E-strategy for Stock Brokerage Service in Hong Kong Thesis Proposal

E-strategy for Stock Brokerage Service in Hong Kong - Thesis Proposal Example The proposed research analyses the e-strategies adopted by the brokerage companies in Hong Kong. Through the research, we will find out the gaps in the e-brokerage practices and will try to get insight about the e-strategies. The study will also provide practical suggestion in order to undertake betterment in the strategies adopted for e-brokerage, so that they can be helpful in further growth or taking corrective measures. The advent of the online trading has transfigured the trading industry all over the world including the online brokerage industry in Hong Kong. Last decade has seen a significant increase in the number financial institutions and brokers offering online trading in Hong Kong. These brokers offer both online and traditional brokerage services (Piotroski & Roulstone, 2004). Almost all of the companies listed at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange offer some form of internet based securities. Last few years have seen significant increase in the number of online traders. The number of online traders increases at the rate of 5% per annum. (Industry Overview) In 2003 the exchange launched AMS/3; the average daily turnover of the online brokers in Hong Kong has increased around 1.9% to around 13.0%. The Hong Kong exchange does not require any additional registration and licensing requirements for a company to conduct securities and commodities dealing through the Internet (Industry Overview). Reasons for the study: By reviewing the importance and uses of e-strategy of brokerage services and its literature, we will find out that e-brokerage is such effective tool which provide help to an ordinary person in undertaking trade with ease. On the other end it is also benefitting the trading companies in several ways. The data provided by the companies help in undertaking useful interpretation and comparison of the financial statements. The researcher is interested in evaluating every aspect of the e-strategy of brokerage. It is important for the brokerage companies to protect the interest of all parties and see that the firm grows profitably. Therefore, how far the management and investors can utilize the e-brokerage services to extract and present more and more information, needs to be evaluated. The purpose of this research is to analyze and identify that how the financial ratios are helpful in decision-making process of financial executives in the firm. Basically literature shows that e-strategy is a the tool through which investors are taking/making certain decisions about company's performance, liquidity profitability and its effectiveness but unless they do not compare it with the past performance of the same firm or other competitors or industry, they may not be able to extract the reasonable and useful information and analysis. So the main aim of the study is to evaluate whether the e-strategy is useful in providing the information helpful in predicting the performance of the firm. In the process of research, developing the views from the existing literature on e-strategy of brokerage will be our starting point and finally we will be able to present the gaps found in the e-brokerage practices of the companies in Hong Kong and suggest the steps for betterment. Objectives: The objectives of the present study would be as follows: To review extant conceptual models

The presence of our English Teacher Essay Example for Free

The presence of our English Teacher Essay A pleasant evening to each and everyone of you. First of all, I would like to acknowledge the presence of our English Teacher, Tchr. JM Sayson.. for giving us â€Å"The Sunscreen†. Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2012, this is our story – our history. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, the value of Christianity would be it. One value that the academy had taught us and molded us into. This school had taught us to live according to His ways. To grow in love with Him every day. And to value love – Love of God, precisely! Seniors, we have finally come to the end of our journey as High School students. The gates of uncertainties from being a child to a fully grown young individual will now be closing in month’s time. Seeing everyone in their glamorous gowns and fabulous suits, we are now young ladies and young noblemen who were about to enter a completely different and peculiar world. Goodbye Academy, Hello University! We, who only knew once how to play hide-and-seek, run here and there, shout and just laugh our hearts out and do whatever we wanna do, not caring about the people around us. We, who thought life is as easy as ABC’s and 123’s, then came to a realization that life really is as complicated as sin2Ï ´ + cos2Ï ´=1, then – prove! Who would ever thought that these children, who plays 10-20 or Chinese garter at the corridors of MCA are just about to leave the portals of their dearest Alma Mater? My fellows, what more could we miss than our weekly