channing her next sunny beach day. This month was fun and without-a-car adventurous, though the airbnb-turned-rented-apartment that was actually’s Rohit’s didn’t quite feel like my settling in home. My daily purpose was working for my mom again and preparing for my master’s program.

I loved running so much with Rohit.

I did not love figuring out how to acquire a car to stay in Rochester for a month. Haha (thinking about tears). But we did it! And then we packed too many of my things into the car with Rohit’s things and drove 6 hours to Rochester, NY. 

September

I think we each ran longer distances than we had run before along the river trail in Rochester. We were a little outdoorsy. We had an ample supply of local Chinese bakery goods (that reminded me of Hong Kong bakery items). There was sun, but not in the apartment. By the way, this apartment was a miraculous coincidence from one of Rohit’s (very tidy and kind) friends who hadn’t been living there for months but would have to move out at the end of October. So we could pay him rent!

Also surprise to AriaRay’s patience, calm, and going with the flow acceptance: as a bonus level to the desperately declared plan of packing ahead of time to avoid the overwhelming stress of the previous move, Rohit and I learned we would also be cleaning and clearing out our friend’s apartment first! 

In the end, I had to accept that it was Rohit’s leading responsibility. Whatever we could do would make the experience easier for our absent friend. We moved out and found donation homes for almost everything. We did it! 5 pm and out the door to Burlington! (Extra exclamation points for whirlwind desperation and relief.)

October

I spent my last day with Rohit in Burlington. Burlington was love. And glorious fall.

I packed for Germany, I found a place to live in Germany, I boarded a plane to Germany. I got on the plane to Germany and went to sleep in Germany and thought, “Haha, isn’t it funny that I’m in Germany? Who thought of Germany?”

A new country and a new day to day life! I was grateful to be finally there and in awe that I had gotten to this point. My childhood self said, “when I’m 23, I’ll be in Europe.” Well, here I am.

We’re still in a pandemic. Meaning my classes are online and my traveling is cautiously limited to grocery store treks and to walks or bus rides around the city.

I have 3 very nice (and extraordinarily clean??) roommates from Ukraine, Russia, Iraq. All studying. One speaks better German than English, which is sometimes amusing as I really do want to have a conversation with her anyway.

Birthday, Halloween. But sometimes I forget and think my last birthday was in 2019. Blurry.

November

Hmmm studying. It still feels unprocessed to reflect on this. My master’s program can be considered a computational linguistics degree, formally called “Language Science and Technology M.Sc.” because to be more specific, this degree covers broader areas of computer science for language, and linguistics for computer science, than only computational linguistics. 

I do love the subject. It is by far a synthesis of my linguistics and cs interests. I’m learning a little more than what my focus for here initially has been. Is this a good thing? Maybe a nice cushion of knowledge and perspective. Still looking for how to study and process spoken language, how to relate this to second language acquisition. 

I think I get it. My core lectures right now are foundations for this field. I will leap from them into my specific field of interest. My software project is a learning ground for tools and seeds for future ideas, practice with coding group projects again. My seminars are for thinking, reading, discussing, weaving ideas, hearing from others seasoned in the topics and those of my peers investing their newfound or nurtured interests. Three more semesters.

Where will I be next?

I think I should mention one Thanksgiving meal that we cooked for, and shared with the additional guests of Olha’s partner Gaston and his roommate...with a name I can’t place now...from Morocco. This was a widely, uniquely fun night.

December

Hello cozy holidays, the first, by myself. My roommates and I decorated a tree from our local grocery store. I made cookies and cards, sent 14 gold letters. I spent hours decorating and felt creatively festive. ‘Tis the season :). Hoping everyone can feel the love I’m sending. 

Surprises came after small gifts appeared from each roommate to each other. Olha made us all Christmas gift bags of gingerbread cookies. I strung a decorated card on the tree for each roommate and shared cookies and oranges. Uliana wrapped Russian tea and a scented candle in parchment paper, leftover gold glittered tree ribbon, and a holiday clothespin. She wrote “Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!” in each of our languages: Russian (well, not Ukrainian), English, German. Zhenas gave us each a gift bag of treats. So, there has been magic in my apartment this season.

Happy New Year, and thank you 2020, for all the joy, discoveries, and change you have brought me. Here’s to love in 2021.

♡ 

[raw-output]

20 Years.

Two-thirds of a lifetime ago, a ten-year-old boy in a scratchy wool sweater sat huddled under an old down blanket. The first proper snow of the season had come the week before, and the boy hadn’t been dressed for building forts. Now here he was - bored, sick and sweaty. His mother entered the room with a mug of undrinkably hot milk with honey and butter. In her other hand was an issue of GAME.EXE, a computer gaming magazine. The words “HALF-LIFE” were plastered across the bottom of the cover. The boy loved reading, and loved computers, and the milk needed time to cool off anyway. He opened the magazine and flipped to page 8 after finding it in the table of contents. The boy grew older and switched languages, countries and continents, but his favorite game never changed.

-

It’s hard to compress two decades into text, but I will attempt to do so when it comes to my relationship with the Half-Life series that began all those years ago, with that preview article in that magazine.

The article  was written in a second-person perspective that really stuck out to me, and was filled with screenshots that would later turn out to be of an unreleased rough beta version of the game. It ran through several dramatized, episodic descriptions of events in the game, then listed out the weapons used in the game, the enemies you would face and the tactics to deal with them. Finally, there was an interview with Marc Laidlaw himself. This single article was sufficient to make me completely insufferable to my parents for the next few months. “I want to play Half-Life,” I would say. At first, this meant asking to go to an Internet cafe a few blocks away from home, and for money to pay by the hour and use one of their beefy gaming PCs. Later on, it meant asking for a copy of the game, and for time on the “main” home computer - the only machine that could run the game at all, in glorious 320x240 resolution that gave me headaches.

-

A couple of years passed. The move to the US threw everything into a pleasant state of disarray, but the one thing that hadn’t changed was having to ask my parents to use the computer to play Half-Life. I had found one of my own soon after arriving in the States, but it had no sound card. It was there, on my mother’s computer, that I finally beat the game. My thirteenth birthday present was a copy of the newly released Opposing Force expansion. My birthday cake featured an edible photo of myself playing in a fountain in downtown Chicago, which my mother doodled over with brightly colored frosting. I was now knee-deep in toxic green sludge, a crowbar in one hand, and a proud Lambda logo on my chest.

Most kids in my 8th and 9th grade classes didn’t share my enthusiasm for Half-Life. They played console games and were rightfully hyped about the Playstation 2 and X-Box. In search of like-minded people, I took to the Internet. My options for getting online in 2001 were limited to libraries - either during lunch at school, or at the Naperville Public Library, which was a hour-long walk from home. I discovered Planet Half-Life, an offshoot of the Gamespy network. Through it, I discovered the fact that my favorite game was designed from the ground up to be moddable. I learned of Counter-Strike, Team Fortress Classic, and Sven Co-op. I discovered the Handy Vandal’s Almanac and The Snarkpit, two communities focused on level design. Having no reliable internet at home, I downloaded the level editor - then called Worldcraft - onto a floppy drive and brought it home to install. For the first time, I wasn’t simply playing the game. My parents looked on as I worked to figure out the obtuse user interface, trying to remember what I’d read earlier in the day. They raised their eyebrows when I finally managed to compile and run my first level - a hollow, unlit concrete box 512 units across with a single prefab trashcan hovering in the center. There wasn’t much more I could do in the limited time I was allowed to use the good computer, but I had caught the bug. My notebooks were filled with doodles of level layouts, my mind filled with cheesy storylines to match.

Eventually my family moved to a house with proper internet access, and I got a set of hardware with enough power under the hood to run both the game and the editor. It could even produce sound! All the things I could only read and salivate about were now within my reach, and I gorged myself on them. Counter-Strike quickly fell by the wayside, but Team Fortress and Sven Co-Op did not. Natural Selection came out and blew me away with how different a Half-Life mod could look and feel from the original game. I stayed up past midnight, playing, building, and playing some more. I learned that projects can die - when the extremely tongue-in-cheek Scientist Slaughterhouse mod went silent.

The release of the Half-Life 2 trailer took everybody by surprise. I had called one of my like-minded friends and we synch-watched it together, pausing every few minutes to let the video buffer and gush about how amazing everything looked and how much we were looking forward to messing with the modding toolkit. The subsequent beta leak and resulting delays taught me to be patient.

The move to California was not long after, and my patience was immediately put to the test as most of my belongings were stuck with the moving company, including my computer. I must have gone through a full pack of printer paper in less than a month, drawing up concepts and layouts for Xen Rebels, a mod centered around a semi-peaceful human colonization of the realm set after the events of Half-Life. Once my computer arrived, it was right back to the late nights and groggy mornings for me. Our home Internet was bad but workable, and I spent countless hours with the new and more creative mods that were being released, including The Specialists - a strong attempt to recreate the gun-fighting and martial arts stylings of Hong-Kong action movies in a multiplayer game. Around the same time I was introduced to the strange new world of anime, and decided that I simply must change the two throwable knives offered by The Specialists into kunai and throwing needles. This of course required me to learn 3D modelling. At the time, this was done with Milkshape 3D, a model editor compatible with most contemporary game formats. Once again, countless hours of figuring out the interface and the workflow followed, set to the calming tones of the Unreal, Deus Ex and Half-Life soundtracks. Creating models felt a lot more freeform than levels as I wasn’t constrained to a unit grid or forced to use convex geometry, and one day the new throwing weapons were in. I published the modified models on a forum to exactly zero fanfare. Around the same time, I began learning the basics of Photoshop in school, so modelling and texturing went hand in hand. To say my early textures were atrocious would be an affront to honest, hard-working atrocious textures the world over, but I continued my studies. My experience with working in 3D even netted me a 2nd place award at the school art contest - money which I immediately put back into upgrading my computer.

Half-Life 2 came out in November of 2004, to universal praise and celebration. I received the collector’s edition as a present for New Year, along with a copy of Raising The Bar. I beat the game the same morning, without a wink of sleep between unwrapping my present and the final darkness of the credits screen. The SDK didn’t ship with the game, but as soon as it was released I dove in. Soon after, the modding community blossomed, bigger and more vibrant than the original game’s, driven by the incredible flexibility of the engine. One of the first mods that appeared was made by a British man named Garry, and was called simply that, “Garry’s Mod”. It let players interact with the physics engine, and slowly sprouted more and more features. Many players used these features to pose character ragdolls, eventually creating entire comic series with storylines ranging from the comedic non-sequitur to dark and serious. Of course I felt the need to try my hand at it. That lead to the creation of The Plane - the story of Beet, a Combine Elite who managed to break free of his overseers’ indoctrination and find friendship, love, and revenge on his old masters. The only redeeming feature of that story was that it taught me how not to write stories.

I began getting more attached to the Gmod community than the expressly level design one at The Snarkpit. The few levels I publicly released were designed specifically as sandboxes to play and build in. The most popular ones were gm_orbit and rp_bahamut, maps set in space and featuring zero gravity for physical objects, allowing players to build smaller spaceships, or roleplay as the crew of a salvage and exploration vessel. Posting teaser images on the forums taught me a valuable lesson - what it felt like to be the one creating hype, instead of experiencing it. The constant demands were overwhelming. Some would simply want more work-in-progress screenshots. Others would drop ultimatums that unless a certain feature was designed a certain way, they would refuse to use the map. Others yet attempted to worm their way into getting the map early, offering to test it and provide feedback. I had almost deleted each project multiple times before finally releasing it.

Life happened, and things with Half-Life slowed down. When the Orange Box came out in 2006, I attempted to get it at a five-finger discount at a local Target. I got caught. Indirectly thought it was, Half-Life taught me that idiocy often leads to consequences. Buying it legitimately later in the year and playing through Episode Two reminded me that some stories aren’t written to end neatly.

It was in 2007 that I bought a membership for the Something Awful forums, and discovered an avid and very exclusive community of Gmod players. Over the course of the following decade, most of these people remained in constant contact with me, and will probably remain so for the foreseeable future. I became an admin once we opened our serves to the public - moderating the newcomers and mentoring the unskilled. One of the people had a project in mind, and I began creating models again. Miraculously, Milkshape 3D remained compatible with the Source engine, so I worked with it until I learned Maya. This project would eventually become known as Armored Combat Framework, and be released to the Gmod community at large. I learned how to iterate designs based on feedback, and how it felt to work in a well organized team.

