Christmas Tag Time

 It seems blog-tags are coming to me thick and fast, well maybe not actually considering this is only the second on Geek Boy Babbles. For those who are interested the first one can be found here, and was a post all about random facts about myself.

This tag is a bit more seasonally appropriate, considering I am posting this on the 1^st of December, and is all about Christmas. The tag was passed to me by Jenna Louise Lloyd, who got it from Amy (different Amy).

Nothing about this Santa looks right. 

I will be tagging DependantonGadgets, Suzy Marie and Anna Celeste.

1. What is/are your favourite Christmas movie/s?
   Tough one this, despite not being my favourite Christmas films, I guess it would be between The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Due to having to watch both of these films during the season every year. You would think films I have seen at least 15 times would have got old, but I still sing along every year regardless.
2. Do you open your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
   Christmas morning of course, what do you think I am? I like to savour the excitement; to the point that one gift, the 'tree present' (a small gift that fits in the tree) doesn't get opened until Boxing Day.
3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
   This may sound sad but not really I'm afraid. Not because I've had a harsh life, but because I enjoy every year as much as possible. Last year was epic as I got to celebrate once with my housemates, once with my family in Norfolk, once with my Grandparents and  once with my family in Dartford. I was all over the place, yet loved every stuffing moment. This year I am off to Amsterdam just before Christmas, in Norfolk for the actual day and then Dartford for New Years. Hectic once again and I can't wait, the best bit, returning to Uni for a Law exam the week semester starts.  A big thanks to the University of Winchester's Law department.
4. Favourite festive food?
   Turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings. Basically the savoury Christmas dinner. Although, as my housemates found out last year, you can't beat Josh Francis' Christmas stew and dumplings.
5. Favourite Christmas gift?
   Hmmm, another hard one. I have had a few that I can name, my GameBoy SP complete with Pokémon Ruby, my various gaming stuff and then there is the annual Space-Man Ice Cream I get every year now... Hint, hint, Dad!
6. Favourite Christmas scent?
   I thought they were all the same; cinnamon, spice, it's all pretty and nice.


7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
   Not as such, perhaps get to sleep early to bring on the fun quicker. Although, I usually stay up to see the night in. Also of course, watching aforementioned films, if I haven't caught up on them by that time already.


8. What tops your tree?
   A snowman made from a toilet-roll tube made by my brother. It is the only thing that looks natural to me. A fairy looks like it is being tortured, I guess a star is nice however.


9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
   Peace on earth... only kidding, what child wants that? I'm not sure I can ever remember a toy I never got but massively wanted. Perhaps I was a bit spoilt, or that I was so hyper over what I got that I forgot my list afterwards.


10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?
    This one has been turned upside down somewhat by Amy Brown, but it used to be how different every day felt around Christmas. some days are anticipation, others excitement; then there's tiring, relaxing and eventually somewhat reflective. I love the whirlwind of emotions the season brings. Now since being in a relationship I find the highlight is appreciating all the little twinkles alongside someone else (eugh, so cheesy!).
    
    

Tag I'm It: The Liebster Award

The UK Blog Awards voting opened today and my blog Geek Boy Babbles is entered under two categories: Young Person and Tech blog.
Any and all support for me in the awards is appreciated.
Well this is certainly exciting, my first blog tag on Geek Boy Babbles. I would like to thank Anna Kissed Celeste for this challenge, known as the Liebster Award. The blogger tagged as part of the award must give 11 random facts about themselves, then answer 11 questions put to them by the tagger. After that, the tagged blogger can issue 11 of their own questions to inflict, sorry, pass on to 5-11 other bloggers.
I don’t know what's up with all the 11s; perhaps they’re in season this year.

So, without further ado: 
11 Random Facts 
1. Despite having a deep hatred for football I actually have a working knowledge of the game and the teams. I can even explain to you the offside rule. This is a result of growing up in a family that was more than a little obsessed with the sport. To this day I have a distrust for everything to do with Derby, due to a family-based Nottingham Forest biased.


2. I enjoy making things and I am often crafting something or other. I recently got into Amigurumi (crocheting plush toys), but in the past have constructed props for costumes; such as my keyblade from Kingdom Hearts. Which I vow will someday be used as pert of a Sora cosplay. If you want to check out some of my stuff then check out the Crafty Projects page on this blog.


3. I consider myself as having a semi-eidetic memory (also known as photographic memory) and because of this get compared to the characters Sherlock (from BBC'S Sherlock) and L (from Death Note). Considering both of these characters are rather odd to say the least you would expect me to be insulted, actually I'm rather proud. Why semi-eidetic? well it is contested whether the condition exists. And yes I do use practices such as 'mind palaces', although I think of it more like a memory map or tree.


4. I can sing the whole of the musical episode of Scrubs (My Musical) after I watched obsessively for a few weeks.


5. I am more than a little bit geeky and consider myself to be an emo (although the age of 21 is pushing the boundaries of either). For this reason I coined the term 'gemo' to describe myself.


