Tag Archives: kreativ blogger award

I’m so excited to announce that I’ve received my first blogging award! Thank you so much to my very good friend, Hajra Khatoon. She’s one of my favorite bloggers; catch her candid sense of humor at Hajra Kvetches — one of my absolute favorite blogs! =)

There are only two conditions to this award:

• I need to pass the award on to 10 other worthy recipients and let them know. (It’ll be challenging to choose only ten, but I know I’ll eventually acknowledge the rest of you somehow!)
• I also need to share 10 facts about myself that you may not know about me.

It was supposed to be ten, but I published too soon (and am secretly glad that I could slip in another favorite blogger)! =)

1. Sherry Zander @ Writing 4 Effect — Sherry is one of my writing mentors and she’s been with me since the beginning. I love how she slips in commentaries on news pieces and blips about life amidst her writing tips.
2. Rowena Bolo @ RowenaBolo.com — In less than a year, Rowena has established herself as a top-notch online marketer. I’m motivated by her drive, success and warm personality.
3. Diana Simon @ DianaSimon.com — Diana is the epitome of generosity. I’m coached through her blog, which is filled with blogging tips based on her own experiences and growth.
4. Caitlin VB @ Ubiquitous Non Sequitur — Caitlin is the first person who really encouraged me to follow my dreams to Peru. She followed hers to 40 acres of North Carolina where she’s building a self-sustainable life.
5. Deeone Higgs @ The Kingskidd Report — Deeone has inspired me with his warmth and his zest for life. I replenish my inspiration jar by reading his blog posts.
6. Maureen Hunter @ Esdeer — Maureen exudes motherly care. Her personality is fit for her career as a grief steps coach and I strive to interact with others with the same genuine approach that she has.
7. Jennifer Puckett @ Jenz Virtual Office — Jen is one of the most energetic people I know! Her site is full of pizazz and I feed off of her energy as a bubbly virtual assistant.
8. Kelly Cannon de Borda @ My Life in Peru — As a veteran expat, Kelly is one of my go-to people in Peru. Her blog documents her experiences and she shares the most delicious Peruvian recipes to boot.
9. Chris Richardson @ The Aussie Nomad — Chris is one of the first travel bloggers I connected with. Who would believe that he would leave his comfortable life in Australia to country hop around the world!
10. Dayle Fraschilla @ I Shall Be a Toad — Dayle is one of my newest friends and I clicked with her kindness right away. She’s a natural writer and all-around creative idea generator at par with her idol, Dr. Seuss.
11. Gonzalo Suárez @ Dichos y Bichos — Gonzalo is the first person I know to have started a blog challenge for Spanish blogs. You can access his articles with the nifty translation tool he has installed on his site

1. I’m an aspiring acrobat. I can do a mean bridge and fold my body in half, but being flexible doesn’t mean that I can do cool tricks. I’m currently working on staying up in a handstand and accomplishing a clean backflip.
2. I still can’t cook. The year I lived on my own in Japan, my regular diet involved spam, brown rice, instant noodles, strawberry ice cream bars and Kraft Mac & Cheese.
3. I’m always told that my face never changes. People from my past can often recognize me even if the last time they saw me was when I was the child.
4. The first time I attended preschool, I didn’t speak English. I got by with the words I knew from Sesame Street. My parents were immigrants and we only spoke Chinese at home.
5. I speak a dialect of Chinese that’s unique to the Philippines; it’s a hybrid of Filipino and the Fujian dialect spoken in Taiwan. It has the same grammar and characters as Cantonese and Mandarin, but I can’t understand a word of the other Chinese dialects.
6. I used to hate cats until we brought Fénix home this past February.
7. I get canker sores often. I think it’s because there’s not a lot of space in my mouth. I only get them when I accidentally bite the inside of my cheek or lip while I’m eating.
8. Everyone in my family and from my life before Grade 5 call me “Santy.” My parents didn’t want my nickname to be “Sam” because my dad’s name is Sam too. We would often get mixed up when people called our house and asked for “Sam.”
9. I’m a tomboy and a daddy’s girl through and through. Maybe it’s the “Sam” connection.
10. When I graduated from university, I won a Master’s award in neuroscience at the same time that I was chosen for an internship to come to Peru. It was a fork in the road and a turning point in my life. As Robert Frost once said, “I took [the road] less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.”