Sandier Pastures

Wow, I am starting to get addicted to memes. Got this from An Island Life. I want to know other blogger’s stories too. Just answer the following question and leave your link here.

Kailani, I can’t leave my link!! Another of those banned pages in the UAE uurrgghh…would be happy if you can leave the link for me. Thanks!

Here is my story:

1. How did you start blogging? One day in summer of 2004 when I was dead bored with work, I considered accepting the suggestion of my dear friend Ginee to start my own blog instead of being warped over her writings. 

2. Did you intend it to be a blog with a following? If so, how did you go about it? No, I did not think anyone would be interested to read my stuff, except Ginee. My old blog was mostly marital woes and rants and nothing really interesting. Now, I am surprised I have more than 6,000 visits in just 5 months!!

3. What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals? Hmm…too many questions!!

Want to accomplish: to present a clear, honest view of desert life, in the new center of the world that is Dubai. To inform people that this place is no ordinary place in the Middle East; to tell the world that there are other things to explore and do other than running from one airconditioned environment to the next!

Successful?: Well, even with all the negative things I wrote, I think I am not successful as the number of people entering DXB continues to rise…haha

Plan to achieve this goal? No plans, really. Just honest to goodness writing about my everyday here.

4. Has the focus on your blog changed since you started blogging? How? YES. Very big change. Started as a main family/marriage blog to family life in Dubai and work — now, I focus mainly on the positive side of life. Less rant if possible.

5.  What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started? I wish I found out earlier how cool wordpress is. Blogdrive just sucked. Blogger takes very long time to load.

6. Do you make money with your blog? No, but that’s the next on my list.

7. Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why? As far as I know, my father reads my blog and comments once in a while. 3 of my other 5 siblings do. Only the girl sib is actively commenting. My mother, no. My husband, no. My in-laws, NO…lest I wipe out all the English writings here and change it to Nihongo.

8. What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger? One, start right — with Wordpress if you want something free (too good to be free, really!). Two, write everyday when you can. I don’t know if it works for all but the more I skip writing, the more I dread to write again…not making any sense? It’s like skipping a piano practice…I’ve known lots of piano students who stopped pouncing the black and white keys because they don’t train themselves to practice everyday.