By Mr. Old Man Most people work 8 hours a day or more and have very limited free time for cycling—unless they make use of the early mornings before work. To build a consistent morning cycling habit and hit a target of 40–50 km, you’ll likely need to wake up at 4:00 AM and be ready to roll by 4:30. …

 QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, I hope you are doing well. I seek your insights on two points: Regarding back-to-back Letters of Credit, I’ve understood that banks typically require collateral beyond the master LC itself, as it might not be a sufficient guarantee. However, reputable banks like UOB, DBS, and BCP Bank (Mauritius) state on their websites that the master LC can indeed …

— A Slow Ride Through the Mountains, the Cold, and the Unexpected Warmth of Strangers — Rolling into an Empty Town After eight grueling hours in the saddle—climbing slope after slope at a brutal 10–15% grade, crossing mountain after mountain—our ragtag group of cyclists finally rolled into Tay Giang town. We were dreaming of a hot meal, maybe even a …

This morning, I set out on a cycling trip to Đông Giang with a pretty neat plan: ride all the way to Tư commune, turn back to stop by Trung Man market, grab my usual glass of mixed sweet soup at a familiar stall, then head home. The total would clock in nicely at 100 km, just enough to complete …

One fine morning, I saddled up with my cycling comrade Khánh Huỳnh and climbed over Hải Vân Pass. From there, we swooped down into Lăng Cô and made a detour to visit Hói Dừa Parish. Funny enough, I’d biked past this area a bunch of times—looping around Lập An Lagoon, weaving through places called Hói Cạn, Hói Mít, and Hói …

 QUESTION  Dear Mr. Old Man, I have a scenario that I’d appreciate your thoughts on: The issuing bank is located in Singapore. The advising/confirming bank is in Trieste, Italy. In the original LC, Field 31D (Date and Place of Expiry) is: 18 June 2025 – Singapore. Field 41A (Available With… By) is: Available with the confirming bank by NEGOTIATION. The …

QUESTION Dear Mr. Old Man, I have a question that needs your help. An LC issued by AGRIBANK requires the bill of lading to be “made out to order of AGRIBANK.” However, the presented bill of lading is made out to the order of BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA, and is endorsed in succession as follows: • BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA …

Subject: LC issued by K. BANK – Refusal to Confirm and Subsequent Presentation From: Mr. Old Man Date: 4 June 2025 Background Bank N received a letter of credit (LC) from K. BANK with the following terms: 41A: Available With Bank N By Negotiation 42A: Drawee: Bank N 42C: Draft: At Sight 47A: T/T Reimbursement is Not Allowed 49: Confirmation …

One of the questions I get asked a lot by friends and old colleagues — especially those living far away or nearing retirement age — is: “So… now that you’re retired, are you doing anything else to keep busy?” To be honest, whether or not to keep working after retirement really depends on your personal situation — your health, your …

QUESTION Dear my expert friend “Old Man”, I have the following question: A beneficiary received a confirmed Letter of Credit issued by Bank A. The beneficiary assigned the proceeds to Bank B and subsequently requested Bank B to issue another Letter of Credit.   Is Bank B entitled to require the beneficiary to waive their right to accept or reject …