routine – CHAPEL HOUR. The long term benefits of our Monday habit have been proven by any other batches whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than our own meandering experience. How blessed we are to have been given this kind of opportunity – to be closer to God and to have the chance to listen to His words. Remember how Tchr. Lina’s video presentation about the early Christians made our eyes turn to waterfalls? Remember how Bishop Art unceasingly discussed about the significance and importance of the Bible? This is one strong basis that our school had built a Godly foundation so strong on our hearts. And now, how can we start the week without singing Tchr. Cecille’s favorite prayer song â€Å"All the Heavens†? How can we end our day without rendering the routinary song â€Å"Thank You Lord† unto God? But we should not worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. Oh yes, one thing : Tchr. Gerald’s magical stars! Can you imagine how motivated we were back on our 1st year days because of his â€Å"stars†? Mathematics became our day-to-day challenge from Tchr. Gerald’s stars to Tchr. Cecille’s complex techniques to Tchr. Edwin and Tchr. Dante’s logical theories to Tchr. Ryan’s alienable formula. Oh my Math – really! Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts – Who would ever forget how reckless we were with the frogs’ fragile little hearts? Tchr. Maan and Tchr. Jhed’s biology class gave us a chance to discover our inner beings through these little ones. Plus, Tchr. Mae’s outrageous reaction when she saw the frogs inside the bottles and the â€Å"Sorry Tchr. Mae† program that we had prepared just to have her back. Do one thing everyday that scares you, Sing†¦ Who were those girls again? Krystle Mae Data and Pauline Dones who gave their best shot to represent our school on the Clash of the Glee Clubs thus, making our students as the official choir of the SM Bacoor and Dasma Supermalls. Remember the Speech Choir who competed on Lyceum Cavite Campus whose voices rocked out the whole stadium and brought home the Golden Trophy? What a great prestige indeed! Time will come that each one of us will recall in a way we can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before us. Who would ever forget the month-long practices and the never-ending perseverance of each section on our Florante and Laura play, as well as the Noli Me Tangere act? How everybody waited for the day of our play to see these faces reminisce the past, wear their cla ssic Maria Clara dresses and â€Å"barong tagalog†, speak like that of the time of Dr. Jose Rizal and to be nationalistic on some point in time. How fabulous they really looked indeed Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own. Remember Lara Ruzol’s â€Å"No Pardon for Me† declamation speech during the United Nations last October 2008? How about the African dance participated by all other sections? Is Star-Spangled Beauty, Bansai San, Hunyango, Dona Espadana and Inang Bayan familiar to you? How about these songs : Carry the Light, For all the world and Great is Thy Faithfulness? The penlights? Yes fellows, the 4,000 Voice Choir! â€Å"Aqua, aqua! Go go go go Aqua! Go fight, team fight Angels fight! Beat them, beat them Angels fight!† can be heard on the grounds of the Marikina Sports Complex last February 4, 2011 -The National Foundation Day and Inter-Maranatha Sports Fest with the slogan â€Å"Healthy Kids, Healthy Nation†. I will never forget our Arnis Mass Demo with the tune of â€Å"Kung-fu Fighting† participated by all other chapters of NCLC and MCA Afterwards, the gleaming lights of Star City set our excitements on fire! One thing that the MCA Angels thought us is to : Dance.. even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room Arianne Salamilao, Eden Tariga, Jander Del Rosario, Adrian Ramos, Mark Frias, Florenth Consay, Sam Sollano, Joana Riel, our cheer dancers, we are very proud of you. Dancing the whole Dela Salle Dasma’s stadium out and giving our roaring cheers will never be wasted. And so, our dancing shoes were set on foot during our P.E. class firstly on our 3rd year days. Ballroom dancing anyone? Get plenty of calcium, be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone. Remember how Tchr. Analyn unceasingly motivated us to give our very best? How Tchr. Lina gave her full support to her students? How Tchr. Joy pushed her class beyond their limitations? How they inspired each one of us? How they made us feel with their motherly love? How each of us was pampered just before we get into our final stage of this Academe? Our JS promenade, we as Juniors, became a flash of excitement, memories and competition. Little girls turned into beautiful ladies. Young boys turned into noble gentlemen. We were princes and princesses for a moment in time. Each one flashed their most beautiful smiles on the cameras and gave full grace to their numbers. It was a night of fantasy turned to reality! Krystle Mae Data was our Prom Princess and David Solis was our Prom Prince. The best long gown belongs to Miss Data as well and the best suit went to Mr. Solis as well. The best dress goes to Miss Jillah Escritor. III-Justice won the Juniors Ballroom Competition. