2011 in review

Do I have a sense of achievement after this year has passed? Did I make new friends? Did I learn anything? Did I leave anything?

I may be able to answer "yes" to one of those questions. And I can list a few things I definitely did and that still surprises me:
-I sat for the JLPT level N3 exam in December and not too impatient to get the result in March 2012
-I discovered Kpop that has been gradually sweeping this part of the world. Some popular groups that I enjoy are Big Bang, Ft Island, Standing Egg, and of course Super Junior
-Because of Kpop, I think I watched so many variety shows that I became addicted to, mainly because I love the concept of the show and I really want to see those in other countries. My favourite one used to be "1 night 2 days" where a group of host visit some remote area of South Korea to explore the culture in that area (food, dance, markets, etc..) and there are silly games between the hosts to determine who sleep outside. The other one is "running man" which is also a game of missions to be achieved by the hosts, at a landmark, and which usually involves ripping off a velcroed nametag off each other. No single episode is similar. Here is an example of a running man episode where they have superpowers.
-I managed to visit some Swiss landmarks with my parents which left many many sweet memories
-I got new books to study Japanese in preparation for the next test
-I managed to survive the stress at work, that almost made me sick and got me so cranky I was ready to leave all and never return to that office.
-I got my first flight in a light plane with my little brother after seeing my sister graduate with a phD
-I learned some bit of Japanese history of the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate through watching the NHK Taiga Drama Gou Himetachi no sengoku, which is following the life of a lady who through mariages, losses and wars became the mother of the shogun and grandmother of the emperor, a really nice example of the saying "behind a great man is a great woman".
-I also got my laughs from the series The big bang theory, because it appeals to the nerdy side of mine.

The year has passed quickly, so quickly in fact that I could not finish everything on my to-do list. That leaves me with the usual suspects for the next year:
-loose weight
-try to run a half marathon
-succeed in the JLPT
-get a new job

So let's see what the new year brings.

Adieu, Mr Sheepy

With his Ichigo Kurosaki haircut, he introduced me to streaming anime, which encouraged me into my practicing my Japanese listening. There were jokes about "Fruits baskets",  "Death Note", and many other surreal when we conversed. I was able to be a kid again and happily discuss about animation and their stories.
I always saw him smiling. I hope he was surrendered by his close friends and loved ones in his final moments and was able to unload his hurt, pains and troubles before going away.
I wish his young soul now rests in peace in a better place.

 

 Thank you for Mr Sheepy. You will live on in our memories.