为迎接盛夏到来，小树正组织力量精心修改网站设计和布局，自即日起暂停更新博客，不日将有崭新页面上传，定能让诸位刮目相看。

在此也谢谢诸位读者多年来大力支持，整个更新的时间可能需要一个月时间，敬请耐心期待。期间，小树在Flickr的网络摄影集将继续保持更新状态，媒体专业人士也依然可以通过此站进入Facebook的外电俱乐部参观。

小树在上海。

By GEORGE CHEN in London
STAFF WRITER OF TreeBar.net

在伦敦生活一段时间最大的收获，也许是你不会再对世界上任何一个其他城市的物价水平再有所抱怨了。

伦敦的物价水平之高是世界闻名的，我很好奇为什么布朗政府在伦敦物价高居不下的大背景下每次还是强调伦敦市民安居乐业。据不完全统计，我在伦敦的80％的同事是租房子，这个比例在纽约是70％。

虽然两个城市都是国际性大都市，租房子的比例和每年的商务旅行者和驻外工作人士的增长成正比，但即便对很多伦敦本地居民而言，想要买一套两卧室的公寓房目前看来还是一件需要奋斗半辈子的事情，也能怪你在伦敦街头时不时会看到路灯或者公车上被好事者贴上“social housing”的口号，要求政府向新加坡廉租房政策看齐。

去年因为次级债危机，英国各大银行都开始勒紧银根，最惨的莫过于Northern Rock，虽然因为政府及时给予援助，从而避免了倒闭的悲剧，但是却也无奈成为英国近代历史上第一个被国有化的商业银行。自从Northern Rock出事以后，英国民众对买房子更加感冒，以前贷款没有人催你还，现在不但难贷款，贷了款还几乎每天都被跟踪你的财务状况。银行也怕出坏帐，所以好似24小时搜集你的财务信息，搞得比M6还要神奇。

不过有一点我也很惊讶，如果说在伦敦和纽约买房子是一件很吃力的事情，你在上海也不会感到太轻松。前几天有朋友发短信给我，推荐上海丁香花园（原法租界，现仍为高档领管社区）对面一个高层住宅的2套单元，加起来大概300平方米，一个月内现货交易的代价是900万人民币。我的第一感觉就是“疯了”。

900万人民币折合成美元都超过一个million（百万）了。要是我有100万美元，我肯定不会在上海买房子，同样的价格可以到纽约的皇后区（Queens）买一幢小别墅外加免费私人花园和泊车位。上海房地产市场的泡沫由此可见一斑。

因为在伦敦出差两个星期，周末去了伦敦不少地方看过，最远的到过Heathrow，也就是最著名的希斯罗机场，那边是伦敦新兴的别墅区，最东边的到过Greenwich，是最著名的格林威治时间开始的地方，在格林威治买房子倒是一个不错的选择，一来可以出租给每年到此一游的旅客，二来格林威治也日渐成为很多expat在伦敦长期工作的居住首选，因为房价比central London要便宜好几成。

当然牛津大学所在地Oxford也是不错的考虑，有钱在这里买房子，出租肯定不成问题，当地人尤其喜欢租给阔绰的中国学生，那些孩子的爸爸或者妈妈动不动就是北京来的部级官员，问他拿护照，他问你“要哪一国的？”，讨论租金，从来就不和房东讨价还价。吃饭付小费，起码20％（很多伦敦人也就给10％），但通常都刷卡，很少付现金，不是因为现代化，而是因为他们有强大的后台支持：孩子，爸爸妈妈在北京支持你！

有些事情就是想不明白，也许时间最能说明问题。

图片注释：Clinton Cards是在伦敦很有名的一个专卖小礼物和各类祝福卡片的专卖店，图为它在格林威治的一家门店，格林威治有很多类似的小店，一张生日卡的价格大约3至10英镑不等，卡片和小礼物的设计都非常独特，服务也很周到，很难在国内找到同类商品。（Copyright by George Chen. All rights reserved.）

