#atozchallenge #blogboost 10 Day You Blog Challenge a to z challenge a to z of blogging blogging challenge blogging ideas blogging tips

Okay so I was totally clueless about what to write about for the Letter W … My first thought was to write about Wikipedia (‘cos really it’s such a great site to be able to find info on) but then I realized it wasn’t quite the blogging tip I wanted to share.

Ever since I started my first blog challenge in Aug 2011, I have been on the look out for other blog challenges as well as trying to find new ways to come up with good content for my blog.

Just now it struck me – the only way your blogger voice is going to grow is when you actually try out different forms of writing !  I’ve never actually done an actual writing exercise (like proper writers do) so I can’t tell you what to do with that.  But my perspective of it is that you should be open to writing about things you have never written about and something that is different to your usual content on your blog.  Taking part in a blog challenge is a form of a writing exercise for me and I can’t tell you just how chuffed I am with myself for making it through the challenges !

Here are a few ‘writing exercises’ (or challenges or whatever writing prompts – whatever you want to call them) that you might find useful :

1. 15 Day Feelings Challenge : you have one word as a prompt for each day and you can write about anything you want
2. 7 Deadly Sins Challenge : 7 sins, and you need to write 7 things about them in relation to you
3. 10 Day YOU Challenge : a great way of letting your readers know more about you !

And if you want more check out these links :

1. 5 Daily Writing Exercises That Can Improve Your Blogging by Mariana Ashley
2. 365 Picture Prompts from the Creativity Portal
3. Imagination Prompts from the Creativity Portal 

I hope you find these useful and if you have any writing exercises or tips then please do share them in the comments.

Bottom line – write whatever it is that you want to write about as long it comes from the heart.  Not all of us are professional writers; or can claim to have penned a book or two – but if you put your mind to it – anything is possible.  Happy Blogging folks !

#atozchallenge #blogboost 10 Day You Blog Challenge 31 Day Blog Challenge a to z challenge blog boost blog challenge blog content ideas blog party blog post ideas blogging challenge

Last summer I took part in the 10 Day YOU Challenge to see if I could actually blog 10 days in a row.  I did and it felt good to know that I had been a part of a ‘community challenge’ – I came across some fun blogs and got to know a few new people on Twitter.

Then at the start of this year in January – I participated in the Ultimate Blog Challenge – where the rules stated that one must write a post a day or a total of 31 posts in the month of January.

This month, I’ve been taking part in a small ‘photo-a-day’ challenge that my friend Sabu put together on FaceBook and we are 11 of us just doing it for fun.  I’m so thankful to my mate for doing this ‘cos it has kept me on my toes and its made me accountable for actually taking a photo a day and sharing it with the group.

Somewhere in between these challenges, I came across something called the A to Z Challenge and it caught my attention.  So much so that I had even prepared in advance and scheduled some posts in anticipation of participating in the challenge and not falling behind on schedule.  That was until my laptop died and I had to get a new one – which meant that none of my posts got saved as I had written them on live-writer.

Today, I came home after an amazing spa day with my girlf and decided that I need to stop procrastinating and just prepare myself for this blog challenge in April … and so this post is there to sign it off in black and white into blogosphere that I’m gonna do this !

That’s right folks – in the words of Barney Stintson ‘Chalenge Accepted’ I’m going to take part in the  A to Z April 2012 Blogging Challenge !

10 Day You Blog Challenge blogger voice bloggerville just for fun

Today’s post marks the end of the 10 Day YOU Challenge, and probably the most awaited one as well.  Today’s post is the easiest post – I have to put up a picture of myself !

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And this is what the Diva looks like (on a mad night out) ….

Admit it – you thought I was going to put up a proper picture of myself didn’t you ?  Hey, the rules never said that I actually had to reveal my face – it just said a picture of me hehe and here’s a picture of moi in my element on a mad night out with my boys when Pete Tong was playing in Dubai.

To know more about the challenge and a bit more about me – check out the following posts that reveal my secrets; things I love; my deepest fears, and the things I desperately want.  I’ve still got lots of places I want to visit; lots of foods that I need to experiment with; and one can never get enough of movies, books and songs !

And there you have it – the Diva has successfully completed the 10 Day YOU Challenge.  Hopefully it may inspire you to participate in the same (and just as I say this I see an alert that my friend The Crazy Nigerian has just put up his latest post for the challenge)

If you are participating – don’t forget to share your links below so that we all get to know each other a bit better.

