mention something good about 2020

[GTgrizzly]

18 hours ago, sirineou said:

2020 has been a year we all would like to forget. but I am sure some positive thing has come out from all of this. 

How about instead of concentrating in all the negatives, we mention some of the Positives. 

For me Facemasks has been a major positive. For starters I don't have to look at any of you.  But more importantly it has allowed me the opportunity to go shopping incognito, and not have to say hello to anyone I know!!  I am thinking of making face mask wearing a permanent part of my wardrobe

What about you? what was positive about 2020 for you?

You , me and many others are still above ground, thats a bonus where ever you are

 

[Burma Bill]

That I was able to continue my retirement in Cambodia after nearly 20 years in Thailand, and crossing just before the borders closed. Now happily resettled in Siem Reap. 

[bkk6060]

14 hours ago, sirineou said:

am still 7% from where I was before covid, I took a big 20% hit when covid hit, and clawed back 13% then in August I parked my portfolio in an interest only account to ride out what I thought would be a second wave. The second wave came but it does not seem to be affecting the stock market. I was thinking about going back in but now with the new covid strain I am afraid that if it makes the Vaccines ineffective, the market will tumble again.

What you think? 

That is terrible negative returns everything is up from pre Covid. I think you need to re-exam your portfolio diversification and priorities. The US Nasdaq alone is up almost 40% this year. Sounds like you are trying to time the market which is foolish from my experience.

This has been one of my best years ever just holding made some great returns, but also  grabbed some tremendous buying opportunities.

Edited December 26, 2020 by bkk6060

[Caldera]

I rekindled my love affair with Thailand.

I staid at some great hotels real cheap.

Bangkok became almost livable again.

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Caldera

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

That is terrible negative returns everything is up from pre Covid. I think you need to re-exam your portfolio diversification and priorities. The US Nasdaq alone is up almost 40% this year. Sounds like you are trying to time the market which is foolish from my experience.

This has been one of my best years ever just holding made some great returns, but also  grabbed some tremendous buying opportunities.

You are absolutely right on the "time" opinion.  

I am in my first year of retirement, which has made me a bit defensive. I tried to ride the highs and  seat out the lows obviously unsuccessfully. 

On the bright side , I had good success in the past years , so  overall I am doing well.  

Edited December 26, 2020 by sirineou

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, GTgrizzly said:

You , me and many others are still above ground, thats a bonus where ever you are

 

I agree, any day above ground is a good day IMO also, But with all this negativity (most of it justified) of the 2020) In our "above ground" days,

there got to be some silver linings.to distract from all the negative, and perhaps exercise the funny bone a little bit..   

[DefaultName]

It's been nice and quiet.

[khunPer]

So far the stock market has been great...????????
– except SET...????

[elgenon]

Dude!!! The Lakers (and the Dodgers) won The NBA championship and the "World" Series.

 

If that doesn't float your boat you are a sorry lot. 555

[simon43]

[quote]

2020 has been a year we all would like to forget. ...

[/quote]

 

That's a bit of a blanket assumption.  According to worldofmeters website,  the number of Corona virus cases per 1 million of population in Laos is just 6 - the lowest ratio in the whole world, apart from the islands of Vanuatu.....

 

For me living in north Laos, 2020 was hardly any different from 2019, except for a few weeks of lockdown earlier in the year.  Life went on (and continues) almost unchanged.  The only difference for me personally is that I slip on a mask when shopping, for the benefit of the shop staff etc, in case I'm breathing out any pathogens (not just Covid 19).

 

So to answer your question: Almost everything has been good in 2020, same as 2019.

 

 

[MadMuhammad]

I married the sweetest girl I've ever met and purchased a home here, two things I thought I would never do. I've faired much better than many and for that I'm very thankful

[MadMuhammad]

On 12/26/2020 at 4:04 AM, sirineou said:

I am still 7% from where I was before covid, I took a big 20% hit when covid hit, and clawed back 13% then in August I parked my portfolio in an interest only account to ride out what I thought would be a second wave. The second wave came but it does not seem to be affecting the stock market. I was thinking about going back in but now with the new covid strain I am afraid that if it makes the Vaccines ineffective, the market will tumble again.

What you think? 

 

PS: I hope like the guy above, you dont wake up after the party and have to reconsider you driving skills . LOL

That may happen but in time they will come back. I copped a spanking in March/April but am back to near parity pre-covid. Diversification, solid companies with strong balance sheets and time are our friends. It's not sexy but it works

[Saltire]

A few 2020 'silver linings'

 

1 Gone from a spender to a saver (mainly from fewer trips).

2 Discovered Lazada and mail order food.

3 Stopped drinking alcohol (see point 1)

4 Incident-free driving avoiding those from the near-miss school of motoring.

5 Survived the trial of 1000 cuts to get a new UK passport.

 

Hoping for a much more travelled 2021 within Thailand.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Saltire

[4MyEgo]

23 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said:

That may happen but in time they will come back. I copped a spanking in March/April but am back to near parity pre-covid. Diversification, solid companies with strong balance sheets and time are our friends. It's not sexy but it works

Exactly, it can't all be smooth sailing, the good with the bad.

 

Since I moved here around the end of 2015, first parking my money into a fixed interest account for a year, I then decided to enter the stock market and had been making a good earn (tax free) until Covid hit the market around 22 February when most stocks took a tumbling, and limited opportunities from then on to make money as dividends also took a big dip as companies decided not to pay a dividend for the year.

