(this is another picture from the Pudong area of Shanghai)... I don't feel I'm a blog person. I just don't feel this medium really suits me. I rarely read other people's blogs, although I have been reading some friends' blogs a bit more regularly, but that's probably because I'm no longer in Brisbane. I was just thinking about the format and type of audience a blog is devised for. It kinda feels like you're talking to no one... perhaps this is the part I find difficult. It's like you're an actor practising your lines in a big empty performance hall. Every now and then you see a cleaner in the back of the theatre walk in and out, but largely you're by yourself.I contribute to a few forums as some of you will know - mostly music related... Actually mostly Stereolab related to be exact. And I'm still emailing some friends quite regularly - almost every day, just like I used to do in Brisbane. But even all of these electronic forms of communication are subtlely different. At a forum and via email, I'm used to getting quick responses, so it become quite like chatting. But here, there's really this monologue effect and no audience to receive it... but then sometimes people come in and leave comments - which is nice, but it's like someone going to see a performance, seeing that it's already happened and leaving a note for the performer...
It's not like I don't have much to say, as I'm seeing new things or thinking about things in a different way quite regularly. Actually most of the time, I feel like there is too much going on, that I can't properly explain it, and can't be bothered... I think other blogers will know this feeling. So you only capture little snippets here and there. When I flick through my blog, I feel that there is not much here to give a sense about my life here in China and many, many things I haven't mentioned at all that I would like to talk about (such as my view of Chinese people's attitudes to their government, their view of the West, and what's true and what's perhaps not true about the West's view of China)... Of course, there is never a way that an experience can be completely shared, it must always just be someone's interpretation of what it is like...
Any thoughts anyone? I guess I'm mostly talking to Matt, Murray, Nick, Jonno etc - who may be able to share my blog frustrations. There's been many times, when I think I might just end this blog, but then I change my mind.
6 comments:
Hurrah! Encore! Encore! oh... he's gone... sigh
I agree. You don't have the same immediacy of communication on a blog, which can be frustrating. It really is no substitute for talking face to face, over the phone, or email. But you're in China and it's a way of keeping in touch.
I also feel likewise about wanting to communicate things, but being too busy or not having the words to describe it (as my recent email touched on).
But I like writing, and despite a dearth of replies, I keep sending them. I guess it's my way of keeping in touch - and I do appreciate your efforts. It's good to know what you're up to and how you're reacting to your experiences which are different to ours.
c'mon touch me... I am not afraid, what was that promise that you made?
All I can say is that you should keep your eye on the road and your hand upon the wheel.
Especially in a place like China where the road rules are only suggestions.
yeah i get that sometimes. but i have a mission to my blog which is to make the world see things my way. until everyone reads my blog and agrees with me, i won't stop.
I hope you keep it going wurly, I enjoy reading it. You have an interesting perspective from a far away place. I don't read many blogs either, and haven't gotten into writing one, even though I do love to ramble on. But a blog would feel more isolated to me than gabbing away on all sorts of topics on the gs.
so why blog? for us or yourself? Personal blogs can seem a bit wanky at times, like opening your diary up for the world. Maybe thats ok, you're giving your circle an insight into where you;re at, which bein gin china is usually quite interesting! you have to want to do it for yourself also tho - like would you count it worthwhile to record your experiences regardless of an audience? Ok, but I vote to stay.
Post a Comment