A million bucks

I got tagged with a million bucks by mumsgather. Oy how cool would it be if I had a million bucks! I shall achieve.. Can it be done??? Can ANYONE be ANYTHING they want to be?!

I hope it is a million bucks after tax, because tax is so effin hefty here in the US, and yet you don’t get the social / health care benefits as you would in say, Canada or any European countries. Seriously. Did you know my friend in Sweden got 18 MONTHS of PAID maternity leave, 100% of her salary, after having her child? (by the way she was a professional, news anchor to be exact, not married.. but she said that type of benefit is quite standard for everyone.) Not the 6 or 8 weeks of 60% crap like here, which two out of those weeks are your own vacation time; and many don’t even get ANY paid maternity leave…

Anyhow. Here’s my break down of the million bucks.

* Donate some $$$ to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

* Donate some $$$ to breast cancer research.

* Hire someone / some group to facilitate volunteer work in remote China, where many many infant baby girls are being killed simply because they are born a girl and not a boy, in a country where families are often only allowed to have one child. Perhaps set up drop off points where babies can be saved and put up for adoption?! Or to provide education and empowerment to local women/men?! I don’t know. This problem is too big… in fact, for the last couple of decades, population in China has been skewed worse and worse, experts predict that very soon, men in China will not be able to find a wife within their own country easily and pretty soon the whole country will be like 90% male! (since many if not most families only want to have male child/ren..) Any ideas?!

After I solve some word issues (only if it’s that easy..), I’ll tackle my personal stuff.

* Hire a few experienced people to expedite the start of our business. Area of expertise will include these but not limited to: retail, graphic design, PR, writer/content person, marketing, QA/tester, etc etc.

* Hire a nanny / au-pair to look after the kids part-time, as we have NO family nearby.

* Move my parents closer to me and my brother; buy/build them a quaint 2-bedroom house in the metro outskirt, so my mom can plant veggies and flowers and my dad can have a 4-car garage.

* Put some money in the market to invest and grow. Like a constant fountain, or a money tree, if you will.

If there’s any money left after that, which I doubt, Hubby and I will take a nice long backpacking vacation to Europe and eventually end up in Thailand, by way of train. I think this will have to wait until after the kids leave for college though.

Whoa. I think all that will cost more than a million. Ah well, one can always dream big.

OK. I’m suppose to tag 5 people. But what the heck, I’m going to tag whoever comes to mind :D :

Amie

Kristin

Jenn

Angela

Archana

Vivien

Denise

Ann in Toronto

IBM person

Let us hear what you will do with a million bucks. Either do it on your own blog or use the comment section, thanks.

p.s. I just realized I don’t have even one male reader (at least none that I know of). am I that boring to the opposite sex?

July 30, 2007 · Filed under Everything else

No Comments »

  1. Angela Said,

    July 31, 2007 @ 8:03 am

    Ooh! I was tagged! Hooray!

    I loved your list. It’s so fun to think of what we would do if we had all that money. :)

  2. Vien Said,

    July 31, 2007 @ 12:38 pm

    #3 is a huge issue in China. It will be difficult to change the “culturally”-impaired minds of the Chinese people. Are planning to work on a project for this? If yes, count me in!

  3. Amie Said,

    August 2, 2007 @ 10:58 am

    I’ll be sure and do this when I have some time.

  4. Garnigal Said,

    August 2, 2007 @ 1:29 pm

    I’m a lurker, so I was slightly freaked out to see “Ann in Toronto” on the list. ‘How did she know?’ I wondered. ‘Sure, she could get my IP address and location, but how did she know my name?’

    Then I realized it was a coincidence and I am dumb.

    Nevertheless, here is what I “Another Ann in Toronto” would do with $1000000:

    1) I would play BNL’s “If I Had $1000000″ for about three days straight.

    2) I would pay for a trip for all of us in boyfriend’s family to go to China.

    3) I would pay for a trip for all of us in my family to go to the UK. (And now you know my boyfriend is ‘Chinese’ (but born here) and I’m about as pigment-free as they come (without being albino)

    4) Instead of waiting until next year to move, I’d finish the work on the house and list it now, finding our perfect house without any worry.

    5) Buy a fun car for me and finish the work on Derek’s fun car.

    6) Get married.

    7) Start trying to have a family. (We’ve been together for 13 years in Nov, and lived together for 10 years)
    8) Donate to Heart and Stroke Foundation, Parkinson’s research, Cancer Society and my church. (Because you remind me to care for others and the church needs a new roof)

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