10 Day You Blog Challenge music for the soul music mondays lady java

I knew there was a reason I started the #MusicMonday meme – so that if I ever had to short list my favourite songs then I could ! That’s how I came about with The Diva’s Top 40 Tunes !

Since I have to pick 2 songs, they would be:

David Guetta – The World Is Mine

A must have tune for any CD / playlist that I make.  Something about the beat and tune just make me ‘feel it’

Michael Jackson – Bad

The man is a truly the KING of POP ! I couldn’t pick between Bad, Beat It or Thriller so I’ve just gone with Bad. (and ‘cos I used to have this particular poster – 6ft x 3ft - in my room back in the day!)

Now it’s your turn folks – what are the 2 songs that immediately come to mind as you read this ? Leave them in the comments so we can all expand our musical tastes.

10 Day You Blog Challenge blogger voice movies movies now hd

My heart sank a little when I saw what todays’ challenge was.  3 Films.  Is that 3 films I’ve really liked, or that have inspired me or that I’d never watch again ?

I’ve come to conclude that I’m really crap at names of songs, books and movies ! But for the sake of this challenge – let’s get this list going ..

Films that were a total waste of my time

1. Black Swan.  WTF ! I wanted to smack the woman ! I don’t know why but I just did not like this movie at all.  It made me want to leave the cinema !
2. From Paris With Love.  Avoid.  Poor story line and some scenes made me wonder what the director & producer were thinking when they shot the scene !
3. Inglorious Bastards.  Long, drawn out, and sketchy / weird ending.  I think I even fell asleep for 20 mins during the movie.  Definitely something dodgy about this film.

Films that I can watch over & over again

1. Ice Age.  Diego is my favourite character !
2. Pulp Fiction.  Tarantino at his best !
3. Face Off.  John Travolta and Nicolas Cage – need I say more ?

The first thing that came to mind were movies that I did not like – hence the top list; then I just jotted down what I did like to balance it out. 

What are your favourite movies ? Which movie could you watch over and over again ? Have you seen any of the movies on my list – thoughts about them ?

Don’t forget to share your 3 films in the comments below (think of it as doing me a favour and allowing me to expand my horizons when its comes to movies).  If you are taking part in the challenge, make sure you share your link below !

10 Day You Blog Challenge blogger voice book reviews books books and beyond

I don’t even know how to start shortlisting books that I enjoy reading ! I’ve read so many over the years.  The problem is that my entire book collection is now gathering dust in storage as I have no space for them in the house – so I can’t even go through the lot of them to pick out my faves !

So here goes my list (which is whatever comes to mind first – including authors I like) and I’m hopefully going to avoid the ones I already have listed in a previous post ‘Books & Beyond’

1/ Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.  I love the authors’ writing style and the main character.  I’ve read about 15 or so books by this author and its great to follow the main character through his adventures.

2/ Any book by John Grisham.  I grew up reading his books and really enjoy his writing style.  The criminal cases, the court systems, learning bits & bobs about the law.  My favourites include A Time To Kill, The Client and The Chamber.

3/ Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.  I love love love the series.  I want to go to Hogwarts.  I want a magic wand, a time turner; but most of all I want the invisible cloak (it would be so much fun!).  Oooh how I wish the magical world of Hogwarts really existed !

4/ Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.  Damn it took me a few minutes to recollect that, not to mention some help from NB and Google !

It’s actually criminal (not to mention super hard!) to just have to list just 4 books !! Now I feel crappy because I don’t have all my books nor do I remember all the authors I have enjoyed in the past.

Oh well – guess this is the motivation I need to build up the book collection again !

What are your favourite books ? Or authors ? Are you reading anything at the moment ? What was the last book you read ? Don’t forget to share your answers in the comments and if you are taking part in the Blog Challenge then make sure you share your link.

10 Day You Blog Challenge blog challenge blogger voice food lovers italian food just for fun things I like to indulge in

Now this is going to be hard considering I’m a self-proclaimed dessert lover and not even remotely close to being a foodie ! Oh and I’m a vegetarian as well !

I’m going to try to go with cuisine here just so that it sounds like I have a more exotic food palate – although I’m tempted just to write dessert for all items on my list !

