Saturday 14 May 2016

Lie- ..Nomi-...Who, me?







Susan Brody of The Art of Not Getting Published (do you know this blog? If not, I assure you, you should! Utterly awesome!) has very kindly nominated me for the Liebster Award. Thank you, Susan! 

Anytime I get a blog award I keep looking back over my shoulder if there's anyone standing behind me people are addressing.  You sure you're speaking to me??  I have been awarded the Liebster before, and I can tell you from experience this looking-behind-over-my-left-shoulder thingy does not go away with experience.


The first rule of the Liebster is to answer a set of 11 questions, so here goes

1. Is your blog your best friend?  Why or why not?

 My best friend? Nope, my best friend is a person. But the blog is a good friend.  I spend quite a lot of time nattering and whingeing with her, so…clearly…

2. Blogging feels to me like a job ___ percent of the time, and like a joy ____ percent of the time.

Blogging feels to me like a job 0.0000001% and like a joy 99.9999999% of the time, not sure if the decimal places are correct, but you get the idea.. I blog for pleasure and...um...self-expression I think it's called, though how anybody can express somebody else's self beats me.

3. What rules of Blogger Etiquette are most important to you?

Keep it civil folks! No need to get excited and use a lot of hateful words. Chill and let chill.

4. Do you have any great tips for attracting readers to your blog?

Haha, no way… this is a blog with a readership barely into three figures…if you have any magic tricks then please lemme know... 

5. What do you wish you could change about the education you had?

No changes wished for…grateful for whatever I’ve got….it’s all good barring minor peeves which are totally and eminently ignorable. Many of my contemporaries could not access education at all…many kids in my country still can’t get to school, leave alone higher studies.

6. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An adwoman :) 

7. Of all the places you've lived, which one is your favorite?  Why?

I don't know that I can pick favourites.  I have deeply loved the places where I have lived, some because I went to school there, one because I got married there, some because my son went to school there…every place has grown me up or has grown me in unfathomable ways…. 

8. If you had a time machine, which era would be your first stop?

Wow! That’s a toughie!  I think I’d start with the Paleolithic first, and then kind of amble up the centuries with major stops at the Yarmouk Valley Civilisation, Ancient Egypt, and Indus Valley Civilisation and the Tudor and Mughal eras, maybe take in a bit of the Mayans and Aztecs, and of course Ancient Greek and Romans.  To be honest, I’d disappear so fast and for so long into the depths anybody’d give up hopes of ever seeing me again. 

9. What's the best thing that happened to you within the past week?

A friend from across the oceans came to visit me!! :)  Yep, that’s why the lag in collection of the award. 

10. What's the fastest way to get on your bad side?

 Hide the coffee.      



11. What's the one thing that never fails to inspire you?

 I’m really not an inspired individual…just stare at words most of the time…on a page or on a screen…


Okay, done.  Now I have to state 11 random facts about myself, which is even more difficult than answering questions.

I can’t think of eleven random facts
about myself, that’s 1, to be exact.
I’ve two left feet, and that is number 2.
Three members in my home that’s 3 for you.
I know my 1-2-3 in tongues galore
ask me for 4 and I’m stumped - there’s number 4.
I was born in a land of rivers, yet survive
living in riverless deserts – that’s number 5.
I’d rather have grass underfoot than bricks
crosshatched into pavements – take number 6.
My bread comes simple and hot without leaven
but the dips are complicated, that’s 7.
I’ve lived in compounds without a single gate
though that’s over now for good – a bad 8.
I was less than nine when I wrote a line
of poetry, I’ve never stopped since – there’s 9.
How I’ve reached this far is quite beyond my ken
as most things are, and there you've number 10.
I had schoolmates once who I’d meet quite often
now I have friends who I don’t meet – 11.