有关更多伦敦和纽约的2008年和2007年图片作品，可通过以下链接浏览：www.flickr.com/photos/treebar。

By GEORGE CHEN in the City of London, London

* To increase stake in China JV to 80-100 percent in 12-18 months
* To increase China staff to 250 by end-2008, 500 by 2011
* To set up China back-up and service centre this year

LONDON, May 2 (Reuters) - Willis Group Holdings Ltd, the world's third-largest insurance broker, expects to maintain its annual revenue growth in the China market at at least 20 percent for the next five years and will increase its stake sharply in its local venture, a senior executive said on Friday.

Willis plans to increase its stake in Shanghai-based Willis Insurance Brokers Co, in which it already owns 51 percent, to 80-100 percent and the deal could be completed in the next 12-18 months, said Sarah Turvill, chairwoman of Willis International.

Willis also plans to increase its China staff to 250 by the end of this year from about 200 currently and its total China headcount to 500 by 2011, Turvill told Reuters in an interview at Willis Group's head offices.

"We expect double-digit growth of our revenue in Asia, led by China and India for at least the next five years," she said.

Willis's China revenue rose 23 percent in 2006 and 24 percent in 2007. Turvill said she expected that Willis would maintain the same pace of growth in China for the next five years.

Last year, Willis was appointed by the Shanghai city government as the insurance brokerage partner for the World Expo to be held in the city in 2010, which Turvill said would bring the firm a new source of revenue in the next few years.

Willis's French partner, Gras Savoye, in which Willis is the largest single shareholder with a 37 percent stake, also won a contract for the Beijing Olympics 2008.

More than a dozen global insurance brokers including HSBC Holdings Plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson and Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc have set up shop in China in the past few years, heating up the competition in China's infant but fast-expanding insurance brokerage sector.

MODERN PLATFORM

Willis currently operates 20 offices across China, making it the top foreign insurance broker, with the biggest branch network in the vast country.

Willis also plans to set up a back-up and client-service centre in Shanghai this year to offer documenting, billing and accounting to support its fast-expanding China business, Turvill said.

"Normally, people set up service centres in lower-cost areas just to save money. We are not trying to do that," she said.

"What we are trying to do is to give ourselves a modern platform for growth going forward."

The proposed back-up and client-service centre in Shanghai is expected to be launched this year and will initially serve Willis's staff and clients in mainland China, she said.

Willis may expand and relocate the back-up centre to a second-tier city in northern or western China between 2009 and 2010 to serve its Greater China business, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, she said.

Currently, Willis has its regional service centre in Mumbai, India, where most of its staff are English-speaking employees who do not understand Chinese.

To improve its communications with clients in the Greater China region, Willis had decided to create a new centre in Shanghai. The Mumbai centre would continue to serve the rest of Asia, Turvill said.

In India, Willis has a 26 percent stake in a local venture and expects to increase this to at least 49 percent. The Indian regulator currently only allows foreign investors to own no more than 26 percent of an insurance brokerage joint venture, however, Turvill said.

The Indian partner of Willis has agreed to allow it to increase its stake to 49 percent as soon as the regulator changes current investment restrictions, she added. (Editing by Quentin Bryar)

Copyright by Reuters News. All rights reserved. Also available at the online edition of Forbes magazine:
http://www.forbes.com/reuters/feeds/reuters/2008/05/02/2008-05-02T135534Z_01_SHA72028_RTRIDST_0_WILLIS-CHINA-INSURANCE-UPDATE-1-INTERVIEW.html

By GEORGE CHEN in London
STAFF WRITER OF TreeBar.net

因为在不同的城市出差，最近很多人都喜欢问我，你觉得伦敦和纽约有哪些不同？我开始没有特别察觉，但是仔细想一下，最直接的印象就是两个城市的路名风格实在是大相径庭。

不知道是因为纽约人早些时候缺乏创意，还是他们就特别爱“偷懒”，在曼哈顿几乎所有的大马路统统用数字来命名，最明显的莫过于全世界人民都非常熟悉的第五大街，英文名：Fifth Ave，真的就是直译过来的，不知道后来某部好莱坞大片取名为“第五元素”（Fifth Element）是不是也受此启发？

