Q: What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A: I find it difficult to answer that question. 2008 was a good year. I feel like I've already begun a change towards more doing-stuff: getting out, attending events, concerts, demonstrations. I don't know what will happen, but I want something to happen.

Q: What was your biggest failure of the year ?
A: I had challenged myself to rebuild the scout group I have been leading for years, to form a working group that might even be able to cope without me. I failed.

Q: What was your biggest achievement ? (I swapped the questions for tactical reasons)
A: I can't find any one biggest achievement, there were a lot of things I managed. I chose subjects to study at Abitur level (i.e. now) wisely, I dared to let go of my duties as scout leader, I believe I've strengthened old friendships and have forged new ones. In a way, I started blogging. Nothing where I could say “Yes! I did it!” (except the driving license ), but it was a good year.

Q: Did you suffer illness or injury?
A: Nothing worth mentioning.

Q: What was the best thing you bought?
A: If I'd bought it myself, I'd say my EeePC. Introducing myself to Cory Doctorow's books was a good move... and the Farin Urlaub concert was well worth it.

Q: Whose behaviour merited celebration?
A: Ich danke dem ganzen JoBEZLa-Lagerteam. Birgit, danke, dass du die Wölflinge übernommen hast. Thanks to my family for putting up with me and my sister (and my brother, but that's another matter).

Q: Whose behavious made you appalled and depressed?
A: Bernhard's parents annoyed the hell out of me, not letting their son go somewhere with the scouts because of bad marks at school. At New Year's Eve, there were some pretty annoying idiot bullies around, and in politics, quite number of people annoy me, but there's enough of that elsewhere on this blog.

Q: Where did most of your money go?
A: Most probably went into my savings account. Other than that, whatever I did in my free time (beer, concert tickets, etc), birthday and Christmas presents.

Q: What did you get really, really, really excited about?
A: In chronological order: attending FOSDEM, going to Paris, going to America, turning 18, and, more recently, going to France with a couple of friends in February, and the rather remote possibility of a year-long working holiday in North America or Australia after Abitur.

Q: What song will always remind you of 2008?
A: Either Kid Rock – All Summer long because it annoyed the hell out of me all summer long, or Farin Urlaub – Unscharf

Q: Compared to last year, are you:

• happier or sadder ? Might be slighly happier
• thinner or fatter ? About the same
• richer or poorer ? Richer

Q: What do you wish you'd done more of ?
A: Reading, and stuff.

Q: What do you wish you'd done less of ?
A: Sitting around watching boring YouTube videos ?

Q: How did you spend Christmas ?
A: At home, with parents and brother, nothing out of the ordinary.

Q: Did you fall in love in 2008?
A: Nay.

Q: How many one-night stands?
A: None

Q: What was your favourite TV programme ?
A: The IT Crowd.

Q: Did you make a friend with anyone that you didn't know this time last year?
A: I've met quite a few nice people in the past year, both on-line and off-line. “Friend” is quite a heavy word though…

Q: What was the best book you read?
A: Either Cory Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, or Goethe's Faust I

Q: What was your greatest musical discovery?
A: The Fratellis, Amy MacDonald and Farin Urlaub are all great.

Q: What did you want and get?
A: An EeePC 901, a driving license, and I left the continent.

Q: What did you want and not get?
A: I really wanted that week in Austria with my scout group, but then this kid's parents came along and vetoed two days before the holidays. That left me with two weeks of holiday void. NOT what I wanted.

Q: What was your favourite film of this year?
A: Can't say. I watched a lot of good films on DVD, and virtually never went to the cinema.

Q: What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
A: I had a small house party with a number of good friends.

Q: What one thing would have made you year immeasurably more satisfying?
A: See failure above and imagine the opposite.

Q: How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
A: Stuff that keeps me warm enough and covers my naked body.

Q: What kept you sane?
A: Holidays. And all my friends, and family.

Q: Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
A: Nobody in particular

Q: What political issue stirred you the most?
A: Probably the mess in Zimbabwe.

Q: Who did you miss?
A: People who spend time in some other country in 11th grade. Beginning of the year, Kim, Felix, and others. Now, my sister. And I miss my late grandparents.

Q: Who was the best new person you met?
A: Nobody stands out enough…

Q: Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008
A: If you have a gut feeling “Probably fun. Why not?”, that should be good enough. Surprise yourself, and make your life dynamic — or you might just turn mental. «Vieux et fou», as Saez sings.

Q: Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
A: This doesn't even start to sum up my year, but it isn't irrelevant to my feelings and dreams:

Mit dem Fahrrad durch die Wüste,
Mit dem Bus durch Vietnam.
Wir warten schon seit Jahren,
Darauf, loszufahren.

Ohne Ziel, ohne Programm,
Noch sind wir hier,
Aber bald schaffen wir es nach Pakistan.

Mit dem Segelboot nach Japan,
Auf dem Esel durch Peru.
Seh' ich Einflugschneisen,
Denk ich ans Verreisen.

Ich warte auf dich, worauf wartest du?
Wenn hier nichts mehr geht,
Dann treffen wir uns in Pakistan.

Fort, nur fort, weit fort...

Ohne Heimweh, ohne Heimat,
Ohne Koffer, ohne Geld.
Wir werden's offenbaren
In unseren Memoiren

Einmal um die ganze Welt,
Noch sind wir hier,
Aber bald schreiben wir dir aus Pakistan.

Farin Urlaub - Pakistan