jaala

Resolutions:

Plan leisure and social time, use it, and then do solid work during the designated work times. I have a tendency to tell myself, "No, I don't have time for fun now because I need to work," and then end up frittering the time away anyhow in one of the more useless forms of 'fun' because I'm so much in need of leisure that I can't concentrate.

Be more physically affectionate with people. Not when they don't want it, of course, but I'm so hesitant that I almost never hug anybody. This is part of an ongoing effort to deal with my shyness.

Exercise more, of course. Not with the intent to lose weight but because it's generally healthy and helps with depression and muscle aches. This will mostly consist of taking more walks and finally getting around to attending Swing Club.

Seek help early when I feel myself beginning to get bogged down in school.

* * *

The meme:

In 2004 did you:
1. Go to a party? Yeah, a cast party.
2. Try something new? Yes. I performed in a full-length opera for the first time and I performed classical vocal solos for the first time this year. I went on my first real date.
3. Have someone change your life? Developing real friends at Queen's changed my life, I suppose, but no one person leaps out as an especially influential figure. That one professor definitely got me even more enthused about opera. I've also continued to receive support from older friends.
4. Kiss someone? No, not even platonically. Amazing, isn't it?
5. Tell your family and friends you love them? Expressions of affection in my family have grown rare and subtle, and it has rubbed off on all my interactions. I do intend to work on changing this--see above.
6. Buy something extravagant? I spent far too much money on a bunch of Kingston Opera Guild tickets.
7. Do something nice for you? Yes.
8. Do something terribly wrong? I've done minor things that were morally wrong but I can't think of anything massive.
9. Move? Yes. I moved out of the West Campus residence and into the house I am currently sharing with three housemates. (I have to go house hunting again later this January.)
10. Go to a concert? Oh yes, many.

Best of the Year:
1. Party: N/A. I can't compare them when I attended only one real party. I had some really nice social gatherings with other music geeks though.
2. Show: Through the Eyes starring Richard McMillan
3. CD: quite possibly Ron Sexsmith's Retriever
4. Movie: Luck or Triplets of Belleville
5. Song: Oh, come on... I can't pick this.
6. Experience: As usual, many of my better experiences related to musical theatre productions. No one occasion stands out. The experience of being in two choirs after the vocal drought of last school year is great too. The high points of my experience at Fort Henry were also pretty amazing, e.g. giving a really great tour to a grateful group of school children, congratulations on our show from a U.S. Marine Corps officer.
7. Concert: That's a tough one. Angela Hewitt was pretty incredible.
8. Book: What, read for pleasure? I don't think I managed to get all the way through one. (Lest you think I became illerate, I did read a lot of articles and essays.)
9. Month: Late January to early February. These were the months that included the opera performance and volunteering at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, and they were before I got totally bogged down in school.
10. Day: I don't remember.

Worst of the Year:
1. Party: N/A. See above.
2. Show: Reality TV scares me more every day.
3. CD: See my answer to #5.
4. Movie: Moving Malcolm
5. Song: I avoid top 40 radio like the plague but there must have been something on there that consistently pissed me off when I was forced to hear it in a public place.
6. Experience: Loneliness and any time I was rendered completely immobile by depression and pain.
7. Concert: It's pretty unpleasant to listen to one of my university's choirs because the director makes no effort to improve blend or diction or intonation, but that wasn't a full concert.
8. Book: See above.
9. Month: April or November
10. Day: I don't remember.

Hopes for 2005:
1. Predict something that you think will happen in 2005: I'll see most of my school friends graduate and be envious.
2. What do you hope changes about your country? I hope more money is restored to social programs. It would be nice if people thought out their political views a bit more too.
3. What do you hope for yourself? I hope I'm able to cope with less of a struggle. See my resolutions above. A relationship of some sort would be nice too.
4. What do you hope for your family? That we're all healthy, happy, and able to get along with each other moderately well.
5. What do you hope for your best friends? I hope that they find themselves in a more content and with a fulfilling life situation as soon as possible (those that are not there now).
6. What do you hope for the rest of your friends? I hope they're happy, of course, and less stressed out.
7. Do you think any amazing medical advances will be made? How on earth would I know. One hopes that, say, a cure for AIDS or malaria is found, but who am I to know whether it will happen?
8. What is your hope for 2005? Haven't I already said that?

During 2004:
Where were you when it began? At home, watching television, mostly CBC stuff.
Did you stay up? Of course.
What was your new year wish? If I made one, I don't remember it.
How many boyfriends? There was one would-be boyfriend that didn't quite get to that point because I discovered I didn't want a relationship with him. There's another person who's sort of a boyfriend but not really... it's hard to explain without getting into detail. It's weird that I've been asked out by an unprecedented number of people this year, but it was quite easy to surpass my previous record.
broke up: See above, though I don't know if I could call it a break-up when we never really got started on a relationship.
Care to mention names? No.
new friends: Yes, several.
name them: Some people in my classes, some people in various clubs, a person at Fort Henry, and friends of friends.
missed anyone: Indeed. Some from Mt A, some from other places and/or times.
best place you went to: I didn't have the chance to travel.
worst place you went to: See above.
happiest moment: If I can't remember my best day, how would I know my best moment?
how was your birthday: I think we went into the theatre to do some preparation for the opera the next week.
best present: Like many other people, I loved getting a digital camera this year.