我到纽约第一个星期，因为时差的关系，找起路来还比较吃力，慢慢得找到了“窍门”：上海人说的大马路，纽约人叫“大街”，也就是Avenue，类似北京人眼中的长安街，总是比较雄威、宽广的那种。上海人说的小马路，纽约人叫“street”，翻译过来可能叫做“街道”比较合适。street一般都比较短，也比较窄，论级别，可能也就比北京的胡同更上一个层面，但毕竟不能和Avenue相比。几乎在纽约市区的曼哈顿，所有主要的street也都是以数字来命名的。

于是，在纽约，尤其在曼哈顿，如果你要去哪个地方，最简单的一个方法就是上Google Maps，找到和你要去的地方最相邻的Avenue和Street，他们交汇成一个正方形，那个正方形叫block，明白这个道理，基本上你不会在纽约迷路。受马路命名影响，纽约地铁也特别容易找，从1到7号线（这个和上海相同），最近几年新建的地铁则用英文怎么ABCD来命名。

相比之下，要在伦敦短时间内找到一条正确的地铁线路就不是那么容易的事情了，尤其对非英语为母语的外国人来说，想要发言准确，读清楚每条伦敦地铁线的名字，这本身就不是一件特别容易的事情。比如有一条地铁线叫piccadilly line（line表示线路），中文谐音读法是“皮卡迪里”，够别扭吧？

这条地铁线经过伦敦著名的一个景点，名字叫做trafalgar square（square是广场的意思），类似上海的人民广场，特别市中心。trafalgar这个名字据说是一个法语单词，为了纪念一个英国历史很著名的将军。这个单词中文谐音读起来也特别有意思：“去法国”（其实不是非常确切，但我实在难找到合适的中文谐音读法）。呵呵，伦敦人的想象力真的好丰富！

最让我惊讶的是，伦敦的很多路名，从中文翻译和英文原意看丝毫不相关，但是翻译成中文的时候，读起来不但很谐音，而且对中国人来说非常有内涵。最典型的莫过于英国首相办公地downing street，中文翻译“唐宁街”，实在是太妙了！唐有中国古代唐朝的意思（唐朝是中国历史上至今仍最强盛的王朝），宁则有安宁、和平的意思，“唐宁街”单从中文翻译字面来解释，就足以博得在伦敦的华人的极大好感。

再比如British Museum，中文的官方翻译叫“大英博物馆”，没有去British Museum之前，我一直以为它的英文名字应该叫Great Britain Museum才对，去了之后才发现英国人自己取名字特别humble，没有加“大”字，中文为什么会出现“大英”无从考证，我想和Great Britain国家名字有关，也算是华人对英国博物馆文化的一种尊崇吧。

类似的翻译例子还有很多，最搞笑的莫过于Waterloo，早年法国皇帝拿破仑在Waterloo大败，最终迫使一代君王匆匆退出历史的舞台。伦敦的Jubilee Line（这个地铁线的名字很好听，好像小鸟唱歌一样）有一站就叫Waterloo，中文翻译“滑铁卢”。如果拿破仑懂中文，我想他肯定当年不会在Waterloo战斗，中文名字太不吉利，好像在告诫你：就算你有铁一般刚强的兵器，我也要叫你在这里摔倒（滑）。

再比如英国人把Oxford翻译成牛津，而不是“奥克斯福特”（如果真的这样翻译，恐怕会让人联想到日本的怪兽斗士），Greenwich翻译成中文是格林威治，一个非常受中国小朋友喜欢的名字（因为大家都知道“格林童话”，于是纷纷展开联想，觉得格林威治这个地方肯定有什么时间隧道，可以去古代找公主和王子）。

