It's the first entry of 2004! Which automatically makes this a read-worthy entry, of course...

I walked into the new building wearing my black suit (freshly dry-cleaned), black heels, a large purple pashmina and smiled at the security guards. They smiled back and let me go in.

Number one moral of the year: If you look the part, you will get into anywhere.

I thought my firm had moved to Two IFC because it had cheaper rent and better service. Well, we have nicer loos (they have orchids and towels and music, just like a posh hotel) but I think the security is seriously lacking. I mean, you wouldn't want to let a girl like me just walk through - with no ID, no nothing.

For a start, I have bumps all over my face from the allergic reaction I had yesterday. You wouldn't believe it - my dear maid left me four stems of beautiful blooming gladioli and I had the worst allergic reaction to them ever. M. insisted I throw them out but I didn't want to, because part of me has never really been able to accept the fact that I am allergic to flowers and also because they were a really kind gesture from my maid. But in the end, after sporting the rash and suffocating because my sinuses were so swollen I could hardly breathe, I had to throw them out. This is why M. will never ever send me flowers. Damn.

My secretary is a darling. She has unpacked everything for me while I was away so all I had to do was direct the handyman where to hang my paintings. Nice. But I don't have a fantastic view of Victoria Harbour anymore. A couple of the other associates and I fantasised about knocking down walls to create double offices where we could put in beds (and charge others HK$10 for using them). Or replacing one wall of the office with polarised glass - you'd be able to press a button to darken the glass if you wanted to do something 'private'.

Then it was the joy of opening up all the Christmas cards I had received. To my surprise, my ex-boyfriend from London sent me a Christmas card - complete with his new address and phone number on it. I wonder what that's all about?! I have a really nice card from a friend in Tokyo which has a cute glitterised monkey holding a peach on it.

It's the new year, but some things don't change. Now I have to deal with people getting married, having birthdays and falling in love. I have received two wedding invites already and I have this feeling this is just the beginning. I am going for lunch with a friend, and he had better not tell me he proposed to some girl.