Review of the Year 2011

Time for some reflection on the year that has past and a few questions about the year that is to come:

1. What has been your biggest achievement this year?
Getting my degree and my Post Grad Certificate, and doing so well in them both.


2. What made you laugh most this year?
I can't remember specifics, but I suspect it was my two older nephews, O and D.  They always say and do such delightful things.

3. What unfulfilled hopes do you have for this past year?
To lose weight...

4. What has been your favourite/most listened to piece of music this year?
I've listened to Bellowhead's 'Hedonism' CD a lot.

5. What was your best holiday this year?
Either my curtailed week away in Lancashire with my friend O in January or the few days I had in Yorkshire with family in May.

6. What new skill, if any, have you acquired this year?
I'm not sure... I'll have to think about that one...

7. What's the best book you've read this year?
I've read a lot this year (28 books - I keep a diary of all the books I read), but perhaps the best one has been 'Three Men in a Boat' by Jerome K. Jerome.  I read it on the advice of my older brother, M, who read it at the beginning of the year.

8. What has been the biggest challenge of this year?
My health, or rather my lack of health.  It's a continual challenge.

9. What is your happiest/fondest memory of this year?
Hmmm, there are a few possibilities: my graduation; my graduation party; and the birth of younest nephew, J.

10. Of what one creation of the past year are you most proud or pleased?
Probably the Japanese-style cross-stitch of two swallows that I did.  It was more intricate than I'd first thought, with a lot of fiddly bits, but I am very pleased with the result and have it hanging in a frame on the living room wall.

11. What new hobby did you take up/old hobby did you reinstate this year?
Hmm...well, I've started learning the ukulele, although progress has been halted since being in hospital in October/November and then having hand surgery. I'll take it up again in the new year.

12. What one thing would you really like to do next year?
Have a proper holiday without interruption by illness.

13. What was the saddest thing of this year?
Definitely my younger step-brother's suicide.  I miss Nn so much and think about him a lot.  It's all so sad...

14. What has been your best discovery of this year?
That I can do it!  I have done it!  I can achieve academically!

15. What news story of this year has had the biggest impact on you/do you most remember?
There has been so much that has happened in the world this year, but the things that I most remember or had the biggest impact on me are either the Japanese tsunami/Fukushima disaster and the 'Arab Spring'.

16. What's the best film you've seen this year?
I've hardly been to the cinema this year, but of the few films I have seen, the best was most definitely 'The King's Speech'.  When the credits rolled at the end there was a standing ovation.  Now that is a rarity at the cinema, is it not?

17. What was your best buy this year?
Hmmm... possibly my new mobile - a Samsung Galaxy SII - my first smartphone

18. What has been your best day out this year?
I've been to Beamish Museum with W three times this year and loved it each time.  As it took all three times to see the whole place I will call it a collective day out and the best of this year.

19. If there’s one thing you did this year that you’d do differently if you could, what would it be?
Hmmm, tricky... I'm not sure... Maybe to make sure I stay in contact with all my local friends more as I feel that I've lost touch with some of them a little...

20. Is there anywhere you'd like to visit next year?
The south coast.  Maybe Cornwall again.

21. Name one thing you did this year that you'd like to do again?
Graduate!

22. Who gave you the best advice this year?
My PGC tutors and supervisor gave me some excellent advice along the way.

23. What new skill would you like to acquire next year?
Am I allowed to say I'd like to learn to play the ukulele properly, even though I've already used a similar answer in a previous question?

24. What was your favourite TV/radio programme this year?
There are several possibilities: QI; 'Outnumbered'; or 'Miranda'.  All on BBC telly.

25. What would you like to make more time for next year?
Writing.  I mean writing when I don't *have* to write.  Writing for publication, not just for courses.

26. What has been the biggest disappointment this year?
Not being able to attend the scattering of Nn's ashes because I was in ITU in Lancaster Royal Infirmary.

27. What was the best or most enjoyable concert you went to this year?
Probably the Bellowhead concert I went to at The Sage in November

28. What do you think was the best thing that you did for yourself during the last year?
Confront the staff and speak up for myself in RVI HDU, and then took the 'complaint' further on an unofficial level with the matron.  It was difficult, but I'm proud of myself for having done it.

29. What is the biggest difference in yourself from this time last year?
I have a degree and postgrad certificate! :oD

30. What are you most looking forward to about next year?
Really getting stuck into my MA.  Things got halted with my long hospital admission in October/November so that I had to pull out of the module I was doing.  I think my next module starts at the end of January, so here's to getting stuck into that!


I'd love to see your answers to these/some of these questions.  Go on, review your 2011 and share it with me.