有些路名在伦敦也有两种不同的中文翻译，比如著名的Westminster区（因为Westminster Abbey而出名），一种中文翻译叫“西敏斯特”，还有一种就叫“威斯敏斯特”，我更倾向于前者，把方向感给描绘出来了，当然在翻译里带一个“威”字也不错，因为那里有大教堂，原来就给人威严、庄重的感觉。

最后要提两个不得不提的名字，一个中国人非常熟悉，英国的Big Ben，中文翻译叫“大笨钟”。不知道是谁给Big Ben起的中文名字，实在是高！伦敦人把Big Ben当成是国宝，居然也没有人站出来反对这个在中文里面意思是“Big Foolish Clock”的翻译，实在是humble到家了。

还有一个地铁站，中国人不是很熟悉，我觉得将来很可能被著名的互联网搜索公司Google Inc买断冠名权，因为实在太像了，以至于我第一眼路过的时候把它读成Google Street，惹得我的英国同事们哈哈大笑，仔细一看才发现，正确的拼法是：Goodge Street。顿时令我不禁感叹，自己书读的还太少，文化底子薄，汗颜。

图片注释：在大英博物馆（British Museum）正门入口处的地板上有这样一段文字，其实英国人似乎很喜欢把历史人名或者名人名言刻在地面上，让参观者不经意间要“踩”着才能读明白，这也算是英国人的一种谦卑感？（Copyright by George Chen. All rights reserved.）

更多有关伦敦2008年和2007年的图片，可通过以下链接浏览：www.flickr.com/photos/treebar。

By GEORGE CHEN in London

* Aims to launch China insurance JV in July or August
* May take 3-5 years for the JV to make a profit
* In talks with Bank of Communications on pension business

LONDON, May 1 (Reuters) - HSBC aims to launch its first life insurance joint venture in China in July or August and plans to offer pension services with a local partnership in the world's fastest growing major economy, a senior HSBC executive said on Thursday.

Europe's biggest bank is in the final stage of seeking approval from Chinese insurance regulators to launch its Beijing-based life insurance venture in which HSBC hopes to take a 50 percent stake, said Clive Bannister, head of the bank's insurance business.

However, it may take 3 to 5 years for the insurance venture to make a profit, he said.

"We hope to complete the joint venture in China and it's natural to expect the earnings (of HSBC's insurance business) will continue to be very strong in Asia Pacific after that," said Bannister in an interview at HSBC's offices in London.

If approved, the joint venture would have a nationwide business licence, allowing it to sell insurance products to Chinese clients through the branch networks of HSBC and its local partner, Bank of Communications , China's fifth biggest lender by assets.

Bannister said cooperation between branches of HSBC and Bank of Communications, would be also subject to Chinese regulatory approval.

HSBC would target high-end customers in China, focusing on HSBC's existing high-end banking clients at the initial stage of its insurance venture, said Bannister.

"We are positioning the company very differently and what we will be doing is a value proposition, not a volume proposition," he said. "Our clients (in China) will be owners of businesses and business entrepreneurs who are seeking significant life cover and protection."

HSBC makes about $2 billion in annual profit from its existing insurance business, or 10 percent of the group total.

In Britain, HSBC plans to expand its insurance business through organic growth, especially through its own bancassurance channel, telephone and online sales, Bannister said. He dismissed speculation that HSBC may grow its British insurance business through takeovers.

NEXT MOVE: PENSIONS

HSBC, which is a leading player of pension services in Hong Kong, where the bank was founded, is also in discussions with Bank of Communications -- of which HSBC owns nearly 20 percent -- on pension business cooperation.

However, it is not clear whether the two banks would eventually set up a joint venture or undertake some other form of cooperation to tap China's infant but fast growing pension market. That is partly because Beijing is still finalising the rules to allow banks to offer pension management services, Bannister said.

"We think we understand how to look after pensions, pension assets and administrations, but how we can do this in China depends on the final legislation and we have had discussions with Bank of Communications on this," he said.

