shakedown, 2004

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
Get flowers onstage that my mother didn't buy for me. Sit through an entire lecture from my father without arguing. Set myself free from men who keep making me wait. Achieve things beyond all known philosophies.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I slightly remember that I was supposed to be wiser about men. I think I can safely say I kept that resolution. I also planned to be wiser with my finances and I better work on that more next year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, though Therese is due anytime soon.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not close, no. But I do remember going to a lot of wakes this year, more than the usual. Are more people dying or am I getting older?

5. What countries did you visit?
I stayed in the Philippines. Had a lot to do.

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
More zen. More patience. More acceptance. Less urges to rise to the bait. More zen.

7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Like I said the last time I answered this survey, I'm really bad at dates. So, pass.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
The Merry Faces of Spring. And the zen that this realization (that it was a big achievement) brought.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not enrolling for class first sem of the AY 2004-2005 and having to file for leave. That worked out okay, but still, never again.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Early January, I re-twisted my ankle, making me want to hit myself on the head because it was so painful to dance. Other than that, no, I was very healthy despite the scary weight loss. AAAAH!!! Which reminds me, I got very very very sick in March, coming home from Cebu because of food poisoning and I would throw up everything I tried to ingest even days after. If that's not an illness, I don't know what is.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My phone and my laptop.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My mom. For taking certain alarming phone calls with all the dignity and poise that only she can pull off.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Hmmm.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food. I spend too much on food, dammit.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The opportunity to dance again. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?

16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
The Purplechickens' Jailbait because I listened to it a lot this year (as their album came out this year and this was their "new song"; they were trying to make me like the other "new song" but I fell in love with Jailbait instead) and Frou Frou's "Breathe In"

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? much much happier. lots happier. tons happier. extremely.
ii. thinner or fatter? waaaaay thinner. and I didn't think I could get any thinner than I had already but I did.
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer. This is what happens when you quit your job for your art.

18. What do you wish you'd done more?
Relaxed.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying about a certain 42 year old. He didn't need my worry. And freaking out over the time I thought I had to dance, over the kind of dancing I want to do. In other words, the opposite of my answer to #18.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Giving out gifts to the cousins like I do every year in Mamia's house, eating and eating and eating. I may rehearse for the recital, I feel up to it.

21. Did you fall in love in 2004?
Yes.

22. How many one-night stands?
None. I doubt I ever will again actually.

23. What was your favourite TV program?
This is the year I discovered Queer Eye! And the year Buffy ended (well, for me.) And the year I rediscovered Angel. Pretty much a good year.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I do. I don't want to but some things cannot be helped. Mostly I try to ignore that I do, I don't really want to go around hating anybody.

25. What was the best book you read?
Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, Haruki Murukami's Dance Dance Dance and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Quail Quartet. Kahit walang lecture from Brad.

27. What did you want and get?
Dancing and peace of mind.

28. What was your favourite film of this year?
Serious toss up between the Incredibles, White Chicks, Before Sunset and 2046.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I had a party and the guy I liked at the time was still recovering from a flu but he drove in his motorcycle from an hour away in the rain to wish me happy birthday. I was also very happy to see the other people who turned up too, hehe. I turned 30.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money to spend on stuff other than food.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Vixen-next-door in flipflops. It's been like this most my life, I guess. Once, Waya called what I was wearing "Bohemian chic." That was cute.

32. What kept you sane?
My blogs. (Awwwww...) and the blogs of other people.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Angel Corella! Yes, he did super jete in my life this year, yes he did.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Strangely, the US election got me more agitated than the Philippine election did. I guess because GMA won and Kerry didn't.

35. Who did you miss?
Quincy and Anne.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Oh, this guy. I'd say his name but his friends already think I'm in love with him, hmph.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
The universe never gives up on you, if only you just let a glimmer of hope in.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Hello, goodbye... Yes we're taking calls... what was the question?"