2011/2012

二零一一年節目豐富。
工作上雖不能說事事順利，但整體上來說也是無風無浪。
健康上只有小病小痛，要還神。
沒有作任何大投資，是好是壞？不知曉。
人際關係方面，好像有點兒倒退了。比以前「宅」了很多。
與前幾年相比，二零一一年主要分別是旅行多多。平均一個月飛得多過一次。除了定時定刻穿梭上海做太空人之外，今年去了幾個難忘的旅行，包括年頭時候則有麗江跨年之旅、四月跟幾個朋友大夥兒去了布吉、六月尾跟幾個同學的青島醉爆之旅、征服富士山的東京七月之旅、十年沒回去的紐約八月之旅、還有十月頭的雲南普洱建屋義工團。。。最後更有酋長富貴杜拜團。還有其中去北京、星加坡的短途旅程，全年的節目簡直是精彩絕倫。
今年亦參加了多個行山、植樹的籌款活動，當中一定包括甚為丟臉的十一月毅行者失敗挑戰。雖然失敗了，但整個經驗讓我看到自己某些缺點，希望能在未來日子可以更進一步。我想，這一個「體驗」是一個blessing，遠比順利完成來的更加有趣更有意思。

我對二零一二年沒有太多期望。上年做了那麼多，事實上是賺了。
今年希望大家平平安安、健健康康、工作順利、大吉大利。
希望你們的二零一二都會還開開心心。

這個部落還未執

2010年過得快，好似沒有人會不同意。

這個部落還未執，但將會不定時更新。多謝各位幾年來的支持。

從前在Friendster（還記得嗎？那個網站還在運作的）開始的blog，轉到這兒，不經不覺已經五年的光陰。這五年亦是我在香港紮基的時間；十年前模模糊糊的決定，從決定再進修（即沒東西做）、轉行（即不知道做什麼）到吸取不同的經驗（即做牛做馬都會做），都令到我擁有今天的一切。

那究竟我今天有的是什麼？不是一棟半山洋樓或德國跑車、也不是什麼銀行貴賓卡或很多很多張白金卡。物質的東西我有/或擁有過，但我的快樂不來自身上的LV襯衫或Prada皮鞋，或穿梭米之蓮三星餐廳、五星級酒店或飛機的頭等艙（那當然我亦不能負擔得起哪些「特定」消費模式）。帶給我安靜及平安是身邊的朋友、親人，他們的健康、快樂、幸福。我感恩，因為我有一個舒服而又喜歡的地方居住；我慶倖我的身邊有瞭解我的人，雖然不多（哈！），但只要有知心的人，死而無堪；我慶倖工作仍然為我帶來滿足感，雖然問題時常會出現，但前面的路還是一條康莊大道；我慶倖我的身體還算健康，雖然體能及體格不及以前，但具體來講還是滿意的。

今年出外旅行很多（應該check check 上年各大堪輿學家的流年運程書，看看誰能夠準確地測到這個現象。。。），但始終未能踏足歐洲或美洲。近年開始把注意力放在祖國上，主要因為很多舊東西很容易就會被拆掉。兩年多以前看到上海石門一路附近開始拆遷，最近都已經開始蓋上蓋工程。雖說中國的城市發展一日千里，但是我們往往對新舊建築帶來的衝擊最感興趣。一日千里後，再過一年兩年，舊的沒了，新的亦不是什麼了不起。所以，如果是可以的話，我都儘量看看周圍還「健在」的舊事舊物。不過，除了一線大城市之外，祖國旅遊通常不舒服而且很麻煩。所以，自己可以接受到的旅程，也很難找到可以一起並肩探索的旅伴。

2010年都過得不錯了。家裡所發生的事不少，年中外婆的去世後，我的堂兄、表兄亦相繼於年底/明年初結婚。這些一切都是一首首生命的插曲。

電影看少了，可能是因為屬於自己的時間少了。平日晚上時間不好用，而週末又不想躲在戲院裡面。不過今年看過Inception, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, The Kids Are All Right都覺得2010年的「大片」都看了。當然還未上映的The King’s Speech, Black Swan都是必看的2010年片子。

運動少了，但表現還是ok的。年前經常參加的Aquathon今年我們再次參加，表現都不錯。10公里跑步今年都有參加。雖然行山活動少了，但作為同事的「毅行者」支援隊，我的表現都卓卓有餘。明年初的23公里行山慈善活動應付得來之餘，二月的半馬拉松將會是個人體力的新挑戰。我應該要開始鍛煉體能。

今年另外一件大事，就是終於正式由港島搬到九龍去。整件事其實籌備了一段時間，而因爲上班地方搬到沙田所以順理成章成了催化劑。新居地方大之餘，還有我的死黨成爲我的同居夥伴，so far so good。

來年的願望沒有什麼。希望自己及身邊的家人朋友都身體健康。我每年都希望可以多做gym，但往往未能如願以償。今年真的開始覺得自己老了一點點。希望至少可以保持自己現在狀態。

下面為一張於今年九月馬來西亞神山山頂所拍的日出照。多謝MT的佳作。祝大家新年進步！充滿喜悅的迎接新的開始！

2009 – Year End Review

(This is actually the first YER I've started to write and completed; 2008's still in draft mode...)

In comparison, 2009 is indeed not as eventful as that in 2008. But then, how could any year be compared to 2008? It;s almost as if all the cosmic forces had lined up and lots of changes happened and fun trips taken with new friends, old friends, and of course with my Dad. But 2009? Still a good year on any account.

