Kicking Off 2008

This year has started in a bit of a blur. We had 2 weeks in UK over Christmas. We were based in Kent staying with my parents. The weather treated us reasonably well and we enjoyed catching up with family and friends. Christmas Day was spent at K. & A's house where they cooked an excellent meal for 18! A. was an absolute trouper staying up pretty much the whole day despite the jet-lag caused by us only arriving on Christmas Eve (this might have been helped by the almost constant supply of presents he received during the course of the day). We also met up with E's family who came over and stayed for a couple of days between Christmas and the New Year. This avoided the need for the cross-country Christmas dash (thank goodness) and we had some good trips out to Leeds Castle etc.. We also had a "hat party" around at my Sister's on NYE with all the adults (my Mum and Dad, M and B) as well as all the kids entering into the spirit of it.

We arrived back to a warmish HK and a spectacularly clear, sunny day (blue skies, warm temperatures) on the Saturday following our return - let's hope for more of those.

I was back in UK last week on business - it also allowed me to see my Mother who had been taken into hospital - she had not been in the best of health over Christmas. She is not at all well so all prayers and positive thoughts are welcome. Back in HK for a day and then off to KL over the last couple of days so its been a bit hectic. KL was great - a bustling metropolis with a small town feel. The sunshine and heat were also a welcome change from the cold of UK.

Hopefully a shorter gap before my next post!

2007 Round up

Rather belatedly I have finally got round to a quick review of last year and it certainly had an eventful start. On our return to Hong Kong after last Christmas we realised V's passport had the wrong birth date on it (don't ask) and also that she didn't have the necessary visa to enter HK. We had visions of her being declared an illegal immigrant and not being allowed into the country and us all having to get straight back on the plane for the 13 hour journey back to blighty. Luckily the officials took pity on us and let her in on a visitor's visa on the strict understanding that I would "clarify her residency status" (apparently being born in Hong Kong is no longer sufficient to stay). Fortunately everything had been resolved by the time we travelled shortly after Chinese New Year to Cebu. We went with some friends and their little boy. There was time for some golf and trips to the Spa for the adults and V had her first swimming lessons (not sure she was particularly enthusiastic). We also managed to fit in a trip to Singapore (at Easter) and Kota Kinabalu, Borneo later in the year. E and the kids also had eight weeks in the UK during the Summer (but I'm not sure that E would really count this a holiday). Somehow I managed to avoid the rain on my various visits to the UK. including my Sister's 40th Birthday ( - I somehow we think that this will all catch up with me on future trips home). Having said all of that, apparently it was one of the warmest Summers in the UK on record. We also managed to fit in some trips in HK . Highlights included: the Chinese New Year fireworks over the harbour. A and I had a pretty good view from my office on the 50th floor; the bbq in the New Territories was also fun. Having stopped off to pick up fish, prawns and scallops we headed out to Sai Kung with friends and had a great day swimming and eating; the HK rugby sevens - we usually manage to get tickets but it can be a nail biting experience and this year was no different. It's a fun day with lots of people going in fancy dress. As usual the GFF boys made the front of the South China Morning Post, all dressed identically as the Queen ...... . The sharp eyed among you may have spotted them in the crowd at the Rugby World Cup final; I also managed a trip in a colleagues helicopter and got a birds eye view of the island and New Territories.

- E. also managed a couple of trips to the Chinese mainland (Shenzen) to take advantage of the cut-price shopping and even managed to persuade S and T to forsake Hong Kong's nightlife for a few hours during their recent visit to accompany her.



On the home front 2007 has been a year of major birthday celebrations with my Mum's 80th and my Sister's 40th. We had a triple celebration (with N's 4th and J's Christening ) when we were in the UK in June.



A is making great progress with his reading and writing and he started "big school" in January 2008. Looking back at pictures of V from last Christmas when she was five months old brings home just how much she's changed this year. Then she was very much a baby and not even sitting up. Now she's running around (albeit with a gait a bit like John Wayne's walk!). All in all a packed year.