I like talking about myself, so I'll answer these so you can choose to not read it.
1. What are you doing for Christmas/The holidays in general?
http://www.playstarbound.com/
Not travelling this year, so yeah basically that, exercise, and then some socialization toward New Year's.
2. When did you find out that Santa isn't real? (Spoiler for Grefter: Santa's not real.
)
6 or 7?
3. Is there anything you want for Christmas?
Jack and shit. It's actually getting bothersome to answer this question from relatives, so I've started to ask them to just donate to
charity because I don't really need anything.
4. Do you enjoy Christmas music? Why or why not?
Nah, I dislike things that get played over and over. For a month straight. I actually enjoy a lot of US pop music now because I'm not hearing it day in and day out.
5. Christmas is less than a week away. Are you expecting to get a White Christmas?
Hahahaha no. Amakusa gets less snow than Albuquerque, and that says a lot.
6. Do you drive? If do drive, can you drive manual/stick or just automatic?
I think Super may be having car troubles on his mind. Yes.
7. The year's almost over. Did you have any goals you set for yourself at the start of 2013, and did you meet them?
Two goals, finish the Heisig method for Kanji and lose weight. Failed the first because I lose all motivation to study when I'm in a bad mood, and it's been a bad year. In spirit, I met the second goal, thanks to P90X. I haven't lost any weight from when I started (still 80 kg last I checked), but have lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle, so...
8. Do you have any resolutions/goals for 2014?
Pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N2 in July, have a short story published in a literary journal before the end of the year.
9. What was the best new book/game/piece of media you consumed this year?
Book: Watership Down. Read it for a multilingual book club project and was pleasantly surprised by it. Quite smart (if obnoxiously misogynistic) for a children's book. 1Q84 would have taken this spot had it not fizzled out hard toward the end.
Game: The Walking Dead. Games that tell stories, WTF? Leans heavily on the Illusion of Choice to carry the narrative but that only becomes clear if you replay it or save scum, but if you do neither it's quite enjoyable. Second place is Hotline Miami. Opposite end of the spectrum, murder simulator with terrible story.
10. What would you rather receive: A large but not giganic sum of money, or an all expenses paid trip (This includes paying your rent back at home) around the world with one other person of your choice?
Assuming that the second has a time limit and I can't just be a bum for the rest of my life... The first, to put toward the second. Even on a modest amount of large money (let's say $50k all at once, or to even things out $50k+whatever it takes to pay off the rest of your college expenses/student loans/debt) you can invest most of it to get a recurring income every month, buy a plane ticket and work your way through travelling the world on the remainder plus your recurring income. I'd much rather travel like that, and get a feel for each area I settle down in for a few weeks before moving on.
11. Do you enjoy the weather this time of year, or are you ready for spring to start? (Flip this for the godless heathens in the southern hemisphere)
I hate every season except for spring. At least at this time of year I can keep veggies in the fridge for more than a couple of days before they rot.
12. Going to do anything special for New Year's Eve?
Going to Fukuoka with a couple other people to party.
