'PALACIO NG'

Regina & Peter generously hosted us in Melbourne for a few days before our hop to Tassie. We stayed at their palacial home and this was taken at 6am in the morning of our departure. Always a sage counsel to me, Peter preached years ago, when we were partners at RRA, the concept that at retirement one must live in one's largest property because one will need space, lots of space ... 'face to face with one's spouse 24-7 could be a challenge', he advised. Daman lives his words and this is the end game, complete with swimming pool, tennis court and something I would die for, a large herb garden.

I do not know if it is my age but the hustle of a city like Hong Kong has lost its buzz on me. No, I am not quite ready to live in a farm in New England or become a bush dweller Down Under yet but 'tranquility' is still a luxury, even on retirement. I crave for it these days, still. People ask me what I enjoy the most since turning in the Executive Toilet Key and my answer has 2-parts (1) instead of regular hours I go to the gym whenever I like, day or night, sometimes even day and night (2) I can curl up with my Kindle in my reading sofa, the best spot at our home, then read ... read and read, until it is time for a nap. $ cannot buy, as the saying goes.