A New Year...
I think I'm going to set some realistic New Year's Resolutions. Here they are:
*Lose 40 pounds - I know this is a trite resolution, but it's something I need to do. I want to be healthy, and I want to feel good about myself. Losing that much weight would put me in a healthy weight range, and it would make me feel good. I think that it's something that I can realistically do also. I have already been losing weight fairly consistently.
*Ride my bike to work at least once a week - This is another goal that has to do with my health. I want to get in better shape. This would be such an easy and convenient way to incorporate some exercise into my life. It's also something that I want to do for the environment. If I can create a little less waste and pollution, that's a very good thing.
*Write nengajo for 2007 - Nengajo are New Year's greeting cards or postcards. It's a Japanese tradition that is a little like sending out Christmas cards. Usually the cards are handmade and include pictures or designs that represent the coming year's zodiac, as well as a new year's greeting.
*Celebrate Los Dias de los Muertos - On November 1 families present a display with offerings of indulgent food and drinks alongside pictures of their deceased relatives in their homes. In the evening, candles are lit that will burn through the entire night. On November 2, people travel to their deceased relative's graves and clean up the area, as well as leaving offerings of food and flowers there. This is a time of remembering and celebrating the lives of your relatives. I think it's an important thing that often gets forgotten, which is why I would like to start celebrating this holiday.
*Read 27 books this year - This is a fairly simple task, in fact, I accomplished it this year. But, I think reading is important - it keeps your brain active and learning. (The number 27 goes with a forum that I post reviews of books that I've read - each year the number goes up by one, 26 in '06, 27 in '07...)
*Learn Hiragana - This should not be a difficult task. It's mostly something that I really need to just set my mind to doing. I have learned a lot of Japanese in the past year. In fact, I feel about as comfortable conversing in Japanese as I do in Spanish. In order to further my knowledge of the language, I really need to be able to read and write.
Well, that's all I can think of. These are all goals that I can easily achieve, as long as I stick to it. We'll see how it goes.
Happy New Year!
*Lose 40 pounds - I know this is a trite resolution, but it's something I need to do. I want to be healthy, and I want to feel good about myself. Losing that much weight would put me in a healthy weight range, and it would make me feel good. I think that it's something that I can realistically do also. I have already been losing weight fairly consistently.
*Ride my bike to work at least once a week - This is another goal that has to do with my health. I want to get in better shape. This would be such an easy and convenient way to incorporate some exercise into my life. It's also something that I want to do for the environment. If I can create a little less waste and pollution, that's a very good thing.
*Write nengajo for 2007 - Nengajo are New Year's greeting cards or postcards. It's a Japanese tradition that is a little like sending out Christmas cards. Usually the cards are handmade and include pictures or designs that represent the coming year's zodiac, as well as a new year's greeting.
*Celebrate Los Dias de los Muertos - On November 1 families present a display with offerings of indulgent food and drinks alongside pictures of their deceased relatives in their homes. In the evening, candles are lit that will burn through the entire night. On November 2, people travel to their deceased relative's graves and clean up the area, as well as leaving offerings of food and flowers there. This is a time of remembering and celebrating the lives of your relatives. I think it's an important thing that often gets forgotten, which is why I would like to start celebrating this holiday.
*Read 27 books this year - This is a fairly simple task, in fact, I accomplished it this year. But, I think reading is important - it keeps your brain active and learning. (The number 27 goes with a forum that I post reviews of books that I've read - each year the number goes up by one, 26 in '06, 27 in '07...)
*Learn Hiragana - This should not be a difficult task. It's mostly something that I really need to just set my mind to doing. I have learned a lot of Japanese in the past year. In fact, I feel about as comfortable conversing in Japanese as I do in Spanish. In order to further my knowledge of the language, I really need to be able to read and write.
Well, that's all I can think of. These are all goals that I can easily achieve, as long as I stick to it. We'll see how it goes.
Happy New Year!
posted by Vanessa Clark @ 6:18 PM
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