2020 is an unprecedented year. There was a lot that has happened and a lot that is happening still. Despite these events, I am glad to receive some reprieve in the form of award nominations here in the blogging sphere. My latest award nomination came from A Girl Who Writes @ The Quill. Thank you for this nomination. She has an insightful blog that explores different subjects and themes such as her country’s culture and traditions and other profound subjects. Do check out her blog.

This is my first time being nominated for the Liebster Award. The blogging award extends recognition to bloggers by other bloggers and has been around as early as 2011. One of the things I enjoy about award nominations is that it allows other bloggers to know about me and, consequently, I can ask some questions of my own. It is a great way to interact with fellow bloggers.

Rules
  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog
  2. Answer the 11 questions given to you
  3. Nominate 11 bloggers
  4. Ask your nominees 11 questions
  5. Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post
Questions from A Girl Who Write

If you could describe your view of life in just one color – which color would that be, and why?

~ My favorite colors are blue and white. However, if there is one color that represents my personal view of life, I think it would be blue. Blue represents, among other things, intelligence and wisdom which I want to gain as I advance through this journey we call life.Imagine that you keep a journal, and one day it suddenly began to think for itself. What would it have to say about you?

Imagine that you keep a journal, and one day it suddenly began to think for itself. What would it have to say about you?

~ HAHAHA. It would say a lot. First of, it will tell me, “You live in a dream world you keep on building through your imagination.” It will also tell me that I am so full of doubts and that I keep on losing many opportunities because of this. It will be filled with so many what ifs and it will show how much I keep to myself. These are the reasons why I don’t keep a journal. I love the question though.

You have a job – to christen a recently discovered star. What would you name it, and what does that name mean to you?

~ I am a person who is not very particular about names, maybe because I have an unassumingly simple one. I also don’t attach much meaning to them; unless I research on them of course. But if I were to give one, I’ll perhaps name it Tokwifi 070590. Tokwifi means star in our local dialect and is meant to remind me of where I came from. The numbers represent my birthday. See, I am simple. 🙂

If you could go back in time (any point in the past) and experience the locale of your choice for exactly an hour, what would you choose to explore?

~ I will travel back to Nami Island circa 2017 autumn. I will back around and bask in the glory of the autumn season. I had so much wonderful memories there, not just the place but with the people I was with. Thinking about it makes me yearn for it even more. I just hope this pandemic ends soon.

If you could be an exception to a rule, which rule would that be?

~ Our lives our governed by rules; some unspoken and some that are cast in stones. If there is a rule that I am an exception to, it would be the one about “boys will always be boys.” I am constantly adopting to the times so that I can be a better version of myself. I don’t want to be boxed in the idea that “boys will always be boys.”

What does freedom mean to you?

~ Freedom for me means being able to do the things that I want to do without prejudice. That, however, isn’t how life is designed to be. Freedom then is about pursuing things that I love and am passionate about without caring for what other people thing. We don’t want to be trapped in the idea of others.

You can grant one boon to your childhood self. Would you trust their choice or decide for yourself what to give them? And what would that be?

~ This one is a difficult question. I feel like I don’t want to grant my younger self any boons. The person that I am now is a product of the process of growing up. I may not always be reliable nor am I always wise but these decisions and indecision helped mold the person that I am now.

How did you choose the name of your blog?

~ About five years ago, the name The Pine-Scented Chronicles seemed appealing for it encapsulates two things about me – my origin and my interest in writing. The pine scent refers to where I grew up – the mountains of the Cordilleras. I remember how the scent arouses my olfactory senses, a scent that I would I always associate with my hometown.

~ My blog has an alternative name, The Torogi Chronicles. I chose it for the same reason as the first one. Torogi is Igorot spelled backwards. Igorot is an indigenous group of people living the Philippine Cordilleras. I am a proud member of this group and I will always be carrying it with me wherever I go.

What is the one big question regarding this world that puzzles you the most?

~ There are a lot of things that baffle me about this world. The biggest perhaps concern the grander attitude we have. Why can’t we all just be kind and appreciative? But I guess that it boils down to a lot of factors.

Give a word (preferably in your regional language) that truly speaks to you, and if there’s a story to it, do tell!

~ Lhefa means echo. I have been meaning to write a literary piece that dwells on this but somehow my imagination got stuck somewhere. Haha. Maybe in the future.

Is there a technology, principle or belief that you think can change the world for the better without any side effects? If the answer is no, do you think humanity – at any point in time – will be capable of designing such a system?

~ My answer is no for the first question. For the follow up question, this one is a bit difficult to answer. Maybe someone is already doing this or already has an idea. However, there might be people who are blocking its progress. On the brighter side, I want to believe that this world will change for the better. It will entail a lot but I remain hopeful. Maybe not during my time but sometime in the future perhaps.

Wah. This was really a very deep discourse that forced me to appeal to the inner me. Thank you for these great and thought-provoking questions. It reminded me why I enjoy in depth discussions about life and everything under the sun.

My Questions
  1. What inspires you to keep on going every single day?
  2. How do you define happiness?
  3. What made you want to start writing?
  4. What do you look for in a good book or a good movie?
  5. Is who you are right now who you envisioned yourself to be when you were younger? If no, would you go back in time to change it?
  6. Is there a movie or a book you felt a strong connection with? What book or movie and how does it relate to you?
  7. Who is that one person who inspired you the most or who has made the biggest impact in your life?
  8. Give your three biggest life lessons.
  9. Once all quarantine and lockdown restrictions are lifted, what are the top three things you look forward to doing the most?
  10. The Golden Rule states that you should “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you“. What act/s of kindness have you received that you want to repay or to pay forward?
  11. An aspiring blogger approached you. What is going to be your first piece of advice?
My Nominees
  1. MrsWayfarer @ Living Free and Making a Difference
  2. Violet @ Wool & Words
  3. Emer @ A Little Book Haze
  4. Just_Me @ Happymess Happiness
  5. Hannah Celeste @ Books and Bakes
  6. Anjana @ Superfluous Reading
  7. Alisbooks @ Our Book Boyfriends
  8. Piyush Gulati @ The Thinking Pen
  9. FictionFan @ FictionFan Book Review
  10. Julie @ One Book More
  11. Kriti @ Not So Random Ramblings

Again, I want to reiterate that none of you is under any obligation to do this tag unless you truly want to. I totally understand if this is not your cup of tea.