As you might have noticed I've been messing my blog up a bit. Playing with the layout of my blog is one of those things that starts small and eats hours away without me realising. The slow internet connection doesn't help either because I wait for a few minutes for every little change...and then decide I preferred it the old way. This got me thinking about another entry for:
THINGS I WANT TO DO WHEN I'M HOME. PLEASE HELP
No.2. Overhaul my blog.
I can't let myself start this now because I will make a mess of it and neglect some fast approaching deadlines in the process.
I have to keep it simple (I already spend a bit too much time writing posts so I don't want to spend too much time maintaining the layout), so if you have an inkling of inspiration for a simple blog design, or can help me make a design I choose a functioning reality (ahem...Benjamin) I would be eternally grateful for suggestions.
I don't really need a fancy looking blog because I suspect my readership of 20 will tune in anyway but it would bring such joy to this simple heart if I had a pretty blog.
All this blog talk has got me thinking about what keeping this blog for a year has meant for me. I started the blog as an alternative to sending group emails about what I'm up to, and as a way to keep thinking about what I was seeing and doing. I'm terrible at keeping a journal even though I see great value in it so this is a bit of an alternative. There are obviously things I can't/won't share on this blog for reasons of being work-sensitive/personal/boring, so it's far from a complete replacement for a journal but it does seem to working as a recorder of my experiences even if there are giant gaps.
But I think the most surprising outcome of keeping this blog is that it helps me to feel connected to my life outside of Banda Aceh. I didn't necessarily expect that because the communication is mostly one way (apart from comments received). And I write to a mixed audience so I don't particularly tailor my content to one group. But I suppose that as I write a post I think of the people who might be reading, where they're sitting when they read it, who will like a particular youtube clip, etc...and I feel connected.
By the way, ramping up the frequency of my posts has made all the difference. Seems like my "9 Things to do Before 2009" list, including the posting target I set for myself, is actually doing some good then.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
On blogging
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3 comments:
just to help you feel more connected...right now I'm sitting on the couch in the flat at the medical centre at Hotham. The window behind me is a third filled with snow, and it's a beautiful blue sky day out there. I'm savouring having internet connection, as today I'm going to stay at Alex's lodge for a week, so I'll be very much isolated from the world. Think of me getting excited when I'm back in the civilised world again and can catch up on your next posts!
"it would bring such joy to this simple heart if I had a pretty blog", beautifully said! (I almost wrote "dais" - 'almost', I did, I deleted it and wrote "said" instead.. oh does the rap ever end? Beautifully dais.
Okay, back on task - help me off the dais, the medals of gold just won't stop comin'! Help, it's the Phelps! "Boy's got a case of the Phelps right there. ..Phelp! Phelp!" - it is already a pretty blog, only I for one (out of 20 or more), liked the larger type better. The Where is Sarah? Classic Originals Series, for a limited time only, again! But the picture is pretty and should stay. Though Post Aceh, perhaps, the question mark would appear on the photo.
Good to see blogging has been good for the soul. Way better than chicken soup.
Oh, and you'd have more readers than 20. I'd say 24 at least!
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