I completed this quiz at the end of 2008 and thought I’d do it again for 2009.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Went to Kazakhstan and did some long term volunteering.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Let’s take a look.
1) Cull facebook friends. If I wouldn’t talk to them on the street why am I friends with them on facebook? - I did cull my facebook friends and then regretted when it came to appealing for donations for Global Xchange.
2) TRY to go to the gym at least once a week (unless it’s cold, I’m too tired etc. etc.) - I didn’t go to the gym once a week but then I probably was tired or it was cold etc. so in a way I kept that
3) Make the best of my travelling - I probably could have made more of my travelling but I think I did the best I could at the time.
4) Do my best to have a decent job by the end of the year – Nope I haven’t got a job although I have been putting quite a lot of effort in to it so have been doing my best, another one kept!
5) Never go back to Center Parcs! - Yes have totally kept this one (so far)
Well there we go as a result of the clever wording of last years resolutions I have totally managed to keep all of them. I have made another for this year, equally well worded; Try to get a proper job. Note the emphasis on try, I don’t say ‘get a job’ as that may be unachievable given the current state of the economy but I will try. There were others but I don’t want to repeat them here and that was the main one.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I gained a step nephew born while I was on the first phase of Global Xchange (GX).
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Kazahstan!
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A proper job i.e. one that might actually start a career rather than working for my Step Dad. From this I will hopefully be able to move out and get myself my own place then begin scouting around for a male partner to occasionally share it with.
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
19th March – start of GX
4th September – 13 hours stuck at Almaty airport and the end of GX.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Definitely completing GX and being proud of the work I did through it especially my contribution at Catch 22. Being able to get around Shymkent alone, learning basic Russian and haggling for something at the bazaar!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not always giving 100% with GX, being clouded by small upsets instead of looking at the bigger picture.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Cold after cold after cold after cold. Stomach upsets in Kazakhstan were fun as was the major back pain I suffered last month.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Kazakh waistcoat, Kira Plastinina shoes and sheep skin boots. All from Kazakhstan and totally unique around here.
12. Who made you laugh the most?
Grace and Ben with their antics; watch out its ‘Snocks on a Train!’
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The way some of the nurses and doctors at Mother and Child treated Nina and I and disregarded our work there.
14. Where did most of your money go?
GX supplies.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going travelling with GX in March and then about coming home again and seeing all my friends and family.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
The Fray – Dead Wrong. I listened to this quite a lot during GX but also;
Lady Gaga – Poker Face. A very popular song with Kazakhs.
Inna - Hot. Swear this played on the radio during every bus ride I took in Kazakhstan.
Zamikaya Krug – The song we sang in Russian (very badly) at our farewell in Shymkent.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Again I’m in more or less the same place this year as I was last.
17i. Thinner or fatter?
I don’t really know. Think I’m much the same.
17ii. Richer or poorer?
Poorer. Didn’t earn anything during GX and now I’m only working part time.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sewing, exploring and being sociable.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying, shopping and wasting time on the internet (lol, what am I doing right now?)
20. How are you spending Christmas?
Already spent it with my Step Dad’s son and his friends and family, very enjoyable. They are blessed with better cooking skills than most of my family and there was lots of red wine too. All good!
21. How many one night stands have you had?
None. I have been exceptionally pure this year.
22. What was your favourite TV program(s)?
Gossip girl, America’s Next Top Model and True Blood.
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope I don’t really hate anyone.
24. What was the best book you read?
‘In Search of Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared’ by Christopher Robbins was very good as was ‘Shadow of the Silk Road’ by Colin Thubron. I also loved ‘The Time Travellers Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger and ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ by Arthur Golden. I also got into reading some trashy supernatural romance series while I was in Harlow that I can’t remember the name of and who could forget ‘Wild Strawberries’? Yer, we found we had a lot of reading time over GX and indulged in a lot of book swapping.
25. What did you want and get?
A bunch of cool people to share six months of GX with and a life changing experience.
26. What did you want and not get?
A job with Teach First.
27. What was your favourite film of this year?
Didn’t watch too many. I saw Harry, or Garry Potter if we are speaking Russian, at the cinema in Kazakhstan and then got the DVD for Christmas. Enjoyed that one a lot more once I could understand the dialogue. I liked ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ and ‘The Boat That Rocked’ too. Okay been looking at The Times Online 100 Best Movies of 2009, Slumdog Millionaire, was that really 2009? That was film was awesome!
28. What did you do on your birthday?
The GX team were in London for our Mid Phase Review. It was also Rory’s birthday. We got presents, cards and cakes before heading out for a picnic lunch in Holland Park followed by a trip to the Science and Natural History Museums.
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Layering and practicality. It seems like all this year has been taken up by GX although it was only 6 months and these had to be my main concerns when it came to fitting 6 months worth of outfits for two very different climates into one suitcase.
30. What kept you sane?
Talking to my mum once a week during GX and now my visits down to Essex.
31. What political issue stirred you the most?
Climate change and the UK care system.
32. Who was the best new person you met?
Again can’t choose just one person this year; all my GX team mates.
33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
I’ve learnt to take knock backs and get up again, to work with people very different to me and the value of not giving up on people.
34. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
This is such a hard one. I’m going for a line from Dead Wrong by The Fray that I mentioned I listened to a lot during GX.
‘If only I knew I was dead wrong all along
You said it for my sake
that I would not lose my way
When I was dead wrong all along’