Whew, done.  Now I get to nominate some cool bloggers for the Liebster and here are my nominations :

1.    Word Splash 

2.    Burggraf's Blog

4.    Keith's Ramblings 

5.    Elephant's Child 


ELEVEN QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES TO ANSWER 

1.  Describe yourself in one word.  


2.  What is your beverage of choice when you're sitting writing a blogpost?


3.  Complete the sentence. I can't do without my ..........


4.   Name the top five things on your bucket list


5.   What is your relationship with James Bond? 


6.   If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?


7.    What is the message that you would send out through your blog? Your life?


8.   Every adult is a guardian to the children in his/her community. Agree?


9.  Technology is making life...........


10. Have you read any poetry beyond school? If yes, whose? Name a favourite poet.


11. Spring, summer, autumn or winter? Why?




If my nominees accept, and I hope they do, here are the rules that must be followed:

RULES OF THE LIEBSTER AWARD

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award and you choose to accept it, write a blog post about the Liebster Award in which you:

·                     Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog in your post.
·                     Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”.
·                     Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.
·                     Provide 11 random facts about yourself.
·                     Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers.
·                     Create a new list of 11 questions for the nominees to answer.
List these rules in your post (copy and paste from here). Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

·                     Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)


36 comments:

  1. Great answers. I love your blog. :-)

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    1. Toughest job writing facts about oneself, glad you enjoyed it though can't figure why :)

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  3. That was a fun read. Not sure how soon I'll be able to acknowledge the award on my blog, but I plan to. Thanks!

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    1. That's okay...there's no expiry date to the nomination :)

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  4. Loved your answers - and the looking over your shoulder thing happens here too.
    Thank you so much for the nomination. I will play (but don't follow rules well). Towards the end of June?

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    1. I know! I get confused with too many rules too, can manage to follow only one or two of them at a time..,and June will be fine, claim it anytime that suits.

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  5. Very entertaining. Thank you for taking the time and sharing.

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  6. Very amusing and thanks for the nomination I shall do my part soon. Hmm. What random info shall I impart? You just never know. Thanks!!

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    1. Look forward to your post and random facts!

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  7. I won't hide your coffee!
    Still no idea what makes for a successful blog...

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    1. Ah, relieved to know. I am always scared someone will hide the coffee...

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  8. That was an interesting read. You are very witty and you write very well

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    1. Answering questions and having to follow more than two rules at a time generally drive me witless :) great to see you here, Nima!

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  9. Hi Nila - well done on accepting the award and then complying ... and then nominating others ... I'm off for a cup of coffee - cheers Hilary

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    1. I'm joining you for the coffee! virtually :)

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  10. Great insights, Nilanjana. Thanks for the nomination; I'll get to work on that soon. Have a great new week.

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    1. You have a great blog and great style! Loved your A-Z posts and post-A-Z post.

      Wish you a lovely week too!

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  11. I knew you would do right by this award! But thanks for justifying my complete confidence in you. By the way, I also have two left feet. I'm the one hiding in a corner during the dancing at weddings!

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    1. Whew! so glad I didn't let you down :-) no scope of hiding in corners at Indian weddings :)

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  12. You are well deserving of this award for the second time, Nila! Great questions.

    Denise :-)

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    1. I am better at questions than at answers always :-)

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  13. It's so nice to learn more about you. It's very cool how much you love blogging.

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    1. I probably do so because it's not a job :) thanks for being here.

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  14. You are so deserving Nila, congratulations! But damn I was going to nominate you. LOL Great answers - I love learning these little tidbits. and so cool to have friends visit!
    As Alex says, you ROCK!

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    1. Thank you, Yolanda! Always ultra cool to have friends over, here or offline :)

      Alex is a super supportive celeb blogger and I count it a privilege to have him and you among my visitors. Thank yous to both of you for your support and friendship.

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  15. It's great to get to know you better.

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    1. Great to see you here. Thank you for visiting.

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  16. I love your wit. You have a genuine gift with words.

    @Kathleen01930
    Blog

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    1. Mostly everyone is given the gift of language and words. Some people never choose to open theirs :) and some don't know which end of the ribbon to pull.

      Thank you for being here.

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  17. Thank you so much for nominating me. I feel honoured and flattered! By coincidence I was also given the same award by somebody else, so I have a lot of work to do!


    Visit Keith's Ramblings

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    1. There's confirmation for you! Hope you are able to claim it without putting yourself out too much.

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