The Introduction
I've been nominated for this award! By my Mum! This is a true measurement of my accomplishments as a person and therefore this post will be illustrated by pictures of me looking intelligent/virtuous/clever/wise/contributor to society. You are welcome. Tip your waitresses.
The Libester is a lovely idea. It is such a good way to share coverage of your hard writing work and a nice way for readers to find unexpected new subjects and writers to enjoy. For example, my nomination for the award (which I hereby accept with much gratitude through the completion of this very post) came from a very similar blog by a very similar Higham. My mother moved to Boston and in her Blog moraginboston (a far more concise, appropriate and less frivolous name than whatever nonsense I came up with) also concerns her experiences living for the first time on a new continent. It was, however nominated by the writer of a blog about being a young mother experiencing the joys of parenthood and my blog will lead onto a film fanatic’s life’s work, so the opportunity to discover some new and unexpected subjects and viewpoints through the Libester is at least noteworthy.
My own blog WesterthanWest or West of the West or What I Did in my Gap Yah by Stephen Higham Aged 22 was started because of immense guilt. After a month in China, I began to feel pressures to record some of my experiences when I read the excellent work of my far more prolific co-workers (and friends?) Lettice and Aimee. I wanted some sort of record of my time here, perhaps attractively packaged to appeal to potential employers. Aimee and Lettice were doing a great job of documenting individual events that had happened to us, Lettice by day and Aimee by episodes of interest so I didn’t want to just repeat things that they were saying. My blog, the last to start and sparsest in terms of content, would contain more general essays separated into theme or subject matter. It would be released once per month and each post would contain 2000 words so, at the end I would have a novella-length musing on the English-Scotsman in China and the quirks and observations that he found, a bit like Robert Louis Stevenson’s Edinburgh Picturesque Notes but less eloquent and that. And maybe, for that matter not at all like Edinburgh Picturesque Notes as I haven’t read it yet.
What is the Liebster Award?
The Liebster Award 2016 is an award that exists only on the internet, and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.
The Official Rules of the Liebster Award 2016
If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award AND YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:
The Liebster Award 2016 is an award that exists only on the internet, and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.
The Official Rules of the Liebster Award 2016
If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award AND YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:
1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog. Try to include a little promotion for the person who nominated you. They will thank you for it and those who you nominate will also help you out as well.
2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.) Images can be found here
3. For the 2016 Liebster Award write a 150-300 word post about your favourite blog that is not your own. Explain why you like the blog, provide links.
4. Provide 10 random facts about yourself. This year this is optional. If you wish to engage with your readers it’s a great idea to include random facts about you.
6. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 200 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!) (Behold below where I break this rule. One of my favourite Blogs has been entirely removed from the internet and the other one I read nominated me for this.)
7. List these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here or this site) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:
8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post or this site.
Thanks for My Nomination
Special thanks to Mum, or "Mummy" to close acquaintances, for this nomination. I remember the inception of your Blog moraginboston. You, elder sister Lucy and I were sitting around the breakfast table* and you said a number of people had mentioned the idea of you starting one but you didn’t know how or what to write. I knew exactly how but the “what to write” came entirely from you.
Do you remember those group emails or letters all of the Mums would send at Christmas and New Years time? You know, the ones that showed their children looking like Mini-Boden models sailing ships and climbing mountains and showing off pearly white teeth. They would have names like “Keeping Up With the Joneses” or “What’s Going On with the Watsons?”; “A Sit-Down with the Silkies” and they contained paragraphs and paragraphs of descriptions of their protégés’ achievements throughout the year.
TheFilmology is the passion project of one of the most interesting and opinionated people I know, Mariana. It was a great privilege that I was invited to contribute to it over the course of a couple of years in University (one that I squandered through laziness.) Mariana’s work is as idiosyncratic as she is. It conveys strong opinions about Benedict Cumberbatch, Jennifer Lawrence, Star Trek Into Darkness, John Carpenter and the current state of cinema at present but most importantly what always shines through is an upbeat appreciation for the medium that she has dedicated her studies to. Recently Mariana shared her thoughts on 31 Hallowe’en-themed movies with a few paragraphs on each of the films that she viewed as a Halloween movie marathon – one for each day in October. Her descriptions are brief but insightful and fun to read.
2. For my dissertation, I bit off more than I could chew with an ill-defined look at narrative construction in documentary film. My special skill at university – bullshitting – turned against me at the final hurdle as I bull-shat my way through my dissertation meetings with the talented published author who was my supervisor. I bullshat to the point where I think she truly believed that I knew what I was doing.
3. I have been to five cities in Japan but I can never remember all of their names at once. I can usually remember Tokyo and Hiroshima but if I remember Kyoto and Osaka I normally forget the name of Sendai. Wait… unless it was maybe six cities?
