Tune into Radio Carly: guest blogging

Showing posts with label guest blogging. Show all posts

21 May 2011

All the big questions from Rebecca Jade McGuire

This week I was asked all the big questions. Fellow blogger, Rebecca Jade McGuire, featured me at her place. I really like her blog - she's a bit like me in that she writes about frivolous and irrelevant things and somehow makes them relate (she said this about me too!), and her writing style and content suggests she talks a mile a minute.

Rebecca also wrote a really nice intro about me too. It made me all warm and fuzzy.

Here are the big questions. Ok, they are a bit silly. It was my week off from saving the world's big issues.

Who are you, really?
A late (but always punctual) 20something Melbourne woman, looking much younger than my years, and always looking for Mr Right.

I work full time, am a freelance writer, and a TV presenter on Channel 31's No Limits program.

My main thoughts are 'what will I wear next?'and 'what will I eat next?'. I like cooking and eating, shopping, fashion, writing, seeing live music and meeting celebrities. I once waited for Darren Hayes for six hours outside the TV studio. It was a Melbourne winter. Some girls rocked up after I'd been waiting five and three quarter hours, and I told them to queue up behind me to meet Darren, as I've been waiting a long time. They did. Marcia Hines was also there. She was really interested in talking to me, but I needed to cut our conversation short to go meet Darren Hayes (for the seventh time).

What do you write about?

Life. Bands, food, fashion, my oft-failed romances, meeting celebrities, and chronic illness/disability.

Why do you write?
Because I love it. I love articulating my thoughts. I love the community writing creates. And I love continuously improving my observation, research and writing skills.
I enjoy interviewing people and creating an article. There's always a story to be told.

What are your feelings on the always relevant topic of Jennifer Aniston?

If she stopped making awful movies, maybe her love life would be more successful. Hold on, does that mean I am also making awful movies??? She's dated Brad Pitt and John Mayer. I don't find either of them attractive.

What do you do that you know is bad for you, but you can't help?

Scratch. I can't help it but I am always itchy. Sometimes my scalp gets so itchy I scratch my head on corners of furniture. Is that too much information? Deal with it.

What is a topic that you have absolutely no interest in, thus when people talk about it, you employ hardcore listening skills such as nodding intermittently and maintaining eye contact, whilst wondering what's on TV tonight?

When people talk about their love for singers that I hate. Like their passion for Chris Brown, Katy Perry, Usher and Nickleback. Often they tell me how talented these singers are. I immediately feel like whipping out my iPod and giving them an earful of talent. Dare me to?

Pearl Bay (SeaChange) or Wandin Valley (A Country Practice)?

Wandin Valley. I have a soft spot for Matt Day. He's cute.

When have the Karma Police caught up with you?
For those times my jaw has dropped when seeing people wearing clothes that should not be worn, I once had my skirt tucked into my undies while I waited for a train. A lady alerted me. She told me she doesn't think anyone saw. Of course they saw. She did.

What is your arguing style? (Eg. tantrum-thrower, avoid conflict altogether, screamer, snark?)

I think I am a sulker and a princess.

What are you frightened of that is stupid?

Milk touching me. I hate it. I hate seeing spilled milk too.

What's the nicest bit about your personality?

I am always forgiving those I shouldn't. That's the nice/doormat bit of my personality.

Do you think Oprah is full of herself?If I was that successful - and one day I will be - I would be parading my confidence and success too. I think she should take me under her bingo wings, and together we can rule the world with our TV presenting skills, big appetites, curly hair and African heritage (the four things I know we have in common). I like her. She helps the needy and she's vibrant.

Do you ever wonder what happened to Nudge from Hey Dad? If so, what's your hypothesis? (Do not Google.)

No. Never. But I wonder if Betty was based on an actual person, and just how many computer screens she ruined by using Whiteout.

The end :)

You should read the rest of Rebecca's blog. She's way cool. She's Aussie. And she has thought about celebs she'd like too be friends with. I like a girl who dreams big.

19 January 2011

Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute: Just the Messenger

This is a guest blog from my lovely friend Pauline Vetuna, who writes at Just the Messenger.

