The Liebster Award

 

Many thanks to Benjamin Brede (follow this link to his brilliant blog) who has been kind enough to nominate this place for a Liebster Award.

The Liebster welcomes “new” bloggers that have less than 1,000 followers, not merely by showcasing us struggling hacks but by opening windows to our souls (mind you, you might think some windows are better left shut!). Here are the rules:

1.) Link back to the person who nominated you. (very gladly Benjamin – nice blog!)

2.) Share 11 facts about yourself. (Oh, no! surely….)

3.) Answer 11 questions that were asked by the person who nominated you.

4.) Nominate 11 people who you think deserve the Liebster Award.

5.) Ask 11 questions to your nominees to answer.

6.) Ask your nominees to add that big green Leibster Award shield to their blogs (easily done – just link back tot he embedded image above or go to the original Liebster site. Wear it with pride, guys.

So, here we go:

11 facts about myself:

I am imperfect.

Above all else, I dislike pretentious people.

No matter how hard I try, I make mistakes.

I am not a tidy person.

Food is more important to me than it should be, but that isn’t about to change.

If I could I would live the rest of my life on a boat.

Childhood poverty is the ankus that prods.

I am slow to trust.

I am probably a solitary person, and only confident in my own company.

I am a writer. I have opinions. Lots of opinions.

I love my environment, but it holds me prisoner.

Now I’ll have a shot at answering Benjamin’s questions:

1 – What is your favorite memory?

When I was 17 I drove my first car to a trig point high in the hills. I sat watching a procession of thunderstorms crossing the valley. It was a new kind of freedom, just sitting alone amongst those furious clouds with nature on fire all around me.

2 – What is your favourite thing to talk about?

Oh, anything! Give me a subject and then just try and stop me!

3 – What is your favourite thing to write about (this is very different than the previous question)?

Maybe Sci-Fi? I guess that must be it. Mostly, whatever the backcloth, my work is about people. What makes us tick, what spurs the horses of the inner mind.

4 – What is your favourite thing about yourself?

I’d have to dig deep. It’s sort of negative, this, but I don’t think I’m mean. Will that do?

5 – If you could live anywhere for three months, where would it be?

On a boat! But OK, on a realistic level, if I had to choose a City it would be Amsterdam. Less realistically, Agios Stephanos, Meteora Monastery – perfect peace, perfect prospect, perfectly devoid of debt collection agencies (unless they’re sufficiently zealous to be raised five hundred feet in a bucket)!

6 – Why do you write?

I don’t think I can give a reason for this. I always have. I could no more cease writing voluntarily than cease eating (BTW, I love food!).

7 – What keeps you motivated?

Food!

8 – What type of books do you read?

Mostly classic novels: I’m just finishing Lawrence’s ‘The White Peacock’ at the moment. Before that, ‘Dombey and Son’. More modern favourites? Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Philip Pullman. Honestly, I’m not a great reader.

9 – What’s your second favourite hobby?

I don’t really have one at the moment, unless you count the family dog. In the past I’ve done scratch modelling, some DIY….

10 – Do you believe in aliens?

Yes, of course. There are millions of worlds out there, and some at least must be populated. Aliens on our world are rather doubtful, I think; though to this day I cannot understand how the crews of Apollos 11 and 12 failed to make contact with the Clangers.

11 – Tell me a story.

This needed time, but I have it for you. It is rather large, so I will post it separately. It is called ‘The Perfect Bear’.

These are my nominees for the Liebster Award. All are blogs I am privileged to follow:

Home

http://sophiesophrosyne.wordpress.com/

http://unendingreverie.wordpress.com/

http://readinginterrupted.com/

http://brotmanblog.wordpress.com/

http://bvitelli2002.wordpress.com/

http://fortyandfantastique.wordpress.com/

http://throughharoldslens.com/

http://saimaqureshi.wordpress.com/

http://mariwells.wordpress.com/

http://foretbook.wordpress.com/

And here are the questions I would like to ask them:

My Questions:

1. If you could meet a famous person from history who would it be and what one question would you like to ask them?

2. Which of the world’s wrongs do you most want to put right?

3. What is your favourite film of all time?

4. Do you believe in the supernatural?

5. What is your favourite book?

6. What is the one embarrassing moment you always remember? (It’s alright, you can lie!)

7. Describe your perfect weekend.

8. What would you like people to say about you after you’ve left the room?

9. What really, really irritates you?

10. If the entire world had to be just one colour, what would you like that colour to be?

11. What do you think your afterlife will be like?

Best wishes, fellow bloggers, and may the force be with you! My story for Benjamin, ‘The Perfect Bear’ follows.