Writing Challenge: Disturbing

This is what I found disturbing:

Blogging along mostly for myself, trying to work on my thoughts or simply to record some events in my life...and then one day a popular blogger shared a particular post and suddenly that post had over a hundred views that day. Feeling overwhelmed, excited, and thankful at the same time for the flood of visitors.

After that, every now and then whenever I feel really good about a certain post, I wish for that kind of validation/attention again, even though that shouldn't be my goal at all. And then I wished I hadn't gotten the validation/attention in the first place because then my life as a blogger would have been more peaceful.

Back to earth, blogger! Back to earth! 


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Burnout Here and There

The theme of this week is burnout. This week I've heard of some people experiencing burnout, myself included. I've been taking time out from Facebook. I only check it at a glance to find out if someone has sent me a message or not and then browse through the newsfeed very quickly. This is the second time I've felt this way, but I guess it's perfectly normal to feel like this every now and then. I'm thinking of deactivating it again, but I feel it's not the right time yet. 

When I feel burnt out in Facebook, this is the best description I can give. It's like I'm entering a room filled with holograms of people in my friends list and each of them is saying something. Some speak more often than others each day, some are more silent. However, I can hear them all at once all the same. Politics, religion, cute stuff, sign this petition, hoaxes, oodles of photos, videos, random wall posts, quotes, links to articles, health, etc. It gets overwhelming after a while, especially if I hang around in the room every day. It's like there's a cacophony of voices in my head that just doesn't feel nice after a while. 

It's a totally different thing when I'm browsing for something or when I'm visiting blogs. It feels more "in my control" so to speak, because I only browse for things I want to know/read and naturally the blogs I visit are those that interest me. Because blogging is more lengthy and focused than Facebook, it satisfies me more because it's like having a regular conversation with my friends. However, it is true that in Facebook you can interact with many more people in a shorter amount of time due to its format. However, this introvert gets exhausted if she has to interact with so many people regularly.

I've already begun to feel the benefits of limiting my Facebook exposure, though it's not the same as going offline completely from there. I get more ideas to write and I feel more relaxed and composed and creative he he...I absolutely need a lot of time to hide in my cave ha ha...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by Facebook?


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Online Connection Priorities

When I first moved to Finland, my first choice for online connection was emailing. Back then I hadn't started blogging yet and there was no Facebook, so I had to rely mostly on emailing. My mother hadn't had any mobile phone yet, so I wrote long emails to tell them about my life in Finland and then my brother would have to print them out so that my parents could read it. 

These days my priorities have changed due to different circumstances. Now there's Facebook and blogging and many friends (including blogger friends) have turned to Facebook more as well. My close friends have turned to emailing less often than before, especially 'coz some of them use Blackberry and WhatsApp to chat with one another. My mother has her own mobile phone, so I can update important details with her through SMS. I have a Twitter account, but I never use it anymore these days. I never really learnt how to properly used it, either LOL!!! 



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Nowadays blogging is my first priority. Emailing is the second one, whereas Facebook is the last one. I still would like to limit my time more in Facebook, but it's tough because some friends have relied on it more and more (it's really convenient to post pics there and write updates about our lives so that many people know about it) and I'd miss a great deal of their lives if I stop visiting Facebook completely. I don't know what happens in the future, though, but I still love blogging and blog-hopping more than the other types of online connection because it feels more personal and more in-depth. It's true that it takes a longer time and more energy to spend on blogging and blog-hopping than Facebooking for example, but I feel more "rewarded" this way. 

Actually, especially after infertility, I've relied more on that matter in my IF blog and I've found a great community of IFers there, so for infertility matters, I really do rely heavily on blogging - not just to find support from other IFers, but also to process my thoughts and feelings. I blog about infertility also to find out my "progress" or to track how much I've grown and learnt through the journey and I've found lovely people along the way that I wouldn't have known otherwise and for that I'm SO THANKFUL!!!!  


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I do chat with some people every now and then either through FB messaging or Yahoo Messenger, but that only happens occasionally. 

What about you? What's your online connection priorities?

The "All About Me" Syndrome

With the rise of blogging and social media sites, I think I've found a new syndrome, the "All About Me" syndrome. You see, this year I deleted my birth date from my FB profile. Last year and two years ago, I got so many birthday greetings from lots of people (even those I don't really "talk to" in FB so much but they're in my friends list). This year with the new profile, I've also set my FB wall so that if anyone writes directly on my wall, nobody else can see it but myself. That's why there were only a few birthday greetings on my FB page yesterday.

And I felt a bit weird because I don't get as many greetings as the previous years. I guess I've really gotten used to getting "attention" in FB so that when things "get back to normal" (like the time before blogging and FB), I felt a little deprived of all the attention, though I know that most people who congratulated me the previous years only did so because FB had notified them about my birthday.

I wonder how the future will be like...when the world is getting more and more connected so easily...it's so easy to succumb to the lures of getting more and more attention. In the past nothing like this is possible unless one puts on a huge sign on top of one's head "Today is my birthday", but then that would make others think that the person is such a narcissist or over-the-top or crazy. 

There's a very fine line between sharing with others and "bragging" or "wanting as much attention as possible" and I really have to be careful in not crossing that line, especially since it's so easy these days to do such a thing without it being considered a crazy thing. 


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Malware Scare

The other day I had a malware scare. The problematic link was Blogarama and when I went to the site, there was a notice that the site had been hacked by someone and that it had been used to spread malware. BIG THANKS to Elena who informed me about it, I deleted the link from my blog homepage, but after that I couldn't view my blogger homepage anymore nor leave comments on other people's blogs, either. When I tried to refresh the page, there was a notice saying that I should check my Firefox settings to find out if it had blocked the page.

At first I thought blogger was down, so I let it be, but yesterday after work when I tried logging in again, I still couldn't do it, so I asked R2 to check Firefox settings and he unblocked blogger. Phew! I was seriously starting to get depressed already, thinking I couldn't blog or leave any comments on other people's blogs, because blogging has been an important sanctuary to me, my link to sanity. :-D





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Anyway, update on MIL: she's started walking using two walking sticks, but her leg is still swollen and bruised. Not sure when she's coming back home, but maybe sometime next week, I suppose. We shall see. At least everything's gone well so far, even though she said this time it hurt more than the other operations (she'd had two similar operations in the past if I'm not mistaken). But they've given her pain killers to help her deal with the pain and the doctor has specifically told her to ask for the pain killer ASAP because if she lets the pain become too much before she asks for the pill, it's not going to help her 'coz the pain will get even stronger. Anyway, I'll probably go visit her again tomorrow after work. 

Latest update on MIL: She just sent me an SMS, saying she'd go back home already on Monday. YAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!! Hope the rest of the recovery period goes well. :-D

Do You Get Tired? Part Two

I've had a jumble of messy thoughts after writing my post yesterday. I feel that I was too generic in writing that post yesterday and let me try to untangle some of my thoughts, which would be too long to write in the comment section (though I did try to write some of them already).

OK, first of all I think blogging is a different platform altogether. I write for myself and my audience in my blogs (depending on the topic, sometimes it's more for the audience, sometimes it's more for me, sometimes it's 50-50) and because I don't allow anonymous commenters anymore, I find that those who do comment mostly do want to say something to me about my post or they want to build a connection or they feel that they can relate to my post or something like that.

Facebook is a different platform altogether. What I find to be tiring about Facebook is also because of my fault, I suppose. I have a jumble of different people in my Facebook friends' list, but I don't want to bother separating them 'coz then I'll have more accounts to take care of. Back in the beginning before I was active at all in Facebook, I didn't really know "that world". Now I have semi strangers in my blog as well as close friends and relatives and ex school friends, blogging friends and those in between (friends of friends).



 


Here are some things that I find tiring about Facebook in a nutshell (let me try to remember my thoughts from last night):

1. Facebook resembles so much like the real world in a twisted way.

So much like the real world, because unlike blogging where some people use pseudonyms, they mostly use their real names. And the interaction happens in a much faster speed. Twisted because you can be half a world apart from the other person, yet you can still feel things just like the feeling you may get from a face-to-face conversation.

An easy example: I once commented on someone's photo, and the person's response struck the wrong chord in myself. While reading the response, I got so angry and upset that I just wanted to lash out at that person. My initial reaction was to "slap back" (for lack of a better phrase). Thankfully I managed to calm myself down before typing down and publishing something I'd regret, withdrew myself from my computer, and did other things to calm myself down. Only after I did that then I replied to that person in a more civilised manner. That, I suppose, is a good thing about an online platform compared to the real world - it's easier to just withdraw and take a step back before reacting (in the real world this may be more tricky to do).

I've also felt a few times when someone comments on my posts, "Oh no...not again!" because the person is the kind that pushes my button, but once that person comments on any of my posts, it's "rude" if I don't respond back (especially if then I do respond to other commenters after and before that one).

I know that whatever I write can be subjected to any interpretation by anyone and that anyone is free to speak up their minds, but still it does resemble real life in a way. Sometimes you just want to get away from all of those feelings and people. But the problem with deactivating a platform like Facebook is that I feel that I'll "be left behind" because there are people in the site whose lives matter to me, whose photos I want to see, who I really want to connect regularly, whose interests match mine, etc. etc. etc. 

2. And because so many people are active in that platform, I feel that it's getting harder and harder to just disconnect there. And that's also one source of the fatigue. 

The feeling of not wanting to miss important things, but then again I do need to disconnect completely sometimes...but disconnecting completely means that when I get back online again there'll be so much to sift through in order to find out which is more important and which is not...

3. Due to the nature of a platform like Facebook, I feel that the temptation to show off is much greater than in blogging for example. Because I blog also for myself, I don't necessarily feel the need to show off because I mostly want to write down a kind of journal for myself - which I hope will entertain people or will help people connect with me or will help people learn from my mistakes, etc. 

However, in Facebook, many times when I want to post something, I have to think twice, "Am I posting this to share or to show off?" This is especially true for holiday pictures, but this doesn't cover all of the issues that may make me feel this way. For holiday pictures, I've resorted to sharing them with only a certain group of people.

4. Another part of the problem I experience with this kind of platform I've written down in the other post (and in the comment section): about wondering whether or not to comment, about the feeling of voyeurism (funnily enough I don't really feel this way with blogging - maybe because in Facebook there is a bigger opportunity to really check out those people whom I may know by name already in real life and that takes it to a whole different level), about whether my silence is better than saying anything (because a silence can also be deadly), etc.

