Goodbye 2007
1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Live by myself - "Holla M.B!"
Visit/Live/Work in the Middle East - "Yalla M.E"
Went to a movie by myself.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
The old chestnut with the swearing less and behaving like the well educated lady that I supposedly am, stood for about 3 weeks when I moved to Dubai. I also wanted to see Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk and Prince, so I got 1 out of 3. I said I wanted to go to either Japan or do East coast America... and I got 1 of those. I'd say they're more like goals than resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Justin and his wife Nicole had a baby boy - Jesiah.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No
5. What countries did you visit?
Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima & Kyoto) for 2 1/2 weeks with Eug.
Hong Kong (on a 1hr stopover)
Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE
6. Did you have any crushes?
There was a guy who temporarily worked upstairs with TLC, but he disappeared when the company he worked for pulled out of the sale... that was an office-hour infatuation. I'm sure there were some of the guys that I'd regularly see around at club nights and things, which I cant really recall right now. Coming to Dubai has really shot my memory.
7. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
No atrociously large tax bill when end of (Australian) financial year rolls around.
Long hair
8. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
* Finishing 2006 and starting 2007 doing a roadtrip from Sydney to Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road with Tash and Morges.
* Walking in the Shukkien Gardens in Osaka and for a split second thinking that I may have
chosen the right career path.
* Surviving the Great Central Coast Disaster
* Oct 2: Goodbye Sydney, Hello Dubai
9. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making a small dint on my mortgage.
Baking - Brownies, Banana bread and YoYo biscuits
Gathering the courage to ship out to the unknown.. again.
10. What is your biggest failing for 2007?
Not managing money properly
Not listening to my mum
11. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Struck down with the flu that went around Sydney over winter.
Sore arms from Wii Tennis
12. What was the best thing you bought?
Laptop
Horlicks
13. Whos behaviour merited celebration?
My adults for doing parental things
Tim & Caz / Nath & Skooge
RoShamBo guys for being the forefront of truly great music in Sydney
Tash seeminly pulling off a suprise dinner for me before I left
Nicass for not saying no to grabbing a kebab or KFC.
14. Whose behaviour made you appauled and disgusted?
Nick - for hocking loogies at work, being sick for the whole of winter and generally
being a jerk for most of the time
Isabella - I wouldnt let her stroke my hair so she dobbed me in to Nicass
Sydney promoters who decided to put Justin Timberlake and Daft Punk on at the
end of the year when I wouldnt be in Sydney
15. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage repayments
Food
Petrol
Holiday to Japan
16. What did you get really, really excited about?
Seeing Diplo and SpankROck
Tash's birthday 10 course degustation dinner at Quay
Justin Timberlake in Abu Dhabi
17. What song will always remind you of 2007?
Put your Hands up for Site image.. I love RosssssSherperrrd
doodododododooo.. dododo.. do do
(also see Sountrack of My Life post)
18. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Sadder
b) thinner of fatter?
Thinner by a touch
c) richer or poorer?
Poorer
19. What do you wish you'd done more of?
See people and hang out doing thangs
Dance like noones business
20. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Extra unpaid, unappreciated hours at the office.
Spening time in the car during peak hour traffic
21. How will you be spending New Years Eve?
With a couple of hundred other expats beach side at Barasti Bar (Le Meridien Mina Seyahi) watching the fireworks over Burj Al Arab.
22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No
23. How many one night stands?
None
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Heroes, So You Think You Can Dance, What About Brian, The Amazing Race and Greys Anatomy
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didnt hate this time last year?
I seem to have managed to cull these people out of the circle so I dont really have to waste time hating.
26. What was the best book you read?
I actually BOUGHT books this year! Perfume was good (and I saw the movie on the way back from Japan). The Long Way Round with Ewan McGregor was excellent.. I'd like to watch the doco some time. I've bought Bill Bryson's The Life and Time of the Thunderbolt Kid which I'm finding kinda boring but am going to finish before the year is out! (not going to happen at time of print with 96 pages to go!)
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sticking with the funk/soul thing.. getting back to hiphop, 90s and R&B and being introduced to the goodness of more club, bmore and baile jamz.
28. What did you want and get?
Laptop
Move overseas
A BAPE hoodie
More sleep and time to do nothing
Learn more about the person I've become and the person I want to be
29. What did you want and not get?
To live back in the UK
To save money
Old school romance
A Mini Cooper S
Win Lotto
Lomo LC-A
To see Daft Punk
30. What was your favourite film of the year?
Technically not a 2007 release, I saw 'The Pursuit of Happyness' on a plane and thought it was pretty great. And 'The Notebook', which I'd never seen before we went away for the Great Central Coast Natural Disaster weekend. Have to say that the movies I saw were pretty mediocre.. I guess because they were parts of three-quels? - Oceans, Pirates, Shrek..) Tranformers was decent (seeing as I dont really watch action films). Elizabeth: The Golden Age was alright, except they apparently censored all the sex scenes here. Movies I wanted to see and didnt get around to:
Ratatouille
Simpsons the Movie
Stomp The Yard
Superbad
Bring it On: It it to Win it
31. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I was at work after having 5 days off because of Eid. I was accompanied by Kate, Ben and Erik to Maria Bonita's Taco Shop for dinner.
I am 27.
32. What one thing would have made your year measurably more satisfying?
Having a bankload of cash wouldnt have gone astray!
33. How would you percieve your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I like to call it Ghetto Prep.
34. What kept you sane?
"He'll get through it.. he'll gethrough it.. he'lgethroughit.. helgethruit.."
35. What celebrity/public figure did you fancy most?
Justin Timberlake
Diplo
Dave Annable
Ewan McGregor
Chris 'Rockswell' Devlin
Milo Ventimiglia
Dan Carter / Sean Lamont
Fem-crush on Amanda Bynes and Hayden Panettiere
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
My first Federal Election in November.
Wheres the embassy? How do I get there? When can I go? Who do I vote for?
37. Who do you miss?
Everyone. Theres only so much that type and pictures on a computer screen can do.
Big ups to everyone who's kept in touch.. means a lot.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
I met heaps of great people this year.. Kitiya (at Diplo/SpankRock!), K.Jax for making my move to Dubai a little bit easier.. and being reunited with Ben after 5 years. I'm like the wooza he never wanted. Hah!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007?
Either you control your attitude or it controls you.
Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
40. Quote a song lyrics that sums up your year.
There are so many changes in my life (epic piano playing)
I don't know if it's wrong or if it's right
...In life we're always looking
Leave the past behind
We try to see the warnings and read all the signs
Sometimes you gotta take chances
Nothing stays the same
The world will keep on turning
Again and again, again and again.