Blogging isn’t for everyone. Video blogging is even more “not” for everyone.
I began writing blogs in the late 1990’s. My first blog was a fan page for an indie musician based in Canada. I stopped maintaining the site and stopped doing the “blog thing” by 2000. Just a few years later, I was living and working in South Korea and I decided to jump back into my old hobby. It had become so much easier. I could simply write something in Blogger and hit “post.” In the 1990’s I would write all of my web page language in HTML using Notepad on my Windows machine as my main editing tool. I would upload all text and photos using a File Transfer Protocol app called Cute FTP. I thought it was a lot of fun at the time, but it was also a lot of work.
Jump ahead to 2006. I began to make video blogs on You Tube. I now had a blog and vlog presence on the Internet. It was a fun way to let off steam, complain about stuff that annoyed me in Korea, play around with technology and be a little creative.
Jump ahead to 2012 and I have three You Tube channels, two blogs and have tried my hand at podcasting. I would probably attempt to do more, but having a family and “non-online” life luckily keeps me from attempting to take on more.
I’ve been in Asia for almost ten years now. While I’ve been here I’ve made some amazing friends and then inevitably said goodbye to them. Once I became married and started a family I became even more cocooned I my little world far away from home. Sometimes I miss communication with other native English speakers and those who share a similar cultural understanding. Luckily, blogging and vlogging have given me an outlet. They have given me a way to reach out to like-minded folks around the world.
Through this amazing hobby I have been able to share my experiences in Korea, Japan and as a teacher with those around the world who are interested in those very things. Not only have I been able to meet amazing folks from all over the globe, but also I have been able to meet so many wonderful people in person right here in Japan.
Blogging has given me the chance to meet new people as well as share my thoughts, feelings and knowledge.
If you have the ability to read this blog then you have the ability to start your own. I highly recommend it. It’s been lifesaver for me!
And we thank you for it!!
ReplyDelete^_^
Well said. And thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I miss communication with other native English speakers and those who share a similar cultural understanding. Luckily, blogging and vlogging have given me an outlet. They have given me a way to reach out to like-minded folks around the world.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I made that observation just yesterday while explaining to someone why I thought there were so many vloggers in Japan as to actually constitue a "jvlog community."
I don't know of any other YT vlog communities centered around expats in other countries, and I've theorized it took hold in Japan because of a) the reason you mentioned, b) Japan has easy access to the devices and broadband connections to make it possible, and c) there is a large "Japanophile" community of people who are extremely interested in living there--often with I think somewhat romanticized visions of it.
I'm considering teaching English in China and contemplate how I would fare considering there is to "cvlog community" in China in which I could commiserate--probably due in part to the fact YouTube is banned in China. LOL (Ditto for Facebook.) I'm also considering a remote region (Inner or Outer Mongolia, not to be confused with Labia) as I'm interested in its transition from a second- to first-world country, but I also recognize that *thinking* about doing something like that and actually *doing* it are two very different things.
Anyhoo, interesting topic. I hope you find work teaching in Canada if that's still your goal, but things don't look to promising here in the Western world. I think things are going to deteriorate quite a bit more before they get better. Feel free to join me in Mongolia is you want. The salary ain't much (one offer was for $5 a month) but housing is provided (your own private yurt) and we get all the sheep fat and yak cheese you can eat. Bon appetit!