Having spent this week recovering from another attack of pancreatitis, I was overwhelmed to find that Star of Persia had nominated me for the Liebstar Award! Please please please check out her blog as it’s fascinatingly intellectual; her pieces are a great read! This is the second nomination I’ve had since starting my website, so bear with me whilst I fangirl a little at being nominated.
I understand there are a few rules to this award, so here they are:
1. You must include a link to the person who nominated you for this award
2. There are certain questions put forward to the nominee which require answering
3. You are required to nominate up to 11 bloggers
4. Put forward 11 questions for those who are nominated by yourself
For what reason did you begin to blog?
I’ll let you into a little secret; it was never my decision to set up a blog! My colleague at the time helped me set up a WordPress blog, telling me it would boost my google ratings and make me easier to find, if one was to search my name on search engines. I went through with it after I uploaded a few of my pieces and was rewarded with a warm reception. Since then, my website and I have been inseparable 🙂
Three words to describe yourself and why?
Compassionate. Ambitious. Dedicated. If I care about someone, I make sure they’re happy no matter what. I make sure they’re aware of how loved they are; even if they’ve wronged me in anyway, I’ll forgive them. I also strive to achieve the life goals I’ve set myself; I intend on teaching abroad and I’ll do whatever I can to help make it happen! Lastly, I’m dedicated; to my degree, to the ones I love, to my blog and to my career.
Favourite place of all time?
I have to break the rules slightly and give you two favourite places as I can’t possibly decide between the two! I visited Amalfi, Italy last year and the town was beautiful. One of the best holidays I had ever been on; I had a lot going on back home in London and Italy was the perfect retreat to get my head straight. The people were lovely, the food was exceptional and the views were like no other. Highly recommend! My second favourite place has to be the Saatchi Gallery in Sloane Square, London. I visited it recently, this July, and had the most amazing time; having been three times already, the gallery never fails to appeal to the artist within me. It’s inspiring to say in the least. I also had exceptional company that day, which made it one of the best visits to Saatchi. I see the gallery as a place where social inequalities meet modern art and it never fails to fascinate me.
Foods I couldn’t live without?
Probably any kind of chicken. I’m a chicken girl. Anything chicken related
Favourite person and why?
My best friend is probably my favourite person. I only met her this year, in May actually, at work, and since we’ve started working together she’s been the one girl I couldn’t possibly live without. She’s been by my side through all my ups and downs (the latter of which there have been many, recently) and she’s the kind of person who’ll show up at my house one day after work and instantly make me feel better. We spend most of our time together and we’re off to Paris this Friday ! I adore her; she brings out the best in me and tells me everything as it is.
Favourite books?
MY FAVOURITE QUESTION SO FAR.
(a) Wide Sargasso Sea – Jean Rhys (It fills in all the gaps in Jane Eyre)
(b) The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald (Not only does the author explicitly portray life in 20’s, with it’s social class divisions and inequality, but it also takes us on a journey of a man who would do anything to be reunited with the one he loves.)
(c) Poppet – Mo Hayder (One of the most terrifying psychological thrillers I have ever set my sights on. The novel questions everything you know and kept me up for weeks)
(d) Lullabies – Lang Leav (My favourite poet; she’s contemporary, sexy and edgy: exactly like her poetry. Her book pretty much retells the journey she went on when she fell in love and lost love, too. It’s very hard not to relate to the poems she writes, with such raw agony and emotion. One of the very few books which inspired me to write poetry and shaped the way I look at society today)
(e) Lament – Maggie Stiefvater (I was a 14 year old when I first read this book, and I’ve actually started re-reading it again. This was the first book in which I fell in love with one of the protagonists and felt what it must be like to indulge in a tragic love affair with someone you couldn’t possibly have.)
If you had once chance to do anything, what would it be?
Travel back in time. For one, I would change the person I was growing up. Looking back on my time spent in high school, I was controlled by a dictator-like authoritative figure or two who made my life a living hell. I was bullied beyond belief, and if I had the chance to, I would go back and stand up for myself. Secondly, if I could go back in time, I would stay the hell away from the people who I’ve now painfully lost; the people I’ve had to sit back and watch walk out of that door, never to return. Pain makes you grow as a person, but it hurts like a bitch.
Activities I enjoy?
– Reading, although that might be a given. I’m forever being inspired by authors and the way they articulate their morals and life stories through protagonists.
– Writing, again possibly a given. Writing, for me, has been a form of therapy. It’s helped me come to terms with the health problems I have and the losses I’ve gone through. Turning someone or something into literature is quite possibly the best way of destroying them.
– Painting. I’ve intertwined this with my poetry and made a little scrapbook come art portfolio in which my inarticulate thoughts found themselves completely explicit on paper.
Biggest pet peeve?
Selfishness. I absolutely despise people who think their problems are bigger than anyone else. It’s another form of ignorance. I’ve come across too many people in life who think they’re the only ones who have suffered. Pathetic.
One thing I want to bring to people/the world’s attention?
Inequality. This branches out in so many ways; sexism, racism, gender inequality. If we learn how to tackle inequality, the world will be a peace and there would be no violence, no murders and deaths of the innocent, no genocide and no terrorism. Not enough is being done to protect those in the firing line; those vulnerable to attacks which so often go unnoticed in the media. Of course the media is our worst enemy; we don’t see what THEY don’t want us to see. Once a majority, instead of minorities who get silenced for speaking out against oppression, speaks out against the inequalities of society, we can move forward. Until then, we are trapped in a limbo of wanting to fight for our freedom but not having the manpower or the tools to do so.
If someone asked me for one piece of advice, what would it be?
Don’t look back. Ironic, considering I would love to go back in time. Move on, move forward from the person or people holding you back. We are worth so much more than the treatment we receive from the ones we hold closest to our hearts. I’ve been so deceived by people who I thought were positive influences in my life. Life is one big lesson, and we can only learn from it.
Now for my nominations! I nominate:
The questions I put forward to you all are:
- What is your blog about?
- Why did you set up a blog?
- Where are you from? (not a stalker, I promise. I have no idea where half my followers are from!)
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
- Favourite book?
- Favourite blogger?
- Who is your role model in life?
- If you could travel to one place, where would it be?
- What is your blogging goal? Whether it be followers, views, subscribers etc
- Choose one word to describe yourself, and give a reason why.
- What is your most embarrassing moment?
I apologise for not uploading the questions the first time round! I completely forgot. I hope you enjoy picking your brains as much as I did whilst answering these questions.
Thanks once again to Star of Persia for nominating me.
Have a fantastic bank holiday!
Anisah x
anisahhamid.com 