Frontier happened around 2010, and was another lesson in teamwork - specifically what happens when things break down without role redundancy. Ambitions ran high, and the hype mounted. The programmer eventually left, and all that remains of the project is the very videos and images that were used to hype it in the first place, and a folder full of now-useless models, maps and textures. That was probably what prompted me to start pulling away from Half-Life and Gmod in general.

Black Mesa came out in 2012 and breathed a new life into my old obsession. I played through the original Half-Life again, then through the remake, noting the differences and the tweaks to make the gameplay more palatable to modern-day players. It felt good, like putting on an old but comfortable jacket. I’d fire up the SDK now and then, mostly to help newer, more driven designers. Two of the guys from Team Frontier went on to work in the industry full-time. There were whispers of a new game in the works, minor leaks of file and folder names hidden away in Valve projects. Episode 3 turned into Half-Life 3. A full sequel, rather than another short episode, as originally planned. “HL3 Confirmed” became a meme, but the people at the top remained silent.

Life kept happening, as it does. I lost people, I found people. I left home. Every now and then I’d fire up HL or BM again, or drop by the old Gmod server. I’d build things and model things, and release none of it to the public. I watched as the Dota International became the most widely spectated event in gaming, making players, sponsors, and Valve millions. The realization slowly started settling in. Then Marc Laidlaw retired, and later posted the Epistle. The workers at Valve spoke of a lack of direction and stagnation that comes with a cornered market. Modding for an engine over a decade old, no matter how advanced, slowed down.

It’s a different world now. Unity and Unreal engines rule the scene. Survival and Battle Royale have become the new buzzwords. Microtransactions. Loot boxes. Streaming integration. Freemium. E-Sports. Mobile gaming. Virtual Reality. If a new Half-Life were to appear today, would it be changed by the zeitgeist, or would it stay the course set by its predecessors? I don’t know. But there’s one thing that the escapades of a mute, bespectacled research associate have taught me more than anything else: hope.

[sdaga]

The grievances of the pro-democracy movement——After waiting for the lotus flower for a long time, persevering in a pool of muddy water…

The grievances of the pro-democracy movement——After waiting for the lotus flower for a long time, persevering in a pool of muddy water… The Hong Kong court recently announced that Huang Zhifeng and other four people were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 4 to 10 months for “knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly”. However, Li Zhiying was sentenced in the same way as before.After the news report, various pro-democracy activists in the world frequently spoke out: regret, ridicule, condemn, and pinch each other… But unfortunately, many pro-democracy activists seem to be using this topic to hype themselves and skillfully eat “people”. “Blood Mantou”, taking advantage of the online platform to collect a wave of popularity and bounty, butFew people analyze countermeasures and make substantive action plans.The pro-democracy movement has many factions all over the world. I thought this was the “Spring of the Democracy Movement” in which a hundred flowers blossomed and hundreds of horses competed. However, the reality is that the good and the bad are mixed. The phenomenon of pinching and donation fraud among factions is endless. This phenomenon makes the author think deeply…What is the real pro-democracy movement? What kind of pro-democracy leader do we really need?The author is accustomed to using the method of elimination to find the answer-the real lotus.A. It will definitely not be a shameless and licentious. “All evil and adultery are the head”, the ethics of the adulterer is untenable, how can he give higher expectations? For example, Wang Dan, who initially lived in exile in the United States, taught in Taiwan’s universities with his “career resume” after 2009. During the period, Wang Dan did a few stupid things, one of which was to openly support Chen Weiting, the leader of the Sunflower student movement who was involved in the harassment scandal, by saying that “bad sex is a personality defect”, so that everyone can see his moral defects. At the same time, its evaluation in Taiwan is polarized, and it deliberately creates news, which makes people extremely uncomfortable. In the end, it is difficult to escape the fate of being marginalized.B. It will definitely not be the flow of pleasure and profit. For a period of time after the 1989 incident, France was a gathering place for the “democracy movement”. Subsequently, due to the large amount of funds funded by the United States, many people went to the United States from France. Of course, having greater support is certainly not a bad thing, but many people become “drunk” as soon as they smell the smell of copper and lose their direction.Talk about the senior lie master and “Internet celebrity” Guo Wengui. This person is an extreme believer in personal interests. From China to the United States, how many people walked to the Champagne Yacht with the trust of many people. Now, drunk and fanatic, even Trump and Trump Bannon and even the United States have been fooled by the “new crown virus man-made theory” he created. They blamed the CCP for failing to counteract and caused social problems in the United States that are hostile to Asian races. However, there are still many “die loyal fans” who regard him as the future of the democracy movement. They donate money and materials to him, and they want to take off their clothes and give all of them. It is really sad! ! !C. It will definitely not be a mindless and narrow stream. The current pro-democracy movement has already seen a serious “involution” phenomenon, but most of them don’t even know it. how so? This is because most countries’ economic support for democracy movement groups is based on the size of their organizations and the people in power to determine the amount of funding. This has led many democracy movement groups to pursue interests around power and finances, and continue to carry out even the lack of planning “everything in China must be opposed.” The activity is just to enrich the bargaining chip to obtain funding to invite the governments of various countries. In fact, the total funds funded

by various countries have an annual plan and will not change. It is just that the pro-democracy groups continue to “internally” compete in vicious competition for the number of people and activities, and they lack independent strategic thinking and direction control. In the end, it is the governments of various countries who will gain greater benefits from the democratic movement.Just ask, in such a brainless competition, how many pro-democracy groups can self-precipitate and think independently? The pro-democracy movement is not a “chess piece” or “cannon fodder”. It must have something to think about, otherwise it will be manipulated and destroyed by the governments of various countries. What is helpless is that many groups are so brainless, even slander each other, and eventually go to extinction. Everyone, look at Huang Zhifeng and others on the news. This person has some abilities, but he has been targeted by the United States as an “agent” since he was a child, blindly moving forward in order to be funded and recognized by the United States. It was too late for him to go up, and he was destined to become an abandoned son, which even harmed a large group of bloody fighters who followed him.D. It will definitely not be the “calling wheat behind the scenes” and the like. Such people are also embarrassed, but even more hateful. Hidden behind the scenes to make action plans and online incitement, so that everyone can be “cannon fodder” on the front line, but they lie at home and take advantage of the “fisherman’s profit.” The “big names” Li Yiping and Wu Jianmin belong to this category. Do you remember the “National Resonance” of the past few years? This seemingly vigorous movement eventually led to most pro-democracy activists being targeted by Guoan, with no effect. There is no shortage of voices condemning the two people for launching this activity on the Internet.What the pro-democracy movement really needs is a person who can think independently, is good at planning, daring to act, has a noble character, and takes the lead as a leader, not a person who is kidnapped by the so-called governments of various countries. The kidnapped person firstly cannot let go of his hands and feet, and always takes into consideration his benefactor’s daily emotions and is subject to his manipulation; second, he is easily brainwashed, limited by the old Western model of thinking, and lacks suitable times. The third is that there are too many spiritual and material temptations, and the beliefs and original intentions of the pro-democracy movement have been abandoned. The examples of directly doing business with China after having been washed out before will not be given as examples.The democratic movement has a long way to go, and the front is full of thorns! I don’t know if this article can be published on the Internet. If you are lucky, I hope you comrades will self-examine and not be the “puppets” and “cannon fodder” of governments of various countries, and be a person who thinks independently, acts properly, and distinguishes good from bad. There are many such people. Only then can the “lotus of democracy movement” be opened!

[blossomonlinehk]

Best Strategies for Effective IB Exam Revision - Blossom

Revising for the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams can be a daunting task, especially if you have a number of subjects to focus on. However, it is important to remember that with the right approach and mindset, you can ace your exams and achieve your desired grades. This article will provide you with a comprehensive and objective analysis of the best revision strategy for the upcoming IB exams.

[bizmediaweb]

The Relationship Between Social Media, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain

Social media continues to impact industries in profound ways. One such industry is cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Much of cryptocurrency growth and popularity can be attributed to social media.

From the social forums of digital currency’s humble beginnings to mainstream social media channels, social media and cryptocurrency have a very close relationship indeed.

This relationship between social media, cryptocurrency and blockchain continues to evolve in new and exciting ways. The influence of one on the other has even become mutual as cryptocurrency and blockchain technology blossoms. There are even blockchain-based social networks sprouting up.

How did this intricate digital relationship come to be? Let’s take a deeper look into what cryptocurrency is, its relationship with social media, and what the future may hold for both.

The First Cryptocurrency Transaction Negotiated via Bitcoin Forum

Cryptocurrency has grown exponentially in value and popularity over the last few years. The blockchain technology cryptocurrency is supported on, is on the minds of many global financial institutions and businesses, such as JP Morgan, Microsoft, and Overstock.com.

However, this popularity and interest is only recent. Less than a decade ago, the world’s most famous digital currency, Bitcoin, was worth less than 0.06 cents.

At the time of writing this, Bitcoin is worth over $11,400.

How did this happen? Well, social media has played a huge role in the mainstream success cryptocurrency is currently enjoying. But it all began on a small forum (at the time), Bitcoin Talk, where Laszlo Hanyecz posted a potential Bitcoin transaction for two Papa John’s pizzas.

The two pizzas were bought for 10,000 Bitcoins, worth millions today. This simple social forum transaction has led to bigger things, and thus began the relationship between social media and cryptocurrency.

How the Relationship Between Cryptocurrency and Social Media Works

From forums to mainstream social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and others, cryptocurrency is trending. Social media is of course a no brainer, since social is how most people get their news.

In fact, two-thirds of American adults get their news from social media.

This has led to the popularity and growth of digital currency. This is nothing new to marketers. For example, Facebook is one of the most popular social ad choices to reach a large target audience.

In fact, Facebook is also considering cryptocurrency for business growth. “Facebook, with over two billion monthly active users, can basically drive the mass adoption of anything,” Clement Thibault of Investing.com told Futurism.

As long as cryptocurrency articles, news, and updates continue to dominate social media news feeds, the future looks bright for crypto-social relationship. Social media and other media outlets can cause cryptocurrency price fluctuations, for better or for worse.

Trending news about a large digital currency exchange hack can cause a significant drop in digital currency value. For example, when Hong Kong based exchange Bitfinex was hacked, Bitcoin value dropped 20 percent. This presents a big pitfall in the crypto-social relationship.

Current Social Impact on Cryptocurrency

Social media and forums are still essential for the growth of digital currency and blockchain technology. How so? Well, as cryptocurrency growth continues, people and companies are more interested in investing in it.

To get the most updated crypto-news you will most likely need to turn to social media and forums. For instance, Bitcoin can attribute much of its growth to social forum Reddit.

In fact, Reddit is one of the biggest social influencer platforms. From crypto-enthusiasts to crypto-analysts, they can all be found serving up insight on Reddit. For example, Bitcoin subreddit has detailed information on everything Bitcoin.

Other influential subreddits for crypto-news include:

DarkNetMarkets

Ethereum

CryptoCurrency

CryptoMarkets

Where do journalists get breaking cryptocurrency news? Reddit! Crypto-journalists are also using social media channels like Slack and Telegram to organize and share information about trending digital currency and blockchain news.

“Our group settings occupy places like Slack, Trello, and Google Hangouts,” Jamie Redman, cryptocurrency journalist, said in a 99Bitcoins article. “This is where writers, editors and publishers congregate to discuss news and opinion.”

In fact, most of the trending cryptocurrency stories that hit other social media networks have originated from Reddit.

Future of Social Media, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain

Will social media and forums continue to influence the future of cryptocurrency? This will happen for sure, since social media influences just about everything. However, digital currency and blockchain technology has begun to make its own mark in the social space.

Enter blockchain technology. The future of cryptocurrency may be all about utility rather than specific coin value. With potential adoption of blockchain technology around the corner in multiple industries, the role of social influencing cryptocurrency is being reversed.

Blockchain technology could disrupt the current social media construct. In fact, many of the core blockchain concepts are perfect solutions to many current social media pain points.

Blockchain-based social media networks can offer:

Truly decentralized social content. A blockchain-based social media network will be decentralized with no central server. This gives control to the users and the content they choose to post. The entire network itself will oversee the management of the social network. No more bending to the whims of Facebook or YouTube.

