2013 in review
J and I are not doing anything exciting for New Year's Eve beyond chilling a bottle of champagne and wondering if the fog will lift enough so that we can see the fireworks at the lake. Oh, and hoping very hard Bao will sleep peacefully tonight because for some mysterious reason she has been waking in the middle of the night to scream inconsolably for up to two hours. She doesn't even want to be held while screaming and nothing will satisfy her until she collapses back to sleep out of sheer exhaustion. In the morning she is cheerful, alert, and totally unscathed from the night before. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of me.
I hope we usher in 2014 scream-free! Otherwise, well, I guess there's nothing to do on New Year's Day anyway but sleep.
Here's the annual round-up meme that I've been doing for the last few years:
1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
Take a long-haul flight on business class (with kids!), relocate to Europe, and learn to drive on the other side of the road.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more next year?
I didn't make any resolutions last year, but for 2014 I am thinking that I should try to do so. Mostly to set some goals to define my life a bit more and give me some direction.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A couple of my friends had babies.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My paternal grandmother passed away; that was a difficult and life-changing point for our whole family.
5. What countries did you visit?
Er, Switzerland! (And France.)
6. What would you have liked to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Better quality sleep.
7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
17 July, the date we flew on a one-way ticket from Singapore to Switzerland.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Setting up our household here in a new land and handling the kids on my own. (Especially when J traveled for work and I went solo for a week!)
9. What was your biggest failure?
Detachment. I spent a lot of 2013 in a kind of emotional black hole. I didn't want to do things like celebrate my birthday, go out with friends, or do spontaneous activities with J or the kids. While I recognized that I was detached because I was depressed, another part of my failure was also inertia because I didn't rustle up any effort to try to get better, even if by talking to friends and sharing my thoughts with them.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really, although this current muscle tear from my cough does hurt like a bitch!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My new iPhone. It is my lifeline to my family and friends in Singapore and also keeps me sane when I need some distraction from domestic mundanity.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The Bun. For a kid who doesn't like change, he has weathered the many changes in 2013 pretty well: getting used to his new sister, moving to his own bedroom, moving to a new country, giving up his night-time pacifier, starting school, learning French and learning how to read. It's always the little kids who adapt best.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My uncle, for his behavior during my grandmother's - his mother's - funeral.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Household stuff, food (especially since we cook so much now), and winter clothes.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Apart from the Big Move (I think that was 60% excitement, 40% anxiety), I was very excited to see The Bun start school, even though the first week was also a very emotional one. It was a milestone for the both of us.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Nirvana's cover of 'Lake of Fire' by the Meat Puppets. Mostly because it has been on repeat for the last month in my car.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Happier. The change of scene has been good for me.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Winter weight fatter.
iii. richer or poorer?
Slightly richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Kept up properly with my flash365 photo project. It had been running since 2007 and when I stumbled with the posting schedule I simply lost the motivation (see question 9) to continue. I'm going to try to pick it up again for 2014.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating junk food. (Although some of it was great stuff!)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
We stayed home on a cold rainy day, opened presents with the kids, cooked and ate a lot. I think I was in my PJs for the entire day.
21. If you could relive one thing in 2013 so that you could have acted differently, what would that be?
I would have hugged my family much, much more than I did during my grandmother's funeral. I was physically present and did all I could to support my parents, but there was doubtlessly an emotional gap between me and them.
22. Did you fall in love in 2013?
With my little spicy dumpling, Bao. She is really coming into her own and it has been wonderful (and occasionally frustrating) to see her begin to develop and assert her personality. I'm not alone in falling in love with her - this fat, mischievous baby has captured all the hearts in our extended family.
23. How many one night stands?
Plenty of standing around the crib at night for me.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Definitely Top Gear, especially the reruns of the travel challenge episodes.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
Nothing really stands out, but this is the year I embraced digital magazines on my iPad.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
No one really, but I did learn various children's songs in French via The Bun.
28. What did you want and get?
A smooth, generally trouble-free move. I am immensely grateful to my mother for coming with us to help out. I don't want to think about when we have to move back to Singapore!
29. What did you want and not get?
Better quality sleep.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Les Miserables. I need to go buy myself the movie soundtrack.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing much this year - I took The Bun for a playdate and playgroup, lazed about, and finally had a nice dinner with J and the kids at night. Described in this post. I turned thirty-five.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More sleep. (See a pattern emerging here?)
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Comfortable and casual, although for once I am living in comfy boots instead of Birkies.
34. What kept you sane?
Writing. And more recently, TV - there are days when the only thing I look forward to is putting the kids to bed and watching TV, even mindless TV, to escape and decompress.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Prince Harry with his new beard. Swoon!
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Nothing much, really. 2013 was a very detached year for me.
37. Who did you miss?
My grandmother. Sometimes I get these flashes of memory: showing her my colouring book so that she could 'mark' it with stars drawn in colour pencil; taking J to meet her after we started dating; helping her put on her earrings when she dressed up for my cousin's wedding; holding The Bun up to her bedside when she was ill; and picking up fragments of her skull after her cremation and putting them to rest in the urn.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
One of the women at Bao's playgroup. We also see each other on the school playground and in such a new land, it is always nice to have a smiling face who seeks you out to extend the beginnings of a friendship with you.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
Enjoy life and its moments when 'it is as good as it gets'. It's not worth wasting time while waiting for perfection?
