The A–Z of me.

I haven’t had much in the way of reviews to post recently (finishing off a trilogy and starting a tome of a non-fiction) so, when I saw this on Emma Louise’s Blog I couldn’t not get involved.

The post originated at Chapters of Kat.

A is for Aragorn – one of my first fictional crushes. I read lord of the Rings when I was 12 and have been slightly in love with him ever since. Viggo Mortensen didn’t help matters much either.

B is for Baking – I could never bake as a kid; my mother was of the opinion that if she didn’t bake at home we wouldn’t eat it. After I failed at baking a ‘just add milk’ recipe, my friend took pity on me and taught me how to make my first cake. Soon after, I got my first Hummingbird recipe book as a gift and have since become a baking pro. I even started my own blog to help me learn all the different recipes!

C is for Coffee – I love coffee. I can’t have very much of it (I go into hyperactive, crazy person mode if I have more than two cups a day) but there is nothing better than sitting in a coffee shop for a few hours with a book.

D is for Disney – I am 27 years old and I still love Disney cartoons: Mulan, Aladdin, Lion King – you name it, I’ve watched it. They are my cure for most ailments – hangover, malaise, sadness – however bad you might feel there is nothing like a little Disney to brighten up your day.

E is for Eating – If you haven’t noticed, I like food. I love cooking, baking and eating things I’ve cooked and baked. Most of my social plans include where and what we will be eating and the majority of my friends are fellow foodies.

F is for Friends – My friends are a huge part of my life – they are my fellow bookworms, drinking buddies, dance partners, tea-makers, fellow gossips and I don’t know where I’d be without them.

G is for Ginger Tea – My housemate has gotten me hooked on ginger tea. Fresh ginger and hot water, brewed for a few minutes – there is nothing better to have after dinner.

H is for Harry Potter – Did you really think it would be anything else? I have a huge addiction to these books. I’m currently working my way through the audio books, and will likely go back to some of my favourites of the series at Christmas.

I is for Instagram – My new digital addiction. I love it. I love exploring it. I love taking photos on it. I even like using lots of hashtags on it.

J is for Jewellery – I am a magpie; I love anything that is shiny, glittery or gold. My jewellery collection is ridiculous and constantly expanding. I am forbidden to enter Accessorize and similar shops, as I will leave with a bag full of goodies.

K is for Kebab – I’m Iranian and, thus, very particular about kebab. If I tell you I had kebab on the weekend and you refer to the gross Kebab shops that line London’s streets, I may hit you. A proper kebab is a labour of love, created with tons of spices (and real meat) and cooked until beautifully tender. It is NOT a questionable-looking meat that you eat at 3am in the morning.

L is for Luna – My beautiful little niece. I’ve never been a particularly broody person; babies have always been cute and something I can look forward to in the distant future. Then my little niece was born and it scares me how quickly I’ve fallen in love with her.

M is for Music – one of my biggest passions in life. I have very eclectic tastes, which is code for I listen to pretty much everything: jazz, classical, hip-hop, R&B, rock, dancehall, reggae, Motown, soul, blues. You name it; I probably have a playlist for it.

N is for Nina Simone – Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ is easily one of my favourite tracks of all time.

O is for Oysters – I couldn’t think of anything else that began with O so we will go with my new-found foodie love. They are truly the fruits of the sea and I’ve have been ordering them wherever I can find them (and afford them).

P is for Phoenix – the mythical creature, not the place in America. The phoenix is my favourite mythical animal; it features in Persian mythology and it saves Harry Potter’s life on numerous occasions.

Q is for QI – my newest TV addiction.

R is for Rugby – Since the 6 Nations in 2015, I have become a little bit addicted to the rugby. With the Rugby World Cup well under way, this addiction has become much worse. For the first time I’m interested in sport for the sport’s sake; I’m even learning the terminology – I know what a ruck is, who a hooker is, and what a fly-half does.

S is for Sayings – I’m not very good at sayings, it has become a quirk of mine. I want to say it’s the Iranian in me (and it partly is) but I don’t get the Iranian ones right either.

T is for Torrential rain – I despise drizzle, it makes my curly hair go wild and everything else slightly damp. Now torrential rain, that’s a different matter. Obviously sunny skies are my number one preference but, if it’s going to rain, then give me a serious downpour. You know the kind – real rain that soaks everything, makes huge puddles and is actually fun to jump around in.

U is for Unicorns – Sorry, I’m completely stumped for a word that begins with U.

V is for stuffed Vine leaves – My favourite food ever. I won’t eat just any stuffed vine leaves, however, only homemade ones and, more specifically, only my mums. I love them – I could eat a whole pot of them in one sitting and demand them every year for my birthday.

W is for Wye – Pronounced as ‘why’, this is the quaint little village where my university campus was based. ‘Why Wye?’ featured many conversations but I wouldn’t change that little village for the world. My three years there led to friendships that have lasted almost a decade, lots of laughter and very creative pranks (we had a lot of time on our hands).

X is for X-Ray – I couldn’t think of anything else and refuse to say ‘X-Factor’. X-rays are fun because you can see your bones. There.

Y is for YouTube – I can’t help but go with the majority for this. It has revolutionised… well everything. You can learn to cook, dance, practice yoga, work out, listen to music, watch cute animals do funny things. The only danger is that you can while away hours when you should be productive.

Z is for Zzz – AKA sleep. I’m quite possibly one of the laziest people you could meet. I will always choose sleep over morning exercise, breakfast, or getting to work early. I have weird sleeping patterns and go through stages of not sleeping very well so, when I do sleep, good luck trying to wake me up!