I met Pauline through writing for DiVine. Here are her articles. She also writes for the ABC's Ramp Up. She is a brilliant writer, I am proud to call her my colleague in writing. And in a short time, has become a brilliant friend to me.

Here is her guest blog:

Thank you, sweet irony.

Pauline Vetuna

My disability is so ironic.

In some parts of my body that I can move, the sensation is dulled. Some areas where I have sensation, don’t move so well. When I was walking, and seemingly ‘able-bodied’, I was miserable, frustrated, with mild damage to my spinal cord in the “incomplete quadriplegic” category. Now in a wheelchair, after suffering a second spinal cord injury in the “incomplete paraplegic” category, I am, oddly enough, the happiest I have ever been since aged six (now that was a stellar year).

This ironic state of affairs has augmented for me one of the biggest lessons of my life thus far: that happiness, and freedom, starts in your head. It’s all about your state of mind.

Back in my walking days I suffered from serious depression. Not clinical, but serious. It was initially triggered by medication, but sustained through repeated trauma. My mind went to some very, very dark places. I’ve heard it said about people who attempt to take their own lives, that “if they only knew how much they were loved, they wouldn’t have done that”. But my experience of depression has taught me that it cuts you off from EVERYTHING. Although, on some level, I knew there were people around me who cared a great deal about me, I couldn’t feel any of it. What I felt instead was a constant homesickness, combined with an impenetrable grief and complete mental isolation. Every day felt like a funeral. My thought processes cut me off and alienated me from LOVE. And that is, to me, the very definition of hell.

And I hated my body. HATED it. I recall once having an argument with an ex-boyfriend, about a compliment he gave about me being tall and lean that I, wrapped up in self-loathing, took to be facetious. I resented my illness profoundly, and found the amount of energy it took to keep up with my able-bodied friends, who were clueless about my physical needs, was both physically and emotionally taxing. Rather than call attention to my vulnerability though, and risk being seen as sick or, worse, disabled (a word that absolutely terrified me), I pretended I was fine. Normal.

I was a closeted sick/disabled person.

But my goodness, things have changed. For four years now I have been comfortably and conspicuously sailing around in my cute, hot orange Quickie wheelchair, and my mental outlook and, indeed, the people in my universe, are completely different. I feel comfortable talking about my disability, communicate my needs unapologetically, and know that all the difficulties I’ve experienced have made me a more empathic human being. Everyday, despite physical pain or whatever else is going on, beneath it all lays a peaceful, uncomplicated sense of contentment.

So what brought about the change?

Somewhere between losing all hope and making peace with myself and my disability, something that had been my biggest fear since the age of 12 (the year I was diagnosed with the illness that has lead to this ironic predicament), I developed a superpower: the ability to be present, to let go, and to appreciate EVERYTHING. I discovered on my own what studies have shown to be true: that practicing seeing and giving thanks for the things in your life today, big and, especially, small, that make it better and give you joy, is conducive to good emotional health and a full, abundant experience of life.

So, in the spirit of good emotional health, abundant life and all that jazz, I’d like to take a moment here to give props to some people (and inanimate objects) that make my universe wonderful to live in:

Thank you to my mother, who cared for a disturbed teenager through the toughest years of her life, and still cooks meals for this 26-year-old princess because the kitchen isn’t modified to accommodate my disability.

Thank you to my father, who goes to work everyday but looks forward, longingly, to the day he doesn’t have to anymore. Thanks to you, I know what integrity at work looks like. Hope I can live up to that model some day.

Thank you to the vending machine that gave me $6 change for a $5 note two days ago. I was in a great mood after that!

Thank you to the man who picked off a flower from the bouquet he was carrying in an elevator at a train station on the weekend and gave it to me.

Thank you to all the friends, family and acquaintances who make me LAUGH, bring me JOY, and encourage me to keep pursuing my goals, my way, against overwhelming (but, I now know, not insurmountable) odds … even though the interim poverty is tough to live with.

Thank you to my body, that has survived illness, damage, intense surgeries, extreme pain, sleep deprivation, and all manner of abuse I have subjected it to over a decade. And still, it goes on. You champion. You shaky, chronically painful, bane-of-my-existence champion!