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. But we all know that each went home with a smile on their hearts and a callus on their feet 😉 Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either. Your choices are half-chances, so are everybody else’s. Some chose to be a part of the CAT, some chose to be noblemen of the Scouting movement. Some reserved themselves to be Privates and live according to the principles of the CAT. Each one has undergone the trainings and appraisals before reaching what they are now. The COCC’s proved themselves that they were deserving to be what they have become now. The Scouts’ motto â€Å"Be prepared.† was always manifested in their actions through their countless duties. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults. By the grace of God, Batch 2012 will never be left behind when it comes to Academics and Leadership. Jorge Ochoa and Ronn Bautista made it to the Regionals of News and Feature Writing Competition. Ciara Kaye Aquino, Jorge Ochoa, Lara Ruzol and Gemmalyn Galang passed the UPCAT examination. Alnira Causing and Aira Dy-rastas passed DLSU-Manila as well. Our Student Government was headed by Ciara Kaye Aquino as the President, Kaye Reyes as Treasurer, Jillah Escritor as Secretary and Prince Ramos as Auditor. Student leaders went to the Congress. Beacon, Ciara Aquino as the Editor-in Chief, had made their history. The official newspaper of the campus’s first issue gave a blast to the campus readers. Peer Facilitators, headed by Arianne Salamilao, participated much on Kalinga partylist’s Medical Missions and Feeding Programs. The Glee Club, topped by Krystle Data, were engaged to many outside performances including a trip to Congress. The CAT, supervised by Lara Ruzol, and the Scouts, handled by Florenth Consay and Justine Alicio, practiced discipline among the students and became accountable in duties and other school responsibilities. The Timothy Circle, led by Abby Cardenas, held Prayer meetings to strengthen the faith of the youth. Organizations worked together for the glory of God! Our batch has worked the gaps between geography and lifestyle. Not actually geography. But the difference between us. We have shown unity during our MCA Concert where we rendered our God-given talents and skills unto Him with our beloved advisers. Most of the 4th year students joined the Mass demo for our 22nd International Convention dancing â€Å"Agnus Dei and Lord of the Dance†. Our Christmas Party became a success with our very own band â€Å"Elgied and friends† Elgied Apdua, Jake Saulog, Nikko Doctolero, Rainiel Dela Cruz and Ruth Dimarucut -performing for the rest of the program. The fun and the excitement among each section were boomed by our mythical â€Å"Banana Dance†. Thus, making our batch united than ever. Schoolmates, this is our last chance to prove ourselves. Tchr. Ryan Garcia, Tchr. Analyn Garcia and Tchr. Joy Tumamak gave their very best to set us ready for the next step of our lives. Understand that friends come and go but for the precious few, we should hold on. Some may have gone to nowhere but we must hold on to each other. Graduation day is yet to come. The day when each one of us might realize how our days have been filled with happiness and smiles. With joy and laughter. How our months were filled with excitement and challenges. With hopes and dreams. Though sorrows and downfalls may come, our mentors have taught us to stand and rise up once again. That God will always be there for us. That He is always with us all the way. This is one thing that we will bring with us once we leave the bosom of our school that we can always be proud of! We grew not to give glory to ourselves but to give glory unto God Almighty. We study not because of anyone else but because of what we want to be not for ourselves, but for our loved ones who never left us all along. Though certain things may come, we should never worry. The real troubles in our lives are apt to be things that never crossed our worried minds. At this point where goodbyes can never be held back, Maranatha Christian Academy became our backbone ever since. Proverbs 22:6 became the motto which guided us to be where we are now. Things do happen for a purpose. All things work together for good and as we leave, always remember â€Å" If God is for us, who can be against us?† We must accept certain inalienable truths, we are about to leave the Academy but our hearts will forever be in it, on it, WITH IT! Brothers and sisters, together we’ll make it through. Someday, our spirit will take us and guide us back to where we belong – MCA. I know, you’ve been hurting but our Alma Mater will always be there for us. Waiting for us to come back to her arms. And we’ll be there right? Just tell me now, whenever we can. Ladies and gentlemen, we have made history. This is our story – OUR HISTORY. â€Å"With tears in my eyes to you I say farewell, I’ll never forget those happy days forever..† Batch 2011-2012 now signing off.