6. Despite random fact number two I loathe the shop Hobby Craft. The reason for this is the how expensive their prices are and working for the company for little over a year.


7. Apart from Geek Boy Babbles I run another blog: Taken To Tokyo, which is part of my university dissertation. I also used to ran Saxon Daze, where I reviewed sweets and candy. I ended Saxon Daze after a year of blogging, believe me there is only a few ways you can describe chocolate before you get bored of it.


8. I am not your stereotypical student, and since attending the University of Winchester I have actually become healthier. I haven't drunk alcohol since the second semester of my first year (partly down to too many nights of being taken home in the 'safety bus' during semester one) and go to bed usually before eleven. I don't even get to lie in as my body wakes up naturally about seven thirty!


9. Despite being rather nerdy, I loathe computers and their accessories. I can't fathom software or computer programmes and have gone through more than four printers. As a writer I much prefer pen and paper and hate how I have to use Microsoft Word for the majority of my work.


10. I don't consider myself a vegetarian, but I really dislike meat. Nothing to do with my morals I just really hate the texture, the preparation in cooking it and the taste. I much prefer vegetables and meat free products. If I do eat meat it is usually chicken, ham or cod; but they are my limits.


11. To relax whilst studying law I have found myself: reading law upside down, crocheting, baking, listening to The Muppet Movie soundtrack, eating vast amounts of carrots, throwing balled up socks at my friends, doodling, origami, walking after midnight in the rain, watching Youtube and many more things. Basically studying law can be dull, stressful, moral questioning and unpractical; although I enjoy every second of it.

It looks like I've been spotted!

And now to the questions put to me by Anna Kissed Celeste:

1. Have you taken any exciting trips anywhere you can tell us about?
   Easy one to start, eh? This summer my girlfriend Amy and I travelled to Tokyo. It was an amazing trip to a city that made me feel more at home then anywhere I have ever been. I miss it everyday, although this is both helped and hindered by my dissertation; which is a series of travel pieces based upon the trip.


2. Where would you love to visit the most?
   At one time this would have been easy to answer: Tokyo. But since I have been there it would probably now fall to Oslo in Norway. I studied it once and fell in love with its name, the society and Scandinavia in general.


3. What is your favourite social media platform? I will admit to being less than proficient with computers and almost equally as bad at keeping in touch with people. Overall, I find myself most at ease with Twitter (@JoshFrancis93); I hate Facebook with a passion.


4. How long have you been blogging for?
   I have been blogging in some form or another for just under two years now. My current blog Geek Boy Babbles is still pretty new and under half a year old.


5. What can we expect to find in your blog?
On my blog, Geek Boy Babbles, you can expect all kinds of nerdy posts. Mostly reviews or news on the latest books, film and games. But sometimes I post the odd rant or opinion piece too.

6. Can you describe to us a memorable dream you've had?
   I am terrible at remembering my dreams and those I do recall probably shouldn't be mentioned.


7. What is your ideal career path?
   Ideally I would like a career in freelance writing, that is my most grounded aspiration. My dream job would to someday be a stand-up comic, as I love to make people laugh. I believe laughter is one of the most human things to do, especially uncontrollable giggle fits.


8. If you had a talk show, what would you name it?
   I think I would stick with the name of my blog. It really encapsulates what you get with me: a talkative nerdy guy.


9. What is your favourite film of the moment and why?
   I am still in love with Joss Whedon's Serenity, not just because of the film and lets face it space-western is always awesome. But because of the community it created amongst the fans and the way it saw the light of day after the show, Firefly, was cancelled.


10. Can you tell us about an artist who's music meant a lot to you?
    Probably one of the most recent influential artist on me is Mat Devine and the band Kill Hannah. They were introduced to me by my girlfriend before we began dating, and was the soundtrack that built up my courage to ask her out.


11.  It will be my 1st Blogiversary in December, what do you recommend should be done to celebrate?
    A massive cake with your face and HTML tag on it. The live tweet eating it and perhaps even get a twitter party hangout going. Whatever you do congratulations, have fun and keep on being an awesome blogger.

If you want to find out more about the geek behind the babbling check out this post here and my about me page.










My Questions

1. Where do you see your blog in: (a) one year, (b) three years and (c) five years time?


2. Who most influenced you to blog?


3. What are your favourite blog posts to read and write?


4. What is TV show could you watch indefinitely?


5. Do you enjoy gaming? If so what is your best loved game/series?


6. Have you got any crafty hobbies?


7. When did you last just completely fall flat-out asleep?


8. What is the best live event you have been to?


9. Where was your first memorable holiday to?


10. What shop do you always have time to lunch in?


11. How do you connect with your audience?

That marks the end of my tag post. Those I pass this challenge on to shall be notified by Twitter. Good luck to those chosen few.

I would also like to end by saying that Monday 10th November is when the public voting opens on the UK Blog Awards 2014. Geek Boy Babbles has been nominated for Young Person and Technology blog.

A full list of candidates can be found here.