Season's Greetings from Joanna (2002)

Hello everyone–your favourite nomad has finally returned home to Malaysia! After 7 years of roaming the earth, I’ve finally left antipodean shores and moved back to KL in November.

Before I begin my 2002 chronicles, let me say a big “Thank You” to everyone who responded to last year’s newsletter. The deluge of emails, letters and phone calls was extremely heartwarming and I’m grateful for your friendship.

It’s been a very eventful year. It began with an intense workload and monthly trips to South Korea, went slightly awry in September with a retrenchment from PwC Consulting but finished in a blaze of glory when I decided to return home to take up a managerial position with PwC Malaysia. Here’s to new beginnings.

Highlights of the year included:-

• Losing 10 kgs…hip hip hooray!
• Spending a dinky di Christmas and New Year with the Mawbey family in Dubbo, New South Wales. Their hospitality was outstanding – one of the clan threw a goat on the barbie and put on a special “bull riding” rodeo show just for me!
• Driving through the Blue Mountains at the height of the Sydney Christmas bushfires accompanied by fire trucks and heli-tankers
• Completing the “City to Surf” which is a 14km race from Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach and yes…I have a medal and certificate to prove it
• Winning 50,000 won in a karaoke competition in South Korea, with an earth-shattering rendition of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”
• Enjoying Korean cuisine to the fullest – kimchi, bulgogi, bibimbap and boiled silkworms!
• Stumbling into Tamworth to enjoy a good dose of country music in the form of John Williamson (the guy who sings Waltzing Matilda during Wallaby Games) and Troy Cassar-Daly
• Watching the rugby union test match between France and Australia. Wallaby no.16 is a real cutie!
• Buying my first apartment in KL which will be ready for visitors in 2005. Bookings are now open to all overseas visitors - who are invited to bring in their full quota of duty-free alcohol
• Being invited to give the “best man’s speech” at a mate’s wedding in Malaysia.
• Combining weekend drives with some glorious walks in Bundanoon (Morton National Park), Mudgee (wine), Jervis Bay(dolphin & whale watching), Berry (shopping), Canberra (Floriade & Italian masters exhibition) and Hunter Valley (more wine!)
• Hauling mum & dad on a farewell tour of Oz. We drove from Sydney to Brisbane and back. Stopped by Coffs Harbour to see the “Big Banana” and fell in love with a beautiful little town called Armidale on the way back.
• Saying goodbye to my old love Russell (the Nissan Pulsar) and falling in love with Boomps Elvis (the farting gnome)
• Realising that I want to be in the People Investment Business. I have found my passion in Change Management and cross-cultural communication and these will form the basis of my career aspirations. This focus makes it so much easier to get out of bed in the mornings!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this year as much as I have. In many ways, the world has become a scarier place, but there are still so many beautiful people to love and wonderful places to see. I have missed my family and friends during my years abroad but I intend to fully savour this homecoming.

Peter Drucker, an eminent management guru, once said: “The only way to predict the future is to create it yourself”

So be brave, live your dreams and have a wonderful 2003!