And thank you, Carly Findlay, for allowing me to write a guest blog for you. And for embodying in so many ways what it means to have a healthy, beautiful outlook on life.

Read more of Pauline's writing at Just the Messenger.

If you want to write a guest blog for Tune into Radio Carly, let me know!

15 December 2010

Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute: Sydney Shop Girl

Sydney Shop Girl is a blogger I knew I'd click with. She's smart, funny, stylish and a great writer.

We both love shopping. We both love food. We both like to take photos. She also uses Hipstamatic. And we both blog. So when we met, it went just like our virtual worlds went: we shopped, we ate, we took photos and we blogged about it! But unlike our virtual worlds, this time we did these things together! She is as nice in person as she is on her blog. And she can shop. We should form a duo in the shopping Olympics.

I have been reading her blog since she started it. It's a regular stop for me. And I love how she writes almost every day about the things I enjoy.

She influenced my fashion purchases. After I saw the wonder of her Fauxpard Jacklet from Target, I bought one myself. And I also bought the Cotton On grey heart knit top after she did. I would say Sydney Shop Girl has influenced my fashion purchases just as much as my favourite magalogues InStyle and Shop Til You Drop have this year (and they are her two fave magalogues too). I invented the phrase 'fauxpard jacklet' and it is now in her blogcabulary. We influence each other.

I love our friendship.

Guest blog by Sydney Shop Girl:

I’d like to thank Carly for the privilege of being a guest on her blog. Tune Into Radio Carly turns one this month and I hope it buys itself something special and has chocolate cake for breakfast all December. Actually, that sounds like great advice for all of us, birthday or not. December is such a frantic month but its also full of joy, love and families. Just remember to take some ‘me time’ and to breathe somewhere in its 31 days.

Sydney Shop Girl is the first blog I’ve ever had. I was never a diary or journal keeper so I’ve been pleasantly surprised that I’ve been able to keep going for as long as I have.

I started blogging basically because I was on facebook an awful lot writing status updates that ran into paragraphs. Friends ‘liked’ and ‘commented’ and this made me feel ‘connected’ and ‘related to’. However, it got to the point when I thought that perhaps there are things that I update about that don’t really belong on facebook. I think the hourly status updates were starting to wear my friends down too….

Why not take it to blogger instead?

That way any interested parties could just find my blog and read whichever parts of it took their fancy at a time convenient to them.

It was time to for my life to set forth for the blogosphere.

So, in January 2010, Sydney Shop Girl was born. Sydney because this is my adopted city. Shop because I do. Girl as reference to the childhood that started my love of reading, writing, imagining and laughter.

There were a few teething problems.

It took me a few weeks to find my writing style. At first I tried the tumblr format but I just couldn’t take to the short and sharp style of using different media. I got obsessed with trying to find a ‘focus’ for my blog, resolute that it had to ‘be about …. something’.

I would sit and think for hours about what I should write about, whether anyone would read it, whether I should write about my feelings, whether to ‘leave faces in photos’. The usual novice blogger issues.

Then it just happened.

An OMG moment. I would keep it simple. Write, take pictures, write about pictures I’d taken and take an active interest in the world around me.

For me, writing Sydney Shop Girl has been an amazingly rewarding experience.

There were the obvious (to me) benefits:

my blog is a pretty permanent record of my thoughts and photographs
it has helped improve my general knowledge (and spelling), the number of times I have had to google and wiki things….
it has been a wonderful creative outlet – I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing and also how interesting it is to learn how to use a DSLR camera
‘For the blog’ has been the reason for many an interesting adventure this past year
I like reading me live feed, how things I write about end up in other people’s google searches on the opposite side of the world
most importantly, the friends I have made.

What lies ahead?

I hope to keep writing as Sydney Shop Girl for as long as I can.

It is a great gift to be able to freely publish ones photos and words in a medium that is immediate and allows potentially any other individual to wonder over and have a gander.

Thank you for the opportunity, Carly and everyone else who kindly reads this.

