This is what you'll get at a free Forex Seminar

Yesterday I went to a FREE Forex seminar conducted by a former hedge fund manager to learn about Forex trading. I should have known better. In Singapore, nothing is for free, there is always a catch. When I was in my teens, there was this guy who used to give me free loaves of bread everyday because he wanted to get into my pants. Too bad he didn't know I was already into diamonds by then.

In this instance, the catch was to "Make money, Lah."

The seminar was listed to start at 7pm but when I got there, they said it wasn't due to start until 7:10pm. Mr. Speaker turned up on stage at approximately 7:15pm, after a celebrated introduction on the projector. No long after had he begun to speak did I confirm my suspicion that the whole seminar was a big sales pitch. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I was happy to stay and listen to see if he had anything useful to say.

I would say he spent a good part of the "seminar" trying to convince the audience that they will never get rich working for their current job (which there is probably some truth to). There was a lot about becoming millionaires and billionaires, getting rich quick and not having to work for a boss. Then he told us the sob story of his life where he rose from rags to riches and told us we need to pray to God, followed by another sob video of a man with no limbs, some Forex facts and finally pitching his 3-day workshop.

I did find his tactics interesting - he IS a pretty good speaker and sales person. He spent the entire 3 hours building up interactions with the audience, encouraging us to shout out in consensus and applaud when he asks. So that when he started to pitch his workshop, we exhibited excitement over all the "freebies" he offered with his workshop. But a sneaky little bastard he was when he tried to close the deal, he said that seats were limited for the upcoming seminar being taught by him, and that he doesn't teach often. Then he asked the staff at the back about the number of places left. The reply was a nicely rounded 20 seats. Then he asked the people who are interested to stand up the first 20 will get a place on the course. (Apparently, last time he asked people to go to the back and people were trampled.)

Of course, human nature dictates that we want approval by our peers and Mr. Speaker had established relationship of  the attendees by getting us to interact with each other in the last 3 hours. So that when one got up, others follow suit. In fact, more than half the attendees were standing. The staff then rushed to us with sign up flyer as Mr. Speaker watched on stage. After everyone got there flyers, Mr. Speaker exhibited surprise that more than 20 flyers had been distributed and then benevolently said that he will offer EVERYONE a space. Round of applause! At this point, we still haven't been told the fees of the course.

He asked all the people wanting to join the workshop to all go and sit facing the back, promptly ignoring all the other annoyed looking seminar attendees who just wasted 3 hours of their lives on a week day walk out the door. From far away on the stage, Mr. Speaker jotted down a figure of $396, saying something about making an investment of $15 everyday. There's even an instalment plan, and he will give us $1000 real money to trade. If not, we can get an ipad2! Hand over your credit card now!

By now, I have decided all if I cave now I would feel a fool so I made a bee-line for an immediate exit. On my way home, I bumped into the guy sitting next to me and was informed that it was $396/mth for an instalment plan of 12 months for the 3-day workshop. As I wiped the sweat off my brow, I consoled myself in the fact that I've actually learned a few things about Forex, that I am interested in trading it, as well as some sales techniques I am to never employ.

Looking at how my stocks has gone from a profit of $8000 to a loss of $10,000, perhaps I should really explore a Forex course option. Just not with the celebrity self-made millionaire philanthropist mentioned above.

Starting over again.

It's 9th of September, 2011 today. I have noticed whilst creating this website that I registered my blogging account in Jan 2010. I honestly didn't realise it has been nearly TWO years since I made the decision to start an investment management blog, which came to nothing because I haven't made any smart investment decisions in money since then. In fact, I haven't really made any smart decisions, period!

So as I sit here in my brother's apartment this muggy afternoon contemplating my life, I realised one of the most constant thing in my life is starting over; be it staring a new home, new school, new job, new relationship, new aspiration, new hobby, new book, new painting, and so on. I can't seem to stick to anything and see it through to the end and it seems to have gotten worst over the past year. Why is that? I would love for someone to tell me.

The last couple of months has been a restless one, where I have been plagued by a growing anxiety to leave the current life I am living now, to seek a simpler life, and to be like everyone else. Sometimes, I yearn for the life I had 7 years ago, but at the same time I do not want to go about life in the same short-sighted, irresponsible manner.

I can feel in my bones that it is time to put into action drastic changes in my life. It is time to start over again. As I draft my escape strategy, for the first time in my life, I am worried about the repercussions.