More secure social network. From hackers to government sponsored information sharing, current social media networks are gathering up user information and selling it to the highest bidder. Crypto-based social channels can allow users to maintain their personal and online data and habits. This enhanced security is in many ways a breath of fresh air for social fans.

Better consumer payment options. Consumer transactions that happen over social media can be cumbersome, since there are only a handful of ways to make payments. This is also bad for marketers who spend a hefty amount on social ads with poor ROI. A crypto-based social platform can change all that. Users will get more ways to pay, and pay securely. Advertisers can net better leads and attain consumer data using Basic Attention Token (BAT) processes.

Basic Attention Token (BAT)

The Basic Attention Token is one example how blockchain technology and cryptocurrency are disrupting social media, and pretty much any future digital marketing strategy.

Why is this important? Well, mainly because of ad blocking. More than 25 percent of Americans use ad blockers, according to eMarketer with a steady rise since 2014.

This is a big problem for marketers, but the disruption of social media via blockchain technology could change everything.

Instead of digital marketers using platforms like Facebook to serve up ads to their target audience. They will go straight to users to get more accurate consumer data. Consumers get more control and rewarded with BAT tokens for their information and viewing habits.

“The key idea behind blockchain applications should be to shift the internet from application-centric models to structures where users are at the center, maintain control of their digital footprint, and can decide who will access it,” said Ben Dickson of VentureBeat.

Steemit: How Cryptocurrency is Now Influencing Social Media

Steemit is one example of the new relationship between social media and cryptocurrency. Changing the way social networks are ran, now users can be free of censorship and payment restrictions.

For instance, Steemit content creators get paid via members of the social platform and not from ads. Using cryptocurrency Steem, users upvote and pay out a fraction of Steem if they like content and want to support the author.

This has given content creators a new way to connect via social and get paid free of obstacles traditional mainstream social media networks have in place. Anyone can use it, and anyone can get paid without posting a single ad.

Will the Relationship Balance Keep Shifting?

There is no doubt that social media played a huge role in boosting cryptocurrency to its current status. Global companies are taking a serious look at cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to streamline many of their current, somewhat antiquated business processes.

But the balance does seem to be shifting. Crypto-based social platforms are on the rise and solving many of the issues traditional social networks have in place for both users and businesses.

The relationship between social media, cryptocurrency and blockchain will continue to evolve, and it will do so at lightning speed. However, there will be more of a two-way partnership in the future. What role do you think social media will play as cryptocurrency continues to grow?

Nick Rojas is a self-taught, serial entrepreneur who’s enjoyed success working with and consulting for startups. Using his journalism training, Nick writes for publications such as Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, and Yahoo. He concentrates on teaching small and medium-sized enterprises on how best to manage their social media marketing and define their branding objectives.

The post The Relationship Between Social Media, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain appeared first on Top Dog Social Media.

The Relationship Between Social Media, Cryptocurrency and Blockchain published first on https://themarketingheaven.tumblr.com/

[sherrygorugh]

Revisiting the Andes: Coffees From Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia

The three coffee-growing countries that range along the Andes south of Colombia — Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia — have rich and storied coffee histories. When Coffee Review last dove in to this region, with reports in 2010 and 2013, we found many impressively solid, softly balanced coffees in the Latin-American tradition — all produced from classic tree varieties like Typica and Caturra and processed with care by the time-honored washed or wet method. Coffees that stood out did so because of the purity of their traditional preparation and their balanced structure, not because of unusual tree variety, processing method or particularly original cup profile.

Although this month’s survey did turn up several very impressive coffees in that traditional mode, consider the following signs of change and experimentation in this region. Tree variety: Submissions for this year’s report included six Geishas, an expensive and distinctive variety of Arabica just beginning to be widely grown outside Panama (its most famous producer) and Ethiopia (its ancestral home), plus several samples produced from the newish Sidra variety (a hybrid of Typica and Bourbon). Or take processing method: 16 of the 48 coffees we tested for this month’s report were processed by the dried-in-the-whole-fruit or natural method, rather than the traditional washed method once completely dominant in the region.

David Pittman, of Peach Coffee Roasters in Atlanta, Georgia, updating his roast log. Courtesy of Peach Coffee.

For drinkers of specialty coffee, this experimentation seems to be paying off. Two of the Geishas (one wet-processed, one natural) and one Sidra (natural-processed) rose to the top of this month’s scorecard, as did two naturals produced from traditional tree varieties. These coffees joined several superb coffees of the classic style to fill out the 11 coffees we review here, rated 93 to 91. And although this ratings range is narrow, the breadth of nuance in aroma, structure, body and flavor runs the whole sensory gamut.

The Fair-Trade/Organic Conundrum

Peru, in particular, has long been a go-to origin for organic and fair trade-certified coffees. For our 2013 report, more than 60% of the Andes coffees we tested were certified organic, and almost 50% were fair trade-certified. By comparison, for this month’s report only eight (about 17%) of the 48 coffees submitted were labeled fair trade and/or organic (FTO). Perhaps such certifications are less meaningful now to consumers than they were in previous years, or roasters no longer feel that offering certified organic and/or fair trade coffees is worth the effort and money involved. Keep in mind that, even if U.S. or Canadian roasters buy organic-certified green coffee, they cannot print “organic” on the label and use an organic seal unless their roasting facilities are also certified for handling organic coffees, a demanding and time-consuming process. Similarly, exhibiting a fair trade seal on a coffee requires a licensing partnership, which also involves money, time and oversight. (See our report on fair trade-certified coffees.)

Probably for these reasons roasters may buy a coffee certified fair trade/organic but may choose not to take the steps necessary to legally display the certification seal. Apparently, this was the case with more than 10 of the submissions we spot-checked among the 48 samples we received. In other words, even though a bag was not labeled as FTO, a quick search online of the importer’s site indicated that the green coffee was certified at origin. So, the farmer is still getting a certification premium at the farm level, but roasters are choosing not to take advantage of this ethical appeal in their marketing.

The Direct Trade Alternative

Several roasters I spoke with for this report speculated, off-the-record, that farmers now need to differentiate their coffees more by way of intrinsic cup quality and distinction than by certification. So, in some cases, the value added by certification has given way to the more personalized appeal of direct trade, a set of practices that are not formalized, but are increasing in popularity as a new way for farmers to add value to their coffees: roasters, often dealing directly with producers, pay more for small lots of very distinctive-tasting coffees. Farmers often can earn more for a direct trade coffee with distinctive cup character created in collaboration with a roaster than they can through producing a possibly less-distinctive certified coffee. Of course, the value-added in direct trade is fluid and negotiable (as is the premium paid for organic certification). Only fair trade stipulates a formula-determined minimum price.

Miguel Meza, of Paradise Coffee Roasters, on a coffee-buying trip in the Pichincha Province of North-central Ecuador. Courtesy of Miguel Meza.

We spoke with Melissa Wilson and Parker Townley of Fair Trade USA (whose global seal reads Fair Trade Certified) to try to understand some of the nuances of this complex situation. Townley points out that the fair trade premium paid to producers, which is a significant $.20 per pound, enables coffee communities to undertake important social projects involving such necessities as cancer screenings, nutrition initiatives, education, and food security. He says, “It also positions them to deal with crises like rust, by being able to direct the premium to renovation, without waiting for governments or international development agencies to get some help; or the coffee price crisis, by being able to pay part of the premium in cash and supplement farmer incomes. The premium also enables farmers to grow in capacity by investing in things like cupping labs, dry mills, and staff training.”

Wilson adds that, while many farms are organic by default — because farmers don’t have access to affordable agrochemicals — the Peruvian government (along with other countries like Mexico) — has supported large-scale organic certification to add value, and the combined fair trade/organic premium on these coffees is $.30 a pound. And she says, “Fair Trade is a base supporting a lot of different initiatives that help farming communities. It does not pretend to be a magic wand to solve all problems, but it gives producers a very important range of motion, and sets the stage for efforts to be built upon.”

The roasting room at Peach Coffee in Atlanta, Georgia. Courtesy of Peach Coffee.

David Pittman of Peach Coffee Roasters in Atlanta, Georgia, whose Natural Utcubamba we rated 91, says that, for better or worse, his customers don’t have FTO on their radar. “Currently, we are the only specialty coffee shop within a five-mile radius,” he says. “We are in the introductory phase of specialty coffee with our customers. For the most part, we have about 15-20 seconds to explain what sets our coffee apart from commodity. To try to explain FTO might be a bridge too far for us, right now.” He bought the wildly unusual natural-processed Utcubamba simply because he loved how it tasted. We read notes of caramelized banana, hibiscus, cedar, pipe tobacco and rum cordial — not a coffee you’d pin as a Peru in a blind-cupping. Even though this coffee isn’t labeled fair trade, its purchase supports farmers on the ground by way of the fair trade premium.

Similarly, Nathan Westwick of Wild Goose Coffee Roasters in Redlands, California submitted a lovely Peru Chirinois San Ignacio (92) that is certified organic at origin, but since the roastery isn’t also certified, he isn’t able to promote the coffee as such. Ideally, the consumer ought to know about the certification, too, but at least the farmers are being rewarded for producing coffees in ways that Wilson says are “better for the farmer and for the planet.”

Wild Goose’s Peru Chirinois. Courtesy of Wild Goose Coffee Roasters.

The Sensory Experience, From Classic to Experimental

Of the 11 coffees we review here, some were sensory rides as wild as the Peach Coffee Utcubamba. Bird Rock’s Finca Tasta Peru (93), a natural-processed Red Caturra, offered up blood orange zest, dried raspberry, ginger blossom, cocoa powder and sandalwood — again, not your classic Peru cup, which is typically balanced, soft in structure and understated in aromatics. Of this coffee, Maritza Suarez-Taylor of Bird Rock says, “[Farmer] Edith Meza started to experiment with honey and natural-process coffees in 2014, and after tasting a lot of samples, we offered the first coffees from this process in 2016 (at PT’s Coffee, a brand also owned by Suarez-Taylor and her husband, Jeff). Every year, Edith and her brother Ivan ask for our feedback on what they can do to improve the green coffee, which is a challenge for them due the lack of infrastructure and knowledge in coffee processing that deviates from the traditional washed process. For this coffee, we asked her to separate out the Red Caturra. Each year we continue to see improvements in quality and consistency.”

Sean Tung of Sucré Beans in Taipei.

Other experimental coffees we review include three produced from the Geisha variety: Taiwan-based Sucré Beans Bolivia Yungas Caranavi Alasitas Geisha Natural (93), whose spice-toned, delicately fruity profile wooed us; a second natural Geisha from the Caranavi region of Bolivia by Plat Coffee in Hong Kong (91), with a more reserved, cocoa-toned presentation; and a washed Blues Brew Geisha Pasco Oxapampa Peru (92), also roasted in Taiwan, alive with resonant floral and deep candied nut tones.

Blues Chen of Blues Brew in Taipei.

In the classic wet-processed camp, Minnesota’s Paradise Roasters Ecuador Pichincha Typica (93), a version of which made our list of the Top 30 Coffees of the Year in 2018, leads the way with its richly sweet-savory notes of cocoa nib, mango, lemon verbena and freesia. Kansas-based PT’s Coffee’s washed-process Sidra (the Typica-Bourbon hybrid) landed at 93 for its rich-toned, engaging complexity, more like a “classic” cup in Technicolor.

A Cajamarca Peru from Greater Goods Roasting in Austin, Texas and an Ecuador Finca La Papaya (92) from Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea in Branford, Connecticut, both conventionally wet-processed, each earned 93 points for their straight-ahead flying of the classic flag. The former is deeply rich and sweetly savory, while the latter is crisply tart, more citrus-driven.

The Ecuador Los Eucaliptos from Kickapoo Coffee (93) in Driftless, Wisconsin reads a bit like a clean but idiosyncratic natural-processed coffee with its notes of very ripe plum and root beer, but it turned out to be a washed coffee whose roast profile also showed off its pretty fruit and sweet herbaceousness.

The Current State of Andes Coffees

Many farmers in this region are recovering from one of the worst outbreaks in history of the devastating coffee fungus known as leaf rust. Several roasters I spoke with suggested anecdotally that the need for re-planting is one explanation for the experiments with varieties such as Geisha and Sidra, as these coffees command higher prices than Typica and Caturra. Experimental processing methods, on the other hand, are almost certainly driven by market demand for distinctive-tasting coffees. There is a growing desire, especially in Asia, the U.S. and Canadian markets, for the unusual, often fruit-driven character of natural-processed coffees. Sean Tung, of Plat Coffee in Hong Kong, says he thinks processing experiments are also going global by way of producers sharing information across continents.

