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Blog Addict of the Week: melancolia

April 30, 2007 8:34 PM | 6 Comments | No TrackBacks
MEET our Blog Addict of the Week, melancolia of Expat sa Vienna. Here's a photo of melancolia in disguise. melancolia.jpg Could you tell us something about yourself? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hooked? I am already in my early 30s, currently living in Vienna, Austria, since 2001wi th my little family. I am a new mother to 18-month-old Boo the Rascal. For a da y job I am teaching English to preschool kids in one of the kindergartens here and I am not satisfied with it. But that is beside the point. I started blogging or online journaling almost si x years ago, after my arrival in Vienna. The reason is partly due to the chaos that followed 9-11 and the breakdown of communication between me and the people I know way back home. The book "The Elementary Particles" by Michel Houellebec q was like an eye-opener to me after reading it. At the same time I got to read the many confessions and public outcry of the ma ny people -- speaking their minds, expressing their concerns, fears, happiness and sadness -- on the Net that I found the whole thing attractive suddenly. It dawned on me that somehow I needed to unleash my woes, my loneliness, or whatev er it was. I was yearning for something. Then one day I found myself signing up for a Diaryland account. I guess, loneliness, even though my husband is always with me, can give you insecurity or this feeling that you are so small. Especi ally if you are far away from the place you know by heart. But I can assure you that it is more different now. I have learned to accept my fate. I feel way mu ch better and the homesickness is not that intense. What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? I have a website. And I have several blogs (one is a personal log where I keep things that don't fit anywhere, another site about living in Vienna as an immigrant, and a place where I col lect anything and everything about being a woman of the world). I don't think there i s an advantage or disadvantage between the two. Personal website is like a call ing card while blog is where you collect your thoughts for the day/moment. I do n't think one can compare them because they serve a different purpose. My website houses different blogs that serve different facets of my personality , of what I would like to convey. I did try putting up my own website in 1999 using the Nerve.com's free webspace. Way back when it was a commun ity of intelligent erotica lovers. It even had website builder that I learned t o understand how and what the hell was HTML. And I did try my luck on several g ratis sites like GeoCities. But I never maintained them. So I let them rot. Mor eover, I found the ads a tad bit annoying. My plan was to collect all the artic les I wrote and install them there, like a portfolio of sorts. But I didn't mov e on from there and it didn't happen due to my complacency. While I prepared to leave Manila Nerve.com's free webspace and e-mail service e nded. I searched for free websites and one search engine recommended Diaryland. Reading several accounts, I thought blogging/online journaling was for losers. When I first started tinkering with websites I saw a burgeoning number of blog s, which that time didn't have any name. I admit that I was appalled reading th e faceless, nameless humans who were divulging their secrets for the entire wor ld to see. Get this, I was still in the Philippines that time. So I didn't unde rstand that some people didn't have any problems confiding with an anonymous au dience. So I stopped fooling around with website-making until I lived in Vienna , Austria. Since having my own blogging/online journal account, it has become a different purpose. I did change my opinion regarding blogging. And I did eat m y words concerning blogging. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? I am blogging on and off these days. Either I don't have any access to the Inte rnet or I have lots of things to do. We rarely spend our days in Vienna. Addictive? Yes. I think so. But you should not concern yourself with the pressu re of updating daily. If you feel a sudden urge to discontinue writing for a wh ile then feel free to do so. I don't update my blogs for the sake of updating. I invited a couple of friends to check out my site but I am not sure if I have convinced them to do the same thing. They did stop and look but they never real ly stay. Even my husband refuses to visit my sites. For me, that's okay. As muc h as possible I want to keep it uncensored. The less they know the more I can b e honest with myself. So yes, I don't think they know I have blogs and I talk a bout them sometimes. How has blogging made a difference in your life? Blogging can empower you as an individual. You are not only a mere spectator bu t also a participant of what's happening around you, or the world. You don't on ly read the contents. But you make the contents. And that's a glorious thing. I regard my blogs as my personal Wailing Wall. They reflect a part of my persona lity. And it is nice to know that I also have a voice among the many characters in cyberspace. What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blog ging services? I trust WordPress. Not only it is for free and developing every day but it also revolutionizes blogging. But before switching to it, I had accounts on Diaryla nd, Pitas, Blogger for a brief time and LiveJournal due to an acquaintance's in vitation (when LJ used to be an invitation-only site). And then later, I had th e chance to move on to Movable Type and then b2. But ever since I discovered Wo rdPress I've never turned back. It is gonna stay that way. I love the plug-ins and the many options to suit your taste. What's the most memorable experience you've had in the blogging world?< /strong> Realizing that the world is even a smaller place due to blogging. You find out that the one you are corresponding with is related or knows the other one whose blog you are also reading. So it is nice and it is also crazy. If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 word s or less why they should visit your blog? To be honest I don't know what I am doing here answering the questions, specifi cally this one, when I don't intend to make my site that popular. But yes, feel free to do so especially if you want to read a penguin different from the rest inhabiting the Southern Hemisphere. * * * Thanks melan colia! And to all those whoâd like to be featured, just leave a comment and your URL so that we can check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Weâll feature a new Blog Addict every week, so keep vi siting :) Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.

