Time, I think, to revisit the New Year's resolutions I set for myself last year. My success in adhering to them was - as you might have expected - rather mixed.
I think I need to repeat all of these for the coming year, and try a bit harder on some of them.
1) I am going to renounce Tsingtao beer
[Hmmm, well, as I predicted a year ago, finding a suitable replacement was hard. I'm not ready to drink gin & tonics all the time. And the only (affordable) Guinness out here is the slightly sweet bottled 'Export' - again, a nice change of pace occasionally, but not a regular drink. The sudden proliferation of draught Stella in this town has done some damage to my waistline (and my wallet) this year: I need to restrain myself from making that my habitual drink (it had become so for quite a while, at the now-defunct Room 101). I did manage to - very nearly - renounce the vile Tsingtao for 3 or 4 months. I think the Koryo Tours office party at the beginning of March was the start of my fall from grace with this one: they were giving the stuff away FREE and it seemed churlish to refuse. After that, I slowly slid back into the habit of - occasionally - buying it in bars. My consumption of Tsingtao has at least been much, much reduced this year. That's definitely progress. Moreover, we are finally seeing the emergence of some good beer alternatives: Baltica at Jianghu, Stella at Luga's Villa and the Bell & Drum, VB at Ned's, Cooper's at 12 Sq M, and cans of Asahi at select 7/11s and even a few xiaomaibu. And the Pool Bar has recently introduced Harbin Beer (crucially, at the same price as Tsingtao; everywhere else it is - off-puttingly - just a little more expensive)...... so maybe I can make another push for complete Tsingtao-abstinence in 2009. YES - I can, I will!]
2) I am not going to drink White Russians any more
(Other than on special occasions, of course; or when I have a particularly scratchy throat..... )
[Well, I kept to that one pretty well. It is essentially a winter indulgence, I think. And I don't see any harm in it as an occasional treat - rather than the daily habit it had briefly become at this time last year (under the The Chairman's wicked influence).]
3) I am not going to drink at home any more
(Other than on special occasions, of course; or when I have a particularly scratchy throat.... )
[Oops! I have to report a dismal failure on this one. I did cut back a fair bit during the early months of the year; but since then, I fear, I have been as bad as, or worse than ever. I've stayed in quite a lot this last 12 months, partly as an economy measure, and partly because I've been ill such a lot. And quiet - lonely! - evenings in with the stereo and the DVD-player aren't much fun without a couple of cans of beer or a nip of whisky or...... Must try harder next year.]
4) I am not going to eat instant noodles more than once a week
[My most conspicuous success of the year. There may have been a few occasions when I consumed 2 or 3 bowls of this insidiously convenient snack food in the same week, or even on consecutive days (getting caught short of groceries during a particularly gruelling spell of work, or during one of the national holidays when most of the restaurants are closed down for a day or two), but I more than compensated for these lapses by managing to go without altogether in many weeks. I doubt if I've eaten more than 25 or 30 all year, probably less than half of last year's figure. Well done, Froogy - keep up the good work.]
5) I am going to cook for myself at least 2 to 3 times a week
[Hm, well, perhaps that wasn't too much of a stretch; I think I had been managing that last year as well. I haven't been cooking for myself (not proper cooking, anyway; I survive too often on soups, salads, and sandwiches) quite as much as I'd like, but I have been keeping my hand in. Could do better - not only more, but more imaginative and varied cooking should be my aim in 2009.]
6) I am going to start hosting dinner parties at my pad around once a month
[Groan! This has been my aim for 4 years now, and I'm still no nearer to making it a reality. The logistical hassles of acquiring nice cutlery, crockery, placemats, candlesticks, tablecloths, etc. are just too daunting, a gumption-test too far. This year, I'll try again. Really, I will.]
7) I am going to be more selective in my gig-going
[Well, I suppose I can claim some sort of success here: my gig-going has been much more restricted this year - but largely because so much was shut down by the Olympics: no Midi Festival, no Chaoyang Pop Festival, no Stone Boat summer season, no outdoor gigs at 2 Kolegas. Bummer! However, this year has seen the emergence of some decent new bands - Fire Balloon, Candy Monster, Mr Mojo - and SUBS and Ziyo continue to be pretty awesome whenever they play. Maybe it's time to start being a little less selective again....]
8) I am going to get back into a daily exercise regime (weights, stretches, jogging, the whole bit - maybe even a bit of yoga or t'ai chi)
[Another sorry failure, I have to confess. I have made intermittent efforts to follow through on this one, but I've never managed to sustain a regular exercise habit for long. Even my jogging has been very sporadic this year. So much stress and hassle and illness, so much early morning working, such poisonous air quality for much of the year - I just haven't had the opportunity to get out and run regularly. I fear I am becoming quite a porker. Next year I am going to make this one work - oh, yes!]
9) I am going to blog less - and try to do some proper writing instead
[No, that just didn't happen at all. I worry that I am perhaps coming to think of blogging as proper writing. Oh, god, NOOOOO.......]
10) I am going to find a girlfriend (maybe not Madame X, but someone, dammit, someone)
[Well, I did try. These things are not entirely within one's own control. My efforts, of course, were marred by episodes of unaccountable recidivism with regard to Madame X. And I wasted the first 6 months or so of the year by allowing myself to become completely smitten with a woman I never even managed to talk to (I might rebuke myself for shyness and indecisiveness on this, but really - I only ever saw her 4 or 5 times, and none of them were auspicious occasions for an introduction: mounting her bicycle to go home outside The Rickshaw late one night, completely surrounded by friends at a noisy rock gig, showing her dad around Houhai when I was out jogging..... Cruel Fate, how you mock me!). Then there were 2 or 3 other proto-infatuations - or perhaps, 'doomed flirtations' would be a better term - over the summer, with women who were about to leave. And then, and then..... ah, well, I made the mistake of starting to become 'involved' with someone who's been a friend for a while, and probably ought to stay just a friend: she's absolutely lovely, but it's never going to work. Damn! My heart has worryingly self-destructive preferences. Definitely need to work at this one again in 2009.]
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