Shihpan (James) Chuang, of Taipei-based importer Pebble Coffee, cautions that, with the pursuit of naturals in producing regions that don’t have traditions of this processing method, the proposition can be especially risky. But he agrees that producers can ask more for these coffees, given their potentially unique profiles and the additional labor and time required to produce them.

Amy Broderick, a trader with Olam Specialty Coffee, puts an even finer point on it: “The possibility of inconsistent results is higher than with washed coffees, and over-fermentation is common. The process can be piloted, but then once the farmer nails it in small batches and moves on to larger quantities it’s possible they run into factors they can’t control (too high temperatures, too much rain, etc.), and if something small turns into something big in the cup quality, they’ve risked it all for nothing.

“Beyond that,” Broderick continues, “not every farm can take on the risk of experimentation. With a market that fluctuates the way we’ve been seeing, just having the capital to invest in innovating products is often not an option, especially knowing that some of those experiments will not yield perfect results in the short term. It could take a few harvests to really pinpoint the perfect cup for that region and variety. If farmers don’t have partners on the ground who can cue them in to the information and feedback they need, then the risk could be considered too high.”

In fact, over-fermentation was the most common issue with the natural-processed coffees we cupped that did not score high enough to be included in this report.

While it’s impossible to know how the experimentation going on in this region will ultimately play out, our cupping of 48 coffees from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, with their exhilarating mix of profiles both classic and unorthodox, appears to bode well for the future.

The post Revisiting the Andes: Coffees From Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia appeared first on Coffee Review.

Revisiting the Andes: Coffees From Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia published first on https://linlincoffeeequipment.tumblr.com/

[mrchristopherbyant]

A Canadian Playlist by Maggie Morrison

My guest writer this week is Canadian pianist, teacher, adjudicator and musicologist Maggie Morrison. Maggie (pictured below) is studying for her doctorate at the University of Toronto, where she is researching the piano music of Canadian composer David L. McIntyre. I asked her what qualities pervade David’s music and what drew her to study the music of Contemporary Canadian composers. Over to Maggie…

When Melanie and I met this past March as adjudicators in Hong Kong, my grandfather was alive. He now rests in the Eternal Garden, a niche cremation wall in Brantford, Ontario.  After his death I began spending every Thursday with my Nana. During one of our Thursdays together, I noticed a hunter green chest tucked away in a corner with the title “J. WRATTEN” printed on the top in big black lettering.

I opened it up and found my great grandfather’s immigration slip from England dated 1913, from the port of Liverpool – the immigration slip!  I hadn’t thought or realized until that moment that my gramps was first generation Canadian. He instilled values that serve me today – work hard, be kind, and get the job done.

My grandpa grew up in the Salvation Army playing the tuba; he encouraged my mom to be a musician as a young girl, driving her to lessons and local Kiwanis competitions.  She is now an established teacher, life coach and mentor; blazing a trail for badass entrepreneurs with her online business The Music Teacher’s Teacher.

I grew up with Boris Berlin’s pedagogy books as a beginner pianist, attended Sharon, Louis and Bram concerts as a little girl, and later blasted Alanis Morissette and The Tragically Hip on my car speakers as a young driver, ripping around southern Ontario.  As a teenager I studied with Dr. E. Gregory Butler who encouraged me (and his entire studio) to learn and perform Canadian pieces every year.  My first advanced piece of Canadian repertoire was Jacques Hetu’s Impromptu Op.70.  I love the freedom that new music brings, the map is a familiar landscape among a different terrain.

I’ve come full circle with my love of Canadian music: I’m focusing on the piano music of David L. McIntyre for my doctorate dissertation at the University of Toronto.  Back in 2011, I asked David to write a piece for me.  We exchanged many emails – he was interested in getting to know me both as a musician and an individual.  He asked me many questions, from favourite colour to country to cuisine.  The piece he wrote for me, “Transmissions”, is now a part of Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music syllabus for the Diploma level.

David’s music is completely captivating.  His compositional style is very pianistic; he himself is a pianist.  His music for beginners is full of humour and personality.  Listening to the Sun and A Small Band of Smart Rodents are two of my favourites. There is often a rhythmic force – a pulse, a pattern that drives his music.  In Transmissions, David’s compositional style ping pongs between two main focuses: rhythm and melody.  The first section pushes forward with intense rhythmic drive – from the first bar McIntyre doesn’t spare a second – it begins with sixteenth notes in both hands chromatically crashing to the second bar where an intense motive then takes over.  There is an element of satirical humour heard here, with an almost Prokofiev-like approach. The feeling of breathlessness and intensity doesn’t let up until a few minutes into the piece.  The contrasting section is dreamy and melodic – highly pianistic and soulful writing – using the lowest and highest ends of the piano simultaneously, featuring languid rhythms in a bluesy section and ostinato in the bass.

David’s inspiration for this piece came from the first telephone call ever made by Alexander Graham Bell from Paris (Ontario) to Brantford, about 15 kilometres away.  David thought it was interesting that I was originally from Paris, but was premiering this piece for a fundraising concert in Brantford.  Thus blossomed his idea of a transmission – a wave of energy through technology, from the earth to the stars (or satellite) and back.

We often don’t know how our environments influence us. Sometimes it’s very clear, sometimes it is less obvious.  I am proud to be the granddaughter of a man who valued music.

Here is my Playlist of Canadian music for you to explore and enjoy:

The Tragically Hip – Bobcaygeon

Alanis Morrisette – Ironic

David L. McIntyre – Transmissions, for Maggie

Alexina Louie – Scenes from a Jade Terrace

Francois Morel – Etude de Sonorite, No.2

Heather Schmidt – Nebula

The following video comes from one of my Bachelor’s Degree performances at The Cleveland Institute of Music in 2012.

My Publications:

For much more information about how to practice piano repertoire, take a look at my two-book piano course, Play it again: PIANO (Schott). Covering a huge array of styles and genres, 49 progressive pieces from approximately Grade 1 – 8 level are featured, with at least two pages of practice tips for every piece. A convenient and beneficial course for students of any age, with or without a teacher, and it can also be used alongside piano examination syllabuses too.

You can find out more about my other piano publications and compositions here.

  from Melanie Spanswick https://ift.tt/2xCysrj

[jeremycoungeau-blog]

White Property State Supper

Greater than 13,000 individuals appeared in Paris for the 27th edition of 'Diner en blanc' (' Supper in white') - a pop-up barbecue where attendees suit up to the nines entirely in white colored. Another way in order to get an amazing style created in to your platter is to obtain a plate that possesses a layout in fact cut out from the edge from it. This collection of white colored plastic platters possesses a basic yet gorgeous blossom concept cut out from a part of one upper hand from each plate. You may go as straightforward as a charming brilliant white pie wind turbine tower covered in red-colored sheer broad lace or even given that exciting like a birthday cake which is shaped to turn into a pile entailing Christmas gifts, by making using of bows and even inclines as portion of the embellishment. If you are taking into consideration giving after dinner speeches as a career, simply think me when I mention that being a productive, fulltime, professional after dinner sound speaker is actually seriously hard work as well as is a desire that is, for a lot of, incredibly challenging to accomplish. Using bamboo placemats you may add added credibility to your eating for just online-gymblog.info a couple of dollars, best this off with some chopsticks and also tatami mats as well as you are going to have the ability to have an oriental dinner gathering your family and friends will like! A standard German X-mas supper could be a cool heritage to try in United States also if you are aiming to offer your household to different lifestyles or even just would like to do a something remarkable for X-mas this year. His firm solutions include a sizable wide array from premium companies beyond merely fire as well as water, to feature mold remediation, pack rat clean up, carpet cleansing, mold remediation and damage, criminal offense and also assessment scene tidy up, and also a lot more. Late in to supper, I will take a look at an immediate e-mail" on my Crackberry" and also ask forgiveness about possessing an unexpected conference call with a Hong-Kong-based customer in 90 minutes, which would certainly oblige me to return to the office after supper. The traditional technique to prepare turkey is actually to pack this, after that roast this (Mundane.) Although the turkey after its baked with its own golden brownish crispy skin - surrounded by all its own edgings on the Christmas time table might appear scrumptious and also delicious, you should not be misleaded because this does not indicate the bird is actually cooked on the in. Lay # 1 goes inning accordance with plan and also I even get Lisa to to me in Cantonese during the course of rectal, which was a first for me, and a little bit odd - possibly because I typically speak Cantonese only along with my family members.

[sdaga]

The grievances of the pro-democracy movement——After waiting for the lotus flower for a long time, persevering in a pool of muddy water...

The Hong Kong court recently announced that Huang Zhifeng and other four people were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 4 to 10 months for "knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly". However, Li Zhiying was sentenced in the same way as before.

After the news report, various pro-democracy activists in the world frequently spoke out: regret, ridicule, condemn, and pinch each other... But unfortunately, many pro-democracy activists seem to be using this topic to hype themselves and skillfully eat "people". "Blood Mantou", taking advantage of the online platform to collect a wave of popularity and bounty, but

Few people analyze countermeasures and make substantive action plans.

The pro-democracy movement has many factions all over the world. I thought this was the "Spring of the Democracy Movement" in which a hundred flowers blossomed and hundreds of horses competed. However, the reality is that the good and the bad are mixed. The phenomenon of pinching and donation fraud among factions is endless. This phenomenon makes the author think deeply...

What is the real pro-democracy movement? What kind of pro-democracy leader do we really need?

The author is accustomed to using the method of elimination to find the answer-the real lotus.

A. It will definitely not be a shameless and licentious. "All evil and adultery are the head", the ethics of the adulterer is untenable, how can he give higher expectations? For example, Wang Dan, who initially lived in exile in the United States, taught in Taiwan's universities with his "career resume" after 2009. During the period, Wang Dan did a few stupid things, one of which was to openly support Chen Weiting, the leader of the Sunflower student movement who was involved in the harassment scandal, by saying that "bad sex is a personality defect", so that everyone can see his moral defects. At the same time, its evaluation in Taiwan is polarized, and it deliberately creates news, which makes people extremely uncomfortable. In the end, it is difficult to escape the fate of being marginalized.

B. It will definitely not be the flow of pleasure and profit. For a period of time after the 1989 incident, France was a gathering place for the "democracy movement". Subsequently, due to the large amount of funds funded by the United States, many people went to the United States from France. Of course, having greater support is certainly not a bad thing, but many people become "drunk" as soon as they smell the smell of copper and lose their direction.

Talk about the senior lie master and "Internet celebrity" Guo Wengui. This person is an extreme believer in personal interests. From China to the United States, how many people walked to the Champagne Yacht with the trust of many people. Now, drunk and fanatic, even Trump and Trump Bannon and even the United States have been fooled by the "new crown virus man-made theory" he created. They blamed the CCP for failing to counteract and caused social problems in the United States that are hostile to Asian races. However, there are still many "die loyal fans" who regard him as the future of the democracy movement. They donate money and materials to him, and they want to take off their clothes and give all of them. It is really sad! ! !

C. It will definitely not be a mindless and narrow stream. The current pro-democracy movement has already seen a serious "involution" phenomenon, but most of them don't even know it. how so? This is because most countries’ economic support for democracy movement groups is based on the size of their organizations and the people in power to determine the amount of funding. This has led many democracy movement groups to pursue interests around power and finances, and continue to carry out even the lack of planning "everything in China must be opposed." The activity is just to enrich the bargaining chip to obtain funding to invite the governments of various countries. In fact, the total funds funded by various countries have an annual plan and will not change. It is just that the pro-democracy groups continue to "internally" compete in vicious competition for the number of people and activities, and they lack independent strategic thinking and direction control. In the end, it is the governments of various countries who will gain greater benefits from the democratic movement.

Just ask, in such a brainless competition, how many pro-democracy groups can self-precipitate and think independently? The pro-democracy movement is not a "chess piece" or "cannon fodder". It must have something to think about, otherwise it will be manipulated and destroyed by the governments of various countries. What is helpless is that many groups are so brainless, even slander each other, and eventually go to extinction. Everyone, look at Huang Zhifeng and others on the news. This person has some abilities, but he has been targeted by the United States as an "agent" since he was a child, blindly moving forward in order to be funded and recognized by the United States. It was too late for him to go up, and he was destined to become an abandoned son, which even harmed a large group of bloody fighters who followed him.

