Tag: year-end

If this piece were too long, people would think it was written by a machine.

So here follows a short photo story of my existence in 2025 …

2025 began, like just about every year in the past decade, at Kaohsiung’s Love River.

The first day was spent at the remains of an old village in the middle of the industrial area of Kaohsiung.

In February we went to South Africa, for the first time since before the thing that happened in 2020. On the way, we spend a few hours in Hong Kong.

In March we headed in a random direction one Sunday afternoon and then Googled, “Coffee shop near me.”

In April I discovered a fishing village about a thirty-minute drive from our apartment.

In May, I made an appearance in one of Kaohsiung’s top universities to talk to students about the rest of the world – on which I am of course an expert because I come from the rest of the world.

Also in May it was time again to visit Tainan – the oldest city in Taiwan.

In June, we enjoyed Italian food on the campus where I made a short appearance in May, to celebrate turning a year older. Also discovered on the campus: one of Chiang Kai-shek’s many cars.

On the way back we were caught in an ugly downpour and we were left with no choice but to stop for snacks.

Taitung was our choice for a mid-year break.

In August we visited IKEA.

In September, I photographed myself in an empty classroom …

… and we viewed pretty boring art in Kaohsiung’s pretty boring art museum (maybe I should have taped a series of my classroom selfies to an empty wall in an empty room).

In October I photographed at least one old building …

… and discovered an old National Geographic.

In November, I visited my parents, my sisters, and some friends again in South Africa, and took a few dozen photos of food.

And in December we discovered old buildings and an abandoned factory.

… and put together a photo story of 2025.

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I don’t have much to say right now, so here’s a picture:

Okay, a little negative, and it is New Year’s after all.

One more, then:

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I didn’t write much this year – published less than 2,000 words compared to over 22,000 last year.

One reason: I felt I had said what I wanted to say.

In 2023 I expressed some thoughts about life and death. Despite the fact that the war in Ukraine is still raging, I didn’t add much to what I said last year. There was also not much I could add about my opinion on the China-Taiwan issue. Like most people, I was shocked by what happened in Israel on October 7th and have since followed with horror on social media what is happening in Gaza.

Other news came and went.

Like every year, people predict the end of the world in the new year.

Like every year, they will probably be wrong.

At the other end of the spectrum, some people predict a good year – for some people.

I am agnostic myself. And full of hope.

Perhaps it will turn out to be a good time to bring things together.

I decided to break my own tradition this year and not write a year-end piece.

Normally I feel the need to spell out that the year that’ll be over in a few hours has been good.

I also feel it necessary to say for the record (seeing that this is what this corner of the global information network is: a record of my existence) that I hope the next year will also be good.

Because I have not, as far as I can remember, publicly complained about anything this year, I cannot claim at this late hour that the year has not been good.

And because I’m optimistic by nature, I also find it unnecessary to make it clear for the record that I’m optimistic about next year.

So, because I can’t include these usual statements in my end-of-year piece, about what else can I type words to publish minutes later for people in Argentina and Siberia and Alaska and Durbanville to read?

Nothing.

So, stay positive. Even if it doesn’t always make sense. (Unless, of course, someone wants to kidnap you. In that case, you have to expect the worst and fight like your life depends on it.)

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