Name: Asmaa Malik
Major: International Economics and Modern Languages
Relationship Status: Single
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Instagram: @thewizardofaas/@theappetiteofaas
Twitter: @thewizardofaas
Her Campus: What are three words that describe you perfectly?
AM: “Brave, Personable, Opinionated”
HC: Why did you decide on a food blog, rather than a lifestyle one or a personal one?
AM: “It’s typical for a girl my age to make a beauty or fashion blog, however, I found food blogging a bit more… practical. Instagram and Youtube are filled with beauty bloggers, in fact when I was 17 I tried to start a fashion/beauty blog but just lost confidence it because of all the competition. I decided to be a food blogger simply because I love food and I love to eat! I can honestly say that 90% of the day I’m thinking about what my next meal is going to be. They say “do what you love” and I just happen to love eating really good food. As a college student, I know what its like to want to go out and be fancy. I also know that going out and being fancy comes with a price; and an expensive one I mean. I’m the type of person who is always going out. I enjoy being around good company and good food, but on a budget. Since I started college, I’ve found some really cool, snazzy restaurants and bars in Atlanta with great food and great prices. For whatever occasion, my friends are always calling me and asking me where they should go to eat. So one day over winter break, while I was watching Food Network and being a sloth, I thought why not just share it to the public? So I stopped being a lazy ish sloth and started my food blog ‘TheAppetiteOfAas.’”
HC: What is something blogging has taught you?
AM: “Blogging has taught me a plethora of things. It has helped improve my writing as well as the art of grasping a reader’s attention through writing. Blogging has also taught me how to interact better through social media. I’ve always had an interest in social media, and blogging has exposed me to the vast ways of advertising myself. I now know what days are best for me to post, when Instagram and Twitter “peak time” is, and to appreciate what I have. I may not have 1,000 viewers or followers, but I’m getting somewhere. Blogging shows me the commitment I have made to share my favorite spots to people. The little pizza shop I posted might have helped a guy try to impress a girl on their first date? I may never know. What I do know is that I’m helping others and I appreciate every like or “that looks delicious!’ I get.”
HC: What is a pet peeve of yours?
AM: “A pet peeve of mine is when people lack personal space. When someone just randomly comes in my face or pops up behind me to surprise me, I do not like it. That irks me. I warn my friends that I will hit them with a snarky look or attitude if they do it, because I hate it. I hate when people get really close to me or put their face close to mine, I feel super claustrophobic.”
HC: What is your dream job?
AM: “My dream job is to be a pop star dancer. I used to love to sing and dance when I was a kid. Britney Spears and Hannah Montana were literally my idols. I mean I had Hannah Montana posters all over my wall and bought every single one of her CD’s. In fact, when I was a kid, my siblings used to beg me to play pop star for them only so they could chase me down the around the house to throw tomatoes at me. I just never pursued it because it was so unpractical. Being a pop star is still low key still my dream, but I suck at singing so I just vicariously live my pop star dream through car rides with Taylor Swift on blast. I know, so basic.”
HC: If you could travel to any place on the world, where would you go?
AM: “SPAIN. Ever since I watched the Cheetah Girls 2, I have wanted to go to Barcelona and sing “Strut” through the sunny streets with a glass bottle of Coca-Cola in my hand.”
HC: Which celebrity would you choose to play you in a movie?
AM: “Jonah Hill. He’s hilarious. He always plays the role of the super rational friend who gets so caught up in life, and then says fudge it and gets a little loose. His movies are always a good time to watch and he’s such a great actor. I love watching his character transition and grow in every one of his roles. He can be so serious but yet be so funny. I truly feel as though Jonah Hill has the capacity to fully capture my personality especially when I’m in intense situations.”
HC: What are some traits you look for in a friend/significant other?
AM: “Traits that I look for in a friend other are honesty, loyalty, charisma, and trust. I really just have to click with someone and have a natural connection with him or her in order for us to just vibe. In regards to a significant other, a requirement is that he has to be Muslim, but the same traits that apply for a friend are as follows with a significant other.”
HC: What is one goal you want to accomplish before you graduate?
AM: “Figure out what the heck I want to do with my life.”
HC: What is the most important thing college has taught you?
AM: “College has made me be able to think for myself, and to not be scared to have my own opinion. I think it’s really important to listen to yourself and take your own advice because you need to be self-reliant in this world. At the end of the day, it’s just about you and how you want to spend your life. Listening to myself and encouraging myself to do better has made me more confident. I’m able to take risks without always having to consult with someone before hand. Evoking my opinion has got me to many places, good or bad, but I‘d rather share my thoughts than forever hold my peace.”