Additional reason (added on Jan 17, 2013): I also feel that it's hard to control what you see in Facebook. Even though you can limit what you see in your Newsfeed, if your friend posts something that you don't really want to see, you're bound to glimpse through it and when it's something disturbing, then I feel disturbed and it doesn't really help me calm my inner world. 





Another part of the fatigue is due to a different platform. I've written about Whatsapp application before in this post: Whaddup. Anyway, that kind of platform allows you to chat with anyone in your guestbook (or phonebook) constantly if you're both online 24/7 with your mobile phone or iphone or smartphone. A few close friends have started using WhatsApp application to chat with one another and I did try it using the free version for PC during its trial period.

What made me tired was the thought of more and more people interacting this way - through that kind of platform and that, again, makes me feel left behind. I don't care about people I don't know, but I do feel left behind when it comes to my close friends, because you don't exactly "chat" that way via emails. When people use WhatsApp application, they can chat with one another during their breaks or when they're on the way to a place or when they're waiting for an appointment or whenever. In emails, you formulate your ideas in a more controlled manner, but when you're chatting with people live, you can talk about ANYTHING at all that comes in your mind. And it's hard to transfer that kind of chat file to an email-based world. And when you're not connected to them in that way, it feels as though they've gone for a quick coffee break to have fun without you.

Connecting through that kind of platform is VERY tiring because of time difference among other things. I go to sleep and when I wake up, I can see that some of them have left hundreds of messages already and I need to sift through the messages to find out if there's anything I need to respond to - but still even if I do respond to some of the (already old) messages, I feel that the conversation has moved on already. This is something new that feels weird for me and I don't necessarily like the feeling.

When you're on a holiday for a few weeks and you don't check your mailbox for a while and realize that your close friends have written dozens of emails, you feel overwhelmed in a way, but at least with emails it's (for me personally) still easier to catch up on because it's more structured so to speak. When it comes to following old chat messages (even if it's just a few hours old), it just feels so random, fragmented, confusing, and daunting.

So all of the above contribute to my feeling tired about this online world because I have to set my boundaries, but in a way I also don't want to "lose the connection" (especially with those I care about) by setting too tight boundaries/limits, but it gets harder to sift through the mess. OK, I think I've said what I really want to say, so enough about this for now.

3BT: Random Days

1. Finally having time to change my blog's template and lo and behold, it was MUCH easier than in the past. In the past, when I uploaded a new xml file, if the uploaded blog template doesn't offer as many sidebar widgets, I had to make sure to save every one of them and then adding them one by one manually. Nowadays all I had to do was click on "keep all widgets" and I could rearrange them easily by dragging and dropping them. THANK YOU, Blogger!

2. The new-and-improved reply button right below the commenter's post. It makes things much easier! :-D

3. It's a hot day today, so I went to the supermarket to buy some stuff and I didn't even have to put on any jacket. WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!



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4. Having 30+ free English e-books in my Kindle reader for PC. I'll be adding more later on ha ha ha ha ha...Mind you that here in Sodankylä there's only a small bookstore with very limited choice of English books and ordering some from the internet would cost more due to shipping cost.

5. LOVE the features in Kindle reader for PC (best of all, the reader is FREE!!!). I can make the font size bigger, change the background colour, add a note, even find meanings of words easily (simply by blocking the word) or bookmark certain pages.

6. Waking up to a very clean kitchen (hubby had cleared up the dirty dishes and just tidied everything up) HA HA HA HA HA...

7. A week full of bliss 'coz I don't have to work (my first batch of summer holiday). YIIIIHAAAAAAAA!!!

Why I Blog

Read a post on this topic on some blogs and it reminded me of my own reasons to blog. When I first moved to Finland, before I learnt the language properly, I was lonely. The full-time Finnish course started about 8 or 9 months after I moved to Finland, so before then I had so much time on my own. In the beginning it was okay (I'm not a people person) and I spent time learning to cook and bake and trying out different recipes. After some time had passed, though, I felt like my brain was about to explode!!!

There were SO many things I wanted to discuss and share with other human beings than hubby. I still didn't have enough ability to discuss these things with MIL (bless her!), so I started blogging and tried to find friends. I just wanted to have "normal conversations" with other adults. I wanted to learn from them, I wanted feedback, I wanted them to hear me out and I wanted to give feedback, too. I visited so many blogs and left many comments here and there in the hope that some of them would feel some connection with me and be my blogger friend.

My closest friends were only an email away, but they couldn't cope with the amount of info nor details that I shared with them (just look at how many blog posts I've produced back in 2007 and 2008 and you can imagine how many SUPER LONG emails I wrote them). After all, each of them has so many other things to do in life than read and reply my emails. Thus another big reason to blog.

After some time, though, the blog provided more than just online friends. It is also a good outlet to try to make sense of what I feel. It's also a good diary to jot down what I've been doing and what I want to achieve and what I've learnt along the ways so that if I ever forget, I can just go back and reread the posts. And boy what a journey it's been!!! :-D

Once we both fell into IF (infertile) category, I also started a separate blog, because I don't think that the readers of this blog want to read posts connected to infertility, but I do need that blog mostly for my own personal diary. I need to pour out my feelings - not only to understand what trigger them or why I feel a certain way, but also to let them all out "in the big vast universe" and then leave them be. I hope that by writing them out, I don't have to carry them on my back anymore. I also need that particular blog to know how far I've gone or where I'm standing in my IF journey and hope that whoever finds it would feel what I felt when I found other IFers' blogs - that I'm not crazy with all the chaotic feelings churning inside me.

I've deleted one Finnish blog 'coz I haven't updated it in a LONG LONG time. Although there's another blog that's half-Finnish half-English that I haven't updated in a LONG time, I'm not going to delete it 'coz some people may need it 'coz I've written my experience when taking YKI testi (Finnish National Test), so I'll just let it be.

P.S. I never really felt like I'm that much into details until a close friend pointed it out in an email that I wrote about my Indo friends' visit to our place. A visited B and then they both came to visit me last year. The story that A wrote us (about what activities A had done in B's place) was much more succinct than the story I wrote about their visit to my place. So from then on I realize that I am crazy about details HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...

P.P.S. I've tried reducing the amount of words I use in my emails to my closest friends, mind you...and these days whenever I want to write in such great detail about something, I'd rather do it in my blog than bombard them with my long emails. If they want to read the story in details, I'll just send them my blog post link. This is another lovely reason why I blog - I can write as long as I want to without feeling like I'm bombarding someone else's space. :-D

Why Always Busy These Days?

Hmmm...dunno the answer, but it seems that way. I have some emails to answer and some projects to finish. One project to finish is a presentation about blogging for next Friday at the library. My boss and colleagues want to hear about blogging in Finnish. That means I have to write everything down so that I don't have to memorize them ha ha ha...this is rather difficult as there are many English terms in blogging that I don't know in Finnish, such as "widget" etc.

I'm halfway done on my third project at the library. It turns out to be such a big project which will take so much time to finish he he he...

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Oh well...btw, hubby's ordering Wii Fit package with different kinds of sports activities. I'm SO excited to try it out since I've been rather bored doing Tae-bo using the same CDs over and over again he he he he he he he...I wanna try out different kinds of exercises! ;-D

Funny thing is that I had been thinking of trying out Wii Fit, but I didn't want to spend the money...and then WHAM, hubby bought it HA HA HA HA HA...Incredible!!! Is it a "coincidence" or did he read my mind? ;-D

What else? I found an ex elementary school friend in Facebook that I haven't seen for...hmmm...19 years!!! He told me what he remembered about me. I don't remember that incident AT ALL, but I have a different memory which he doesn't remember. ;-D

The other project I'm working on is a secret. I'm going to tell you only later if it proves to be successful he he he he he...

I've bought two more Finnish novels from the library at a discount again. WHOOPPPEEEEE!!! I LOVE collecting cheap books. I know I may not be able to understand some of them yet since they're so thick and they're for adults, but at least they're at home (easy to reach), so I can read them anytime I want to. :-D

I've been feeling UPBEAT these days and not at all deflated like the other day. My colleagues are always SO encouraging, especially my boss, so that helps me feel useful at work. ;-D I'll blog-hop later on after I finish one project. Take care, everybody!!!

One Year Anniversary

Vince wants to know about my impression on my life after having lived here in Sodankylä for one year. Yesterday I went to Rovaniemi, so I didn't have time to write something special about my one year anniversary in Finland he he he...

Let me just copy and paste his questions as they'll help me write down this post hi hi hi...

Amel, you've been in Finland a whole year now. What are your views about that? Are you happy? Do you miss Indonesia, is it hard to be away from your family for such extended periods?

First of all, when I first moved to Finland, as I'd told you in my older post, I got scared on the plane and I started thinking of all the bad and worse and worst possibilities of life. So, for that matter, my expectations were very low when I arrived and that has made a GREAT difference to me. I had read many different points of view about living in Finland in Finland Forum (a forum for expats in Finland), so I just kept my mind open about everything. The result? I can honestly say that I'm MUCH MUCH MUCH happier than I thought I could be, particularly since I didn't expect anything.

I have GREAT in-laws and I get along well with Arttu's brothers and sister-in-law. I've met MANY thoughtful people here and now I've got WONDERFUL friends. I NEVER thought that there would actually be a Finnish course opening here, especially a full-time course, so that made me ELATED!!!

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I had NEVER thought that I could go back to Indonesia this fast, so I'm VERY THANKFUL for that. Plus it makes me feel 10000 times more THANKFUL to know that I'm making my family SO HAPPY about my return to Indonesia this fast. ;-D When I moved to Finland, I had told my Mom that I wouldn't know when I would be able to return to Indonesia and she knew that.

Since I never thought that I could go back to Indo, my self-defense mechanism had kicked in VERY strongly even before I landed on Finnish ground. That means that I had blocked a huge part of myself so that I wouldn't miss my family and Indonesian food too much. A friend of mine told me the other week that she was surprised that I had actually done that, but what's the use of letting yourself miss something or someone too much when you don't even know when you can meet that person or eat that food again, right? It's better just to enjoy what you can enjoy and not think of the things I cannot have. There are prices you have to pay for every choice you make and I had made my decision. Thus I have to live with the consequences.

