Saturday 31 December 2011

Year in Review

It's time for my annual Year in Review, with the first sentence of the first post of each month, followed by a summary of that month

January

A year marred by earthquakes, a mining tragedy, and a death in the family is finally over. So long 2010, welcome 2011! 


- We hang out with the Tans, Chins and Chans
- We watch Tangled!
- The annual Children's Summer Programme is on, I dress up as Adam (of Adam and Eve fame)
- We hang out at the Chans' house and go exploring Henderson
- Chinese New Year festivals galore!
- We celebrate Harris's birthday at McDonald's, catch a guy sleeping on the toilet
- We celebrate Chen's 21st birthday!
- Witness a huge fireworks display over the waterfront to celebrate Auckland Anniversary
- Go blueberry picking with church friends

February

I finally have my Annual Practising Certificate to practise as an intern pharmacist!

- I become properly registered as an Intern Pharmacist and start my first day on the job
- Get my arms waxed by Carmen and Grace
- Celebrate Chinese New Year on Waitangi Day!
- Finally join the gym at uni
- Celebrate Scholastica's 21st birthday at a Thai restaurant
- Go minigolfing with the Tans, Tommy and Harris in Mission Bay
- Tim and Gabrielle get married!

March

Today after music classes my brothers and I decided to visit our old high school Rutherford College to check out the 50th Reunion. 

- Orientation Week at uni
- $1 Cheeseburger madness at McDonald's!
- Catch up with other interns at a birthday party in Mt Albert
- Get together with other viola players
- Lose Aonghas at the Lantern Festival
- Visit Rutherford College to attend the 50th reunion but can't find it...

April

It's been a rainy night tonight, and Aonghas was out doing some work while Hamish still hadn't come home from uni. It was soon 10.30pm, so my mum told me to text Hamish to find out where he was. 


- Hamish gets beaten up and punched in the face
- Celebrate Gwen's birthday 
- Aonghas drops the car keys down the drain
- Diane's boyfriend teaches me guitar
- We pig out on Good Friday and watch Tangled after the church service
- Go bush-walking through the Waitakere Ranges
- Get given a guide to dating!
- Get my graduation gown!
- Finally get my new glasses!

May

Today was finally my big day! It was to kick off with a breakfast in this giant marquee at uni for graduands and their families at 8am, but as usual our family set off from home late (like 7.50am late!) and were stuck in traffic!

- I finally graduate with a Bachelor of Pharmacy!
- I buy my mum electronic scales for Mother's Day
- I attend Overseas Christian Fellowship (OCF) for the first time
- We farewell Lindsey who is heading off to the UK
- Hang out with Ting Ting at Starbucks
- Watch Nick's short film at a screening at Toni and Evan's house
- We pig out on Burger Fuel during the 40 Hour Famine
- Assignmenting, assignmenting, assignmenting...

June

I've decided to expand my tastes and try a wider variety of food, so I went into this Asian bakery tonight and picked this strawberry milk cream bun...or something like that! It was pretty nice!


- My laptop dies the night before my assignment is due
- I try the infamous Double Down Burger
Meet our...nephew (?) Vida for the first time
- Students start to drive me crazy
- We farewell Shen who leaves for Singapore
- Our Oddfellows Youth Group combines with Living Waters Fellowship
- We celebrate our dad's birthday by going out to dinner at Dynasty and having dessert at McDonald's
- Greg Laurie gives a very inspirational talk at the Auckland Harvest at Vector Arena
- The family basketball team take out the championship at the Massey Leisure Centre

July

It has been really quiet at work this week, but fortunately there's been enough to keep me busy throughout the day.


- Catch up with Angie and Gwen for Domino's for dinner
- Our youth group goes out to watch Kung Fu Panda 2
- The rain miraculously stops as we go to the zoo
- We celebrate Danielle's 21st and catch up with many old primary school friends
- I get my professional graduation photos
- Vodafone continues to screw me over

August

One of the ladies at work is leaving this week. She's been working at the pharmacy for many years now, so for all my workmates it'll be pretty sad. 

- One of the ladies at work leaves us
- Mobile internet on my phone finally works!
- RIP Jessica Hosking
- Our youth group does baking
- It snows in Auckland!!
- I attend UoA Epsom Campus Open Evening - seriously consider teaching
- UoA Courses and Careers Day and Andrew's 21st coincide!
- Get mistaken as someone's Samoan nephew

September

After music teaching I went to church to join in on the cleaning and packing up going on. The reason for this is our church is undergoing renovations, or more specifically re-cladding to fix up the leaks.


- Our youth group puts on a skit for Father's Day
- I reluctantly agree to financially contribute to UNICEF
- Aonghas and I perform in the Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony!
- One of my students gives me a mooncake
- We pack up the church
- Celebrate Shrikkanth's 22nd (to make up for lack of 21st celebration)
- Natalie, Kunsala and I have our first study dinners
- We watch St Dominic's College's school production Thoroughly Modern Millie

October

On our way home after dropping Aonghas off at work in the city, we thought we'd stop by one of those discount stores and join in on the fun by buying a couple flags for our car! 

- We celebrate our manager's birthday at work with cake!
- The music school I teach at holds its end of year concert early, and my students make me proud
- I do an all-nighter to get all my internship paperwork done
- Our youth group learns a new game...PSYCHIATRIST!
- Oddfellows runs a baking sale at church as a building fundraiser
- I decide not to sit the internship exam next month
- My phone dies
- We buy a drum set, and I buy a Samsung Galaxy S2!
- Rugby World Cup Grand Final at Trusts Stadium -WILD!

November

Tonight the Andersons and the Brens all met together again for a big family dinner. There was a special reason for tonight's family dinner though - Martyn was bringing along Bronwyn (his new girlfriend) and her family along to meet all of us!

- We meet Martyn's partner for the first time
- I make my music theory students sit a mock exam
- NZ elections!
- I go check out the campsite with a few
- We celebrate Aonghas's 21st birthday at an Asian foodcourt

December

So in the past couple days, I've been made aware of all my faults by various people.


- We have a sleepover at Karvin's old house
- Some of my students give me Christmas presents (I love being a teacher at this time of year!)
- New Gabrielle plays her Chinese harp for us
- We finally get around to celebrating Aonghas's 21st birthday
-  We buy a new car!
- We catch up with Diane and Chen over minigolf
- The Oddfellows Band perform for the first time, and we exchange Secret Santa presents
- We celebrate Christmas at church in the morning, cousins for lunch, BBQ at Western Springs then waterfront in the evening
- We farewell Jireh at the airport

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