China's nascent voluntary corporate pension scheme, known as enterprise annuities, is similar to the 401(k) plans that dominate corporate retirement planning in the United States.

Analysts have estimated that within a few years, enterprise annuities could surpass China's $25 billion National Social Security Fund as a source of new money to manage -- and therefore as a source of fees.

HSBC also has a 25 percent stake in an insurance brokerage in China. The Beijing-based venture focuses on Chinese companies that are expanding abroad, where HSBC can offer its international expertise on insurance advisory services, said Bannister.

Last year, HSBC became aggressive in the insurance business in Asia through several newly established joint ventures in India, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Bannister said HSBC had done fairly well in Asia but now had to focus on making the new ventures make money. "The growth prospect in Asia is still very high." (Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

All rights reserved. Copyright by Reuters News. Also available at the online edition of British newspaper Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7495473

From the Broadway musical "Jersey Boys"
Original by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Performed by Susan Wong

you're just too good to be true
can't take my eyes off you
you'd be like heaven to touch
i wanna hold you so much
at long last love has arrived
and i thank god i'm alive
you're just too good to be true
can't take my eyes off you

pardon the way that i stare
there's nothing else to compare
the sight of you leaves me weak
there are no words left to speak
but if you feel like i feel
please let me know that it's real
you're just too good to be true
can't take my eyes off you

ba la... ba la...

i love you baby,and if it's quite all right
i need you baby to warm the lonely night
i love you baby
trust in me when i say

oh pretty baby,don't bring me down,i pray
oh pretty baby,now that i found you stay
and let me love you,baby,let me love you
oh pretty baby,trust in me when i say

i love you baby,and if it's quite all right
i need you baby to warm the lonely night
i love you baby,trust in me when i say

By GEORGE CHEN in Canary Wharf, London
STAFF WRITER OF TreeBar.net

每次来伦敦，最直接的感受有两个：城市很美丽，消费实在高。

从希思罗国际机场打车去Canary Wharf，代价是80英镑（约合160美元，或人民币1120元）。到酒店已经是傍晚，因为时差的关系，人的状态总是处于半梦半醒之间。于是跑到附近的Starbucks买杯拿铁，中杯的4英镑，大杯的差不多要6英镑，足足是纽约Starbucks门店价格的一倍。

如果说伦敦的汽油比纽约贵，这里的出租车司机不收小费，而且两件行李上车也不另外加价，Canary Wharf离希思罗也的确很远，80英镑的车费似乎还情有可原，那么同样一杯星巴克咖啡在两个只有3个小时时差的城市买出相差一杯的价钱，实在令人感到有些不可思议。

我的伦敦的同事和我说，现在当地人越来越少喝Starbucks的咖啡，一来觉得实在不划算，二来现今伦敦不管什么东西都流行DIY，凡事首先讲究节约。咖啡自己煮、菜从超市买、报纸看地铁里免费派送的、如果要买衣服，索性每年组织一次全家旅行，坐上7个小时飞机，专门跑到纽约第五大街去“血拼”一整体，就算加上机票和酒店，据说还是在纽约购物划算。

我在伦敦看了BBC第4台的一个纪录片，专门讲一个伦敦人仔细算了一笔帐，如果他去纽约第五大街的Apple专卖店买两台Macbook Pro笔记本，一台自己用，一台回来在eBay UK网站上出售，利润不仅可以涵盖他去纽约的机票和酒店，更小有盈余，那种心情好比白捡了一台Macbook。

节目播出以后，据说在伦敦的年轻人中间引起很大凡响，以至于Apple在纽约的门店特别提醒伦敦来的顾客：欢迎你在纽约买我们的产品，但是回到英国如果不申报，以后保修可能有问题。不过好在Apple的产品质量基本过硬（不像Microsoft的软件或者Dell的电脑，动不动就中毒或者死机，保修确实是一个大问题），基本上这个小细节对崇尚节俭的伦敦人来说可以忽略不记。