D. It will definitely not be the "calling wheat behind the scenes" and the like. Such people are also embarrassed, but even more hateful. Hidden behind the scenes to make action plans and online incitement, so that everyone can be "cannon fodder" on the front line, but they lie at home and take advantage of the "fisherman's profit." The "big names" Li Yiping and Wu Jianmin belong to this category. Do you remember the "National Resonance" of the past few years? This seemingly vigorous movement eventually led to most pro-democracy activists being targeted by Guoan, with no effect. There is no shortage of voices condemning the two people for launching this activity on the Internet.

What the pro-democracy movement really needs is a person who can think independently, is good at planning, daring to act, has a noble character, and takes the lead as a leader, not a person who is kidnapped by the so-called governments of various countries. The kidnapped person firstly cannot let go of his hands and feet, and always takes into consideration his benefactor’s daily emotions and is subject to his manipulation; second, he is easily brainwashed, limited by the old Western model of thinking, and lacks suitable times. The third is that there are too many spiritual and material temptations, and the beliefs and original intentions of the pro-democracy movement have been abandoned. The examples of directly doing business with China after having been washed out before will not be given as examples.

The democratic movement has a long way to go, and the front is full of thorns! I don’t know if this article can be published on the Internet. If you are lucky, I hope you comrades will self-examine and not be the "puppets" and "cannon fodder" of governments of various countries, and be a person who thinks independently, acts properly, and distinguishes good from bad. There are many such people. Only then can the "lotus of democracy movement" be opened!

[blossomonlinehk]

Blossom's IB Physics Online Course in Hong Kong: Ace Your IB Physics Exam Confidently

If you are an IB Physics student in Hong Kong and strive to enhance your learning in physics or any other subject included in the IB examination, look no further than Blossom’s IB physics online course in Hong Kong for your online tutoring needs. Our platform provides a unique and efficient way of learning, including online courses, self-revision materials, and sharing opportunities with peers and professionals.

[ebizupdate]

Fosun International Limited: A Letter to Shareholders

HONG KONG, March 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fosun International Limited issued a letter to all shareholders of Fosun, the full letter is as follows:

To all shareholders of Fosun:

Fosun will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2017. Every Fosuner and I would like to express our thanks to you all for your trust and being here all these years to share every precious moment with us.

In the past year, Fosun maintained its strong growth momentum of development and made significant breakthroughs in its business performance. As of 31 December 2016, the Group's consolidated assets grew by 19.5% to RMB 486.78 billion and the equity attributable to the owners of the parent increased by 21.9% to RMB 92.37 billion in 2016 compared with that in 2015. The compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of net assets was 23.7% for the recent five years. Profit attributable to the owners of the parent reached RMB 10.27 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 27.7% or a CAGR of 24.7% in the past five years. Fosun's net profit hit a record high above RMB 10 billion, signifying Fosun has embarked on a new chapter in its business endeavours and development. The Board resolved to recommend payment of a final dividend of HKD0.21 per ordinary share for the year ended 31 December 2016.

The financial figures highlight our effective implementation of business strategy, yet we always resist complacency that has made us continue to excel our ultimate objective. To draw an analogy between a company's evolution and human growth, I would say after 25 years of development, we have grown from children into charismatic adolescents and now blossoming youths. We have been increasingly aware that the most important aspect of a company's development is its capability to bring long-term growth in shareholders' value. We have attached great importance to our customers' needs, and we regard customers as the foundation for a long-term growth in enterprise value. Fosun's mission is "Creating a happiness ecosystem for success, bringing a healthy, happy, and wealthy life to families around the world".

Surmounting the ups and downs in the economic cycle and creating value for shareholders consistently

In the past five years, our business mix has shown the characteristics of "high growth, light asset and capability to withstand cyclical risks". For instance, we have quickly put in place Fosun's medical and senior care businesses. This has resulted in the consistent increase of the proportion of the "health, happiness and wealth" business in Fosun's total assets and profit. As of 31 December 2016, the total assets of "health, happiness and wealth" business were increased by 28.8%[1] compared with that in 2015, accounting for more than 80.0% of the Fosun Group's total assets. In addition, the "health, happiness and wealth" business has become the most important source of Fosun's profit, contributing more than 76.0%.

Developing business while effectively controlling financial risks, optimizing the balance sheet consistently

While maintaining organic and external growth, Fosun has paid more attention to risk control, especially effective control of financial risks through proactive management. Specifically, the overall maturity period of liabilities has increased. Debts with duration of three years and longer periods accounted for more than 38.7% of the total liabilities. The financing cost kept on decreasing, with the average financing cost continuously decreasing from 5.7% per annum in 2013 to 4.5% per annum in 2016 (5.0% per annum in 2015). The proportion of assets with high liquidity kept on increasing. Both the net gearing ratio and the capital debt ratio continued to decrease.

Great potential for appreciation in the value of assets

I am very proud to learn, work and grow together with many intelligent and diligent colleagues at Fosun. Thanks to everyone's efforts, we have been able to live through the ups and downs of the economic cycle and fostered the development of many high-quality projects. As a result, we have built up huge potential for appreciation in the value of assets and can expect a harvest season. This can best be illustrated by successful investments and operations such as Focus Media, Cainiao, YUNDA Holding Co., Ltd. and Atlantis Sanya.

At this moment, I can sum up Fosun's development in the past 25 years in the following words: to achieve long-term growth in shareholders' value and bring a happier life to customers, we have been working conscientiously and earnestly everyday as if we were skating on thin ice and standing on the brink of an abyss. These are the values we have been insisting since the first day that Fosun was founded, and Fosun will continue to practise what it believes in.

Believing in learning, progress, and development, creating a global happiness ecosystem for success

New achievements were made one after another in 2016, but this gives me a deep sense of unease. Why? Because a fast-changing world poses many challenges and people are prone to lose direction in such a fast-changing world. For instance, internet and mobile internet are changing the world, at an even faster pace, and they make their presence increasingly felt in manufacturing industry and the supply chain. Breakthroughs in technological innovations are also happening more rapidly. Notably, the impact of artificial intelligence may surpass those of all other technologies such as mobile internet. Globalized investment, trade, and exchange of ideas about technologies are becoming more frequent, but the voice of anti-globalization movement is growing stronger. As globalization and anti-globalization movement are interwoven, surprises or the so-called "black swan incidents" will become more frequent to such an extent that they will become part of the norm.

Faced with these changes and challenges, we will assume more responsibilities for the well-being of the world, that is, Fosun will help the world change for the better. Therefore, Fosun has to create a happiness ecosystem for families all over the world. The question is how Fosun can attain this goal. I think the key to this undertaking is C2M business model.

C2M - the present and future of Fosun

C2M, or Customer-to-Maker, is a business model that induces the restructuring of the value chains of all the industries in the whole society. C2M enables complete linkage between individual consumers and manufacturer for the first time in the industrial age through mobile internet, high-efficiency logistics management and devices, Fin-Tech and especially such technologies as big data and artificial intelligence. Of course, C2M is not intended to be a means of eliminating all the intermediaries, but only those of no value. For intermediaries of value, C2M can transform itself into C2B2M (Customer-to-Business-to-Maker).

Fosun is one of the first companies to discern the opportunities of C2M in the restructuring of industries. Fosun has also promptly put in place a number of investments and operations, which feature C2M. All such investments and operations have enabled us to gain thorough understanding of C2M.

To begin with, we need to reach the customers with coordinated online and offline efforts so as to fully tap the potential.

We have made the following predictions: the market will become increasingly fragmented and the means of reaching customers will become increasingly diverse in the future. The offline means of reaching customers have become popular again as businesses recognize its value. In the future, any company that only relies on one channel or a third-party channel to reach customers, or only buys access to online traffic, or even does so at a high price in order to stay in business, will be constrained by lack of control over its own business and is doomed to fail.

How can Fosun reach customers directly in such situation? On one hand, we have made investments to strengthen our online channels for reaching customers such as investing in the Weiyi, a leading online portal in the healthcare industry of China, Qinbaobao, a leading online portal in the maternal and nursery healthcare industry of the country and Fosun-Pay, a channel for reaching customers through their online payments and for collecting both cash and data from such customers. On the other hand, Fosun's offline channels for reaching customers are also gradually showing their value. For example, the value of the Group's core properties at prime locations are increasing gradually again; and Club Med has used its brand influence and services such as those of Mini Club to switch tourist products that are not frequently purchased into frequently purchased products.

Therefore, Fosun has to combine online and offline channels in the future and reach customers by diverse means. This will enable it to tap the full potential value of the channels. Of course, we are fully aware that it is a very difficult task to build up the capability to reach customers. However, Fosun never evades undertaking challenging task. We will endeavour to persevere.

Secondly, we need to strengthen our capability as a maker of goods or provider of services who are geared towards adaptable and sophisticated production with the spirit of the craftsman and by restructuring the supply chain.

In "C2M", the letter "M" refers to "Maker" -- a manufacturer who is geared towards adaptable and sophisticated production by adopting artificial intelligence, robots and sophisticated supply chain management. I think the concept of "Maker" can be extended to areas beyond manufacturing, for example, the performances of Cirque du Soleil, the film and television productions of Studio 8 and the new business models for commerce and retailing in Hive City. Fosun, as a manufacturer or a producer who is geared towards adaptable and sophisticated production can use the C2M business model to understand and process a massive amount of data about the customers. We will then be well-positioned to conduct research and development and to establish an adaptable work flow and arrange for a more flexible supply of raw materials. All these will enable us to respond swiftly to customers' personalized needs.

There is always a push-and-pull relationship between a supplier and a customer and whoever is stronger has the upper hand. In other words, if you can produce an amazing product, you need not worry about the customer's monopoly. At the same time, a customer is always looking for a trustworthy company which can produce good content and strong products.

Therefore, any company which can become a target of investment by Fosun has to meet certain criteria -- it must have the spirit of a craftsman, produce competitive products and have the ability to meet customers' new requirements. For example, we have invested in AHAVA, which is regarded as a national treasure of Israel and is the only skin care brand that has been permitted by the Israeli government to tap the resources of the Dead Sea and Sanyuan Foods, which is one of China's best dairy product companies in terms of quality and quality control. These are the kind of companies that Fosun has always been seeking to invest in.

All of the companies that Fosun has invested in have to restructure and improve according to the standards and requirements of the C2M business model. This means that they have to be able to enhance the use of data, increase investment in product development, improve manufacturing processes and be geared towards adaptable production with the advent of mobile internet. The supply chain should be more scientific, more efficient, and geared towards the adaptable and sophisticated production.

C2M enables the integration of flows of capital, information and materials, and thus the formation of a closed-loop system for customer service in creation of a happiness ecosystem for success

When Fosun and all of its subsidiaries have adopted the C2M business model, the flows of capital, information and materials will be integrated into one. The integration of the three flows need not to happen in a single business entity. It is more important that the integration takes place in one ecosystem of businesses and enables the formation of a closed-loop system for customer service. In the future, the closed-loop system has to be established in each of Fosun's businesses. The closed-loop system will enable the businesses to provide one-stop customer services and to cooperate with external parties. These closed-loop systems will feature prominently in the happiness ecosystem that Fosun has built intelligently. For example:

Fosun has preliminarily built a closed-loop system for its healthcare business, which covers health insurance, medical care and health management, and is supplemented by retail pharmacies and development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. In addition, we will have to make two breakthroughs in 2017. Firstly, having put Fosun United Health Insurance and Star Healthcare into operation, we must form a closed-loop system to include health insurance, health management, and medical care. In that closed-loop system, Fosun's health insurance and health management will prevent its customers from illnesses. Secondly, we should take advantage of the Star Castle Living's and Star eHealth's capabilities to provide senior care and combine them with Fosun's senior care facilities and senior insurance to establish an advantageous closed-loop system for "senior community and happy old age". Meanwhile, Fosun will also invest more in the innovation and research and development in the healthcare industry, including the move to step up the research and development of drugs and the innovation in medical devices so as to provide technological support to the establishment of closed-loop system for its healthcare business.

