Liebster Award – Third time’s a charm

Hello peeps!

It has been a while since I last posted here on Diyalogues. Rest assured that I am alive and well and the only reason for my absence was a long Eid holiday. Needless to say we had to take advantage of the break and chose to travel for the  holidays. If you follow me on Instagram (Check out the widget in the sidebar for my latest IG posts), you already have some idea of the places we visited during this 9 day break. But more on that at a later date.

Today I am here with yet another Liebster award acceptance post. This time I was nominated by the lovely Babushka. If you are a fan of Malgudi Days you must check out her blog. Her writing evokes the same feelings of melancholy nostalgia, not to mention you will see tons of pictures of good old filter coffee. Thank you Babs for the nomination!

Once again the rules of the Liebster are:

1. Inform and thank the blogger(s) who nominated you
2. Answer the questions given to you
3. Nominate 5-11 bloggers whom you’d like to pass this award on to
4. Let your nominees know of your nominations
5. Ask them any 11 questions you’d like

 

My answers

1. What does writing mean to you?

Almost every writer I know talks about writing being a release. And I agree. It is incredibly therapeutic. But for me it is more about documenting memories. Those fleeting moments in time which if not woven within a gilded tapestry of words will disappear forever. It is about recording not just the things we saw and did but the things we felt. The emotions that cannot be captured in photographs and that color the memories we want to keep.

2. How do you break a writer’s block down?

I don’t know whether I’ve actually been writing long enough or prolifically enough to experience writer’s block. I’m not quite sure how I would handle it but I probably would just take a break and step away from writing altogether to get a fresh perspective.

3. What is your idea of a good piece of writing?

Anything that not only conveys the writer’s thoughts and feelings but also evokes the same feelings in me. I think a writer has been successful if they can excite the same feelings in a reader.

4. What are some of the things you look out for when you travel?

We will happily prioritize a leisurely meal at a street-side cafe over visiting a nearby attraction. Food can usually make or break a destination for us and is something that both the Husbter and I do not like to compromise on. We make it a point to sample as many local delicacies as possible. Even if it means having 5 meals a day instead of 3! It downright depresses us when we read about tour companies using “Indian meals included” as a USP.

5. What is/who is your favourite/best travel companion?

Had you asked me this 3 months ago, I would have defaulted to the Hubster. But having had a taste of my first solo trip, I am now narcissistic enough to think that I am my best travel buddy. Advantages include being able to leave the hotel early and on schedule (Neither of us are morning people but for some unfathomable reason I wake up before sunrise on holidays and spend an ETERNITY waiting for Hubster to wake up and get ready). No waiting for hours on end as he reads every dot and comma on the endless displays at museums. No growling out death threats as he scours online reviews for the best eatery when all I want is to grab a bite at the nearest place before I perish of hunger.

But barring all that he really is a great travel buddy. He has made so many of my dreams come true (the latest of which cost us far more than we bargained for but more on that later) and I am blessed indeed to have him.

6. When was the last time you were mesmerized, and by what?

As cheesy as it may sound, I have to say it was seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. My closest friends know how much I was dreading Paris. Unlike many other people, I have never been enamored by the city and it has never ranked very high on my travel bucket list. It was a place we were visiting solely because we found relatively cheap tickets and we intended to breeze through.

But that was before we landed in Paris. I have been converted. I get it now.

7. Describe happiness in a picture.

Further to Question 6, here is my happiness.

View this post on Instagram

We're celebrating the icon of the #cityoflove 🗼 I never quite anticipated how breathtaking she would be in person 💖 sorry for the blurry phone pic that does the real dame absolutely no justice! #iheartparis #eiffeltower #eiffel #paris #cityoflights #francetourism #worldwanderlust #travelgram #instaplans #instatravel #huffingtonpost #traveldiaries

A post shared by Diya (@diyalogues) on Jul 1, 2016 at 4:50pm PDT

 

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Now I am not going to be all Beauty Queen-y and say that I am perfect the way I am. There is a LOT I would change about myself given a chance. I guess the simplest answer would be that I wish I were more comfortable and confident in my own skin.

9. If you could give one thing about yourself to someone, what would it be?

A compassionate heart.

10. What is your go-to stress-buster?

Cross stitch. Like they say, there is nothing more relaxing than stabbing something 20,000 times!

11. Where do you go to to find peace?

My cross stitch corner. Even if I don’t put in a single stitch I occasionally like to pull out my WIP’s and just fondle them 🙂

My nominees

1. Impressions Travelogue
2. Hi There
3. Melange
4. The Wise Owl Advice
5. Weekend Avonturier

Questions to my nominees

1. Is there a story behind the name of your blog?
2. Link us up to your favorite blog post till date. Is this the post that gets the most traffic on your site?
3. Give us your top 3 tips for capturing great pictures that will make your blog shine.
4. Tell us about a time when a stranger’s kindness overwhelmed you.
5. What was your most embarrassing moment? No skipping this question please. We could all use a good laugh.
6. What is your favorite quote? Go on, inspire us!
7. Think of the person you love the most in this world. Now if you could change one thing about this person, what would it be?
8. How do you go about planning a trip? Tell us some of your favorite travel resources for planning a vacation.
9. Is there any destination you have visited that you feel was a let-down and didn’t live up to the hype?
10. Is there any destination that has taken you by surprise and exceeded your expectations?
11. What is your ultimate holiday destination and if you haven’t been there already, why not?

Until next time!