Is it hard being away from my family? Yes and no. It's particularly difficult when there's family trouble or when one of them is gravely ill. I can't be there physically for them and I can't help them out physically. I was really sad when my Dad got symptoms of stroke last year and when he suffered from post power syndrome that made him snap on my Mom since he got so defensive and sensitive to whatever she said. Glad to say that my Dad's been MUCH better these days.

In a way, though, I'm HAPPY to have my own place which I had longed for more than a little while. I guess you could say that I was ready to spread my wings and fly from my nest he he he...;-D So I'm GLAD to be away from my family with a very calm and understanding hubby he he he...

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My views about Finland? Hmmm...I had never actually been in Sodankylä prior to moving here, so again I had NO idea how I'd react to it. The first month was rough since I felt like a fish out of water...but then it slowly got easier and easier as I knew my way around. I first thought that I might not like living here since I had lived my whole life in a big city where malls were everywhere...but GLADLY that's not true. ;-D

I've LOVED other aspects of this village that I can't possibly find in Indo: fresh air, no traffic at all, snow, reindeer, birds singing happily all the time, cute squirrels, the many variations of colours in the sky, Midnight Sun, drinkable tap water that tastes SO GOOD, trees, lakes, rivers, sauna, cider, reindeer meat, not having to iron clothes, not having to hang clothes to dry outside, not having to worry whether the apartment's roof's going to leak or not, not having to be overly cautious and alert whenever I go out for fear of pickpockets and whatnots, serenity (this is definitely not a noisy place), no cockroaches (my mortal enemies!!!), no rats, no ants, no smoking inside houses or buildings, sky stretching miles and miles away that makes me feel that this world is TRULY vast, free courses (they're not only free, but we also get paid!!! In Indonesia, usually what's "free" is either yucky or it comes with some strings attached).

I'm not going to count the aspects of this village or country that I dislike since it won't do me any good, but I guess I can share just one particular thing he he he...One thing is dislike is when the snow melts and then turns to ice. It's SO slippery and I'm SO afraid of falling down and breaking my bone(s). Arttu had fallen on ice once and twisted his arm (gladly no broken bone). My Brit friend MC had also slipped on ice and broke her arm. And as you probably know, my mother-in-law also slipped on ice last December and her ankle had to be put on cast. Since she's old, even until now she still feels some pain when walking without cast.

Anyway, one of the highlights of my year is of course BLOGGING. I don't think I've EVER learnt and re-learnt so many lessons in the course of a year before I moved to Finland. Being outside my safety zone is reason enough to learn more things, but another reason is learning from my blogger friends' lives. If you wanna read again the lessons I've learnt and re-learnt this year, just click on the link.

OK, I think this post is long enough. Last but not least, I'd just love to THANK all my blogger friends who have really been enriching my life with all your stories, comments, feedback, input, questions, and reflections.

You are my TRUE friends and teachers...
I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
HUGSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

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Letter Girl

Just found out that there won't be any Finnish classes today and tomorrow. Our teacher's on sick leave. Two of her wisdom teeth had just been removed this morning. OUCH!!! So I have time to write this post he he he...

I don't know why but I've always been interested in writing letters ever since I was a kid. Back then there was no internet yet, so letters were still pretty big. When I was in Elementary School, I had a good friend. Unfortunately we had different classes after a few years, so then I started writing letters to her. Her aunt'd pick her up from school and my Mom'd pick me up from school, so we exchanged letters through them he he he...As usual, they'd come before school was over so they had time to talk and to exchange our letters. I don't remember much about this as I didn't keep the letters. I think mostly they were just written on a piece of paper he he...

On the second grade in Junior High School, I sat next to an outgoing, funny girl. She started writing letters to me. We'd give the letter to each other but we'd only read it when we were home. We shared stories of our crushes and all that he he he he...It was SO MUCH FUN! She'd fold the letters in a certain way and I'd follow her steps he he he...We stopped writing each other when we went to different classes on the third grade. Now she's married and she has two kids already.

On the third grade in Junior High School, I sat next to another girl. We started exchanging letters as well. This time it continued until we got to High School. We went to different High Schools, but the building was the same. I went to the morning school, whereas she went to the afternoon one, so I'd wait for her to come to school to exchange the letters and then I'd go home whereas she started her school day.

We became pretty close because of those letters. Turned out that we had a crush on the same boy at school in Junior High!!! HA HA HA HA...So funny! She also shared some private stories that she had never told anyone else. It feels GOOD to be trusted that way. We also shared stories of our love life along High School. She started working right after graduation as she went to a vocational school. I went to the university afterward, but over the years we still kept in touch via snail mails. The frequency was dwindling, but we still kept in touch. And then we started talking to each other on the phone again. She's now married to an evangelist.

At the university, I met a sensitive girl. She started writing letters to me, so we exchanged letters every once in a while, even though we met a lot and we talked a lot in real life and also over the phone. We still keep in touch via emails.

1999 was the year when I had SO MANY emailpals. I wanted to improve my written English, so I asked my Dad to upgrade the computer and buy me a modem he he he...It was SO SLOW back then to get online. How time flies!!! Anyway, it seems that my entire life's filled with letters or emails. No wonder I LOVE blogging.

Actually a couple of years back I tried to make my own homepage and posted some of my poems and someone said to me, "Hey, it seems that you'll like blogging." Back then I didn't understand the concept of blogging, but now what she said makes SO MUCH SENSE to me. Oh yeah, to those of you who don't know, I used to write so many poems, but I think lately I've lost the knack to write good poems. It seems that nowadays I'm more in tune with essays. Back then I loved writing poems 'coz I could hide my true feelings in poetry (for fear of my journal being read by somebody else). These days I don't feel that need anymore.

Oh well...just a rambling post about the importance of writing in my life he he he...

World's Oldest Blogger

Have you heard about the world's oldest blogger, Olive Riley? She's turned 108 years old.

This is her first post with the help of a friend:

First Post

I'd LOVE to blog until the day I die he he he he he he...

YU Blog Meme

Mel Kaye started a very intriguing discussion in his blog the other day. The links are provided below. The discussion is about the reasons why people blog and he introduced some categories (for example: validation, communication, enjoyment, etc).

As you all probably know, I score high in validation level he he he...I don't know what I'd be like without my blogging friends. I think I might go mad since I wouldn't be able to communicate well with other adults in English. Blogging has helped me enjoy every single moment I've spent here in Finland. The first two months were the toughest, but I've felt more like a human being rather than merely an existence ever since I blogged. And boy, I've found SO MANY wonderful friends here in the blogosphere!!! Plus we get to share our lives, laughs, and precious information about things I wouldn't know otherwise. It's been quite a ride and I can say that I'm addicted to blogosphere he he he...

I couldn't agree more with the quote below...thank you to all my blogger friends who've helped me fly...

Free Graphics & Comments Codes

Anyway, to those of you who haven't read the posts, click on the links below.

I'm tagging the following people to join me in this meme 'coz I wanna know why they blog and I'm sure other people wanna know, too:

1. Fish Without Bicycle

2. Crow's Feet

3. Trinity

4. Choc Mint Girl

5. Mother Hen

**Start Copy Here**

We have a voice;
We must be heard;
Therefore we blog;
Now spread the word!

This meme is based on a recent post that was conducted asking the question “Why do you Blog?” and the rewrite “Why do you Blog? - Reworked.” The purpose of this meme is to tell our tales by spreading the reasons that we blog to as many sites as possible. We get to explain ourselves, direct traffic to our site and highlight our most important, most representative or most relevant post in an SEO favorable format. This will be a positive experience for everyone who wants to get involved. This will enable you to create a short advertisement for your site that will be spread across the blogesphere; a growing directory of blogs.

This is an open meme. You do not have to be tagged to join in. All you have to do is follow the rules.

Please let me know when you have added your site by leaving a comment on “Complete List” with a link to your post. This will insure an up-to-date list, giving you even greater distribution. You then have the option of copying the growing list back to your site.

Rules:

1. Create an inventive post title
2. Write a brief introduction to the meme.
3. Copy from “**Start Copy Here**” through “**End Copy Here**”
4. Paste into your post
5. At the end of the “*list*”, before “**End copy here**”, please add your name, site name (with link), a very brief description (2-3 sentences) of why you blog, and your most important, most representative, or most relevant post (with link.)
6. Tag at least 5 others to participate.
7. Leave a comment and a link to your post on “Complete List”

*List*
My name is Mel and I am the Author of Attitude, the Ultimate Power, aka Monday Morning Power. I blog because I am passionate about happiness and living in the moment. I want to spread the concept that we are in control of our own lives and can choose how we act and react. My site is focused on the Pursuit, Capture, Care and Feeding of a Positive Mental Attitude. One of my most representative posts is “Happiness Vs. Human Nature.”

I am Max and I offer weekly articles on MAX. Why do I blog? I do it because I want to share my thoughts with you guys. I present a new and interesting way of transmitting philosophical thoughts: funny, engaging and intriguing! My funniest, yet intriguing, post is "Don't you just love People?"

I am the Great and Powerful Baba Doodlius. My 100% factual blog The Thoughts and Sayings Of Baba Doodlius is intended to educate all of you curious readers about the Truth behind the Great Secrets of the Universe. I have the Truth! Can you handle the Truth? For a sample of my powers of enlightenment, read my Revelation of the terrible secret of Bigfoot, aka Don't get stepped on.

My name is Amelia and I am the Author of Amel's Realm. I blog because I need to voice everything in my world so that I won't explode. My site is all about thoughts, experiences, fears, problems, misadventures, hopes, and dreams of an introverted tropical girl in a foreign land (Finland). One of my most representative posts is On Trust and Relationship.

I am Geoff of Geoffandcarley.com and I blog for reasons as diverse and as fickle as my moods. Mostly I blog because I'm firmly convinced I've figured a few things out and that the world will benefit from my experience the same way I've benefited from others' experiences. One post that I feel captures my emotional involvement and my ire (but not my humor as much) is Decision time.

My name is Judy and I am the Author of ~~Sugar Queen's Dream~~. I blog because it's cheap therapy and I have something to say. I feel my most powerful post is called “The Myths of Smoking......”

My name is Sindi and I have written a blog entitled Life is a roller coaster!. My blog is based on the ups and downs of everyday life. I started blogging because I was going through some hard times and I wanted to meet new people to talk to. I like to write and was hoping people might enjoy reading what I have to say. I think the most inspiring post I have written to date is We Effect So Many.

