11 Years of Blogging

18 January 2021

I am celebrating my 11th year in blogosphere.

Who knew I would be blogging this long? Many of my contemporary bloggers that I used to follow along when I started, have stopped posting or have abandoned their blogs. Maybe they found something better to do. Maybe I am just too stubborn. Too stubborn to quit.

Despite the difficult year that passed, this site has seen tremendous traffic last year, the most visits so far in the history of this blog. I have recorded more than 150,000 visits last year, and I am both honored and humbled to you, my readers, for your continued interest.

But maybe because of the community-wide quarantine, that people have more free time to roam the blogosphere, and thus the increased readership. Nevertheless, that still counts. It is not surprising that the most popular article I wrote last year was “Hugot Lines sa Quarantine.”

Speaking of 11 years, 11th year anniversary is usually represented by the metal steel. I guess steel represents strength and durability. So this blog now has the trait of steel.

More on 11 years, do you know that building the One World Trade Center in NYC to replace the ill-fated twin towers took 11 years to complete? Yes, it took that long. Also, do you know that a solar cycle is approximately 11 years? What is a solar cycle you would ask? Every 11 years or so, the sun’s magnetic field completely flips. This means the sun’s north and south poles switch places, and in another 11 years the poles flip back again. How does this affect the Earth? I have no idea. Maybe it flips the brain of the bloggers.

And lastly, do you know that the last time we have the same date and days as our current 2021 calendar was in 2010? That means, I wrote my first entry on this blog on a Monday just like today, January 18th, exactly 11 years ago.

I am hoping to keep on writing and I will try to stay relevant for more years to come. Thank you once again for your continued visits.

Portal Opened

23 February 2020

9 Comments

When I started blogging 10 years ago, I was happy if I would have 10 views per day on my site. As time goes on my readership increased, that in the past couple of years this blog has been averaging 200 to 250 views per day. Sometimes it would garner more than 300 views a day, which I think is a decent number of hits provided that I don’t link this blog to any other form of social media or platforms.

But last week something happened which I don’t have an explanation for. It is as if a portal was opened.

My daily views spiked, that few days ago it soared way beyond 1000 and yesterday it reached more than 3500 views in a day, without me posting a new entry. (At the time of writing it looks like today’s visits will even be higher.) Of course that is still nothing compared to other popular blog sites. Definitely not still in a category that you would call “viral.”

I really don’t have a reason for the increase viewership all of a sudden. Maybe some readers shared it. Maybe an avid reader keeps on visiting this site more than 3000 times a day. Or maybe this blog has bolted beyond Earth’s blogosphere and it is now being read by the Martians.

This increased hits sounds like “ka-ching.” Should I take a leap and open this site to advertisements since I am getting lots of traffic now and make a few cents out of this blogging? Maybe I could be an “influencer?”

On second thought, I guess not. I’m sticking to no ads, no commercials. Still doing this just for the fun of writing.

For my new readers, I am grateful for your interest and welcome to my site. And for my previous followers, thank you for your continued visit.

10 Years of Blogging: Making A Landmark

18 January 2020

9 Comments

Over the history of mankind, people have built structures that have become landmarks. They are a testament of the people who constructed them. Here’s a few that I have visited.

There are landmarks that are enduring and have lasted the passing of time.

There are landmarks that are flawed, but that only make them more endearing.

There are landmarks that symbolizes what a nation and its people stands for.

And then there are landmarks that are very popular and have become cultural icons.

I am not saying that I have created a monument of such significance as of the structures above, for that will be delusional. However I am proud to say that this blog is now 10 years old which I consider an achievement, for that is way more than the average life span of a blog site. My writing has flaws and is far from perfect, but I am still a work in progress.

This blog represents my personal ideas and nobody else. Moreover, I stayed true to my original purpose to keep this blog for the mere joy of writing – no ads, no commercials. If you should know, I still haven’t made a single cent from blogging.

I have posted more than 900 posts and this site has garnered more than half a million views. I know that is really not considered a very popular or a viral site that can have million of views a day. Yet I hope that like a landmark, I am leaving an impression in this blogging world in my own little way. I owe this though to you my dear readers.

And as long as I am enjoying this journey, I will keep on blogging. Thank you for your continued visit.

8 Years of Blogging

18 January 2018

14 Comments

Eight years ago this day, I launched myself into the wide and far-reaching space of the blogosphere. And Pinoy Transplant In Iowa has been in orbit since then.

Eight years in existence may be deemed a milestone, especially if you consider the fact that according to research (which I also read from a blog), the average lifespan of a blog is less than 100 days. Perhaps I’m just more stubborn. Too stubborn to quit.

Though in all honesty, I seriously thought of walking away last year. I even have a “swan song” article written already, though it remained unpublished. Again, too stubborn to quit.

I am thankful for all of you, my readers and followers. The silent majority of you are not bloggers. The past year has been the most successful year yet, with regards to readership, as I got more than 70,000 visits last year. But I know, that’s nothing compared to some popular blogs that can garner that same stats in just a few days. For me, it took me eight years to establish that level of audience. That’s fine, Rome wasn’t built in one day.

Speaking of Rome, do you know that the Colosseum in Rome took 8 years to build? It was completed in 80 AD. Given the available technology and equipments they have during that time and considering how colossal (sorry, pun intended) that structure was, which can hold 50,000 people, eight years was really not long, but was rather quick. So a period of time can be short or long if you look at it in different perspectives. Anyway, we know that the Colosseum is still standing today after almost 2000 years.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not having the delusion that this blog will have the same longevity as the Colosseum. But at least I can say that with the number of visits I have, I can fill the Colosseum in a year.

