Before I forget about this (and I almost did, for hoping to do this at the very end)...
...this, for the sixth year in a row. Alyssa hasn't kept up with this, she admitted.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Change a flat tire.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Still not keeping resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ale has given birth. Ranice has given birth. And I think three more friends have gotten pregnant.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother did.
5. What countries did you visit?
After five years of year-end holidays, we aren't going anywhere this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Respect. Whether I lack it is subjective, but at the risk of sounding smug, I feel completely underrated.
7. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 18 (also known as the day I met Haley Reinhart, also known as the day foreigners screwed things up for me). And...
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Buying a laptop. It took ten years.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I did not nail the Inquirer job.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got sick, of course. Not that sick, but still sick.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I did mention my laptop, right? Apart from that, my bookshelf got a much-needed boost.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I'm sure there are people I should give kudos to, but I can't remember who exactly. Not good at being schmaltzy for being schmaltzy's sake.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
I'll gladly defer to Dee on this one.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Apart from the laptop, you mean? Don't get me wrong. I'm not obsessing over my laptop. It doesn't have a name, even.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
There was a split-second when I planned on going to Singapore, alone, just to attend the Laneway Festival. This was when I still haven't bought my laptop. (I know, I know.) Jeany wanted me to go, and Claud was kinda encouraging me to go (since she told me about it) but I didn't because it just wasn't possible, saving enough money for four months.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Because picking an Adele song would make this completely predictable, I'll go for something slightly less so: Haley Reinhart's version of Bennie and the Jets.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
I. happier or sadder?
This is hard. Sadder?
II. thinner or fatter?
I started really walking, but I don't think I got really thinner.
III. richer or poorer?
Richer? How else can I afford this laptop?
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Be assertive. Okay, maybe not too much, because it cost me a few things. Ugh, inconsistencies.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being complacent. Not that I had any other choice.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
How about you ask me about how I already spent Christmas?
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Unfortunately, yes.
22. How many one-night stands?
None. Again...
23. What was your favourite TV program?
I forced myself to watch two seasons of Community in two weeks or so... and am not regretting it. Apart from that, I don't know. I have a lot of new shows lined up that I still haven't watched. Hazel knows I still have to start on Game of Thrones, for one.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
"Hate is such a strong word." Somebody told me that once. Let's just say that there's this one person whose actions were so... shitty that I had no choice but to forget she existed. Obviously I'm not doing well because I'm still talking about her.
25. What was the best book you read?
Last year I answered Andrew Collins. This year I'm answering Andrew Collins. Bought his other two memoirs, already read the first one, and felt a little terrible after realizing my childhood was wasted on making newspapers and chasing girls... oh, wait.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I remember recommending Grouplove to Jeany, but it was a half-hearted one, or at least felt like it. I like them, though. Oh Land's a good one, too. Currently in the process of falling in love with the Sundays (and specifically, Harriet Wheeler's aching vocal).
27. What did you want and get?
Do you want me to talk about this laptop again?
28. What did you want and not get?
An actual next chapter. I'm stuck in the transition.
29. What did you not ask for but get?
An iPod touch. And the chance to meet Haley freaking Reinhart.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
To be honest, I haven't seen a lot of films this year. So no, I don't think I can answer this.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned twenty-two with a free pumpkin cheesecake from a guy named Michael.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Same as last year: knowing that what you're doing will get you somewhere. And yet with each passing day I feel more people are taking me for granted. Maybe they're the people going, "Niko's on his self-pity bouts again." They don't get it.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Same as before, really. I don't really think about these things.
34. What kept you sane?
Driving. For some odd reason.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Naya Rivera. And Playboy Playmate of the Year Claire Sinclair.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Noynoy Aquino, still. Especially when he started aiming his guns at PGMA. Everything just went haywire, even if I totally get that he's supposed to do that.
37. Who did you miss?
I spent more time realizing that those people don't miss me back.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Okay, so who exactly did I meet this year? Perhaps this year was more of me re-meeting people I've already met, but answering in that vein is cheating, so no, no answer.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
You will not go anywhere without kissing ass. Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of person who kisses ass.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
From Lissie's When I'm Alone: When I'm alone with you, you make me feel, you make me feel...
