Hi everyone!
I was actually considering skipping today’s post since I have completely succumbed to the world of math revision, but then I got tagged by Abby over at Beyond the Read for the Black Cat Blue Sea Award. Thank you so much, Abby!
Anyway, since this tag is rather short – or so I thought, anyway – I decided it would be the perfect thing to do today! After all, it’s good to take study breaks every once in a while, and even though this turned out longer than I thought it would, I had a lot of fun answering the questions π So I hope you enjoy reading, too!
The meaning of the Black Cat Blue Sea Award: βThis award is for bloggers who strive to write for everybody, and no matter how many viewers they get, make an impact on a reader. This award is an expression of gratitude to the nominee. It should be awarded to anybody that you choose deserves it, and it doesnβt mean that they must have hundreds of followers and likes.β
The Rules
- Anybody nominated can nominate seven (lucky number) other bloggers.
- Anybody nominated answers three questions.
- The questions you ask while nominating can be any three questions.
- If any of the questions asked are offending or the nominee simply does not want to answer them, the nominee does not have to answer them to earn the award.
Abby’s Questions
1. What is one thing youβd like to accomplish by the end of your life?
I really want to be a published author! I’ve been writing pretty much ever since I could hold a pen, so having a book out there that I’m really proud of has been a life-long dream of mine.
Also – this sounds so clichΓ© – but I really want to meet someone who just gets me, weirdness and all, and whom I could see myself having a family with someday. I love kids, and would love to be able to read bedtime stories and explore the world with mine someday π
And I want to travel! I want to see every continent! Every country would be cool, too, but I’m a little too intimidated to go into war zones, and all those visa applications would probably be very stressful… Plus, I’d probably need a lot more time and money if I wanted to travel that much π
Also: I want to learn more languages! I’m eyeing Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese as potential candidates, but I want to at least get my Russian to a B1 level and freshen up my French before I add any new ones. I’m already getting confused enough as it is… But it’d be really neat to become fluent in at least five and know the basics of about ten languages before I die – I think that sounds achievable! πͺ
Finally, it’d be really cool to prove Goldbach’s conjecture (Every even integer greater than 2 is the sum of two primes). But since many people much smarter than me haven’t managed it in hundreds of years, I highly doubt it will happen. But it’s good to dream big, right?
I know that was five things, not one. But what do you expect? It’s me, and I love to ramble π
2. Do you have a book thatβs your go-to for autumn?
Not really. I usually reread my favorites year-round, though I do have a few specific books I whip out for Christmas. But I can’t say I have any special go-to reads for fall…
However, I am itching to reread Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore again. I love that book to death, and I haven’t read it yet this year! And I do think its somber atmosphere makes it the perfect autumn read, so I guess you can take it as a fall recommendation if you want one π (I also don’t think you necessarily have to have read the other books in this series if you want to read this one. They are pretty independent of one another, although you do get a bigger picture if you read them all. And they’re all great, too!)
3. How do you deal with stress?
Badly. Honestly, I am probably the worst possible person to ask this question, because the way I cope is really unhealthy… I am absurdly perfectionistic, so my way of dealing with anything stressful is pretty much overpreparing for it in every way possible (even if that includes sacrificing my own well-being in the process) π
You’ve seen the way I’m handling exams – I’ve basically become a study machine, so that I will be as prepared as can be for any topic that might possibly be asked. Before I travel, I obsess over everything that might go wrong – so that I can figure out what to do in those scenarios in case they actually happen. (Spoiler alert: They never do.) I hate calling people to make appointments because the uncertainty of those telephone conversations freaks me out. What if I don’t understand the reception lady? What if she doesn’t understand me? What if they ask me questions about my schedule that I can’t answer immediately? The amount of time I spend staring at my phone, pre-planning what I will say, is ridiculous… And the first half of 2019, when absolutely-idiotic-me decided it would be a good idea to take a double course load and refused to be any less than perfectly prepared, I was so sleep-deprived it was actually a miracle I was able to keep functioning somewhat normally.
Still, the 2019-debacle was a wake-up call, and I’ve gotten a bit better at taking breaks and doing fun stuff when I’m stressed out, too. My favorite coping mechanisms are probably reading trashy books or watching trashy movies, taking long bubbly essential oil baths, or going for short walks in the forest behind our house. And music! I actually memorized bunch of stuff for my English exams by singing it along to my very inexpert ukulele playing (and people wonder why I don’t like studying in the university library… π). I’ve also played way more violin and piano in the past few weeks than I did at the beginning of my study phase. It’s just so soothing!
Anyway, that’s it for this week! This turned out way longer than I expected, considering there were only three questions… I have to get back to math now π
But before I sign off, I tag the following people to also receive this award:
- Althea @ Althea Reads
- Emer @ A Little Haze Book Blog
- Line @ First Line Reader
- Marjolein @ Url Phantomhive
- Nefeli @ BiblioNebula
- Pilar @ The Bookworm Shelf
- Riddhi @ Whispering Stories
Their blogs are all wonderful, so you should really go check them out!