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'll pass on this one.
I hope we usher in 2014 scream-free! Otherwise, well, I guess there's nothing to do on New Year's Day anyway but sleep.
Here's the annual round-up meme that I've been doing for the last few years:
1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before?
Take a long-haul flight on business class (with kids!), relocate to Europe, and learn to drive on the other side of the road.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more next year?
I didn't make any resolutions last year, but for 2014 I am thinking that I should try to do so. Mostly to set some goals to define my life a bit more and give me some direction.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A couple of my friends had babies.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My paternal grandmother passed away; that was a difficult and life-changing point for our whole family.
5. What countries did you visit?
Er, Switzerland! (And France.)
6. What would you have liked to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Better quality sleep.
7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
17 July, the date we flew on a one-way ticket from Singapore to Switzerland.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Setting up our household here in a new land and handling the kids on my own. (Especially when J traveled for work and I went solo for a week!)
9. What was your biggest failure?
Detachment. I spent a lot of 2013 in a kind of emotional black hole. I didn't want to do things like celebrate my birthday, go out with friends, or do spontaneous activities with J or the kids. While I recognized that I was detached because I was depressed, another part of my failure was also inertia because I didn't rustle up any effort to try to get better, even if by talking to friends and sharing my thoughts with them.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really, although this current muscle tear from my cough does hurt like a bitch!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My new iPhone. It is my lifeline to my family and friends in Singapore and also keeps me sane when I need some distraction from domestic mundanity.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
The Bun. For a kid who doesn't like change, he has weathered the many changes in 2013 pretty well: getting used to his new sister, moving to his own bedroom, moving to a new country, giving up his night-time pacifier, starting school, learning French and learning how to read. It's always the little kids who adapt best.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My uncle, for his behavior during my grandmother's - his mother's - funeral.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Household stuff, food (especially since we cook so much now), and winter clothes.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Apart from the Big Move (I think that was 60% excitement, 40% anxiety), I was very excited to see The Bun start school, even though the first week was also a very emotional one. It was a milestone for the both of us.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Nirvana's cover of 'Lake of Fire' by the Meat Puppets. Mostly because it has been on repeat for the last month in my car.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Happier. The change of scene has been good for me.
ii. thinner or fatter?
Winter weight fatter.
iii. richer or poorer?
Slightly richer.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Kept up properly with my flash365 photo project. It had been running since 2007 and when I stumbled with the posting schedule I simply lost the motivation (see question 9) to continue. I'm going to try to pick it up again for 2014.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eating junk food. (Although some of it was great stuff!)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
We stayed home on a cold rainy day, opened presents with the kids, cooked and ate a lot. I think I was in my PJs for the entire day.
21. If you could relive one thing in 2013 so that you could have acted differently, what would that be?
I would have hugged my family much, much more than I did during my grandmother's funeral. I was physically present and did all I could to support my parents, but there was doubtlessly an emotional gap between me and them.
22. Did you fall in love in 2013?
With my little spicy dumpling, Bao. She is really coming into her own and it has been wonderful (and occasionally frustrating) to see her begin to develop and assert her personality. I'm not alone in falling in love with her - this fat, mischievous baby has captured all the hearts in our extended family.
23. How many one night stands?
Plenty of standing around the crib at night for me.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Definitely Top Gear, especially the reruns of the travel challenge episodes.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.
26. What was the best book you read?
Nothing really stands out, but this is the year I embraced digital magazines on my iPad.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
No one really, but I did learn various children's songs in French via The Bun.
28. What did you want and get?
A smooth, generally trouble-free move. I am immensely grateful to my mother for coming with us to help out. I don't want to think about when we have to move back to Singapore!
29. What did you want and not get?
Better quality sleep.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Les Miserables. I need to go buy myself the movie soundtrack.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Nothing much this year - I took The Bun for a playdate and playgroup, lazed about, and finally had a nice dinner with J and the kids at night. Described in this post. I turned thirty-five.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More sleep. (See a pattern emerging here?)
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?
Comfortable and casual, although for once I am living in comfy boots instead of Birkies.
34. What kept you sane?
Writing. And more recently, TV - there are days when the only thing I look forward to is putting the kids to bed and watching TV, even mindless TV, to escape and decompress.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Prince Harry with his new beard. Swoon!
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Nothing much, really. 2013 was a very detached year for me.
37. Who did you miss?
My grandmother. Sometimes I get these flashes of memory: showing her my colouring book so that she could 'mark' it with stars drawn in colour pencil; taking J to meet her after we started dating; helping her put on her earrings when she dressed up for my cousin's wedding; holding The Bun up to her bedside when she was ill; and picking up fragments of her skull after her cremation and putting them to rest in the urn.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
One of the women at Bao's playgroup. We also see each other on the school playground and in such a new land, it is always nice to have a smiling face who seeks you out to extend the beginnings of a friendship with you.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
Enjoy life and its moments when 'it is as good as it gets'. It's not worth wasting time while waiting for perfection?
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I'll pass on this one.