Goodbye 2005
1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before? Visit Pakistan, catch chicken pox, worked on a feature film, made the (scary) decision to return to school.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Actually I surprised myself by doing better than I thought I would. More on that later.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No, but we had various gerbils pass on. They were very old.
5. What countries did you visit? 2005 is the year of capital cities: Bali (not really a capital, I know), Islamabad, KL (as usual), New York, Tokyo, and Bangkok in 6 hours!
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005? A healthier body.
7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 23 Dec 2005 - R Day and a step out of a comfort zone.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Completing 5 weeks of the grueling film shoot, my first ever - through hallucinatory overnights, enduring angry outbursts from producers and directors, standing in cramped rooms for hours on end - and coming through it in one piece.
9. What was your biggest failure? Not being thankful enough for the people around me, or what I have.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Er, I sprained my ankle, and caught chicken pox.
11. What was the best thing you bought? My air ticket to NYC in June - a hard decision to make considering my circumstances at the time, but one which taught me that my guts and my heart always know best.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration? Nice Boss, for really taking the time and effort to look after my personal welfare. J, for being as patient and loving as he is.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Some of the Big Fish in The Crypt. And Durai.
14. Where did most of your money go? Traveling and food. And all worth it, in my opinion.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My Tokyo trip!
16. What song will always remind you of 2005? Coldplay's Fix You.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? Always happier - I like to think I'm in control of my attitude.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter. :(
iii. richer or poorer? Only very, very, very slightly richer. I really need to prep myself and my finances for next year.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Reading better books, not bimbo novels (but I love how relaxing they are and how they don't require brainpower) and taking more photographs.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Being irritable and bossy.
20. How did you spend Christmas? An AYE-AYE Christmas: A silly but fun and food-filled road trip across Singapore with friends and a videocamera on Christmas Eve, and a big family dinner on the day itself.
21. If you could relive one thing in 2005 so that you could have acted differently, what would that be? I usually can't find an answer to this question - regrets will always happen, but that doesn't mean I want to change them.
22. Did you fall in love in 2005? My doggie makes me fall in love each time I see him.
23. How many one night stands? I had a one night stand with a mop not too long ago.
24. What was your favourite TV programme? America's Next Top Model (woo hoo!), Child of Our Time
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Not that I can remember, which is good, actually.
26. What was the best book you read? I haven't done too well with books this year (something I'm not proud of), but Jeff Smith's incomparable Bone collection was very, very good, even though it doesn't quite count as serious literature.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery? Jeff Buckley, Rachael Yamagata.
28. What did you want and get? Excellent travels this year - not really to 'new' or 'exotic' destinations, but extremely fulfilling nonetheless.
29. What did you want and not get? Lasik surgery - I was planning on this for this year but like I said, I need to do some financial juggling.
30. What was your favourite film of this year? To tell the truth nothing big comes to mind. The most memorable ones were not released in 2005, I think: Spirited Away, Last Life in the Universe, and Nobody Knows.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? J and I lazed in our Bali hotel, went swimming, and had a good dinner. I turned twenty-seven.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Less heat and humidity in Singapore.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005? A gradual but obvious move from office-wear to slouchy, I-will-wear-whatever-I-want wear, even in the office.
34. What kept you sane? Getting away from it all, cruising in the car with my feet up and talking to J, my friends, LJ.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Er, no one. Although some of the young Hollywood lads are rather good-looking.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? NKF and the mountain of peanuts.
37. Who did you miss? My friend Jess, whom I've spent little time with this year.
38. Who was the best new person you met? Alan, my soundman in the film I worked on. Old Hokkien beng, grouchy as hell and not afraid to lash out at stupid behaviour with his sarcastic tongue, he surprised me with his humour, generosity, and down-to-earth attitude.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005. Don't forget to play.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "You should be happy just to be alive." - Jet, Move On