new year's meme 2016
...aaaannnd as New Year's approaches, that means that it's time for the new year's meme. again.
2016 has gone by in a blur... and by that, i guess i mean that it's gone by quickly, but i also mean that i literally don't even remember much of it and that isn't necessarily tied to it having gone by quickly. these last few months of 2016 have been brutally hard in terms of the bullshit that's happened in America and the toll that it's taken on my mental health. it's hard to remember past that, past all the political bullshit, and actually remember wtf even happened the rest of the year. sigh.
the political shit along with some other major news events that have happened aside, 2016 hasn't actually been a bad year, i suppose... i've managed to actually scrap up a bit of money this year, something i've failed at continuously since literally forever. i haven't lived hand-to-mouth at all this year, and that's felt really nice. i started focusing on self-care more and just generally tried to pay more attention to my own mental health.
2017 is going to be a really challenging year, i think, especially towards the end. hopefully 2016 has helped give me a solid enough base from which to start.
previous new year's memes:
2015 :: 2014 :: 2013 :: 2012 :: 2011 :: 2010 :: 2009 :: 2008 :: 2007
1. What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before?
- did 輪行 (within the prefecture)
- went to Shizuoka
- "came out" online and to mom about suffering from depression and anxiety
- went to clubs / bars in Shinjuku Ni Chome
- rode 50km in one go
- was outted to dad
- made my most expensive purchase yet ( laptop)
- talked about depression & anxiety publicly
- went to YouTube events / workshops
- bought my first fountain pens
- have more than a 1k in savings lol...
- came out to someone in Esperanto
2. Did you keep your New Years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
*resolutions for 2016:
- save at least 15,000 yen/month. (preferably more) → i think i managed to save that much each month...? SUCCESS?
- cycle more than last year (2015). (not that difficult a goal considering.) → FAILED, i think. i don't think i've actually cycled more, although i may have cycled more at certain times of the year.
- build an exit plan for the future. → IONO. i kind of have a solid-ish plan in place to start working towards next year, but i haven't actually been able to put any wheels in motion yet.
- be even stricter budgeting. → SUCCESS, i think? somehow or another i've managed to used a money management app all year and have some money saved. yay.
- study Japanese regularly. → FAILED! miserably. haven't studied at all really.
*resolutions for 2017:
- cycle more. (preferably 2x/mo)
- start (low dose) T. (if that's ultimately what i decide to do.)
- have ~500,000yen saved by November 2017.
- change jobs + move.
- legally change my name.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- no? well, Annie (co-worker)'s sister had a baby, i guess. dont know that we're actually "close" or anything.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
- some extended family members that i wasn't actually close to.
5. What countries did you visit?
- none.
6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?
- more money.
- better job.
- better time management.
- be even closer to the person that i want to be.
7. What dates from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory?
- June 13th (JST) - the Pulse Shooting
- ????? - Orange Is The New Black season 4 finale (not a date, but still i was fucked up for at least a week)
- November 9th (JST) - Trump was elected president
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- ending the year with the highest balance in my bank account that i've ever had yet.
- paying more attention to my own health.
9. What was your biggest failure?
- procrastinating.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
- just the usual stuff with an extra serving of shitty mental health in Nov - Dec.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- my new laptop.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
- .... *pats self on the back for not being more depressed & anxious than i am*
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
- America. "not all Americans--" yeah, i know, but still.
14. Where did most of your money go?
- student loan + debt repayment, health insurance, new laptop.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- ...having consecutive days off work to breathe and have a life again.
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2016?
- Miike Snow - Genghis Khan (song)
- Sia - Cheap Thrills (song)
- Sia - This Is Acting (album)
- LP - Muddy Waters (song)
- Ost & Kjex - Mosambique Travelplan (FM Belfast Mix) (song)
- Steed Lord - New Religion (song)
- Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Dance The Way I Feel
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (song)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a. happier or sadder?
- not happier.
b. thinner or fatter?
- same, probably.
c. richer or poorer?
- less poor.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- saving money.
- cycling.
- not dragging my feet about everything.
- praising myself when i actually do something well.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- spending money.
- not cycling.
- dragging my feet about everything.
- kicking myself when i'm already down.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
- cleaning my apartment. yay, productivity.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
- the internet.