 

Normally I would see this as an opportunity to buy in as I have money in reserves, but not having a handle on this pandemic, decided to sit on the fence while stocks slowly recovered, that said could have made some serious coin if I bought in, but how much exposure/risk does one want, could have gone the other way, so one has to say no to the flip of the coin and say enough is enough, while the temptation is always there to make more, you also have to have some common sense and keep those reserves there to keep you going for at least 5 years.

 

The above said, I am comfortable making less in 2020/2021 as the cost of living here isn't that much, so the coins I made over the years will more than likely become a break even scenario over this period when averaged out, while stocks come back up, always better than a loss and of course you NEVER sell at a loss or when your stocks are down, even sold one when it came back to what I purchased it for a year ago, and of course it kept climbing, but always better to put some extra in your reserves in this climate just "to be sure, to be sure" as the Irish saying goes.

 

See you on the other side when things improve around this time next year, because when the weather is bad, it will eventually ease up and allow the sunshine through.  

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, Caldera said:

I rekindled my love affair with Thailand.

I staid at some great hotels real cheap.

Bangkok became almost livable again.

 

Yes, one of the best things this year was the government travel scheme. I have had several trips to places never seen before that would have never happened otherwise. About the best was Khao Kho, even though the weather was cold and wet, a bit like being back in Scotland.

We had a night in Bangkok, Ibis Bangkok Riverside, very pleasant outdoor breakfast.

[bodga]

whats  good  to me may not be  so for others

[Surelynot]

Only 4 1/2 days left...what could possibly go wrong now?

Edited December 27, 2020 by Surelynot

[seancbk]

Bitcoin kept going up.

E-commerce businesses made more money. 

Next year should be even better for both of those too.

[MadMuhammad]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Only 4 1/2 days left...what could possibly go wrong now?

The universe says hold my beer ????

[sirineou]

11 hours ago, simon43 said:

[quote]

2020 has been a year we all would like to forget. ...

[/quote]

 

That's a bit of a blanket assumption.  According to worldofmeters website,  the number of Corona virus cases per 1 million of population in Laos is just 6 - the lowest ratio in the whole world, apart from the islands of Vanuatu.....

 

For me living in north Laos, 2020 was hardly any different from 2019, except for a few weeks of lockdown earlier in the year.  Life went on (and continues) almost unchanged.  The only difference for me personally is that I slip on a mask when shopping, for the benefit of the shop staff etc, in case I'm breathing out any pathogens (not just Covid 19).

 

So to answer your question: Almost everything has been good in 2020, same as 2019.

 

 

Go ahead rub it in LOL 

When Covid Hit, me and the wife were in the US, and we were preparing to come back to Thailand . We decided the safest thing to do would be to stay in the US a bit longer , see how the whole thing played out and come bacK late spring early summer at the latest.  We thought that things could get really bad in Thailand, and we would be much safer in the US with it;s superior science, medical Technology, laws . and system.  What we forgot was trump. ???? it is now winter and we are still here, while you guys in Laos and our part of the woods in Thailand (Khon Kaen) move around as if title has happened.

I hope you all get STDs  ot the gout , or something

8 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

I married the sweetest girl I've ever met and purchased a home here, two things I thought I would never do. I've faired much better than many and for that I'm very thankful

Congratulation on both the sweetie you married and the House , I did much of the same almost 12 years ago, Don't get me wrong we had our moments as all married couples do,  but it was the best thing I ever did.  Best wishes  for many many Happy years ahead of you

8 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Exactly, it can't all be smooth sailing, the good with the bad.

 

 parking my money into a fixed interest account for a year,

I did much of the same as the market tumbled in the spring to stop the bleeding, and the anxiety.  Normally my advice would be  leave it along and it will eventually level our if you are diversified. But covid was a once in a lifetime event and I did not know how it will play out and for how long,.

   I lost everything in 2008, I actually had a negative worth. it took me 10 years of hard work, a lot of help from friends, and a lot of luck to make it all back, but now I am 63 years old, if something similar happened I don't have the time and stamina to make it back. A 20% loss was substantial but not an extinction event,  I jumped in the water when I thought it was safe, and quickly run out if I thought i saw shark fins circling. and made back 13% of my losses. (remember they are not losses or gains until you take your money out. it's just math) .

 Right now I am keeping an eye on the new virus strain and how the vaccines we have would work with it, they say that the vaccine should work just as good with it. But "should " is not " Does"  any news that it does not , and that we are back in square one, would send the market tumbling again IMO. 

The Chinese have a curse :May you live in interesting times"  and boy are time interesting to say the least. 

Edited December 27, 2020 by sirineou

[BTB1977]

Nice and slow. Didn't have to put up with all the crowded restaurants, roads and packed streets from the snowbirds that fly in every year, take a sh/t and fly out. 

[Leaver]

On 12/25/2020 at 10:54 PM, sirineou said:

What about you? what was positive about 2020 for you?

My phone was running hot with those seeking short time employment with heavily discounted offers.  ???? 

[Susco]

[GeorgeCross]

AAPL up 88% ????

 

cha-ching!

 

 

[geronimo]

all my poems ......

[Antiparovian]

My cock still works

 

[Leaver]

On 1/2/2021 at 8:13 PM, Antiparovian said:

My cock still works

 

It's now 2021. Has it retired?  ????

[fusion58]

Quote

mention something good about 2020

 

It's finally over.