I WAS searching for blogger tags the other day when I stumbled upon this post from pensitivity101. It isn’t a tag, technically, but it does pose questions that I find worth pondering over.
So, what do you think makes a good post on your blog?
Hmm, that’s a tough question (char). My blog is a personal blog with no measurable clout, so I don’t really have the numbers to prove which posts are good or not. Maybe this question is better answered by bloggers with a bigger audience or with billable influence, so to speak. Otherwise I just write what I write and if the shitpiece is still up on this blog, then it’s good enough for me.
Do you have a favorite post?
Nothing specific, no, but I do like the ones that are deeply personal. Jolens isn’t my real name but it isn’t a persona either. I tweak the names and other details but everything else — the views, the mood, the overall attitude — is true to who I am as a person.
What do you prefer to write about?
I like writing about myself — and I say this with full sincerity, part shame. It’s not the egomania necessarily; I just think writing about oneself is way too convenient and way too easy. No writer worth their salt would ever recommend another writer to go the easy route.
But I do believe that the personal is political (and it surprises me how this isn’t a common sentiment). So everything in here, from the explicitly political hanash to the most mundane kuda, reflects my profile as a lower-middle class Filipino living in the opposite side of the world. #burgis
What do you like to read on other people’s blogs?
Good question! You see, kids, I genuinely enjoy blogging. And to me, blogging isn’t just about writing your own shit — it’s also about reading the shit other people have written. Tsismosa ako e, so I love listening in to other people’s chikas and being low-key invested in their (online) lives.
Many of my favorite blogs are those by people I personally know. I’ve long debated if I should share their pages or not, but allow me to just keep them to myself tonight. I’m afraid these people might track me back and I am not yet ready to unclose this Pandora’s box. Someday, someday, maybe?
I also enjoy reading pieces on stuff I love to consume (e.g. books, movies, and songs). There seems to be a dearth of Filipino culture magazines that aren’t powered by huge marketing machineries, which is why I love hanging around WordPress. Here I get to read posts from people whose insights do not necessarily pander to a mega-wide readership or, you know — to money.
And that’s another thing, too: insights. I love readings posts that make a statement and not just parrot what everyone else is saying. Of course not all opinions are valid (another sentiment that is surprisingly uncommon) but it’s always nice to read other people’s thoughts, even those that are unwittingly misinformed or completely tangential to my own.
What attracts you to follow a blogger?
Kapag pogi, charaught. I usually just follow back whoever follows me first, but I do seek bloggers who write about pop culture, specifically those who are also into Filipino movies, OPM, yaddida. They seem to be rare, hmm, but please tip me off if you have any recommendations.
The featured image is a still from Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express. It has nothing to do with this post but I like the shot so here it goes.
sure. wait. what? 