如果物价高是伦敦最大的缺点，那么物价高也可能是伦敦唯一的主要缺点。撇开物质因素不谈，伦敦有全世界最好（也可能是最多的，而且大多数还是免费的）博物馆，伦敦也有全世界保护最晚膳的和历史最悠久的古建筑群（比如Tower of London或者Big Ben），伦敦当然还有很多世界别的地方没有的东西，比如莎士比亚的剧院，fish & chips（基本上这道菜的价格倒是这几年在伦敦没有太大变化），在Ritz喝afternoon tea（以前还能就近去香港感受一下Ritz的下午茶，可惜现在香港的Ritz摇身一变成了中国建设银行的海外总部大楼）等等。

伦敦也是一个很有文化的城市，除了莎士比亚式的经典英国文化，伦敦人还有一种很独特的自嘲文化，这也许就是为什么肥皂剧《Little Britain》（相比于英国的国名Great Britain）在伦敦如此流行。我没有考证过是谁给Big Ben起的中文名字，中国人？英国人？Big Ben的中文名字叫“大笨钟”，英国人的自嘲程度由此也可见一斑。

自嘲归自嘲，大多数伦敦人内心还是很骄傲的，就像你问一个生在华盛顿的美国人，或者在上海长大的中国人，“Where are you from？”他们的第一反应肯定是“D.C.”或者“Shanghai”，然后才会比较客气的补充提一句：“I'm an American”或者“Chinese”。

伦敦人也是这样，如果碰到一个在Mayfair长大的伦敦人，他可能会特别强调自己的Mayfair背景（伦敦的高档富人社区），就好像上海人至今在买房子的时候仍然念念不忘“location! location! location!”。这让我想起至今很多上海人还信奉的一个理念：宁要浦西一张床，不要浦东一间房。再者，撇开物价因素，伦敦人 vs. 上海人：同理。

也许真的是世界越来越全球化了，我在伦敦还找到和上海非常相似的地方。比如前几天去参加英国“老字号”银行Barclays的年度股东大会，超过80％来现场投票的都是白发苍苍的老人，我问伦敦的同事，是不是因为老年人比较喜欢投资银行类股票，因为表现相对稳定，得到的答案是否定的。

不管什么英国的公司，但凡在伦敦召开股东大会，来的大多都是老年散户股东，最主要的目的不是来投票（当然CEO们有时候也会听到一些老年股东因为不满股价表现而在现场爆发出的激情式讲演，有时得到的不仅有掌声，还有笑声），而是冲着免费的茶点和一些价格不贵，但制作非常精美的小礼品。

伦敦和上海在历史上其实很有渊源，比如现金英国最大的银行汇丰银行（HSBC）就是在上海的外滩成立的。有意思的是，我在从洛山矶飞往纽约的飞机上碰到一个英国小孩，问他知道不知道HSBC，他说知道。再问他知道HSBC为什么叫HSBC，小孩想了一会儿，反问我：“是不是因为HSBC的总部在High Street？”（High Street是伦敦著名的购物一条街）

我一时无语，这也或许是英国人的另一种自嘲方式。

图片注释：在Canary Wharf地铁站里的报纸销售点，背景则是相当充满现代感的设计，Jubilee则是伦敦主要的一条地铁线路，从Canary Wharf坐Jubilee Line到伦敦市中心大约20分钟时间。（Copyright by George Chen. All rights reserved.）

更多有关伦敦2008年和2007年的图片，可通过以下链接浏览：www.flickr.com/photos/treebar。

By GEORGE CHEN in New York and Beverly Hills, California
STAFF WRITER OF TreeBar.net

EXCLUSIVE-FT aims to launch magazine in China before Olympics
Reuters News, 22:00, 21 April 2008, 838 words, (English)
LONDON/NEW YORK, April 21 (Reuters) - Britain's Financial Times Group said it aimed to launch its first Chinese-language magazine ahead of the Summer Olympics in Beijing to target China's increasingly affluent professionals. 

