You Like Me! You Really Like Me!*


(*With apologies to Sally Field, from whose 1984 Oscar acceptance speech I stole borrowed this phrase.)


For a lovely early Christmas present, Trish over at the blog Mum's gone to.... left me a comment telling me that she'd given me a Liebster blog award. Since I always look forward to Trish's blog posts full of wry observations about her travels (but adeptly covering many other topics as well, and you should also go to the blog she's writing based on her late father's memoirs), I was especially flattered that she had taken the time to pass an award on to me.  I have seen these awards before, but never quite understood how they worked.  This time, though, I took the time to read through the directions carefully (I'm working on this, OK?), and I am prepared both to gratefully accept the award as well as carry out the duties related thereto.

If you are not a German speaker (or reader), you should know that the word 'liebster' is the superlative form of the adjective 'lieb' - dear, sweet, or beloved - adding the '-st' makes it most dear, sweet or beloved, and therefore...a very special blog.  (I could get into the adjective -er ending, but it's related to word gender and case and therefore boring to almost everyone in the world except a few weirdos like me grammarians.)

 The award is given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. It has these stipulations:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you. 
2. Reveal your 5 blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog. 
4. Hope that the people you have sent the award to will forward it to their favourite bloggers




Keep in mind that, like most bloggers, I read a lot of blogs, and add new ones all the time, which makes it very challenging to narrow it down to just 5.  However, I finally chose 5 bloggers whose blogs I have been 1) reading for at least a year and 2) whose writing I admire and enjoy and  3) whose posts I look forward to as much as an email or a phone call from a friend:  


The first blogger I am linking back to is Wilma at  Life in Our Corner of The World.  Wilma shares her observations about life as a wife and mother in Arizona as well as family photos and memories of times past.  She has been a supportive reader of my blog since its inception and, in fact, gave me a Liebster award some months ago back when I didn't know what it even was! Now I get it, Wilma, and gratefully pass the award back to you.


My next pick is Barbara at Tanzania 5.0.  I started reading Barbara's blog when she was still living and working in Tanzania.  Barbara is a former member of the Peace Corps and seems to have mastered the knack of having adventures wherever she goes, and I love her fabulous photographs and the way she describes her experiences.  She's back in the US now, still having adventures (most recently in Sequoia National Park), and still filling her blog with equal shares of humor and incredible images.


Next up is Nappy Valley Girl at Nappy Valley...in New York.  NVG is from the UK, living as an expat in Long Island, NY.  She's married to The Doctor and also juggles raising two little boys with a journalism career while blogging about parenting, travel, current events, and life as an expat in the US.  I love reading about life and parenting in the US from her point of view as an expat...so interesting to see your own country from another's viewpoint!(Note for US readers:  the word 'nappy' in the UK refers to diapers...in case you were wondering!)


Another one of my favorites is Circles in The Sand, another expat blog.  Circles - another journalist - also blogs about the challenges of working and parenting and also provides an incredible insight into life in Dubai as well as quite a few resources for expats living there. Her posts are varied- one post may be a tongue-in-cheek observation about parenting, the next may be a roller-coaster-cam video from the fastest roller coaster in the world - in Dubai, of course!


Last but not least is Hails from Coffee Helps.  Hails is an English teacher in an elementary school here in Korea.  I found her blog when I first started looking for information about life in Korea.  She writes about life in Korea, her travels, her work, her plans, her dreams, and her experiences with a keen eye for the absurd, but also with great insight.  Now that I am in Korea, too, I can't wait until our schedules line up and we get to meet in person!


As flattering as it is to receive an award in general, I must confess that a truly lovely aspect of getting this award  is that this blog entry has pretty much written itself (this should come as no surprise to those of you who have been reading my blog for a while and are familiar with my general sloth.)  At this busy time of year, it seems like a wonderful gift!





Comments

Wow, I'm very honoured to have been included. Your blog is great too - definitely the most well-written and interesting I've discovered this year!
THANK YOU Ms Caroline! I feel honoured! That was a lovely surprise! I'm also excited to read the other blogs - NVG I already love - she's a good friend of mine! We went to journalism college together and worked together ages ago too. Thank u again for such a lovely early Christmas present! Wishing you all a wonderful festive season, a great trip to Thailand and a very happy new year!
MsCaroline said…
NVG and Circles - you are both very welcome, and thank you both for sharing your experiences with me! Happy Holidays and a wonderful new year to you both!
Wilma said…
Thank you, Carolyne! I appreciate it. I haven't written in so long that anybody looking at mine from your link would think that I quit blogging. Maybe I should remedy that, ya' think? LOL
Trish said…
Isn't it good to spread the love! I'm glad you did some research about the meaning of Liebster too: I hadn't realised it was the superlative form of the word. Even more special.

I will pop over to visit your chosen five: if you enjoy them then I'm bound to xx
Frances said…
Just " discovered" your blog via Broken Biro, and have enjoyed reading a few of your December offerings. You are now in my " bookmark bar" and I shall check you out even more when I have some spare time. Also looking forward to going to the blogs that you have sent the Liebster award to, as they all sound interesting. I don't read any blogs from foreign parts at present! Have a great Christmas.
BavarianSojourn said…
Hello fellow Liebster awardee! How lovely to meet you! Thanks very much for the lovely comment on my blog! I am looking forward to catching up with yours, and learning more about Seoul. My husband is there frequently with work. I only let him go if he brings back kimchi and gochujang paste!! Emma :)
MsCaroline said…
Wilma - You're welcome! And, at this time of year, no one will hold it against you - you have a built-in excuse!

Trish - I wish I could pretend that I had done research, but since I'm a German teacher, I have to confess that it's the type of thing I teach and therefore required zero effort on my part(I think I mentioned my penchant for sloth...) Thanks again for the award - Merry Christmas!

Frances - thank you for visiting! Hope you enjoy your visits to the other blogs - I love reading how others cope with a new and different culture, even more now that I'm doing it myself!

Emma- So glad to meet you, and I still don't get how I missed your blog before this! You are living in my favorite city in Germany - I lived in Hessen, but spent 3 months living and studying in Munich in the 80s, fell instantly in love, and have never gotten over it! The kimchi is still growing on me, but I completely agree about the gojuchang paste...it's a staple at home now!
Barbara said…
Thanks, Caroline! What a nice surprise, especially since I like your blog so much, the compliment means a lot. But it's hard to pick five favorites, isn't it...
MommyHeadache said…
I just found your blog and love it!!! Keep spreading the love. I will now pop over and check out your choices. Have a wonderful christmas!!
Robyn said…
this is a sweet award-and lets others know about other blogs-that is how I found yours! You got me at 'asia vu' ! great title!

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