I liked the format of Rachel’s end-of-the-year blog post, so I think I’ll do the same. My list will be much longer compared to hers; I’ll be listing down anything and everything that pops into my head, so I’m warning you, this’ll be one long post.

This year I…

• Turned 16 and started eleventh grade
• Learned to better control my hair (with lots and lots of conditioner)
• Drifted away from some friends
• Actually dressed up for Halloween and felt no shame in wearing said costume
• Fell in love with The Beatles
• Resolved to name my future kid Ringo
• Stood up to my mum and told her how I felt in a mature way (through a looong e-mail)
• Conquered my fear of the stove and baked lots of cakes + brownies with my mum and sister (carrot cake, rocky road cake, chiffon cake, etc.)
• Joined an extracurricular club/group in school (newspaper!)
• Learned how to take the subway from home to downtown and back—by myself
• Re-read the Harry Potter series during summer and actually cried in some parts
• Discovered some awesome new bands (Noisettes, Dragonette, etc.)
• Received my first ever Urban Outfitters item from a good friend
• Started thrifting and found some nice second-hand treasures
• Discovered that I have a deceased aunt & uncle who were secret, underground spies working against the government

• Reconnected with my culture through a poetry slam I went to in downtown
• Made a family tree and learned the names of all most of my aunts, uncles, and cousins
• Realized the beauty of all things vintage/old
• Learned how to write basic Korean words and pronounce them
• Made a sweet new pen-pal from Korea
• Revisited my childhood days with a shorter hairdo
• Discovered so many inspiring/ creative/ colorful/ thought-provoking/ innovative/ funny/ eye-opening/ random/ interesting/ wonderful blogs and sites
• Bought something online for the first time with my sister’s credit card
• Grew a love for classical music
• Experiencing a scary situation with my sister (getting stranded in the train station at 2AM)
• Grew as tall as my oldest sister (which is not very tall at all, but still)
• Felt the effects of too much time spent in front of a computer (wrist cramps)
• Learned how to work a DSLR on manual
• Learned that a peanut is not a nut
• Made friends with a freshman
• Came to the realization that my parents are getting old and won’t be here forever
• Actually started thinking about life after high school
• Became more optimistic and confident in myself
• Toned down my obsession for Korean pop-culture and lost interest in it for some time (didn’t watch many Kdramas/movies or listen to lots of K-music this year)
• Read Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice
• Felt annoyed and burdened by my Art homework for the first time
• Learned about other religions in class and discovered how fascinating they were
• Blogged more often than I ever have before (especially in December)
• Learned lots of new words and found out I mispronounced some that I already knew (as in the word ‘hyperbole’, I always thought it was ‘hyper-BOWL’)
• Noted down lots of great quotes to guide me through the future like “Live life with no regrets”, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”, [insert other corny quotes here]
• Finally learned the meaning of some quotes/proverbs like “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”
• Resolved to write in this blog for my enjoyment instead of just focusing on getting lots of comments or visitors
• Learned how to tie a ribbon in a new way (I only knew the bunny-ear loop)
• Realized how pointless reading or hearing about celebrity gossip is and stopped wasting money/time on them
• Had a tea-party with myself and brewed my own tea

I’ll add more as it comes to mind…

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No resolutions, just changes I want to make and things I want to do in the year 2010:

• Spend less time on the Internet doing mindless things and more time with family, friends, books and the outdoors!
• Get my first job during summer break
• Make snowmen, go tobogganing, make snow angels and at least try to have fun during winter
• Ingest less fast-food/processed foods and eat healthier (cook from scratch, have more fruits)
• Watch more movies in the theaters instead of online
• Be more selfless and help others
• Sleep earlier so that I don’t wake up feeling like a zombie—which is how it’s like everyday
• Be more productive, begin with the end in mind, learn to prioritize better
• STOP PROCRASTINATING!
• (maybe) Design something everyday
• Draw in my sketchbook more often
• Look for the good in all people and situations
• Try to be more active and ride my bike more often
• Stop letting annoying people irritate me and remember to not fret over things I can’t change
• Don’t spend money on things that I don’t need
• Carpe Diem! - Seize the day!

2009 has been a year of many firsts. I’m looking forward to 2010 and crossing my fingers that it will be filled with more joy, peace, love, rainbows, unicorns, sparkles, and of course, good music.

In case I don’t see you— good morning, good evening and goodnight!

1. Posted by Leanne:

“Re-read the Harry Potter series during summer and actually cried in some parts” - I cried throughout the whole series when I read them for the first time.

“Discovered that I have a deceased aunt & uncle who were secret, underground spies working against the government.” - This is so cool! Wow, did you find out anything else about them?

2. Posted by Leslie:

The bit about your aunt and uncle is very cool! I would find it awesome if I could make a discovery of the same level of coolness about my ancestors!

I’m so excited for the new year to come; a fresh start~ I hope next year will be good to you!

3. Posted by Ana:

That’s cool you managed to learn some Korean o.O;; Wish I could as well :/

4. Posted by Lady Impulse:

Wow seems like you have had a productive year, I wish I did. Good luck with 2010, Happy New Year!

5. Posted by Bonnie:

wow thats some long list you got there
‘design something everyday’ sounds like a hard project haha but itd be great if you get through it !
happy new year !