Technology or Cruelty

I have been pestering for a chance to visit the most happening place of the Singapore Exchange (SGX), the trading floor, since day one of my attachment. I mean what’s an attachment to SGX without visiting the floor?

Finally the rare opportunity, or perhaps the last (shall elaborate on this later), came knocking today, with the chaperone of 3 gentlemen, one boss and 2 ex-traders who were to be my tour guides later on. Amidst my excitement, I read up on the floor rules and dress code the day before just to make sure that I “fit in”, well maybe just not to stick out like a sore thumb as I always do.

After all the security clearances, I was finally THERE! At the first look, the first level saw some pseudo-empty pits, one with some lackluster trading between a few lonely traders and infrequent flickers on the trading board. Then we heard the bustling of screams and shouts at the level above us.

Curiosity got the better of me. We went to the happening pit during its last few trading moments for the day. The woman-folk crusader in me instinctively looked around to locate my same kind, only to be disappointed to spot only 2, but very pretty and aggressive I must say. The rest of the pit was dominated by the other kind, mostly spotting the latest “skin-head” and roving eyes. (Didn't I just say I tried to blend in with the crowd?) Although the boards of this pit were flickering much faster, I spotted yet some other empty pits. Did I just witness the last days of manual trading. Has technology gotten the better of us with electronic trading leaving many jobless with many more to come?

It’s a day of whilst many were free, few were busy on the trading floor. It leaves to be seen if this day will arrive in school. Thanks for this historic memory nonetheless.