I took a well-deserved break from blogging lately. Yes, well-deserved, well … according to me anyway. Things have been hectic, with homeschooling, piano lessons, Kumon math, soccer, boy scouts and girl scouts, traveling to the North to see my parents, and then … the holidays.
So I hadn’t written anything for two months, made no effort to keep up with anyone’s blogging for even longer. Here is the thing, taking a break was nice and easy, but getting back to the routine of blogging was hard. Let’s not forget an equally important factor: my enthusiasm of blogging was slowly but surely wearing off.
So back to the point of getting back to blogging. It felt like climbing up a hill, one step forward and two steps backward kind of thing.
I felt I needed a push, a reason to keep moving forward instead of stopping at the same place; I needed someone to tell me she likes my writing. An award would be nice, for example. An inner voice kept shouting out …
That came yesterday!
I got this email, a comment actually nominating me for a Liester award. Even though I had no idea what this award is, I was as happy as a kid in a candy store. Who wouldn’t be? No matter how big or small this award is, someone likes my writing. I have a fan! That made me feel special.
So what is this award? For those of you who had no idea what it is, it is an award for those bloggers with 200 followers or less. “Liebster” means favorite or beloved in German, and this award helps to draw attention to blogs that aren’t too well known. In order to accept the award, you have to pass it on to a few fellow bloggers. Multilingual Mama has nominated me as one of her favorite bloggers. If you don’t know her, please check out her site. She is absolutely fantastic! I’m honored she likes my blog and actually thinks I qualify for it. Thanks Condelia!
So here we go with the rules:
- When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself
- Answer the 11 questions from the person who nominated you
- Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (while making sure you notify the blogger that you nominated them!)
- You write up 11 NEW questions directed towards YOUR nominees.
- You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated your own blog!
So here are the 11 Random Facts about me …
- I LOVE traveling. I can pack my bag, hop on a plane for anywhere.
- Living in China has been such a wonderful experience. I never thought I would be in China again after marrying an American and living in the U.S. for over two decades.
- I love meeting new people, even though I am really bad at it.
- Walking is my all time favorite exercise.
- When we first moved to Shanghai, I bought myself two “fake” jackets, and I really regret it!
- I am fascinated by the cycle of life.
- I used to have AMAZING hair that made all my friends jealous. Whether it’s old age, child bearing, or Shanghai’s hot hot summer and humidity, it’s just not the same these days. I don’t want to look at pictures of me from five years ago because I’m so jealous of my former self.
- I am a vegetarian, but I love the pungent seafood smell. I can wander in a seafood market for hours, inhaling big gulp of this strange comfort it brings.
- I used to be deathly scared of snakes, including rubber ones. I am better now, but they still give me goosebumps.
- I hate Shanghai’s heat and humidity in the summer. It melts me and destroys me.
- My ideal day would be coffee and a good book.
Phew! And now the questions I’ve been asked to answer …
- What are you reading now?
Tuesdays with Morrie. It is a very touching little book about a young man, a dying old man and life’s greatest lesson. - Where would you live and why?
Probably still Chicago, Illinois. I lived there for fifteen years and still find it the right mix of city living, awe-inspiring architecture, with enough public parks providing an oasis in the heart of this big city. - What is the one piece advice you would give your teenage self if you could?
To believe in myself more. My teenage years was spent right after the Cultural Revolution, when China was recovering from the devastating chaos and destruction. Schools and colleges were re-opened. Going to college was considered the only way out of hardship. Like many other high school graduates, I was a nervous wreck, constantly worrying about the possibility of not being able to be accepted and what my future would be like. - Pirate or Ninja?
Definitely Ninjia. They are cool. - What gives you goosebumps?
Anything deeply touching. And snakes. - What are you most proud of?
My children. Cliché or not, they ARE the best thing that happened to me. - What is the most beautiful song you’ve ever heard?
Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water. - What makes your hackles rise?
When someone stares in my face for thirty minutes straight and makes me feel like a hairy monkey in a zoo. Oh yes, in Shanghai people do that. - What is the thing you wish you could have said but didn’t?
Can’t think of any on this one. - Who do you admire most?
People who overcome the most adversities in life and rise to success. - If you could be reincarnated and chose any talent or career, what would it be?
To be a better writer.
11 Questions for my nominees to answer…
- Why did you start blogging?
- What is your favorite childhood memory?
- What are the qualities you look for in a friend?
- If there was one word you could choose from the dictionary, which word would it be to best describe yourself?
- What is your favorite city to live in and why?
- What would be the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
- What do you admire most about yourself?
- What would you like to change about yourself?
- What is the most-played family game(s) in your collection?
- Throughout your life, what would you say is the most important lesson you’ve learned so far?
- Who or what has been the biggest influence throughout your life?
And my 11 Nominees in no particular order are…
- http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com
- http://keepingitrealmom.com
- http://madeahuman.wordpress.com
- http://wordifications.wordpress.com
- http://incaseimgone.com
- http://fieryriver.wordpress.com
- http://talleypcb.wordpress.com
- http://earlychildhoodhomeschooling.wordpress.com
- http://terrikenworthy.wordpress.com
- http://farrarwilliams.wordpress.com
- http://lakenormanprep.wordpress.com
I wish you all a very happy new year!
