The Liebster Blog Awards

So it’s a pretty bog standard evening.

The smell of a delicious Punjabi tadka hangs in the air.

The TV is on, and I can hear muted sounds of canned laughter as I aimlessly browse through my site stats.

And then I come across something unusual.

“http://tashsn.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/the-liebster-blog-awards/“, proclaims the interface.

Hmm.

Where did THAT link come from?

I’m pretty sure I didn’t comment on this post.

Am I mentioned here?

Is this a bug?

Is this — ohhhh wait.

Wait.

Was that —

Is it —

Awards?

Did it say… AWARDS?!

This can NOT be what I think it is.

But what if it is?

There’s only one way to know.

I almost hyperventilate as my internet connection takes its own sweet time to open the page.

I drum my fingers. I bite my nails. I fiddle. And when the article opens, I almost hit the close button in my haste.

It’s kinda interesting. Liebster is German for Dearest. I know THAT.

It’s an award bloggers give to co-bloggers whose stuff they enjoy. Uh huh, uh huh.

So where do I come in? I scroll, scroll, scroll until — ooh, wait.

Hold it.

Back up.

Back up.

A bit more. THERE! Cynically Engineered, it says, in kewl amber letters.

Cynically Engineered.

.

.

.

.

Oh. My. God.

I just got a blogging award. I just got a goddamn —
Someone, somewhere, switched on a computer and whipped up a post and listed out their favorites from the blogosphere.

And my blog is in there.

I blink.

I rub my eyes.

It doesn’t disappear. It stays there, my own screen name blinking at me in a friendly sort of way.

I don’t know what to do. Maybe I should do a jig. Dance. Sing a happy song. But I’m no good at that.

I can’t believe how excited I am. It’s like I just saved the world. I feel like a Spiderman on a date with Mary Jane Watson right after saving the world. I feel like I just scored twenty-six three pointers in a row. It’s like I just discovered a cure for cancer.

Don’t be so kiddish, says the voice of sweet reason in the back of my head. It’s just an award. No big deal. Right?

NO.

Screw that.

The voice of reason is talking through its cocked hat. The voice of reason can go fly a kite.

I KNOW I’m ridiculously happy with my achievement and my day (well, evening, really) seems like it’s just been made. Thank you, thank you, Tash!

I’m going to hold up on writing further until I complete my jig. Bear with me.

***

Okay, so I’m back. 😀

Let’s hear all about the Liebster awards.

Like I said, Liebster is a German word. It would literally mean “dearest” but the sense here is more like “favorite” or “most loved”.

The idea behind the liebster blog awards is pretty simple – there are so many blogs out there for which the traffic statistics fall vastly short of their awesomeness.

Not only does this award help drive traffic to lesser-known blogs, it also helps you show your support and appreciation you have for your fellow bloggers.

These are the rules as displayed on tash’s blog (which, by the way, is a blog I highly recommend for anyone interested in reading about intercultural relationships and just some cool, insightful slices of life):

1. Showing appreciation of the bloggers who nominated you by linking back to their blogs.
2. Choose your top 5 favourite blogs and award them by linking back to their blogs.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Lastly, enjoy the love and appreciation you’ve got and share the blogging karma!

Your chosen blogs should have less than two hundred followers.

If you get more than one award, you are supposed to name another five of your favorites.

Perfect! To work.

Now, there are so MANY amazing blogs out there I’d like to name, but the guidelines say five, so I’m going to stick with that. And here go my top five in no real order:

1. Kay In India

Kay is a Canadian of Nepali origin who currently lives in the North of India and is all set to get married to an Indian with roots in the south. If you think that’s a mouthful, wait till you take a peek at her blog.

Kay’s writing combines a vivid, vibrant energy with a beautiful background of empathy and a wicked sense of a humor.

Go ahead and take a sip of this heady cocktail, but use caution! It’s very easy to drown in there and if you do, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.

2. Perspectives and Prejudices

She calls it “my own little space for my thoughts”.

I couldn’t agree more.

This blog is like one of those little log cabins in the woods with a cheery fire burning in the fireplace and languid plumes of smoke emerging from brick chimneys.

It’s cozy, it’s warm, and it is amazingly pretty in its uncomplicated simplicity.

Like warm water over weary joints.

Highly Recommended.

3. Mandooka

Mandooka used to be your average, nice Indian girl.

And one day, she decided she’d had enough.

What the world of Aunties and Arranged Marriages lost that day was gained by the blogsphere in the form of this fierce, yet sensible crusader for gender equality.

Mandooka blogs with a passion that’s precious rare these days and her own struggles with traditional society lend an extra layer of insight to her criticism of the status quo here. Add that to the fact that she has a brilliant way with words and an amazing, sarcastic sense of humor, and you have something really special on your hands.

Do check it out.

4. Intercultured

The journey of one inter-cultural couple, twisting and carving its way through the impenetrable maze that is modern India.

Brilliantly written, with a raw emotional intensity that you can feel right through to your bones.

Read it. It’s amazing.

5. pointsthruprose

This is the only one on this list that is not, strictly speaking, a personal blog.

pointsthruprose is a collective blog for artists, poets and writers to showcase their work in one place.

Some of the stuff (especially the artwork) on here is absolutely amazing and deserves to be seen and appreciated by as many people as possible. Appeals to my artistic site.

Do drop in sometime.

So there you have it.

Here’s wishing all you guys the very best.

And once again, my heartfelt gratitude to Tash for making this day so damn cool.