Blog Addict of the Week: Alma Pasaraba

April 21, 2007 11:28 PM | 13 Comments | No TrackBacks
SAY hello to our Blog Addict of the Week, Alma Pasaraba of Saipan Impressions. Could you tell us something about yourself: How old are you and what ar e you currently doing? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hook ed? I am thirtysomething. I am a CPA and I am currently working as the Internal Au ditor and Compliance Officer in one of the banks here in Saipan. I started blo gging in September 2006. I am a first time OFW and blogging has helped me cope with my homesickness. The alienation I experienced and to generally make sens e out of my decision to take this job and leave my comfortable life there in th e Philippines. I've been writing essays and I've been journaling since I was i n grade school and blogging is basically just like journaling except that peopl e could read what I've written. It's a cathartic exercise for me. What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? A blog is better than a regular website because I am not much of a techie and a blog site is very easy to do even for people who has very limited tech skills just like me. I never tried putting up my own site before because I don't know how to do it in the first place. My sister who's quite adept in technology co nvinced me to do blogs because she knows that I love to write. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? I would say that blogging very addictive. My friends here in Saipan would alwa ys comment why I would always take my digital camera with me everywhere I go an d they would be curious why I would ask people a lot of questions. I would tel l them, because I am writing something about this or that stuff. I have encour aged my sisters and a couple of friends (those who love to write too) to start blogging. I would say that the experience is very much like journal writing. How has blogging made a difference in your life? Blogging has helped me make sense of the many aspects of my life. Living alone in this small island has hleped me know myself better. It has helped me conqu er my fears and has helped me expand my horizon. Telling people about all thes e though my blogs has helped me realize that I do have that special voice insid e me that could describe the struggles and loneliness of an OFW. Most of my ar ticles tried to be as detached as possible but eventually my personal experien ces came out and I know a lot of OFWs could relate to my experience. What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blog ging services? I use BlogSpot. I never tried others so I don't know which is better. What's the most memorable experience you've had in the blogging world?< /strong> Well, recently I've met some people here in Saipan who has been blogging too a nd most of them are Americans. It's interesting because we haven't met before and when we did and when we started to talk about blogging and writing, we bond so easily. And I've considered them good friends of mine already. If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 word s or less why they should visit your blog? Well, people should visit my blog because they would know what my temporary isl and of Saipan is like, they would know about the experiences of an OFW who is l iving away from home for the first time, the observations about the life of an OFW (it really is different when it's a first hand experience), the struggles a nd the triumphs of a contract worker and maybe in this bold honesty of a person like me, they could connect to it and see themselves in my experiences too. B efore I became an OFW, I never felt anything for the maids, the construction wo rkers, the nurses, the IT professionals who left home for a better job outside of the Philippines, but now, I am aware of the loneliness, the homesickness, th e isolation and the many struggles an OFW faces. OFWs are really the living he roes of our economy. Of our country. * * * Thanks Alma! And to all those whoâd like to be featured, just leave a comment an d your URL so that we can check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Weâll feature a new Blog Addict every week, so keep vi siting :) Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.