(All photos from Sculpture by the Sea, 2010 at Bondi Beach.)

http://sydneyshopgirl.blogspot.com

14 December 2010

Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute: So Now What?

She writes her blog with such wit, intelligence, honesty and compassion that I can't help but love her blog. Even though I don't have children, I can relate to her so well.

Bern likes Savage Garden and is not afraid to blog about it - big tick! Bern tells funny and sometimes poo-filled stories about her kids. And heartfelt ones. She made me cry with the story of her mother's decline in health. And this blog entry about her father is one of the most moving pieces of writing I've ever read.

I've come to know her through Facebook and Twitter, and will be meeting her next March. She's beautiful inside and out. And I know she'd fight me for Callan Mulvey. Game on, Bern. But let everyone read your guest blog before we have the showdown!

Guest blog by Bern Morley:

WHY I BLOG

If you had asked me if I blog eighteen months ago, I would have thought you were enquiring as to my toileting habits. To be quite honest, you could have spoken Norwegian to me and made more sense, such was my ignorance.

Around that time though, I started using Twitter. I had tried Twitter before that, and it just hadn’t stuck. It was like I was sending little 140 character statements off into the ether and I guess I felt like a bit of dick. But this third time, more than likely because I was bored, I followed some local people and they answered me back. And then I got Retweeted for something witty I had said and BAM, I got it. Like Whitney to a crack pipe, twitter was my new addiction.

It wasn’t long before I noticed people tweeting about their blogs and I clicked their links to discover what in the hell they were talking about. I was and still am, an avid reader, so to think I may have missed out on all of this diverse information for so long kind of bummed me out. Imagine if these had been accessible to me when I couldn’t get my son to sleep all those years ago? Or when my 2 year old daughter at the time, started having night terrors? I especially wish I had been aware when our son was first diagnosed with Aspergers. Perhaps then I wouldn’t have felt so alone and ashamed of myself. Shared experiences count for so much more than any kind of information pamphlet a doctor can hand out.

I am a pretty bog standard working mother of three in the two thousand and tens. I am not crafty or incredibly talented in any one area. I have one child with Aspergers, one on the cusp of leaving her innocence and naivety behind, and one who is a natural disaster on legs. My husband, a plumber, just comes along for the ride in this theme park of a life and for the most part, does not complain.

I guess that doesn’t really explain why I blog.

To be completely l honest, I started blogging because I thought I had a book inside of me. Some years before, I had woken up one morning and seemingly out of nowhere, penned two chapters of a book. Then that was it. It was left to fester in the wasteland that is my overworked hard drive. So, probably more than likely trying to avoid an assignment one night, I signed myself up to blogger and then I posted those two chapters as my first blog post. And then I ran and hid in the toilet and held my breath.

Eventually I came back to face the music. And to my surprise and delight, not only were there comments but there were lovely comments. Encouraging. Almost instantly, I was addicted. Addicted to the positive (and sometimes negative) responses to something I, Bernadette Morley, wrote with my own hands and mind.

The funny thing is, I’ve gone back and read those two chapters and they are complete shit, but I do have them to thank for getting me started and keeping me there.

Thanks Carly. You are one of the other reasons I blog. Because you are inspirational, funny and quite possibly are one of the most unique individuals I have ever met without actually meeting. Oh, and you have the best freaking dress sense in the world. Thanks for having me. xxoo

http://bernmorley.blogspot.com/

13 December 2010

Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute: Kendi Everyday

She hails from Texas, and I found her through a recommendation on the Vogue Forums.

Kendi does fashion AND funny. She's clever. Really clever. One reason is because of her talent of and complexion that lends itself to wearing mustard well. Let's face it. Not many people can wear mustard well.

And I wish I could wear shorts as well as Kendi. And if I ever went to her house, she'd have to lock away this dress because I love it and pretty much want to marry it.

Kendi does a fashion remix thing where she takes 30 items from her wardrobe and mixes them with accessories over 30 days, creating a different outfit every day. This is my favourite remix from her previous 30 by 30.

Kendi's like a quirky and beautiful Zooey Deschanel character, but she happens to exist in real life.