1/ Italian.  Pizza, pastas and risottos.  I’m a huge fan of Italian food and more so ‘cos my boy Luci (pronounced Lu-chi) really spoiled me on my trips to Italy.  I like my pizza as a plain margarita (extra cheese if you will); a nice mix sauce (or pink sauce) pasta (spaghetti, fettuccini, penne) is always comforting; and a mushroom risotto is the best meal when you want to fill-up the tummy !  Oh, and lets not mozzarella & tomato salad (especially fresh Buffalo mozzarella) ! yum yum yum !

2/ Middle Eastern.  I grew up in Dubai – need I say more ? From falafel wraps, humus & pita bread, tabouleh, lebneh, couscous, rice wrapped in vine leaves – I could live off Middle Eastern cuisine.  My absolute favourite item of food to eat is the Cheese Manaeesh from Al Reef Bakery in Dubai.  It’s a must have every time I visit there.  My bestie Nat introduced me to Burekas when visiting Israel and I find them to be divine !

3/ Japanese.  Ok as a vegetarian it’s a bit hard to really enjoy Japanese food but I love all things ‘maki’ (which is the veg sushi rolls) and Golden Tofu with peanut sauce ! I became a fan after eating at Bento Cafe in London – I just checked the menu out and now craving some Japanese food ! Ohhh bring on the Avocado & Cucumber maki rolls, and some Gyoza whilst we are on the subject !  Oh God I want to move back to London right now !

4/ Indian.  The Punjabi in me loves authentic parathas with yogurt, dal makhani, paneer makhani (only during the day ‘cos I get migraines if I eat it at night).  I do quite South Indian food such as dosas (confession I eat ‘cheese dosas’), idli and curd rice – and I really enjoyed eating off a banana leaf !! Then I like eating some really specific Rajesthani dishes courtesy of my maternal grandma.  But I can’t eat Indian food on a daily basis – it’s just way too heavy for my system !

5/ I don’t know what the 5th type of food would be.  Would any type of eggs be considered valid ? Or can I just put ‘breakfast foods’ ? That could pass for a type of cuisine right ? Or maybe if I have to pick a cuisine I’ll go with Chinese (specifically veg fried rice, dim sums, crispy seaweed with plum sauce)

Like I’ve mentioned before I’m really not much of a foodie at all – so it’s actually quite hard to pin point foods that I like to eat (and having said that – it has to be as authentic as possible otherwise I’m not eating it!)

If I had to pick 5 foods I couldn’t live without then it would have to be :

1. Potato
2. Eggs
3. Bread
4. Pasta
5. Fruit

Finally this challenge is done – probably the hardest for me to actually do ! Why isn’t there a dessert list on this challenge ?? (note to self – must change that!)

What about you guys ? What' are your favourite foods / cuisine ? Have you got any preferences or are you a foodie by nature ? What are your top 5 foods that you couldn’t do without ? and your top 5 favourite cuisines to eat ?  Share your thoughts in the comments or put up your link to your own post !

10 Day You Blog Challenge blog party blogger friends blogger voice just for fun random rambling

As you all know, I'm taking part in this blog challenge, where I am going to write 10 posts in 10 days.  It’s Day 5 and I’m pretty chuffed that I got through the last few days without any delays.

Now that you already know my secrets, my loves & list of fears (don’t hold it against me) and my wants, it’s time to spill the beans on the 6 places I want to visit (I’m assuming they mean places I want to visit)

1/ Hawaii … beautiful beaches, beautiful people, volcanoes and sharks – who doesn’t want to go there ?

2/ South America … Hot men, hot women, salsa dancing, the rain forests, the parties ! oh and I know this might sound nuts – but I’m kinda hoping when I do visit – I get to spot an anaconda !

3/ Africa … given my fascination with wildlife, Africa is definitely a place on my bucket list.  Two friends recently went out there and the photographs they have are just unbelievable ! I would love to be able to watch the migration in Masai Mara (and I really want to just be able to spend time getting close to the big cats !)

4/ Leh & Ladakh … Ever since I moved to India, I have wanted to go and visit this picturesque mountain region – but alas opportunity seems to pass me by.  I’m hoping that before I leave the country I get to visit here.

5/ Central & Eastern Europe … I’ve done most of Southern Europe but there are still so many more places to explore ! My cousin moved to Russia for a year but unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to go and visit her – so I’m hoping maybe in the next few years I get to go.

6/ Actually I want to visit every country on the map. I love to travel, and love exploring new locations – so perhaps a world tour would be perfect for me.

Have you been to any of the above places ? Do you have any suggestions of what other locations I should add to my ‘Places to Visit’ list ? What about you – what are the Top 6 places (countries / cities) that you would want to visit ?

