New Year’s Resolutions

Get ready for a mega long post.

‘Tis the end of another year: a time for both reflection on the past year and looking forward to the next. I would say the cliché phrase that is “time flies when you’re having fun” but I can’t really think of anything that was really that fun. I mean Sichuan 2011, Taiwan 2011, 15^th Birthday at Kidzone, Sauce for the Goose, Orchestra Courses, Duke of Edinburgh expedition, London/Birmingham/Milton Keynes meet ups, Snowdonia Geography trip, various birthday parties were all fantastic experiences, but my sixth sense is telling me that 2012 is going to be the best year yet in .

Amazing Visit to Taiwan

To start off this hopefully momentous year, let’s commence with some self improvement, in the form of New Year’s Resolutions.

I WILL KEEP THEM THIS YEAR!

Every year I think to myself in my head, “oh I’ll just try harder/sleeper earlier/be nicer this year” but always manage to fail to sustain them for more than a few days. However, this year is going to be different, I AM going to keep them, by setting them in stone on the internet. Yes, it’s time for another list! Plus, if you know me personally, I give you permission to nag me about them, but not too much.

THE SERIOUS BUSINESS

1. GCSEs: get some great results

a. Year 11 inevitably means time for our GCSE examinations. I don’t just want good results. You only get one shot at them, so I want the best.

2. Manage my time more effectively.

a. As stated in my first post, I am a severe procrastinator. Ironically, I hate wasting time and being unproductive, yet I spend so much time on Facebook, Skype, and Youtube. I always complain about not having enough time to play violin, blog, do homework and other such important things, and I think it’s time to be a little more pro-active. This also includes going to sleep at a sensible time every day, and waking up at a decent time too.

3. Be a bit happier.

a. I am not afraid to admit that I am a moody person. Time to spot spending less time moaning and worrying about pernickety details - which in the end, don’t mean anything – and instead, smile a bit more and generally be a more friendly person.

4. Make 2012 the best year ever.

a. Lots of things will be happening this year, and I want to make the most of it. This links back to managing my time more effectively, so I get the most out of what is most important.

MORE LIGHT-HEARTED STUFF

1. Stop saying “init” so much.

a. I am literally disgusted in myself for letting this little devil of the word creep into my everyday vocabulary. Who do I think I am? I am not a badman, nor am I hard, probably the exact opposite!

2. Look after my plant.

a. For Christmas, my mum bought me probably the second coolest plant ever, with the first being a venus fly trap. I hope that with my love and care, my Tillandsia will grow large and flower, but I highly doubt it.

My plant is a Tillandsia, which is stuck to a super awesome snowman.

~BONUS NUGGET OF KNOWLEDGE~

Did you know that Tillandsia is a genus of epiphytes, also known as air plants? They do not have any roots, nor do they require any soil, since they absorb all the moisture and nutrients it needs through the air.

3. Become a ukulele master!

a. Well, maybe not, but to actually develop some skill when it comes to ukulele playing. My parents bought me a brand new ukulele as an upgrade from my horrible red Mahalo which only cost £15. Hopefully this new uke will stay in tune for more than one strum.

Armed with “Ukulele for Dummies”, I hope to become a ukulele god, or at least, learn a new song each month.

4. Improve my appearance.

a. Yes I am vain. This means actually waking up more than 10 minutes before I have to leave my house, so I can actually make myself look presentable.

5. Stop making duck faces and get a new Facebook profile picture.

a. I think it’s about time to stop taking such posey pictures and grow up. Also I am rather shocked that I have had my Facebook profile picture for almost 8 months. That is preposterous and must be changed.

Somehow I don't think that this is going to be my new profile picture...

6. Actually try and complete my music coursework.

a. It is starting to get rather ridiculous. I was supposed to have completed my first composition before July 2011, and be well on my way with my second composition. I haven’t even finished my first composition… Argh!

LASTLY, but probably most importantly:

Blog at regular intervals! Obviously.

Now that it is the end of the official holiday season and since the start of the Spring Term and January exams are only just lurking around the corner, most people are starting to feel rather solemn about the prospect of no more fat dinner parties with multiple delicious courses, no more boxes of Quality Street sweets, no longer being able to sleep in until *insert ridiculous hour in the afternoon* o’clock, nor being able to give the excuse of “but it’s the holidays” to parents when they nag you about doing homework. However, it’s not all doom and gloom for us Chinese homies, only 22 days until Chinese New Year! 太棒了!!!

Time for some more food!

Cheers big ears,

Rebecca x

Always ScatterrBrained

P.S. Thank you very much for all your lovely comments about this blog. I appreciate them! Congrats to Wandi for being the first person to follow this blog too. You’re awesome. The statistics are also very surprising, who knew I had readers from Germany and Bulgaria, O.o. Equally as shocking, 32% of my readers actually still use Internet Explorer. Are they stuck in the Stone Age?! If you are one of these people, try Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, and you’ll see what you are missing out on.