We will also establish a closed-loop system for our maternal and nursery healthcare business. We have invested in a leading portal in the industry such as Qinbaobao that can draw online traffic, and we are strengthening its operation by sourcing the best products for maternal and nursery healthcare in the world. The portal also features gynaecological and obstetric services such as United Family Healthcare. Fosun has the capabilities to establish a closed-loop system to meet the needs for maternal and nursery healthcare.

Fosun will also establish a closed-loop system for its tourism business. Although many agents are selling their products through various channels, but the products, such as the tourist services provided by Club Med and Atlantis are not frequently engaged. We need to search for more channels to reach customers directly. For example, we can leverage Thomas Cook's advantageous distribution system in Europe to connect with the customers directly. We believe that tourism products can be delivered directly to the customers. We will integrate all of the resources to establish a closed-loop system.

All these closed-loop systems are centered on products and services. In addition, Fosun has several advantageous core capabilities to establish other types of closed-loop systems such as those of "Finance +", "Properties +" and "Internet +".

What is the concept of "+"? It is about integrating Fosun's advantages and making the best out of various resources to establish a closed-loop system. To that end, we start with a single point, a single product, or a single service business and then integrate it with other industries. "Finance +", for example, is about creating opportunities to reach customers frequently through financial service. As an example, we started with health insurance, the wealth management of H&A and Fosun-Pay, then link and integrate them with other industries to establish closed-loop systems. Hive City is an important offline portal to attract traffic, so "Properties +" is about starting with the real estate business and integrate it with other industries one by one to establish a closed-loop system. All these closed-loop systems have to be enabled by the internet, but they cannot be confined to the internet; they should be profoundly integrated with other industries.

Ultimately, these closed-loop systems will all be completed in Fosun's happiness ecosystem. This is a process of allowing the businesses to empower each other, to enable each other to enhance its own products, and to work out better solutions to address customers' real needs. They will also serve as a foundation for each other's development, and their developments will become closely intertwined. Through investments and cooperation, we will add new elements to Fosun's ecosystem of businesses and make them to reinforce and complement each other. We will seek for opportunities to upgrade the ecosystem of businesses, which will also keep on empowering all the elements within such ecosystem and supporting them in their attempts to form their own closed-loop systems so as to enable them to develop faster and perform better. This is the core philosophy of how Fosun establishes its ecosystem of businesses intelligently.

Fosun's business ecosystem is growing broader, deeper and stronger in 2017

We have now defined the direction of Fosun's development in the future, that is, creating a happiness ecosystem for success with the C2M business model. In 2017, we will try every means to make Fosun's business ecosystem deepen and flourish, that is, to grow broader, deeper and stronger. This will enable all the elements in Fosun's ecosystem of businesses to develop in synergy and achieve organic growth.

In terms of "growing broader", it means, on one hand, the capability of Fosun's ecosystem of businesses for "health, happiness and wealth" to enable all of its elements to integrate with each other, combine their strengths and leverage the broad range of their businesses to develop in synergy and in closed-loop systems. On the other hand, the term "growing broader" also refers to Fosun's continuing drive for globalization and its pursuit of broader geographical market coverage. While reinforcing our footholds in developed countries, we will focus on emerging markets of such countries and regions as Russia, Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia.

As regards "growing deeper", Fosun has always emphasized profound industrial accumulation. Both its investments and businesses have to be conducted according to the principle of profound industrial integration. Every closed-loop system that we have proposed must develop their businesses with depth, enhance the competitiveness of their products, which are excellent in quality. At the same time, we need to deepen our understanding of different regions across the world and seek opportunities that fit into Fosun's strategies in those regions through the local teams. Notably, Fosun, as a global company which was founded and has taken roots in China and specifically in Shanghai, will definitely develop further the local market of Shanghai and other provincial markets of China while pressing ahead with its globalization drive. We firmly believe that leaves cannot be luxuriant without deep roots. We can only conduct our globalization drive well with the profound localization of our operations.

While "growing stronger or reaching a new height", it refers to Fosun's ideas about innovation and product development that I would like to share with you.

Fosun must continue to be ahead of the curve in terms of technology and business model, and must occupy high grounds in competition in fast-changing times. It must take initiatives in such areas as research and development of medicines and medical technology, innovation in retail business models, integration of financial service into more situations and more types of industries, the upgrading of various creative products, and the upgrading of Hive City. We must fit product development into the company's development. Both Fosun and its subsidiaries have to increase investment in research and in creating innovative businesses. For Fosun, innovation and research is not an option, but is a must and priority. Fosun's development in the future will definitely be driven by technologies.

We propose that Fosun Pharma should be in the same position within the global healthcare industry just like how Huawei is positioned within the telecommunications equipment and service industry. It should take every effort to make faster breakthroughs in gene sequencing, innovative medicine, precision operation, artificial intelligence and other medical services. Fosun aspires to become the world's pioneer in Fin-Tech, building on the achievements of the giants in the past, through financial innovation in particular. Besides, Fosun will also have to lead the industry in the adoption of C2M business model which will drive the restructuring of traditional manufacturing industry and the supply chain.

Furthermore, we need to emphasize Fosun's immense worldwide social responsibility in the world. Fosun has preliminarily established a business layout which has a geographical market coverage all over the world. This entails corporate social responsibility on a global scale. For example, we sponsored a Protecting start up accelerating program in Portugal. We should introduce more amazing products to the society, support young people to be innovative and generate more employment opportunities for them. This will increase efficiency and productivity within the society. As a responsible global corporate citizen, Fosun will try its best to help the world change for the better.

The above-mentioned ideas about the direction of the Company's development in the future resulted from thorough discussions among all members of Fosun's management. I would like to take this opportunity to keep you posted on the details of Fosun's work plans for 2017.

One Fosun, further enhancement of management structure, empowerment of the capacity to create value

In order to achieve the target of its globalization drive, Fosun not only improves consistently its capabilities but also enhances both its management structure and corporate culture. Therefore, Fosun is taking efforts to build the One Fosun platform through the upgrading of the management structure. The platform, which will combine the flexible frontline and the strong middle and back offices, will enable Fosun to carry out its strategies with agility at various levels. In addition, the One Fosun platform will be an organization system that enables Fosun to adapt to the market with the advent of mobile internet and new technologies. It will empower the "combat troops" at the frontline through the lean, efficient and strong middle and back offices.

As to the management strategy, not only will Fosun aim for eliminating competition, it will even encourage a certain degree of overlapping of different teams. "Overlap" here means no strict definition of the boundaries between the business scopes of different teams and an appropriate degree of overlapping of different operations. To draw an analogy, I would say that there should be more than one player for each of the position in a football team, and those who ultimately can play in a match are certainly the best players who have proven their abilities by winning their positions through competition. Such individuals and teams are mature and trustworthy.

Continuous improvement of Fosun's comprehensive financial capability

Fosun's strong capability to operate various businesses with depth, comprehensive financial capability with insurance as its core operation, and global perspective are the three most dominant genes of Fosun. As Fosun has put in place its financial businesses worldwide, including those of insurance, banking, securities and asset management, we must have the capability to integrate finance with its various businesses seamlessly and continue to improve our comprehensive financial capability.

We will further improve investment capability that allows us to fully deploy the available capital generated from its insurance business, and build up our capability to make investments with fixed returns. The first life insurance package of our German Run-Off platform has started its operation. The insurance companies under Fosun will actively seek to match their operations with Fosun's resources and capabilities.

We encourage the establishment of special funds for big projects that fit into Fosun's strategies. We will press ahead with the securitization of our assets, and build up our capability to tap the capital markets.

The "power of three": Discipline, discipline, discipline

As a global investment group, Fosun has been adhering to value investing. The value of an investment that we pay attention to does not necessarily lie in bargaining the purchase of equity stakes at the lowest price or comparing our valuation of an investment and that done by others, or whether our valuation is lower than or the same as those done by others. We believe in "rediscovering value and rediscovering potential for growth". We must discern the value of investments and their growth drivers that others have failed to spot. This is the essence of Fosun's value investing.

At the same time, our investments have to be able to complement to empower each other to create value. They should be able to combine Fosun's capability to operate businesses with depth, financial capability and globalization capability with all of Fosun's subsidiaries. We need to give support to all those companies in their development and growth, and hope to find more companies that can empower Fosun's ecosystem of businesses. However, Fosun does not blindly follow investment fads and the opinions of the so-called "experts". We must exercise our own judgement to screen out the unsound businesses as targets of investment.

Fosun is an elite organization, and its staff must be faster than competitors by 0.01 second

Over the past 25 years, I appreciate that it was not easy to achieve so many goals. They could not be realized without the elite organization. Thus, Fosun has always been building up an elite organization. The staff members of Fosun must be elites.

I think "0.01" best serves as the standard of being an elite. In other words, we need to find those who are 0.01 second faster than the fastest. We hope to find those who are 0.01 per cent stronger than others in study. Presently, Fosun has a lot of younger talents. With professional expertise, a global perspective and entrepreneurial spirits, they have emerged in all ranks in Fosun and have taken on more responsibility at work. They are Fosun's most valuable assets and they are also the driving force behind Fosun's development.

Meanwhile, Fosun cannot tolerate mediocre people. It will weed out those who only have impressive resumes but makes no achievements at work, those who have experience but cannot innovate, and those who fail to learn and grow continuously. The elites we are talking about are those who run faster than their peers and perform more outstandingly and creatively than others in various competences.

We need to stress two more points in the establishment of the elite organization: the first one is "Glocal" (i.e. "Global + Local"). We need to build up strong local teams. The second point is Fosun's global partnership system.

Glocal, the formation of strong local teams.

Over the past few years, Fosun has acquired and built up local companies in Japan, the United Kingdom, Russia, Brazil, and India. They have a wealth of experience and resources on the local markets. Along with the global capabilities of Fosun, the proven combination proves to be a strong and incredible force. For instance, Japan's IDERA team has joined Fosun for more than two years and completed a number of projects. IDERA and Mitsui jointly established J-REITs, succeeded in listing J-REITs on the Tokyo's stock market through an initial public offering, and formed a closed-loop system comprising investment, financing, management and the operation of exiting investments. The UK Resolution team has completed the acquisition of Estrella, a grade-A commercial building in Frankfurt after it finished the acquisition of a project of Thomas More Square in London. The Russian Eurasian Capital also achieved outstanding results. This arrangement will be one of the most important models of Fosun's business development.

Meanwhile, Fosun also strongly encourages teams which have good ideas and entrepreneurial spirit to set up new businesses with Fosun or to do so by itself. It does not matter whether the team members are external scientists or are our own colleagues. We encourage business ideas in the areas of technological research and development and innovation, which require patience and commitment. It is self-explanatory that such teams must consist of members with world-leading talents in the fields and can work efficiently to match Fosun's strategies and development.

An increasingly dynamic global partnership system

With the Fosun Group, the status as the Group's global partner[2] is the highest recognition of the Fosun's elites. The global partnership with Fosun is not only an incentive, but also an honor and responsibility, and represents identification with Fosun's corporate culture, mission and strategy. At the beginning of this year, Fosun announced a new group of global partners. Meanwhile, the various businesses affiliated to Fosun Group are actively setting up multi-level partnership systems.

Fosun's global partners are not only our partners in business, but also owners of the enterprises and are responsible for implementing missions and strategies. The global partner team is playing an increasingly vital role in the development of Fosun. Fosun's partners must be self-motivated to strive for success diligently. They must take initiative to form closed-loop systems and learn how to leverage Fosun's resources to promote the synergistic development of both Fosun and their operations. Fosun's partners shall identify themselves with Fosun's corporate culture, think about the big picture when planning, and give priority to collective interests. Each partner shall not only have the expertise in a certain field, but also can connect and integrate internal and external resources and help to expand Fosun's ecosystem of businesses in Fosun's interests.

Fosun's partnership is not a system of life tenure. Every year, new partners join it, while some existing ones exit it. Fosun hopes to recruit two types of people as its global partners. The first type is people who can work independently and make great contributions to Fosun. The second type is people who identify themselves deeply in line with Fosun's corporate culture and strategy. They are young and vigorous with huge potential for development and they are willing to take on new challenges and do so bravely. We are eager to foster these two types of people and will give them opportunities for development.

Lastly, I would like to share two mottos with you:

the first one is "What you truly believe is the most powerful"; and

the second one is "Learning is the source of our greatest wisdom, or even the only source of it".