Also – no pressure if you don’t want to do this! I won’t be mad if tags and awards aren’t your thing, or if you just have a lot on your plate right now. Trust me, I get it!
My Questions
- If you had to write a bucket list, which three things would be right at the top?
- What is/was your favorite subject in school and why?
- If you could trade lives with a fictional character, would you do it? And if you had to, whom would you chose?
Anyway, I hope you had fun reading, and please feel free to let me know your answers to some of these questions below! Can you relate to any of my weird idiosyncrasies? I’d love to know!
A Book Owl's Corner 
I hadn’t even heard of Goldbach’s Conjecture, so, you’ve taught me something today!
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I’m glad you learned something π Especially since I think Goldbach’s conjecture is utterly fascinating – I love how such a seemingly simple statement has stumped mathematicians for centuries! There is still so much to be discovered there! π
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Yes, it’s an interesting idea isn’t it!
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Wow, congratulations ππ
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Thank you! π
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Thank you so much for nominating me! Just one thing though, you spelled my name incorrectly- It is spelled Riddhi.π π
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Oh, I am so sorry! π I will go fix it immediately – this is probably why you shouldn’t write your posts last minute π π
I hope you have loads of fun doing the tag, though!
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Oh no problem! I totally understand! And I think I will, your questions will be interesting to answer!
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I look forward to reading what you come up with! π
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Thank you for the nomination!!! π
I love your answer to the first question. Itβs good that you have so many goals, and Iβm really impressed cause they all sound amazing (though, the prime numbers one hits a whole new level πβοΈ).
I completely understand how hard it is to cope with stress!! I immediately turn into a machine and canβt do anything else until Iβve finished whatever it is Iβm doing, and that it is as best as it can be π¬ And I also end up reading βtrashyβ books in my breaks π Theyβre just so short and easy to read!!
Great answers!! I really enjoyed reading this π
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You’re very welcome!! π
And, well, I guess it’s pretty easy to have impressive goals – the hard part is actually following through with them π So we’ll have to see how I do with that π But I’m definitely going to try!
I’m also glad (or sorry? π ) you thought my last answer was relatable. Though yes, ‘trashy’ reads are definitely the best in stressful situations! I just need entertainment that doesn’t require me to think a lot, so they’re perfect! They honestly don’t get the love they deserve ππ
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I loved reading your answers, Naemi!!! Your answers for the first question were all so lovely, except for the fact that I have no idea what Goldbachβs conjecture is… ππ
And I relate SO MUCH to the perfectionism. The reason I wrote that question in the first place is because I needed some advice on how to deal with my own stress π
Ooh Iβll have to look into Bitterblue and the Graceling series β Iβve heard so many good things about it! Love this post Naemi π
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Thanks so much for tagging me! Your questions really got me thinking about my life and my dreams and aspirations – I feel like just answering them was kind of therapeutic ππ
And don’t worry – I don’t think non-math-obsessed people need to know about that conjecture π Basically, it’s one of the biggest unsolved problems in all of mathematics: Goldbach thought every even number bigger than 2 can be written as the sum of two prime numbers (like 4=2+2, 6=3+3, 8=3+5, …), and computers have verified this up to insanely large numbers. Still, no one has been able to show that it’s actually true, which I think is fascinating! Sorry for all the math trivia π – I’m glad you thought the other goals were interesting!
And I’m so happy I’m not alone in my perfectionism, though I’m also very sorry you can relate π I hope some of my coping mechanisms help! But if you ever figure out any really good strategies, let me know! β€
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I’m so glad to hear that!! And that’s actually so interesting!! I find it crazy that such a seemingly simple problem is one of mathematics’s biggest mysteries! You must be tired of trying to explain this to everyone π
And I’ll definitely let you know if I find something particularly effective — we perfectionists must unite π
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Thank you for nominating me π₯°
I relate to so much in this post. Eyeing 10 new languages when you’re already learning two… How do people not do that? π It’s the reason why I now have very little (and useless) knowledge about a lot of languages.