10 Day You Blog Challenge blog challenge blogger tips blogger voice

I’ve decided to take part in a blog challenge as mentioned previously, where I am going to write 10 posts in 10 days. Today is Day 4 and I’m about to share all the things that top my ‘want’ list !

1/ My own dream home.  Who doesn’t want this right ? I’ve always thought of having a house on the beach since I love the water.  My aunt has a gorgeous place on the Palms in Dubai – I’d kill to have a place over there !  If not a house, then a very modern apartment in a high rise with great views; lots of rooms so all my friends & family have a place to crash; a swimming pool and a walk-in wardrobe to put all my clothes, sandals & bags !

2/ Luxury Sports Car.  I love Mercedes as a brand.  My first car was a CLK 230 and I can’t wait to own another Merc – the new AMG has caught my fancy ! Otherwise a Porche, Lamborghini or Maserati would do just fine. 

3/ My own night club.  I don’t know where it’s going to be but I want it and I’m going to get it ! (in an ideal world – I’d own a few night clubs actually in different parts of the world)

4/ A puppy.  I absolutely love dogs especially German Shepherds & Dobermans ! I haven’t gotten a puppy over the last 4 years as I wasn’t sure how long I was going to  sooner than later, it doesn’t make sense to get one here.  I’m definitely gonna get one once I find a city / country to settle down in.

5/ To travel the World.  I love traveling, and there are so many places that I have yet to discover.  I would love to be able to take a year or two off and just go traveling around !

6/ To be successful in whatever I do.  I’ve been an entrepreneur for years now and whilst everything is great – there’s always scope for improvement.  I know my hard work and dedication will pay off – so there’s nothing wrong in wanting it right.

7/ I want a magic lamp with my own personal genie who grants me 3 wishes every day for the rest of my life ! Hell I might as well throw it out in the universe and hope for the best right ?

That’s my ‘want list’  – now it’s time to share yours.  Feel free to list them out in the comments or share the link to your own blog post on the subject.

10 Day You Blog Challenge blog challenge blogger tips blogger voice just for fun random rambling

I’ve decided to take part in a blog challenge as mentioned previously, where I am going to write 10 posts in 10 days. Today is Day 3 and I’m about to share my worst fears with you !

1/ Losing my parents.  The thought alone makes me tear up and I don’t even know how to imagine a life without them.  It doesn’t matter I’ve lived away from them for years – but to not be able to speak to them or see them again – the thought kills me.

2/ Losing my Memory. I’ve always prided myself on being able to keep track of things far and beyond; my Mum says I have this uncanny ability to remember the randomest of dates and comes to me when she can’t recall something.

3/ A slow painful death.  We are all going to die one day and I’m cool with that.  I just want it to be quick and done with ! The idea of a slow and drawn out death is not only painful but it would hurt my loved ones and I rather not see that happen.  I’ve actually said to a friend of mine & my mom, if that were the case – just pull the plug on me.

4/ Not being able to give my children the life that I have had.  Everyone wants to give their kids a better life if not the same life they have had.  It would eat me up if I wasn’t able to give my kids (when I have them) the life I’ve had (and thinking about it makes me realize I really should save more for that to be able to happen !)

5/ Being a burden to my loved ones.  I know one day I might not be able to do all the things I do for myself on a regular basis.  I’m gonna hope that never happens.  I’d hate to be dependent on someone for my day-to-day needs.  This also holds true for being incapacitated.  The thought of not having any functioning body parts (hands, legs, brain) gives me the shivers and would pose to be a burden for those around me.

6/ Losing all my teeth. I know it’s gonna happen someday but I actually get nightmares of my teeth falling (actually crumbling) in my mouth !! It’s given me many sleepless nights.

7/ Cockroaches. I’m a chicken shit when it comes to cockroaches. I know they can’t do much to me but just looking at them gives me the creeps.  Anything that can live without its head for 9 days needs to be feared !

8/ Losing everything stored on my various Hard Drives.  That is enough to give me a nervous break down !! I have everything from my school work, university papers, photographs (this is the most important of them all), work related documents, music, fav TV shows, fav movies etc stored on my HDs.  It would drive me nuts if I lost any of this – especially the photographs.  We live in a technology driven world and I have no hard copies of anything anymore !

That’s my list of fears for you – now it’s time to share yours.  Feel free to list them out in the comments or share the link to your own blog post on the subject.