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Change a flat tire.
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Still not keeping resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ale has given birth. Ranice has given birth. And I think three more friends have gotten pregnant.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My grandmother did.
5. What countries did you visit?
After five years of year-end holidays, we aren't going anywhere this year.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Respect. Whether I lack it is subjective, but at the risk of sounding smug, I feel completely underrated.
7. What date(s) from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 18 (also known as the day I met Haley Reinhart, also known as the day foreigners screwed things up for me). And...
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Buying a laptop. It took ten years.
9. What was your biggest failure?
I did not nail the Inquirer job.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got sick, of course. Not that sick, but still sick.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I did mention my laptop, right? Apart from that, my bookshelf got a much-needed boost.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I'm sure there are people I should give kudos to, but I can't remember who exactly. Not good at being schmaltzy for being schmaltzy's sake.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
I'll gladly defer to Dee on this one.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Apart from the laptop, you mean? Don't get me wrong. I'm not obsessing over my laptop. It doesn't have a name, even.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
There was a split-second when I planned on going to Singapore, alone, just to attend the Laneway Festival. This was when I still haven't bought my laptop. (I know, I know.) Jeany wanted me to go, and Claud was kinda encouraging me to go (since she told me about it) but I didn't because it just wasn't possible, saving enough money for four months.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Because picking an Adele song would make this completely predictable, I'll go for something slightly less so: Haley Reinhart's version of Bennie and the Jets.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
I. happier or sadder?
This is hard. Sadder?
II. thinner or fatter?
I started really walking, but I don't think I got really thinner.
III. richer or poorer?
Richer? How else can I afford this laptop?
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Be assertive. Okay, maybe not too much, because it cost me a few things. Ugh, inconsistencies.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being complacent. Not that I had any other choice.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
How about you ask me about how I already spent Christmas?
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Unfortunately, yes.
22. How many one-night stands?
None. Again...
23. What was your favourite TV program?
I forced myself to watch two seasons of Community in two weeks or so... and am not regretting it. Apart from that, I don't know. I have a lot of new shows lined up that I still haven't watched. Hazel knows I still have to start on Game of Thrones, for one.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
"Hate is such a strong word." Somebody told me that once. Let's just say that there's this one person whose actions were so... shitty that I had no choice but to forget she existed. Obviously I'm not doing well because I'm still talking about her.
25. What was the best book you read?
Last year I answered Andrew Collins. This year I'm answering Andrew Collins. Bought his other two memoirs, already read the first one, and felt a little terrible after realizing my childhood was wasted on making newspapers and chasing girls... oh, wait.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I remember recommending Grouplove to Jeany, but it was a half-hearted one, or at least felt like it. I like them, though. Oh Land's a good one, too. Currently in the process of falling in love with the Sundays (and specifically, Harriet Wheeler's aching vocal).
27. What did you want and get?
Do you want me to talk about this laptop again?
28. What did you want and not get?
An actual next chapter. I'm stuck in the transition.
29. What did you not ask for but get?
An iPod touch. And the chance to meet Haley freaking Reinhart.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
To be honest, I haven't seen a lot of films this year. So no, I don't think I can answer this.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned twenty-two with a free pumpkin cheesecake from a guy named Michael.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Same as last year: knowing that what you're doing will get you somewhere. And yet with each passing day I feel more people are taking me for granted. Maybe they're the people going, "Niko's on his self-pity bouts again." They don't get it.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Same as before, really. I don't really think about these things.
34. What kept you sane?
Driving. For some odd reason.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Naya Rivera. And Playboy Playmate of the Year Claire Sinclair.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Noynoy Aquino, still. Especially when he started aiming his guns at PGMA. Everything just went haywire, even if I totally get that he's supposed to do that.
37. Who did you miss?
I spent more time realizing that those people don't miss me back.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Okay, so who exactly did I meet this year? Perhaps this year was more of me re-meeting people I've already met, but answering in that vein is cheating, so no, no answer.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
You will not go anywhere without kissing ass. Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of person who kisses ass.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
From Lissie's When I'm Alone: When I'm alone with you, you make me feel, you make me feel...