I Got Nominated Again for Liebster Award 2018!

Some of you probably noticed that last year, I got nominated for Liebster Award here. So it was a little surprise that I got nominated again by Emina this year. Hvala, lijepa! 😀

I was a bit hesitant to do it as I thought that the rules would be pretty much similar to what I’ve done last year, but when I read it, there’s actually some minor change and since Liebster Award is more like a ‘message chain’ from one blogger to another, in a good way though, since that way not only that we know each other as blogger fellas but it won’t hurt anyone to know each other a little better personally.

So, finally I decided to do the Liebster Award for this year aiming for some other cool bloggers that I got to know in the past few months. There we go! 😀

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RULES

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award and YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT; you should do the following:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and put a link to their blog on your blog (and answer the questions).
2. Display the award on your blog.
3. For the 2018 Liebster Award write a small post about what makes you passionate about writing blog posts.
4. Provide 10 random facts about yourself.
5. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you would like to enjoy blogging about this award.
6. Do not forget to create 11 questions for them to answer.
7. List these rules in your post. Once you have written and published it, you have to: inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post.

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What does make me passionate about writing blog posts?

Well, honestly I’ve been blogging since early 2000s as I was a teenager living too much drama so I had to pour myself out into something, and I chose blogging in the beginning.

The only good thing about it is that I no longer have the record of what I wrote back when I was in junior high school because the platform I used back then went bankrupt. Otherwise, I could guarantee that all the things I wrote were some total cringeworthy posts. HAHA.

I started taking blogging seriously since last year when I decided to create this blog. And clearly, this blog itself is my passion. It covers everything that I like. Although I write mainly about travel, I occasionally write some rants posts about dating issue or beauty stuff that I like, because that’s what I’m passionate about.

Despite the fact that I’m a slow traveler, I always have some ideas to write about. It doesn’t have to be about traveler, it could be about some silly guy I went out for a date with or even some face mask that I tried recently.

So far, I haven’t had any moment with writers’ block or any such, because if anything, I always have some ideas about what I want to write, yet I don’t always have time to sit down and make it happen. 🙂

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10 Random Facts about Myself

1. Not so many people that Lies Marya Sutimi is the name given by my parents. The name Lies (pronounced as Lis though, not like English lies) didn’t get into my birth certificate, therefore Marya Sutimi is the name I use for all documents I’ve got with my name stated.
2. My Mom was my cousins’ nanny until she married my Dad.
3. My mother tongue is ethnic Sundanese, until I started kindergarten and the first day at school, I came home crying because I didn’t know how to speak other people’s language (Indonesian). Nowadays, I’m more fluent in Indonesian and my Sundanese is rather passive as I understand what people speak to me, but I rarely know how to respond it in Sundanese. Does it even make sense?
4. When I grew up, I wanted to be an astronaut until my English teacher killed my dream when she said, “You must be really good at Physics to become one.” I was only 11 back then, and the worst score on the report card was Physics.
5. Despite killing my dream, the conversation with my English teacher led me to another thing as I promised to myself that one day when I grew up, I would want the life where I could travel a lot and live abroad.
6. On the 7th grade, I already knew what major I wanted to take in the university. I wanted to study International Relations so that maybe one day I could get a chance to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and make my dream come true.
7. Back in the days, I already started watching football and yup, I got obsessed with Croatia already. And I’ve always wanted to go to Croatia for as long as I can remember.
8. Because of this, I got connected with a Croatian girl called Dora through MySpace (yup, that dead platform with the infamous Tom without Jerry! 😛 ) and we’ve been friends ever since. We never got a chance to meet each other, but our friendship is so old that I knew her since we were both actually virgin, had our first sex until now she’s got 2 kids on her own.
9. The first time I traveled with an airplane was when I got a scholarship for a summer course in Turkey. I stayed in Izmir for 3 months, and I can speak basic Turkish. Not perfect, but good enough to get discount around Kemeralti. 😛
10. Despite everything, I think I got some of my childhood dream come true with a twist: I got a chance to live in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. One for study and one for work, and I travel quite well. Although not being a diplomat like I dreamt about, at least I lived abroad. HAHA.

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11 Questions from Emina

1. Why did you start blogging?

Like I mentioned before, I started blogging a long time ago although I only started working on this blog since last year. The reason why I started blogging was because I had always wanted a blog with more focus about things that I like but can be useful for others.

The BeauTraveler itself came from the fact that I’m a beauty who loves traveling, and since I’m unlucky in love, I kinda travel from one beau to another. At least so far. 😛

2. What is the hardest decision in life that you had to make?

I think it was when I decided to quit my full-time job. My previous job was so stressful, but at the same time I had some bill to pay and it was hard to imagine myself starting from the ground when I’ve got debts. But at the same time, I knew if I stayed, it wouldn’t be healthy for my mental health as I often woke up with the thought of dying.

But then things got in place slowly, I quit my full-time job and decided to come back to my parents’ house. And despite having no full-time job, I occasionally have some projects on my own. Be it has something to do with writing or just volunteering.

It was hard indeed to decide quitting a job that has become your source of income when you got debts. But then despite the fact that I earn less money now than when I had a full-time job, I feel content. I’ve got some money to pay the bill and still got some left to buy some random unnecessary thing like lipstick or a dress. 😀

3. What is your favorite travel destination and why?

Vietnam.