Blog Addicts of the Week: Pen and AJ

April 13, 2007 5:28 PM | 5 Comments | No TrackBacks
janep.jpgMEET our Blog Addicts of the Week, Pen (girl in photo) and AJ of the joint blog The SilPur Life. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you and what ar e you currently doing? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hook ed? Pen: I'm 28, currently a postgraduate in Sydney, Australia. I started blogging in February 2003. Journal writing has always been my thing ["I write for me!"], and blogging became a natural extension to that. I started blogging on my own volition. AJ: I'm also 28 and currently working as a quality assurance engineer in the Ph ilippines. Pen introduced me to blogging via an invite from the then exclusive LiveJournal site. Both of us migrated to a free hosting site where PHP and MySQ L were supported. We both learned how to use WordPress and we finally decided t o get our own domain to be free from all other restrictions brought by these fr ee blogging and hosting sites. What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? Pen: I have put up several websites that were functional for their academic na ture, but blogging is a whole different avenue that allows me to unload most of my person that removes that element of inhibition. Like really "putting yourse lf out there." AJ: HTML has always fascinated me. CSS and design followed then content would b e the last push me in going all out. Blogging is flexible and the only person y ou really have to satisfy is yourself. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? Pen: It's more essential than it is addictive at the moment. I need to blog to get in touch with people back in Manila. But yeah, I do have a tendency to want to post something as much as I could. If that is addiction then I guess the an swer is yes. I don't know about convincing anyone to blog. I guess most of the people I knew just decided to start blogging too. AJ: It's a way to de-stress yourself, though it annoys me whenever I land into an angst-ridden blog. Blogging is supposed to let people know something about y ou and not to vent all your anger to the world. Yeah, blogging is addictive esp ecially if you know your readers look forward for a new entry. Pen and I have t he same set of friends and we probably spearheaded their blogging habits. 4. How has blogging made a difference in your life? Pen: Hmm. I guess the main impact would lie more on reading other people's blog s, which opened doors to people's thoughts that would have been unthinkable yea rs ago. People are also brought together much in the same way that CB radio and chatrooms did before, but on a whole new "cerebral" level. AJ: When I started using the Web, I was very conscious about my personal privac y. For instance, I have multiple accounts in Yahoo! and Hotmail. But when I was getting the hang of blogging, I wanted people to know who's writing the articl e and not some nutjob writing under an alias. It made me comfortable on exposin g my real identity. What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blog ging services? Pen: I'll leave Ajay to answer that. I was in BlogSpot before when I was bloggi ng on my own. AJ: We have been using WordPress. It's so easy to use and theming and layouting is so easy. There's nothing like it. What's the most memorable experience you've had in the blogging world?< /strong> Pen: I'm not sure how to answer that. I'm sure Ajay has an answer that's iPod-r elated? AJ: I won an iPod -- the grand prize from the first blogparteeh! More than that, I get to know lots of fellow bloggers in person. It may sound l ame, but it really is a nice feeling on getting to know people who has the same passion as yours. If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 word s or less why they should visit your blog? Pen: (Do we get 100 words each? :P) Our blog is not intended to lure people in at all, so I am a bit unsure how to pimp it. But if I had to, if I really reall y had to, I'd say "Hey, check out what I'm up to," which makes it really uninte resting given how self-absorbed people can be (I do get narcissistic at times. And all people should just go and admit they are too!) AJ: Ditto with Pen, we never intended lure people. It's just our everyday life and a little information sharing from the daily net news and activities that I gather around the web. We are more of an insight of who we are. People who know us personally get to see or read our thoughts and people who don't know us get to have an idea on who we are. :) * * * Thanks, Pen and AJ! And to all those whoâd like to be featured, just leave a comment and your URL so that we c an check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Weâll feature a new Blog Addict every Friday, so keep visiting :) Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.

