I was looking back at my “2015 in review” post and my last sentence of that post was:

In 2016, I want to hike more, become fitter, cook at home more, read more, and write more. I will also start thinking about my next move…out of Hong Kong…

Did I manage what I wanted for myself this year? Well, I didn’t hike more and I got fatter rather than fitter. What a difference a vowel makes. I didn’t keep count of the frequency in which I cooked for myself, but I reckon it stayed the same. My report card isn’t going well so far. Hmm. But I did read more, due mainly to the fact that there was no more school to deal with. I visited the library more often and was devouring biographies, novels, memoirs, and books on personal investment. I fell short on the writing more part as evident from my infrequent posts. However, I managed to put plans in place for a move out of Hong Kong. The latter will probably be the biggest thing for me in 2017. So let me review the year proper.

January

Counted down to 2016 in Manila and took a flight back to Hong Kong on 2 January. It happened to be the birthday of the friend I was travelling with on the day of flight back and Cathay upgraded us to business class! It was only a 2-hour flight but it still felt good to be out of cattle class for a change. A week later, I flew to Singapore for the weekend and then flew up to Kuala Lumpur for a workshop on Critical Thinking that was conducted by an external trainer engaged by my company. I hadn’t been back to Kuala Lumpur in 11 years but I found that I didn’t miss it all that much – the city has never endeared to me.

On 16 January, I went to A-mei’s (张惠妹) concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum and it was sssooooo good! She’s a natural performer with such good vocals that she never lip syncs in concerts. She had great rapport with her audience as she belted out all her older and recent hit songs.

At the end of January, I found myself back in Singapore to spend the next two weeks to celebrate Chinese New Year. As always, it was nice catching up with friends and family in the two weeks I was back.

Reads: “Growing a Feast: The Chronicle of a Farm-to-Table Meal” by Kurt Timmermeister

February

The first day of Chinese New Year fell on 8 February. This year, however, was a muted Chinese New Year, where I only saw one family among my relatives. It’s sad that as the older generation has passed on, the younger generation no longer meets up as there is no longer any glue that binds us.

At the end of February my parents came to visit me in Hong Kong for a few days and it was nice to spend some times with them.

Reads: “Humans of New York: Stories” by Brandon Stanton; “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin; “After You” by Jojo Moyes

March

March was a somewhat normal one with the usual routine of work, home and hiking.  Easter came at the end of March but I didn’t take off to anywhere, choosing instead to stay in Hong Kong.

Reads: “Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis” by Robert M. Edsel; “The Big Short” by Michael Lewis

April

On 1 April I flew to Chongqing for a weekend trip with a friend. It was a last-minute decision to join my friend and her mum on this trip. But I thought, why not, since I haven’t been to the city. I wasn’t that taken by the city as I found it too crowded and its history is only significant to the communists who defeated the Kuomintang in 1949. I would have been more interested in ancient Chinese history.

I had a few visitors, my friend R from the US and my aunt from Singapore visited me in April. Always happy to have family and friends passing through!

Reads: “Modern Romance” by Aziz Ansari; “Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line” by Michael Gibney

May

My good friend D visited Hong Kong with her family and I had a fun weekend hanging out with them.

Reads: “3 Things Successful People Do” by John C Maxwell

June

Flew back to Singapore on 3 June and took a flight out to Paro, Bhutan on the morning of 5 June. This was a special trip as I was in Bhutan with my mum, sister, and two cousins. We spent six days in Bhutan and had an amazing time there getting to know the people and country. The people are so warm, friendly and compassionate. And the scenery? Simply breathtaking with the green rolling mountains, meandering rivers and padi fields at every turn of the head.

On 29 June I flew back to Singapore again to spend about 11 days at home.

Reads: “The Fireman” by Joe Hill

July

Another month spent going through the routine of work, home and hiking.

Reads: “Up Close with Lee Kuan Yew” by various writers; “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi

August

I spent three weeks in Singapore in August primarily to help out at home. My mum had an operation on her left knee and wasn’t able to walk much. I flew home on 6 August and was there till 28 August. It’s a good thing my work is flexible enough to do it from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Reads: “The More of Less” by Joshua Becker; “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle

September

This was my holiday month! Spent three weeks in Europe, setting foot in several countries – Germany, UK, Czech Republic, Bosnia, Croatia and Montenegro. I loved being back in Europe and seeing all the lovely European architecture. The countryside was beautiful and cities such as Munich, London, Prague and Dubrovnik are really amazing. In three weeks I went on 8 flights. I also managed to take only hand luggage for my entire three-week trip. I’m so proud of myself for being able to travel so light! And the feeling of being able to zip in and out of airports is so liberating!

Reads: “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” by Burton G. Malkiel; “The Clash of the Cultures: Investment vs Speculation” by John C. Bogle

October

I became a freshly minted permanent resident of Hong Kong in October! It’s so nice to know that I can return to Hong Kong any time I want, and I have something to show for it after spending 7 years in Hong Kong.

However I have also came down with a horrible bout of dyshidrotic eczema which made me homebound for about two weeks. The dermatologist put me on a course of oral steroids to stop the inflammation. I was actually freaking out as nothing like that had ever happened to me before.

On 28 October I flew to Bangkok for a weekend trip with a colleague. There, we ate, cooked and shopped. It was interesting for me to see the Thai capital as I hadn’t been back since I was 9.

Reads: “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t” by Jim Collins; “The Versions of Us” by Laura Barnett; “China Rich Girlfriend” by Kevin Kwan

November

My parents visited me in Hong Kong for a few days. They also spent my birthday with me while they were there. The last Saturday of November I also went to Macau with two colleagues. It was good fun playing tourist for a day there.

Reads: “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg; “The Bridge to Brilliance: How One Principal in a Tough Community is Inspiring the World” by Nadia Lopez; “Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America” by Donald Trump; <<當油炸鬼變成老油條>> by 梁家權

December

Spent the first weekend of the month in Taichung, Taiwan. I always enjoy a trip to Taiwan and this time I decided to go to Taichung as I had never been there before. I liked the city as it was less crowded than Taipei and has a more relaxing vibe.

Flew back to Singapore on 16 December to spend the rest of the year. Caught up with family and friends, and managed to visit Singapore attractions such as Gardens by the Bay and the National Gallery. Loved both!

Reads: “On the Noodle Road” by Jen Lin-Liu; “Sugarbread” by Balli Kuar Jaswal; “Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks” by Mark Woods

Verdict for 2016

Overall a good year as I visited new cities and countries; Bhutan, Czech Republic and Croatia were highlights of 2016. Increasingly, I’m remembering the years by the cities and countries I visited in that year. This year I also got into clearing and organising mode as I decluttered and purged stuff from my life. Having fewer things makes one feel  free! I’m definitely an advocate of the minimalist lifestyle and think I could even consider a side gig as an organising consultant.

2017 will bring new adventures and experiences as I get ready for a big move to Sydney in January. It will be goodbye to Hong Kong and hello to Australia very soon.

Meanwhile, I give thanks to 2016 for a year of memorable experiences and another year of wisdom.