People call me the Midgetmanofsteel (although I’m neither a midget, nor made of steel). I am the sole author the blog Mental Poo: a mostly true and humorous account of things that have happened to me, are happening to me, or are just filling my head and taking up valuable space where images of women should be. You can get a sneak peek into my mess of a brain by reading “Raisins are People” – a true account of my son’s first field trip.

My name is Sandee and I have a blog called Comedy Plus. My blog is just for fun, and I started it to poke fun about everyday life. My reason for blogging is to have fun and meet new friends. I have done both beyond my wildest dreams. I have posted lots of jokes, but when ask what my favorite joke is, I always pick Anger Management

My name is Lynda. I blog to as a way to expose my writings and to spread my knowledge on the subject of love. My primary blog (I have 15) is lynda's loft. My favorite piece would be I LOVE..... I have over 300 original poems and posts dealing with the wonderful and painful world of love. I love love!

My name Adrian, although most of you probably know me as the Mighty Genie King. I am the author First Time Dad. I started blogging as a way to document my growing up pains as my wife and I raise our daughter. I hope that one day my daughter will be able to look at this and get an idea what life was like "back then". Now I blog about everything but the main focus is still the same! One of my favorite posts is Goodnight Sweetheart! Hello Basil! Eh...Who's Basil...

Hello, my name is Ann and I'm the author of A Nice Place in the Sun. I blog because I care about people and want to make them happy. My site is focused on humorous, inspiring, and nostalgic posts about life, children, and memories. My most representative post, or the post where I'm most myself is "The Craziest Experience Of My Life."

We are a team of writers, and everyone calls us NAFA, so that would be our name. We are the proud authors of NAFASG©™ - United And Dedicated Behind You™. Blogging, to us, is a form of spreading useful information and sharing our knowledge to every part of the world in order to contribute to the betterment of our global community. The post that we feel would be representative of our blog and the global community at large is The Sociological Interaction.

Hola! This is Mariuca and I blog because writing is what makes me whole. I write about anything under the sun from life, love, friends to cats and work. I tend to write best when under pressure and my personal favourite post from Mariuca is Love in Disarray.

My name is Susan and I am the Owner of ~~Wake up America ~~, which is a political, right leaning blog. I blog because I believe we need more voices out there to separate fact from fiction, to support our troops and to high light the lack of ethics from journalists today. I feel my most powerful post is called "Are You Proud to be an American......"

"Here I am :-) My name is Mauro and I'm the author of 1 Million Love Messages ... maybe the biggest love challenge in the blogosphere. Why I blog ??? Because I believe that bloggers can make a difference in the world. That's my challenge! My favourite post it's (for sure) Adam Donkus & Lizzie's Love History."

Hi there World I am Aussie, the author of Little Aussie Cynic and I want to Breathe among others. I was recently asked:"Why Do you Blog?" this takes me back to the beginning... I started blogging in an attempt to get people thinking, using my cynical humour as a tool to make people laugh, think and at times get the blood pumping.... Each of my Blogs takes in a little peice of my varied personality but the one which discribes me best would have to be There is Always a Natural Way the latest edition to the Aussie Cynic Family...

I am Zubli Zainordin, in Total Happiness, I organize the Book Project blog and co-author Santa's Community Blog and Hall Of Fame Blog. I blog with the purpose of documenting about my self for my own reference, my future generations and friends who prefer to know me. I also share vital and valuable information entirely on total happiness. I believe in Santa Claus and I share the Spirit of Christmas within this Blog World. In addition I promote bloggers, their blogs, and invite them to share their blogging experiences, and together with Shinade, I review their blogs and award them with the Zubli and Shinade Recommended Read awards. Those who continuously show continuous blogging improvements shall be residence of the Hall Of Fame blog.

I'm Holly from Mama Pajama. I am a stay-at-home mom to my two year old son, Cameron. He is such a joy in our lives. I just stumbled across blogging after watching a television show. I wish I had found it sooner, as it has been so much fun meeting people all across the globe. It's my own place to share about my family, interests, likes, dislikes, etc. I love that I've found my own little circle of blog buddies that will read the stuff I have to say....as mundane or silly as it might be! LOL It's fun leaving others comments, and knowing that something I post or comment just might make someone smile that day. I'm already having a hard time turning off my computer at night, so I'm hoping to keep this blogging addiction under control. My favorite post so far is Lucky Girl.

I'm Kathleen of Invisible Keepsakes.Well, I blog because if I don't, I'll go mad and get very hard to live with. I need a tableau for my creative endeavours. I write poetry. That is to say, I am a poet. I'm not a great poet; nor am I a deep poet, but I love wordplay and creating images and entertaining people with my ideas and interpretations of events and news and random topics. I've written quite a lot of poems, some have even been published, but I think the one I would have you read is Bad Dawg #7 because I feel so strongly about it.

I am Beth or Skipper - whoever you are most comfortable with, and I author My Life Starts at Forty Two. I am really trying to turn my life and myself around - and become the best me that I can. It is not always easy with family, illness, etc, but I refuse to give up. This is my journal of journey. One of the best posts that I can use to describe me is The Decision.

I am Delirious the creator of Lifeonalimb. I always wished I could have my own little newspaper and write all of the columns myself. But since I probably wouldn't make enough money to pay for the paper to publish it, I decided to go the "free route" instead. I don't think this is my best post, but probably one that most people would enjoy; death-defying Stop in, check it out, leave a comment, then go get therapy.

I am Bridget from "And Miles To Go Before We Sleep" I am a stay at home mom of five young children, ages 1-12, three of which have special needs. Two of my boys are afflicted with Autism so it is a very busy household. I started bogging because our family moves around a lot and we ar very far away from our families and this was a great was to stay in touch with them. I met so many great people through blogging and I enjoyed it so much that I now feel like it's another job (one that I enjoy). My favorite post so far has to be The Old Tree In The Middle Of The Dry Desert

My name is Winsome Gunning and I am an artist who started blogging about `The Creative Process’ and `The Power of Listening to Silence’ on Winsome Gunning Art Walk. From my own listening to silence came A New Green Earthmy personal voice for green change. About DioxinAbout Simple Ways and A Green Earth are also my voices for green change. On these two blogs I publish contemporary green news from around the world.

I am the wily Blogolope, and I blog for fun and to get things off my chest and hopefully be funny. I created Blogolope because I thought it would be fun, simple as that. Blogolope to Assist Santa, Elves if a funny post. is an example of the issues about which I have felt compelled to write.

Hi, My name is Janice Ng & I'm the miracle mum from "This is a miracle". I started to blog to document the foot steps of my 2 boys : Amos & Zachary. With this blog, they are able to look back what they have been through: their joy, excitement, laughter, fighting, crying, screaming... etc when they grow up. One of my favourite post is "The loving brothers" on how the 2 brothers showed they tenderly care through a piece of strawberry cake!!

Hi! My name is Crystal, my middle name actually. I am the author of Choc Mint Girl. I started to blog because I need my own space to 'just write', but what I find here is quite inspiring and I am amazed at how many different bloggers with different approach ended up as great friends and inspire each other. It doesn’t matter what I blog about as long as the two parties find the connection in one another, that will be the best reason of why do I actually blog. I guess my most relevant post is my very first innocent post, Getting Started.

My name is Michelle of Crow's Feet . I started writing because I love words and wanted to make people feel... and think, but I soon realised that writing is about connecting. Because the more we connect to others - the more we learn about ourselves. I'm picking my post Small Miracles as representing who I am, why I blog... and why I love the internet.

My name is Claire and I created the blog Bebo Author. I write because I'd go crazy otherwise and I blog to help others (especially young, unpublished writers) share their work. I want to promote writers and give people a place to share their advice and tips for others. My favourite post is a hard one to pick so I'll say Writing Tips.

My name is Stine, a Norwegian mother of 6, and I blog at Mother's Home!. I have recently created another blog/site, Mother's Got A Dot Com. Why? First, for my own enjoyment. I've gotten to "know" so many lovely people since I started, and blogging has become an addiction (Sound familiar?) Second, I'm continually amazed that I can actually earn a little extra doing what I enjoy so much... I also get to let out some steam sometimes, as in Stage Mums.

My name is c.a. Marks and I blog for many reasons. At first I started a blog for my knitting, then I moved over into the political arena, and now I'm doing a personal blog, Sex and the South, that was inspired by my all time favorite HBO original series, "Sex and the City". Yes, I want to be Carrie Bradshaw, with a twist. What kind of twist, I have no idea. I am in the blogging business for the fame and fortune....KIDDING! No, for real, I like to blog because like everyone else it gives me an outlet. There, that's it, nothing amazing and profound about it. Thanks!

My name is Misty Dawn, and I blog from the middle of nowhere, at My Dogs Keep Me Sane. I began this blog at the advice of one of my best friends. It's purpose was to give me a place to talk about the frustrations of moving to another state and moving away from my family and friends. Now, it has become so much more than that. Blogging has become an addiction for me. I now use my blog to earn income; I have met so many fabulous friends; I share my writing and my photography; I share my stories, whether they be funny, serious, or sad; I can share my frustrations and my emotions without worrying about being judged for what I say... There are no words to encompass what blogging and the people of the blogosphere mean to me... and that is why I blog. My favorite post would have to be Rough Tough Farm Gang because it is a fun post that will make people smile. I'm not saying it is my best or most thought-out post, but it is my favorite.

The internet world knows me by LadyJava. My first blog, "how to make money online" was actually the reason why I started blogging. I wanted to share to the world that I was making online share my experience about it. However I enjoyed blogging so much that the habit quickly caught on and I began writing a few other blogs as well. This blog, however, is by far my favorite blog as I've made many friends from all over the world and I continue blogging as an avenue for me to share my life with friends and would-be friends. My favorite post is "Coffee and Me" as I am officially a coffee addict..

Hi, Genny is here. I am the happymomiam in the world of blogging. I am the author of My Life's Adventure, Wonderful Things In Life, and The Beauty of Life. I blog because i like to share some of my experiences in life about my family and friends. I like to give some encouragement knowing that everybody needs people who can comfort them. My most relevant posts are all the quotes & encouraging food for thoughts.

Hello my name is Deborah author of Climate of Our Future, I also co-author She Walks in Beauty. I blog with passion for our environment. I started this blog because I believe that we as bloggers have a very loud voice in this blogosphere. that By sharing what knowledge I find about our environment would not only benefit the blogger but also our environment. I also blog about Beauty, because no matter how harmed and polluted our world has become I can still see the beauty within. My favorite post would have to be the one about plastic in the Pacific twice the size of Texas.

