The Geologist: "I made money!"

Everyday it's the same routine, Robert thinks. It's already 1:oo in the morning, but he's still up, reading up on news and looking up some charts in front of his 15" monitor.


Robert pauses and stretches his arms. "Maybe I should do this 30 minutes before the action starts", he muses and smiles. But he counters back at himself. "No this is me, and this has been my life so far". He recalled the day's events.


Earlier in the day, one of his friends had just come from the Mining Conference. Michael, one of the privileged few to have attended it, came to meet Robert. They were having a cup of coffee down at the lobby of the Tektite Building.


"I've got some hot tips for you Robert my friend", Michael says with a smile.


"Well you always have them.", Robert answers back, seemingly uninterested.


"Come on, don't be so bitter. You're always the first to know. Just always the last to act on it."


"Yeah well. I tend to be on the safe side".


Michael, takes a sip of his coffee, and measures up his friend. "Robert, you won't make money if you don't do anything. I thought you went to that seminar on technical analysis?"

Robert laughs. "Yeah, actually I've been applying it already. I've been reading the charts for quite some time."


Michael gives him a quizzical look as if to say, what the hell are you doing then?


"I'll start buying tomorrow. I think I've understood what the charts are telling me."


"Well that's definitely an improvement. I've been making money even before the conference started. With all that demand for metals from China and India, I think we're in for a one hell of a ride." Michael takes a long sip from his coffee, enjoying his earlier triumphs over the market.


"Yes. I agree, but somehow, I can't find myself buying into tips. I'd sooner believe in the charts than the tips", Robert says disapprovingly. "But you know, even without your tips, if I bought based from what I saw on the charts, I'd also be making money."



They continue on with their chat. Sharing their views, contesting tips and talking about technical analysis. After an hour or so, they parted ways.

Robert checks his watch, it's already 10 minutes past 1. He studies some more charts and hits the sack.


******

He wakes up at 9:00 in the morning. "Shoot, just in time", Robert curses under his breath.


9:05AM
Good thing there's a computer. He opens it up and after a few minutes he's logged on to his online account. He readies his phone and mobile phone just in case the online account bogs down midday. Computer and tech savvy, he's happy just being multi-tech.


9:20AM
"The postings are good." He muses.

9:31AM
Like a shot from a magnum, he posts his order and it gets done as fast as a speeding bullet.


10:30AM
The market is still up and Robert feels a second rush of adrenalin. "I'm going to make money today, and tomorrow, and hopefully everyday!"

Thus starts Robert's first foray into stock market trading. But the market isn't friendly. It's not an up up and away market. There will be down days, even months.


Robert knows it and he'll have to be careful. For now, he'll hold on to his picks. He's got something planned.


* All names and similar name sakes, events are fictional. Any similarity of such name, namesakes or events are only intended to make the story interesting.