Happy New Year 2014!

Aunty Jo Jo with Jared and Justin during Christmas 2013

How is it even possible that we're bidding Farewell to 2013 and saying Hello to 2014?  This year has really flown by! As always, I've had more than my fair share of fun and many blessings for which I'm truly grateful.

• Family and friends have been front and centre this year.  The Yeoh family witnessed a double birthday celebration with both Mum and Dad turning 70 this year - hearty, healthy and happy - and we really thank God for His goodness. My Penang cousins introduced two beautiful babies - Bryan and Min Yee - to the family. I also had the pleasure of welcoming many loved ones to Singapore including my parents, my sister Julie, my beautiful goddaughters Kiersten and Katelynn, Corrine from Austin, Grace from Melbourne, Glenn from Perth, Thiam Kit from HK, the Gekoskis from Philadelphia and my long time friends from England.

• Seeing Donny Osmond sing Puppy Love ten feet away from me was a dream come true!!  Swoon...  

• Wonderful trip to New Orleans in January.  Enjoyed the charm of The Big Easy, while learning more about the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina.  I also got to pretend to be Scarlett O' Hara while staying at Oak Alley Plantation - a beautiful antebellum mansion on the Mississippi River.  The only thing missing was Rhett Butler.  Haha!

• First trip to Japan in June opened my eyes to another culture so rich in beauty, elegance and precision. Loved the rustic charm of the seaside town of Atami, the beautiful symmetry and elegance of historical Kyoto, the frenzied madness of Osaka.  Loved the inns, bullet trains, bento sets, cute little desserts, latest cosmetics and the sushi and sashimi is just so...oh....to die for!

• A surprise second trip to US for work saw me spending a lovely weekend in San Francisco and a week in Vegas.  A friend has been teaching me to appreciate jazz this year and can't wait to hear Wynton Marsalis and Chris Botti live.  Thanks RP :)

• Two work trips to Hong Kong allowed me to indulge in many happy meals especially roast goose and dim sum . It was very good to catch up with Simon and Helina Wong, and their two adorable boys, Marcus and Isaac. 

• Work has been very intense yet rewarding this year.  One of my projects contributed to a win for "Best People Management" at the World Mail Awards in May while I also won the "Best Passive Talent Influencer" Award from LinkedIn in April.  And yet these public awards, while flattering, have not given me as much satisfaction as the privilege of training over 350 staff in Emergenetics - a profiling tool that helps individuals to understand themselves and team mates better.  It's been so rewarding to see people appreciating each other's strengths and striving to become all that God created them to be.

It really has been an amazing year and I wish you and your families all the very best for a fruitful and blessed 2014.

All my love,

Joanna a.k.a Aunty Jo Jo