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Sharing My World Week 4
Here I am, back once again to “Share My World”!
This is a weekly spot hosted by Cee over at Cee’s Photography Blog. The aim is to get to know one another a little better by answering some questions 🙂 . This week’s questions were inspired by Chris’ post I’m Having an Introvert Day. Plus a random question on blankets.
Do you recharge your energy by going out with friends for a good time or by spending quiet time alone?
Time alone, for sure. I’m always on edge when I’m out and about. I recharge by sitting at home reading, blogging and watching TV. If I don’t get enough alone time I get antsy.
Not everybody understands. It certainly put an end to my last relationship. Or was that because I’m a crap boyfriend? I forget. One of those.
What is the most number of blankets you’ve ever had on your bed?
So here’s the random blanket question! The simple answer is I can’t remember back that far. I don’t know how it is in the rest of the world, but in the UK (and much of Europe I think) we’re all about duvets. I don’t know what tog rating my duvet is but it’s warm enough that extra blankets are not required!
You are invited to a party that will be attended by many fascinating people you never met. Would you attend this party if you were to go by yourself?
Oh, goodness me, no! I’ll tell you what’s wrong with these parties. You stand in the darkest corner, arms folded and avoiding eye contact and there’s still someone who wants to talk to you! No personal boundaries.
Mind you, I’d attend if the party were held in a Hobbit burrow full of fascinating Hobbits I’d never met. I bet they throw a good bash.
Do you like talking to people on the phone? Or do you prefer voice mail or email?
I absolutely hate talking to people on the phone. You can’t see their faces. How can you tell what they’re thinking when you can’t see their faces?
Voice mail – no thanks. I can’t be talking to a machine. Email is where it’s at. Nice and safe, and completely lacking in any real-time human interaction. Lovely!
Well, that’s me showing my madness to the world. If you want to read what other people have said, or join in the fun yourself, click on the link to Cee’s blog at the top!
Sharing My World Week 3
Cee over at Cee’s Photography blog  has this cool challenge ever week where we get to share our world! She poses four questions every week and we answer them as humorously honestly as possible. Here is the cool badge.
Here are this week’s questions, along with my answers.
Sharing My World 1 and 2
I’ve noticed that recently I’ve posted pretty much just fiction, especially with the Chain Writing Game I’ve started to participate in. Maybe it’s time for something different, I thought, and just as I thought this I noticed that a few of my bloggy friends are doing this “Share Your World” thing, courtesy of Cee’s Photography blog. Thank you Cee!
It’s basically four questions to answer every week, and you can find out more than all you ever wanted to know about me!
I’m a  bit behind. This is already week 2, so I’m going to do weeks 1 and 2 all in one. I know, a tall order. Nevertheless, I shall attempt it! I’ll try to be brief this week as I’m doing two at once. Maybe next time I will add some pictures.
Suzie’s Questions Answered
Suzie has posed a number of questions to the blogging community at large, and I thought I would participate, along with many others. On with the questions!
1. Why have you chosen your blog name?
This is a cunning and clever amalgamation of my title, the short form of my first name and the fact that I am a “man”! I usually use “dralip” which includes the initial of my last name, but it didn’t sound like it would work as well for a blog name.
“mraliman” sounds stupid so I had to do a PhD to get the correct start to my pseudonym :-).
I’ll Have Them Both, Thanks!
A few days ago Khana over at Khana’s web nominated me to receive the WordPress Family award. Then a couple of days later Nanuschka nominated me for both the WordPress Family award and the Sunshine Award!
I’m touched – I feel as if my WordPress buddies are part of my extended family and I’ve wanted this award for ages! I love reading about the experiences and views of people from far-flung places like the USA, South Africa and so on as well as posts from closer to home. I feel like I almost know some of you people.
The Sunshine Award – now, I’m not really a “Sunshine” kind of guy. Maybe my overwhelming pessimism doesn’t come out in my posts? But I’ll accept this one as well – maybe it will inspire me to positivity!
Here come the logos!
