Annamanila; Ode2Old, not too simple, not too complicated ole me
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
A like predicament confronts me now that I have been asked what blogging is to me. I feel a similar sense of being stumped, a familiar sense of boundlessness. Unfortunately, unlike the first question, I haven't worked out a cute-smug answer to the second.
Let me see ...
Three months into blogging, I find it to be the freest, most generous, and most flexible form of self expression there is on line.
There is no limit to blog content, subject, language, tenor. I think it can only be bound by one's imagination.
The art of blogging can be as fine as Picasso's art or Shelley's poetry or as crass as a bedtime story or a slumbook of toilet humor. But by and large, it is somewhere in between. Mine is.
In the short spell I have been a blogger, I have published two short stories, a poem, and a daughter's award-winning piece. I have found myself sharing a piece of my mind, writing my heart out, reminiscing about my lost youth, paying tribute to someone I love or admire from one day to the next. Soon, I just might blog my bile out -- hoping to expectorate some overstaying toxins.
What I have not done (yet) is to blog a daily journal of events. Much less an hourly one which seems to be the fad among bloggers these days -- I think they call it twittering?
By and large, I prefer to blog about action that takes place within (my mind) rather than without (my external world of people and events).
What I love most about the blogworld is it has become an open marketplace of ideas through posts and counter-posts. Fortunately or unfortunately, Philippine bloggers are way too courteous to argue openly and fierily on issues, no matter how controversial. I haven't seen too much disagreements and the little I find rarely ignite into full-scale conflagrations or debates.
When I strayed into this cool, kewl blog-a-day world, I thought I'd do it peripherally, given my superwoman roles of mother, wife, worker -- not to mention less reputable roles of mediocre online scrabbler and badminton pulot girl..
I couldn't have known I would be hook-line-sinkered.
Nowadays, it's the first thing to do when I wake and the last thing I do before bed.
It has infused a get-up-and-go into my morning, given "rise and shine" a new meaning. Beats cafe cappuccino.
At work it has led me to the wonders of multi-tasking. I key in one paragraph of open-faced manual or book writing, then two paragraphs of stealthy blogging. Between the legitimate and the illegitimate, my days fly like a song.
Nighttime is quiet, guilt-free time to indulge it. I begin 10-ish and before I know it, its -- omg -- past 1:00 of the unwelcome new morning.
Blogging crunches time better than a Spielberg movie or a Steinbeck book. Doesn't it sometimes make you wonder why people hafta sleep?
It has (re)connected me with friends, old and new. An old office colleague -- who turned out to be in the local blogging "who's who" welcomed me with band music and ticker tape parade (Exag!) A high school friend popped up like a sweet meteor from the blue (No exag!).
I got to meet middling mom bloggers who like me felt out-of-place at first. Together, we agreed to try to crack the youth-dominated blogsphere as denizens every bit as entitled (I think we're getting there). Later, I was recruited into Philippine Moms Network where I got to meet more mothers -- hot babes and cool bloggers all.
A blogging berks -- 20-ish, 30-ish -- made me forget I had joints about to get unhinged. How musical their posts sound, with the ma'am, auntie, po and opo deleted. Those who insisted on paying respect were asked to use nanamanila instead. Some of them swear I write so coolly and so hiply they couldn't tell my demographics from theirs and admirably hid their shock when they met ole Mrs. Grundy in four dimensions.
I have all these problems with techie stuff, given that my personal "hard disk" have a built-in firewall against them. And you know what, I got to meet IT-savvy bloggers who'd listen to my "Help!" yelps and has designed headers, helped me link and put up blogrolls, taught me to cut and paste, and otherwise offered to spoon-feed and hand-hold by remote control.
Isn't this better than it gets?
Woohoo!
Translations for the non-Filipino reader:
- Po and opo are words of respect to one's elders.
- Berks is slang for barkada which means a closely-knit group of friends.
- Pulot girl - a female player who always have to pick up the ball/shuttlecock
- Exag - short for "exaggerated."
- Nana - a title for an elderly woman
Internet is a lonely place without Blogging; a fine art, also s science. Blogs are different to different people. In the first project, Quasi Fictional that still focuses on blogging basics, I asks prominent blog artists (through emails and this post) to share their views on what is blog to you? Here are the previous posts: Liz Strauss, Aliza Sherman Risdahl, Mihaela Lica, Sterling W. Camden, Peg Haustetter, Steli Efti, Vicky Stringer, EXSENO, Axinia, Daniel S, Turo Jantunen, Alina Popescu, Dine Racoma, Chris Garrett
Technorati Tag: Fine Art of Blogging
Labels: Fine Art of Blogging
posted by Shirazi @ 9:03 PM,
16 Comments:
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At 14:19,
sexy mom said...
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And that dear readers, is Annamanila. See how she romances the keyboard? I would like to say "romancing the pen", but now, it is already the age of computers. I don't know how many people still use the pen these days.
Annamanila's romancing the keyboard results to her witty masterpieces as Picasso's art, Beethoven's music and Shelly's poetry.
