Blogger Recognition Award

A fortnight or so ago, Seattle-based Allison over at Travel Gourmand nominated me for the Blogger Recognition Award. Allison’s blog, as its name suggests, is packed with adventures, both stateside and further afield, and culinary delights. Her recent recounting of her time in Churchill brought back fond childhood memories of the first time I ever learnt of Hudson Bay – in the Animal Ark book Polar Bears on the Path. (I still love alliterative titles. Some things will never change.) Globetrotting aside, you’ll find plenty of restaurant recommendations and recipes inspired by her travels to try out at home. Without further ado, mille mercis to Allison for the nomination, and (heigh ho, heigh ho) onto the rules we go!

Rules of the Blogger Recognition Award:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their blog
• Write a post featuring the award
• Provide a brief story of how your blog began and give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
• Nominate (up to) 15 other bloggers for the award

Once upon a time . . .

A twenty year old returned to Blighty after seven months in Alsace. Her blog documenting her year abroad had died of natural causes, and after a few months she realised she missed the blogosphere. Enter, La Grenouille Anglaise. (Writing in the 3^rd person is rather odd, so I’m now switching back to my preferred narrative point of view.) Limiting myself to just one topic would have felt like living in black and white, rather than technicolour, so my little corner of the internet quickly turned into an outlet for anything and everything that struck my fancy: recipes; hikes; travels, both near and far; language learning (and occasional tongue-in-cheek rants); and ramblings on life as I know it.

From one blogger to another,

1. Be yourself – and just as you wouldn’t restrict yourself to only having one hobby or only experiencing one emotion, don’t worry about limiting your blog to just one sphere of interest. Simply put, there’s no need to have a niche – just write about whatever floats your boat. (If I haven’t convinced you, check out Rhiannon’s post: ‘Why “Finding Your Blogging Niche” is Actually Nonsense’.)
2. Interact with other blogs – rather than just skimming through your WordPress Reader, take a moment to like or, even better, comment on others’ posts. Share the love, as it were.

Nominees:

Alexandra Woodfin | TAPIF tips and rants on France – plus a whole host of other things too. Trying to navigate the linguistic minefield of tu and vous? Getting nowhere with la CAF? Looking for some TEFL-related inspiration? You’re in safe hands.

Invisibly Me | Inspiring thoughts and thought-provoking posts; a genuine invisible hero, who sees the light even when things go pear-shaped.

Carl Versus Life | Carl packs a punch with his worldly insights – in both vlog and blog form – and humorous approach to travel. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, be sure to check out his ‘Travel Fails’.

La Vie en C-Rose | A former resident of the city I currently call home, CatherineRose is now studying translation, localisation and (last term) interpretation across the pond. (The Atlantic Ocean is significantly larger than a pond, so I haven’t the faintest idea how that idiom came about. But I digress.) Her expat chronicles are particularly cracking and a recipe for tears of laughter.