It's been a landmark year for Hong Kong. The avalanche of media coverage in the lead-up to the 10th anniversary of the handover, and the events of the past 12 months, were a reminder of the breathtaking changes we have seen in the past decade.
Continuing a recovery that began in 2004, the economy has recorded impressive growth this year.
Property prices, at least in the high-end market, have bounced back to the peak levels seen in 1997. Inflation, seen by some as a welcome sign of economic prosperity, has started to have a greater influence on our daily lives, especially with respect to pork and other meat prices.
The good news is that unemployment has fallen to 3.6 per cent. Following years of zero wage growth - even pay cuts - most major companies have given, or plan to give, employees a modest pay rise this year.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen pledged to lead Hong Kong into a golden era in his second term, and trumpeted 10 massive infrastructure projects in his policy address in October. Extensions to the MTR's Hong Kong Island network have been given the green light, heralding the launch of a string of huge developments not seen for many years.
After the protracted economic downturn precipitated by the East Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, the boom in the financial, property and job markets this year provided a fresh start.
Mr Tsang harped on the theme of 'a new beginning' as he began his second term, and acted swiftly to find an ultimate solution to the drawn-out bickering over universal suffrage. Following a consultation launched in July, he submitted a report on constitutional reform to Beijing in the middle of this month.
