2009 in Retrospect
2009
1. What did you do this year that you'd never done before?
- I let someone love me (Goudiaby)... and I was only kind of afraid.
- I graduated from college!
- I got my ears pierced.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- I wanted to “follow my heart. In all contexts. I want to be responsible for myself.” I definitely did this. I’m really proud of myself for it, too. I took control of the things that I could control, and let go of the things I couldn’t. I think I’d like to keep the same one for this year, too. I resolve to follow my heart.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- Yakham had a baby girl: Ndeye Sokhna Stephanie Ndiaye.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
- No.
5. What countries did you visit?
- Senegal, Korea, & Thailand.
6. What would you like to have in the next year that you lacked this year?
- I had them for awhile, but I want to have strong relationships with children like I did with McVay. Korea doesn’t really offer that for me...
7. What date from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- January 31st. That’s the last night that I was in Senegal.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- I got to the point where I could feel bad but not guilty, especially with SeeLee that one day she ran away crying...
- Realizing that Senegal really is a place that I want to be.
9. What was your biggest failure?
- Korea.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
- Homesickness for Senegal.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- A ticket to Thailand!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
- "Mine. I think I've really made a lot of progress, and I usually lose sight of that." (Same as last year.)
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
- I would say Jo, my coworker at SLP, but that would mean that I care enough to be upset. Otherwise I don’t know.
14. Where did most of your money go?
- "Gas and travel... and massages.. :D" And coffee. And earrings.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- Senegal. Work.
16. What song will always remind you of this year?
- 보고싶다 from 김범수 or else “Fall For You” by Second Hand Serenade or “Right Here Waiting” for the kids.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
- Much more aware of what I want and what I need to be successful. I know I need to be fulfilled by the work that I’m doing or else nothing else really matters.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- I wish I would’ve made more of a commitment to music. That kinda slipped away.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- I usually write something about “ignoring” or “running”, but I think a lot of that this year was very context based. I think I would’ve done less of that had I not been in Korea in a situation I didn’t like. So, I guess that probably still stands, but I also wish I would’ve done less coffee-drinking. Sigh.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
- In Thailand with Greg and Rayna. I think we just kinda wandered around random temples in Bangkok. Oh, and we saw a great African drumming group. :D
21. What are you proud of this year?
- I’m proud of my Honors project and all the work I did. I’m also proud of the inner strength that’s growing in me.
22. Did you fall in love this year ?
- It wasn’t love, but it was good whatever it was. From that one PostSecret, “The best decision I ever made was letting you love me.”
23. How many one-night stands?
- Well, Koreans are too short...
24. Your favorite TV program?
- Grey’s Anatomy
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- I don’t hate anyone.
26. What was the best book you read?
- Anything for my Honors project. Other than that, I got so burnt out on reading that I couldn’t really read much. Oh... Sidney Sheldon’s “Master of the Game”. That might be about it, embarrassingly enough...
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- K-Pop. Hahahah.
28. What did you want and get?
- A stronger connection to Senegal.
- An adventure.
- A true sense of things that I want in life.
29. What expressions do you use too much?
- epic, fail, bamf
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
- Ummm, let’s see. I saw The Time-Travelers Wife and was bawling at the end... And My Sister’s Keeper... I also really enjoyed 500 Days of Summer. Beautifully realistic story.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- I turned 22, and I honestly don’t remember a thing about the day itself. Might’ve talked to Goudiaby? Didn’t do anything epic.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- Not being in Korea. Or else having relationships there instead of the ones that I’ve had thus far.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept this year?
- Very casual. Lots of black. Skirts before coming to Korea.
34. What kept you sane?
- Maggie. Tricia. Kelly. Greg. Goudiaby. Yakham. My host family. McVay.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
-Shane West. Every year. Haha. I’m pathetic.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
- Maybe just things that Obama’s doing. I saw his inauguration in Senegal. :D I don’t know. I’m kinda... detached politically.
37. Who did you miss?
- Kelly. Sarah. Mikaela. My Karen children. Everyone in Senegal.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
- Greg. Sarah. Eddie. Soojin. Brittany. I felt like I connected a lot more with my sister, too.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year.
- I learned that I need my work to be fulfilling or else I’m just lost. I learned that I can do anything I want to do. I learned that people do love me. I learned that there are things that are inherently interesting about me that make people want to know me and spend time with me. And while these may not be new things, they were very much solidified this year.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
- “Wherever you go, whatever you do I will be right here waiting for you.” My Karen children! You can tell I have Thailand on my mind. Sigh.
