Leibster Award – What on earth is it? And other questions

The lovely, marvellous and oh-so-flattering Susie at http://susiewittbrodt.wordpress.com  just nominated me for a Liebster Award. Which is basically a way to find new blogs and tell other people that what you think they’re doing is pretty great (so if you’re reading this because I nominated you, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back). The concept is pretty simple – a blogger nominates you, and then you go ahead and nominate other blogs, and answer a pile of random questions.

The catch? It’s all about discovering new blogs, which means that the ones you nominate have to have less than 1000 followers. Pluses? New readers for you, new readers for them. Minuses? None. After all, how would I have discovered Susie’s brilliant voice, which makes me feel like she’s in the room chatting to me with each blog post? And how would you, dear reader, have discovered the wonderful blogs that I’m about to nominate?

Now part of this challenge/award-y thing is that you have to answer ten questions. It’s not normally the sort of thing I do, because frankly I have some serious issues with rule following and giving straight up answers. However, I’ve done my very best, and if my answer seems like a cop-out then it probably is.

1. What is your “Elevator Pitch”? As in, if you had to describe yourself to someone else in the time it would take the two of you to ride an elevator, how would you summarize yourself?

Given that the concept of an elevator pitch involves ‘selling yourself’ to a complete stranger, I’d probably freak out and shut up. I guess I’m just too British, because the thought of telling someone how wonderful I am is enough to give me a heart attack. In my mind, the scene goes like this:

Me: Hello Stranger… So I just wanted to tell you that, umm, well I suppose I’m quite nice, ummm, I live in France and I sort of write about it… umm, and I like to see new places and… ummmm

PING! Doors open

Me: AndIpromiseI’mareallyinterestingpersonIjustdon’tknowhowtotellyouohwaitIclimbedMountEverest!

Stranger leaves the elevator, shaking his/her head in despair.

2. Surprise! Reincarnation is a thing. If you had to come back as an animal other than a human, what would you choose and why?

Easy one – like I said in my post about Nice (https://lydiasilver.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/love-in-a-warm-climate/), I’d be a lizard. An animal that gets to bask in the sun all day and can catch its food just by sticking out its tongue is my sort of thing.

3. Describe the best day of your life (either as a memory of an actual day, or hypothetically).

I can’t think of one ‘best day’, only best components. So I suppose the best day of my life would include a combination of these things:
Breakfast. More specifically the amazing breakfast I had from Holybelly yesterday, which included the best bread I’ve ever tasted.
Reunions. There’s nothing quite like the moments where you see someone again after so long apart. I’m not talking about the hugs and the talking, but rather the first few moments when you spot them at the station, or in the cafe, or even in the street, and start walking towards them. It’s that delicious mix of excitement and apprehension (what if they’ve changed?) and hope and joy and the grin that slowly stretches from ear to ear that I like the best.
Sun. Skin-warming, smile-creating, sky-clearing sun. Everything is better in the sunlight.

 

4. What is your biggest pet peeve, and why does it bug you so much?

I hate slow walkers. I’ve no idea why. I just can’t stand it when I’m walking behind someone, and I’m faster than them, and they don’t notice. Why should I have to shuffle along as well as them? I’m so irrational that this hatred even extends to old people who have to use a stick, which I know is despicable. But all I’m saying is USE THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT NOT THE MIDDLE!

5. If you could live in a different time / era, what would it be and why?

To be honest, I wouldn’t want to go into the past. I can’t think of a time when women had as many rights as they did today, and I really am not okay with living in a country where my voice counts less because I don’t have a penis. As for the future, I’ll be there soon enough. I can’t think of a time I’d rather live in than right now.

6. Your house is on fire. All living things made it out safely. You have time to grab one inanimate object – what is it?

I have a ring made out of a silver spoon. It’s on my finger right now. It had to be made specially for me, because I have tiny fingers. I’m taking it.

7. What got you started writing?

I’ve always been a bookworm. It used to piss my sister off when we were little because I’d always rather stick my nose in a book than play outside with her. So I suppose books, and the crazy worlds that could come out of just ink and paper, were what started me writing. If you read a lot then sooner or later you’ll want to put a pen to paper too.

8. If you could turn back time and change one decision or action you regret, would you? What would it be?

My grandad once told me that it’s the things you don’t do that you regret. It might be because I haven’t had enough time yet to make bad decisions, or do stupid things, but I try to take any opportunity I find and I haven’t ended up regretting a thing.

9. What social or political issue would you consider yourself most passionate about?

Yesterday, gay marriage was legalised in the UK, which makes me incredibly happy. I really, truly, deeply believe that everyone should be equal. That means that women should get paid exactly the same as men at work, that no one should have their opportunities reduced because of their backgrounds, and that you should be free to love whoever the hell you want. I also massively disagree with the death penalty, but that’s another story.

10. If you died tomorrow, what legacy would you hope to leave behind? How would you like people to remember you?

It sounds incredibly morbid, but I’ve actually thought a lot about this. I want to be remembered because I did something. I don’t know what yet, but when I die if one person around the world can stand up and say ‘my life changed because of Lydia’ then that’s the sort of recognition I want.

And now (drumroll please!) I am proud to announce my nominees!

http://trueeast.wordpress.com – Sanchia at True East writes beautiful, thoughtful things about travelling and how it changes your ideas and your horizons. It’s a travel blog with a hell of a brain!

http://thecelluloidsage.wordpress.com – Phil writes film reviews that I would trust enough to follow off a cliff. If he says a film is great then I’m desperate to see it, and if he says it’s rubbish then honestly? I wouldn’t go near it with a bargepole.

http://www.emilylaurae.com – This last one is close to my heart. Emily lives in the same town as me, and takes breathtaking pictures of it. When I look at the photographs on her blog, it’s like seeing my life through a whole new set of eyes.

So these are my three nominations! To my nominees, if you want to follow up on the challenge then I offer you these questions:

1) What’s your earliest memory?

2) What’s the last thing you do before bed?

3) Why do you write?

4) If you were in a horror movie, what character would you be?

5) And who would you be in a good old-fashioned romance?

6) What do you think are the best things about you?

7) What do your friends think are the best things about you? Are they different?

8) If you could move to any country in the world, where would you go?

9) Sweet or savory?

10) Do you have a phobia?

Answer these, my dears, and go and find three barely-discovered blogs. Let the challenge begin!