What a wonderful post-Christmas or pre-New Year’s surprise. I’m humbled by the award. My coincidence, my partner is of German descent so that German based award name, is appropriate in a personal sense to me. I’m also slothful to get my butt of naming others. (I’ve participated in other awards nominations in the past and have posted selections…).
Before I at least answer your questions to do half-justice for the award, just want to say: I think you’re a closet writer with a natural writing ability but living in slight denial about this.
Ok? 
1. Why did you start blogging?
To record what it was like to live an Olympic city, Vancouver BC when the Olympics were occurring. Then my blogging evolved down a personal route. More details also about my symbiotic relationship between 2 passions –blogging and cycling: http://onecoolsitebloggingtips.com/2011/11/21/blogging-and-cycling-its-like-a-drug/
Now I tend to treat blogging as an opportunity to share some thoughts and photos of wonderful things I’ve seen. It is a sort of legacy I do want to leave in particular, with others who know me. Maybe I’ll rant on various topics later, but I haven’t yet. I just haven’t touched controversial topics that are closer to my heart: race relations, feminism….rather right now, it is integrated in what I write about what I do, occasionally observe in Asian-Canadian cultural history/memory, etc. (Does that make sense??) I just want to BE simply me in on my blog, not to defend, apologize for who I am.
2. What is your favorite childhood memory? Autumn days of fiery fall colour trees on my childhood street in Ontario. I loved my bedroom that was in front a maple tree that turned golden every fall. I dream of those golden times.
3. What are the qualities you look for in a friend? Compassion, patience, respect and humour.
4. If there was one word you could choose from the dictionary, which word would it be to best describe yourself? Introspective.
5. What is your favorite city to live in and why? Vancouver BC. You get mountains, ocean and milder Canadian weather, plus temperate rainforests with soaring old growth trees in parks. Also quite cosmopolitan city reflected in its local population: it is Canada’s Pacific Rim city.
6. What would be the first thing you would do if you won the lottery? Go back to Vancouver more often.
7. What do you admire most about yourself? Slowly gaining courage to speak up, returning to cycling at mid-life (my early 30′s), make major life changes, some of which not totally welcome and making the best of it. (ie. I’m living in Alberta only because I got a good job offer. It has been tougher adjustment than Vancouver or Toronto where latter I lived for over 25 yrs.)
8. What would you like to change about yourself? Step up more to make more friends for every new city I move to. It gets more complicated as one gets older!
9. What is the most-played family game(s) in your collection? I never really played much card games nor board games. I was abit of an eldest hermit child (of 6 children). I think I got tired of playing with younger siblings …because I was supposed to be babysitting at the same time!
10. Throughout your life, what would you say is the most important lesson you’ve learned so far? Cultivate peace and strength in your heart and mind. It will come in time. Just be patient with self. Being angry continuously can be real energy sucking and wasteful of precious time on earth.
11. Who or what has been the biggest influence throughout your life? My immigrant parents who have made my life and my siblings’ lives, possible for all its benefits possible here in Canada. I was born in Canada and will most likely be here for the rest of my life. By comparing my life against cousins who have immigrated from mainland China over the past 20 yrs., I know how incredibly fortunate my life has been even though we did live in poverty in Canada with father as a restaurant cook and only breadwinner for a large family and wife.
My best wishes for satisfying blogging journey and life’s travels now and beyond into 2013. Ma
Hi Jean,
I totally get it it is some work to name other bloggers, 11 of them! When I was nominated, i was also hesitant whether or not to participate. My initial reaction was no, but while I was writing the piece, I ended up enjoying it. So maybe you are going to do more than answering the questions? If not, that’s totally fine.
Wish you a very happy 2013 and looking forward to many more of your wonderful posts!
This is so cool Jiawei! I enjoyed reading the facts about you and learning that you liked the seafood smell. Didn’t know THAT about you and reading about the hairy monkey in the zoo made me laugh out loud. Also, the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Album is one of our favorite people of all time. From another of his books, I learned to tell the people I love ‘I love you everyday’. May this nomination give you the motivation to keep blogging. And don’t forget that….
I love you everyday
Aixa
Thanks, Aixa. Your Shanghai time was waaaay too short, that we didn’t even have time to talk about the seafood smell and the constant stare! I miss our face time a lot, friend!
Jiawei, I’m so glad you are back to blogging. I LOVE your voice. “I’m jealous of my former self.” That line cracked me up. I know exactly what you mean about taking a needed break from blogging and then finding it hard to get back into. I am enjoying writing again, but I’m finding it nearly impossible to keep up with other people’s blogs, and I feel bad about that.
Thanks for that sweet note, Susan. I wanted to nominate you for the Liebster Award, then found out you have waaaaay too many followers to quality!
Yes, I am slowly getting back to blogging, and will be enjoying your wonderful posts as I always do!
Sometimes it’s good to take a break. Glad you’re back, though, my friend!
Me, too!