Today is the official start of winter in the Chinese calendar, and tonight most families are holding reunion dinners to celebrate. Temperature hovers round 11 degrees Celsius and there's strong wind too. It's the sort of day where I'm bundled in 3 layers of clothes including coat and scarf, and yet will still find my fingers numb and tingly when I reach the office. I realise I love wearing scarfs and yet they are so impractical back home.

People are kind to me. Now the security guards open the building gym earlier, so I won't need to ask them for the key when I run in the morning. And sometimes my next-cubicle colleague will make coffee for me and keep it warm till I arrive in the office. I've received a hand-made Christmas card from the sweet young girl at my client's and it's been a while since I've received anything hand-made. And then there are pre-Christmas celebration meals nearly everyday this week at work.

It's the last few days of the year and everything is lovely.