Blue Peter and Winter in Asia

December has been a busy month, Hong Kong is a busy place. It seems that this natural deadline of the end of the year is present where ever you are in the world. Work is full on and there seems to be very little time to fit anything in right now. There sometimes doesn't feel like there is even enough time to sit back and take it all in. The city of time management, balance and prioritising. It all gets too much and then you realise that time is created when you need it most, so letting things run their course usually sees time for everything.

I have been exploring more of this city and falling in love with new places I haven't been before.

I can't quite believe it is December though. It still feels like it should be September, and I have to check every time I write the date just to check that it is in fact 13 days till Christmas. This time of year I like to reflect on the year that has been and make plans for the year that lies ahead. I'm tired. In general. But I can see the finish line and it comes in the form of a beach in Boracay. I leave the city of Hong Kong in 10 days. I will have been here five months by the time I board the plane to meet my friend in the Philippines.

The weather has been pretty miserable over the past few weeks, but this weekend it finally turned a corner and the sunshine returned. A much needed break from the grey and rainy days of the past 10 days.

At the start of the week I went to see the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra perform at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on the harbour front. My friend had been offered tickets for the 'Power of Youth' concert. It was lovely to be listening to real music again. I thought it was a slightly strange choice, Shostakovich, Symphony no.7, his longest, for a concert aimed at children, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. You could hear the story through the music and my friends and I discussed where your mind wanders too while listening to classical music. It made me think of my mum and my childhood.

I had my office Christmas party at the weekend, with the fancy dress theme 'what you want to be when you grow up'. I decided to go as a Blue Peter presented, but as the majority of the office wouldn't know what this is, I mixed it in with a sailor. I also did want to be a Blue Peter presenter......this triggered some funny conversations in the office and lots of 'do you remember this?', 'do you remember that' conversations. A nice bit of nostalgia.

I have been working hard on all four events for next year. There is increasing pressure to book speakers and hit deadlines, but I am trying my best to find logic and a process that works. I have met and spoken with many lawyers, some of them sympathetic to my relatively new role and exposure to the international law industry, others less so. There has been a few moments where it has all got a bit much, so I have learnt to take myself away from it all and recharge my batteries, either reading my book, going for a run or scrap booking. The work always seems easier the day after when looking at it with fresh eyes.

With Christmas around the corner I have an ever-increasing list of things to be done before the big day and before I leave the office for 10 days. Inevitably, the worrying of how to fit it all in never helps, but ticking things off the list helps settle the anxiety and slowly calm is restored.

At the weekend, following our Christmas party I decided to explore some of the outdoor art exhibitions and galleries that are hidden around the city. I wanted to wander without time limits and see where I ended up. I enjoy discovering and reflecting, so this turned into a perfect Saturday for me. Soaking up the city I now call home.

I visited all of the outlet shops, which remind me of charity shops mixed with jumble sales with so much crammed into tiny spaces. I had my music and no time limits so I got stuck in, rummaging through piles of clothes and was delighted to find that most of them were factory rejections at ridiculously low cost. I found some nice jumpers and didn't spend over $60 on any single item. Not bad for 'designer' brands.

I walked from my apartment to an area of Wan Chai I have wanted to visit for months; Star Street, Ship Street and around Three Pacific Place. It was an interesting part of the district I live in. At one end of Queens Road East there is a hub of corporate activity, lunch spots, supermarkets and banks, where I find myself living and working. On the other end, there is the same, repeated. People living in small pockets of the city, going about their daily tasks. There were some nice restaurants and parks. I made my way over the footbridge to cross over to the bottom of Lockhart Road. There was an amazing art display that represented Wan Chai over the years lining the walkway. 50 columns of brightly coloured montages showing me that Wan Chai really has a heart in creativity. I found it very up lifting to be living in such a culturally rich part of Hong Kong.

I walked towards the harbour and turned left towards Central. I came to Admiralty and made a detour into the shopping mall. I wondered how all these little pockets of living spaces were so busy. Each area has a repeat of the next, an MTR, a shopping mall, a McDonalds, a gym and a Starbucks, Consumerism gone bonkers in Honkers. I needed the toilet, and you'd imagine that with all these shopping malls everywhere that this would be an easy task. I found the toilet and was shocked to see a line of over 20 people queuing. Not so convenient now Hong Kong are you? I thought it was sad to see so many people in McDonalds on a Saturday. I was glad I lived outside of the box of future fake plastic living.

I decided I could wait and made my way back onto the street. I noticed a huge building that I had only ever seen from the water. I stood in ore of the sheer size of it. It was so soulless and yet really beautiful at the same time. I walked to it. The closer I came, the smaller I felt. I was surprised to find a beautiful outside art exhibition and garden in the centre. I decided to take a seat and read my book. At least five thousand people must work in this single building. But on this quite Saturday it was quite deserted. Peaceful in some ways. Opposite were the Lippo building and a golden monstrosity shining in the sunlight. They represented so much to so many people; success, money, opportunity and fortune. To me they looked like robots of a future world.

I sat for some a while, taking photos, reading and listening to music. After some time had passed, I continued my walk towards Central. The garden I found myself in led all the way to the waterfront. I walked to the piers and found myself next to the Cheung Chau ferry just as it was departing.

I boarded. I was exhausted from the office party but I was so enjoying my day I didn't want to cut it short.

I arrived on Cheung Chau and the sun came through as bright and warm as I had been dreaming of. I found a bench on the waterfront and sat soaking the warmth up and read some more. After another few hours had past I walked through the little fishing village to the opposite side of the island and made my way to the wind surfing cafe. I ordered a beer and watched the day turn into night.

On Sunday I helped Feeding Hong Kong out on a food drive at a food festival in Taikoo. It reminded me of the Petersfield food festival, although the Hong Kong version wasn't nearly as impressive. It definitely had the 'I'm middle class and buy organic' feel. I had some interesting conversations with various people who came to enquire about the charity. It was lovely to know I was very much still a part of the team and we made plans for 2013.

With my Christmas cards in the post and only 19 days left of 2012 it is time to think of my goals for next year. I want to travel as much of Asia as I can and will prioritise this. I only have a certain amount of days that it will be possible to travel, and a limited amount of money, but I think seeing as much of Asia while I am based in the heart of it, is an opportunity not to be missed. I plan to go to; Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Vietnam, Australia and Jakarta. I will add on adventures to the back of business trips and explore as much of Hong Kong. I'd also like to create more next year and continue to work on my health. I feel I have come a long way in 2012. Relocating and starting a new life. Finding a new job, home and friends. I have come a long way, but I have so much further to go.