4. I have an unhealthy love of the Tex-Mex food sensation that’s sweeping the nation. I could probably point to all of the outlets that sell burritos in the city of Edinburgh on a map and give you a detailed comparison of the pros and cons of texture, flavour, ingredients and hot-sauce available on the premises.
5. I am currently participating in NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month which is a website that encourages the discipline of writing 1666 words per day, mostly for the sake of a novel but in this case I’m working on a variety of projects. By the end of the month I hope to have a number of blog-posts completed and hopefully a couple of interconnected short stories.
7. I don’t react well to stress, I lose sleep, worry incessantly about tiny details and can make myself physically ill so my time working at Greggs, which was the busiest in the city of Edinburgh and corresponded on my timeline with the writing of my dissertation, a deeply unpleasant disintegration of a friendship group and the impending dread of what to do after graduation, is the time I consider to be the hardest of my life. Not necessarily the worst though.
8. I have been working as an EFL teacher for the past seven weeks but I am almost entirely sure that after this year I will never want to teach again. I may only work part time hours but the stress, and the worrying about whether I am doing a good job, about what to teach next, is full time.
10. I want to hug Captain America.
Blogs I nominate for the Liebster Award 2016
Mariana at https://thefilmology.wordpress.com/about/
Aimee at https://aimeetravelsblog.wordpress.com/author/aimeetravelsblog/
Lettice at https://letticew.wordpress.com/category/volunteer-stories/
Special thanks to Mum, or "Mummy" to close acquaintances, for this nomination. I remember the inception of your Blog moraginboston. You, elder sister Lucy and I were sitting around the breakfast table* and you said a number of people had mentioned the idea of you starting one but you didn’t know how or what to write. I knew exactly how but the “what to write” came entirely from you.
Do you remember those group emails or letters all of the Mums would send at Christmas and New Years time? You know, the ones that showed their children looking like Mini-Boden models sailing ships and climbing mountains and showing off pearly white teeth. They would have names like “Keeping Up With the Joneses” or “What’s Going On with the Watsons?”; “A Sit-Down with the Silkies” and they contained paragraphs and paragraphs of descriptions of their protégés’ achievements throughout the year.
You took to sending similar letters out with pictures of your children which were probably identical in your eyes but looked very different to us. Stephen with his fat tummy pushing against the buttons of a polyester shirt next to Lucy who had blinked at the moment the photograph was taken and Annie picking her nose standing in front of a Weatherspoon’s. You wrote things like
“We’re all really happy. We go to James Gillespies now and the children are all really happy. Andy’s still working and I’m now teaching at nursery school. Lucy went into second year and likes basketball. Stephen is now in primary seven and sings in lots of choirs and Annie’s wobbly tooth came out.”
At the time I was mortified to think of people reading those words and looking at those pictures but upon reflection and with age I saw that it wasn't about me at all. People love you, your unquenchable optimism and your ability to un-cynically appreciate the events in your life, to over-look the imperfections and celebrate the things that matter to you. This was what people would miss most about you. I knew that an embarrassing family letter was exactly what I would want to read from you when we spent a year apart so I just said, Treat it like a group email. Just write what you would write to any one of your friends but invite them all to read it. And I think your first post was exactly like that, it was exactly what I expected but over the past few months your blog has become something even better.
“We’re all really happy. We go to James Gillespies now and the children are all really happy. Andy’s still working and I’m now teaching at nursery school. Lucy went into second year and likes basketball. Stephen is now in primary seven and sings in lots of choirs and Annie’s wobbly tooth came out.”
At the time I was mortified to think of people reading those words and looking at those pictures but upon reflection and with age I saw that it wasn't about me at all. People love you, your unquenchable optimism and your ability to un-cynically appreciate the events in your life, to over-look the imperfections and celebrate the things that matter to you. This was what people would miss most about you. I knew that an embarrassing family letter was exactly what I would want to read from you when we spent a year apart so I just said, Treat it like a group email. Just write what you would write to any one of your friends but invite them all to read it. And I think your first post was exactly like that, it was exactly what I expected but over the past few months your blog has become something even better.
Your second-to-last post about Fall in America was my favourite. Even though the fundamental format was the same – a series of thoughts about events in recent weeks – the writing was richer and the descriptions captivating. I could smell the leaves and the cold October wind on my face. You mentioned possibly giving up on the blog because you weren’t sure how many people were reading it. I would implore you not to! It is a lovely memento and keepsake in its own right. If your writing keeps developing as it has done then the Blog will be something really special.
My Favourite Blogs
I am not much of a blog-aficionado. I love the idea of blogs, much like I love the idea of going for a run every morning. I feel as though the discipline of recording one’s thoughts and feelings, of reflecting on something in their life in that way can be beneficial in so many ways but I never sit down and think Man, I really want to read about someone else’s views on the newest Modern Art Installation in the MOMA.