I am Snooper, owner and the main author of Take Our Country Back. There are several authors that post to my blog and I deeply respect their writings even when at times, I have slight disagreements with their posts. Then again, who wants automatons? I blog because those of us which think along the same lines as I do, are not offered a voice in The Main Stream Media. I blog to support The Troops and nothing but The Troops seeing that I myself and our oldest son ARE Troops. The most hated post from the far left which equates to the most powerful post is We Had A Patriotic Nation Once.

My name is Angie and a stay at home mom to handful soon-to-be 10 month-old son Casey James. A wife to a wonderful guy who loves golf all his life before we met. I blog because it's a comfort zone to someone like me who's living in place miles away from my real home. I have several blogs that I give much of my attention to namely, The Simple Times In Life, The Daily Matters, Shop Online, Daily Digest and Glittery Report among others. The most recent relevant post that I can share would be For those who love the Philosophy of Ambiguity.

Hello my name is Deborah author of Climate of Our Future, I also co-author She Walks in Beauty. I blog with passion for our environment. I started this blog because I believe that we as bloggers have a very loud voice in this blogosphere. that By sharing what knowledge I find about our environment would not only benefit the blogger but also our environment. I also blog about Beauty, because no matter how harmed and polluted our world has become I can still see the beauty within. My favorite post would have to be the one about plastic in the Pacific twice the size of Texas.

My name is Tammy and I'm Mom Knows Everything. I don't pretend to know everything, but I tell my kids I do. I started blogging when a friend suggested it. I have found that not only is it a great way to relieve stress, but also a great way to feel better about myself. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I think my favorite post would have to be My Dad And John Wayne. It may not be the best post or the one that got the most comments, but writing this post really helped me deal with the death of my father.

Hi, I’m Puteri. I’m a stay-at-home mom to two pre-schoolers, and run a long arm machine quilting business from home. I blog because it is a form of documenting my life. I have never really kept a diary and blogging is as good as keeping a diary. I have six blogs - Puteri’s Musings, Puteri’s Musings 2, Puteri’s Musings 3, and Health and Beauty Notes, are four of them. My favorite post is D-I-V-O-R-C-E, because that was my second post when I first started blogging and one of the main reasons for me to start blogging. I needed to put into words the way I felt when my dear friends went through a divorce.

Hello! My name is Emila and I run my own blog, Emila’s Illustrated Blog. I started blogging in Friendster, later moved to Blogspot and later later moved to my own domain for good. The main reason I blog is to update my friends about my daily life/my son’s development and to showcase my artworks. My favourite post is My Bundle of Joy.

I am Malach the Merciless the brains behind Dropping My Daily Stool Sample. I blog for three reasons. 1. I am a skilled artist but not a skilled writer, and this helps me practice my writing. 2. To plug my stuff, and maintain my D Level Internet Celebrity Status. 3. Cause it’s fuggin’ fun. A post most representing me is way back on my old blogger blog back in June of 2005, my Hit List.

My name is Carrie and i am keeping busy raisig my four children and trying to keep two blogs on the go. Rantings of a Woman and Jabber Jaws. I first got started with blogging when I was seeing how much fun my friend was having and to be honest the money was really starting to sound nice. Now it has become so much more than money with all the new friends I have been making. A couple post that I find myself thinking back to is first Baking Cookies with my 3 year old son, sometime it's the little things that matter the most and Helping a Friend, she is so dear to me and I would do anything to help her out. Kim you've got my vote!

I am Noah, from the blog Patrick on Animals. I blog to express myself and pass along some thought on animals. The post Noah's Ark is pretty cool.
Hey to everyone, my name is Kokopelli and of course I maintain the blog Patrick on Music. I am a musician myself and I love music and that is why I blog about it. This is a post about the second concert that I ever saw, a Jethro Tull concert.

Hi, my name is Genie and I'm a blogoholic. My blogs include, but are not limited to, Photographer in Training, Tarot Reader, and Tarot 101. I don't know that there is any one particular blog post that is especially revealing about me, but this one contains photographs that I am particularly fond of, especially since my husband is in one of them and because I shot them in my own town: Fire. I blog because I live in a small community with few kindred souls. I blog so that I can connect.

My name is Jeni and the name of my blog is Down River Drivel, which basically means "hogwash" or b.s. in a politer way. I blog as a means to remember - things about my family, my kids and especially my grandchildren or events from my youth, back in the dark ages and also, as a way to practice just playing with words. My favorite post would be this one, titled "Deep Roots" which explains a bit more about me.

I started blogging around end March 2007. My earlier intention was to store my recipesAward For You, My Great Friend. One of my favourite post is my first post which was about my niece : First "Ah Yi". Now, blogging seems to me as a way to express myself freely. It has been a joyful experience and I'll blog for as long as I can. permanently online while it is accesible anywhere in this world. As I blog, I met many new interesting peoples around the world. It was truly a great pleasure to know them and I am honored to award them in

My name is Anna, and I blog at Beth & Cory's Mom and A Mind Forever Voyaging. I originally started blogging because our library was planning to start a blog, and I wanted to see which blogging site would work best - so I signed up for a few. First I just played around with the design. I'd post my thoughts on what was going on around the house or in the news occasionally, but I wasn't very consistent. Then I started reading other people's blogs and making friends, and it was so much fun that I started posting more! One of my more memorable posts is Oh, I am Good, because I stepped outside my comfort zone and personality type and actually let people know I messed up.

I am known as Sometimes Saintly Nick. I blog because I enjoy blogging, have met quite a few very neat bloggers through the years, and have hopefully provided a few laughs for folks and some thought provoking posts on issues of justice and peace, The blogs that I write are: Nick’s Bytes/, UCC Online, and I assist my cat, Alex, in writing his blog, Alexicon: A Feline’s Life with his Human

HI! I'm Pat.I am a young mother of two.Being a homemaker sometimes can really makes me feel bored.I never knew about blogging until August this year.Honestly,I used to think that blogs are for kids and those who have too much spare time and have nothing else to do.But since I started blogging, I got to know a lot of wonderful people around the world.I have 3 blogs - Asiana , Nutrimetics , and Iban School.I dont have any favourite post because theyre all my favourites! :) Hehehe.

Helo, Nightwing here. Always wonder about the world of blogging and what it was all about. So i gave it a go and thus Carpe Diem was born. After only a few months of blogging, have made many new friends around the world. I like to read books and have also use my blog to post book reviews. Here is one example of it. Happy blogging.

My name is Suzanne and my blogs are Miss Kitty Fantastico and The Synergizer's Journal. (I'm working on coming up with better names!) I started blogging back when it was called journaling. I was a newly wed and needed an outlet for my thoughts and feelings. Later, I became hooked on comments and started meeting a lot of new people. One of my favorite things about meeting friends online is that you get to talk to people who you probably wouldn't meet in real life. Now, I'm a working mom and have started blogging for money to help make ends meet. My favortite post (at least in recent memory) was a Mama Talk column I wrote about my husband for Father's Day. It's called Priorities change when husbands become fathers.

Hello there, I’m AK, basically it stands for Ahmad Kamal. My blogsite is Yang Terdalam (slightly meaning The Deepest). I’ve created this blog to spread what I feel inside to the world, as I myself found that there so much things that I have to let it unsaid in this reality world. So, I’ve created Yang Terdalam to fulfill my needs to give people my perspectives and poits of views on certain aspect. I usually just ramble myself out in my blog, and only some people can stand my ‘tone’ in the blog, as I usually express my depress tone. Well, can’t blame me, I have an idea to write things when I’m in depress mood. The most memorable entries that I’ve been made are Am I Not Good Enough?/ The Promo – Am I Not Good Enough Part 2 / Am I Not Good Enough – Part 2 / Gunung Ledang Mind-Field Journey / Saya Anak Malaysia!!! / Nescafe Bodoh! Just Take your time, visit my blog, and get to know me!

Hello world! My name is Lucel Juliana, you can call me Juliana. I author the blog, My World. I'm a newbie blogger and I'm so loving it. I blog because, I love to write and I want to document my life as a stay at home wife in my newfound home: New York. And if anyone out there tries to tell the story of my life, I prefer that it's going to be me. The one post I'm really passionate about is Cell Phone Hazard . I want to spread awareness about lurking dangers on cell phone use.

I don't know why I ever started blogging. I think it was an experiment. My business blog was created as a response to customer questions. All my other blogs, and I have too many to list them here, came into existence because it was too difficult to create just one blog to cover so many dreams and ideas. So now you know: I blog to share dreams. I do it with Pamil Visions Tutorials and I do it with Romania Simply Surprising. And sharing dreams will never stop... This list shares dreams too. And I am happy to be part of a collective dream. We can change the world when we dream together.

Hello World! I’m Momma Bean. This little blog started out as a way for my out-of-state sisters and sister-in-law to feel more involved with the Beans as they grew up. I didn’t know that it would be around this long, that I’d enjoy it this much or that I would find such insight and camaraderie from complete strangers who, where ever they are, are going through the same things as me, being a mother. So, now I blog to share my special Beans with family and friends, to rave and whine about the life of a (still) new mom and to learn from such amazing women around the world. One of my favorite posts is this one about me and self-image and passing this onto the Beans. Too many women do this to themselves and I admittedly still criticize myself in front of the Beans.

My name is Jamilla a.k.a Jamy. What I Feel, I Just Blog is really my inner voice to tell anything that I am aware of in my life. I started blogging since June 2007, not long ago. I am happy that I can share and give love, happiness, caring and support through blogging together with a group of my bloggermates. My quote is "Make difference in your life by giving love, happiness, hope, joy, support and encouragement to the world!" The post that I really appreciate and respect myself is Turn Blogging Into A Real World . My first step towards the difference and miracle to the people who is around me.

My name is Kristine and my blog is Fitzsimmons Family Adventures. I started blogging as a way to keep family in the loop. We have family all over that we don't see on a regular basis and it's a great way to let them know what's been going on with us. I've met a lot of great people and I love reading about their lives as well. I'm a stay at home mom and when I was introduced to blogging for money, I was pretty excited about the opportunity to supplement our income. I post LOTS of pictures and videos of my son Jackson. It's an addiction. One of my favorite posts is from March of this year because it captures so many of his great expressions.

