10 Things About My Blog and Me.....

Blogging away, even on a boat in Ha Long Bay.

There I was, laying in bed in my hostel dormbed, relishing the free wifi that every single guesthouse in Malaysia seems to have. It was midnight (9am PST) and I checked my blogger account and noticed that I had a new follower. This brought me to 23, so I was pretty excited. I went about my business and checked the gossip websites, the news and facebook, and checked my blogger account one more time before going to sleep. I now had 29 followers.

It took me months to pester my friends and family to actually sign up and follow me (go through steps?! Register?! No way, best friend!) - accruing my 22 followers was hard work. And now, magically, I had 29.

A notion began tickling my brain. "Maybe the tweet you sent to Blogger worked. Maybe you are Blog Of Note....." As I was clicking to check I saw it: a comment in my inbox.
"Congratulations on becoming Blog Of Note!"

I woke S up (he was bleary eyed and confused but happy nonetheless) and began watching my followers and comments amass. I was giddy! I still am!

You guys are some of the only people to recognize how awesome it really - the average person is like 'Blog of wha....? Is that on the internets?" Thank you so so much for all of your amazing comments and compliments - they mean a lot to me!

So, I guess I had better introduce myself a bit better to all of you new readers. My friends, family and longterm followers have gotten used to my idiosyncrasies, quirks and foibles - I have many.... Here are 10!

Ten Random Things About Me and My Blog

1) I am currently backpacking around Asia, and have been for 10 months. I have no set date to return home, though it looks like late Fall.... On this trip I have traveled to: Thailand (North and South) India, Nepal, Maldives, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Brunei and Malaysian Borneo. On the agenda? Indonesia, Philippines, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

2) Most of the older posts here were written just as personal essay stuff that I posted on facebook....I reposted them here (in the correct date order), but that is why they are:
a)REALLY LONG and
b)Have few or no photos
Also, I often mull stuff over and write about it months later....that is why, even though I am here in Borneo I might post about the Maldives or Nepal (which I visited 7 months ago.) I'm non-linear, ladies and gentlemen!

Creepy third pupil close-up shot.

3) I have a third pupil in my left eye. My opthamologist claims it is a cyst, but I prefer the other explanation.

4) I know the capital of every country on the planet. This is the result of many long bus rides (the longest was 26 hours) and a pocket sized atlas that I bought in India. It may also be because I was a travel agent for two years - a really good one (modesty be damned...)

5) You will read my references to my partner (S) and see photos of him, the handsome devil. I always write him as a "Dave Foley in News Radio" straight man to my "dizzy Lucy you so crazy" comedienne, but in reality he is much funnier than I am. In fact, he should write his own blog, or take this one over occasionally. We have been together for 3 years and it was either buy a house or come on this trip. Voila!

My Mum and I at the Taj Mahal. I promise it's there, behind all that mist.

6)I inherited my love of travel from my Mum (sappy family moment alert!!!!) who has defied teenage mum odds (she was 17) to have a great career and backpack the world. She and I have traveled Czech Republic, Netherlands, Mexico, India and the Maldives together - and it is her fascination with art and culture and willingness to try new things while on the road that taught me to "just try it once."
Her sentiment "there are worse places to die" echoing in my ears encourages me to try a whole host of adventurous things (jumping off of waterfalls, motorbiking in Vietnam, crossing the street in India...) that I may have passed on otherwise.

7) If you ask me questions I will try to respond asap - usually below the list of comments so you will have to check back to see (sorry!) I will answer travel questions, post-related questions and even silly irrelevant questions (I like some of these :D) but it may take me a long time as I am traveling and I don't think that Indonesia will have much wifi. Prove me wrong, world's-largest-archipelago, Prove me wrong!

8) Yes, I went to University and took English courses (and did very well, thank you). Yes, I am aware that my punctuation and syntax is..... unorthodox. I am an unrelenting fan of the dash, the bracket and the dot dot dot - even the asterix. Sometimes it even annoys me, so I can imagine how you might feel..... I have tried to break the habit repeatedly - and failed. (I am also never sure if the period should go inside or outside of the bracket, so you'll see that bounce around too.) ?

9) I am entered in this thing (*looks at the ground sheepishly with big sad eyes*) to blog my way to Antarctica. It is not going so well (the leader has like 2000 votes. I have 117)ood but my brain won't concede defeat. So, maybe you could vote? Thanks!

At a table, about to eat food, surrounded by a cat and a dog. happiness.

10) I am a foodie. I love food. I fantasize about food. I dream about food. I am also a vegetarian (who eats fish - so really a pescetarian, but when I use that word people are like "Pesce-what?")
I also love animals - trying to help them out is a passion in my life, so the two things are kind of related. I will be starting a cheese blog when I get home (because here in Asia? Not so much with the cheese unless it comes in a plastic wrapping) with one of my besties....until then I will be sure to take lots of food close-ups and tell you what I am eating.

Thank you again for reading, subscribing and commenting. I will try to read as many of your blogs as I can! I am heading off for a three day trek in Borneo's Kinabantagan Jungle - I will be back then with photos of orang utans and proboscis monkeys!

xoxox
Violet Dear