dear friends,

another year, another birthday! i am so grateful and constantly in awe of all the people and blessings that God has allowed me to have over the years, and i especially thank God for each of you, because you are so very special to me.

In case you are thinking about buying a present, may i ask that instead of buying something for me, you use the money you would have spent on me and spend it here instead.

as i look around me, i see all the consumerism and material gratification that surrounds this season, and i cannot help but think of those who are not as blessed with material wealth as we are. since september, i have made a decision to not spend any money on myself until the end of the year (with the exception of food and other basic necessities). so far, i have have managed to stay on track (with the exception of one day in shenzhen...). in the process, i've come to realize that it's not only about not spending money on myself, but considering the ways and places that our society spends and the attitudes that come with it.

we all know that hong kong is a materialistic place, and there is a heavy emphasis on finding evermore entertaining ways to satisfy our need for pleasure and self-gratification. for my birthday this year, i would like to turn the tables around. knowing that someone in need has been blessed because of my birthday would be the best present i could ever receive.

thank you for being in my life and i treasure your friendship immensely!

with love,
jan :)