INTERVIEW-UPDATE 1-Google to add China staff, promote products
Reuters News, 05:12, 20 April 2008, 527 words, (English)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 19 (Reuters) - Google Inc , the world's Internet services leader, plans to boost hiring in China by one-third this year and increase promotional spending to win market share, a senior company executive said on Saturday. 

INTERVIEW-UPDATE 1-Bank of China HK keen on mortgage, wealth svc
Reuters News, 10:02, 19 April 2008, 708 words, (English)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 18 (Reuters) - The Bank of China Hong Kong, the No. 1 mortgage lender in Hong Kong, wants to hold on to its leading position in the mortgage sector despite the U.S. mortgage crisis, which may have an impact in Hong Kong, a senior executive said on Friday.

INTERVIEW-UPDATE 2-China's CIC aims for 5 pct annual return
Reuters News, 09:01, 18 April 2008, 559 words, (English)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif, April 17 (Reuters) - Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp Ltd, launched last year, aims for about a 5 percent annual return on investment in its early years, Chief Risk Officer Jesse Wang said on Thursday.

UPDATE 1-INTERVIEW-HSBC to add branches, staff in U.S.
Reuters News, 07:08, 16 April 2008, 700 words, (English)
NEW YORK, April 15 (Reuters) - HSBC Holdings Plc , Europe's biggest lender, plans to expand its U.S. retail branch network and hire more staff despite the weak U.S. economy, a senior HSBC executive told Reuters on Tuesday. 

INTERVIEW-MasterCard says confident in revenue, outlook
Reuters News, 23:54, 14 April 2008, 713 words, (English)
NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - MasterCard Inc expects growth to remain strong in the next few years, helped by revenue from overseas markets, even as the U.S. credit crisis cuts into spending by Americans, a senior executive told Reuters on Monday.

ANALYSIS-Chinese banks head to US but profits may be elusive
Reuters News, 23:15, 14 April 2008, 801 words, (English)
NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - Major Chinese banks are racing to open branches across the United States, but they are unlikely to make much money from them any time soon. 

Chinese banks refuse to invest in troubled U.S. lending company
International Herald Tribune, 7 April 2008, 710 words, (English)
NEW YORK -- Major Chinese banks have looked at buying a stake in CIT Group or forming a partnership with the U.S. commercial lender, but they have backed away because of concerns about CIT's ability to finance itself, people with knowledge of the matter said.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/06/business/chibanks.php

China picks U.S. firm to run private equity fund
Reuters News, 5 April 2008, 675 words, (English)
NEW YORK -- China Investment Corp., Beijing's $200 billion sovereign wealth fund, has signed a deal with the U.S. firm J.C. Flowers to run a $4 billion private equity fund that will focus on investments in U.S. financial assets, despite increasing worries over the snowballing credit crisis, according to a person briefed on the situation.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7434677

Big banks in no rush to raise China stakes
Reuters News, 03:33, 2 April 2008, 762 words, (English)
NEW YORK, April 1 (Reuters) - Cash-strapped international banks are showing a lot less interest in increasing their investments in the Chinese banking sector than they were before the global credit crisis took its toll.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7429075

INTERVIEW-China banker says U.S. economy cause for concern
Reuters News, 00:04, 29 March 2008, 661 words, (English)
NEW YORK, March 28 (Reuters) - Chinese banks fear the prospect of a U.S. economic recession, which may result in slower growth of China's trade surplus and thus hurt sector earnings growth in the world's fastest-growing major economy, the CEO of the nation's biggest non-state lender told Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSN2830261620080328

Chinese banks cast wary eye on U.S. financial sector
International Herald Tribune, 28 March 2008, 707 words, (English)
NEW YORK -- Chinese banks, widely considered as possible buyers of more U.S. financial assets amid the credit crisis, are becoming picky and cautious because of increasing concerns about investment risks.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/27/business/rtrdeal28.php