1. What did you do this year that you'd never done before?
- I let someone love me (Goudiaby)... and I was only kind of afraid.
- I graduated from college!
- I got my ears pierced.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- I wanted to “follow my heart. In all contexts. I want to be responsible for myself.” I definitely did this. I’m really proud of myself for it, too. I took control of the things that I could control, and let go of the things I couldn’t. I think I’d like to keep the same one for this year, too. I resolve to follow my heart.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- Yakham had a baby girl: Ndeye Sokhna Stephanie Ndiaye.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
- No.
5. What countries did you visit?
- Senegal, Korea, & Thailand.
6. What would you like to have in the next year that you lacked this year?
- I had them for awhile, but I want to have strong relationships with children like I did with McVay. Korea doesn’t really offer that for me...
7. What date from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- January 31st. That’s the last night that I was in Senegal.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- I got to the point where I could feel bad but not guilty, especially with SeeLee that one day she ran away crying...
- Realizing that Senegal really is a place that I want to be.
9. What was your biggest failure?
- Korea.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
- Homesickness for Senegal.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- A ticket to Thailand!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
- "Mine. I think I've really made a lot of progress, and I usually lose sight of that." (Same as last year.)
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
- I would say Jo, my coworker at SLP, but that would mean that I care enough to be upset. Otherwise I don’t know.
14. Where did most of your money go?
- "Gas and travel... and massages.. :D" And coffee. And earrings.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- Senegal. Work.
16. What song will always remind you of this year?
- 보고싶다 from 김범수 or else “Fall For You” by Second Hand Serenade or “Right Here Waiting” for the kids.
17. Compared to this time last year, you are:
- Much more aware of what I want and what I need to be successful. I know I need to be fulfilled by the work that I’m doing or else nothing else really matters.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- I wish I would’ve made more of a commitment to music. That kinda slipped away.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- I usually write something about “ignoring” or “running”, but I think a lot of that this year was very context based. I think I would’ve done less of that had I not been in Korea in a situation I didn’t like. So, I guess that probably still stands, but I also wish I would’ve done less coffee-drinking. Sigh.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
- In Thailand with Greg and Rayna. I think we just kinda wandered around random temples in Bangkok. Oh, and we saw a great African drumming group. :D
21. What are you proud of this year?
- I’m proud of my Honors project and all the work I did. I’m also proud of the inner strength that’s growing in me.
22. Did you fall in love this year ?
- It wasn’t love, but it was good whatever it was. From that one PostSecret, “The best decision I ever made was letting you love me.”
23. How many one-night stands?
- Well, Koreans are too short...
24. Your favorite TV program?
- Grey’s Anatomy
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- I don’t hate anyone.
26. What was the best book you read?
- Anything for my Honors project. Other than that, I got so burnt out on reading that I couldn’t really read much. Oh... Sidney Sheldon’s “Master of the Game”. That might be about it, embarrassingly enough...
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- K-Pop. Hahahah.
28. What did you want and get?
- A stronger connection to Senegal.
- An adventure.
- A true sense of things that I want in life.
29. What expressions do you use too much?
- epic, fail, bamf
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
- Ummm, let’s see. I saw The Time-Travelers Wife and was bawling at the end... And My Sister’s Keeper... I also really enjoyed 500 Days of Summer. Beautifully realistic story.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- I turned 22, and I honestly don’t remember a thing about the day itself. Might’ve talked to Goudiaby? Didn’t do anything epic.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- Not being in Korea. Or else having relationships there instead of the ones that I’ve had thus far.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept this year?
- Very casual. Lots of black. Skirts before coming to Korea.
34. What kept you sane?
- Maggie. Tricia. Kelly. Greg. Goudiaby. Yakham. My host family. McVay.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
-Shane West. Every year. Haha. I’m pathetic.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
- Maybe just things that Obama’s doing. I saw his inauguration in Senegal. :D I don’t know. I’m kinda... detached politically.
37. Who did you miss?
- Kelly. Sarah. Mikaela. My Karen children. Everyone in Senegal.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
- Greg. Sarah. Eddie. Soojin. Brittany. I felt like I connected a lot more with my sister, too.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year.
- I learned that I need my work to be fulfilling or else I’m just lost. I learned that I can do anything I want to do. I learned that people do love me. I learned that there are things that are inherently interesting about me that make people want to know me and spend time with me. And while these may not be new things, they were very much solidified this year.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
- “Wherever you go, whatever you do I will be right here waiting for you.” My Karen children! You can tell I have Thailand on my mind. Sigh.