Thank you Demilade and Elise for tagging me! It’s been two years since I’ve participated in this tag. I remember that these used to be super popular, and I guess they’ve come back around!
Rules
- Thank the person who nominated you.
- Answer the questions the nominator asked.
- Nominate (and notify) 11 other bloggers for the award who have fewer than 500 followers.
- Compile your own list of 11 questions for them.
- List these rules on your post.
Demilade’s questions
Why did you start blogging?
During my junior year of high school, I spent a lot of time on Tumblr. But after awhile, I got tired of seeing the same recycled/reblogged content, and I got tired of how hungry everyone was for reblogs and likes. I wanted to start creating my own unique content.
At the beginning of my senior year of high school, someone I followed on Tumblr (Kevin) started a lifestyle blogging network and I joined. Kevin blogs about interior design at Thou Swell.
Biggest lesson blogging has taught you?
Inspiration is everywhere. There’s always something to learn and/or love.
That I have the capability to pursue completely self-motivated projects. It all depends on whether or not I’m actually passionate and care about that project. There have been so many times I’ve said, “Oh I can’t do that on my own. I need a class or a tutor or something to tell me what to do and keep me on track.” (Especially for learning new languages.)
What are some principles you live by?
I don’t really think about this on a regular basis, because a lot of the things I live by are so ingrained in me from my parents.
To always work hard (or at least to work hard while we’re young so that we can live good lives when we’re older). My mom says that worse than being dumb and hardworking is being smart and lazy.
Something I try to remind myself of is to always be moving: “Be not afraid of moving slowly; be only afraid of standing still.”
And also to have passion and purpose: “Rest in reason, move in passion.”
What are some of your best self-care practices?
Sleep. Shower. Drink water. I tend to forget to do these things sometimes… But they make all the difference!
A book you recommend everyone to read?
Oh this is hard! Everyone needs something different, everyone favours different genres, and it depends on what the current issues are at that time (although if someone else has a book recommendation that’s foolproof for everyone, I’d love to hear!). I suppose everyone would benefit from reading some nonfiction, and everyone should be a feminist, so maybe Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay.
Your favourite comfort food and why?
煎饼！It tastes delicious and it’s so cheap! There was a 煎饼 stand right outside my school that I would go to at least once every week during my senior year of high school. And actually, the only detention I ever got was because I “left campus” for 煎饼 one fateful day of my junior year.
Unfortunately, since it’s street food, it’s hard to find outside of China. There’s a Mr. Bing in NYC, but it’s waaaaay overpriced.
There was one time during my freshman year of college when I got homesick because the dining halls hadn’t had any good food for awhile so I was just eating bad pizza every day for every meal. To soothe myself, I watched a video of someone making 煎饼 on Youtube.
One thing you wish you could tell your younger self?
Make more art, love more people, try different things. (Is this too many things? Am I cheating?)
Or: Be more physically active and sleep more. (Maybe I’d grow taller.)
One thing you want to achieve before the year runs out?
I’m taking it one day at a time man… I’m looking forward to finishing my senior thesis, but I also have no choice but to.
There are definitely things I want to do, but I don’t really have one huge goal I’m working toward. Maybe I should o.o. I mean… find a job?
The small things I want to do are spend more time with my friends and explore Philly with them before we all leave for different places, to participate in more local blogger events, and to be a good student and get good sleep and not rush everything the days or nights before they’re due.
Dream holiday destination and why?
I guess it depends on what holiday. For Christmas, I’ve always wanted a white Christmas and to be in a city/country that widely celebrates Christmas. Germany?
But also I feel like everyone has been visiting Iceland and now I wanna go.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Maybe slow walkers?? Especially if they take up a lot of space on the walkway… I have places to go!!
What’s your morning routine like?
Now that school has started, I don’t think that I have a regular morning routine anymore; it all depends on what work I have. Sometimes I’ll sleep in until 10:00AM or 11:00AM. Sometimes a friend and I will randomly decide to swim that morning, so I’ll wake up at 7:00AM. Sometimes I make bad decisions and Netflix until 3:00AM and don’t wake up until noon.
For the most part, I try to wake up by 9:00AM, ideally 8:00AM. If I’m having a hard time getting up, I’ll play some music, and that usually helps. I have a lot of leeway with what time I wake up, because my earliest class is 11:30AM, which is twice a week, and then on my other days, my first classes are at 1:30PM and 7:00PM.
