Adieu 2006

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
went on holiday with my sister, bought a red bra

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year. I will be making some this year, though. I like thinking about my goals and where I am and where I want to be. I was too depressed to want to think about my life last January.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My childhood friend, Shannon. My brother's girlfriend. A couple of other people I don't know as well.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No.

5. What countries did you visit? Scotland, Canada, Korea, Thailand. Only Thailand was for the first time.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? I don't think there was much that I lacked entirely over the course of the whole year. There were lots of things I lacked during different parts of the year though. I guess I just want more of the good things, more often.

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? February 14th, when I finally, really knew that I had to leave Alan. April 10th, when I flew into Seoul.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting over the embarrassment of leaving someone only 5 months into marriage and doing it anyway because I needed to do it. Rebuilding my entire life all over again, in Korea.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not listening to my instincts and the warnings of other people.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yep. Some of the most notable - my first ever hickie and my now completely fucked up ankle. I'm a klutz, though, so there have been a few.

11. What was the best thing you bought? my laptop. my plane ticket out of scotland.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? my friends and family, who have been very supportive of me.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? alan's. my own.

14. Where did most of your money go? into leaving scotland.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? being single again, meeting new people, teaching again, knowing that I made the decision to live my life the way I want to, full of travel and adventure.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006? The Mercy of the Fallen, Dar Williams

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter, a bit
c) richer or poorer? maybe about the same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? laughed

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? beating myself up for things I couldn't change and things that weren't exactly my fault

20. How will you be spending Christmas? A turkey buffet at Geckos with friends and coworkers and later on some phone calls home.

21. Did you fall in love in 2006? i thought i did, I'm as subject to rebound relationships as anyone, i guess. didn't last long, which was for the best!

22. How many one-night stands? I don't kiss and tell.

23. What was your favorite TV program? America's Next Top Model in Korea, before that Alias/The L Word/Desparate Housewives

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? perhaps my boss, though hate is far too strong a word. i can't bring myself to hate my ex, though sometimes I think that might actually be kinda a step forward.

25. What was the best book you read? picking just one is so evil. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Everything is Illuminated, The History of Love and those are just the ones that come to mind...

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Jack Johnson. I had heard of him before, but never got around to listening until this year when I discovered downloading...

27. What did you want and get? a computer, a job in korea, out of a relationship, a trip to thailand (I even got two!)

28. What did you want and not get? an easy breakup

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Everything is Illuminated, Tsotsi, The Constant Gardener, Hotel Rwanda

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 28. I went to TinPans and drank too much tequila, I went to Stompers and don't even remember being there, I met a cute boy.

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? if alan had stayed in scotland. if i had left him earlier.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? a concept implies I was thinking about this in some sort of orderly way. The same 7 or so outfits to work (with flip flops in summer and black shoes in winter), the same 7 or so low cut tops to bars, and my fav comfy socks whenever I'm home.

33. What kept you sane? a combination of good friends and too much booze.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? i don't really fancy celebrities.

35. What political issue stirred you the most? i have been too busy navel gazing to really pay too much attention. Perhaps the possible nuclear weapons test by North Korea.

36. Who did you miss? Most people. I live overseas!

37. Who was the best new person you met? All the new people I've met have mostly been amazing, though in totally different ways.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. No one will judge me as much as I will judge myself. Trust your gut. People you don't expect to will do little things that will make you believe in goodness again.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

The Mercy Of The Fallen
Dar Williams

"Oh my fair North Star
I have held to you dearly
I had asked you to steer me
'Til one cloud-scattered night

I got lost in my travels
I met Leo the lion
Met a king and met a giant
With their errant light

There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say they have no claim to know what's right

There's the weak and the strong
And the bets that have no answer
And that's where I may rest my head tonight"