I'm doing 19 things
Well I visited the MAS museum in February. And in the latter half of the year I’ve started trying out restaurants in my local Chinatown (finally found someone who isn’t frightened off by the ducks hanging in the front windows to come with me!) – totally worth it.
Ninja Neko's Life List
-
1. travel
7 entries . 8 cheers9,036 people -
2. plant my own garden
2 entries . 6 cheers66 people -
3. Throw a dart into a map and travel to where it lands
2 cheers489 people -
4. see the northern lights
2 cheers19,097 people -
5. see David Bowie in concert
2 cheers55 people -
6. be a better cook
6 entries . 5 cheers483 people -
7. Improve my photography
6 cheers648 people -
8. watch a meteor shower
1 cheer147 people -
9. Read Lolita
3 cheers58 people -
10. Keep in better touch with my true friends
1 cheer83 people -
11. explore the city where i live
7 entries . 2 cheers21 people -
12. play the piano
3 cheers1,203 people -
13. control my temper
1 cheer652 people -
14. grow my own vegetables
1 entry . 4 cheers1,558 people -
15. get a cat
1 entry . 4 cheers903 people -
16. drink more water
1 entry . 1 cheer20,241 people -
17. Learn Japanese
2 entries . 4 cheers10,758 people -
18. Visit a foreign city for every letter of the alphabet
2 entries48 people -
19. have a flat stomach
3 cheers2,377 people
How I did it
It made me
at home 
How I did it: I started out with painted walls and some pictures my grandfather took (he was a photographer). There were also 2 mural stickers, but everything was still pretty bare. So after deciding to tackle this goal, in one year: I bought some cheapo framed posters at Ikea (I was debating over this in my head for months, as I wanted to avoid the 'generic Ikea apartment look' but admitted that I loved those posters and got over myself) Framed … Read how I did it…
It made me
proud & independent
How I did it: The idea to go on a holiday alone came into my head after a breakup. But it also scared me, so I did it in steps. That first year I joined a group vacation. I didn't know anyone, but wasn't "alone" technically. The year after I finally went alone, one week in Paris. A city where I'd already been to a few times and a language I sorta speak... So I knew I could probably cope - and could take the train back home in an instant if needed. But … Read how I did it…
It made me
nervous 
How I did it: Well, I was returning home on bike one night after finishing my student job, and rode along this deserted dark road (this sounds like the beginning of a scary story...). I passed a bunch of road construction material, shoved aside after the work had been done for some days. Amongst the stuff I spotted a battered old construction road sign, and it occured to me that my then-boyfriend would love to have it for his bedroo… Read how I did it…
See all "How I Did It" stories...
Recent entries
Places visited:
DPRK / North Korea & Beijing
An organised one week tour during the celebrations of the 100th birthday of Kim Il Sung. Visited Pyongyang, Kaesong, Nampo and the Demilitarized Zone. An incredible experience which I can’t really put into words.
I extended the trip with a couple of extra days in Beijing. Initially I thought I’d be on my own but turned out another 6 people of our group had had the same idea. We got along great so spent our time there together as well. My second visit to Beijing was pretty great, I got to see another side of the city and grew to like it a lot more than during my first visit, despite catching a stomach flu and being trapped in bed for a whole day. Finally got my picture taken on the Great Wall! (didn’t do that first time round)
Venlo: Floriade 2012
2 days with my mom’s family visiting the flowershow. A bit underwhelming.
Paris
3 days in July. After returning from Korea I got the travel blues. I started making plans with friends but they kept bailing out on me so I went and booked myself into a nice hotel in Paris to cheer up. 7th time in Paris and spent it doing some shopping, eating, walking around and sleeping in my sound proof hotel room.
Amsterdam
One weekend in August. I was getting increasingly embarrased telling my Dutch travel compagnons (somehow I always end up on Dutch tours) I’ve never visited Amsterdam and decided to remedy this. Unfortunately my visit fell right during a heatwave. Apart from the Rijksmuseum didn’t see much. Not my cup of tea.
France and Switzerland
Visited the snowboard film festival in Annecy in late September. Made a stopover in Lyon to visit a friend of my boyfriend’s and see the city. After the festival we drove on to Switzerland – my first time visiting the country – and saw Lausanne (creepy quiet), Montreux (odd mix) and Gruyeres (cute). Postcard vistas and insane prices. I had a really great time. On our way back stopped for lunch in the French city Colmart.
Salzburgerland
A four night’s visit to Austria over Christmas to go snowboarding for the first time. Stayed in a family hotel in Goldegg. Felt like I was running around in a snowy Sound of Music spin off. Great food. And my first time visiting a hospital abroad (sprained my wrist on Christmas day…)
A long illness that started in July boycotted my plans for the summer in my city. But the weather was awful anyway so luckily I didn’t feel like I was missing too much. A swanky new museum (MAS) opened but the one time I visited the lines were just too long and I couldn’t face going in.
I payed a visit to Antwerps “famous” cemetery Schoonselhof (pretty, but not Père Lachaise by far), went to some great restaurants and some new (to me) venues. Now that I’m living in the centre I’m walking more and I’m getting to see new neighbourhoods.
