30 Interesting Questions Blogger Tag

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Thank you very much Priya @ When an Introvert Speaks for nominating me to answer your 30 interesting questions! I think it is a wonderful idea to find out more about the bloggers whose posts we read every day. My answers are below:

1. What are your nicknames? What do you prefer to be called?

My name is Florence and my family shorten it to Floss – but it’s a family privilege and I never tell anyone else this nickname!

2. How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like?

The only time I doodle is on birthday or Christmas card with little balloons, cakes, snowmen etc… I always think it makes it look like I’ve made more of an effort, even though I have zero artistic talent!

3. What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep? Toss and turn? Try to get up and do something productive?

Imagine I am on the beach listening to the sea.

4. Do people consider you to be talkative or quiet?

It depends entirely on the situation – I am chatty with my family or a small group of friends but quiet in a larger group. I recently found out there is a word for this – ‘ambivert’ – which is between an introvert and extrovert.

5. What makes you cry?

Where to start! Books, films, uplifting or emotional or both – I get far too invested in fictional characters!

6. What is your biggest pet peeve?

People not treating others in a way that they would want to be treated.

7. How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror?

Usually only when I’m getting ready, or doing my make-up on the bus to university – a skill that I have finely honed after many months of poking myself in the eye with a mascara wand!

8. What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

Probably that teachers actually lived in the school.

9. What is the guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?

Listening and singing along to really bad, cheesy pop music when I am driving on my own. Nobody is ever going to see that playlist – I value my dignity.

10. Who performs the most random acts of kindness out of everyone you know?

My Mum.

11. How often do you read the newspaper? Which sections?

I don’t read newspapers, but I’ve gone all techy and read a news briefing on my phone every morning when I’m waiting for the bus.

12. Which animal scares you the most?

I love animals and spent two years training to be a vet before dropping out because I found it too difficult, so not many animals scare me! I have worked in vets practices, stables and as live-in help on farms. Do humans count?

13. Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage with it?

Avoid, avoid, avoid. I am the very antithesis of assertive.

14. What is the most recent compliment you’ve received?

You are one smart bean (my friend in a seminar, out of gratitude for my quick summary of the preparatory reading she hadn’t done!)

15. What question are you tired of hearing?

So, do you have a boyfriend? Have you thought of online dating?

What I want to say: I’m actually very fulfilled at the moment working towards my degree, enjoying my hobbies, writing a blog, contributing to a magazine, going to my book club, dancing, spending time with my family and making new friends at the moment, thanks. Feel free to ask me about any one of these things instead.

What I actually say: I don’t at the moment, no, but online dating might be a good idea (see question 13!)

16. What is the strangest thing you have eaten?

Chocolate stew (sounds good – not good)

17. Do you have a whole lot of acquaintances or just a few very close friends/?

I have a small group of very close friends plus some acquaintances I chat with now and again at my book club, dance classes or around uni.

18. Do you have a catchphrase?

It’s nearly Friday!!! I use this every day of the week, including Monday.

19. What’s your all-time favourite town or city? Why?

Lindos in Rhodes. It is beautiful and if I ever was to live abroad that is where I would want to go.

20. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

I quite like my middle name, Eve, so I would probably change it to that.

21. When was the last time you lied?

I may have slightly adjusted the date of my Nan’s birthday meal to avoid going to a university social… I am definitely not a fan of clubbing or drinking culture.

22. What’s something that amazes you?

Nature

23. Would you rather be the first person to explore a planet or be the inventor of a drug that cures a deadly disease?

Inventing a drug that cures a deadly disease would be amazing. Also, the idea of going to space terrifies me!

24. What is your favourite amateur activity?

I absolutely adore Ceilidh dancing and go whenever I can (so much that I can finally spell it!)

25. What was your first thought when you got up this morning?

Yay, it’s my day off!

26. What is your favourite song (at least at the moment)?

One Day Like This by Elbow. It’s impossible not to listen to it without feeling uplifted.

27. List someone you know and describe them in five words.

My brother is: funny, loving, intelligent, inspiring and hard-working. Aww…

28. You can select one person from history and have them truthfully answer one question. Who would you select and what would the question be?

Christopher Marlowe – playwright around the time of Shakespeare, also a spy for Queen Elizabeth. He led a life worthy of a play in itself but was sadly killed in suspicious circumstances aged just 29

I would ask what made him so restlessly addicted to life itself.

29. Which celebrity or artist do you resemble the most?

I have no idea… but when I was younger I absolutely adored the Disney Princess Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) because she loved books like me.

30. What do you want me to know?

I thought it would be nice to end on my favourite ever quote:

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”

~ John Steinbeck

Thank you again for the tag @ An Introvert Speaks! I enjoyed reading your answers as well as having a go myself. I’m looking forward to finding out more about other bloggers!

I nominate:

Laura @ The Book Habit

Danielle @ Life of a Literary Nerd

Sara @ The Bibliophagist