Blog Addict of the Week: Jayme

March 30, 2007 6:33 PM | 8 Comments | No TrackBacks
jayme-palawan-018.jpgMEET our Blog Addict of the Week, Jayme of Heavensent Angel. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you and what ar e you currently doing? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hook ed? I am 25. I am currently trying to balance being an associate producer of a chil dren's show, a loving and devoted wife and a soon-to-be mom to our baby daughte r. I started blogging in November 2004. My co-producer Shao had just started her b log a month earlier and she encouraged me to make my own. At first, I was hesitant at the thought of writing in a blog that anyone could read. I love writing. I've been writing since I was six years old. I started wr iting on old planners my dad brought home from the office until I got my own di aries and notebooks. But everything I've written over the years were carefully guarded from prying eyes. Curiousity got the best of me though and I've been blogging ever since. What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? I haven't tried putting up my own website but I've stuck to my blog because I d on't have to worry about HTML and other technical web designing stuff. My blog has also helped me to keep track of what's going on in my life. When I read my past entries, it reminds me of the good times, the bad, the lessons I learned a nd the people I've met who have made a difference in my life. But more than that, what makes blogging great is it lets you connect with peopl e you'd probably never meet otherwise. It's amazing to know that other people a million miles away share the same thoughts and experiences as you. Just goes t o show that all people share a bond that transcends differences in race, religi on, country and culture. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? Absolutely addictive! I often tote a notebook around and jot down ideas for ent ries I could write in my blog, ranging from the mundane to the serious. There w ere times though that I would get so busy with work and I would neglect to upda te my blog. But I could never bring myself to shut it down completely. I always find myself returning to the computer and writing a comeback entry. Now that I'm pregnant, I hardly go out so I'm spending more time with my notebo ok and typing one entry after the other. It helps me release my anxieties and o ther thoughts constantly swimming in my head. It's like a therapeutic addiction for me. How has blogging made a difference in your life? I graduated with a Journalism degree but my career path led me to broadcasting. My writing took a back seat as I learned the rudiments of TV production and sc riptwriting. One day, I dug up an old notebook, browsed my entries and tried writing a new one. But the words won't come out! I felt like I've lost somethi ng. Blogging has made me rediscover and revive my passion for writing. Though I con tinue to work in the broadcasting industry, I find respite from the stress and craziness by retreating to my blog. It's where I'm absolutely free to write abo ut anything I want, however I want. And I intend to continue writing for as lon g as I'm strong enough to do it and the words keep coming. What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blog ging services? I use Blogger because it's free and it's easy. I haven't tried other blogging s ervices long enough to make a comparison. I tried opening accounts in other blo gging services but I never get past setting it up and always return to Blogger because it's simpler and more user-friendly. Plus, Blogger continuously comes u p with improvements making posting entries, uploading pictures and customizing templates a lot easier. I haven't experienced any major problems so far so I gu ess I'll be staying with Blogger for a long time. What's the most memorable experience you've had in the blogging world?< /strong> Being featured as a Blog Addict! :) If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 word s or less why they should visit your blog? Visit my web haven, you're all welcome to share in my little piece of heaven. * * * Thanks, Jayme! An d to all those whoâd like to be featured, just leave a comment and your URL so that we can check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Weâll feature a new Blog Addict every Friday, so keep visiting :) Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.

