Running out of things to write

The biggest news today was the securities regulator’s proposed penalties for Tiger Brokers, Futu, and Longbridge. The announcement described a two-year period to wind down affected existing business: customers could sell holdings but not buy more. It felt as though another route for mainland residents to invest in Hong Kong and US stocks was closing. I am affected, though I think I can manage the impact. Yesterday I wrote about preparing for trouble; today supplied an example.

People in my community debated it intensely. I found the announcement hard to believe and wished I had prepared more brokerage options. Shares of affected companies fell sharply at the open. I will leave the longer assessment to others. For my part, I still intend to study US stocks.

At least it is Friday. Tomorrow I can rest a little longer, then take my bag to a café to work.

At noon I again wondered whether to keep breeding Syrian hamsters or try turtles. A Syrian hamster may be cheaper to buy, but food and cleaning add to the cost. Last night I found another litter: seven pups curled together in a corner of the cage. There were nine hamsters there now, and even the adults seemed to move more gently. I hurried to give them food. They went at it as though they had been hungry for ages 🐷. This morning, the new responsibility made going to work feel different.

I also thought about raising turtles. They seem less demanding, even if breeding them is harder. I looked again at musk and razor-backed musk turtles and may start with just a few. I first considered this late last year, hoping young turtles would be available in July or August. I had almost dropped the idea, but it keeps returning. I do love small animals.