The Year in Review

And what a year it has been. So much has happened and yet it can probably be summed up pretty quickly.

I got a new job
We moved to Hong Kong
I turned 40 - Juz turned 39
We fell pregnant

I was determined to do something BIG to celebrate turning 40 - you know, like going to Cambodia and build houses for a month or similar - but seems the HK water had different plans for Juz and I, and here we are 2 months away from going from Justin, Ginita and Vegas to Justin, Ginita and Vegas plus 1 very significant newbie.

Ok - so the above might be simplifying things a tad far. We have had a great year exploring HK, the beaches, hiking, eating out, drinking delicious cocktails (then mocktails), travelling and enjoying long daily shopping hours!!

The bub put a stop to us getting too far afield travel wise, yet in 9 months we still managed Phuket, KL, Koh Samui, Singapore, Sanya in China and I managed 3 trips to Beijing and Shanghai for work.

We have enjoyed a few shows in Macau and Juz has run 2 half marathons, with a third to come in 7 weeks when the HK half marathon takes place (a week before our little man is due...).

The year saw us welcome many a visitor: Marg and Cathy, Tom and Xuda, Arna and Pete, Karen and Gae, Mickey and Nana, Michelle, Carla and, most recently, Mum and Marg (hope I didn't inadvertently miss anyone there).

Unfortunately when Carla was here I had to work - but we still managed plenty in the evenings whilst she and Juz managed plenty in the daytimes!

October also saw me head back to Sydney to surprise the beautiful Arna for her birthday (Arna - we didn't even get a photo!!). Was nice to see some sunshine and smell the fresh air! Was a crazy week as I was still working while there, but got to see a few of you which was awesome.

We managed to get a tad more touristy than normal when Mum and Marg were here - and we had a great time. We finally got to Disneyland and we spent an awesome day on a really nice Junk, as well as quick trip to Macau to see a show - and of course they shopped ;).

Our most recent jaunt to Macau saw Juz run his second half for the year - and finish an awesome 67th out of some 2000 people in a time of 1 hour 33 mins - a PB by about 5 mins. The pressure is now on for the HK run in early Feb!

And to today - a little over a week out from Xmas. Juz and I are planning to lay low - but we do have a Christmas Tree that I am hurriedly trying to fill with lots of little gifts so that Xmas morning feels like Xmas morning - our last alone (plus a dog)! We are planning a hearty home cooked lunch on Xmas day with Xmas carols playing in the back ground (just quietly, Juz hates carols ;-)

The weather is nice and cool now in HK - well, I say cool. Jeans and t-shirt weather for we foreigners at about 18 degrees, but scarves, jackets, gloves and hats for the locals who are used to the heat of Summer :)

So - that's been the year. Now time to wait for the bub to arrive - due sometime around Valentine's today... although today my Dr told me he already weighs 2.2kg (4.7 pounds) so we might be seeing him a tad earlier if he keeps growing at this rate!!

Merry Christmas to you and yours and we look forward to seeing many of you in 2012.

Ginita and Juz
xxxx