I relate to the overpreparing as well, although I only to that for social situations, so that phonecall situation you described could easily have been me. I try to predict the entire conversation so that I know what to say exactly, because I know I’ll freeze or say something idiotic if they ask me something i’m not prepared for. As you know, it’s completely impossible predict. Glad you have found ways of coping with stress. The things you described sounded so relaxing so I can imagine it helps π
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Of course! I hope you have fun with the questions! π
And yes, I feel seriously sorry for all monolingual people out there – once you really get into other languages, it’s so hard to accept that you can’t learn them all! I just think they’re fascinating, and I love learning about the cultures they’re embedded in. And comparing how different languages express things differently – that’s one reason why I’m so obsessed with your Lost in Translation posts π€β€ Honestly, sometimes I will spend hours watching YouTube videos in foreign languages just to see what they sound like and learn utterly useless facts about them… My sister thinks I’m extremely weird π
And I’m very glad I’m not alone with my social awkwardness, though I’m also sorry you can relate π Those phone conversations are just the worst! Especially since, logically, I know there isn’t really anything terrible about them. So it frustrates me even more when I find myself worrying π But maybe I’ll get better eventually! And until then, I guess I’ll still have trashy media consumption and bubble baths π
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There are many reasons to feel sorry for the monolingual people, but that’s one of them π And yes, figuring out why a translation is the way it is, is so fun! I also love how people like you comment on those posts to tell me about the translations in your own language. Then I learn something too π
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I feel the stress thing!! I try to utilize making lists and writing things down and that sometimes helps but I still just feel constantly overwhelmed!!
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That’s actually a great tip! I also make lists when I have lots on my plate so that I can tick the things off when I have accomplished them – it’s such a good feeling to see loads of ticked boxes π Still, I totally get what you said about constantly feeling overwhelmed anyway!
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Congratulations!! Loved reading your answers, by the way. Itβs great to get to you know even better!
From one fellow student to another: I can tell you that stress in any which way/form is indeed awful. In fact, one way to cope with it is to just take a step back and relax. You know, try to take your mind off of certain things so that you can deal with situations better when youβre calm (Hope this tip helps! π )
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post π
And I will try to keep your advice in mind – relaxing always sounds so simple, but actually doing it is harder than it seems π
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You’re very welcome! π
Yup, it sure is hard to do so π. But you’ll get the hang of it once you start implementing it slowly.
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Thank you for tagging me! I loved reading your answers and I’m excited to answer your questions!
Why are your life dreams my life dreams? (Except for proving Goldbachβs conjecture, I can’t do more than basic math π). I hope you achieve everything you want in life and more!
I totally relate to everything you said about stress, especially overpreparing for social interactions. Making phone calls might be the scariest thing in the world for me. My way of dealing with stress is staring at the wall and panicking silently, which doesn’t do much neither is it healthy, but I’m working on it. One thing that works for me sometimes when I’m stressed at home is to put on one of those tv shows I know by heart and have it play in the background of my panicking until it finally becomes a distraction.
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You’re welcome! I’m really looking forward to reading your answers π€
And I’m glad you approve of my life dreams! I really hope you achieve all your goals, too! (And don’t worry – I don’t think I’ll be proving Goldbach’s conjecture either, so you’re not missing out on anything by excluding that particular goal π).
And gosh, the staring at the wall and panicking slightly (*extremely) thing is very relatable – I’ve basically spent half of today doing that in anticipation of my math exams π π How did they arrive this quickly?? I might have to try that TV show thing sometime, though π
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This is so sweet thank you for the nomination omg!! You speak Russian!! That’s so cool!! We have family friends in Russia so I’m super intrigued by the language! I’d also love to learn several languages throughout my life!
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You’re very welcome! I hope you have fun with the questions π
And my Russian is still pretty terrible, to be honest π I never realized how hard languages with case systems can be when they’re not your native language π But at least I have finally gotten used to the writing system and can have very basic conversations, so I’m hoping the rest will come eventually, too… It’s such a fun language to learn, though, so if you want to give it a try , I’d say go for it! Especially if you already have Russian friends to practice with π
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As someone who speaks English, has shaky conversational Irish, and can just about ask how to get to the train station in German (but will only understand the answer if itβs around the corner) I doff my hat to you and your enthusiasm for languages. Also Iβm with you on the over preparing for how to deal with stress. My own worst enemy really. Thank you so much for the nomination. Itβs very sweet of you to think of me πππβ¨
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It sounds like you know quite a few languages too, though! Trust me, I’d probably also have a lot of difficulty understanding a Russian person explaining the way to the train station π And I’ve always thought Irish sounds so beautiful, so I am a little envious of your shaky conversational skills π
And of course I had to include you! I love your blog and I will definitely be back now that I’ve finally had my last written exam today!!
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Thank you for the nomination! I am sorry it took so long to get back to you, it has been rather crazy around here the last two weeks!
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No worries! I can totally relate to having tons of stuff on your plate π I hope things calm down a bit soon!
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Thank you! I hope so too π
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I love your responses to this! That’s so cool that you want to learn so many languages. I tried learning more, but I gave up since I’m horrible at picking them up haha
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I’m glad you enjoyed it! Personally, I’ve always found that really immersing myself in the language makes it much easier to pick it up. Even if you can’t travel, Netflix has so many good foreign TV shows π So if you do ever want to give it a go again, I’d highly recommend those!
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Congratulations on the nomination! I loved reading your answers! Was one of the selfies taken in Moscow? β€
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Thank you! And yes, it was taken in Moscow! Right in the middle of The Red Square π So good job with your sleuth skills π
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