Here are the rules for the WordPress Family award:
1. Display the award logo on your blog. See above
2. Link back to the person who nominated you. Check and check
3. Nominate 10 others you see as having an impact on your WordPress experience and family. That’s 10 combined for both awards, right?
4. Let your 10 Family members know you have awarded them. Fine, I shall do this but it seems like a lot of hard work.
5. That is it. Just please pick 10 people who have taken you as a friend, and spread the love. Yay love!
The rules for the Sunshine Award are similar, but there are also some questions, which I shall attempt to answer below. I hope no-one minds, but I’ve added multiple instances of the letter “u” to the questions below because I’m a Brit.
- Favourite colour – blue, and most shades thereof, moving into purple (but not pink). Sorry, just one colour you say? Okay, blue.
- Favourite animal – cat, because they’re cute and fluffy and above all, independent. They’ll be there for you – on their terms.
- Favourite number – why would I have a favourite number? I hate numbers. They get all mixed around in my head. You need an answer? Okay, I’ll take a leaf out of “Bill and Ted‘s” book then – “Sixty-nine, dude!”
- Favourite non-alcoholic drink – “Tesco no added sugar cloudy lemonade.” I jut checked round the corner and I currently have 14 litres in the house, sitting next to my stockpile of Diet Coke cans (currently numbering 38).
Mmmm. Nearly no calories of tasty refreshment.
- Prefer FaceBook or Twitter – I really only use them to publicise my blog, though I read what my friends are up to via Facebook every few days, so Facebook I guess.
- My passion/s – I don’t really have any. I’d love to have some. Reading maybe.
- Prefer getting or giving presents – Giving.
- Favourite pattern – what does this mean, favourite pattern? Like, plaid or something? I’m not keen on patterns as such. I don’t like anything which regularly repeats itself.
- Favourite days of the week – Saturday. Yay for Saturday!
- Favourite flower – What? What? I can identify roses, daisies and dandelions. My favourite is none of them. See below for what my favourite flower might be.
Some of these might be my favourite flowers (taken at Bodnant Gardens, North Wales)
These flowers are shades of blue and purple, so that fits with “favourite colour”.
And so to the moment you’ve all been waiting for (or dreading) – the nominations! I know that some of these people either don’t really do awards or already have these awards. That’s cool. Feel free to take one or both of these awards if you like, but this list is really just to thank you for being a part of my little WordPress family and bringing a little sunshine into my life. I love to read what you’ve written, comment on your posts and read your replies.
So this is a list of just a few members of my treasured WordPress family (in no particular order), and I hope you’ll check out their blogs if you haven’t already!
Kate Stull
Knocked Over By A Feather
Morrighan’s Muse
The Rambling Diaries
Serendipity
Hope* The Happy Hugger
Rarasaur
Purnimodo
Fish of Gold
Gilraensblog
And finally, last time I showed you a view from inside the awards ceremony, so here’s me arriving for this ceremony, complete with imaginary girlfriend! Do you like my tux? Pretty sweet, huh? And the limo – fully stocked with Tesco No Added Sugar Cloudy Lemonade and cans of Diet Coke. Please be aware that this picture contains some flash photography.
“Red Carpet” by DraliDoodles (TM)
Questions Answered
Wow. I’m so behind in my post reading. I just read Awardification written last week by one of my favourite bloggers, Goldfish. There was some talk of awards and whatnot but I saw my name in there somewhere and a list of questions to answer, posed by Goldfish herself.
There may be more award-related stuff to do but it’s all very confusing so I’m just going to answer the questions, and take the consequences! ‘Cos I’m a rebel.
Goldfish asks:
“The Foxglove Massive” by DraliDoodles(TM)
Do you remember what it was like to be short? I don’t mean adult short, but kid short, like 2 feet tall. (I don’t. That’s why I’m asking.)
I have one vivid memory of being little. We had foxgloves in our front garden and I remember that they towered above me. Years later, when I’d grown up, I saw more foxgloves and was surprised that they were shorter than I remembered. Very disappointing.
How tall are you?
