As we reflect on 2019, I would like to pretend that the UK is not being run by a blonde buffoon who surprised everyone with his thumping election victory last week, or that my beautiful motherland is getting closer and closer to Brexit.
Instead, I would like to focus on the positives in my life, like the blessing of double-digit total returns in my Asian bond portfolio. Who would have thought, when we began the year, that high yield bonds would return with such force? I'll admit I was much too concerned about the US-China trade war to be very optimistic. But even that threat seems to have lost some of its teeth.
The protests in Hong Kong have, of course, been a key event for me, as they have shaken my adopted city to its very core. Things seem to be unusually quiet heading into the Christmas season, but my crystal ball certainly doesn’t hint at how things will turn out for the protesters or the government in the coming year. All I can hope for is that the protests don't cancel the Rugby Sevens in the spring.
While many worry that a recession is just around the corner, I won't be holding my breath. Instead, I'll be camped out in front of the telly with my whiskey, watching Donald Trump's impeachment trial with a smirk on my face.
With that, I bid you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!