I try to never skip breakfast and I’ve been pretty successful, though they’re not always the healthiest breakfasts. If I need it, I’ll run down to the coffee shop just a minute from my apartment to grab a latte, though I try not to do this too regularly because $$$! (I’ll probably do this 2x/week, but if I don’t get coffee in the morning, I’ll most likely get some later in the day.)
Then I’ll either run to class or do some work before running to class.
Elise’s questions
What is your favourite dessert of all time and where do you usually get it from?
焗荔茸西米布甸 (baked mashed taro sago pudding) from Honeymoon Dessert! Whenever I’m at Honeymoon Dessert (which isn’t often enough), I always eat one there and buy one or two more to-go.
If someone confronted you aggressively in public, what would you do?
Oh dear, I’m terrible with confrontation. Run away?? I guess it depends on the situation.
What would your last meal be?
Some kind of brunch. Idk… I don’t think I’d be super particular because I’ll be dead anyway. Oh wait oooh, I’d like to have bubble tea. But also, I always want to have bubble tea. Ooh maybe 煎饼 too.
What would you do if you wake up the next day and realize that you are no longer in your own body but someone else’s?
It depends in whose body. If the person was a regular person I knew, I’d probably call them up and be like wtf help and then figure out a game plan for the day.
Actually, honestly I’d probably hide.
If I was Beyonce I’d just sing to myself.
Ice cream, gelato, sorbet or frozen yogurt and why.
Gelato. I like creamier textures.
Favorite ice cream flavour, please.
Moose tracks. I didn’t discover this flavour until seeing it at my college dining hall! During my freshman year, I’d text my friend whenever there was moose tracks at the dining hall, and she’d do the same for me!
If you could travel back in time, to which era would you go back to and why?
Idk… I’m not super into history… If I could travel back in time, I’d probably travel back to some time earlier in my life. Maybe to change something. But also, I’m scared of changing something in the past because who knows what chain of events that will set off for my future?? I’m quite content where I am. Well, there are places I’d rather be. But I’m quite content with who I am.
Name one movie that means a lot to you and why.
I’ve always loved A Little Princess (1995). I admire Sara’s kindness and imagination.
Do you play any video games? If yes, tell me about it!
No ): I got my brothers to teach me how to play Super Smash Bros this past summer though! I suck at it but I can move and sometimes attack.
Your Pottermore house, wand, and patronus because I’m nosy like that. If you are not a Potterhead, I’d love to know your MBTI personality instead.
It’s been years since I’ve taken the MBTI personality test, but I was INTJ when I took it! I think it’s still pretty accurate.
And I just signed up for Pottermore and took all the quizzes. My house is Gryffindor (Woaaah. I mean, I always wanted to be, but I don’t know if I’m worthy. But also, did I only want to be because the main characters were in Gryffindor??). My wand is acacia wood with a phoenix feather core, 9 ¾” and quite bendy flexibility (I don’t know what this means). My patronus is a hedgehog (omggg).
What is the one advice you want everybody to know?
I don’t think I’m in a position to give everyone advice, but as a college senior, if I were giving advice to a college freshman, I’d say to try different things, even if you think you know what you want to do.
When I came into college, I was so sure that I wanted to be an economics major, so I took all my classes for that, but it turned out not to be for me. Worried about straying, I switched to international studies with a concentration in economics, but I wasn’t feeling it that much either. Thankfully, the next majors I decided to dip my toes into were for me: computer science and linguistics (although sometimes I still wonder about computer science haha). Sometimes I wish that I hadn’t “wasted” so much time taking only economics and international studies courses so that I’d have more time to complete my double majors. But I think the time I took to discover and decide upon my majors was important too.
And in life in general, I think it’s good to try different things and to be open, even when you’re so completely sure that you know what you want.
My questions
- What was your first blog post?
- What/who are some of your favourite blogs/bloggers?
- What song/music artist are you currently listening to on repeat?
- What’s your beverage of choice at a coffee shop?
- What’s your favourite/go-to snack?
- What was your most recent text received?
- What was your most recent purchase?
- What’s your favourite way to wind down and relax?
- What’s your dream job?
- What was your most recent dream? (or some other dream you feel like sharing about)
- What was the highlight of your week [so far]?
I tag
- Abby | Lace & Lilacs
- Joyce | Characters & Carry-Ons
- Damaris | The Cat, You, & Us
- Melody | Melody on the Move
- Sarah | Smoorelovin
- Melissa | Skinny Affair
- Priyanka | Paint the Town Chic
- Cassandra | The Quirky Pineapple
- Sarah | Shades of Sarah
- Chrystina | Chrystina Noel
- & you!