fuck first world problems.
courtesy of Suzie J. Parson, whose Xmas video was QUITE enjoyable.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Joined Peace Corps.
Learned to speak Spanish.
Jumped off waterfalls.
Danced bachata and merengue with relative ease.
Played MY own songs on bass in front of people.
Went to Haiti.
Got a cat!
Laid in bed with Morgan Zamora.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn´t make any, don´t know if I ever make any.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Does Michael Jackson count?
5. What countries did you visit?
DR, USA, y Haiti
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
The ability to let go even more of the things that weigh me down i.e. stop being so sensitive and overthinking things.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 13th - the day I got laid off,
January 22nd - the day I got invited to join the Peace Corps,
March 5th - landing in the DR
Thanksgiving 2009 - Playing my songs in front of people and at the end having people actually getting up and dancing to one of them. Also meeting Lucy Kurtz.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Being fluent in Spanish and realizing that the fear of things are by far and away much worse than their reality. Also, just becoming healthier in general.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Not getting the 6 on the language evaluation test, had to settle for a 5.5 after 3 months in country (it is out of 10 and I came into the country with a 2.5)
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Broke both my wrists playing basketball. Yeesh.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Water cooler? Mini-fridge? These things save my life on a daily basis.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Andrew and Chandra Hicks. Galen Duckles.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
People continuously disgust me.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent and food and travel.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Amurica for the first time after 9 months.
16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
No sé, haven´t really been abreast of what is coming out these days. So I´ll just say P.O.S. I started to listen to him much closer.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier definitely, yet still weighted down by people and their lack of passion.
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner
c) richer or poorer? living off of $314.29 a month, yet still pretty rich by comparison.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Read more.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Lusting.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Irvine, CA with family. Awesome.
21. How will you be spending did you spend New Years?
Eating paninis and watching my cousin´s gf beat the shit out of Buzz Lightyear at Clarissa´s house in SF.
22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Thought I did, but again the Charlotte syndrome creeps up.
23. How many one-night stands?
0
24. What was your favorite TV program?
BATTLESTAR FUCKING GALACTICA!
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I could say one or two names, but I know it´s not hate as much as it is just feeling discarded by them after feeling so fucking close to them.
26. What was the best book you read?
Tie between the Corrections, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and High Fidelity.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Buck 65 I hadn´t really listened to, P.O.S., probably more, but not really paying attention.
28. What did you want and get?
A respectable job that makes me happy and proud to do.
29. What did you want and not get?
Getting over wanting things.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
District 9 was cool. Also, watched a vampire flick called ¨Let the Right One In¨ Didn´t really watch too many films.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Loafed around the house, went to a dance jawn with my brother after hanging out with my cousin, turned out to be a bust bc of the type of people that were there, not bc of the music, and went home. 27.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Believing that love is real and their is truth.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
A frame shirt, shorts, sandals, sunscreen. And at times, polo shirt.
34. What kept you sane?
Music and exercise and beauty and friendship and bizcocho and con con and pizza and soda and my computer and my bass and Cielo! (when she wasn´t biting or scratching at me)
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None of them, or the ladies from G.I. Joe.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
California not living up to it's expectation with respect to Prop 8. Iranian elections.
37. Who did you miss?
Liana Marr all for nothing. Baltimore homies for sure.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Peace Corps homies (not all mind you, just a handful) and Lucy Kurtz. Also, the Doñas who took care of me while I lived with them and a few other dominicans.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
The fear of doing something is far worse than actually doing it. Everyone is exactly the same on a long enough timeline.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
The older I get, the more life seems to make sense, and the less I care.