Snarfled from Siri Avtar, haha!


1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?

Hm,

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I was dilligent about refusing plastic bags at the register consistently for one year. No reji bukuro, thank you!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Some folks far away did, and had beautiful kids. Few people in Japan are having babies these days...

4. Did anyone close to you die?

T.Paul Ste.-Marie.

5. What countries did you visit?

I'm kind of a visitor where I live now. Japanese immigration drove home the point by requiring all foreigners, even work visa holders and permanent residents, to submit to fingerprinting on entering Japan.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

A little more courage to ask for help and affection from people I love and respect.

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Autumnal Equinox, Togakushi, festival.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Sticking with the embukai at Togakushi and the reprise at Gyoda Festival a month later.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Dropping the ball with the Nihilists.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Lucky, no.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

An Internet connection at home.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My wonderful sempais.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The people who killed Mrs. Bhutto. Inevitable, I know, but damn it, why cave in to fate? Why not resist in the name of happiness? Bastards.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Taxes and tuition.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Academic studies, professional development, my training. All three blend together as learning relevant to my life.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

"Beautiful World", Utada Hikaru

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i) Happier or sadder?
No difference, apologies to my last boyfriend, the Phoenix, who flew back to the frozen north. Nope, no less happy than when he was here.

ii) Fatter or thinner?
About the same. I don't change much around the middle.

iii) Richer or poorer?
Prolly richer on the Canadian side. With the Yen meeting the Canadian dollar, I'm not coming out richer on this end. In fact, my real take went down in the last few years.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Cycling, accordion squeezing and sword slinging.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Commuting by train.

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?

No, I fell out of love.

23. How many one-night stands?

Zero.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Don't have tv. Wish I could watch NHK dramas, though.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Don't usually hate folks. Get angry at folks, wonder what the hell folks are thinking.

26. What was the best book you read?

Neil Gaiman, Stardust. Robertson Davies, The Lyre of Orpheus.
Um, that's two.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I found my chromatic in the back of a drawer. Woo!

28. What did you want and get?

Kerosene for my stove heater. Woo! Warm!

29. What did you want and not get?

A visit home to the Left Coast. Spent all my money on taxes and tuition.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

Toss up between Babel and Dead Man's Chest.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was lured out of my hole by a lovely friend and cajoled into attending a rolicking good Saggitarius art, poetry and musical party which went on and on and on...

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Some employment other than the sinecure into which I have blundered. But that'll get fixed early '08.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?

I dress to please 16 year old girls and school administrators -skirt suits below the knee.

34. What kept you sane?

Training, lovely friends, and the neighbour's cat.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Hiroyuki Sanada is very hot, but I'm not really into celebrities.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Mrs. Bhutto's assasination, the environment.

37. Who did you miss?

My friends in Canada. And my late Dad.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

The two new lovely members of Shiraishi Dojo. They're so earnest, sweet, honest and real.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:

My time by myself is actually really nice.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:


何が欲しいか分からなくて
ただ欲しがって　ぬるい涙が頬を伝う

You don't know what you want, but you can't stop wanting

1. Have you had a good year?
Interesting...Good? 08 is going to be really good!

3. Kissed two people in the same night?
Think so...

4. Been on a diet?
I eat what I need to run.

5. Pulled an all nighter?
Twice, mostly keeping company with folks who missed their last train.

7. Went camping?
Nope. Do cabins count? If so, Togakushi Mountain, Nagano.

9. Met someone special/who changed your life?
So many!

10. Been out of the province?
Went as far afield as Shikoku Prefecture, way down south, Nagano, Tochigi and Gunma not a few times.

11. What are you thinking about?
How to flesh out a term paper which is meaty, interesting and fully-formed in my mind, but not on paper yet...How to organize my wee apartment more efficiently...

12. Hugged someone?
So many!

13. Slept in someone else's bed?
The first part of the year, yes. Not lately, though. I like my own futon, anyway.

14. Got a job?
It's okay as jobs go. Not very exciting or stimulating, but it leaves room for other more interesting things going on in my life, for which it provides the means.

15. Loaned out money?
Neither borrower nor lender be.

16. Got in a car accident?
Not in a car often enough for the odds to be in favour of a car accident. Hooray for trains and bicycles!

17. Gone over your mobile phone bill?
Yes. Ow.

18. Been called a bitch?
Not to my face...

19. Done something you regret?
Hm. Yes. Mostly words than need not have escaped my lips.

What happened to question (20)?

LAST:

Last person you hugged?
Stephen A.

Last person you called?
Kazue. Catching up on weekend stuff, wishing each other well.

When was the last time you felt stupid?
Last week on the mat at Tokyo Budokan. Hey, wait, I feel like that every week!

What was the last thing you yelled?
USOOOOO!

TEN FACTS:

1. Hometown?
Vancouver.

2. Natural Hair Colour?
Brownish, if I remember right.

3. Initials?
EJS

4.How do you wear your hair?
It's curly on the left side, straight on the right. It's not how I wear it. It's how it wears me.

5. Eyes?
Spooky husky dog black crusted blue green or something.

7. Pets?
The neighbour's cat Maro Nakayama

8. Mood?


9. Where would you rather be?


10. What was the last thing you drank?


THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE:

1. Have you ever been in love?
Oh yeah.

2. Do you believe in love?
It's what glues the universe together.

3. Have you ever been heartbroken?
You ain't lived until you heartbroke.

4. Have you ever broken someone's heart?
Yep.

5. Have you ever fallen for your best friend?
Oh, yeah.

6. Have you ever liked someone but never told them?
I have lots of missed loves. But then lots of hits, too :) I grew up, I grew brave.

