12 of 12: A Day in October 2025

It’s July 12, so I’m documenting the 12th of the month with 12 photos. Thank you to Caro from Draußen nur Kännchen for keeping the tradition alive!

I’m in Hamburg, after attending the wedding of my friend Ana. After weeks of heavy workloads, my father’s declining health and admission to the clinic, and bachelorette and wedding festivities the last two weekends, my lack of sleep has accumulated.

1/12: The morning starts in the soft warm hotel bed I share with my son in Hamburg. After the wedding of my old Executive MBA classmate Ana, we spent a night in a cheap and very clean hotel, interrupted by the casual guest walking and talking in the tiled corridor.
2/12: After getting ready and packing our things, we walk to the commuter rail station. I’m not sure of the station’s name, and after some back-and-forth, we finally arrive 40 minutes later. I really enjoyed the walk, though. 😄
3/12: I love the changing of the seasons. This is autumn at its finest, with its beautiful colored leaves!
4/12: As I walk past a poster promoting a referendum on testing an unconditional basic income in Hamburg, I think about how people in big cities and in the countryside vote differently.
5/12: We arrive at the busy main railway station. I look for an empty locker to store my suitcase. But they are all occupied. My son is stressed out by all the people hurrying around or waiting around. I give up and head straight for a cozy place to have breakfast.
6/12: After searching for a long time and eventually losing morale, we have breakfast at a second-choice bakery. While my son sips his hot chocolate, I search online for great breakfast places we have missed. I find a dim sum place next to the main railway station, so I decide to go there. There, we order dim sum to go for the journey, and I can’t resist ordering a hot milk tea. It feels like a mini trip to Hong Kong. Finally, my day is saved!
7/12: I relax and have a look around. I love these Chinese paper cuts. It’s such a beautiful tradition. ❤️
8/12: I know where to go next time I visit Hamburg. 👍
9/12: Back at the train station, we head to the tracks. It’s packed!
10/12: I never spend money to reserve seats for personal travel because I usually find a seat. Only on a few occasions have I had to sit in the aisle. Today is one of those occasions. I don’t mind, though. I make myself comfortable and start to read my book.
11/12: I really enjoy reading “And the band played on” by Randy Shilts. Recommended by a colleague, the bestseller “chronicles the discovery and spread of the HIV and AIDS, with a special emphasis on government indifference and political infighting.” (Wikipedia).
12/12: And when I get hungry, I can just have a bite of some great dim sum. 🤤

How was your 12 of October? 😁 Leave a comment!

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By Shau Chung Shin

I am a designer, businesswoman and founder of HAHAHA Global and Gesund in MeinerStadt. I develop solutions and products that encourage an open and positive approach to taboos. In doing so, I contribute to a healthier and more peaceful world.