The recent ‘It’s been a great year’ photo albums created for me by Google and Facebook got me thinking about the year as it ends. It’s been a seriously amazing year – intense in experiences in all aspects of my life. And since I haven’t posted regularly in the last 6 months (just 2 posts since July – eek) I thought I would get my total up to 3 with a final post for 2014.

So what did 2014 do for me?

It took me to new places:

OK, so no real surprise there, but each was epic for different reasons.

I finally got to Myanmar and it was totally worth it. The trip included fabulous temples and my first hot air balloon ride.

Temples of Bagan, Myanmar from a hot air balloon

The summer saw Andrew and I in Azerbaijan (my first truly central Asian and Caucasas country) for a fun packed week (posts to follow soon on this brilliant 7 days).

The flame towers of Baku, Azerbaijan

After our return to HK we picked up T and headed to Bali, Singapore, England and Northern Ireland (where I finally got to see the Giant’s Causeway).

The village homestay house we stayed in, near Ubud in Bali

Stunning Villa Amber where my brother and his wife celebrated their marriage

Breakfast with Orang Utangs in Singapore Zoo.

On Giant’s Causesway

November took us to on a rare package holiday to our first pacific island of Guam.

view from the hotel pool – it was tough!

It got me fitter and healthier.

After seeing pictures of me at Christmas and with the decision to go for the Oxfam Trailwalker I decided I had better get fit. Between January and June I joined the gym, hit the trails and lost 20 pounds in weight. And – miracles – I’ve (so far) managed to keep the weight off. Let’s see if I can continue this healthy lifestyle in 2015.

February. Hiking with Pat.

October – with Ollie on a practice hike. 20 pounds lighter and a whole lot fitter!

We took up kayaking as a family. Taliya loves it and it’s been a wonderful way to spend a weekend. Short kayak to a beach, swim, picnic, sand castles, beach cricket and kayak back.

Me, Tali and Pat kayaking

beach cricket!

It saw me walking 100km for Oxfam

One of the reasons I have posted so little in the last 6 months is because I have been training for the Oxfam Trailwalker, 100km walk across the New Territory hills of HK. Together with Andrew, Ollie and Pat we managed this in November. It was an amazing experience. Tough -for sure. Fun – oh yes! Plus we managed to raise HK$60,000 for Oxfam – well above our target of HK$40,000 so we were thrilled.

Team Fitbit Oddsocks at the start of Trailwalker

On Section 3

39 hours after starting we finally crossed the finish line

Here is a link to the blog we wrote during this time with lots of photos of our hikes.

www.fitbitoddsocks.org

Getting art outside the lesson and the classroom.

Professional highlights include taking a group of my students on an Art Walk around HK galleries – so fun to show them new art, they loved it! Our fabulous Middle School Art show and musical concert was a huge success and I’m increasingly flipping my classroom as seen on my ever growing YouTube channel.

Contemplating contemporary art on the first AIS Art Walk

Together with my students outside Galerie du Monde

Students sketching at the Ju Ming exhibition in May.

Middle School art exhibition

Up the ladder

In August I was promoted to Head of Visual and Performing Arts at American International School. I’m thrilled, though it is of course extra work!

Births, Deaths and Marriages…

I became an aunt and godmother to my youngest nephew, Henry Booth, when he was born in July. We were able to meet him at just a couple of weeks old!

Proud aunt and proud mummy!

After a long life including 5 children, 12 grand-children and 18 great-grandchildren my grandmother passed away in August. We were still in England so were able to be there with my mum when she heard the news.

My brother and his wife Lily celebrated their marriage on the beautiful island of Bali and with a ceremony in England. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate with them all.

Charles and Lily, the happy couple.

I was honoured to be invited to the wedding of my former boss, Frankie. He and his partner, Kelvin, had tied the knot in Vancouver and then held a banquet in Hong Kong. It was a lovely celebration of two people who clearly love each other very much. It was my first gay wedding – as it was for many who attended. I also got a chance to catch up with former colleagues from my Wall Street Years.

Me, Kelvin, Frankie and Andrew. Another happy couple.

It took me to the streets of Hong Kong: Political protests 

Now I wasn’t directly involved in this, but it was a momentous event in Hong Kong’s history and I went down to Mong Kok to take a look. The organisation involved was very impressive and the atmosphere when we went down was calm, though it was not always like this.

Crowds occupy the streets of Mong Kok

Blocked roads in Mong Kok.

Friends reunited

Whilst in England in the summer I was able to spend a day with two of my best friends. The first time we had been all together, just the three of us since my wedding. Fun times.

Zand, Me & Katie. Friends since 1987.

My great friend, Suse and Steve Holt, who I first met in Moscow and worked with in China moved out to HK with their kids. Not just to HK but to Sai Kung, no less! We now get to see each other regularly.

Holts and Chius – 3rd country together.

My former colleague from Wall Street and good friend Andre came along to our Trailwalker support lunch. It was good to see him again.

Still drinking with Andre

Family Reunited

With a surprise visit from my sister Killy whilst Ben was visiting from Sydney we had all of my siblings and all of Andrew’s siblings together for a couple of hours in December – the best early Christmas ever!

All brothers and sisters together!

A year of firsts…

We lost our passports for the first time in Singapore. In all my years of travelling we are lucky that this is the first time this has happened. It all came good as we managed to get emergency passports and we even found our passports.  A lot learnt there.

My first gay wedding, my first hiking event, first ‘Head of Department’ position,

Taliya

Taliya grew and developed. She turned 4 in October, started doing full days in school and travelled to lots of new countries. She’s been ice-skating, done ballet, kayaking and so much more. She’s started to read and write. Oh, and thanks to Disney my world became “Frozen”. She is an adventure in herself!

Hanging out with friends at school

Writing!

4th birthday party – An Elsa party, of course!

And finally, I turned 40.

With a bang, lots of champagne, some singing and brilliant costumes I celebrated my 40th birthday with the theme of “Movies from 1974”. My family had arranged for my sister, Killy, to be there too – a total surprise! It was a brilliant night.

An array of costumes from 1974 films

Me and my siblings together in HK!

Surprise!

On the mic!

Oh and in case you were wondering – I was dressed up as a party attendee in the Towering Inferno.

So that was 2014. It was a momentous year. I’m excited to see what 2015 will bring.