The Jonestown Massacre: Jim Jones Essay -- mass suicide, church

Have you ever heard the term, â€Å"Don’t drink the Kool-Aid?† or â€Å"You have drank the Kool-Aid.†? Well, †Drinking the Kool-Aid† means you have done something that others have told you to do or did yourself. This saying comes from the cult society led by Reverend Jim Jones, named Jonestown. Jonestown was a small community in the jungle of Guyana, South America. After getting word of people coming to investigate the society, Jones had committed a mass suicide by poisoning Kool-Aid and giving it to the people of Jonestown. A cult society is an organization that basically disguises itself as a religion. In a cult, they normally perform rituals. There are usually many people in these societies. In Jim Jones’s cult, there were at least one thousand people in this community. Jim Jones was the notorious cult leader of the Peoples Temple. Jones was born on May 13, 1931 in Crete, Indiana. He was a self-appointed pastor from a church in the Midwest. Jim had been popular for always wearing dark glasses, black suits and slicked-back hair, which made a splendid impression on the pulpit of the churches he had preached at or had been to. He then, in the mid-1960s, moved his congregation to California to, what he had wished, avoid the start of a nuclear war. Then, in 1974, he moved his people to Guyana after he was faced with financial abuses, criticism, and church beatings. Guyana, South America is South America’s monarch. It is located on the northern border of South America and is also part of the Anglophone Islands. After Jones and his flock moved to this country, he started a cult. He named this the Peoples Temple.They were located in the jungle of Guyana. In this community, Jones proclaimed that all men, except for him, were homosexual. He... ...s already small portions of food and horrible tasks given to those who didn’t obey Jim Jones. Also, Reverend jones clearly didn’t mind the fact that he was forcing more than nine hundred people to commit suicide, a third if them children. Being me, I feel like the way Jim Jones treated these people, and the way he led this cult compound was completely wrong. I feel like Peoples Temple was a humungous mistake. I also feel truly sorry for those who lose friends and family in this horrible event and for those who went through this. Although this is all over the Jim jones Massacre will forever be remembered and never be forgotten. Works Cited â€Å"Inside the Jonestown Massacre.† CNN.com/US. 13 November 2008. â€Å"Jim Jones Biography.† Bio.. 15 May 2014

The purpose of this (SBA) School based Assessment

AimWhat are the factors responsible for land pollution in the community of East Dry River Port of Spain, Trinidad?Method of Data CollectionHow was the data collected?Attempts were made to walk around the street with bags in search of rubbish within #50 Argyle Street East Dry River, Port of Spain. Where no rubbish were found after a few numbers of visits, no further attempt was made to go back in search of more.Where was data collected?The study area was at #50 Argyle Street East Dry River, Port of Spain, which is shown in the location map, Map #2. Activities were conducted and plenty of rubbish was collected and stored in plastic bags.When was data collected?Rubbish activities were completed on (Monday 15th of October to Tuesday 21st of November) between (10.00 am to 3.00pm).PRESENTATION OF STUDYAccording to the Caribbean Environment for CXC Geography, Pollution is a substance which causes an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological environment. Although there are s ome natural pollutants such as volcanoes, pollution generally occurs because of human activity. Pollution occurs in three ways:Land Water Air.Pollution may affect: the atmosphere. This is Air Pollution, rivers, seas, lakes and groundwater. This is Water Pollution, rocks and the soil.This is Land Pollution.No part of the world is free from air pollution. In the Arctic and Antarctic, the air appears clear; but traces of industrial chemicals can be found in the atmosphere and in falling snow. In most of the Caribbean, the air also