Home from the Asian European Town, Home from Blogfest.Asia 2010

George Town was named after King George III by Captain Francis Light,who founded Penang as a British colony in 1786 (So many years before Sir Stamford Raffles came to Singapore in 1819!!!). Thus the Ang Mor name. You can always google to find the history. It went a long way...

Thing I wanted to mention is: Silver is home!!!!!!!YAY!!!! *hops around* Penang was slow, laid back, and full of flavour from the good old days, but it was too hot for me. You see, I didn't hire any form of transport like a bike or a taxi or a car or something. So it was on foot all. the. way. Not fun. Especially when you've to walk under the scorching sun and there were hardly any trees on the pavements.

Don't get me wrong, Penang is nice, but I think Singapore has spoilt me. The many trees and air-conditioning that I've often taken for granted. Oh man~ You have no idea how I was wishing for more trees along pavements so I could take shelter from the sun.

And crossing the road....ARGH!!!!! HARDLY any pedestrian crossings around, so any time I had to cross the road, it's a cross-at-my-own-risk-but-I-still-have-to-cross-so-I-gotta-stand-there-for-5-minutes-until-I-get-a-chance experience. Standing under the sun waiting for a chance to dash across the road is not fun. Here at Singapore we're a damn lucky bunch. Overhead bridges aplenty. No bridge? Bound to be a traffic light crossing nearby. Don't have? How about a zebra-crossing? No? Then there MUST be an underground pass. If this is not pedestrian-friendly I don't know what is.

Blogfest.Asia 2010 (I'll call it BAP from now on) was indeed an interesting experience, giving me the chance to meet the Burmese and Cambodians, whom I would otherwise hardly have a chance to meet. I wouldn't know that it costs US$2000 to set up internet conenction at home in Myanmar, and that there are at least 30 internet service providers in Cambodia (I had NO idea Cambodia was SOOOOO tech savvy!!!!)



And there were bloggers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia (duh), and even the States. It was refreshing to be able to glimpse at the blogging culture overseas. Singapore bloggers, please know that we are a really fortunate bunch. Internet access is cheap, we have so many blog communities like Omy and Nuffnang to make the blogging scene vibrant and to bring bloggers together, heck, some of us even make money from blogging, which is unheard of, though very high desirable (who doesn't want to make money?) in some countries. Blogshops do quite well here, I must say. Are Singaporeans more entrepreneurial? Maybe, but you have to admit the fact that almost EVERY household has internet access has helped us bloggers and blogshop-owners a lot. =) I'm thankful.

There were more bloggers than this at BAP. =)


 都说我自拍技术不错了咯~ 还把Alvin和SK 弄得好像照片的配角... Lol~
Alvin and SK from Omy - I really have to thank the both of them for making my trip so much more enjoyable. We were the only Singaporean representatives. Eh Sg bloggers, where are ALL of you fun people???? I missed you guys lor! (I also never got the subsidy okay...a bit bleeding la...but experience ma~)




That's me sharing on my experience of blogging and how it has helped my career and how my career has helped my blog as well. I DO contribute okay, not just sit there and nod head.


At the 2nd night's dinner, before the Bloggerconn Blog Awards, on the field before Wawasan Open Uni.
Aw gee my fat arms....argh~~~
Oh Bloggerconn Blog Awards is somewhat like our Singapore Blog Awards. -duh!!!- LOL!!!
That's Khan Khai in the middle, one of the members of the Organizing Committee of Blogfest.Asia 2010. I have to mention this - all those involved in the organzing and running of this year's Blogfest.Asia are ALL volunteers. People who have a passion for blogging, who hopes to see the culture grow. I think it's really commendable. Mind you, these Malaysian bloggers come from all over Malaysia, NOT just Penang. We complain when any committee's members stay too far away...(er...like Woodlands and East Coast???) But they gotta do inter-state lor~


This is Forrest. Like Forrest Gump. THAT Forrest. Because I was the only independent non-subsidized blogger from Singapore, I had absolutely no idea that the organizers put the rest of the subsidized bloggers at Hotel Malaysia. I thus booked my room at Hotel Royal, which means I'm alone (with Siew Kian who came one day after me. She booked her room alone too). Forrest was also a volunteer who helped send and ferry me around from the hotel to Wawasan Open University where Blogfest.Asia was held. 
麻烦你了Forrest!


This is Wawasan Open University.


 Alvin's blog is chockful of info, you can go read about Penang on his blog.
 (Having good friends like me helps drive traffic to one's blog too, for those who attended Alvin's talk on "How to Get Your Blog Noticed". *wink* OH! And notice we watermark our pictures with our blog URL? So people who use our pictures help give us publicity. LOL!!! Smart right???)

I'm sorry Alvin. I have no idea how to photoshop the zits off... =(


I got onto several Malaysian papers for BAP!!!



Here are the rest of the links to the various papers: 
(Apologies for all those who can't read cos it's all in Chinese, but it mainly comprises of me saying Penang is a more laid-back and relaxed place as compared to Singapore, with a slower pace.)

And I got my 'boyfriend' following me around, which kept me very much entertained in between serious disucssions. =D








 

 Aww... I guess I managed to charm him on that jetty that very fateful first day....

俊男美女,不错吧~ 两个斗大眼睛一族,还都是聪明人~绝配???
只是就算要来个姐弟恋我都得等上15年啊~~~

嗐,就只好不在乎天长地久,只在乎曾经拥有吗?

Er hem~ 我想我是困了~ *sits up straight*


This was definitely an interesting exchange, and guess what??? Blogfest.Asia 2011 may just be in Singapore!!! We don't know yet, but let's keep our fingers and legs crossed for that, shall we? It will be fun to show people our beautiful, small-yet-we-did-it country~ =D

所谓"狮城美女",
洪子惠

(几不要脸一下~~~~)

Comments

  1. ha ha..glad tat you like Penang..most of my Japanese friends said that Penang is very slow and laid back..maybe they have been facing a fast paced life everyday..on the other hand..i'm want the other way round..Penang is too slow for me..tee hee...but there are some advantages, I can cross the road (even without any pedestrian crossing)...hehehe..(no offense..you are the 2nd Singaporean I've known to have expressed difficulty in crossing that kind of road):P cheers
    Hong

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