Meet the Blogger - The Eclectic Panda

Before I get to The Eclectic Panda, I would like to state that I'm blessed with friends who challenge me intellectually and have been my confidants, comrades and best friends through my life with its ebb and flow.

I would love to do a Q&A session with all my friends so you can get to know them and their brilliant minds within the various disciplines from psychiatry with Dr Akpabio, photography with Twil I Hiuw and Aurora James Photography, strategy and creative directing with The Napping Billionaire and challenging the status quo in the built environment by Jengo (this list is not exhaustive, I just have brilliance all around).

So, once a week I will have a Q&A session with at least one of my friends; so that's something to look forward to.

But enough about what's to come.

Today I thought I should give some insight into who The Eclectic Panda is and how the blog came about. This will be in a simple Q&A based on questions I have been getting from some members of the community.

Q: Who is Nqobile Bella

A: Nqobile Bella is a construction project manager by day and moonlights as a writer by night.

Q: What do you write about?

A: Various things; some days I get inspiration from every day things or a memory and I find myself writing a poem. Other times my experiences get my creative juices flowing; for instance on a safari in Swaziland I came up with a frame work for a children's book about this girl who was raised on a game farm and can speak to animals - I am not giving anymore up; just wait for the book to be published and buy it. I will share though that the protagonists name is Aasira which means, 'brave, strong and powerful fighter who can conquer and imprison enemies'; which is similar to the meaning of my given name.

Q: Why The Eclectic Panda?

A: I love panda's! How can anyone not? They are cute, like being alone, eat for 14 hours a day without judgement and then sleep in between meals. They basically eat and sleep, okay, and occasionally climb trees (same way I occasionally take the stairs instead of the escalator at airports - same same). Also, they are stress free, shy and gentle and are good communicators (we are just not on the same wavelength to understand). I relate to all of the above - how can I not love them?

Q: Why Eclectic? It's seems contradictory to what you described earlier?

A: Well, I love panda's and I'm a bit zany at times; so The Eclectic Panda just made sense to me.

Q: What made you start the blog?

A: I'm just at a different place in my life. I've always wanted to write and as mentioned before have drafted a few novels but never seemed to progress further. So, I thought if I started with blogging I will eventually get around to completing my children's book.

I also wanted to create something from me but outside of me.

Q: How are you finding blogging?

A: Well, I just started earlier this week so, I can't say much about it other than it's nerve wrecking, because you're putting yourself out there in this world obsessed with likes. It's tough to be authentic and stay true to your purpose for blogging. But I won't bend to mainstream.

Q: Tell us something we don't know about you?

A: I think most people within my circles know I am Korean or Chinese deep inside :) My love for the culture, food, entertainment, fashion is borderline obsessive. I have also been learning both Korean and Mandarin (self taught, hence the lack in progress).

Q: What should we look forward to?

A: Like I said some Q&A sessions with my friends, some prose, mental health awareness, and everything really that pops up my zany mind. I might even share the first chapter of my book.

Q: What's your favourite colour?

A: Blue, it is the colour of the sky and the ocean and both ground and calm me.

Q: If you could be anything or do anything what would you do?

A: I would be working with panda's in Chengdu for half a year and the other half working with mountain gorillas and pygmy communities in Uganda.

If you have any questions you'd like answered drop it in the comment section and I will get back to and the community.

But honestly panda's are the cutest!

p.s. also reminded of the song 'panda' by Desiigner -that's a story for another post.

Ciao

Bella