Blog Addict of the Week: Marge Mateo

March 24, 2007 10:12 PM | 6 Comments | No TrackBacks
marge-mateo.jpgSAY hello to our Blog Addict o f the Week, Marge Mateo of Fish Tank. Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you and what ar e you currently doing? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hook ed? I am Anne Margaux Mateo, Marge is what I want people to call me. Iâm 22 years o ld, and I am at present studying. I started blogging back in 2004 after I read my friendsâ blog. I got hooked and was thinking that this is my online portfoli o, so I wrote a lot at that time, not thinking who -- or if ever there was -- w as the audience that I have at that time. What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? For me, blogging is better than websites because with websites you try to indul ge in a lot of elements that will make your site appealing. With blogs, people do not need to expect a picture book. Blogs are journals so people are OK with seeing a lot of words. I tried putting up a webpage before, and it didnât work out. Iâm impatient with creating them. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? It is addictive! Once you find out there are people who read your blog, you get motivated to write, and write something that appeals to them. Though sometimes, I go through a slumpy stage -- I tend to make decorations for my blog instead :) most people I know have a blog site. The only one I havenât fully convinced to blog is my best friend. I even made our private blog site! But then sheâs not writing⦠OK sheâs busy. How has blogging made a difference in your life? Being away from my friends makes it easier for me to tell them, hey! This is wh at I've been doing here! I'm OK :) What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blog ging services? I'm using Blogger.com, so whatever other software they have, I am using it. I a m trying to be savvy with computer language⦠the basics maybe. I kinda lost my memory about all these during my college years when I didnât care about it muc h :) What's the most memorable experience you've had in the blogging world?< /strong> My almost back-to-back posts last February! I was having a lot of time alone, s o I tend to write three to five posts per day. Plus, it was near Valentine's Da y, so I was writing a lot on one of my favorite topics, love. Hahaha!!! If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 word s or less why they should visit your blog? I want to make it simple. If you know me, read my blog. If you donât know me, r ead my blog as well and youâll get to know me. * * * Thanks, Marge! And to all those whoâd like to be featured, just leave a comment and your URL so t hat we can check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Weâll feature a new Blog Addict every Friday, so keep visiting :) Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.

Blog Addict of the Week: Sajid Kamid

March 16, 2007 5:07 PM | 14 Comments | No TrackBacks
OUR Blog Addict of the Week is Sajid A. Kamid of Ctrl + Alt + Delete. sajid-kamid .jpg Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you and what ar e you currently doing? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hook ed? I am 31 years old, a native of Cotabato City, Mindanao. A Ph.D. student at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. I will be studying here until 2010. I started blogging in August 2006, the month when I had to take my departmental entrance exam. I wasn't sure about my purpose in blogging at first. It was merely a diversion from my anticipated heavy academic endeavor. But then later on, I realized that maybe I should finally engage with the Web community more openly and with a se nse of purpose this time. I thought that maybe through blogging I could enhance my writing skills and more importantly, interact with the Web community and th ereby gain more friends and exchange ideas and opinions. Although in the electronic world, my blog readers (well, not that much for now) are after all, real people behind their computers. And that makes very special sense to me as a person. Every time I post an entry and then get comments, the y bring smiles to my face and delight to my days. Also, my knowledge and ideas get polished. Blogging also encourages me to be more sensitive and heedful so t hat I can respond to the comments accordingly, given the time available. Who got me hooked? Sometime in April 2006, I was asked by some Filipino friends here in Japan to j oin a photo blog community, which I did but I did not stay there for long. Firs t, I did not have my digicam that time and so posting photos became a big burde n for me with my camera phone. Then sadly, I think the site shut down for reaso ns I did not bother to find out. But the last comments I heard was about server problems, speed and the persistence of spams. Slowly then, I tried my luck wit h WordPress. And yes, I mean a free account on WordPress.com. Itâs a good thing that I am getting impressed day by day by the enthusiasm of the WordPress team . What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? A blog is obviously more dynamic than a regular website. With the intense inter actions through inter-blog comments, the flow of communication is always alive. Much more if the blog entries are very interesting. And with this, I think a b log is more aggressive in terms of sharing ideas and knowledge. Being a not-so-financially blessed person, I once tried putting up a website us ing those old free webspace providers but eventually, I got tired of it. The pa ges you can create and manage as a free account holder are very static and the use of interactive applications is very limited if not totally forbidden. The g uestbook was still popular at the time and I felt it was boring as time passed by. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? Yes, blogging is very addictive and yet, educational too. Moreover, it requires time but that depends on your time management skills. So far, I have not yet tried convincing other people to engage in blogging. But maybe one day I will consider it. How has blogging made a difference in your life? Blogging made me more cautious with regards to giving ideas and comments. As mu ch as possible, I don't want to appear like a mere website hopper hoping just t o attract visitors to my site. I got to be sensible with the topics and give co mments accordingly. This applies to real life -- you have to be within the cont ext of things. Also, blogging encouraged me to read more. Plus of course, I get to polish my writing skills. What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blog ging services? Right now, I am under the umbrella of WordPress.com. I haven't tried other blog services yet but so far, I am doing very well on WP. What's the most memorable experience you've had in the blogging world?< /strong> Several years ago, I had the unripe impression that blogging was just for those teens who discussed their teenage crushes and celebrity idols. But as I became familiar with it, I realized that itâs different now. Blogging has gone far be yond the teenage crazes and went onto more realistic dealings with life and its issues. You name it, the blogging world has it. So, I think the memorable expe rience I have is the beautiful realization on what's really going on in the blo gging sphere and its takes on life and community as a whole. And I should not f orget that I have acquired a bunch of friends through blogging. If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 word s or less why they should visit your blog? Well, I am a newbie in the blogosphere but I make sure that I do my best in wri ting my entries. As you can see, I will be spending about four years here in Ja pan and I have the utmost excitement to blog about my daily takes and experienc es in the Land of the Rising Sun, where a large proportion of it will be about my being a foreign student. Life here so far is getting interesting everyday an d I would be more than happy to share that to my additional future blog readers . And of course, there is always the fun and surprise side of things. This, my future new blog readers are about to learn from my entries, as they pay me a vi sit at http://skamid.wor dpress.com/ * * * Thanks, Sajid! And to all those whoâd like to be featured, just leave a comment and your URL so that we can check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Weâll feature a new Blog Addict every Friday, so keep visiting :) Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.

