之前一直在忙着帮助一个朋友筹钱开她的小超市, 却突然被告知因为一些原因她的店开不成了, 叫我不用为钱的事情而操心了. 如果说听到这个消息我感到放下心头大石的话, 不如说我感到有点惊讶而且可惜. 不过据她所说, 幸好她去视察了一下开店的地点情况, 否则可能真的会赔本了. 所以从某种程度来讲, 我还是替她感到庆幸的.
之前为了帮她筹钱, 我真的花费了九牛二虎之力, 能够帮她问的人我都问了, 甚至我还自愿帮她做担保, 如果她的钱不能按期还就由我来还. 感谢那几位朋友和学生的信任, 他们都愿意借钱帮我那位朋友. 当我把这件事对一个准备借钱给我的好朋友说了以后, 他吃惊地瞪圆了眼望着我说: “赖小琪先生, 你不是发烧烧坏脑子了吧? 这个朋友对你来说真的有这么重要吗? 你帮她借钱就好了, 还要保她担保?” 是的, 这个朋友对我真的就是这么重要, 因为我们的友情已经在很大程度上超越了金钱的利益了. 只要我有能力, 我都会尽力去帮她的. 那位朋友听了我的话后, 点点头笑着对我说: “真是难得啊, 情人之间尚且难以做到这样, 而你对你的朋友却可以做到如此, 看来这个朋友真的是你的很要好的朋友了.”
其实, 这么久以来, 我最深的感受是: 一定要善待你身边的朋友, 特别是那为数不多的几个挚友. 人活一辈子, 身边最重要的人无非就是亲人和朋友. 待亲人好是毋庸置言的了, 但是待朋友好却是需要感情和觉悟的. 过去, 我曾和很多朋友由亲密而变得关系稀疏甚至反目成仇, 这里面或多或少地都与金钱扯上关系的. 当然, 因为金钱的事情, 我也与某些人成为了很要好的朋友. 有人说, 金钱是一把利剑, 是人际关系的大敌, 多少兄弟朋友因为它而反目成仇! 难怪我们常说, 谈钱伤感情. 但是, 我却不这样认为. 与其说金钱是感情的大敌, 不如说它是感情的试金石. 你只要一落难, 只要你一需要向别人借钱, 那你就会很快地鉴别出身边谁才是真正的朋友, 谁才是真正关爱你的人. 那些曾经表面和你多好多亲密的人, 这时候往往会找各种各样的借口避开你; 而那些真正关心你的人, 哪怕他们的能力有限, 他们也会尽力去帮助你. 当然, 有些朋友的经济情况无法让他们帮助你太多, 那也实在没办法, 我们同样要感激他们.
我无法忘记那些曾经在我困难的时候帮助过我的朋友们, 特别是那些在我困难时主动帮助我的人! 正是因为这些人, 我才感到生活中的希望和温暖, 否则世界在我的眼中只是冰冷一片. 对于这为数不少的好友, 我把他们看成是我的亲人, 看成是兄弟姐妹. 至于我上面提到的那位朋友, 虽然在金钱上她没有能力帮助我, 可是认识了她这么多年来, 她给予我的帮助真的数也数不清. 特别是在我出国期间, 我经常需要她帮我在国内办一些事情. 有些事情让她不断奔波与忙碌, 可是她都毫无怨言, 而是热情耐心地帮我把事情办妥. 所以, 一直以来我都把她当成是我最好的朋友之一. 昨晚她在电话中感谢我为她筹钱时, 我直接就对她说: “我们之间还需要说谢谢吗? 以后我们还要相互关照的啊!”
母亲常警戒我不要借钱给别人. 她时常对我说: “这个社会你对别人好, 不见得你有困难时别人会待你好. 所以不要那么傻随便借钱给别人!” 听了她的话, 我往往会语塞而沉默良久. 很久之前, 我会毫不犹豫地反驳她: “妈, 你别把每个人都想得这么坏, 因为不是每个人都是这样的, 这个社会还是有很多好人的!” 但是这些年来的经历已经让我在某种程度上感到失望了, 所以我无法再与母亲争辩了. 但是, 对于那为数不多的好朋友, 如果他们真的有困难时, 我也实在做不出那么绝情. 正是因为我曾经遭受过类似的困境, 所以我才会更明白他们的感受, 所以我是无论如何也无法置身事外的. 就像我上面提及的那位朋友, 我太了解她了. 我知道不到迫不得已, 她是不会开口向我说钱的事的. 等她开口和我说这个事时, 她肯定已经是束心无策而且忧心如焚的时候了. 一想到这里, 我就感到坐立不安. 所以, 我才会为她向别的朋友借钱.
