Time to do the yearly review

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? I went overseas to Japan on my own. So glad I did.

Did you keep your New Years resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Yup, I started a new job in April , moved to my current flat in May, learnt some Japanese through listening to people in Japan and asking what it means, started to exercise for the first time in my life.

2012 is mostly about making a few more adjustments to continue with the progress I made in 2011.

Did anyone close to you give birth? not that I know of.

Did anyone close to you die? no

What countries did you visit? Japan and Brisbane

What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?  A date? But more importantly – a little bit more money to play with. I feel like I achieved quite a bit financially last year but at a cost

What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory? September 2^nd, typhoon in Japan – camera got wrecked, stranded at train station in a small Japanese city that I had never been to, with no idea where to go or to ask for help – no one around. Walked up and down that train station for 4 hours, then found a small travel agent place where thankfully one of them could speak minimal English, burst into tears, tried to call Hugh who was living in the city, couldn’t reach….. many hours later, reached Hugh through a mutual friend.   It was just one big stressful night.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Paying off my wisdom teeth debt and going to Japan on my own and not coming back with a debt.

What was your biggest failure?  I think I could have done better with eating healthier, something to work towards in 2012

Did you suffer illness or injury? Just the usual migraine, knee and shoulder pains.

What was the best thing you bought?  Hotel accommodation for the first couple of nights and last night in Japan, totally glad I splurged out a bit for that. My third tattoo which was really an extension to another one.  Gym membership and oh I recently just bought death cab for cutie ticket.

Whose behaviour merited celebration? Hmm, in my own personal circles – my friends Erin, Angela, Fugue and Pamela.  Erin for becoming more confident in herself (she may not actually realise this but this past year I think she definitely has) and finishing her Masters in International politics? Angela for her commitment to LGBT rights and queer activism and having a podcast on Feast of Fun. Fugue for her musical contribution to the world and Pamela for knowing that she deserves better in life.

Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? I won’t mention names

Where did most of your money go? Paying off wisdom teeth debt and Japan trip

What did you get really, really, really excited about? Japan of course and my tattoo

What song/album will always remind you of 2011? Oooh I didn’t really listen to that much music this year.  Hmm that Lana Del Rey song has been playing a lot lately but she’s a bit too whiney for me.  I did listen to a lot of The Civil Wars. and possibly Ceremonials by Florence and the Machine?

Compared to this time last year, are you:

happier or sadder? Happier,  I feel I’m more on track, more in control of my life.

thinner or fatter? The same thanks to Christmas period but healthier

richer or poorer? Richer since I cleared one debt

What do you wish you’d done more of?

What do you wish you’d done less of? wasting days in bed,  eating bad food

How did you be spend Christmas? Lunch with flatmate’s family then went to house sit for a friend in Petone

Who did you spend the most time on the phone with? Hugh and Pam

Did you fall in love in 2011?  No thankfully, this was the first year since living in Wellington where I focussed solely on myself and not on relationships.

How many one night stands in this last year? None

What was your favourite TV programme? I was introduced to Doctor Who by Hugh and starting to get into that, Game of Thrones, Community, Gilmore Girls, Sherlock Holmes.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? No, utter waste of time

What was the best book(s) you read? Books I enjoyed:  A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood,  Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde,

What was your greatest musical discovery? bandcamp

What did you want and get?  A tattoo

What did you want and not get? An iphone

What were your favourite films of this year? I only saw one film this year and that was the one with Owen Wilson in Paris, Woody Allen film, can’t remember the name of it.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I celebrated it by getting my tattoo the next day.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More money.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Same-old.  Like 2010 I hardly did any shopping.  I’m hoping to change that a bit this year or at least update my wardrobe a bit.

What kept you sane? Routine,  a lot of alone time and exercise

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? none

What political issue stirred you the most? Welfare

Who did you miss? H, my sister, friends in Auckland, friends in London, the usual.

Who was the best new person you met? Siobhan my previous flatmate was definitely a good addition to the house.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.  You can create your own happiness. A smile is a choice, not a miracle.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?

You need not to climb mountaintops,
You need not to cross the sea,
You need not to find a cure for everything that makes you weak.
You need not to reach for the stars when life becomes so dark,
And when the wind does blow against the grain,
You must follow your heart,
You must follow your heart.

When all your friends have come and gone,
And the sun no longer shines,
And the happiness for which you long is washed away like an ocean’s tide,
When all the hard times outweigh the good,
And all your words are misunderstood,
When the day seems lost from the start
You must follow your heart,
You must follow your heart.

If you feel you’ve paid the price,
And your wounds should cease to heal
And everything you love in life spins like a winding wheel.
If you should wake to find you’re abandoned,
And the road you’ve traveled leads to a dead-end
When death creeps in to play it’s part,
You must follow your heart,
You must follow your heart.