Therefore, let's commit ourselves to lifelong learning, and gain a deep understanding of the changes to the world in 2017. We shall care for our country, customers, and seek to enhance our products; keep up the entrepreneurial spirit, remain curious about new things, and stay aware of the developments in our society and the world; do the things which are right, difficult, far-reaching, and challenging and things which can truly create value. We should also be able to leverage science and technology so as to provide better services for our clients.

We have worked closely together for Fosun's development in the past 25 years. I believe what we have achieved today marks only one of milestones in the history of Fosun. We will scale new heights in the future!

I would like to thank all of you for your continued support. On behalf of Fosun, I would like to wish you fortune and success!

Guo Guangchang 28 March 2017

[1] The Group's investments in the steel industry were classified into the investment segment since 1 January 2016. The total assets of "health, happiness and wealth" business of 2015 included that of the steel segment to improve the comparability.  

[2] It refers to the core management of the Group, which is different from the legal concept of "partner" under partnership.

Read this news on PR Newswire Asia website: Fosun International Limited: A Letter to Shareholders

[healthcarebiz]

Fosun International Limited: A Letter to Shareholders

HONG KONG, March 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fosun International Limited issued a letter to all shareholders of Fosun, the full letter is as follows:

To all shareholders of Fosun:

Fosun will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2017. Every Fosuner and I would like to express our thanks to you all for your trust and being here all these years to share every precious moment with us.

In the past year, Fosun maintained its strong growth momentum of development and made significant breakthroughs in its business performance. As of 31 December 2016, the Group's consolidated assets grew by 19.5% to RMB 486.78 billion and the equity attributable to the owners of the parent increased by 21.9% to RMB 92.37 billion in 2016 compared with that in 2015. The compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of net assets was 23.7% for the recent five years. Profit attributable to the owners of the parent reached RMB 10.27 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 27.7% or a CAGR of 24.7% in the past five years. Fosun's net profit hit a record high above RMB 10 billion, signifying Fosun has embarked on a new chapter in its business endeavours and development. The Board resolved to recommend payment of a final dividend of HKD0.21 per ordinary share for the year ended 31 December 2016.

The financial figures highlight our effective implementation of business strategy, yet we always resist complacency that has made us continue to excel our ultimate objective. To draw an analogy between a company's evolution and human growth, I would say after 25 years of development, we have grown from children into charismatic adolescents and now blossoming youths. We have been increasingly aware that the most important aspect of a company's development is its capability to bring long-term growth in shareholders' value. We have attached great importance to our customers' needs, and we regard customers as the foundation for a long-term growth in enterprise value. Fosun's mission is "Creating a happiness ecosystem for success, bringing a healthy, happy, and wealthy life to families around the world".

Surmounting the ups and downs in the economic cycle and creating value for shareholders consistently

In the past five years, our business mix has shown the characteristics of "high growth, light asset and capability to withstand cyclical risks". For instance, we have quickly put in place Fosun's medical and senior care businesses. This has resulted in the consistent increase of the proportion of the "health, happiness and wealth" business in Fosun's total assets and profit. As of 31 December 2016, the total assets of "health, happiness and wealth" business were increased by 28.8%[1] compared with that in 2015, accounting for more than 80.0% of the Fosun Group's total assets. In addition, the "health, happiness and wealth" business has become the most important source of Fosun's profit, contributing more than 76.0%.

Developing business while effectively controlling financial risks, optimizing the balance sheet consistently

While maintaining organic and external growth, Fosun has paid more attention to risk control, especially effective control of financial risks through proactive management. Specifically, the overall maturity period of liabilities has increased. Debts with duration of three years and longer periods accounted for more than 38.7% of the total liabilities. The financing cost kept on decreasing, with the average financing cost continuously decreasing from 5.7% per annum in 2013 to 4.5% per annum in 2016 (5.0% per annum in 2015). The proportion of assets with high liquidity kept on increasing. Both the net gearing ratio and the capital debt ratio continued to decrease.

Great potential for appreciation in the value of assets

I am very proud to learn, work and grow together with many intelligent and diligent colleagues at Fosun. Thanks to everyone's efforts, we have been able to live through the ups and downs of the economic cycle and fostered the development of many high-quality projects. As a result, we have built up huge potential for appreciation in the value of assets and can expect a harvest season. This can best be illustrated by successful investments and operations such as Focus Media, Cainiao, YUNDA Holding Co., Ltd. and Atlantis Sanya.

At this moment, I can sum up Fosun's development in the past 25 years in the following words: to achieve long-term growth in shareholders' value and bring a happier life to customers, we have been working conscientiously and earnestly everyday as if we were skating on thin ice and standing on the brink of an abyss. These are the values we have been insisting since the first day that Fosun was founded, and Fosun will continue to practise what it believes in.

Believing in learning, progress, and development, creating a global happiness ecosystem for success

New achievements were made one after another in 2016, but this gives me a deep sense of unease. Why? Because a fast-changing world poses many challenges and people are prone to lose direction in such a fast-changing world. For instance, internet and mobile internet are changing the world, at an even faster pace, and they make their presence increasingly felt in manufacturing industry and the supply chain. Breakthroughs in technological innovations are also happening more rapidly. Notably, the impact of artificial intelligence may surpass those of all other technologies such as mobile internet. Globalized investment, trade, and exchange of ideas about technologies are becoming more frequent, but the voice of anti-globalization movement is growing stronger. As globalization and anti-globalization movement are interwoven, surprises or the so-called "black swan incidents" will become more frequent to such an extent that they will become part of the norm.

Faced with these changes and challenges, we will assume more responsibilities for the well-being of the world, that is, Fosun will help the world change for the better. Therefore, Fosun has to create a happiness ecosystem for families all over the world. The question is how Fosun can attain this goal. I think the key to this undertaking is C2M business model.

C2M - the present and future of Fosun

C2M, or Customer-to-Maker, is a business model that induces the restructuring of the value chains of all the industries in the whole society. C2M enables complete linkage between individual consumers and manufacturer for the first time in the industrial age through mobile internet, high-efficiency logistics management and devices, Fin-Tech and especially such technologies as big data and artificial intelligence. Of course, C2M is not intended to be a means of eliminating all the intermediaries, but only those of no value. For intermediaries of value, C2M can transform itself into C2B2M (Customer-to-Business-to-Maker).

Fosun is one of the first companies to discern the opportunities of C2M in the restructuring of industries. Fosun has also promptly put in place a number of investments and operations, which feature C2M. All such investments and operations have enabled us to gain thorough understanding of C2M.

To begin with, we need to reach the customers with coordinated online and offline efforts so as to fully tap the potential.

We have made the following predictions: the market will become increasingly fragmented and the means of reaching customers will become increasingly diverse in the future. The offline means of reaching customers have become popular again as businesses recognize its value. In the future, any company that only relies on one channel or a third-party channel to reach customers, or only buys access to online traffic, or even does so at a high price in order to stay in business, will be constrained by lack of control over its own business and is doomed to fail.

How can Fosun reach customers directly in such situation? On one hand, we have made investments to strengthen our online channels for reaching customers such as investing in the Weiyi, a leading online portal in the healthcare industry of China, Qinbaobao, a leading online portal in the maternal and nursery healthcare industry of the country and Fosun-Pay, a channel for reaching customers through their online payments and for collecting both cash and data from such customers. On the other hand, Fosun's offline channels for reaching customers are also gradually showing their value. For example, the value of the Group's core properties at prime locations are increasing gradually again; and Club Med has used its brand influence and services such as those of Mini Club to switch tourist products that are not frequently purchased into frequently purchased products.

Therefore, Fosun has to combine online and offline channels in the future and reach customers by diverse means. This will enable it to tap the full potential value of the channels. Of course, we are fully aware that it is a very difficult task to build up the capability to reach customers. However, Fosun never evades undertaking challenging task. We will endeavour to persevere.

Secondly, we need to strengthen our capability as a maker of goods or provider of services who are geared towards adaptable and sophisticated production with the spirit of the craftsman and by restructuring the supply chain.

In "C2M", the letter "M" refers to "Maker" -- a manufacturer who is geared towards adaptable and sophisticated production by adopting artificial intelligence, robots and sophisticated supply chain management. I think the concept of "Maker" can be extended to areas beyond manufacturing, for example, the performances of Cirque du Soleil, the film and television productions of Studio 8 and the new business models for commerce and retailing in Hive City. Fosun, as a manufacturer or a producer who is geared towards adaptable and sophisticated production can use the C2M business model to understand and process a massive amount of data about the customers. We will then be well-positioned to conduct research and development and to establish an adaptable work flow and arrange for a more flexible supply of raw materials. All these will enable us to respond swiftly to customers' personalized needs.

There is always a push-and-pull relationship between a supplier and a customer and whoever is stronger has the upper hand. In other words, if you can produce an amazing product, you need not worry about the customer's monopoly. At the same time, a customer is always looking for a trustworthy company which can produce good content and strong products.

Therefore, any company which can become a target of investment by Fosun has to meet certain criteria -- it must have the spirit of a craftsman, produce competitive products and have the ability to meet customers' new requirements. For example, we have invested in AHAVA, which is regarded as a national treasure of Israel and is the only skin care brand that has been permitted by the Israeli government to tap the resources of the Dead Sea and Sanyuan Foods, which is one of China's best dairy product companies in terms of quality and quality control. These are the kind of companies that Fosun has always been seeking to invest in.

All of the companies that Fosun has invested in have to restructure and improve according to the standards and requirements of the C2M business model. This means that they have to be able to enhance the use of data, increase investment in product development, improve manufacturing processes and be geared towards adaptable production with the advent of mobile internet. The supply chain should be more scientific, more efficient, and geared towards the adaptable and sophisticated production.

C2M enables the integration of flows of capital, information and materials, and thus the formation of a closed-loop system for customer service in creation of a happiness ecosystem for success

When Fosun and all of its subsidiaries have adopted the C2M business model, the flows of capital, information and materials will be integrated into one. The integration of the three flows need not to happen in a single business entity. It is more important that the integration takes place in one ecosystem of businesses and enables the formation of a closed-loop system for customer service. In the future, the closed-loop system has to be established in each of Fosun's businesses. The closed-loop system will enable the businesses to provide one-stop customer services and to cooperate with external parties. These closed-loop systems will feature prominently in the happiness ecosystem that Fosun has built intelligently. For example:

Fosun has preliminarily built a closed-loop system for its healthcare business, which covers health insurance, medical care and health management, and is supplemented by retail pharmacies and development of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. In addition, we will have to make two breakthroughs in 2017. Firstly, having put Fosun United Health Insurance and Star Healthcare into operation, we must form a closed-loop system to include health insurance, health management, and medical care. In that closed-loop system, Fosun's health insurance and health management will prevent its customers from illnesses. Secondly, we should take advantage of the Star Castle Living's and Star eHealth's capabilities to provide senior care and combine them with Fosun's senior care facilities and senior insurance to establish an advantageous closed-loop system for "senior community and happy old age". Meanwhile, Fosun will also invest more in the innovation and research and development in the healthcare industry, including the move to step up the research and development of drugs and the innovation in medical devices so as to provide technological support to the establishment of closed-loop system for its healthcare business.

We will also establish a closed-loop system for our maternal and nursery healthcare business. We have invested in a leading portal in the industry such as Qinbaobao that can draw online traffic, and we are strengthening its operation by sourcing the best products for maternal and nursery healthcare in the world. The portal also features gynaecological and obstetric services such as United Family Healthcare. Fosun has the capabilities to establish a closed-loop system to meet the needs for maternal and nursery healthcare.

Fosun will also establish a closed-loop system for its tourism business. Although many agents are selling their products through various channels, but the products, such as the tourist services provided by Club Med and Atlantis are not frequently engaged. We need to search for more channels to reach customers directly. For example, we can leverage Thomas Cook's advantageous distribution system in Europe to connect with the customers directly. We believe that tourism products can be delivered directly to the customers. We will integrate all of the resources to establish a closed-loop system.

All these closed-loop systems are centered on products and services. In addition, Fosun has several advantageous core capabilities to establish other types of closed-loop systems such as those of "Finance +", "Properties +" and "Internet +".