Thanks for writing from across the seas, Kendi.

Guest blog by Kendi Lea:

How has blogging changed my life? The only answer to this question is indefinitely.

I started blogging at Kendi Everyday about a year ago. Had someone told me that it would evolve into what it is and I would become the person I am today, I'm not sure if I would have even started it. I know that sounds weird, but its true. Status quo usually wins, so anything out of the norm scares me away. This blog is anything but normal for my life. My life was supposed to go this way: graduate college, get married, get a good job, start a family, raise family, go on an alaskan cruise for 30th wedding anniversary, the end. But somehow my life made a detour when I started Kendi Everyday. I've "met" so many wonderful new friends that I talk to weekly. I've been able to find my personal style and in turn save money on clothing, since I'm not wasting my money on something I'll never wear. My husband has found a true passion in photography, even though we knew the talent was there all along. Most importantly, I found a voice to write to and an audience who wants to hear it. The words aren't always there, but the voice is. For that reason alone, my life has changed and every day I am so thankful for it.

Kendi Everyday was never supposed to happen. It was a hiccup in the life that someone else had planned for me. And it's been the best interruption so far.

Thank you Carly for letting me guest blog today! Happy Birthday to your blog and to you!

http://kendieveryday.blogspot.com/

11 December 2010

Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute: Rellacafa

Welcome to the Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute series on my blog. It's to celebrate my birthday and blogiversary week. Each day until and including 15 December I will feature a guest blogger who I admire. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I did collating it.

I first 'met' Hayley Cafarella from Rellacafa on Twitter in 2009. I was tweeting about how much I love Sgt Brendan Joshua on Rush. I searched for the #rush feed, and found a few other girls also tweeting over their love for Josh, or Lawson Blake. Soon it became a regular Thursday night event - watch Rush, and me, Hayley and a few other (excited) women tweeted our commentary about the episode of Rush, particularly what we might like to do should Brendan Joshua arrest or save us. Like this: 'Josh on Rush. Reliably keeping me satisfied.' and 'I am loving the BROmance between Josh and the Sunnyboys in this season of Rush.' and 'Wow! Next week Josh has his shirt off!'. Fun times.

There was more to Hayley than her Rush tweets alone. I discovered she had a blog before I started mine. I came to know Hayley through her blog. She blogs a lot about her journey with her disability - chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS). And she inspired me to write about my own illness.

Hayley is so articulate and creative in her writing. She explains her disability so clearly - including all of the emotions associated with it. Sometimes it is difficult to read or watch (she does videos too) - the reality of disability - the pain, the loneliness, the financial stress - is confronting. But it's so important that people like Hayley tell their story to raise awareness about the situations, and also form communities with others online. Hayley uses her blog as a form of therapy, and in each entry, no matter how bleak she feels, she always finds some positivity. I am always moved when I read her blog.

We finally met in person at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year, and then again at the Rush premiere in July. She came to my birthday party last week (and blogged about it).

Hayley and I have become great friends through blogging. We email, tweet and chat on the phone frequently. We understand what it's like to be physically limited by a chronic illness or disability. We are both creative. And still both love Josh. I also recommended her to the ABC Ramp Up editor, and she was also asked to contribute her brilliant writing to the website. Here is her first brilliant article!

Thank you for writing this guest blog, Hayley! You're a really special friend.

Guest blog by Hayley Cafarella:

The internet is a pretty wonderful place, once you get past the psychos and porn. A couple of years ago, I was completely unaware of the amazing world of blogging. Thanks to being struck by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in 2006, I ended up surfing waves all over the web in order to distract and entertain myself. I was amazed to discover the calibre of writing that appeared on blogs and found myself fascinated by writers adding a personal touch to many different topics.That’s when I decided to get in on the action and start writing for myself.

My disability is a pretty hard thing to understand, even for the doctors who specialise in it, especially for the patients who experience it and perhaps even more so for the families and friends who support them. My blog began as a way to try and communicate what I was going through; to spread awareness about CRPS and hope that some day my condition would be understood and accepted. Something that I never expected when I started writing was the way in which I started connecting with other people suffering from the same condition and the comfort and support their existence would provide me. When there are no cures, comfort sits atop slippery anxiety and simply sharing stories and rants with people who understand has meant that, often, I am able to get a better foothold in my mind and stay sane.

