Semi-relevant tidbit about exchange rates: Converting from currency X to Y, Y to Z, and Z to X does not always yield the same ending amount as in the beginning. The practice of arbitrage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbitrage) involves looking for imbalances in conversion rates and converting money between currencies to end with more than you started with. (Disclaimer: It's hard to do, potentially risky, and the margins are usually very low.)