至于那些曾经在我需要帮助时离我而去的人, 我也不会怪他们, 因为我知道, 没有任何人有帮助你的义务. 但是, 对于这些人, 我以后也不会对他们有多热情. 以后如果风水轮流转, 他们需要我帮忙时, 我也不会帮助他们, 因为我不是一个以德报怨的人. 这样的人根本不值得你去帮他们, 因为他们由始至终也没有把你当成朋友来看.
所以, 珍惜那些在困境时仍然不愿意放弃你的朋友吧! 那些有能力帮助你的朋友固然值得你珍惜, 而那些本来没有能力帮助你却可以为了你而向别人借钱的朋友, 更是值得你珍惜! 说句现实点的话, 就算是你的亲兄弟也未必会愿意为了你而向别人借钱, 更不要说和你完全没有血缘关系的朋友! 写到这里, 我要特别感谢刘工! 我相信如果他有机会看到我这篇文章的话, 他会明白我为什么要感谢他的! 当你的好朋友有困难时, 如果你可以尽你的力量去帮助他度过困境, 我想, 你们的友情会愈加深厚. 否则, 你可能就会失去一个好朋友了, 而你今后的人生, 只会增添多一分冷漠与遗憾.
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M&A deals in China decline
Updated: 2012-08-15 01:07
By Yu Ran in Shanghai (China Daily)
China's merger and acquisition activity dropped significantly in the first half of 2012, mainly because of the still sputtering global economy, especially in Europe, according to the midyear M&A review released by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Tuesday.
The review showed a 33 percent decline in announced deals and a marked 10 percent decline in deal value.
Domestic deal activity in China recorded 25 percent fewer transactions compared with the same period last year.
Foreign buyers' strategic inbound deals in China have been affected as well, showing a decline of 42 percent compared with the first half of 2011.
There is good news too, however: Global difficulties have not greatly affected China's appetite for doing deals abroad.
Chinese outbound deal values managed to maintain their levels close to 2011, and in fact, the values have tripled compared with the rather low first half of 2011 and are on track to exceed 2011 full-year numbers.
"Chinese companies are taking advantage of buying opportunities to acquire resources and industrial technology-focused businesses in overseas markets," said Roger Liu, PwC China Transaction Services Partner.
Deals in the resources and energy sectors continued to dominate, making up 44 percent of the total number of outbound transactions in the first half of 2012 on a combined basis, compared with 36 percent in the first half of 2011.
"These trends are likely to continue, with the number and size of transactions growing and being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing experience and confidence of the participants" Liu said.
Liu added that increasing support from Chinese domestic financial institutions as well as the private equity industry will also enable buyers to take advantage of opportunities as vendors respond to difficult conditions in their home markets.
While private equity deals worth more than $10 million have dropped sharply, by 39 percent, partly because deal processes have slowed in anticipation of declining prices, private equity funds remain highly liquid and eager to enter the market.
Liu said he believes there will be a recovery in the number of PE deals in the second half of 2012, judging by the PE industry's level of unspent funds and the general demand for growth capital in China's private sector.
Relatively high deal numbers are being recorded in consumer sectors as well as healthcare and technology sectors.
"Despite the challenges, these are exciting times for the PE industry in China, as regulators continue to open up the PE sector to institutional money and as record levels of capital are available for investment by the PE industry in China," Liu said.
A strong recovery in China-related M&A deals is expected, the timing of which will depend upon the resolution of global difficulties.
"Continued strategic demand for resources, technology and buying opportunities abroad will most probably result in a record year for China's outbound M&A," said Gabriel Wong, PwC China corporate finance leader.
Wong added that China's appetite for outbound deals will likely buck the trend of an overall decline in the Chinese M&A market in 2012.
Despite the drop in PE deals in the first half of 2012, PwC still expects a pickup in PE activity in the second half.
"We expect the second half of this year is going to show an improvement on the private equity deals with the increasing demands for growth capital in China's private sector," Wong said. |
