Bloggers' meet: the aftermath
Boy, I needed two days to recuperate from the bloggers' meet. Just kidding!
The meet ended at around 12:30pm, but I hung around in Suria KLCC (a shopping mall - we'd met in Dome café) till about 4, got home, and promptly collapsed into bed. No stamina. That's what growing old does to you... :D
Woke up at 7pm, showered, met a friend for dinner, then something came up, and we had to cancel the rest of our plans. It was funny coz that morning, I'd just said to Khalil that keeping a blog is a sign of having no social life, and I very nearly proved myself right - I was all set to blog when another friend called me out for supper!
And the next day, well, I felt anti-social, which extended to online socialising as well :) I slept till 12:30pm, catching up on some much-needed rest - ponteng-ing church in the process! [playing truant] This is all in the nature of a prologue to explain my protracted silence. (But you always knew I was long-winded, didn't you?!)
So, how was the meet? Not as scary as I feared it might be - I think I'm starting to find out that nothing ever is! Thanks to Sarini, who organised it, we had an official agenda. Took turns introducing ourselves and our blogs, then Aizuddin gave a short explanation of Project Petaling Street (he's the project administrator).
All this simply meant that by the time we reached the "free chit-chat" time on the agenda, the ice had been broken and we didn't stare at each other blankly, wondering what on earth to say. Thankfully!
But ohh... the number of digital cameras! Do you know how it feels like to suddenly have seven (I'm guessing - I didn't count) cameras pointed at you when you're trying to introduce yourself? It's enough to give anybody stage fright!
I found it quite surreal to start saying something and have the other person reply, "Yup, I read that on your blog." Like, I've told her about my life without knowing that I'd told her about my life, y'know? Total strangers know stuff about me before I've even met them. How freaky is THAT??!?!
It's never happened to me before simply because hardly any of my friends read my blog regularly (unless they're doing it in secret. 'Fess up, now!). For a few, it's coz they don't have daily Internet access, or aren't in the habit of logging on to the Net every day. But most of them just don't see the point in coming here all the time, I guess. I know some have just dropped by to see what it's all about and then never come back.
So I rarely get that, "Yup, I read that on your blog" thing.
Talking about blogging and what it means and whether or not bloggers can be called the new breed of journalists gave me a secret thrill. I don't talk about blogging with anybody in "real life", except maybe Janelle, who's one of my closest friends and who knows that it's a big thing with me. Nobody I know understands why I enjoy blogging (which probably explains why they don't understand that they should drop by regularly to keep up with the blog!!).
It was cool meeting the other bloggers - I could tell at once who were the bold, outgoing ones (Racheal wins top points in this category, I think ;)) - and who were the quieter ones (Kaz comes to mind!). I think I mostly did a lot of smiling... something I always do. "When in doubt, smile" could be my motto - it also makes people wonder what I'm up to, which is a bonus. heheheh
I didn't go with any pre-conceived ideas of what the others would be like, mainly coz I hadn't been reading their blogs for very long prior to the meet. Of course, I'd seen pictures of Aizuddin, Sarini, HANI, Sajen, Meesh, Racheal, and Jenn before - they've all posted pictures on their blogs at one time or another, or use their pictures in their templates - but meeting them in person was very different. Pictures offer a two-dimensional view, quite literally a snapshot in time; they don't convey the essence of a person.
Far more satisfying to be able to observe them in person, especially those bloggers I've been reading regularly - to watch their facial expressions, hand gestures, hear the modulations in their voices as they spoke. Made me realise that it's true, each person is unique and endlessly fascinating!
And I'm still wondering what Aizuddin's "Oh, you're Sunflower!" really meant... *wicked grin*
Update: For other accounts of the meet, see the KotaRaya wiki.
Update2: I'm vain (or is that insecure?) enough to wonder what the others thought of me, so here's what I found:
- She reminds me of someone I know, but I don't quite know who! She's yet another person I wish I could have spent more time getting to know - I kinda felt comfortable talking to her, albeit briefly! - Prema
(Wow, thanks, Prema! A few bloggers looked familiar to me too... isn't that strange in a heart-warming kind of way?)
- Finally I meet one of the people who inspire me to write better..and also think. Kudos to Sunflower for her always reflective posts. - Ash
(Good thing you didn't say that at the meet, Ash - I might have blushed as red as Aizuddin did at Sajen's compliment!)
- I truly wanted a proper conversation with Sunflower... - HANI
(Yup, t'was a pity... maybe next time, HANI? :))
- Innocent Sunflower... - Sarini
(Me, innocent?!? LOL)