January 2024
I had been about to start off with a bland statement about life going on as usual in November and December 2023, which of course it did, but that would not have done justice to the wide variety of events that we Hongkongers consider “usual”.
Path of Democracy invited long term Democratic Party stalwart Emily Lau (yes, still around, not yet in jail!) to be the speaker at one of its lunch events. Typical Emily firebrand stuff, good material for a column. I attended a half day conference on relations between the GBA and ASEAN and went to Guangzhou by high-speed train for prize presentation ceremony of the China Daily young reporter competition (I was once again one of the judges). I renewed acquaintance with two former InvestHK colleagues Becky Merrett and Elsie Leung. Old friend Anthony Griffiths invited me and my brother John Wan to breakfast at the HK Club. He swore it was his last visit to Hong Kong but he says the same thing every year. The Israeli CG invited me to a screening of a film of the 7 October attack by Hamas terrorists. Also on a sad note, I attended the funeral of a member of the Executive Committee of the Street Sleepers Shelter Society Mickey Wong ) I am still honorary president).
But the undisputed highlight of the period was undoubtedly the big party on 28 December at the Enchanted Garden restaurant in the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel to mark the 51st anniversary of my arrival in Hong Kong, and to mark my 75th birthday one week previously.
A picture with my four children and four grandchildren is shown below, together with two videos of homegrown entertainment. What a night.