I’m around 5 foot 8 inches tall. That’s right. Feet and inches. The UK is a confusing mixture of Imperial and metric measurements. Officially I’m 1.7 metres tall. We used to be all Imperial and then along came Europe with their directives and now we’re metric. Sort of. A pint of beer is still a pint. If asked my weight, I’d tell you 9 stone. Which is a massive lie, but I’d give it in stones and pounds rather than kilogrammes. Everything is officially metric apart from road-related stuff, which is miles and miles per hour, though all car speedometers also have km/hr on them in case we go driving in Europe. Damn you, Europe, and your modern ways.
What is your favorite genre of movies?
Tricky – that depends on my mood. Sci-fi, fantasy, action, comedy. Something like that.
Do you drive to work or take public transportation? How long does it take you?
I drive to work. It takes me around 8 minutes (5.4 miles). A little too far to walk. Cornwall is not great for public transport. Last time I checked, to get to work I would have to take a train into Truro and then find a bus. It would take around an hour to an hour and a half. And I’d either be really really early or slightly late.
What is your favorite moment of an average work day? For example, mine is getting home to see my dog.
I don’t play favourites. It starts. It ends. I guess maybe the end.
What was your favorite candy as a kid? Is it different now that you’re an adult?
Yorkie bars. Big chunky chocolate. I don’t eat those any more because I get addicted to chocolate and then I have to buy bigger trousers.
If you could pick one food item to eat as much as you want without any health consequences for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
Easy – pizza! Mmmmmm, Pizza.
“Talkin’ to Drali” by DraliDoodles(TM)
What actor or actress would play you in the story of your life?
I have absolutely no idea. Who could possibly be more qualified to play me than me? Okay, maybe Robert De Niro. He wouldn’t be right playing me, but he could keep saying “You talkin’ to me?” all the way through. That would be cool.
How far do you live from where you were born?
About 7 miles. I’ve lived and worked in Surrey (near London), Stuttgart (South Germany) and Cork (South coast of Ireland) but for various reasons I’ve returned to my roots!
I’m going to write a check to your favorite charity. To whom should I make it out?
Wow, that’s really generous of you, thanks! Please make your cheque payable to me and I’ll, um, make sure the money reaches its destination. No? Okay, Macmillan Cancer Support then.
Do you like your first name or do you wonder what the H your parents were thinking?
Hmm, “Alistair”. Tricky to spell is the problem here. Alistair, Alister, Alasdair, the list goes on. “Fred” would have been easier. However, “Ali” does lend itself to “Dr” on the front and “man” on the back – draliman! Yay, thanks parents!
Thanks for the the questions!
Interview With The draliman
Interviewer: We’re here today with draliman, to see if we can find out what makes him tick.
draliman: I’m not clockwork. I’m a real boy, with real feelings.
Interviewer: Just a turn of phrase.
draliman: Oh. Continue.
Interviewer: Thank you. So, half full or half empty?
draliman: Excuse me?
Interviewer: Do you see the glass as being half full or half empty?
draliman: Oh, I see. Work your way up to the heavy stuff, why don’t you. Half empty.
Interviewer: So you would describe yourself as a pessimist?
draliman: I see it as “disappointment management”.
Interviewer: Right. Cornetto or Magnum?
draliman: Ice cream or a hand gun?
Interviewer: Magnum the ice cream.
draliman: Oh. That depends on my mood. If I go for Magnum, I like to eat the chocolate off and then suck the yummy ice cream off the stick. Cornetto’s good for biting into.
Interviewer: Town or Country?
draliman: Country. All open and quiet. Lovely. I’m not a fan of being squashed in with too many people.
Interviewer: Cats or dogs?
draliman: Definitely cats. They pretty much look after themselves, and I’m lazy. I had a bad experience with a dog when I was tiny. I was on the beach and a dog ran off with my underpants. Stop laughing.
Interviewer: Sorry. It must have been very traumatic.
draliman: It was.
Interviewer: Well, I think we have enough for now.
draliman: What? That’s it? I drove miles to get here. Aren’t you even going to take my picture?
Interviewer: Um… no. I don’t think that would be a very good idea.
draliman: Huh? Hey, come back! What about my petrol money? Hello? Hello?
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Share Your World
Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 