My Favourite Blogs
I am not much of a blog-aficionado. I love the idea of blogs, much like I love the idea of going for a run every morning. I feel as though the discipline of recording one’s thoughts and feelings, of reflecting on something in their life in that way can be beneficial in so many ways but I never sit down and think Man, I really want to read about someone else’s views on the newest Modern Art Installation in the MOMA.
With Blogs, the most important thing is that one writes for themselves and so in a way it doesn’t matter what FrankieLovesMovies thinks about Transformers 5 because what is important is MY relationship with Transformers 5. I am just as important an audience member as FrankieLovesMovies so instead of reading her views on the film I would gain so much more by writing down my own! Not to gain fame or fortune or anything but because it is a way for ME to appreciate the sensations and manipulations of Transformers 5. For that reason all of my favourite blogs are by people whose views I do care about because I know them and I like them. Here are three.
TheFilmology is the passion project of one of the most interesting and opinionated people I know, Mariana. It was a great privilege that I was invited to contribute to it over the course of a couple of years in University (one that I squandered through laziness.) Mariana’s work is as idiosyncratic as she is. It conveys strong opinions about Benedict Cumberbatch, Jennifer Lawrence, Star Trek Into Darkness, John Carpenter and the current state of cinema at present but most importantly what always shines through is an upbeat appreciation for the medium that she has dedicated her studies to. Recently Mariana shared her thoughts on 31 Hallowe’en-themed movies with a few paragraphs on each of the films that she viewed as a Halloween movie marathon – one for each day in October. Her descriptions are brief but insightful and fun to read.
AimeeTravelsBlog is a good laugh and contains some horrible pictures of me that you will not find on my Facebook wall. I enjoy reading about her views on our shared adventures and am always amazed at how many facts and details she remembers. It won’t just appeal to people who were there or who know Aimee personally, as it is well written and replicates her thousand-words-a-minute friendliness with uncanny aplomb.
LetticeTravels completes the triumvirate of Duyun teachers’ China Blogs but it is also a treasure-trove of stories of Lettice’s considerable list of achievements. Besides the seven entries into the China section of the Blog which includes day-by-day recordings of our time here, as well as some fantastic photos the blog features recordings of her time in Nigeria, South America and Austria as well as her training for running and swimming – admirable. Lettice also hosts a radio show about volunteering and all 14 episodes to date are archived there.
Ten Random Facts About Me
1. I studied English Literature and Film at Edinburgh Napier University and received a 2.1 for my troubles.
Ten Random Facts About Me
1. I studied English Literature and Film at Edinburgh Napier University and received a 2.1 for my troubles.
2. For my dissertation, I bit off more than I could chew with an ill-defined look at narrative construction in documentary film. My special skill at university – bullshitting – turned against me at the final hurdle as I bull-shat my way through my dissertation meetings with the talented published author who was my supervisor. I bullshat to the point where I think she truly believed that I knew what I was doing.
3. I have been to five cities in Japan but I can never remember all of their names at once. I can usually remember Tokyo and Hiroshima but if I remember Kyoto and Osaka I normally forget the name of Sendai. Wait… unless it was maybe six cities?
4. I have an unhealthy love of the Tex-Mex food sensation that’s sweeping the nation. I could probably point to all of the outlets that sell burritos in the city of Edinburgh on a map and give you a detailed comparison of the pros and cons of texture, flavour, ingredients and hot-sauce available on the premises.
5. I am currently participating in NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month which is a website that encourages the discipline of writing 1666 words per day, mostly for the sake of a novel but in this case I’m working on a variety of projects. By the end of the month I hope to have a number of blog-posts completed and hopefully a couple of interconnected short stories.
6. I have had only two proper jobs in my life, this teaching job in China and a short, four-month stint in Greggs the Bakers.
7. I don’t react well to stress, I lose sleep, worry incessantly about tiny details and can make myself physically ill so my time working at Greggs, which was the busiest in the city of Edinburgh and corresponded on my timeline with the writing of my dissertation, a deeply unpleasant disintegration of a friendship group and the impending dread of what to do after graduation, is the time I consider to be the hardest of my life. Not necessarily the worst though.
8. I have been working as an EFL teacher for the past seven weeks but I am almost entirely sure that after this year I will never want to teach again. I may only work part time hours but the stress, and the worrying about whether I am doing a good job, about what to teach next, is full time.
9. Before 2014 I had little interest in politics and couldn't tell my right from my left (wing) until a combination of watching the BBC's The Thick of It and the Scottish Independence Referendum made following the ins-and-outs of Westminster an obsession of mine. I was happier not knowing how the world works.
10. I want to hug Captain America.
Blogs I nominate for the Liebster Award 2016
Mariana at https://thefilmology.wordpress.com/about/
Aimee at https://aimeetravelsblog.wordpress.com/author/aimeetravelsblog/
Lettice at https://letticew.wordpress.com/category/volunteer-stories/
*What a comfortable Summer, even if I was fraught with nerves and having emotional breakdowns every couple of days... So uncomfortable, I guess.
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