The reason why I went to Vietnam was rather pretty silly, actually. Why? Because back when I lived in Saudi, I got tired of people starting a small talk thinking I’m Indonesian, so I had to lie to them that I’m actually Vietnamese. Well, one time I got caught lying when I got too excited passing this Indonesian restaurant though. HAHA.

Why Vietnam? Because people in South East Asia look relatively similar to one and another. Like, sometimes we can’t tell whether they are Indonesian or Malaysian until they started talking in their mother language. And the reason why I chose Vietnam was because the number of Vietnamese in Saudi Arabia is so low compared to Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian or even Thai. Hence, no small talk random people trying to get friendly talking with our language.

But then, this lie led me to another obsession: to actually travel there and see how Vietnam is like. So I spent 2 weeks to explore Vietnam from the North to the South. And I love every minute of me traveling in the land of Uncle Ho! 😀

No kidding, the first time I step in the city of Hue, I felt de javu and I felt home already despite the fact that I was only there for 2 days.

4. What place are you dying to visit the most?

Do I still have to answer this question? It’s obvious, Croatia!

5. What is the scariest thing that you experienced while travelling?

I got sexually harassed in Riyadh when I had a layover there. I got warned a lot of times that it’s not recommended to stroll around the city alone for women as Riyadh was quite strict compared to Jeddah.

However, it didn’t stop me from going out alone as I was really hungry and the distance from the hotel that I stayed and the restaurant was only like 5-minutes walking distance. I was eating alone in the family section during prayers’ time (all restaurants will be closed during prayers’ time in Saudi) when this man who’s one of the restaurant staff grabbed my chest.

I went downstairs to report to the manager, and the only response from the manager was only towards my English. And I got the meals for free, but other than that, there was nothing that they’ve done regarding to sexual harassment that I have experienced.

6. Did you have any bad experience while travelling, if yes which one?

Well, when it happened it was bad, but now that I think about it, it was rather funny.

I went on a road trip from Izmir to Bodrum, but my friend and I decided to go back to Izmir from Marmaris only to find out that we only had enough money to buy the bus ticket with student discount and that was about it.

You think it’s good enough as long as you can come back safely to the dorm in Izmir but nope, our bladder disagreed back then and we didn’t have enough money to actually get in the public restroom to pee. All we needed was just 1 TL for each one of us to get into the toilet.

Honestly though, we had to call our friend in Istanbul to transfer us some money just so we could pee. I remember at that time, we withdrew 20TL from the nearest ATM. Good time! 😛

7. Where would you live with your loved ones, if you could choose?

I think I’ve got to the point where I don’t mind the place that I’d live in right now or in the future. If I could survive as a single Indonesian woman living in Saudi Arabia, I don’t see anything that can stop me from living elsewhere. Especially with the beloved one. 🙂

8. What is your biggest fear?

I don’t know, I’m quite fearless myself so I’m not too sure how to answer this question. 😀

9. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I actually see myself to finally settle in and have my own family.

It would be great if I could find someone who loves traveling as much as I do, but I’m the kind of person who would either travel somewhere new or just slack off around the house, so I think I’ll be fine with not traveling too much too.

10. What is your favourite quote?

I’m not really a big fan of inspirational quotes, but I hope this one is applicable since I could relate to this for a little too much. 😛

11. What makes you get out of the bed every morning?

My cats and some other responsibilities. Haha.

But I literally just had a chat with my Mom yesterday when she mentioned that in my age, she already got me and my siblings. So I was like, “So do I. Look at them!”

My mom thinks I have to make up my mind, but she doesn’t really understand the statement. 😛

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My Nominees!

And in this opportunity, I would like to nominate some cool bloggers that I have encountered through my blogging journey here:

• Lizzie from Lizzie’s Restless Feet
• Keshia from Solo Travelling Girl
• Julia from Meandering Mountain Mermaid
• Shi Hui from IReviewURead
• Candice from Voyage-bound Girls
• Zati from The October Noble
• Jules from The Traveling Tulip
• Elisa from The Wannabe Gypsy

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Questions for The Nominees

Well, yes… I’ve chosen the girl bloggers to be my nominees on purpose. So, if you’re up to do the next Liebster challenge, here’s the questions I want to ask.

1. What has inspired you to start blogging?
2. Do you have any favorite blogger that has become somewhat your ‘role model’ in terms of blogging? If so, who and why?
3. Is there any place that you have visited that you wish you didn’t? Why?
4. Describe your traveling style. Are you a backpacker, a jetsetter, or somewhere in between?
5. Do you have any item that you can’t leave home without it? What is it and why?
6. If you could describe your life in one word, what would it be?
7. If you could turn back the time, what event that you want to change and why?
8. Tell me about your favorite cartoon when you were a kid.
9. When you travel somewhere new, would you prefer to eat McDonalds or some street food that you barely have any idea about what it is but it looks delicious?
10. Could you share with me one unforgettable moment that has shaped the way you live right now?
11. If you could live in another place, where would you be?

Despite the fact that I was a bit hesitant to start this Liebster post, as it turned out I ended up writing this long post. Okay, so I think that’s a wrap and it’ll be fun to read your answers to my questions.

Thank you so much, and cheerio! 😀

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