appears clean. The trade winds blow from the east, across several thousand kilometers at Open Ocean. However, both worldwide and locally generated air pollution affects the region.Production of excess carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases is a form of air pollution, which has worldwide effects I have also found that pollution is a substance which causes an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological environment. Although there are some natural po llutants such as volcanoes, pollution generally occurs because of human activity, and in that 35% of bottles, 40% of rappers and 25% of paper were found.A divided circle diagram showing the percentage of rubbish that was collected during rubbish activities. Of the 100 % of rubbish that was collected 35% was Bottles, 40% was Rappers and 25% was PaperTally Sheet Showing the Number of Rubbish That Were Collected During the Activities Bottles 35% Rappers 40% Papers 25%Bar Graph Showing The Number of Rubbish That were Collected During the Activities

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 8

â€Å"Succubus.† Dante's laconic voice was the last thing I'd expected to hear when my phone rang the next day. I'd forgotten that I'd left him my number. My surprise quickly gave way to eagerness. Maybe he'd found something for me. No energy loss had occurred after the auction, but then, I hadn't taken a victim either. It wasn't much to go on, but that small pattern Dante had pointed out was still a place to start, and I hoped he'd have more to offer now. â€Å"Hey! What's up?† I sat down on the couch. I'd been getting ready to go out with Seth later, applying makeup the old-fashioned way in order to conserve shape-shifting energy. I'd need to cash in on my auction date sooner rather than later to get some power back. There was a pause from the other end of the line before Dante spoke again. â€Å"I've been thinking†¦I've been thinking we're going about all of this the wrong way.† Very unexpected. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yeah. I wasn't taking it seriously, so I understand why you were getting pissed off.† Hearing him admit how he'd been blowing my problems off wasn't exactly cheering, but I appreciated his honesty. â€Å"Well†¦it's okay. I'm just glad we can maybe figure something out now. I'm getting anxious.† â€Å"Me too.† More silence, then I heard him take a deep breath. â€Å"So, have you ever been to El Gaucho?† The reference to one of Seattle's downtown steakhouses was such a non sequitur that I couldn't respond for several seconds. When I did speak, it wasn't very articulate. â€Å"What?† â€Å"It's a restaurant. Down on First – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah. I know what it is. What's it have to do with the dreams?† â€Å"Dreams? What are you talking about?† â€Å"What are you – oh, Jesus Christ. Are you asking me out?† â€Å"Of course I am. What the fuck would El Gaucho have to do with those dreams?† I groaned. â€Å"I can't believe this. I actually thought you had something useful for me.† â€Å"I'm trying to be nice here! Look, the dreams are a lost cause, but we aren't. You were right when you said I was being sleazy and treating you like you were cheap. So give me a break! I'm trying to have sex with you the right way.† I found this even freakier than when Dante had suggested the place with the happy hour beer. â€Å"I don't want to have sex with you, okay? I want your help with my problems. And how many times do I have to tell you that I have a boyfriend?† â€Å"As many times as you want. I just don't buy that that's a real relationship. Particularly after you sold yourself for seventeen-hundred dollars last night.† â€Å"How do you know about that?† â€Å"It was in the paper.† â€Å"That date doesn't count.† â€Å"Can a date with me not count?† â€Å"No! For the last time, I have a boyfriend. I'm going out with him tonight.† â€Å"To El Gaucho?† I hung up. I was working my hair over with a curling iron later on when I heard knocking at my front door. Walking toward the living room, I felt immortal signatures on the other side. Fortunately, there was nothing musky or slimy here. These were familiar and welcome. Of course, they weren't exactly welcome tonight. â€Å"What are you guys doing here?