22. Did you fall in love in 2016?
- yep. sketching. fountain pens.
23. How many one night stands in this last year?
- n/a.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
- The Flash
- Gotham
- Steven Universe
- Orange Is The New Black
- Law & Order: SVU
(nothing new at all)
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- nope. hated Trump last year too, apparently.
26. What was the best book(s) you read?
- 永田カビの「さびしすぎてレズ風俗に行きましたレポ」
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Electro Swing music
28. What did you want and get?
- better money management
- better self-awareness and self-care
29. What did you want and not get?
- a cat (or three)
30. What were your favourite films of this year?
- errr... i can't even remember.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- was 31. work.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- America not electing Trump as president.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
*if i had a "concept" it was the same as always:
- grayscale with some brown and yellow.
- coats/jackets/sweaters.
- rings + necklaces + pride bracelets(← new).
- boots.
(same as always. i never change.)
34. What kept you sane?
- music
- the internet.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- as if i care about celebs or public figures.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
- mass shootings in America (notably the Pulse shooting)
- the aftermath of the Pulse shooting in the LGBTQIA community and cis white ppl's bullshit
- the presidental campaign / election
37. Who did you miss?
- my cats.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
- *shrugs* i met lots of new people this year. LOTS. but who was the best...? iono... i don't rate the new people i meet. (exact same as last year)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016.
- you can save money if you try hard enough.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
♪ "Uh-oh, running out of breath, but I
Oh, I, I got stamina
Uh-oh, running now, I close my eyes
Well, oh, I got stamina
And uh-oh, I see another mountain to climb
But I, I, I got stamina
Uh-oh, I need another lover, be mine
Cause I, I, I got stamina
Don't give up, I won't give up
Don't give up, no no no
Don't give up, I won't give up
Don't give up, no no no
I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive
I'm free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest
The greatest, the greatest alive
The greatest, the greatest alive"
- Sia - Greatest ♫
note: if i'd done this meme a month ago i would have chosen ♫ LP - Muddy Waters because it describes this year the best, but i'm trying to be positive now so...
2016 has gone by in a blur... and by that, i guess i mean that it's gone by quickly, but i also mean that i literally don't even remember much of it and that isn't necessarily tied to it having gone by quickly. these last few months of 2016 have been brutally hard in terms of the bullshit that's happened in America and the toll that it's taken on my mental health. it's hard to remember past that, past all the political bullshit, and actually remember wtf even happened the rest of the year. sigh.
the political shit along with some other major news events that have happened aside, 2016 hasn't actually been a bad year, i suppose... i've managed to actually scrap up a bit of money this year, something i've failed at continuously since literally forever. i haven't lived hand-to-mouth at all this year, and that's felt really nice. i started focusing on self-care more and just generally tried to pay more attention to my own mental health.
2017 is going to be a really challenging year, i think, especially towards the end. hopefully 2016 has helped give me a solid enough base from which to start.
previous new year's memes:
2015 :: 2014 :: 2013 :: 2012 :: 2011 :: 2010 :: 2009 :: 2008 :: 2007
1. What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before?
- did 輪行 (within the prefecture)
- went to Shizuoka
- "came out" online and to mom about suffering from depression and anxiety
- went to clubs / bars in Shinjuku Ni Chome
- rode 50km in one go
- was outted to dad
- made my most expensive purchase yet ( laptop)
- talked about depression & anxiety publicly
- went to YouTube events / workshops
- bought my first fountain pens
- have more than a 1k in savings lol...
- came out to someone in Esperanto
2. Did you keep your New Years resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
*resolutions for 2016:
- save at least 15,000 yen/month. (preferably more) → i think i managed to save that much each month...? SUCCESS?
- cycle more than last year (2015). (not that difficult a goal considering.) → FAILED, i think. i don't think i've actually cycled more, although i may have cycled more at certain times of the year.
- build an exit plan for the future. → IONO. i kind of have a solid-ish plan in place to start working towards next year, but i haven't actually been able to put any wheels in motion yet.
- be even stricter budgeting. → SUCCESS, i think? somehow or another i've managed to used a money management app all year and have some money saved. yay.
