To think that almost half the year is already gone. Planning for the reunion is moving ahead steadily and I expect so far about 75-100 people to attend. Hopefully every branch of the Family will be represented.

Julia, Martin and Vivienne (Mitzi) are busy as children of this generation seem to be these days. Music, sport, Neongenesis Evangelion and other activities keeps the parents busy too. We are starting renovations tomorrow and hope to be in our new house by Christmas! This is very exciting but time-consuming. Meanwhile I have to start writing my Ph.D. thesis in the next few months, so I can be finished by year's end and millenium's end! Micky as you can imagine is extremely busy too, but still manages those important and relaxing visits without me or the kids to the local craft markets, antique fairs and shops!

I have become very unfit doing this Ph.D. and one thing I definitely intend to do next year is get back on the bicycle and ride to work again and on the weekends, dive more frequently and learn to play the piano! I will have more than the family history to celebrate come Jan 22nd 2000 I can tell you! Two glasses of champagne for me for every one else's one glass definitely.

We are off to Cairns and Mission Beach for two weeks at the end of the month which conveniently coincides with a research conference I was attending anyway! Time to work but more importantly time to relax on the beach with the kids and do some communicating with my fish friends underwater.

Only a short note for now. Hopefully there will be a lot more to tell in the next few months as more of you decide whether or not to join our celebrations in Sydney in January.

Well my original plan of monthly updates of "What's new ?!" certainly failed. One update in 12 months was a dismal effort. It was not so much a lack of new things happening in our lives, but a lack of energy and time on my part to be such a dedicated "homepager". Maybe 1999 will be different as the planning for the BIG 2000 Family reunion accelerates. For my relatives reading this who want details about the Welcome Wall project and Celebrations of a Family 2000 Reunion please go back to the original page of the Leong Family Home page! Otherwise read on!

1998 has certainly I think been a better year for us in general. Vivienne Mitzi Shelley,

or "Mitzi" as we love to call her at home, has blossomed into a 15 month old toddler. She has reached every milestone early, so was walking at 10 months, and now runs around the house chasing M & J, and spin-dances to Julia's Spice-girls CD and to other musical assortments. She loves everything to do with water, whether it be in the bath, on the potty, in the mouth (toothbrush photo), or swimming with her floaties, as she has just begun to do. She is unlike any of us in appearance and Micky and I are not sure where the South Anerican connection comes from, but certainly Micky, as far as I know, has never set forth on the that continent in recent times. Anyway she is a bundle of joy for all of us.

Martin and Julia are both on school holidays for another month and have just passed that "Is there really a Santa phase of the year?" Maybe next year the truth will surface, but in any case I think we have more than contributed with our spending to the continued strength of the Aussie economy !

Merry Xmas Photo December 1998

Martin, who is now 9 and three quarters years old, has to set himself some higher goals for his school effort this year. His teachers were disappointed with his results last year. I think he has too much energy and thoughts going through his unique head and sometimes his thoughts don't always move in the same or right direction for his own good. We can only hope that he will come good and learn the importance of doing the best he can. He has become a game-boy junkie (my fault for buying the silly thing for him), but to his credit last year he did well at sports, especially cricket and rugby. He is still as lovely as ever though but has developed the same bad temper I had when I was his age. It is frightening and strange to see your children behave just like your did when you were a kid!

Julia, who is now 7 and three quarters years old, has grown into a beautiful girl. Ocassionally that 2 year terror of her past returns to haunt Micky and I,but overall we are happy with her. She is the same height as Martin now (and therefore makes a good Ninja buddy for Martin) (Martin is on the 3rd centile and Julia on 50-75th centile). She also has a lovely smile, which she has already learnt to use to good effect! She has worked hard this year with Micky applying the whip at times. She performed in the end of year Ascham play, in which she played cello and percussion, as well as the end of year string concert, and performed in the Christmas ballet concert. Why Martin is not as involved in as many extra-curricular activities I am not sure, but I suppose he plays sport which Julia does not do. Isn't it a very boyish and girlish the way we bring up our children?

So with three children in a two bedroom apartment we began to wonder should we try to find a bigger place. I basically am desperate for more space, but it will be sad to leave our apartment which has such a beautiful aspect and views over Coogee Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Sunrise over Coogee Bay and Glebe Gully from our balcony 

Well we bought a house in the beach suburb of Clovelly, only a few minutes drive away and closer to the beach and the sea than ever. Now we are planning some renovations which we hope to get through the council maze of red tape. Hopefully, by this time next year, we will have moved into our new house, and once again will be able to accomodate friends and family visiting us in Sydney!

Our New house!

Micky and I are both well, and as you can imagine, are fairly busy with both work and the kids. Micky is doing well with her practice and has finished a fairly, intensive acupuncture course this year, so she is sticking needles into real patients now to relieve various aches and pains and promote tissue healing! I have already been a guinea pig and survived!

1999 will be a hectic year for me as I am finishing my Ph.D. in molecular endocrinology (what's that?). I will also be turning 40 years old so I am planning a big party and wines tasting in November. If you are interested in attending put this in your diary and let me know! It has almost 3 years since I began my Ph.D., so it is about time I get a proper job. My private practice which is curently a weekend proposition hopefully will expand a little later in the year. I am nevertheless hoping to obtain a permanent position at the Garvan Institute to continue my research and somehow combine the my clinical work with my research.

Well friends that is all I have for now, so all that needs now to be said is, please send us your news by mail or e-mail, as it is always wonderful to receive news from all or family and friends! After all that is why we are here, isn't it?!

And please come and visit us soon in 1999 or 2000 as both years will be exciting years to visit Sydney and the Leong family!

Though this part of the homepage will be mainly a forum for The Leong family, if any other family members would like to contribute a piece to this section of the home page feel welcome! Just send contributions to Gary by e-mail. I haven't receive any contributions yet!