† I asked, opening the door to admit Peter, Cody, and Hugh. My three stooges. The dwarves to my Snow White. â€Å"And why do you always show up when I'm about to go out?† Like always, they made themselves comfortable in my living room without any further invitation. Cody handed me a slip that had been stuck to the door from my building's office manager, saying I had a package. I made a mental note to pick it up the next time the office was open. â€Å"We're going over to that place that makes the unholy margaritas,† he said. â€Å"Thought we'd stop by and see if you wanted to go.† â€Å"And here you are, ungrateful and mean,† said Peter. He glanced around the living room. â€Å"I don't see a Christmas tree here.† Hugh was eyeing my red-silk robe. â€Å"You going out in that?† â€Å"Of course not. I'm just getting ready, that's all.† The three of them exchanged looks. â€Å"Is it business or Seth?† asked Hugh. â€Å"Seth.† â€Å"Damn it,† swore Peter. He pulled some crumpled money out of his pocket and handed it to Hugh. â€Å"You guys bet on my love life?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Hugh. â€Å"All the time. You should see the stakes we've got riding on when you and Seth are finally going to sleep together.† â€Å"Well, keep 'em riding, cowboy. It's not going to happen.† I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall near my TV. â€Å"Of course, Niphon's trying pretty hard to make it happen. Is he in on the bet?† â€Å"Not yet. What's he doing?† asked Cody. I told them about the offer Niphon had made for Seth's soul. To my surprise, they didn't share my shock and outrage. â€Å"I don't know,† said Hugh slowly. â€Å"I've kind of thought about that before.† I gaped. â€Å"Thought about what before? Buying Seth's soul?† â€Å"Sure. It's what I do, and hey, if it'd help you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh dear lord.† â€Å"But if you decide to do it,† said Hugh warningly, â€Å"come to me first. I can beat any offer Niphon makes.† â€Å"If you broker the deal, you're disqualified for the bet,† warned Peter. â€Å"Hey!† cried Hugh. â€Å"That's not right.† â€Å"Sure it is. You'd have an unfair advantage – â€Å" â€Å"Christ. Be quiet, all of you. I can't believe you guys are seriously talking about buying my boyfriend's – â€Å" A new signature swept through to us. A scent liked candied apples. Warm honey on the skin. â€Å"Tawny,† we all said in unison. I opened the door, and Tawny threw herself into my arms, bawling. I yelped and tried not to fall over. â€Å"Oh, Georgina,† she sobbed, mascara running in black rivers down her cheeks. â€Å"I'm never going to do it. Never ever ever.† I tried to pull out of her Amazonian embrace. â€Å"There, there,† I said weakly. â€Å"I'm sure you will.† Sniffling, she stepped away and ran a hand over her eyes, making the mascara situation even worse. â€Å"No, I can't. I've tried and tried†¦nothing works.† I glanced over at the guys. They were all looking at me expectantly, like I should be able to explain how one succubus couldn't get laid. I doubted anyone could, though. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Calm down, and we'll get to the bottom of it. But first, pull yourself together. You're a mess.† â€Å"I can't,† she wailed. â€Å"You're thinking like a human,† I chastised. â€Å"You can shape-shift that makeup mess away.† â€Å"No,† she said more adamantly. â€Å"You don't understand. I can't.† I stared at her, puzzled, then I understood. It was nearly impossible to see, but a faint shimmer was fading in and out around her body. She was having trouble holding this form. Her energy was so low that she was losing her shape-shifting power. â€Å"Whoa,† I said. I'd never seen a succubus that bad. I'd been that low once, but it had been after engaging in a major battle of shape-shifting. Tears started welling up in her eyes again. â€Å"What's going to happen? What if I run out and – † On and on she went. I sighed. There is a moment in every girl's life when she must choose between the lesser of evils. When you're a succubus, those moments come quite often. And right now, I