UPDATE 2-China banks turn down German Dresdner deal
Reuters News, 17:42, 27 March 2008, 618 words, (English)
NEW YORK/FRANKFURT, March 27 (Reuters) - China's major financial institutions, including its sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp (CIC), poured cold water on the idea of the possible purchase of Allianz's Dresdner, citing investment risk and political problems as major concerns, Chinese bankers told Reuters on Thursday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7416228

UPDATE 1-M.Stanley's CICC sale stalls over rules, price
Reuters News, 01:08, 27 March 2008, 703 words, (English)
NEW YORK, March 26 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley's plan to sell its 34.3 percent stake in a China-based brokerage has stalled over Chinese regulations and the hitch may delay the launch of the Wall Street bank's new venture in the world's fastest growing major economy, sources close to the matter said on Wednesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/bankingFinancial/idUSN2643374720080326

(Copyrights by Reuters news agency. All rights reserved.)

By GEORGE CHEN in New York
STAFF WRITER OF TreeBar.net

在纽约的时间过的很快，马上就要开始我的新一段旅程了，即将开启的旅程有些属于安排之外。

撇开政治，除了纽约，每到人们谈起美国，还有一个名字也是非常具有特殊意义的：好莱坞。我的下一站就是位于西好莱坞（West Hollywood）比华利希尔顿，在那里有一个和中国有关的经济会议。说实话，我也很好奇为什么一个经济会议会安排在好莱坞举办，不过对我来说也不失为一次很有意义的旅程。

好莱坞位于加州的洛杉矶，这里人都习惯性把加州简称为CA，把洛杉矶简称为LA。和纽约不同，洛杉矶似乎面积大很多，而且是有好多个城市呈发散状规划而成的，在完成好莱坞的采访工作后，我会去同样位于LA的海滩城市Santa Monica小憩两天，之后再飞往伦敦开始我下一阶段的工作。

让我有点担心的是美国国内愈演愈糟的航班延误问题。美国航空公司（American Airlines）昨天取消了1000多个航班，今天稍微好一点，但是还是有几百个航班受影响，据说周末是最糟糕的阶段，过了就好。还好我是下周才去LA，之后的行程就全部交给英国维珍航空公司（Virgin Atlantic）了。

我从上海飞纽约的时候是途径伦敦转机，中间碰到一些技术问题，最后航班被迫取消，不过说实话，VA的服务还是很到位的，不仅把乘客安置在Hilton London，每个人还有额外积分奖励，第二天再飞纽约的时候，大家还得到了免费的升舱享受。这和我在国内的飞机经历相比，实在是有天壤之别。

人无完人，谁不会犯错误，但是如何弥补和改善，也许才是区别好人和恶人的一个重要因素。

图片注释：美国纽约第五大街上的Gucci专卖店，瞬间驶过的黄色Ford牌出租车早已成为纽约的城市标志性风景之一。（Copyright by George Chen. All rights reserved.）

更多有关纽约、Ellis Island以及曼哈顿市区的博物馆、艺术作品等视频、照片可以在以下这个链接浏览：
http://www.flickr.com/photos/treebar/collections/72157604318352540/

有关2007年的《欧洲印象》专栏的文字和图片链接可以在这里找到：
http://georgeschen.blogbus.com/c1749566/

Theme song from Broadway show "Rent"

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Moments So Dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife

In - Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure A Year In The Life

How About Love? How About Love?
How About Love? Measure In Love

Seasons Of Love Seasons Of Love

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Journeys To Plan
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure The Life Of A Woman Or A Man?

In Truths That She Learned Or In Times That He Cried
In Bridges He Burned Or The Way That She Died

It's Time Now - To Sing Out Tho' The Story Never Ends
Let's Celebrate Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends

Remember The Love Remember The Love
Remember The Love Measure In Love

Measure, Measure Your Life In Love

Seasons Of Love... Seasons Of Love...