This was a busy year in terms of my job. I have managed to complete necessary procedures for a specific task in 8 months, when it would usually take at least 11 months. And this was all possible because of a new temporary boss, who showed me "all the ropes". It was both exciting and exhausting, not to mention nerve wrecking, because the margin of error allowed was so slim. As somebody who's only been on the job for slightly over 1 year, this was certainly an intentensive training course and something to be proud of.

Taken during a walking tour through the historical Wanchai area (Sept)

Although it seemed I travelled less this year when compared to the last couple of years, I managed to average almost one trip a month, that is if trips to Guangzhou and Macau are also included.

First trip to the Philippines - Cebu (Feb)

Macau Trip to watch fireworks (Oct)

I am happy that I have gone to at 3 places which I hadn't been to before. Provence (July) is so beautiful and the weather was absolutely fantastic. Swimming with whale sharks in Donsol (April) and seeing the rural Philippines and the iconic Mayon volcano was memorable. Then a short but eventful trip to see the Giant Buddha and giant pandas in Chengdu (November) was a nice surprise late in the year. But I miss trips with a large group of friends. Our Singapore outing (May) was fun, and there is nothing like roaming around with a group of friends and eating non-stop. Hope we get to plan more of those next year.

Whale-Watching + Eco-tour, Legaspi/Donsol (April)


Singapore (May)

Provence, France (July)

Shanghai (Oct)

Chengdu (Nov)

As usual, I attended both the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the International Film Festival. They don't seem to elicit as much excitement as before, especially films at the film festival. Actually, when I go back and look at the films I see at the HKIFF this year, I could only remember a couple of them (Religulous, Ultramarathon Man). The rest, especially the Chinese ones, seem to get all mixed up in my memory as similar scenes of dusty and plain landscapes or stark contrasts of rural farmland and gigantic development nearby. That conflict between economic/urban development vs. social/democratic development seem to have lost its novelty and it's no longer fascinating to look at.

The now legendary No. 39 Conduit Road, as seen on one of my weekend strolls (July)

The Mosque on Mosque Street (July)

I also looked at the list of the films I've seen inside a theatre this year…. It seems that there are fewer films that have left lasting memories, the following are some of the films I've seen this year (mostly in chronological order) in addition to those seen at the HKIFF…

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, If You Are The One (Chi), Doubt, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, Watchmen, The Reader, He's Just Not That Into You, Knowing, Shinjuku Incident (Chi), X-Men Origins, 17 Again, Angels & Demons, Frozen Flower (Kor), Star Trek, Duplicity, Scandal Makers (Kor), Transformers II, G I Joe, UP, The Haunting in Connecticut, Overheard (Chi), Hangover, The Proposal, (500) Days of Summer, Time Traveler's Wife, The Ugly Truth, 2012, Julie & Juila, Avatar.

It's surprising that I've averaged more than 2 movies a month in a theatre, and that doesn't even include those 10+ movies I see within the 3-week period of the HKIFF… No wonder Hollywood is having one of the best box office total tickets sold this year (surpassed only by 2002).

Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance (Oct)

In terms of concerts I haven't seen many this year: Superband, At17, Kay Tze, Sandy Lam (GZ), Sandy Lam (Macau), and Sammi Cheng. And if you don't count Sandy Lam, or at17 (free ticket), I have only paid, (and gladly so) to see 3 concerts over the course of they year. I think, as I become more and more "old cake", the list will get shorter and shorter… But it seems I'll be seeing a batch of concerts at the start of 2010, which seems to be very busy concert year again.

Guangzhou - Sandy Lam weekend (Aug)

Macau - Sandy Lam weekend (Aug)

Other notable things:

“Hello Lyttelton Road”

Not only it is one of my favourite streets, I started to roam around the area more as friends have moved into the neighbourhood and I have also started a "project" there.

Central Police Station (Oct)

“Hello West Kowloon”

Job-related or not, I have gone to the WKCD site more and more, to jog, to see fireworks, or just to take a stroll around the area.

WKCD (March)

WKCD (Oct)

WKCD (Dec)

“Hello Trailwalkers”

1st practice: Tuen Mun - suffered mild sun stroke (Sept)

2nd practice: M2 (Oct)

3rd practice: Violet Hill (Oct)

The Event (Nov)

Very happy to have participated in this year's event as it is now officially the only active event I have participated all this year. Am very happy that we managed to shatter old records and I also proved to myself that last year's achievement wasn't just a fluke.

“Goodbyes”

This year I had to attend 4 funerals. In addition, there were 3 other passings which were related to me in different contexts (a distant relative, an "acqaintence", and close relative of a former "friend"). Each gave me an opportunity to reflect on my own life. Various questions pop up, like... What's important to us, what legacy do we want to leave behind, how should we divide our time between job, family, friends, self?

On a foggy day (Mar)

“Hello, drunks!”

Thanks to Fun, I have finally puked on the street at least once in my life. That party was a blast.

2010…

2009 went by quickly. If it wasn't for the few trips in between, I honestly wouldn't remember where some of the months have gone?! (April, where did you go? And September?) The first decade of the millennium is, and will always be, the most pivotal time of my life. In fact, it would be 10 years to the day in a few days, when one really life-changing event happened in year 2000. Who would have known that I would have gone back to the US, returned, gone back to school, changed career, bought, sold, bought and sold again a few times, and now living in Hong Kong full-time? But that's the point, because nobody knows what'd happen 10 years from now, even 1 year, or even tomorrow. Enjoy the ride, and enjoy the scenery, oh, and smell the roses along the way too, y'all.

H a p p y H o l i d a y s !