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| verte |
As is tradition, a lovely survey: the IC version. Thereby inclusive of all things rude.
1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Co-organised and ran, by all appearances, a successful new filthy party; started a PhD; taught undergrads; was gang fucked.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
New one, and this is a biggie: be less anti-social. I'm not sure I made any last year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
T's cousin, who I adore, had twins.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What countries did you visit?
Just Austria. I went to Vienna -- twice -- with the mathematician who was out there on research leave. T and I have been too poor to go anywhere.
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
To stay out of debt. A flat T and I can share that doesn't leak sewage water everywhere/have a fucked up boiler/a shit landlord. More sex. To feel close to my friends again. At least two journal publications under my belt. To get to at least one overseas conference and couple it with a proper holiday (working on this now...). A thorough grounding in criminal law.
7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
No dates, just experiences and the way they made me feel: that first night Z hit me. The efferverscent joy of skipping arm in arm with E, drunk as anything through the falcony at J and S's wedding. T's birthday. The heady excitement of finally managing to write about BDSM in a way that made sense of it and rang true to me. The general election and the days that followed. Getting struck by a policeman for the first time on the day of the tuition fees vote -- a complete head fuck.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
winning research funding. making the flat with T a real home. getting our parties off the ground and not going insane in the process. getting to grips with doctrinal research, sort of.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Getting fired from shit jobs no fewer than three times.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the usual viruses. I went mostly deaf in one ear after seeing Godspeed You! Black Emperor a couple of weeks ago. That was fucking annoying.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
tickets for Godspeed. a subscription to Spotify Premium. my kneehigh DMs. I got in a couple of major charity shop scores when I worked in a Sloaney area of London: a MaxMara boyshape tweed jacket I wore most of Autumn and, most valuable, an authentic Celine satchel from the 70s. Both of which were bought for under a fiver. Still can't quite bring myself to sell the latter, but it's got to be done.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
T, for being the best partner I could wish for. My supervisors, for pushing for funding for me when some of the more conservative members of the department were hostile.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
mine, as ever. a friend's behaviour a few times. an ex-lover's cowardice.
14. Where did most of your money go?
rent. bills. nothing exciting.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
going to Vienna. starting PhD.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
I liked quite a lot of new music this year. Songs of the year, though: Tell 'Em by Sleigh Bells. Blue Blood by Foals. Most of all, I think, I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem. My favourite song and album of the year by some distance. I genuinely think it's a perfect pop song.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder?
wiser, therefore happier.
ii. Thinner or fatter?
definitely fatter. 
iii. richer or poorer?
i paid off a debt, so marginally richer...
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
travelling, socialising, FESTIVALS!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
dithering, losing my temper.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I went to my mum's house and spent the day between the house and the home my grandmother now lives in. my dad wasn't there for the first time, and my mum's boyfriend was.
23. How many one-night stands?
one, sort of.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
The Trip made me very happy/sad. I also properly discovered The Thick of It this year, which i think is fucking genius.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
no
26. What was the best book you read?
Fiction, probably 'We need to talk about Kevin', which I finally got around to reading. The narrator's coldness, her way of dealing with relationships, her capacity for cruelty. She reminded me so much of myself it sunk me for a few days when I finished. Otherwise, Tim Dean's fantastic study of barebacking subcultures. Also, perhaps 'Powers of Horror' by Julia Kristeva. I'd never just sat down and read it cover to cover before.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Swans, who for some reason I'd never listened to much before. Mostly artists I already liked released excellent new albums.
28. What did you want and get?
something akin to a D/s partnership. PhD funding.
29. What was your favourite film of this year?
Of those I've seen, maybe Werner Herzog's 'The Bad Lieutenant'. Also absolutely fucking loved 'Kickass'.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i was 27. I went to university for a supervision and my supervisors brought me fizz and got me slaughtered by the time I had to go to a research methods class. Then went to my parents' for dinner. T and I went out to the Gaugain exhibition and for dinner on the weekend between our birthdays.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
PRINTS.
34. What kept you sane?
T.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Peter Capaldi. Yes really.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I thought it couldn't get worse than New Labour, and then it did.
37. Who did you miss?
My friend wrote this when answering the same question, but it's perfect so I'm stealing: I feel like i spent a lot of this year adrift in the world, so i missed a lot of people - sometimes everyone i know.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmmm, we officially first met for about 10 seconds at the end of last year, but i think probably hilarious, grouchy, steely A, one of the KSL crew. Our burgeoning friendship has made the whole project so much more fun, and our similarities have made the difficult stuff more bearable.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:
if something's hard work it's probably worth it (love, relationships, KSL, phd, generally not being a fucktard).
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Love is a curse trapped in a hearse/
Love is an open book to a verse of your bad poetry/
And this is coming from me.
Edited Wed 29 Dec 10, 6:56 PM by verte
| 30 Dec 10, 5:28 AM wonderer UK, 5 yrs  |
Sounds like a great year on the whole, apart form the election. Best wishes for PhD, and for learning to live well on a budget. "Imagination is more important than knowledge" (Albert Einstein) |
| 1 Jan 11, 12:21 PM Szymanowski SZ, 18 mths |
A very happy 2011 to the both of you!  (Good to hear you're getting the right sort of support from your supervisors) |