I'm Deb, and I blog at Mom of 3 Girls because, well I have three little girls here at home! :) I originally started my blog because I began to read other blogs that I found online and was inspired to share my own thoughts. I keep doing it because I've found it to be a creative outlet for my thoughts and emotions, a wonderful way to keep in touch with people and because of the amazing community of other bloggers that I have found. It's also a great way to help keep my sanity as I juggle work, home, kids and the rest of my life! I think my favorite post has to be My Two Jobs because it sums up everything that I feel about my life right now.

Hello everyone, Watashi wa Kenneth des. Genki des ka?I started blogging with own hosting and domain is on . My earlier purpose to blogging is to learning + relaxing + sharing + making friend.KennethZone is formed for Learning : learning english writing ( in my blog, you can know my english is very terrible)Relaxing : Using my free time for blogging Sharing : sharing my daily life, personal thought and etc to you Making friend : make more friends.

My name is Darren, Freedom Rider is my blog! I blog because I love to meet new friends around the world-wide! I blog because I would like to make some pocket money, so that I can buy you something next time! I blog because I want you to know my little story! I blog because I love to share cool stuff with you! I blog because I want you to know I am not silly or dump, I am not self fish, I am not ugly, I am not supercilious!!! I am a Blogger!!! That's it

My name is Joy or thejoybird my blog is A Day In the Life... I started blogging to help me get through the day. I am a first time mom and although I have the most beautiful, wonderful 13 month old daughter I still feel like pulling my hair out on a daily basis. I wanted some place where I could vent and connect with other moms and also make new friends (who aren't moms). Now I'm also trying to get into blogging for money, but first and foremost, I'm doing this for me. I think that my favorite post is My Response: , I like to talk about things that may be taboo.

I am Hilman, author of creating a world. I blog because I want to create a world. While selfishly deciding the course of that world, I remain open to suggestion from readers, visitors and lurkers alike. the memorable one? the first blog entry, of course! --Introduction ?

Helo, me is Green. I am an ordinary blogger who love to write a blog according to what i am doing everyday. I am still new in blog site. The idea on why i start to blog is that i want to gain friends plus i want to hear from others about their opinion upon my problem sometimes. I am writing my blog in Malay and Iban lingua franca. Blogging is the best away for me to break my tense and killing my time sometimes. I have two blogs and they are Kehijauan hidup Mr Green and Dunya Gadung. The best post that i really love is Kisah sang gajah dan anak ikan emas because it is really tickle me a lot and it is the post that make me meet so much people in this blog world. hehe..

“Why do maike blog?” The very first slide crossing my mind consists of these three points - Learned, Shared, and Gained. They form a cycle which I wanted to go through while I blog about my life here. I shared whatever I learned, experienced and gained, by the power of a little space. Besides, I have the opportunity to meet friends from every corner around, we colored each others life, and together we make the world flatter and flatter. Blogging enriched and made my life extraordinary.

Ohaiyo! My name is Jean Chia from A Great Pleasure. I started blogging around end March 2007. My earlier intention was to store my recipes permanently online while it is accesible anywhere in this world. As I blog, I met many new interesting peoples around the world. It was truly a great pleasure to know them and I am honored to award them in Award For You, My Great Friend. One of my favourite post is my first post which was about my niece : First “Ah Yi”. Now, blogging seems to me as a way to express myself freely. It has been a joyful experience and I’ll blog for as long as I can.

I am Karen, writer of the blog, Journey with WaterLearner. My blog documents my humble journey of Awareness and Practical Spirituality. I am glad to have found many like-minded buddies in the blogosphere. I was the humble servant of the Spiritual Boot Camp for Say No Evil which was attended by 21 campers. Some of my favourite posts that might guide you to reflection are: The Pearl Within, Learn to Sink, Spiritual Facial & Uneasy Goodness.

Hey there, this is SaeWei from As Bratty As Me. I blogged for a few reasons too. One is of course to share my views and opinions to all the readers out there. Second, to earn extra bucks. And of course to know more people. And since Blogging is like the "IN" thing now, I have no choice but to step my foot into this wonderful world of blogsophere. :)

Hi...I'm Twilight, my blog is called Learning Curve on the Ecliptic I write about astrology. I know that some people look on astrology as silly supersition, I have reason to believe otherwise. Two main reasons for blogging: I enjoy writing, and while continuing to learn, I like sharing my discoveries on how astrology relates to art, music, politics, movies, TV, current affairs, and my own experiences. I often compile a related video with music to include in my blog. My representative blog entry: the American political scene is at the front of my mind just now, so a link to this recent post Holding on for a Hero, my video compilation included.

My name is Rebecca and I am the author of Rebecca’s Green Blog. I blog because I care about the environment. My site is focused on the earth, green ideas, and ways that we all can easily be involved in the fate of our world. I am not a great writer but I like to share useful information. My most representative post is Welcome to Rebecca's Green Blog.

Hello World! My name is Bobby Revell. I blog to spread love and friendship. I love all people! My goal is to destroy prejudice and help people realize that it is love, not money that determines success. I hope to work with all of you so that EVERYONE ON EARTH WILL BE FRIENDS! This will make war a distant memory. I believe in my purpose. I blog for my readers, not for myself. I will never again ask anyone for a link because a link should be a gift. You shouldn’t have to ask for a gift! I am like a zen artist who works on a piece but doesn’t sign his name on it. It is unimportant what I do. It is important for what I do to have an impact on bringing love to all of you. My blog is about blogging ethics. I see it as the spiritual blogging ethics of love! One post that defines who I am is Promoting Racial Unity. I love you all!

Haaa my turn ;) Well i'm Entayang..yes tats my middle name..i was named after my great-grandma :) No reason for blogging..my blog Entayang is pretty much 'All about me' kinda webpage..it's all about what i like, fancy, hate etc..Ermm favourite post? few fav. posts tho..posts on my 'Big Day'..remarkable and unforgettable :) Till then adios!~

My name is Eric, better known as Speedcat Hollydale I started blogging because I had no computer experience, and wanted to find out what all the hype was about. That was a little over a year ago. My post is World Record Breaking Award Ceremony Held at the S... . This post brought the most visitors, comments, and was the most fun. I am an overlinker :-)

My name is Rebecca and I am the author of Rebecca’s Healthy Food Blog. I blog because I care about eating healthy and spreading the word about some of the issues involving food today. My most representative post is The Wonders of Nature.

Hiya! I'm Shannon and I blog at Chicken's Life, I started because I am too lazy to write in a diary and most of the time I cannot read my own writing...so it seems a bit pointless. I'm not sure I have a specific post that I like the most, I blog about my life what ails and what makes me laugh. Here is a post that makes me happy, we went to Pismo Beach, Ca.

Christy aka Angelstar blogs for a very simple reason; I LOVE writing and blogging is just one creative way of not just writing but also putting my ideas into colors and illustrations to tell others what I think or find funny. I LOVE reading and writing so much that it's just part of me and I have so many blogs..my primary blog, Food blog, Travel, Movies, Mysteries, Women's Zine and I just love them all! I just LOVE doing this :D (it just opens a window to the soul)

I am LeeChien, writer of It's All About LIFE & SHARING. Clear enough with my blog's title, it's all about my LIFE and the stuffs i would like to SHARE.

Her name's Bobo, the little Bimbo from a small sunny island called Singapore. She thinks that the world may not know enough about her little happy homeland... and some may have the wrong impression of Singapore. With all the "fines" and rules in the country, she hopes to have a chance to show people that Singapore is a really FINE country with posts like Attractions in Singapore and Singlish. Her "Bimbo with a Twist" is also a complaint dumping ground when her days really suck and she just doesn't want to terrorise any individual with her endless ranting... she needs to terrorise a nice corner of this blogosphere.

My name is Darlene.I am a stay home wife & mommy to our two year old adorable son.I’ve got three sites that’s called My Life,My World,Mommy’s Gibble Gabbles & Author’s Sweet Life.I blog because i want to share to my friends my experiences of what kind of life i have in here since i got here in United States Of America being with my family & how grateful i am having them in my life.

hye! my name is sobrie aKa heartbreaker..i like blogging..i love blogging..but i dont know y i have to make blog?? yaa..maybe i want to meet more people in this world..ya..maybe blogging is just the thing that i can do..yaa..maybe blogging can relaxing my mind..hurmm..so..it's up to me..and all you have to do is just read my what-the-%^&* entries..and try to enjoy it.. ~..Just Like Heaven..~ ...ok?? i don't know which one is my best entry coz it's you who read it..not me..hehehe...very funny..waKakakaka

Hello, world! My name is Jodi, also known as sm00bs in the virtual world. I am a thirtysomething mother to a darling little girl and wife to a wonderful man. The little corner of the innerwebs that I call home is A Room with a sm00. I use it mostly for a way to keep my family and friends updated on the goings on of my mostly boring life since I live so far away from everyone. Now that my daughter is on the scene, I post a fair number of pictures and videos along with lots of stories about her. Other than that, I write about what I love, which includes (but not limited to) cooking, baking, knitting, gardening, travel, computers, movies, and music. Of course, Sophie will always be my favorite topic, and my favorite (and possibly most informative) post is about her signing, complete with a video of her signing with flashcards (her idea, I promise). Stop by and say a quick hi. I'd love to meet new people!

Lyle Burwell
Viewer Participation TeleVision
I blog to solve the too-much-information problem for people using the internet to get a definitive answer to the question, "How do I get on that; game show, reality show, relationship show, interior design show, video clip show, talent competition, lifestyle program, talk show, judge show, real estate program, cooking show, fashion show, make-over show, how-to show..."
My definitive post is the one that greets you at the link above.

Mabuhay! Lira here, author of Tasteful voyage : narrations of an expressive mind . Why I'm into blogging? Simple, I wanna share a part of my life to my fellows which I know would somehow contribute to their lives as well. I feel great writing what I'm into and at the same time meeting new friends and learning from their inputs ---vast of inputs. They said "the best teacher is your experience" and this is it. I gain knowledge from them and vice versa. Remembering Papa for me is my most relevant post.

I’m Cat, and I also go by Ami-chan a lot on line hence running the domain ami-chan.net. I have my own company doing tarot readings and hypnotherapy that site is Look Beyond Mirrors, and I just recently started a blog which is primarily for doing “picture a day” and that is eryssa.net. When I started out blogging it was on The Wolf’s Kiss on livejournal, and I mostly started up to vent about work and keep in touch with friends, and then realized I could use a blog on my website as a way to update our family overseas about things that were going on and they could read it when they liked instead of me constantly spamming their inboxes with emails. One of my favorite recent posts is when I talked about where I grew up.

