Liebster Award

I'd like to begin this post by thanking the glorious Lewis Hopkins for my nomination. For those of you who are unaware, the Liebster award is designed for small, lesser known bloggers. It allows their readers to get to know a little more about them and to get their blog noticed in the bloggersphere. It begins with stating 11 facts about yourself, then you must answer the 11 questions written by the person who nominated you, and then move along to write your own questions and nominate a few lucky people. Here goes nothing!…

Facts about me:

1. I am a fluent welsh speaker
2. I am currently studying Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University and I love my degree!
3. I have a small patch of brown skin to the right of my nose which my mother tells me is where a fairy touched me when I was little (totally believed her until at least year 5)
4. I was once in a rock band called Trydan with a few of my friends from school. We gigged around Wales and were actually rather successful until we grew up and became more interested in having a social life than we were in band practise…
5. I have truly awful eyesight. I have to wear glasses or contact lenses at all times otherwise my lack of vision would make me a hazard to myself and others!
6. I have a half brother called Jac. He's not my mother's son but I would fight tooth and nail with anyone who told me he's not my real brother (so beware) 
7. I'm the social secretary for Cardiff University's Journalism Society
8. I have 3 rather brutal scars on my knees and one on my face dangerously close to my eye. I was quite the adventurous child when I was small, I was always outdoors, and this inevitably lead to a few accidents and injuries…
9. Despite being a bit of an accident-prone child, I've never had to revisit the hospital since my birth (impressive ey?)
10. I used to go camping down in Pembrokeshire every summer with my family, and every night before bed, my dad used to tell me and Jac stories about Mr and Mrs Farmer, Robin Hood and his merry men (made up off the top of his head of course, but no less fascinating to us than Harry Potter was)
11. I work at the Tea Rooms in Newton House which is one of the top 10 most haunted places in Britain

Questions from Lewis:

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That's such a toughy! I'd have to go with the Stereophonics: Word Gets Around. The album always reminds me of my Dad and as soon as 'a thousand trees' begins to play it instantly puts a smile on my face no matter how bad my day might have been.

What was your favourite childhood film?

Without a shadow of a doubt, the Lion King! I watched it constantly (sometimes multiple times in a day) and drove my parents spare singing the songs. I have to admit, it's still one of my faves now, and I probably watch it at least once a month and I still know all the words backwards!

What is your greatest achievement?

In all honesty, my A Levels. I've never felt a sense of self-pride as strongly as the day my deputy headmistress gave me my A Level results in summer 2012. I worked my fingers to the bone for 2 years and the hard work definitely paid off. I walked away from my career at Ysgol Tre-Gib with 2 A's and an A* at A Level and 3 A's at AS. My A Level results will be with me for life and I'm so glad that I was motivated and determined enough to work hard to achieve my full potential.

Who, or what, inspired you to start blogging?

I began blogging as part of my Social Media Trends module for uni. My tutor, Naomi, made it a compulsory part of the module and I'm so glad she did! I've watched my housemate blog for a couple of years now, and was never really that interested in getting involved, but now that I have I think it's something that I'd like to continue. It's such a fabulous creative outlet and is a really wonderful way to showcase your skills (great to show prospective employers!)

What is your ideal date?

I'm quite the little foodie so would enjoy being wined and dined. Then again, I do like a surprise and a little bit of adventure… I don't really have an 'ideal' date. Whether or not I have a good time is totally dependent on the company I'm with not where we go, what we do or how much money he's spent on me. It's all about their personality!

What is your dream job?

I've never been one to plan my life, I didn't even know what I wanted to do in uni until I was in year 13. Ideally, I'd love to do a job within my field of study that would be quite hands on. I'm an energetic and enthusiastic person, so I feel that sitting behind a desk 24/7 writing reports would dampen my spirit. I've always wanted to work within the BBC and a job in production of some sort would suit me down to the ground! I've always wanted to travel the world, so a job that would involve some travelling would be marvellous. Let's hope the BBC will sort me out with a little something at some point in my career.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what living celebrity would you take with you, and why?

I'd have to go for Stephen Fry! I find him absolutely hilarious, he's highly intelligent and could teach me so much! I've always wanted to meet him as I find his personality so enthralling. He'd also probably be able to come up with some pretty inventive ideas about how to survive on the island, and even how to escape. I'm sure he'd be full of stories and little anecdotes that would entertain me for hours and I'd probably come back with a higher IQ and greater vocabulary than when I left! 

What are your views on Scottish independence?

Wow, trust Lewis to come up with a question as difficult as this! Personally, I'm neither for nor against it. I'm absolutely intrigued to see how Scotland will vote! Having read the referendum I can see many policies that would entice the Scot's to vote for independence, yet I do believe that becoming independent would be incredibly difficult for them. Scotland already have their own functional government so it would be relatively simple to divulge power to them instead of Westminster still having a say in their policies, however, how would Scotland find economic stability without the help of the UK? Would they be able to join the EU? Would they be able to create their own army/special forces for the country's protection? There are many questions which hang over the bid for Scottish Independence… Only time will tell whether or not it will be a success! 

Red, white or rose wine?

As a candida sufferer (a condition where your gut has abnormally high yeast levels) wine is the devil when it comes to my diet! I have to control my yeast intake, and so, have had to cut out food like bread, baked goods, sugar and gluten. Wine is a massive no-no for me as it has such a high content of brewers yeast. However, I do allow myself a little once in a while, and when I do I'm definitely a rose girl!

Which dead celebrity would you most like to have afternoon tea with?

I've thought about this one long and hard and have come to the conclusion that I'd like to have afternoon tea with Princess Diana. I did an assignment on her at the beginning of term and found her story enthralling and even unbelievable at points. I was very young when she died and have grown up with adults around me having such adoration for her and I'd always wondered why. When I began my research for my assignment I started to understand. She had such a tough life and was an inspiration to people across Britain, and indeed, the world! I'd love to hear her side of the story, from her betrothal to Charles to the tragedy of her death in Paris. She was a warm and approachable woman with such incredibly natural people skills. I'd love to have the chance to speak to her myself and to witness the grace and beauty that is Diana, Princess of Wales.

What's your worst habit?

My mother always tells me that my worst habit is that I never ask anyone for help. I was bullied rather badly when I was younger and it's left a bit of a dent in my confidence in other people. I try not to rely on anyone else as I've learnt through life that the only people I can rely on is myself and my family. This, however, completely backfires on me sometimes as I end up struggling under the weight of something that I can't cope with, and I refuse to let anyone lighten the load. I'm trying to train myself to confide in and trust people more, it's slowly coming along, but I think I'll always have a niggling distrust in the back of my mind. I can't even cope with the thought of group work in uni sometimes because I don't trust people to do their work on time or to the right standard. Stupid I know, but it's just one of my hangups! 

My Questions:

1. What is your funniest memory?
2. Who is the most important person in your life, and why?
3. What is your favourite book?
4. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
5. What is your favourite TV series, and why?
6. If you had a time machine, where would you go?
7. If you could be any nationality other than your own, what would it be?
8. If you could have unlimited money to spend on one type of thing (i.e clothes, cars, holidays etc.), what would you choose?
9. Ketchup or brown sauce?
10. Which celebrity (dead or alive) would you like to spend the day with?
11. What is number 1 on your list of places to visit in the world?