I love your posts, Annamanila! -
At 20:09,
Chateau said...
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Amen to all of the above by sexy mom. Another fan here, annamanila! :D
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At 20:17,
said...
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I have not seen a post written better than this for sometime now. You really write "so coolly and so hiply" (and substantial) that no one can guess your demographics. How ole are you you Mrs. Grundy. Donr say you are old. Because I am not going to believe any thing more than what I think. Nice to meet you.
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At 20:17,
said...
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I have not seen a post written better than this for sometime now. You really write "so coolly and so hiply" (and substantial) that no one can guess your demographics. How ole are you you Mrs. Grundy. Donr say you are old. Because I am not going to believe any thing more than what I think. Nice to meet you.
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At 03:34,
Vickie said...
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You are KWEL and Hip---you are one who grabs me, pulls me in and holds me till the end----Talent is what you have just as the sexy mom said---like Picasso, Beethoven, Shelly and more.
Thank you for allowing me a glimpse into your world. -
At 08:17,
Gypsy said...
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Haha!Nakak-relate ako!! The fact that I arrived at my destination from a late night flight at 230am and the first thing I could think of was check my blog shows how much I can relate. I know that while non-bloggers would probably say I need "help," bloggers would probably grin and nod in agreement! Hehe. Such is OUR world. You truly are COOL AND HIP!All your posts are excellently written--which really ups the standard for all of us!!
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At 19:33,
rhodora said...
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Amen to everything they say here, Anna! Remember, the first comment I posted here - was all about your writing style that I so love!
Psst.. Anna... Igagawan din daw ako ni Dimaks ng header. Nag-email siya sa akin, asking for the specs ... hehehe. Kaya lang, libre daw, e. Sorry, you have no commission! hahaha! -
At 16:24,
annamanila said...
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Sexy Mom!
I lack words to thank you for romanticizing my work and building me up. LOL You know we have an MAS going, don't you?
Pero, I am sure its blasphemous to talk about my work in same breath as Picasso, et al. oooh!! -
At 16:26,
annamanila said...
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Chateau!
Oh my ... are you really talking about me? are you sure.
Serious, I also admire chateau/i~mom's blogs. So, meron din tayong MAS going.
Thank you thank you. -
At 16:28,
annamanila said...
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Alam Sher!
Whoever you are ... blogger or not (I tried to click you but it didnt open to a site), assumed name or not -- that is such a delicious comment. So delicious I had to take it to my site.
Yup, I am as old as you imagine. :) -
At 16:29,
annamanila said...
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Vickie!
I went to your site .. and all that you said of me I bounce back to you a hundred fold. Will be back for more. -
At 16:34,
annamanila said...
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Gypsy!
I commented on your post. I didnt get it right, didi? Anyway its not material as far as our addiction to blogging goes.
Upping standards .. gasp ... sure you're talking about me? Incredible talaga. But thank you thank you ... all these just make me want to write better so I can really be what you say I am. Now we're getting serious ha. -
At 16:38,
annamanila said...
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Rhodra!
You will always occupy a special place in my blogging history (oh my, as if big deal) for being one of the first to comment on my post whose arm wasn't twisted. haha And for having encouraged me -- you and I together -- to try to break into the youth-dominated blosphere. And we're getting there, aren't we? Thanks for inspiring me. -
At 16:38,
annamanila said...
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And a big thank you to Diogenes for inviting me here!
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At 12:22,
MrsPartyGirl said...
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hi annamanila, i wonder how you could have called me - quote unquote - "splendid" when you.. you are so much more splendid-er!! :D
this is such a lovely and post. i definitely feel the connection and the addiction (although i usually stay up until an ungodly 3am. :D)
i'm looking forward to reading more of your, uh, romances with the keyboard. i'll drop by your site, soon. thanks! -
At 13:43,
annamanila said...
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Mrspartygirl!
You are young. You will still be splendider. While I have reached my splendidest -- LOL! This is fun. I am saying I have "plateaud" and there are lotsa opportunities for you to grow.
But well, as I told Dio -- many Pinay bloggers are splendid, indeed!
I really found your piece highly instructive aside from eminently readable. Am proud of you!
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What is a blog to you?
Internet is a lonely place without Blogging; a fine art, science, also economics. Blogs are different to different people. Fine Art of Blogging asks you to share your views on what is a blog to you?
Please contribute your thoughts on blogging in general. In particular, write how you blog? Why? How blogging matters in life and work? Success stories and inspirations. Answer these questions and more (add what you feel is important dimension for you) and email me.
Fine Art Claimer
My blogs are a resource for my writings. More often, I blog informally, sharing impressions, generating ideas to see how they invoke reactions, keeping track of others’ work in the fields of my interest, or simply ranting or pointing out things that come to my attention.
Also, I use blogging as a platform to prune ideas. This is where I meet others and share experiences. “I am neither geek, nor nerd, I am not a hacker, a phreaker, a programmer or any variety of technoid dweeb.”
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