- study Japanese regularly. → FAILED! miserably. haven't studied at all really.
*resolutions for 2017:
- cycle more. (preferably 2x/mo)
- start (low dose) T. (if that's ultimately what i decide to do.)
- have ~500,000yen saved by November 2017.
- change jobs + move.
- legally change my name.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- no? well, Annie (co-worker)'s sister had a baby, i guess. dont know that we're actually "close" or anything.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
- some extended family members that i wasn't actually close to.
5. What countries did you visit?
- none.
6. What would you like to have in 2017 that you lacked in 2016?
- more money.
- better job.
- better time management.
- be even closer to the person that i want to be.
7. What dates from 2016 will remain etched upon your memory?
- June 13th (JST) - the Pulse Shooting
- ????? - Orange Is The New Black season 4 finale (not a date, but still i was fucked up for at least a week)
- November 9th (JST) - Trump was elected president
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- ending the year with the highest balance in my bank account that i've ever had yet.
- paying more attention to my own health.
9. What was your biggest failure?
- procrastinating.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
- just the usual stuff with an extra serving of shitty mental health in Nov - Dec.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
- my new laptop.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
- .... *pats self on the back for not being more depressed & anxious than i am*
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
- America. "not all Americans--" yeah, i know, but still.
14. Where did most of your money go?
- student loan + debt repayment, health insurance, new laptop.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- ...having consecutive days off work to breathe and have a life again.
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2016?
- Miike Snow - Genghis Khan (song)
- Sia - Cheap Thrills (song)
- Sia - This Is Acting (album)
- LP - Muddy Waters (song)
- Ost & Kjex - Mosambique Travelplan (FM Belfast Mix) (song)
- Steed Lord - New Religion (song)
- Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Dance The Way I Feel
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (song)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a. happier or sadder?
- not happier.
b. thinner or fatter?
- same, probably.
c. richer or poorer?
- less poor.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- saving money.
- cycling.
- not dragging my feet about everything.
- praising myself when i actually do something well.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- spending money.
- not cycling.
- dragging my feet about everything.
- kicking myself when i'm already down.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
- cleaning my apartment. yay, productivity.
21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
- the internet.
22. Did you fall in love in 2016?
- yep. sketching. fountain pens.
23. How many one night stands in this last year?
- n/a.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
- The Flash
- Gotham
- Steven Universe
- Orange Is The New Black
- Law & Order: SVU
(nothing new at all)
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- nope. hated Trump last year too, apparently.
26. What was the best book(s) you read?
- 永田カビの「さびしすぎてレズ風俗に行きましたレポ」
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Electro Swing music
28. What did you want and get?
- better money management
- better self-awareness and self-care
29. What did you want and not get?
- a cat (or three)
30. What were your favourite films of this year?
- errr... i can't even remember.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- was 31. work.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- America not electing Trump as president.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2016?
*if i had a "concept" it was the same as always:
- grayscale with some brown and yellow.
- coats/jackets/sweaters.
- rings + necklaces + pride bracelets(← new).
- boots.
(same as always. i never change.)
34. What kept you sane?
- music
- the internet.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- as if i care about celebs or public figures.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
- mass shootings in America (notably the Pulse shooting)
- the aftermath of the Pulse shooting in the LGBTQIA community and cis white ppl's bullshit
- the presidental campaign / election
37. Who did you miss?
- my cats.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
- *shrugs* i met lots of new people this year. LOTS. but who was the best...? iono... i don't rate the new people i meet. (exact same as last year)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2016.
- you can save money if you try hard enough.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Click to view♪ "Uh-oh, running out of breath, but I
Oh, I, I got stamina
Uh-oh, running now, I close my eyes
Well, oh, I got stamina
And uh-oh, I see another mountain to climb
But I, I, I got stamina
Uh-oh, I need another lover, be mine
Cause I, I, I got stamina
Don't give up, I won't give up
Don't give up, no no no
Don't give up, I won't give up
Don't give up, no no no
I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive
I'm free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest
The greatest, the greatest alive
The greatest, the greatest alive"
- Sia - Greatest ♫
note: if i'd done this meme a month ago i would have chosen ♫ LP - Muddy Waters because it describes this year the best, but i'm trying to be positive now so...