The Sunshine Blogger Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers who are positive, inspiring, and creative.   I am humbled that I have been given this honor by Curious Pavel.

Thanking Curious Pavel

Curious Pavel is a newer blog about travel, in particular London.  He also has a YouTube channel and recently did a moving and sincere vlog about the impending Bali volcano.

As is typical for the Sunshine Blogger Award, I will nominate 11 blogs and ask 11 questions, as Curios Pavel did.  If my nominees choose to accept the Sunshine Blogger Award, they should thank me, answer my questions, and nominate 11 others with their own 11 questions.

Curious Pavel’s Questions with My Answers

Here are Pavel’s 11 questions and my answers:

  1. Lets start with a short introduction- what are the 2 sentences that describe you the best?

I care about people and listen well, but I also talk too much.  I appreciate life and try to live it to the fullest with the things I like the most (which may be different than the things you like the most and that is good and fine).

2. I am curious (!)… do you believe in New Year Resolutions?

I do believe in resolutions, but usually do them at my birthday instead of New Years.  Most important thing is ensuring the resolutions are achievable, measurable, documented, and step-wise with some quick wins early.

3.  What is the One Thing people who read this need to realize ASAP?

The world is not flat, though a scary number of people lately seem to think it is.

4. Do you have playlist you like to listen when travelling? If so- share the love:)

I do, but it is my private YouTube play list.  It is a mix of gospel, soul, funk, folk, alt, and bluegrass.

5. Favourite cuisine and why it should be our favourite too?

Portuguese food. Its a healthy cuisine focused on fish, fruits, and vegetables, and focused on the beautiful flavors of the earth.

6. Whats the thing that lifts you up when you are feeling down?

Diazapam.  Getting on a bike and riding some good miles.

7. I am sure you are full with stories but what’s the one story you will tell your grandchildren the most?

How I got my cat.

8. What about someone else’s story? Who fascinated you the most?

I am not exceptionally religious, but I am currently fascinated with Pope Francis.  

9. What is the one thing you cannot get right no matter how many times you try?

Dunking a basketball.

10. Do you think you can influence others and make a positive change?

Now you get the long answer.  I have come to realize that I can and I have.  I am active in my local community, and it is wonderful to see some of my ideas make a difference at the local level.  In the United States people are obsessed with the President, but the best way to make our country and society better is locally.  It all starts (and can end) there.

I think I have influenced people with my blog.  Some of my lesser read posts have made mini-evangelical followers.  For example, I have written a few times about eating black walnuts (as opposed to English Walnuts).  Black Walnuts are found on trees (Walnut Trees as a matter of fact) in many places throughout North America.  There is now a growing handful of people who have started fighting the squirrels for these amazing, healthy, underrated, and free nuts, eating and cooking with them after reading my posts.  If you want to join the black walnut movement, check out any of these (poorly titled) posts:

11. For “la grand finale”, share one of your recent selfies (no filters please 🙂 )

I try and put myself in at least one picture on every post so people can know I am not trolling pictures off the internet and calling them my own.  So the most recent selfie I took shows up in this post:  Deja Vu with a Flight Attendant.  

And the most recent selfie I took before that is in this post with my good friend Matt:  A Festive Friday Night.

My Sunshine Blogger Nominations

The very hip and snarky blog Hip To Be Snark was awarded Liebster award recently and her nomination was to:  “Anyone who wants to be nominated. If you’re reading this – you are automatically nominated. 💚 Run wild.”

She has a point because for all of us that write, we are putting ourselves out there for others to take however they choose too.  I am at a point were I go to WordPress before I go to Wikipedia if I want to know or learn something.

I totally respect her nomination, but I am still going to nominate 11 blogs.  I have intentionally left out any blogs I already gave shout outs too like Robe Trotting about travel and Yummy Lil Things (about food – get your minds out of the gutter) – though both of them should feel free to answer the questions if they want to.

(“Geez Paul just get on with it and make the nominations.”)

Here we go:

  1. The Bitten Path – this guy writes a post (with a picture) pretty much every day about interesting food he has eaten around the world.  He ranks the food with a fear factor and a taste test rating.  He is from the Netherlands, lived in the United States, and currently teaches English in China.  He is very well traveled and eats some things I would never ever put in my mouth (like a Century Egg).
  2. Buying Seafood – I love fish and seafood.  Because of this blog, I have learned an enormous amount about the fish I buy, how to buy it, how to prepare it, real sustainable fishing vs those who claim they are sustainable, and some available fish I never really adventured to try.  He also wrote a book about historic seafood recipes.  (And he seems like a really nice guy).
  3. The C Word – The Joys of Living With A Chronic Illness – This blogger writes honestly and openly about living with a very serious chronic disease.  She talks about everything no matter how personal or intimate it might seem.  I think she does a service to anyone with a chronic disease through her honesty.
  4. Jarrad Saul – this guy is studying at a university. Reading his well-written and honest posts brings back memories of my youth. Looking back helps me look forward; his blog helps me see the good things from my past that I want to keep.  I doubt Jarrad has any idea what I am talking about but I sincerely appreciate this blog.
  5. The Adventures of a Day Hiker – this is a blog I recently got into that goes deep in the outdoor experience, especially around National Parks in the United States.  His pictures set the stage and his words bring out a feeling.  He also wrote a book.
  6. The 15th Day – this guy writes a snippet about whatever is on his mind every day.  Half the time I am not sure what he is talking about and that is OK, but the other half the time I think, “Heck yes I totally get that.”  And his blog is fun (and funny).
  7. Salsa World Travel – a beautifully written travel blog.  I particularly like his flight reviews.
  8. Pinoy Transplant in Iowa – this blog, written by a doctor from the Philippines living  in Iowa, might pull at your heart strings, put a smile on your face, make you laugh, or simply point out the beauty mother nature gives us.
  9. One Year in China – This blog is about a guy from Ireland who is a teacher in China.  He writes about his observations and differences between “western society” and China.  Really interesting blog.
  10. Ryan C – A free lance writer who writes about a lot things, including whatever we his readers want him to write about.
  11. Taking a lesson Hip to Be Snark, I will leave this spot open for anyone who wants me or others to check out their blog.

Questions for My Nominees

My questions to my nominees (the first 4 are easy):

  1. Are you multi-lingual?
  2. Do you have a pet?
  3. What is your favorite musician or group?
  4. What is your favorite cuisine and why?  (I stole this one from Pavel)
  5. What 1 place do you most want to visit and why haven’t you visited yet?
  6. If you could have any one of your posts published to a very broad and large audience, which post would it be? (Go ahead and include the link)
  7. When your not doing anything what are most often thinking about? (I stole this question from Hip to be Snark)
  8. What one feature in WordPress do you wish you knew about earlier?
  9. Is there any one blogger you would be most curious to meet in person and spend an afternoon with?
  10. What do the people closest to you (significant other, close friends, families) think of you being a blogger?
  11. How much longer do you think Facebook will be around?

Thanks again to Curious Pavel and everyone who writes blogs.

Peace.