Liebster Award

Hello, fellow mad and unmad ones. I want to talk a bit about 2013, because we have to get all sentimental amd reflective over the passing year. And a little about 2014 and what kind of year it’ll be. But first, let me talk Liebster Award.

So this award is a blogging award where bloggers nominate each other and give them questions to answer and pass on. It’s a community gem more than anything; a way of appreciating the blogging family by the ones who know them best. I was nominated by Chynna and I thank you, my whovian friend. The whole idea is to answer the 11 questions your nominator has put to you, and then come up with your own for 5 of your own nominees. So here’s my answers.

1. Do you believe in Karma or fate?
I believe in karma only in the sense of consequence. If you do something, there will always be a response to that, a reaction. You do a bad thing, you will get a negative result. I don’t believe the world or nature judges your actions and thinks “I need to get them back for that”. Neither do I think it carries through to other lives. It’s more like what you put in,  you get out. And I know there are a lot of people you hear about who have got good things from bad deeds, like for example a business man becoming rich after conning people out of money, but even they have negative implications, ie, they will not be trusted by people, they will not be liked. And on the question of fate, I do not give much to the idea. The only possible explanation of a life predestined, I believe, is through way of genetics which may in fact describe absolutely everything of a person including their free will amd responses, and will therefore take the form of fate. Otherwise, we are in control of ourselves and all that happens is as a result of the situation we find ourselves interacting with, which is the meeting point of infinite other occurences. Now, breathe.

2. Do you have any special traditions for Christmas?
Aside from the usual (of opening presents and christmas dinner), not really. We’re a non religious family, but appreciate the good will, warmth and gesture of Christmas.

3. What are your plans for new year’s eve?
I’m going to a friends party. It’s their birthday on the 1st, so its doubling up as a new year birthday party. It’s quite an unfortunate birthday to have really. But I have the perfect present for her, which I can’t talk about for concern that she may read this.

4. What’s the last film you saw at the cinema?
Catching fire. The hunger games. It was brilliant. Although it may not have been a standalone story as ive heard some people complain, I’ve seen it twice and enjoyed it both times. It leaves you wanting murderously to see the next one.

5. What are you looking forward to in 2014?
Yes, I get to do this bit now! I’m looking forward to fresh starts, and new pursuits and motivation and new knowledge. It’s a year of the new. I’ll be leaving sixth form for good next year and starting a kind of new life. It’s all so exciting! I’m also becoming an adult officially, which is weird. I’m looking forward to making the acquaintance of 2014!

6. What’s your dream holiday like?
It depends. I’m not huge on heat or blaring sun or swimming or sand or wearing skirts and dresses. So, as you’d imagine, there are plenty of options! Nah, the things I like about holidays is the culture, a new place, food (of course), quaint architecture, language, warm breezes and the sound of the sea. So maybe a village in Italy with a portable fan would do the trick.

7. If you could live wherever you’d like to, where would you go?
London. That’s where I’m aiming to go soon. I know its expensive, but its worth it to me. There’s something about london that I like and want to find out about. The problem is I really want to live everywhere just to experience it. A european country would be cool for a bit, like France and Spain. Ive heard Dublin is pretty nice. Bath in UK is nice. America… ok ok I’ll stop now.

8. What is your favourite icecream flavour?
Mint choc chip or vanilla. I know, how dull. But I don’t like the artificial taste of chocolate or fruits. I suppose if ice cream flavours represented your personality, then I would be plain, boring and maybe a tad minty. Hmm maybe that’s true.

9. What’s the last concert you went to?
I went to see Gabrielle Aplin – hear me out on this one – whilst she was still just a successful youtuber in a little bar about 10 metres wide. I booked a month before the release of her John Lewis christmas song and on the day of the gig it was out and reached number 5. It felt pretty awesome at the time as that will have been the last small event she did. I liked her original stuff, but obviously now she’s popular, she’s too busy for youtube now so im not as much of a fan. If I go to gigs they are usually tiny as I like obscure sort of people, so I don’t go a lot.

10. What’s your family like?
It’s my parents and me. I’m an only child. And yes, it can be lonely as an only child. I remember wanting a sibling until I was 12 years old, and then I got used to the idea of being generally spoilt. I learnt a lot about keeping myself entertained and to enjoy being independent and mildly reclusive. But recently, I’ve found my old loneliness has come back to say hello and I sit wondering about having siblings, or even wanting to have someone else there. I love my parents to bits of course, and am so lucky to have people who love me as much as they do.

11. Which languages would you like to learn?
All of them. Literally, if I could learn all the languages and not have my head explode, I would. But if I must choose realistically *sigh*… then I’d love to be fluent in Spanish as I studied it through school and loved it. And after that, Bengali (because it’s my mum’s and grandparent’s first language), French and Italian.

Here endeth the answers. Now, these are my questions for my nominated people.

1. What's the story behind your blog name?
2. Which food cuisine is your favourite?
3. If you could meet and talk to anyone in history, who would it be and what would be your first question to them?
4. Who is your favourite actor/actress?
5. Would you ever adopt children?
6. Do you have any new year resolutions?
7. What's your occupation?
8. Is there a film you've been meaning to watch?
9. What would your dream flat/house be like?
10. What do you like most about where you live?
11. What dream are you currently pursuing (small or big) (if any)?

I hereby nominate the following 5 people: Kya, Cami, Nancy, Chester and Holly. All you need to do is answer the 11 questions above and nominate your own 5 people with your own 11 questions. If you really don’t want to do it though, you can reject the award, otherwise, blog away, my friends!

Finally, and I won’t keep you much longer, I want to talk 2013. This is the very last day of 2013, and probably by the time this is read, it’ll be into 2014. The past year has been a difficult one. I spent many months demotivated, out of ideas, and with a lack of hope for the future – for reasons too long to delve into if you haven’t read about them before – and at some time in the middle, tragic unexpected events hit before my exams, throwing my future into a kind of imbalance. I’m very lucky the damage wasn’t worse after this entire year and that now, coming through that, I have a chance to put everything back to what it needs to be. And I think that’s probably the key to bad things; you have to react to them in a very determined way. 2014 is an opportunity to react, and I intend to give my very best to try and do that.

It’s been a roller coaster year, and to be honest, I’ve probably learnt a lot about life from it. There’s been both terrible and incredible things happening, but isn’t that always the way within their own extremes? In the new year, I have no doubt it’ll be a unique one. I have final year exams and I leave sixth form, and I have huge plans for the summer. So, for all of us, may 2014 be an exciting one and may you all be happy!

EDIT // I posted my Sherlock Series 3 Review earlier. // EDIT