The Versatile Blogger Award

I have been blogging for one year. It was my first blogging birthday today, and I know this because WordPress told me so. Unknowingly, I was also nominated for my fourth blogging award and this time, it was for the Versatile Blogger Award. I was nominated by a versatile blogger herself, the talented and gorgeous Lauren Green. Thank you so much for the nomination Lauren! I am deeply moved that my blog appeals to you and I appreciate the acknowledgment.

The things I like about  Lauren’s blog are not only her talents and her creativity, but her openness in conversation, which shows through what she discusses on her blog posts.  I immensely enjoyed a recent post which she tales about how she wanted people to remember her, when she had passes on. A very interesting post. Thank you for you nomination Lauren!

I guess I could say that I enjoy being a ‘versatile blogger’ because I can blog about anything, person, object or place, even when my focus is about my culture. My greatest blogging pleasure is in finding a story which I think my readers will enjoy.

The Versatile Blogging Award rules are as follows:

1. Show the award on your blog.

2. Thank the person who nominated you.

3. Share seven facts about yourself.

4. Nominate 15 blogs (I do read and follow more..)

5. Link your nominee’s blogs & let them know. You can click on each one mentioned to get to their blogs.

So my seven facts are:

1. I speak Bukawac as my first language and speak two other languages from Papua New Guinea fluently apart from English, with a little French, Spanish, Cantonese.

2. My favourite genre of music is World Music. My goal is to go to an international world music festival in the next two years.

3. I have two sons, 16 and 19 who are amazing people.

4. I love art, culture and heritage. I am passionate about the Melanesian culture, which I grew up in. I am very lucky and proud to be able to maintain my culture.

5. I am a Jack of Many Trades and master of most. I am honestly not bragging. When I do something or create something, I can only stop when I have truly mastered it. I have been blamed for being obsessive and I know it works against me sometimes, but I love ‘conquering’ whatever I have set out to do. Isn’t that what life is about?

6. I have a Bird Of Paradise tattoo on my back. It was a swallow to begin with. The Bird of Paradise is the national pride of Papua New Guinea. The reason I have this tattoo was because, I got sick and tired of being hassled for tattoos in Bali during a trip. One day, I sat down at the shop and said: “DO IT!”. The  tattooist was shocked. I showed him a shallow, and told him, “that’s what I want, do it now before I change my mind.” The process hurt like hell as he carved through my flesh. I had to ask for a Gin and tonic or a Scotch to help me through the pain. He thought I had joked so he and his friends laughed and brought me a bottle of coke. The coke did not help, and  I don’t drink coke anyway. After two more hours of flesh-carving, he brought a mirror and the Swallow looked like a Bird of Paradise. I was raw and sore but surprised and delighted. I asked him to extend the tail and fixed the wings. It was too late to turn back. The tattoo became the bird I truly wanted, so I guess it was meant to be.

7. I love being on my own. It helps me create. I enjoy the sound of the birds and I love playing my classical music loudly in the Australian bush. When I get bored with this music, I change it to  World Music, mostly African and South American music and I dance.

I also find that with my time alone, nature and meditation, I can focus and ground myself. Then, I am empowered to do the things I love the most.

My 15 nominations are:

Alex M Zoltai

MillieThom

Patrick Jones

Altitude of Art

Mamamaitri

A storyteller’s Abode

Pmespeak’s Blog

Sylvie G

Christie Birmingham

MyTwoSentences

L.T.Garvin

generaliregi

Pixelated Lifestyle

Love Letters to Spam

Story Shucker

Thanks Laura again for the nomination!