had to choose. I could risk Niphon never leaving town or I could kiss Tawny. Lesser of evils. Standing on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips to hers and cut off her babbling. Her lips tasted like bubble gum, probably from the lip gloss. It wasn't a big kiss or anything – barely any tongue – but it was enough. A surge of power poured out of me and into her. Breaking the kiss, I stepped away and looked at her. Her form had stabilized. Meanwhile, I was now down even more in my own energy, but nowhere near the low she'd just experienced. Her blue eyes widened to an impossible size. â€Å"How†¦what was that?† â€Å"A kiss,† I said dryly. â€Å"Something you've apparently got to learn about too.† Seeing her still-stunned look, I shook my head. â€Å"We're vessels for power and life, Tawny. Usually, it passes into our bodies, but sometimes it can be transferred out to other creatures. Succubi and incubi can share it with each other. What I just gave you should keep you going a little longer.† â€Å"I don't know,† said Cody suddenly. â€Å"I think you should give her some more, just to be safe.† Tawny touched her lips, like she could still feel my kiss. â€Å"Wow.† Her form shifted, and the mascara mess vanished. Her normal, eerily perfect face reappeared. I sat down on the arm of the couch, near Peter. â€Å"Okay. Now let's figure out how in the world this is even possible. What happened to Nick the auctioneer? You guys seemed pretty close last night.† â€Å"Well,† she mumbled, staring down at her feet. â€Å"That kind of fell apart.† â€Å"How could it fall apart? He was drooling all over you!† â€Å"Yeah, but he had to stay and close up there, so we couldn't go out last night. I left without him. Today, I called to set up a date, and he said he didn't want to. That he was cool just giving the money to charity and not to bother with anything else.† â€Å"He said that?† I asked incredulously. I eyed her suspiciously. â€Å"What did you say to him beforehand?† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Did you just call and ask him out right away?† â€Å"Well, no†¦we made small talk. Not that it did much good. He seemed kind of bored by the end.† Surprise, surprise. Tawny didn't strike me as the world's greatest conversationalist. I could only imagine what she must have babbled about to scare him off. â€Å"Okay,† I said, disappointed. Nick had seemed like a sure thing. â€Å"Maybe you shouldn't, like, talk to them. What about the strip club job? Did you follow up on that?† She jerked her head up and looked like she might cry again. â€Å"I tried! They said I wasn't qualified.† Even the guys couldn't stay out of this now. â€Å"How can you not qualify for a job as a stripper?† asked Cody. â€Å"Yeah, don't you just have to take off your clothes?† asked Hugh. â€Å"They said I couldn't dance,† she explained. We all stared. â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wondered if maybe I should have read the mentor's handbook after all. â€Å"Let's see it.† â€Å"See what?† â€Å"You. Dancing.† Tawny looked around the room in terror. â€Å"Here?† she squeaked. â€Å"In front of all of you?† â€Å"If you can't take your clothes off in front of your friends,† said Peter, â€Å"who can you take them off in front of?† I elbowed him. â€Å"I can't,† she whispered. â€Å"Tawny,† I barked. My voice held the authority of a drill sergeant. She jumped. â€Å"I am not making out with you until the end of time. You want to do this, then you've got to work for it. Now, take off your clothes.† â€Å"Oh,† said Hugh. â€Å"I've waited ten years to hear you say that to another woman.† I found my stereo remote and turned it on. â€Å"Tainted Love† started playing. â€Å"I can't strip to the eighties!† â€Å"Tawny!