I’m Nina Munteanu, ecologist, SF author, wife and mother and lover on a journey on this beloved planet Earth…your Alien Next Door. I blog for the same reason that I write my short stories and novels…because I have to. I blog to share my passion for the beauty and wonder of this planet Earth through science and art and to share the little wisdom and insight I’ve gained in my few years on the Earth...and certainly to gain some from you (I love your comments! Thank you!). My favorite post is about one of my heroes, Doctor Lynn Margulis, courageous scientist who would not be dissuaded from speaking the truth even when at the time it seemed like a lie: imagine saying we evolve through cooperation; not competition! What anti-Darwinian cheek!

I’m Sassy from The Sassy Southerner. I am a 31 year old stay at home mother and wife. I started blogging as a way to vent some things that I have kept buried inside my soul for a long time. I write in hopes to reach someone out there and maybe let them know they are not alone in the world. I write whatever comes to mind. I guess one of my favorite post (too many to chose from) is when I heard some noises and got scared.

My name is Shinade and I originally starting blogging in protest of America's current political administration and policies. However, I came under attack and outside pressure and I was also becoming eaten up with anger and hatred so I decided to start this blog The Painted Veil in the hopes of sharing love and beauty with the world. My most memorable and also my favorite post ever is: "An Opal Is An Opal by Any Other Name." It is a tale and a parable concerning how we can learn to respect and honor each other's differences and strive for love and peace world wide.

My name's Nasyrah, or also known as ai-Chan. I have two blogs.I'm the author of randomness XD. (I love to talk about random things) and ai's-Kitchen. Why I blog? I blog because I want to tell people that my life is interesting. Nah! I;m just kidding! I blog because writing is fun, and I'd like to know what others think of my randomness post. Hurm.. my memorable entry? Since Randomness XD and ai's - kitchen is still new, I think, it's First Dreams.

Hi! My name is Thira. I author the blog As The World Turns. I blog because I love and enjoy it. I used to write on journals before but blogging online is more fun. With blogging there are so many things one can do. You can write down your thoughts, experiences and interests. You can express how you feel, learn many things, share information and knowledge, meet new friends and a lot of interesting people. Like they said, there is a world of endless resources out there.

Hello. I'm Delmer, an IT person and the guy who writes What's a Delmer Look Like? I started writing a blog to keep my family current with what was going on with my kids. Day after day of "We had soccer practice tonight" got old fast and I sort of went in scattered directions. WADLL falls into the personal-diary category and I (still) blog about my children, growing up, cycling, pituitary tumors, and things I think are sort of interesting. A fairly safe entry to read is: Stonehenge. (You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll become part of you.)

My name is April and my blog is called Finding my own happily ever after. I began blogging several years ago, and even though it was public, I had no one on my friends list and didn't really figure many people would randomly find my page. Last year I learned how much fun blogging could be when you were interacting with other people, and I have become totally addicted to it. My blog consists of daily recaps and a rant here or there. I am 28 years old and attending school full time, oh and I live with my bf, my brother, and my 6 year old nephew so it's pretty chaotic at times and gives me plenty to write about. I enjoy getting to know new friends and interacting with people. I am a girl of few words in person, kinda shy, and maybe even anti-social, but in my blog I express myself pretty easily and love getting to know others. I enjoy getting comments, but I don't flip out if someone doesn't and I try to comment as much as I can, but I hate repeating something that someone else has said. I am always happy to make new friends, friends of all kinds, I am not easily offended and I try to be very open minded.

My name is WalksFarWoman and I blog because…Kissing the Dogwood is my spiritual home. The idea evolved from an inspired moment as did the name and took me completely by surprise. It was like being given a map and a destination which I was compelled to follow - and in doing so have had the journey of a lifetime! Just like the elements of a successful life, blogging is all about good communication, learning through experience and also gathering hope, joy and a liberal dressing of laughter wherever we can. My favourite post is always my most recent so here it is - ‘Mermaids Cove’.

Yo, wazzup. My name is Melanie and I enjoy talking in bizarre manners. I host two little blog-ditties: A Quiet Symphony & Amberwood Ambrosia. I'm a wannabe author, editor, dreamer, student, wife, mother--I say "wannabe" because I am still functioning under some strange esoteric idealism that one day I will "arrive" at perfection--or at least a successful shadow of it. Yes, I know; the only thing that I am completely is a dreamer. So, with all that randomness out of the way, the truth is I never even knew what a blog was before my gal-pal Rebecca over at A Not-So-Desperate Housewife. I don't remember how she tricked and ensnared me into this world of blogosphere--whether through candy or compliments, here I am. I don't think I really have some great life-altering thesis on why I blog, other than it convinces me that I exist. By plastering my thoughts and emotions on canvas (be it virtual), I am allowed a new outlet in which to breathe. I guess that's pretty existential in itself--and that's just fine by me. Most favored post? Hmmm... I guess I'd have to say The Importance of Promptness because it's all about my hubby.

Hi yah, I am Ana, a Filipina young woman, married with two beautiful children, residing in the motor city-up in the suburb, and I blog because I love meeting and interacting with other people that shares my interests as well as making friends in the process. More reasons for me to consider are that, every once in a while I get to express my feelings and share just about anything that I find interesting and informative. Blogging is a way for me to have a space I call my very own where I can take my time thinking out loud and be goofy if I want to. Yes, we get to rule in our little cyber world. I enjoy ruling my humble abodes on the net and they are the following; Ana's Daily Reflections, Filipina Isle, Moments to Ponder, My Musing Pad, and Memoirs of a Filipina-as my personal non-sponsored blog. Now, the post I consider to be important, well, maybe helpful if you are someone interested in purchasing a 1and1 domain because it will help you if you need a hand with setting up your custom domain name: My 1and1 Domain Tutorial. I enjoy giving people a hand whenever possible as long as I know how. I am always willing to help others when I can. Yep, that's me!

My name is Mrs. Nesbitt and I blog because Mrs Nesbitt's Place, I would like to think is a place where I share the humble unassuming thoughts I have about everyday things such as the place where we live, the life I lead with my hubby, together with our German shepherds Wilma and Elsie, our puss Ella and our gander Jo. I hope I take the time to share the appreciation I have for the great Yorkshire moors, the food I love to cook and the fun we have when out on our motorbike. I love photographing what makes me smile and allows me to feel blessed.

"Counting my blessings, recounts , O. K". .My name is i beati the blessed one for I have thus far survived cancer and lots of problems with it. Because of the many stresses in my life, I blog and try to spread cheer and thoughts to everyone. Some nights I can't sleep so I blog and read others ponderings..I am educating myself and expanding my world immensely. I love something about each post so come and join the Happy Spirits at i beati and leave a comment for Sandy .

Hi blogosphere, My name is Maggie and my little spot on the globe is Ramblings of Maggie. I enjoy blogging and I really enjoy reading the blogs of the friends I’ve made since I’ve started over a year ago. I talk about my family and my children. I might post more pictures of my kids than you might want to see. I go through cycles. For weeks you might not know I have any off spring then boom you will know. Why do I blog? Well, some might say “to fill that need that every women has to spread the word”. What post is my favorite. That is so hard to answer. Today I am picking the letter I wrote to my son.

My name is David, and I write An American In.... I am in my late twenties and currently living with my wife and two cats in Seoul, Korea. We travel the globe for work and pleasure and my expat experiences make up a large portion of my writing. I am also a fan of sport (American football and baseball, mostly) as well as into current events and politics. My blog is not usually political, but I indulge myself once in a while. I enjoy meeting new people and truly cherish a diversity of viewpoints. I hope to see each and every one of you visiting soon and often!

Hallo world, I am Trinity from Rooms of My Heart. I blog to be a salt and light of the world, to make friends and hopefully can be a blessing to others. I share my life on 8 things that make me who I am now.

My name’s Bob Kingsley, author of ‘Somerset’ Bob’s Place. I blog because I want to be a writer. I’ve wanted to be known as a writer all my life, and as I’ve now reached my early 50s I figured I ought to get started before it’s too late! I thought science fiction would be my forté (I wrote a number of short stories some years ago, available at my site’s Writing Archive), but since starting my blog in March 2007 I’ve discovered I have a passion for writing non-fiction pieces — principally about the environment and climate change, but also taking in the places I’ve visited, my online/computer experiences, the random thoughts I have, the music I love and the people I met during my time as a radio presenter. It’s a pretty eclectic collection of posts. I don’t think I’ve written my favourite post yet, but one that’s right up there is Tagged With Music, which was the subject of another meme that came my way — it really made me think, which is what I love about being tagged with memes.

Hi! My name is Theresa I am the author of My Emancipation. I blog because I love and enjoy it. I used to write on journals before but blogging online is more fun. With blogging there's no limit, you can freely write you thoughts, you opinions without anyone going against you. Its a fun way to make friends too & a great way in getting to know them. Learn through trials and error every end of the day as you develop your blog. Basically my blog is all about me, so if you wanna know me more just be patient enough to read my blog, thanks for your time. GOD BLESS

Hello everyone! I'm Liza the author of moms.....check nyo. I am actually new to the blogging world... it was my husband and my daughter who introduced me to blog, and now I'm hooked. I love to write about my family, my hobbies, my interests and would love to share some tips and how to's on things I love doing. Blogging is such a good idea because you get to express your feelings and your thoughts and a good shock absorber, too. My most relevant post is about 'My brave little boy'.... common everyone.... you're invited :)

My name is Jo Beaufoix, and I blog because I need a creative outlet. Hmmm, that makes me sound a bit like a drain doesn’t it? But I’m not, I’m a 32 year old mum with a penchant for wine and chocolate, a dream of publishing my first book, and a talent for wiping up all kinds of mess… (Who’d have small children?) My blog began as an idea from a friend and has grown into a place to be the me not everybody sees, and to make new friends. There’s no dress code, I don’t mind if you bring your own food, and well, if you need to fart just let it go, I mean, we’re all human right? It’s also a place for me to write, every day, which is a good habit for me to get into, and a place to store memories and work things out. Picking a favourite post is hard, but I like this one and it’s recent, Big sighhhhhhh. I hope you enjoy it.