Blog Addict of the Week: ahnnabanana

March 9, 2007 8:28 AM | 9 Comments | No TrackBacks
MEET our Blog Addict of the Week, Anna a.k.a. ahnnabanana of the annafication on LiveJournal . Here's a pic -- Anna's the one in the middle. ahnnabanana .jpg Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you and what ar e you currently doing? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hook ed? I'm 19 years old, a freshman at the University of the Philippines. I'm taking up AB English, majoring in En glish Language. I started ahnnabanana almost three years ago because my friend Kris (thecuteo nekills.livejournal.com) encouraged me to because I kept visiting her LJ an d replying to her entries with long comments. When I opened my account, I used it only as a "stalking tool," to read my friends' friends-only entries. After I took a Creative Writing workshop in New York, I started updating more often. What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? My best friends and I had a website when we were in fifth grade. It was nothing high-tech; it just had pictures and profiles of ourselves. We even posted who our crushes were at the time. Just kid stuff. A blog is more real, more persona l. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? YES! I've been called an update whore. When I'm inspired to write, I update dai ly. Sometimes even twice or thrice a day. I don't outright persuade people to b log, but some of my friends say they opened accounts to read my protected entri es. Every now and then, they blog too. How has blogging made a difference in your life? It's had a big influence on my choice of course for college. Through my LJ, I r ealized how much I enjoyed writing. I love it enough to spend the next four yea rs (maybe even the rest of my life) immersed in words and language. And since I 've been writing for a while now, I must admit I write for an audience. When th ey comment that they like a certain entry, I build on it. Like this thing I cal l "Fun nies." Two years ago I posted a number of short conversations I had or over heard that made me laugh. I got so many positive comments, so I always kept tra ck of stupid/funny things I hear. Over time, I began to post pictures of funny signs or names I see on trips. I also uploaded silly music videos my friends an d I make. When interesting things happen to me, I blog about it. Anyone I know can possibly showing up on my LJ. It also helps me keep in touch with friends I don't see all the time. What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blog ging services? I use LiveJournal. I can't really compare it to other blogging services since i t's the only one I've had. I think it's user-friendly. With the new Rich Text f eature, it's so easy to upload pictures, videos, and link. No more dealing with complex HTML commands. I particularly like the LJ-cut, which enables me to hid e parts of my writing. What's the most memorable experience you've had in the blogging world?< /strong> I've had a lot of good and bad experiences. I once wrote an observation about a group of girls from one school. Apparently, they got offended and started pass ing the link of that entry over YM. Common friends talked to me about it, like why I wrote it, that I shouldn't judge [those girls]. Another time, I reacted a bout a negative statement a Brother in my high school released about my batch. I got over 60 comments. After I posted that entry, my batch saw him as the "Bro ther who does not like our batch but pretends to." People have to understand th at Anna the Blogger and Anna in Real Life are similar but not exactly the same. Sometimes you have to know Anna in Real Life to completely understand the thin gs Anna the Blogger writes, and why she writes them. I never post to purposely berate anyone; I just write for the moment, as honestly as I can. On the other hand, I've had complete strangers add me on LiveJournal. Complete strangers come up to me in my old school or in parties saying they read my LJ. I get nagged by friends when I don't update. Oh, I became a contributor for a l ocal magazine because one of its editors reads my LJ regularly! If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 word s or less why they should visit your blog? On the menu of ahnnabanana.livejournal.com are my eccentric family, crazy frien ds, funnies, pictures (lots and lots of pictures), tributes, videos, reviews, o pinions, current events, movies, music, and reflections. They may make you laug h, cry, or cry from laughing. * * * Thanks, Anna! And to all those whoâd like to be featured, just leave a comment and your URL so that we can check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. Weâll feature a new Blog Addict every Friday, so keep visiting Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.

