So, this is something I saw on Facebook via ‘Real Housewives of Abu Dhabi‘ and Tamara Clarke’s ‘The Global Gazette‘… I wasn’t tagged in the post or anything as exciting but I was looking for some inspiration for my next post so I thought I’d give it a go anyway! 

The meme/blogging task includes:

  • Acknowledge the nominating blogger. (I’m afraid I wasn’t nominated but thanks to Tamara Clarke for posting hers and inspiring me!)
  • Share 11 random facts about yourself.
  • Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you. (Not applicable in my case as I’m nominating myself for the task!)
  • List 11 bloggers.
  • Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated.
  • Don’t nominate a blogger who has nominated you.

So here it is – 11 Random Facts about me:

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  1. I was born in Scotland, went to school in England, went to University in Brighton, lived in London after graduating, moved to Dubai in 2006, moved to Australia in 2011, moved back to the UAE to Abu Dhabi in Jan 2013.
  2. I love Giraffes. Don’t ask me why, I just do – they’re lovely!
  3. My walking shoes (which were on my feet at the time) once set off a bomb scare alert whilst crossing the land border from Egypt to get to Jordan (metal in the soles, oops).
  4. I have run from tear gas during demonstrations in Peru.
  5. I was on the London Underground on the Piccadilly Line going to work at the time of the London Bombings. I was evacuated and put onto a bus heading towards Russell Square which was promptly also evacuated as news of what was happening spread. I was trapped on foot within the cordoned off danger zone while a work colleague tried to guide me out through Central London over the phone using Google maps. I eventually made it to work shortly before lunch time –  safe, but a little shaken to say the least.
  6. I have a bit of an OCD / superstition thing and I can’t bear for the volume on the TV / radio etc to be left at 13.
  7. I hate having fears of anything and make myself do what I can to face and overcome them. I just hate the idea that I could miss out on something awesome because of an irrational fear or thought! And it’s a way more satisfying feeling when you’ve achieved something you didn’t think you could.
  8. My nickname is ‘Minxy’.
  9. I landed in Bangkok on the day of the Tsunami in 2004 to visit my brother who lives out there.
  10. I am rather more partial to reality TV than I might like to admit. I just can’t get enough of it.
  11. I used to have my nose pierced.

11 Questions for the bloggers I nominate:

  1. What is the most unusual destination you have visited?
  2. If you have travelled to the UAE, what was your favourite experience here? If you haven’t been here, what interests you most about the region?
  3. What is your favourite film of all time?
  4. What advice would you give to a new blogger?
  5. What is your greatest fear?
  6. What has your most popular blog post been about?
  7. Who or what is your greatest inspiration in life?
  8. What was the last book you read?
  9. If your house was on fire and you could save only one item, what would it be?
  10. If you could meet any celebrity / person of public interest, who would it be and why?
  11. What is your motivation for blogging?

I invite these bloggers to do the meme:

Note: Five of these bloggers I know personally, three of them I have never met but interact with on twitter and there are three that I don’t know at all but just enjoy reading their work…

  1. Footsteps of a Wanderer – Samantha Dancy
  2. Classic with Color – Rachel Duggan UPDATE: site suspended 2014
  3. The Backpacking Wilf
  4. My Wanderlist – Brad Bernard
  5. The Travel Camel – Shane Dallas
  6. The Cinemasitter – Gavin Midgley
  7. Boring vs Funny – Gavin Mackenzie
  8. Miss Elizabeth Louise – Liz Browne
  9. Around the World in 800 Days – Emma Smart and Andy Smith
  10. A Canadian in Abu Dhabi – Ann Marie McQueen
  11. Young Adventuress – Liz