According to the Sydney Morning Herald in an article titled “A Life Less Ordinary” published this morning, these are the thirty things to do before you turn thirty! As the clock is ticking, I thought I’d better do a quick stocktake and though there seem to be some noticeable omissions from the list of things to be done, here are the results ….

1. Buy a one way ticket overseas: DONE! That’s how I ended up in Hong Kong….well it seemed like a good idea at the time….

2. Borrow your nephews and nieces or friends’ kids for a weekend and take them to the zoo:  Hmmm, has been added to the TO DO List. Hurry up and have kids everyone!

3. Blow a week’s wages on dinner for two at a restaurant where the prices aren’t even listed on the menu: Added to the TO DO List!

4. Have a one night stand with an attractive stranger you met at a party: Yikes, should I be disclosing this!?!?

5. March for a cause you believe in: DONE! More than once, do I get bonus points?!

6. Move out of home and live in a share house: DONE! Ten times over. Too easy!

7. Run a marathon - or if that’s too daunting, do a fun run: DONE! City2Surf, more than once as well!

8. Invent your own cocktail: I’m half way there I’ve got the name already “The Non-Billable Unit”

9. Learn a language: I’m half way there… does learning half of two languages count?

10. Get a Brazilian wax: Strangely, I’m coming around to the idea that doing everything on this list is not such a good idea after all.

11. Have sex in the open air: I’m becoming an American citizen so I can plead the 5th to this one!

12. Read the collected works of an author you love: What if my favourite author only ever wrote one book!?!? Ok, added to the TO DO List…

13. Get a letter to the editor published in your local newspaper: DONE!

14. See the Aurora Borealis: Added to the TO DO List

15. Try base jumping or another extreme sport: Does traveling on a dodgy airline count?

16. Bluff your way into a glamorous job you’re totally unqualified for: See answer to Question 1, except my job is not glamorous!

17. Join a political party and hand out how to vote cards on election day: One Nation rejected me. But I will try again next election cycle….

18. Get involved in a team sport: DONE! And it hurt….

19. Do a road trip with a bunch of mates in a dodgy car: Suddenly I have my next vacation idea.

20. Survive a flight on a third world airline: DONE! And it was scary…except for my wallet….

21. Find the love of your life: DONE!

22. Lose the love of your life: DONE! and in that order … what do they say about it better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all?

23. Skinny dip in the ocean at midnight under a full moon with a group of friends: It wasn’t a full moon. Damn will have to repeat….

24. See the sun rise after an all night rave: DONE!

25. Go to a gay bar - if you’re straight: DONE!

26. Go hiking in Bhutan: Actually, this is already on the TO DO List!

27. Do a ten day yoga retreat: Actually, this is already on the TO DO List as well!

28. Make a fool out of yourself at a karaoke bar: DONE! How else do you think I got my work visa for Hong Kong?

29. Plant a tree for the environment: I did this in school once, but just to show my dedication to the environment and make up for all the pot plants I’ve killed, I’ve added it to the TO DO List!

And…

30. Get fake ID saying you’re 21: Added to the TO DO List, but shouldn’t this have been on the ‘Things To Do Before You Turn 18′ List??

Wow… that leaves a lot to do in a short amount of time (and very little annual leave left). This only leaves one solution…

Anyone want to get a fake ID then hike to a yoga retreat in Bhutan, where the primary activity will be relaxing before sky diving into the ocean together as a group, naked, then paddling around in the moonlight and swimming to the nearest town, where we will find some kids and drive them (in a dodgy car) to a zoo in the southern most tip of Australia followed by a really expensive dinner while watching Aurora Borealis???

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Having just returned back from a fascinating trip to Cambodia, I have to say I really admire the Cambodian people!

They have been through so much in the last three decades, yet when you travel around the streets the people are always smiling.

I have traveled to many parts of the world, but when I was in Cambodia it really struck me how you rarely see people smile in the street in “rich” countries. In fact look around the streets and office blocks of those countries and most people look pretty glum. Worse, if you were to smile in public, people would think it was a sign of madness. How did it become like this? Yet the Cambodians smile a lot, they are a happy people though they have little material wealth. I admire them for that.

Well it sure doesn’t feel like 3am. Not the same way it does in Sydney. But indeed, the big hand is steadfastly pointing to the 12 and the little hand is at the 3. Perhaps its apt, it’s been about 3 months since resigning from my job in Sydney, then the rush to pack, farewell, party, relocate and welcome to a new city and a new job. But the rush to leave Sydney was mere precursor to the rush of life in a world city (time magazine).

Briefly the things that stick out in my mind was the sudden realisation that there was not much to do in Hong Kong except (1) eat, (2) drink, (3) party, (4) work and (5) shop. These are the Five Noble Truths of Hong Kong. Everything else is peripheral (eg exercise keeps you fit so you can engage in these activities) or just get in the way of you doing these things and should be avoided at all costs (eg sleeping).

Most of my first two weeks were spent mostly just sightseeing, partying, shopping and trying to find a place to stay. That turned out to be a drama in itself - real estate agents, you gotta love them for trying! But I finally settled on a place in Causeway Bay - right near the heart of everything. Pretty much had to agree on the terms of the lease as I was packing to goto London. But we got there in the end with a lot of help from my friends in Hong Kong.

London was great, even if the weather was constantly “damp and dull” as the BBC reminded me each morning. I got to see a few old faces and I simply can’t believe how many of my law school is there! And anyone not in London is in Hong Kong! What global citizens we are..

Then I came back to Honkers, and pretty much from day 1 was thrown in the deep end, working on a big deal. Working crazy crazy hours, with very little sleep, but you gotta work hard to play hard.

Oh, I’ve I also tentatively started speaking Cantonese and I am told I speak like a robot. Definitely need to work on the fluency point! But fortunately the locals think it’s funny so they persist with me. Though you know you’ve crossed the line when they start speaking English back to you.

I need not repeat the cliche that time flies, but it has. But now I can say that I’m settling in. It’s taken a long time but things are finally falling into place.