Blog Addict of the Week: Johanna Balagtas

March 2, 2007 1:25 AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
SAY hello to our Blog Addict of the Week, Johanna Balagtas. johanna-balagtas-g oofy-side-of-life.jpg Could you tell us something about yourself? How old are you and what ar e you currently doing? When and why did you start blogging and who got you hook ed? Iâm 20 years old, currently a biology major trying to get throu gh physics, math and working part-time. Iâve always been interested in a lot of things and writing about them is one high for me. Iâve been blogging since March of 2005. I found out about it while I was surfing a friendâs Friendster profile, trying to distract myself from a bad break-up. And then it just flowed from there⦠I go t space on Tabulas so I c ould relieve myself of post-break-up stuff and then eventually it became a hobb y. What makes a blog better than a regular website? Did you try putting up your own site before you started blogging? I did try putting up my own site. Unfortunately, I wasnât able to finish it bec ause it was so time-consuming for me, not to mention that itâs pretty mentally exhausting figuring out codes for this and that. Obviously blogs are a lot easi er to set up so I just settled with blog accounts instead of websites. Would you say that blogging is very addictive? How many people have you convinced to also start blogging? In some sense, yes. Because you get to freely unload ide as, feelings, opinions, etc. that could otherwise eat you alive if you keep the m. You get to share your thoughts without really imposing them on anyone. And i tâs a satisfaction everytime you find people reading and leaving comments on yo ur entries. Itâs like somehow youâve contributed something to someone. At least you made them think about something for the day. How has blogging made a difference in your life? Iâve always wanted to be a writer. I just never had enough confidence to submit any of my articles to anyone. So when I started blogging and people started co mmenting on my entries, it just dawned on me that Iâm probably not a bad writer after all. Blogging helped me improve my writing style and helped me gain conf idence as well. Plus it keeps me and other bloggers out there entertained. What blogging software do you use? What makes it better than other blogging services? I use the one in my Multiply< /a> account now since itâs more user-friendly than other blogging software. And Multiply allows you to put in music, pictures, links and even events in one si te. Itâs like an all-in-one account. What's the most memorable experi ence you've had in the blogging world? Thereâs an entry in my previous blog that had the liveliest interaction among its readers. It felt so wonderful that they got really interested in what I had to say, and they were into it enough to share their own thoughts and start a mini forum about the topic. Itâs just g reat when youâre able to provoke other people into thinking and make them feel things. If you have to pimp your blog to readers, could you tell us in 100 words or less why they sh ould visit your blog? My site is not really dedicated to just one topic. You can find in there just a bout anything under the sun -- from books to sports to food to stars. Anything. Even topics some of my friends requested. The site is sort of a collection of lives. Itâs like a witness to the ups and downs and in-betweens of a number of characters that almost anyone can relate to. You just have to be human to enjoy it. * * * Thanks, Johanna! And to all those who'd like to be featured, just leave a comment and your UR L so that we can check out your blog. Or e-mail joeyalarilla@gmail.com. We'll feature a new Blog Addict every Friday, so keep visiting :) Who knows? The next Blog Addict of the Week could be you.
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