Greetings, all. I’m Emily from Mama’s Bloggin and this blog was born out of my need to get it all out. I was reeling from the breakup, the move back in with my folks, PPD, and I sat in front of the computer for hours. Writing, gaming, reading, chatting, ANYTHING to keep my (fat) ass in that chair and away from any interaction with another human being face to face. I planned my grocery trips for the times when the only people in the store were me and the employees. (As you can see, the “TIME CAVE” acronym applies as a phrase for me, not necessarily as the separately defined letters.) With the passing of time, a lot of these things have faded from screaming issues to a gentle throbbing ache every now and then. I found other bloggers who felt the way I did at the time, as well as message boards. I got better. THINGS got better.

I'm Lynn and I blog at Everything and then Some. I blog because I like to share ideas and experiences with bloggers around the world. It's like virtual traveling. I am interested in other countries' culture. Blogs about food, books, movies, day to day experiences and everything about being a mom get my attention. I would like to share this link to one of my posts, Avocado which tells of the story behind my blog name.

Howdy folks, my name is Nick and I own Anything Goes! I started blogging just for the fun of it and it turned out to be an interesting adventure. Initially the main reason I blog was to rant and rave about things that happen in my life such as my crazy neighbors, my wonderful wife and my best buddies. I have another blog that I'm author of as well which is called Spiff, The Spaceman. You'll find more zany stuff in that blog, which I created for the sole purpose of making money through blogging.

Hello! My name is Florence. I’m the author of At Home With Popski. I’m a greenhorn in blogging. I started my blog because of blog envy! I’ve been lurking in other people’s blogs for the longest time and I liked how they were able to express their random thoughts. I decided to blog so I can have my own creative outlet and to have a venue for venting out my angst! I’ve been a Stay-At-Home mom for 16 years so naturally and logically, I blog about my thoughts on family life here in my country, the Philippines. With the few posts that I have, my choice post, though not necessarily the most representative of me is the one that describes me as The OC.

i blog under the cyber-nom-de-plume "fortuitous faery" in writings on the wall, a personal blog i created in 2001. my early posts have been mainly inspired by "bridget jones' diary" and were usually concise and no more than 3 sentences. i originally blogged in the philippines, but have now transplanted my blogging wand in new jersey (land of bon jovi and campbell's soup). i blog because it allows me to exercise my thinking skills while i stare at the computer screen, putting my thoughts to keyboard, and then eventually sharing it with the entire cyber universe. i blog because i enjoy reading other people's blogs and have found that one can make new friends through it, while sharing one's take on life's everyday surprises, adventures and simple pleasures. i blog mostly about my travels, books and movies that have delighted me, and my life in new jersey. read about my adopted home state in my posts "a sunday in sussex" and "the beach of sand and fog".

hi, my name is VT or vagabondtramp. i blog so i have an place where i can share my ideas and philosophies and so that i can have a place to vent my frustrations. i also want to encourage others to think for themselves and not necessarily accept my opinions on things, but to get them to start thinking about their own opinions. one of my most representative posts would be: 'just be yourself'”. all i ask for people visiting my blog is to come with an open mind and think ;)

My name is Sandy Carlson. My primary blog is Writing in Faith. I began blogging a few years ago so that I would have an electronic archive of my writing. At the time I wasn't much concerned about connecting with others or finding an audience. I was simply eager to find a place to store my poems, reviews, essays, graffiti research, and other writings because I was weary from computer crashes! I soon fell into blogging on a regular basis, being found online, and interacting with other bloggers. It is a joy.
I write out of the belief that life is beautiful. Writing is life for me. Blogging is a part of that. "Of Course It's All About Me" is my most representative post at the moment.

Why I blog(you besides just Bush bashing) is to to express my feeling, creativity and dreams. My blogs Bring me that Horizon and the Wanderer's haven is both my safe haven and my canvas. When I'm angry or sad I blog to relieve the stress in my life. Blogging is a easy way for me to talk about my interests weather people want to hear it or not! And sometimes I meet some great people too.

Hi ya! I'm Daszzle from Something to Smile About. I'm a recent college grad who's still a kid at heart, venturing head-first into a much larger world. I never talk about my job, but I do talk about everything else... including my passion for haunted houses and entertainment. P.S. I'm in love... so he gets mentioned a lot as well ;). My favorite blog is Proof of Ghosts? Maybe. It was a lot of fun to write and has inspired me to pursue not only my fun ghost searching, but also historical writing :). I love meeting new people so make sure that if you pop in, you leave me a little note so that I can return the favor. Bye!

I'm Shiera, though you could also call me Bisdakbabbles. I kind of loving that more and actually thinking of changing this blog's title to that one. I've started blogging last year to ease my weary and homesick soul, and that remains true up to now. I also blog mainly to keep in touch with old friends and newly-found friends. This also serves my online diary so I wish to keep blogging while I still can. Oh, I almost forgot my representative posts: Meet Udong and Candles in My Path.

Hi I'm Bing. At first, I blog just for the fun of it and later I realized that as I blog I made new friends, have your concerns, issues, interests in life, experiences be heard by others. It also relieves me of my everyday stress by writing all my thoughts, my feelings of joy, happiness and sorrows. I love blogs about family issues, parenthood, motherhood, decorating ideas and about marriage. My most relevant post is A Memo from God. An inspiration that made me appreciate what I have in life and be thankful that I have them.

Dear Me, why do I blog. I blog for the many reasons other people blog. But basically, I blog because:
• I want to stay connected with the outside world (through blogging, I learn and discover stuff I don't know about
• I can keep tabs with old friends whom I haven't seen for quite a while due to the hecticness of our own lives
• I gain new friends and learn more about them AND
• I love to scribble my weird thoughts and musings, rants and raves

Hello everyone! My name is Marshall. I am 25 years old. When I was 20 I dropped out of college to become a professional dancer. Since then I've lived in Branson MO, New York City, Los Angeles, Hollywood FL, and on various cruise ships in the Caribbean, Canada, and Alaska. During all of my travels I have become a student of life, surviving not only the death of my mother but also a suicide attempt, a stint of homelessness, a drug problem, Christianity and a plethora of homosexual escapades! My blog is called Waking Up and it is full of personal stories of my journey from sleepwalking through life to waking up and seeing the true reality of things. Each post addresses an important issue that we all deal with and gives the reader the inspiration to wake up and see things differently. My favorite post to date is Waking Up . . . To The Importance Of Purpose. Check it out!

Hola everyone...my name is Joey..not really my name but I love the name..so what the heck...My blog is The Pursuit of Happyness and Satisfaction as the reason is I keep searching for the happiness in my life and I hope to be happy as well.. My blog is the reflection of my emotion, the way I think and the place where I give it all. The reason why I was blogging is I need a place to express everything so that I can relieve some tension or share some joy with the readers. The most memorable post?...I can't recall any...Maybe you can visit my site and then you will know how freak is Joey.

I'm Susie, the Whimsy Gal. At first I started a blog because I thought it would be fun - maybe - and because I thought it would be good for business. But I quickly realized that I didn't really want to write about business - I just wanted to write and share, so now that's what I do. It's often about my kids, it's sometimes, goofy, sometimes, random, but always fun (for me, at least!) I'm going to pick a post I just wrote as one of my favs - Birthday Boys and Bridges.

Hi there! I’m Secret Simon. A while back, I got ill and most of my life came to a sudden, crunching halt. Faced with lots of time on my hands, I started to wonder what it all meant. What was I doing here? Why was I ill? And where exactly were all these questions coming from anyway? I started thinking seriously about 'life, the universe and everything'. My blog, The Secret Of Life, is a part of this ongoing process. And what is 'the secret of life'? The closest I've come to attempting an answer is in a post called Feeling What Is.

I blog under my name Reia, in a blog initially put up so I can talk about my art, my kids and my cats, aptly named 'My Scratch Pad' -- a place where cats find satisfaction or relief from stress, as well as where 'humans' use for writing down thoughts, lists, or just doodle. I LIKE TO BLOG because, and I like to quote from one of my posts way, way back-- "..... It's the best therapy in town. From day one that I decided to open myself up to the WWW, I was able to improve my writing, be a lot more creative, discover new things and most of all, made new friends here and abroad! " In addition, blogging gives me freedom and the responsibility not to abuse it. Blogging about the right things, opinions, or anything under the sun gives my inner feelings, mind and imagination more than enough space to 'run around'. I blog because it is a diary of events that will remain--- pages won't turn brown or tear, ink won't fade or blot, pictures won't change its colors! I also blog because people out there don't really know me. They get to see the 'real' me.. take it or leave it. Read my post one time and decide whether it's worth it coming back to read more. I do try to get the humor out but I also get sentimental at times. One of my favorite family posts are Tears enough to rust metal and Unframed Peacock post for my art.

I blog because these past 'almost' three years of blogging have made me incapable to live without it :) I blog to express myself, to spread news about what I love, what interests me, which mostly consists of my country, PR, Marketing, IT, tourism, lots of travel and tourism and the list could go on. I started blogging as Kayla Vincent and then switched to my real name, Alina Popescu. I write on or for many blogs, Words of a Broken Mirror (on blogspot) and the new .com WOBM, Views of a Broken Mirror and Girls Blogosphere Club, to name a few.

My name is Juliana and I am the author of Juliana's Site. I am full time mother. Why I start writing at blog? Because I love writing and i want to share my experience (Beware of Stickman actions), my life (He is Everything to Me), etc. I want to share many things with the World by writing down on my blog.

Hi I'm, Michelle Dawn of Rusin Roundup. I write about my family, friends, children or whatever I get the urge too. I stared blogging because of my friend Sindi of Life Is a Rollercoaster. The more I did the more I realized it 's good therapy and I'm making so many new friends. I still have a lot to learn on here, but I'm willing too. I have to say that my favorite post to date is Keep Her Memory Alive. It was a post on Cafemom that I seen and it moved me so much that I had to post it too. It is very sad.

hi my name is Gage of Gage's World. i blog because it helps my writing skillz and make friends my fav post so far might be my 7 meme thing.

Hi I am randy from the way I see it. I am a 32 year old male residing in Terre Haute , Indiana. I am new to blogging , and I must say I like it . My blog is mainly about how I am feeling on different issues In politics, sports, and just life in general . I may from time to time share jokes I have heard. My wife is a blogger too her blog is Rusin Roundup. My favorite post so far is what i am thankful for. I hope to see you on my page.

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