Darlinghurst: Detritus: Versatile Blogger Award

I was very pleased last week to be a lucky recipient of this green-coloured, The Versatile Blogger Award. Yes, I was very happy, but I had no idea what it was. 

Since then I embarked on a thorough Google investigation to learn that The Versatile Blogger Award is much like a chain letter, masquerading as a prize. 

Despite that, it is still an honour to receive it because it means someone likes my blog! 

As a recipient of the prize, I have to undertake a number of tasks. 

Firstly, I have to thank StitchyBritt for presenting me with the award and then I must post a link back to her fabulous blog, http://www.stitchybritt.blogspot.com/, which is all about ''Stitching, Crafting and Sustainable Living''.

StitchyBritt even has a fabulous Etsy store where you can buy her hand-made treasures, such as these cute-as-pie teapot and mug cosies: 

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The second task I have to undertake is to tell my readers seven things about me. This is probably the most difficult aspect of receiving the award as this blog is supposed to be about Darlinghurst and not about me. Anyway, I'll give it a go . . . 

1. I really don't like to hear people talking about their medical problems. It is not that I don't care, it is just that it makes me very queasy. The word 'cartilage' sends shivers down my spine. When people start telling me about their medical problems, I always try and change the topic to a few of my favourite things such as flowers, the moon and butterflies.

2. I clean my apartment first thing every Saturday morning. Even when I have a hang-over.

3. I wash my hands about hmmm, 30 times a day. I really can't stand germs and don't touch door handles or those safety poles you are supposed to hold on to on the bus and train.

4. When I die, all that will be left of my life is a mammoth wardrobe full of clothes and hundreds of books. Among the clothes will be about a dozen evening dresses that I only wore once. Among the pile of books will be a much-loved set of Encyclopedia Britannica from 1970, which I inherited from my grandfather. I hope that when I die, all my books will go to a good home.

5. I secretly love crime fiction but never remember the authors's names or the titles of the books in that genre because I read them so quickly. My favourite fiction authors are Vladimir Nabokov, Dan Rhodes, Ulf Stark, Roald Dahl and Anais Nin. I own every novel by Tom Robbins and collect editions of Nabokov's Lolita and Antoine de Saint Exupery's The Little Prince.

6. I am presently reading The Story of Mr Sommer, by German author Patrick Suskind, illustrated by the marvellous Jean Jacques Sempe. I borrowed it from a friend because I was entranced by the drawings and the first six words in the book: ''Back in my old tree-climbing days . . .''.

7. I wish that I could sing in key and play a musical instrument, so that I could have been a travelling musician like Laura Viers or Chan Marshall . . .

 

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Thirdly, I have to nominate my 10 favourite blogs to present The Versatile Blogger Award to . . .

1. Billie Bites is a vegetarian food blog written by Sydney-based SBS producer/researcher Sarah Allely. She began the blog after her daughter Billie was born and it documents her attempts - in pictures, recipes and words - to only feed Billie what the rest of the family is eating, that is, to not make separate meals or recipes for her child.

2. The Fitzroy Flasher is a Melbourne-based photographer who documents the street art scene in and around the suburb of Fitzroy. The Flasher prowls alleyways and strange dead-ends to discover the most amazing paste-ups and murals for your viewing pleasure.

3. Tracey Grace's Blog details life on the strip in Kings Cross. Tracey Grace moved from regional NSW to live in the badlands of the Cross, so her outsider's eyes always manage to capture intriguing episodes and characters with literary flourishes.

4. Darlinghurst Nights was a great solace to me when I was forced to leave the neighbourhood from 2007-09. I would regularly check in to this blog to see the latest street art in Darlinghurst and to catch glimpses of my favourite streets.

5. Kings Cross Times is Michael Gormly's blog about the area that has now expanded to include links to stories and editorials about drug prohibition. It's still good for local news.

6. A Blog for Black Paul is Nicky Minus's blog about her obsessions and includes stories on writer Vladimir Nabokov, director Alfred Hitchcock, musician Patrick Wolf and comedian Larry David. Nicky moved from Sydney to London almost a year ago and also has another blog, Famous Last Words, of random musing and photographs.

7. Mouses Houses is an American blog by talented artist Maggie Rudy. Maggie has the most wonderful imagination and creates remarkable miniature worlds featuring models of mice. Maggie's book, The House That Mouse Built, is published this month by Simon and Schuster.

8. The City That Never Sleeps In is a blog by the writers of Nosey in Newtown, which used to detail life in this inner-west suburb of Sydney. When the writers, Tabitha and Nathan, moved to Hanoi in northern Vietnam, they kept blogging in their usual entertaining way.

9. 52 Suburbs is Louise Hawson's blog in which she set out with her camera to capture the beauty in 52 suburbs in Sydney over a year. Louise's book, based on the blog, will be published by the University of NSW Press in May to coincide with an exhibition of her photographs at the Museum of Sydney. Naturally, there's a post on Darlinghurst, which you can see here.

10. I'm not a fan of even numbers and would rather leave my favourite blogs at the perfect number nine. Please send me a link to your favourite blog and maybe I can make it number ten.

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Finally, I have to contact these bloggers and present them with The Versatile Blogger Award and the conditions of acceptance, which I have just undertaken.
My Darling Darlinghurst will return to normal neighbourhood-related transmissions very soon. VTx