† With a terrified look in my direction, she moved to the center of the living room. At first, she just kind of stood there, and then, slowly, she tried to step in time to the music. I say tried because she was so off the beat, it was astonishing. I don't think I could have been that out of sync if I'd tried. Finally, she gave up moving her feet at all and simply focused on her upper body, swaying her arms and torso slightly. It was the most awkward, uncomfortable spectacle I'd ever seen. At last, she decided she'd â€Å"danced† enough and began removing her clothing. She apparently couldn't multitask, however, and gave up all pretenses of moving to the music. Instead, she stood still and started unbuttoning her zebra-print blouse. Her fingers fumbled on the third button down, and it took her almost thirty seconds to unfasten it. â€Å"Stop, please stop,† I said, turning off the music. â€Å"Your goal is to take years off people's lives, but not like this.† â€Å"Was I bad?† she asked. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"You were terrible.† She stuck her lower lip out in a pout. â€Å"Oh, come on,† said Cody, ever the kindly one in our group. â€Å"That's kind of mean.† â€Å"Hey, I'm supposed to be a teacher, not a friend.† â€Å"The School of Georgina is a harsh one,† intoned Peter solemnly. â€Å"It's not that easy,† Tawny said, looking at me accusingly. â€Å"If you really are my teacher, then show me how to do it.† Four faces watched me expectantly. I started to protest, then remembered that helping Tawny meant Niphon would leave Seattle that much faster. Getting up off the couch arm, I took her place in the center of the room. â€Å"Okay, first off, you're missing two things. One, listen to the music and move with it. There's a beat. Find it. Move your feet and your body – your whole body – to it. Become part of it.† Tawny's blank look told me I was getting too esoteric for her. â€Å"Then, when it comes time to take off your clothes, remember that you're not doing it to be practical. You're doing it for someone else. Make it dramatic. Make it artful.† I turned the stereo on and clicked to the next track on my mix CD. It was â€Å"Iron Man.† â€Å"Hey!† Tawny said. â€Å"How come you get metal?† â€Å"Not even you can strip to Ozzy,† scoffed Hugh. I gave him a sidelong glance. â€Å"I can strip to anything, baby.† I started moving. For me, there was no thought required at all. I'd been a dancer since my mortal days. I loved it. There was no music. There was no me. We were the same being. My body flowed to its melody and rhythm, every one of my movements graceful and sensual. I didn't even pay attention to my friends. I just let myself get lost in the dance. I didn't have much on to begin with. I had panties and a bra underneath the robe, but I intended to leave them on. I was close to my friends but not that close. But, I made the most out of taking off the robe, letting my hands slide over my silk-covered body. I slowly untied the sash, drawing the experience out, and finally let it slip to the floor. I took my heels off with equal deliberateness. Literally never missing a beat, I told Tawny, â€Å"When you've got this down, we'll move onto lap dances.† I moved over to where Hugh sat on the loveseat and positioned my legs so that I straddled him while barely touching him. A stripper's art. I ran my fingers through my hair, my body still rippling like a ribbon. â€Å"Hey, big spender,† I said. He looked appreciative but more amused than anything else. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a one dollar bill. â€Å"Hugh,† I said. â€Å"Don't insult me.† With a sigh, he produced a five and tucked it underneath my bra strap. â€Å"Hey, Seth,† Cody suddenly said. I looked up and saw Seth standing in the doorway. When Tawny had come barreling through, I'd left the door ajar. A look of comic bemusement was on his face. â€Å"Hey,† he said, studying me. â€Å"So†¦you're paying for dinner?† I crawled off Hugh's lap and pulled the five out of my strap. â€Å"Only if you want to go to Taco Bell.† Cody handed me a twenty. â€Å"Make it a Red Lobster.† My friends got up and moved toward the door, and I assured a distraught Tawny that I'd think of something to help her. Giving up any more attempts at manually getting ready, I shape-shifted into jeans, low boots, and another cashmere sweater. A three-quarter-length gray wool coat covered it all. I grinned at Seth, who was shaking his head ruefully. Compared to the other things he knew I did, an impromptu striptease was pretty low-key. â€Å"And you thought I didn't earn my keep.† â€Å"No comment,† he said, taking hold of my hand.