7. Are you afraid of commitment?
No, it'll happen when it needs to.

8. Have you had more than 5 different serious relationships in your life?
With many lovers, best friends, teachers. Those are all serious relationships to me.

EMOTIONS:

1. Are you missing someone right now?
Yes.

2. Are you happy?
Somewhat. It changes.

3. Are you eating anything?
Spinach pizza. Yum.

4. Do you like someone right now?
Yes, many someones, most who know. You mean girlfriend/boyfriend action? One cute, fabulous, talented man type of person.

5. You have 10 dollars and need to buy snacks at a gas station, what do you get?
A bottle of Sokenbi tea for each passenger and a big bag of broken arare crackers to share.

This is an "emotions" question? Or have we started a new sequence, in which case I wonder what happened to questions (1), (2), (3) and (4).

6. If you were reincarnated as a sea creature, what would you want to be?
An octopus. More feet to wear shoes on! And to coordinate with my trippy ever changing colours!

7. Who's your favorite redhead?
Anne of Green Gables.

9. Last book you read?
Year's Best SF 11.

11. Of all your friends, who would you want to be stuck in a well with?
Shawn. But I doubt he'd want to be stuck with me.

12. Rock concert or symphony?
Symphony with rock musicians?

15. What type of shirt are you wearing?
A blue turtleneck rib knit vest over a black tshirt.

16. If you could only use one form of transportation what would you use?
My two feet and a bicycle. When we run out of dino juice, that's all we'll have.

17. Most recent movie you have watched in theatres?
Saw Pirates of the Caribbean 3.

19. What's your favorite kind of dessert?
Gotta be the strawberry gyoza drizzled with chocolate and served with icecream at Gyoza Goya 'round the corner from my place.

20. What did you have for dinner last night?
All natural food buffet at Warabe Restaurant in Kasukabe City with my dojo mates. Really like the burdock root salad and daikon soup.

22. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
I haven't had shoes that tie in a decade. Hate 'em.

25. Do you think people talk about you behind your back?
Hope they don't forget me when I'm not around.

27. Whats your favorite fruit?
Gotta be mikan oranges. But I forgo them when persimmons are in season.

29. Do you like running long distances?
I like running short distances...Biking long distances, no sweat (well, a little).

30. Have you ever eaten snow?
Just not the yellow kind.

32. What's your favorite flower?
The scent of freesias makes me so happy.

34. Do you listen to classical music?
Yes! My students are mostly classical or jazz musicians, and they play with passion, which gets me all excited again.

36. Do you watch Sponge bob?
No tv since 2000.

37. What temperature is it outside right now?
About 3 and clear starry sky.

38. Do people consider you smart?
Yes, I suppose they do.

39. How many piercings do you have?
Grown over.

40. Are you signed on MSN?
MSN?

42. How do you feel about your family?
I feel for them and about them. My brother is an amazing dude.

43. Do you have an iPod?
No.

44. What time do you go to bed?
Around 11pm most nights. Wakeup is 6 or 6:30, so I can't stay up much later than that.

48. What do you want for Christmas this year?
A sense of humour, some pleasant feelings of wellbeing, and some cuddles.

49. What family member/friend lives the farthest from you?
We're all far apart - maybe my uncle in Brazil, Ali in New Zealand.

51. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach?
Last Tuesday at Tokyo Budokan. Sensei scares me crapless. And my cute, sweet, smart funny opponent had my attention. No! We're not dating!

53. Last person you kissed?
Probably Kazue.

I loves you kids ;-)

I'm chillin' at home. Got a fibre optic connection! Woo! Now I've got more time to waste blogging ;)

1. Can you cook? Yes!

2. What was your dream growing up? To be Indiana Jones' successor

3. What talent do you wish you had?

4. Favorite place? My little 6 mat apartment in the Tokyo burbs.

5. Favorite musical artist (of the moment)? Angela Aki.

6. The last book you read? Sex, Spirituality and Ecology by Ken Wilber

7. What zodiac sign are you? Snaggletarius

8. Any Tattoos and / or Piercings? Grown over ears pierced.

9. Worst Habit? Biting nails.

10. Do we know each other outside of Livejournal? Yep, I know Siri real and live.

11. What is your favourite sport? Cycling, if it's a sport.

12. Negative or Optimistic attitude? Ask me tomorrow...

13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with george w. bush? I avoid such embarassment at all costs.

14. Best thing to ever happen to you? Growing up. In progress now.

15. Tell me one weird fact about you: Er,...where do I start?!

16. Do you have any pets? My neighbour's cat Maro.

17. Do you speak another language? Yes, Japanese.

18. What time & day is it where you are now? It's noon thirty on a Friday in Tokyo.

19. Do you think clowns are cute or scary? Oh, I abhore clowns.

20. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Um...no.

21. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience? Definitely partner.

22. What colour eyes do you have? I don't know. Green somedays, blue others.

23. Ever been arrested? No.

24. italian or chinese? Furniture or food?

25. If you won $10,000 dollars today, what would you do with it? Start a trust fund for my cousins' educations.

26. What is your favorite work of art (at the moment)? My sensei. Really. He's an artist, and his medium is him.

27. how do you take your coffee or tea? In a bowl. That's the nicest way to serve a warm drink.

28. Do you believe in ghosts? The ones in my head, yes.

29. Favourite thing to do in your spare time? Blog.

30. Do you swear a lot? No more than I damn well need to.

31. Biggest pet peeve? People who smoke inside.

32. In one word, how would you describe yourself? Confused.

33. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you? Oh, I just did!

Cool idea!

You can read me at www.erizabesu.typepad.com

Okay, I broke down and started lj. It's just way easier to keep contact with folks.