Taking The Shortcut

I'm bad with routines. They bore me to death.

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Remember those #reverb10 prompts I started answering at the beginning of December 2010? Well, the many that followed weren't very interesting so I kinda lost interest in tackling them. After like, a week. True story. Harhar. But... in an effort to still do something to remember 2010 by, here's a simple checklist-ish meme I found online that I'm going to answer. To be honest with you, I haven't really reflected on 2010 so I, too, am curious about what I'm about to discover about myself and the year that was. *deep breath* Here goes...

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Actually up and leave after tendering my resignation. Harhar.


2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Right now, I don't even remember what I resolved to do in 2010. Or even if I had any resolutions to begin with. Haha. Guess that means I shouldn't be making any this year either. =p


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Hmmm... Well, my future SIL gave birth to a beautiful baby girl earlier this year but other than that, it's a no to anybody else who's a peer I know IRL. (Online friends don't count.) At least not yet! Haha. But but but... A dear friend of mine is due in just THREE DAYS (10am on 6 January 2011 to be exact!) so I'm crazy excited over that! =D


4. Did anyone close to you die?
NO! Thank God for that.


5. What countries did you visit?
I went to Perth, Australia for 3 months after leaving MCKL, skipped over to Melbourne, Australia for a few days in between, and ended the year in Singapore.


6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? 
I've talked about this before. The one thing I want for 2011 is STABILITY.


7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
14 June 2010. A few minutes into that Monday morning, after an incredibly tiring Sunday night, The Fiancé popped the question.


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? 
I'd say that my biggest area of achievement in 2010 was in my finances. Like doing my part as a filial child and giving back to my parents through a pretty good monthly allowance (IMHO lah, haha) each month, having enough to be able to pay off the hefty downpayments for the miscellaneous wedding suppliers we've booked (i.e. photographer, videographer, evening gown, "phang teh" cheongsam, etc...), and still have enough left over to put aside for the future.

 
9. What was your biggest failure?
Hahaha. This one makes me laugh cos I know Happy God would point all 10 fingers at me and remind me about how I failed to follow through with getting married this year like I said I would 2 years ago. HAHA. Idiot.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Illness, some. Injury, LOTS! Haha. I'm accident-prone, remember? =p


11. What was the best thing you bought? 
Whoa. I'd say it was my iPhone. But... urm... Technically, I didn't buy this "thing" myself. I inherited it second-hand off The Fiancé who moved on to the other forbidden fruit. Pfft. Traitor. Not that I'm complaining about inheriting his leftover, of course. =p *shifty eyes*


12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
In recent days, I'd say the person would be Mee. She's been putting up with a lot of crazy these past couple of weeks and I'm sure it hasn't been easy.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 
I shall refrain from talking about any of those people here cos you never know whose eyes are on the page and who knows who around the interwebs.


14. Where did most of your money go?
This one's easy. Wedding downpayments, of course!!


15. What did you really, really, really get excited about?
Getting engaged! But I was told to keep quiet about it for the longest time so the excitement kinda died by the time I made the announcement. Bleh. Then it was wedding planning that got me excited. But urm, now... Like pancit a bit liao also the semangat cos planning a wedding alone is like, zero fun. -_-


16. What song will always remind you of 2010? 
Hmmm. Oddly, I don't seem to have a theme song for 2010. Haha. It's more like a mix of songs in a home-made compilation entitled "Let It Reign".

17. Compared to this time last year are you:
...Happier? Fo sho.
...Thinner? Hopefully not.
...Richer? I wouldn't use "richer" but more, urm, I dunno... financially capable?


18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I travelled more, pampered myself more, read more, prayed more, slept more, and blogged more.


19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
I wish I worried less, stressed less, cried less, and got less frustrated with things I had no say or control over.


20. How did you spend Christmas? 
I spent the first part of it flying from Penang to Singapore. Was so tired from my week that I pretty much just slept the whole flight through. Haha. Other than that, the rest of the day was pretty much a blur for me. Checked in, cabbed out, took a walk down Orchard Road, cabbed back, slept the afternoon away, and had all meals at places I don't remember. @_@


21. How will you be spending new years?
This is past tense by now. Haha. Anyway, if you must know, I spent new years at what will be the future home with The Fiancé and his family. And got a mosquito bite to show for it.


22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Yeah. With MNG Jeans and the way they fit me.


23. How many one-night stands?
I generally don't sleep standing and would very much prefer lying down when I drift off to dreamland. Pfft. Lame. Eh, who came up with this shit?


24. What were your favourite TV programmes?
Ooo, easy. Man Vs. Wild and Top Gear UK are easy favourites regardless of season. Earlier in the year, I was all for Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy and CSI: Las Vegas. Then I was into Project Runway. And America's Next Top Model. (Gotta love all that in-house drama. Haha.) But right now, I'm totally addicted to The Vampire Diaries. 

 
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hmmm. Nope. 


26. What was the best book you read?
(NOTE: I won't be limiting myself to just one.) Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, by John Gray. Marriage: A Revolution and a Revelation, by Elisabeth Elliot. And the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I'm sure there were others but I can't seem to remember which ones they were now. @_@


27. What was your biggest musical discovery?
(NOTE: I won't be limiting myself to just one.) Bruno Mars. Lady Antebellum. Glee Cast. Sara Groves.


28. What did you want and you got?
The promise of a lifetime together with another. And a new handbag. (More on the latter later. =p)


29. What did you want and not get? 
The wedding gown of my dreams.


30. What was your favourite film of this year?
(NOTE: I won't be limiting myself to just one.) Wah, so many! How To Train Your Dragon! Rapunzel: A Tangled Tale! Despicable Me! Life As We Know It!


31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old did you turn?
I turned 26. Bleh. Mai kong liao la.


32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less LDR, more together time.


33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? 
2010 saw me making the shift from Comfy Casual to Semi Formal. But I wouldn't define my personal fashion concept in any... well, conceptual fashion terms. Cos my style is just... very me. Haha.


34. What kept you sane? 
Prayer, the "Let It Reign" album, sofa time, and blogging. 


35. Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Hmmm. Tak ada wor.


36. What political issue stirred you the most? 
The death of Singapore's Minister-Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's wife, Kwa Geok Choo. That's political-ish, right?


37. Who did you miss? 
For most of the time, it was The Fiancé.


38. Who was the best new person you met? 
Haha. To be honest, I don't think I met very many people this year. The only "new friend" would probably be Lissa. Haha.


39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:

40. Quote or Song Lyric that sums up your year: 
"When Will My Life Begin?" from Rapunzel: A Tangled Tale. You see, although I've subjected myself to a good many changes in 2010, in just about every aspect possible – relationship, career, residence, etc – I still somehow feel like I'm made for far more than this. =)