OMG Famous!

I’ve been nominated for a Liebster Award! 

Okay, yeah, it’s bloggers nominating other bloggers, not like a Nobel or anything, but shucks I’ll take it for sure!

What’s the deal? Well I have to answer 11 questions posed to me by my nominator, the very kindly rubymartes, then pose 11 of my own to 11 nominees. Very ‘pay it forward’ in a patontheback way for a community of fine folks who put a lot of time into this endeavour and entertain/inform/provoke us all (usually) for free.

1. What is your favourite thing to do?
A few things just sprung to mind that show what I’ve been missing out on lately: walk in the sunshine, get immersed in a huge addictive book, make out with a fellah I’m totes into. SNUGGLES. But with these things off-limits at the mo, my fave thing to do is have an interesting, lively conversation with a great friend over lots of coffee or wine.

2. What is your most hated item of clothing?
I used to hate sunglasses because I felt like I couldn’t trust my vision, and hats because they look stupid on me, but I’ve finally made peace with both.

3. Why did you start blogging?
I was having a less-than-sunny time in London and felt like surely I wasn’t the only one. I needed to vent and wanted other people to know that you could love the place without liking everything about it, just like you can love your family and they can piss you off at times. I found myself observing the differences between my two homes and I found that more interesting and thought-provoking for me than the usual travel stories of ‘I went here, I saw that’. I am more surprised than anyone that I’m still going though!

4. What was your first blog post about?
Pretty much the above explanation. My blog and style have evolved since then, but the overall expression is still ‘observational whining’ as I call it!

5. What is the craziest thing you have ever done?
Hmm… No one thing stands out… move to the other side of the world? Lose all my buddies (and money and way home) in a nightclub in St Petersburg and latch onto a Russian with a mullet but no English. Do a nudey run around a city monument. Parade around London in a sheep costume. Post poetry in public (garh!). Wake up in a room with a snake (no euphemism). Yell at a carriage of commuters (literal crazy).

6. What inspires you?
See #1 – interesting, provoking conversations with smartypants pals; other people doing what they want to do; wine; a new plan; zombies.

7. Where is your favourite location in the whole world?
Oooh hard one. I love Morocco for compliments and the thrill of negotiation; Croatia for beautiful land, sea, and people; Berlin for the best postcards in the world; Russia for the terror of a harsh “NIET”; Scotland for cheer and wildness; Budapest for being one of the few cities I’ve loved at first sight; Paris for surprising me; London for being a mash up of all things; and NZ for being so much more than I ever realised before I left it.

8. D you speak another language? If so, why and when did you learn?
I WISH! I am seriously jealous/in awe of those who do. A great proportion of NZ is monolingual unfortunately, despite the fact that we have three official National Languages. I very much wish I had Maori and Sign Language under my belt to round out the trio. I can only count, sing a few songs and use basic terms in Maori (I find it much more polite to say ‘I’m off to the wharepaku’!), and spell my name and make the signs for ‘coffee,’ ‘turtle,’ ‘please,’ and ‘thank you’ in sign language. ‘Turtle’ always comes in handy…

9. Do you prefer to read or watch TV?
I want to say read, but my last few years points to TV. As per every few months, I’m trying to reinstate my former reading habits. One possible con about blogging – it (along with failbook, my webcomics of choice, regretsy, and other internet pleasures) seems to have diminished my attention span. Video of cute animals to watch you say? *drops book, opens youtube*

10. What is your favourite blog to read?
Despite lacking attention span, and also despite being told I can be too wordy myself, my fave blogs are the typically long-winded. I like having something I can sink my teeth into for a good portion of a bus ride or lunch break. So I’d say Captain Awkward (advice for the awkward army) and Elodie Under Glass (feminism and science) are among my faves. In the visual categories, the hibernating hyperboleandahalf and the Oatmeal take the cake.

11. If you won the lottery (5 million for arguments sake) – what would you buy/do?
Oh dear, this will reveal my sensible side! Minimum a million in the bank (to live off the interest long-term). A mill aside for long-term purchases once back in NZ (e.g. house, car, etc.). A mill to spread around to mother-dear and fam/friends. Now it’s time to play! Since I’ve got another year allowed in London I’d use a big chunk for myself and friends to just do everything life has to offer here, without worrying about money, rent, holes in my boots, etc. After London, a year or two or three of going anywhere and everywhere, but never traveling like a rich person. I’d want the money to change how many places I could go, not how I go there. Then back to NZ perhaps, and at this point I wouldn’t be outrageously rich, and would have to work at some point, but would have the comfort to figure out what I wanted to do with my life (and my millions!).

My questions for my nominees are:

1. What is your stupidest fear?
2. What is your go-to dress up costume?
3. How many pairs of shoes do you own and how do you feel about that?
4. What is your favourite book?
5. If you could be an inanimate object for a day, what would it be?
6. Would you rather waltz or do the robot?
7. What colour are your sheets? Seriously, I’m curious. There doesn’t seem to be a correct colour for sheets. Mine are currently purple. Is that weird?
8. Think of a country you’ve never been to. Tell me something you know/think/feel/wonder about it.
9. If you had to marry and spend your life with one famous person without meeting them first, who would it be?
10. If you had to move alone to a liveable but unpopulated planet, what would you bring: a towel, a bible, or a cat?
11. Gimme a quote. Gimme.

And my nominees are:

1. Runaway Kiwi – another Kiwi in London, who came out of the internet and we met IRL!
2. The Fourth Wall – mixin’ it up: gaming and nerding, history and philsophy!
3. Maximum Wage – because his latest post is exactly how I feel about blogging, as told by GIFs
4. Kiwi in Qatar – a whole ‘nother perspective on the Kiwi in X adventure
5. Fish of Gold – because she has a whole section for gripes!
6. If Women Ruled – a brand new project from a blogger who loves books and ladies (who doesn’t?)
7. Only I stand here – for having FEELINGS about grammar and such business

… Yeah okay, I am struggling to find 11 blogs I follow who don’t have so many squillion followers that it discounts them from this game. Soo… how bout you guys tell me if you know some great little blogs to follow? This way you can do some nominating, too!