To all of you, again, I am grateful and humbled for your continued visits.

Sincerely yours,

Pinoytransplant

(*first photo was in Ilocos Norte 2012, the second was in Tel Aviv 2017)

No Swan Song

18 August 2017

6 Comments

There is an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song just before they die. Whether this is scientifically true or not does not matter, as “swan song” has become a metaphorical phrase or a poetic term that means giving a final gesture or performance before saying goodbye.

A few weeks ago, I thought of ending it. Not my life, silly. I meant this blog.

After 7 years and 7 months of blogging, and after writing more than 700 posts, I just thought it was time for me to sing my swan song.

It is not that I have declining readership. In fact, last month was the most successful month with regards to number of visits, ever since the inception of this blog. It’s not also that I am losing my fire to write nor I am running out of ideas. On the contrary, my desire to write burns intensely as ever, and my ideas of what to write overflows from my brain like a bad bout of diarrhea.

But it might be those same reasons that I considered ending this blog. Seeing that my readership and followers are constantly increasing, I have this almost compelling urge to check my blog stats to see if I could break my previous stat records. Maybe I can get another 100 or 1000 more visits a day? Or maybe I can get another 100 new followers or more? I also experience intense anticipation of how many “likes” could I have on my new post or the next one. The craving to get more, more, and more.

I have not earned a single cent from blogging anyway, and I made that conscious decision to be that way. No sponsors, no ads. So that’s not even the issue.

Don’t get the idea that I am one of those elite bloggers who have a gazillion readers and followers. I’m not even close to that category.

Desiring to have a busy blog traffic and getting people to “like” your articles can be good, but it can wear you down as well. Like a bad itch or addiction. Plus the persistent pressure to outperform myself and the constant pursuit to please. Writing should de-stress me, not stress me out.

And that’s the reason, I thought I should end this blog. At least I am ending it on my own terms.

However, as I was writing my swan song, I realized that I still enjoy writing. Never mind if hundreds of people are reading my articles or it’s just me. Never mind if several readers push the “like” button or none. I don’t need to write for the approval of others. Never mind if my last post was a week ago or a month ago. No pressure.

I came back to the realization of my basic reason why I started this blog. I blog because I want to and for the simple joy of writing. Nothing else.

I guess my swan song article will remain unpublished. Together with some other 18 or so unpublished posts that will remain in my draft bin.

Swan song anyway, is just a myth.

(*photo taken in Boston Common)

I’m Back

17 April 2016

5 years of blogging

18 January 2015

2 Comments

A few years ago, I started on a trip all by myself.

Then, a few of you followed.

Later on, several more joined in.

An adventure that has taken me to sail back to where I came from.

And to soar to places I thought I can only dreamed of.

After 5 years, and after more than 500 posts, and more than 130,000 visits, I am still enjoying this ride.

For all my readers, followers, and even for the chance passengers, thank you for joining me on this journey.

(*all photos taken with an iPhone)

Four years and counting

18 January 2014

1 Comment

Fours years of blogging,

With no plans of quitting,

May pause for a sigh,

But always aiming high.

(*photo taken at Badlands)

Spellbound

27 March 2013

4 Comments

My grade school teachers have taught me to mind my spelling. And over the years I would say that I became good at it, and I am particular that I don’t miss any misspelled words in my writings. My grammar may not be perfect (English is a second language to me), but my spelling is exemplary.

However, nowadays we have auto-correct and spell-check built-in in our computer programs, so it is not that hard to have a perfect spelling. Besides we are turned off reading an article if we see any misspelled words, and it is a poor reflection for the writer too.

But I have read a study from Cambridge University a few years ago that perfect spelling may not be that important to get our message across. In fact, according to the study, our brain can read jumbled words as long as the first and last letter are in the right place. Our brain interpret words not letter by letter, but by context. You don’t believe me?

I konw yuo’re cnotiniung to raed tihs aritcle and yuo’re now raednig jmubeld wrods. Preahps you cnanot beleive taht you are scnannig trhough tihs wtih esee, and undrestnading it wihtout mcuh prboelm too. It is qiute amzanig, rihgt? Our brian can prefcetly decihper the msesage from this pargaraph even if it is a mses.

How can tihs mkae sesne wehn the wrods deos not mkae any sesne? I am not cetrain thoguh if tihs carzy phenmoneon is unviesral to all lagnuages. Waht if the wrtiten lagnuage deos not sepll wrods wtih letetrs, but uses chraatcers, lkie in Chniese? Deos any bdoy konw?

I geuss spelilng may not be taht importnat afetr all. My taechres in elmenetray shcool will be upest wtih me, tleling you taht. But tihs is sceinitfcially porven. And myabe by now, I aslo mdae a beleievr out of you.

S1M1L4RLY Y0U C4N 4LS0 UND3RS7AND TH1S WI7H0UT EV3N TH1NK1NG 4B0UT 1T. SURP1S1NG H0W 0UR BR4IN W0RK5!

I am not syaing taht we sohuld not mnid our seplling anyomre wehn we wirte. I am jsut prvoing a fcat on how our brian fnuctoin. So nxet time, dno’t feel so bad if you hvae wrods speelld incroretcly, lkie it is the end of the wrold. We can stlil udnersatnd you.

Hvae a graet day!

(*I have to turn off the auto-correct function in my computer to write this article.)

A Reason to Write

12 February 2011

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