It’s December. 2025 was an eventful year, and a very good one indeed. Many things happened and I felt like writing this for my own enjoyment.

I. Wedding

What took you so long, they asked.

But what do they know? Things had to be done, solved and closed before we could get married. One thing I learned is never to judge other peoples’ lives – you know nothing. Yet we heard so much rubbish about us over the years.

Regardless. We are happy and everything is perfect.

II. Our place in Estoril

Every day that passes we get closer to retirement. And every day that passes we feel more distant from our hometown Macau. It’s changing and not necessarily to our liking.

We want to retire in Portugal. Never too early to start planning. We bought a wonderful apartment in Estoril.

III. Inari

Facing sub-zero temperatures, standing in a frozen lake covered by snow, surrounded by emptiness. I was experiencing something extraordinary. Tears came to my eyes when it kicked in.

I was in the Arctic Circle. I was shooting with my Hasselblad on a tripod. This is really me, not Steve Nichols testing a camera somewhere remote in Canada. I’ve never imagined myself doing this in my lifetime.

IV. Helsinki

Enjoying our typical slow start with a good breakfast and coffee. All of a sudden it starts snowing. We both smiled and got excited. Helsinki is such a great city.

And Finland is such a great country. The snow, the museums, the salmon soup, reindeer meat, Alvar Aalto, Moomin and Marimekko. And they hate small talk. We became fans of Finland.

V. Thailand

Our backyard. We go to the same resort in Phuket every year.

We love the beachfront, the pool, the restaurants. Or simple things like playing badminton, renting a bike to check the adjacent lake. It’s relaxing and we always have a good time. I brought my good ol’ Leica M-E. What a great camera.

VI. Pilgrimage

In July I joined a 2-week pilgrimage with my son. We travelled to Turkey, Poland and Italy. Set foot in places documented in the Holy Bible. Attended mass every day. We waved to Pope Leo IX in St. Peter’s square.

A spiritual retreat. And quality time spent with my son. We even flew in a hot air balloon. All documented with my Fujifilm X-Pro3. A good camera, yet not a great camera – I came to this conclusion.

VII. Auschwitz

What can I say. Got to visit one of the darkest places from the history of humanity.

VIII. Portugal

One week in Portugal in September. Two weeks would be better of course. And three weeks even better. But I had no more annual leave. One week was all I could get.

I told my wife we will make the best out of 1 week and it will be great, trust me.

And it was great. Glamping, hiking, crossing the bridge to Spain, eating and drinking, testing my newly bought Fujifilm GFX100RF. Everything was perfect because Portugal is such a great country.

IX. One night in Porto

One week not a problem, how about one night?.. My wife embarked with me on this crazy adventure: fly to Portugal, attend a university reunion and return to Macau the following day.

Crazy? Yes, but it made sense to us and it was great to see all my friends again. Totally worth the effort and I would certainly do it again.

X. Disneyland

This was one of the best days of my life, she said. My wife was out of town so my daughter got all my attention. I took her to Disneyland in Hong Kong and she loved it.

Weather was pleasant. Dinner was a highlight: hot dog and soda in a bench outdoors. The most simple things are the best. It was a memorable day.

XI. GBA short trips

Visiting places around the Greater Bay Area, driving around and enjoying the comfort and reliability of my hybrid Lexus. It’s such a great car.

The Hasselblad 907x 100c and now the Fuji GFX100RF are my usual companions for these short trips. The Epson R-D1x came out twice as well, to Guangzhou and a rice field nearby. It’s good shutter therapy.

XII. Cycling burnout

2025 was a solid season with podium finishes in every race bar one – it was raining and I played safe.

But training on a daily basis felt like a second job and just too stressful. I’ve been doing this for 2 years non-stop. By October I was having a burnout. After the last race I told coach I’m quitting. Now I only cycle for fun.

XIII. Running

Blame my wife for this. She challenged me to join a 4.5km mini marathon race. We crossed the line together and I truly enjoyed the experience.

Now we train together regularly. Preparing ourselves for the next race: a 10 km run in March. Game on!

XIV. GA Syndrome

Still suffering from Gear Acquisition Syndrome. It got worst in 2025: bought a time trial bike, a road bike, plus two sets of wheels. Not to mention smaller purchases like helmets, shoes, titanium bolts… You thought photography is an expensive hobby? Try cycling. I spent enough to buy four Leica M11 – no joke.

And oh, of course. I bought the Fujifilm GFX100RF. Then last week I attended a Hasselblad event. Took my 907x 100c and played with several Hasselblad prime lenses. My hands got itchy. Shit.

XV. New place

New family arrangements dictated my kids are living with us now. We had to move to a bigger apartment. They are well settled. We initiated a new routine. All good.

The view is not as good as before, but still a good view. Plus we have a nice balcony where we can eat, drink and release our stress al fresco. A pleasant place. Life is beautiful.

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This was my 2025 in a nutshell. It was a good year and I’m closing it a happy man. Let’s hope 2026 rolls out in a similar fashion.

Cheers!