Theo's guitar pierces him because it also carries a reprimand, a reminder of buried dissatisfaction in his own life, of the missing element. This feeling can grow when a set is over, when the consultant neurosurgeon makes his affectionate farewells to Theo and his friends and, emerging on the pavement, decides to go home on foot and reflect. There's nothing in his own life that contains this inventiveness, this style of being free. The music speaks to unexpressed longing or frustration, a sense that he's denied himself an open road, the life of the heart celebrated in the songs. There has to be more life than merely saving lives. The discipline and responsibility of a medical career, compounded by starting a family in his mid-twenties - and over much of it, a veil of fatigue; he's still young enough to yearn for the unpredictable and unrestrained, and old enough to know the chances are narrowing. Is he about to become that man, that modern fool of a certain age, who finds himself pausing by shop windows to stare in at the saxophones or the motorbikes or driven to find himself a mistress of his daughter's age? He's already bought himself an expensive car. Theo's playing carries this burden of regret into his father's heart. It is, after all, the blues.

- Ian McEwan, Saturday

It's amazing how McEwan manages to introduce this piercing insight so elegantly. In one passage, how many unfinished lives described, how many miles of open roads imagined but never traveled?

The media blitz for Live Earth is ramping up as July 7th draws closer. With the hue and cry over global warming at an unprecedented high, this year's event seems set to be the largest of its type. While I like to think that the cause is a noble one (I wonder what the organizers do with the ticket revenue though... soak it in some political campaign?), I wonder if holding a series of mega concerts is the way to tackle this problem

a) Uh... Singers? Maybe the organizers had Woodstock in mind, but I don't exactly look up to singers as bastions of environment protection. I mean, these mega stars usually have a penchant for commuting in limos and flying around in private jets. Many probably own huge-ass estates that can soak up enough electricity to run a third world country. And they're preaching to me to save the world? Hm. Take public transport for a year. I'd be more impressed.

b) Huge concerts, huge audience, huge logistics issues. How do all these people even get to the concert locations? Cycle? Walk? Drive? What of the litter generated from these mega concerts? How much fuel is burnt to actually run the concerts? Is the trade off between the awareness raised and these 'side effects' worth it?

c) When Katrina hit New Orleans, a TV event was organized to raise funds. 8.5 million US viewers tuned in. Not too shabby if you ask me. Granted, Live Earth is aiming to reach significantly more people, but there is also the issue of getting the message across to them. Raw numbers count for nothing if the penetration rate is low. The Katrina concert worked because it was honest, down-to-earth and intimate, which are all qualities that glitzy mega concerts lack. Honestly, I personally find it hard to coincide rowdy concerts and environment protection. Maybe I should organize a gaming marathon.

d) Finally, the issue of awareness. The concerts are held in powerhouse countries (US, Japan, China etc). With the media coverage on global warming, I doubt many are still in the dark regarding the issue (target audience anyway). Raise awareness all you want, but nothing is going to change without affirmative action. With nobody to walk the walk, these concerts are nothing but circus shows.

6.45 am: Alarm rings
7.00 am: Wake up
7.25 am: Be at bus stop
7.30 am: Board 27
7.55 am: Alight
8.00 am: Board 86
8.15 am: Mentally curse at the jams
8.25 am: Verbally curse at the jams
8.45 am: Check email, sip red tea
10.30 am: Wake butt cheek that has fallen asleep
12.15 pm: Lunch
12.40 pm: Check latest news
3.20 pm: Wonder if the spasm from mouse hand is RSI, CTS or an embolism
4.30 pm: Wake butt cheek again
6.00 pm: Prepare to leave. Disturb HK colleagues by informing them of impending departure.
6.10 pm: Codes threaten to implode. Handle emergency.
6.20 pm: Get laughed at by HK colleagues
7.30 pm: Reach home as a puddle of goo
7.45 pm: If even day of week, reach gym as a puddle of goo
12.00 pm: Read
12.10 pm: Start snoring

The Must-see Places in Hong Kong.

1) Avenue of the Stars, for a breathtaking view of Hong Kong island. On a clear day, this promenade will unveil a sweeping landscape of glass, steel, mountains, sky and sea.

Wanchai Skyline I Hosted on Zooomr

2) Chi Lin Nunnery. Sitting in the midst of urbanity, this beautiful temple borrows heavily from Japanese architecture. Tall columns, intricate and nailless construction, majestic roofs and tranquil lotus ponds make this temple an absolute gem.

Picturesque Chi Lin Hosted on Zooomr

3) Repulse Bay. While usually crowded beyond imagination, this landmark beach offers a unique view of mountain, sea, sand and sky. And bodies.

Baywatch II Hosted on Zooomr

4) Lantau Island. The signature Big Buddha (which, by the way, features a panoramic 360 view of the island on a clear day) and Po Lin monastery aside, Lantau Island is also home to the often overlooked Path of Wisdom (the Heart Sutra inscribed on long wooden tablets installed on a mountain side) as well as some of the best hikes in Hong Kong.

Big Buddha Hosted on Zooomr

Path of Wisdom Hosted on Zooomr

5) Victoria Peak, on a clear night. For an arguably unrivalled view of Hong Kong's skyline, take the steep downhill path just beside Pacific Coffee in the Peak Tower. That's right, away from the crowd. Take a few minutes stroll, and enjoy.

Neon City Hosted on Zooomr

As the year 2006 draws to a close (and on a whimper, judging from my Internet connectivity), I find myself looking back on the choices I have made, could have made, did not make. The path I have walked, the many others I did not. Knowing who I am now, where I am and what I have, would I have changed anything?

As we take stock of our lives and the decisions that have made us what we are, the most important questions are usually the most difficult to ask. Nevertheless, there is seldom a more appropriate time to address them, so that we may begin a new chapter afresh and with stronger convictions.

So, as I stand in my apartment and the year 2006 draws to a close, I have to ask myself… … what was I thinking when I bought that white belt with tassels? Tassels! Did I think I was Elton John? Gawd.

Here’s wishing you a more meaningful retrospective, and a great year ahead.

The crowd swirls around us as we strolled down the waterfront. Our fingers loosely intertwine, her left hand in my right. The breeze teases our hair, playfully stirring them into dance. I can feel her slight intake of breath from an abrupt gust of cold. The lights of Hong Kong glitter from across the water.

We pick a relatively isolated spot along the waterfront walkway, straddling the railings so they double as metallic seats. The view of Victoria Harbour is unfettered, if a tad foggy. We wait for the music to begin, for the electric rainbow opposite to pulse. Our hands are still lightly clasped. The salty sea breeze capriciously refreshes, then nips, but never too cold for discomfort. Across a city of lights, accompanied by the chug and occasional horn of ferries, with the waves lapping at our feet, I know a moment of perfect contentment.