As I became more confident about interacting online, I began to meet more and more people through Twitter and Facebook who were dealing with disabilities different from mine. Quite often, I found that I have a lot in common with anyone suffering from a condition that limits their activity or causes pain, as my condition does both. Chronic pain or illness brings about a lot of psychological changes that one must deal with and I think the support that patients can offer one another in this area isn’t limited by the specifics of their condition. Sometimes, we just need to reach out and feel another hand take ours; a cyber hand can feel just as reassuring as a fleshy one.

Carly is one of the few online friends that I have made and had the pleasure of meeting in person. At first, I was incredibly hesitant about meeting up with people from the internet - they could be anybody, right? Well, yeah, but the times are changing and the separation between online and real life identities is getting smaller. I have found that most people whom I reach out to and form relationships with through social media turn out to be who I expect them to in the real world. Usually, what I have learnt about them online is just a small taste of their awesome and it’s nice to go out and basque in the whole deal. Meeting up with Carly has been great, I think almost every occasion she has introduced me to other new and fascinating people that are now a part of my world. That’s the run on effect of making new friends, you see, they often come with a whole bunch of other potential new friends to get to know! Some friendships might begin in the online realm, but the real world effects of taking time to meet up and broaden these relationships brings even more rewards.

The most wonderful thing about meeting up with people who have gotten to know me through my blog is that they are already aware of my CRPS and, to an extent, how it effects every aspect of my life. When I meet people randomly, this can be kind of hard to explain and also hard to avoid. “What do you do?” is right up there at the top of most small talk conversations! My answer usually leads to a little disbelief and then pity. When I meet people who already have a little background info on me, that dark shadow is lifted from our interaction and I am not left feeling misunderstood or disconnected. Once upon a time, not very long ago, I approached an internet social meeting with a bit of trepidation. Nowadays, I look forward to these outings and often find them less stressful than a social setting that will have me small talking with people that I don’t know at all.

As a species, we tend to focus on the negative aspects of things. This has great ramifications for surviving in the wild; remembering a plant that made us sick or a place where we tripped over and hurt ourselves is important in a biological sense. How many times have you asked someone about a holiday or an event and had them reply “It was a pretty good day, but, my food was cold/the bridesmaids looked awful/the bed was lumpy...”. When it comes to the internet, people often focus on the negatives and find themselves hurt by comments from strangers. Exposing parts of yourself in order to connect with other people can make you feel vulnerable and cause anxiety about how your words or actions will be perceived. I have had unpleasant experiences myself, however I choose to let those go and keep focusing on the positive interactions that I have and the supportive relationships that I have built with others. The warm fuzzies that they bring into my life far outweigh any small minded comments from people that I don’t know.

Having a disability can lead to a very lonely lifestyle. I could not be more grateful that the internet is here to allow me to share my journey and learn from the experiences of others. Blogging allows me to stay connected with old friends as well as connecting with new ones. To an outsider, bloggers might appear to be self indulgent, narcissistic or frustrated writers who are unable to get published. Those bloggers do exist, but they aren’t the whole community and it is worth going to the trouble of weeding through them to find the talented gems. I am so glad that I share parts of my life in this way. Blogging has already allowed me to find great new friends, like Carly, and I am looking forward to connecting with more amazing people over the years to come.

www.rellacafa.com

10 December 2010

Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute: Luscious Llama

Welcome to the Enough about me, let's talk about YOU for a minute series on my blog. It's to celebrate my birthday and blogiversary week. Each day until and including 15 December I will feature a guest blogger who I admire. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I did collating it.

If you haven't seen Lanelle Elizabeth's blog, Luscious Llama yet, you should visit it pronto. She shares snapshots of her life, in word and photo form. She is a very talented photographer. You will see that in her entry below.

I also like the way she dresses. And her lips are seriously enviable. Luscious in fact.

She has a cool boyfriend called Mr Maus. He made her this funny card.

