how in the hell is it the 28th. this is a serious question folks.

Sneakily sneaking a meme from starchildorion!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

---- Hah. The list is too long to ennumerate. If I don't count China, though, here's a couple things that spring to mind: went to Sopron, tasted beer, wine, and liquor (but still don't drink any of the three), wrote good solid analytical papers, wore shawls in the winter, and had eastern religions explained well to me.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
---- I never make resolutions. I plan to do things, but resolutions are too complicated. I like doing things cause I want to, not because I would let myself down by failing to do them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
---- No, but my cousin will in July of next year!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
---- Grandma, but "close" is a complicated word...

5. What countries did you visit?
---- China, America, Hungary, Slovakia, and switched planes in Japan and Germany.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
---- More savvy with unwritten eye-contact rules. I am terrible with these.

7. What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
---- The week of May 12. Why? Why is here.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
---- All A's in class, amazing papers written, and mostly-finishing a book!

9. What was your biggest failure?
---- My China grades.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
---- Nope, and let's keep it that way.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
---- Lots! A shawl in a hutong: it's light indigo with flower patterns. Many gifts for people: I like getting them exactly what's right. My bag: I love it and many people compliment it.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
---- Obama's! :D

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
---- I wish to continue being able to get visas to a certain place, so I won't say.

14. Where did most of your money go?
---- Foodz, schoolz, giftz.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
---- OMG SCHOOL HERE IN THE US IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME SCHEDULE EVERY DAY AND I ANALYZE THINGS IN CLASS INSTEAD OF JUST ROTE MEMORIZE AND DONT'UNDERSTAND :D

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
---- the songs on my Eight playlist, the BSG S3 album, and the Alexander Nevsky Suite by Prokofiev. All these: because they were the songs/soundtracks I listened to while writing things in Hope Cafe, or when working on BaPT.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder?
---- Older.

ii. Thinner or fatter?
---- Thinner! I work out more here, and eat better. :)

iii. richer or poorer?
---- n/a.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
---- Reading :P Wish I'd had more time. but sokay.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
---- Prooooooo craaaaaaaaaaas tiiiiiiiiiiiiii naaaaaaaaaaaa tiiiiiiiing~

20. How did you spend Christmas?
---- With family! At home! It was lovely :)

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
---- Nope.

22. Did you get your heart broken in 2008?
---- Nope.

Although if you can count the cutting down of almost all the trees in Wudaokou... 50 trees.

23. How many one-night stands?
---- Hahahahaahahaha! Haha! (wipes tear)

24. What was your favorite TV program?
---- Avatar and Kino's Travels.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
---- I don't really hate, I just dislike very very intensely. But: my bitchho former roommate. Her.

26. What was the best book you read?
---- Tales from Earthsea, Ursula Le Guin, Moomintrollet, Tove Jansson, and Moby-Dick, Herman Melville

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
---- Comfort in your Strangeness, Cynthia Alexander. Flute, Barcode Brothers. The entire band Besh o droM. Anime music in general.

28. What did you want and get?
---- The books I got for birthday and Christmas! :D

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
---- Pan's Labyrinth and Stardust were unspeakably amazing.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
---- I turned 22 on the 22nd! God, what did I even do ... ummmm. Oh! I wiw this!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
---- That is a neat question! This is actually the year my Personal Fashion Concept has changed most. Sometime during the China year, I realized that I looked good in my body (as opposed to being okaywhatever about it before), and so started dressing to that. I've started doing stuff with my hair more than just ponytail or braid - wear it in two braids, loose, a hairstick bun, or wear it up in a Ukranian Prime Minister 'do. Ditto clothes: I sometimes wear dresses/skirts because I feel like it, not because I'm going to An Event.

So my Current Personal Fashion Etcetera is to wear things that look good on me, because I like things that look good on me. So like Siptár t-shirts with jeans, or stuff. I really don't wear many generic T-shirts anymore, only for working out in. At home, I pyjama-lounge.

Summary: I wear things that I can rock.

34. What kept you sane?
---- Writing. Both here and in the PRofC. Here because it's been a busy semester, and China because ... it's China.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
---- If by "fancy" you mean crushed on, none, but if by "fancy" you mean "liked cause was awesome," then Obama. Because Obama rocked many socks.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
---- The whole election, actually. It was a hugely significant one, and the stakes were so high: I was really worried what would happen if it didn't end up well.

37. Who did you miss?
---- In the Zhongguo? Everyone I knew from here.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
---- I met some friendly new people at school!

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
---- How do you articulate a feeling of interconnectedness, everyone learning at once, changing all the time, and yet remaining individuals with conflicting viewpoints?


40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

I'm a new soul
I came to this strange world
Hopin' I could learn a bit 'bout how to give and take
But since I came here
Felt the joy and the fear
Findin' myself making every possible mistake

Yael Naim, New Soul
Video here.