What is the concept of "+"? It is about integrating Fosun's advantages and making the best out of various resources to establish a closed-loop system. To that end, we start with a single point, a single product, or a single service business and then integrate it with other industries. "Finance +", for example, is about creating opportunities to reach customers frequently through financial service. As an example, we started with health insurance, the wealth management of H&A and Fosun-Pay, then link and integrate them with other industries to establish closed-loop systems. Hive City is an important offline portal to attract traffic, so "Properties +" is about starting with the real estate business and integrate it with other industries one by one to establish a closed-loop system. All these closed-loop systems have to be enabled by the internet, but they cannot be confined to the internet; they should be profoundly integrated with other industries.

Ultimately, these closed-loop systems will all be completed in Fosun's happiness ecosystem. This is a process of allowing the businesses to empower each other, to enable each other to enhance its own products, and to work out better solutions to address customers' real needs. They will also serve as a foundation for each other's development, and their developments will become closely intertwined. Through investments and cooperation, we will add new elements to Fosun's ecosystem of businesses and make them to reinforce and complement each other. We will seek for opportunities to upgrade the ecosystem of businesses, which will also keep on empowering all the elements within such ecosystem and supporting them in their attempts to form their own closed-loop systems so as to enable them to develop faster and perform better. This is the core philosophy of how Fosun establishes its ecosystem of businesses intelligently.

Fosun's business ecosystem is growing broader, deeper and stronger in 2017

We have now defined the direction of Fosun's development in the future, that is, creating a happiness ecosystem for success with the C2M business model. In 2017, we will try every means to make Fosun's business ecosystem deepen and flourish, that is, to grow broader, deeper and stronger. This will enable all the elements in Fosun's ecosystem of businesses to develop in synergy and achieve organic growth.

In terms of "growing broader", it means, on one hand, the capability of Fosun's ecosystem of businesses for "health, happiness and wealth" to enable all of its elements to integrate with each other, combine their strengths and leverage the broad range of their businesses to develop in synergy and in closed-loop systems. On the other hand, the term "growing broader" also refers to Fosun's continuing drive for globalization and its pursuit of broader geographical market coverage. While reinforcing our footholds in developed countries, we will focus on emerging markets of such countries and regions as Russia, Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia.

As regards "growing deeper", Fosun has always emphasized profound industrial accumulation. Both its investments and businesses have to be conducted according to the principle of profound industrial integration. Every closed-loop system that we have proposed must develop their businesses with depth, enhance the competitiveness of their products, which are excellent in quality. At the same time, we need to deepen our understanding of different regions across the world and seek opportunities that fit into Fosun's strategies in those regions through the local teams. Notably, Fosun, as a global company which was founded and has taken roots in China and specifically in Shanghai, will definitely develop further the local market of Shanghai and other provincial markets of China while pressing ahead with its globalization drive. We firmly believe that leaves cannot be luxuriant without deep roots. We can only conduct our globalization drive well with the profound localization of our operations.

While "growing stronger or reaching a new height", it refers to Fosun's ideas about innovation and product development that I would like to share with you.

Fosun must continue to be ahead of the curve in terms of technology and business model, and must occupy high grounds in competition in fast-changing times. It must take initiatives in such areas as research and development of medicines and medical technology, innovation in retail business models, integration of financial service into more situations and more types of industries, the upgrading of various creative products, and the upgrading of Hive City. We must fit product development into the company's development. Both Fosun and its subsidiaries have to increase investment in research and in creating innovative businesses. For Fosun, innovation and research is not an option, but is a must and priority. Fosun's development in the future will definitely be driven by technologies.

We propose that Fosun Pharma should be in the same position within the global healthcare industry just like how Huawei is positioned within the telecommunications equipment and service industry. It should take every effort to make faster breakthroughs in gene sequencing, innovative medicine, precision operation, artificial intelligence and other medical services. Fosun aspires to become the world's pioneer in Fin-Tech, building on the achievements of the giants in the past, through financial innovation in particular. Besides, Fosun will also have to lead the industry in the adoption of C2M business model which will drive the restructuring of traditional manufacturing industry and the supply chain.

Furthermore, we need to emphasize Fosun's immense worldwide social responsibility in the world. Fosun has preliminarily established a business layout which has a geographical market coverage all over the world. This entails corporate social responsibility on a global scale. For example, we sponsored a Protecting start up accelerating program in Portugal. We should introduce more amazing products to the society, support young people to be innovative and generate more employment opportunities for them. This will increase efficiency and productivity within the society. As a responsible global corporate citizen, Fosun will try its best to help the world change for the better.

The above-mentioned ideas about the direction of the Company's development in the future resulted from thorough discussions among all members of Fosun's management. I would like to take this opportunity to keep you posted on the details of Fosun's work plans for 2017.

One Fosun, further enhancement of management structure, empowerment of the capacity to create value

In order to achieve the target of its globalization drive, Fosun not only improves consistently its capabilities but also enhances both its management structure and corporate culture. Therefore, Fosun is taking efforts to build the One Fosun platform through the upgrading of the management structure. The platform, which will combine the flexible frontline and the strong middle and back offices, will enable Fosun to carry out its strategies with agility at various levels. In addition, the One Fosun platform will be an organization system that enables Fosun to adapt to the market with the advent of mobile internet and new technologies. It will empower the "combat troops" at the frontline through the lean, efficient and strong middle and back offices.

As to the management strategy, not only will Fosun aim for eliminating competition, it will even encourage a certain degree of overlapping of different teams. "Overlap" here means no strict definition of the boundaries between the business scopes of different teams and an appropriate degree of overlapping of different operations. To draw an analogy, I would say that there should be more than one player for each of the position in a football team, and those who ultimately can play in a match are certainly the best players who have proven their abilities by winning their positions through competition. Such individuals and teams are mature and trustworthy.

Continuous improvement of Fosun's comprehensive financial capability

Fosun's strong capability to operate various businesses with depth, comprehensive financial capability with insurance as its core operation, and global perspective are the three most dominant genes of Fosun. As Fosun has put in place its financial businesses worldwide, including those of insurance, banking, securities and asset management, we must have the capability to integrate finance with its various businesses seamlessly and continue to improve our comprehensive financial capability.

We will further improve investment capability that allows us to fully deploy the available capital generated from its insurance business, and build up our capability to make investments with fixed returns. The first life insurance package of our German Run-Off platform has started its operation. The insurance companies under Fosun will actively seek to match their operations with Fosun's resources and capabilities.

We encourage the establishment of special funds for big projects that fit into Fosun's strategies. We will press ahead with the securitization of our assets, and build up our capability to tap the capital markets.

The "power of three": Discipline, discipline, discipline

As a global investment group, Fosun has been adhering to value investing. The value of an investment that we pay attention to does not necessarily lie in bargaining the purchase of equity stakes at the lowest price or comparing our valuation of an investment and that done by others, or whether our valuation is lower than or the same as those done by others. We believe in "rediscovering value and rediscovering potential for growth". We must discern the value of investments and their growth drivers that others have failed to spot. This is the essence of Fosun's value investing.

At the same time, our investments have to be able to complement to empower each other to create value. They should be able to combine Fosun's capability to operate businesses with depth, financial capability and globalization capability with all of Fosun's subsidiaries. We need to give support to all those companies in their development and growth, and hope to find more companies that can empower Fosun's ecosystem of businesses. However, Fosun does not blindly follow investment fads and the opinions of the so-called "experts". We must exercise our own judgement to screen out the unsound businesses as targets of investment.

Fosun is an elite organization, and its staff must be faster than competitors by 0.01 second

Over the past 25 years, I appreciate that it was not easy to achieve so many goals. They could not be realized without the elite organization. Thus, Fosun has always been building up an elite organization. The staff members of Fosun must be elites.

I think "0.01" best serves as the standard of being an elite. In other words, we need to find those who are 0.01 second faster than the fastest. We hope to find those who are 0.01 per cent stronger than others in study. Presently, Fosun has a lot of younger talents. With professional expertise, a global perspective and entrepreneurial spirits, they have emerged in all ranks in Fosun and have taken on more responsibility at work. They are Fosun's most valuable assets and they are also the driving force behind Fosun's development.

Meanwhile, Fosun cannot tolerate mediocre people. It will weed out those who only have impressive resumes but makes no achievements at work, those who have experience but cannot innovate, and those who fail to learn and grow continuously. The elites we are talking about are those who run faster than their peers and perform more outstandingly and creatively than others in various competences.

We need to stress two more points in the establishment of the elite organization: the first one is "Glocal" (i.e. "Global + Local"). We need to build up strong local teams. The second point is Fosun's global partnership system.

Glocal, the formation of strong local teams.

Over the past few years, Fosun has acquired and built up local companies in Japan, the United Kingdom, Russia, Brazil, and India. They have a wealth of experience and resources on the local markets. Along with the global capabilities of Fosun, the proven combination proves to be a strong and incredible force. For instance, Japan's IDERA team has joined Fosun for more than two years and completed a number of projects. IDERA and Mitsui jointly established J-REITs, succeeded in listing J-REITs on the Tokyo's stock market through an initial public offering, and formed a closed-loop system comprising investment, financing, management and the operation of exiting investments. The UK Resolution team has completed the acquisition of Estrella, a grade-A commercial building in Frankfurt after it finished the acquisition of a project of Thomas More Square in London. The Russian Eurasian Capital also achieved outstanding results. This arrangement will be one of the most important models of Fosun's business development.

Meanwhile, Fosun also strongly encourages teams which have good ideas and entrepreneurial spirit to set up new businesses with Fosun or to do so by itself. It does not matter whether the team members are external scientists or are our own colleagues. We encourage business ideas in the areas of technological research and development and innovation, which require patience and commitment. It is self-explanatory that such teams must consist of members with world-leading talents in the fields and can work efficiently to match Fosun's strategies and development.

An increasingly dynamic global partnership system

With the Fosun Group, the status as the Group's global partner[2] is the highest recognition of the Fosun's elites. The global partnership with Fosun is not only an incentive, but also an honor and responsibility, and represents identification with Fosun's corporate culture, mission and strategy. At the beginning of this year, Fosun announced a new group of global partners. Meanwhile, the various businesses affiliated to Fosun Group are actively setting up multi-level partnership systems.

Fosun's global partners are not only our partners in business, but also owners of the enterprises and are responsible for implementing missions and strategies. The global partner team is playing an increasingly vital role in the development of Fosun. Fosun's partners must be self-motivated to strive for success diligently. They must take initiative to form closed-loop systems and learn how to leverage Fosun's resources to promote the synergistic development of both Fosun and their operations. Fosun's partners shall identify themselves with Fosun's corporate culture, think about the big picture when planning, and give priority to collective interests. Each partner shall not only have the expertise in a certain field, but also can connect and integrate internal and external resources and help to expand Fosun's ecosystem of businesses in Fosun's interests.

Fosun's partnership is not a system of life tenure. Every year, new partners join it, while some existing ones exit it. Fosun hopes to recruit two types of people as its global partners. The first type is people who can work independently and make great contributions to Fosun. The second type is people who identify themselves deeply in line with Fosun's corporate culture and strategy. They are young and vigorous with huge potential for development and they are willing to take on new challenges and do so bravely. We are eager to foster these two types of people and will give them opportunities for development.

Lastly, I would like to share two mottos with you:

the first one is "What you truly believe is the most powerful"; and

the second one is "Learning is the source of our greatest wisdom, or even the only source of it".

Therefore, let's commit ourselves to lifelong learning, and gain a deep understanding of the changes to the world in 2017. We shall care for our country, customers, and seek to enhance our products; keep up the entrepreneurial spirit, remain curious about new things, and stay aware of the developments in our society and the world; do the things which are right, difficult, far-reaching, and challenging and things which can truly create value. We should also be able to leverage science and technology so as to provide better services for our clients.

We have worked closely together for Fosun's development in the past 25 years. I believe what we have achieved today marks only one of milestones in the history of Fosun. We will scale new heights in the future!

I would like to thank all of you for your continued support. On behalf of Fosun, I would like to wish you fortune and success!

Guo Guangchang 28 March 2017

[1] The Group's investments in the steel industry were classified into the investment segment since 1 January 2016. The total assets of "health, happiness and wealth" business of 2015 included that of the steel segment to improve the comparability.  

[2] It refers to the core management of the Group, which is different from the legal concept of "partner" under partnership.

Read this news on PR Newswire Asia website: Fosun International Limited: A Letter to Shareholders