Luscious Llama's a teacher in training. Her enthusiasm and passion for teaching, as well as her intellect makes me confident that future generations of students are going to be in safe hands. I liked her 'I love teaching' entry.

And she loves stationery (me too!). This blog entry about packing for teaching prac excited me no end.

Go give Luscious Llama some love. She deserves it!

Guest blog by Lanelle Elizabeth:

Carly as most of you readers know is a wonderfully interesting and exuberant person. She found me through my now defunct University Literacy course blog, on our mutual devotion on antiquities such as May Gibb’s Gumnut babies. Henceforth I recently reignited my interest in blogging – something I’ve done on and off since my high school years.

My name is Lanelle. I am fairly young, have nearly finished a double degree at University and I plan to become an art teacher. Currently I freelance as a fine art photojournalist. I’ve exhibited work in numerous regional and city galleries in NSW. Other than that I live a pretty standard life somewhere between Newcastle and Sydney.

Blogging, alongside the internet has been the growth chart against which I’ve lived my life. I’m twenty-two now and my family first obtained a computer in 1990. I suppose I never really considered diary making and so forth because I never had anything to write home about till I started commuting into Newcastle for high school everyday. For that I started with the Livejournal platform, which allowed me a glimpse into the lives of other persons in my year cohort at school which I would not normally get to know. I enjoyed reading about their thoughts and kept mine and I think this is how I became interested in writing, moreso than posting pictures and what not. Livejournal for me was the centre of my life from late 2003 onwards and I kept it till I was entered into a HSC blogging competition in 2006, my final year of school. It wasn’t an official competition by departmental standards or anything of the sort but a competition that sort of ran on an unofficial HSC advice forum website – kind of like vogueforums for high school kids who are more interested in pop culture and insulting one another’s intelligence, than style notes or the latest designer for Target collaboration.

To get selected, I had to compose a short piece on why I would be a suitable candidate. I don’t remember the particulars but I did include that I was Asian, a band photographer and lived in a very ‘white’ regional part of NSW, had a ridiculous amount of interests that I loved the arts, wasn’t bothered with mathematics and wasn’t in it for prizes or anything. I simply wanted to meet new people that were interesting an around about age from other places.

There were 9 of us to start off with, 4 schoolgirls and 5 schoolboys from the eastern seaboard areas. I was lucky enough to make the first culling round, where the 3 other girls were voted out. This I thought was unfortunate because I was basically the only girl amongst 5 boys. So I got a lot of the female votes I believe simply because I was the only school girl left. Some other bloggers made their entire Year 12 cohorts vote for them but I only told a few friends because I didn’t want to make a scene within my already bizarre high school (I attended a performing arts school).

I would write about things that happened in my day, subject content I found pointless, silly things my pet cat would do, my anxieties, my joys, mindless trivial things like what to put on your Year 12 jersey, food I liked to gorge myself on, troubles in my life, my less-than traditional Asian family, pictures of my HSC art project, and just life basically. For some reason my blogging style seem to appeal to a wide variety of people which have gained me some of the loveliest of friends post-HSC. Best of all it also gained me my current boyfriend, Mr Maus who’s good mate had entered in the competition and gotten his entire year to vote for him and write awful comments (of the trolling variety) on people’s blogs. Nevertheless Mr Maus could never find it in his heart to write something nasty about me and we ended up keeping in touch, meeting up and falling in love once the competition was all over. So that is my nice little story about why blogging has been a very important part of my young life so far.

I think my manner of writing is fairly predicable – I don’t have an original writing style, given that my creative abilities lie within photography but I do enjoy expressing myself. I also love reflection and in writing this particular post I can remember the kind of person I was back then – and how all these experiences have shaped the person I am now. I think that blogging, particularly as it is a typed form, offers a very interesting introspective methodology on which we can see ourselves live to this modern age. It seems to me, a new kind of historical footprint. It's one that requires us to carefully choose our words and opinions but one that finds us open to the possibilities of a global community.

And that folks, is the end, and here I leave you with some pictures from my life 09-10.

Me and Mr Maus on Skype