Category: 
January 18, 2008This is like starting all over again, from scratch,
zero, nada, rien, nichts, wala.
I have been away from blogging for more than a month
now and at this moment I feel like I am taking baby
steps towards reestablishing friendship that I have
found through my blog during the past year. Some of
them have left comments here asking what has happened
and when I would be back again.
Confession time.
Well, one thing for sure, I kept biking almost
everyday going to and from work. The only distinct
workday that I remember not biking was on New Year’s
eve. Yes, I had to go to work on that occasion, in
fact I welcomed it because being inside the office
building, I was shielded from the deafening noise of
firecrackers exploding. I figured it would be suicide
to use the bike specially on the way home since the
streets would be filled with acrid smoke from
literally hundreds of thousands of firecrackers that
people, in their frenzied but mindless way to usher in
the New Year, lighted and exploded. I used my
motorcycle instead.
I don’t believe in welcoming the New Year with a bang,
but rather in a quite and perhaps, prayerful mood,
hoping for a better year than the last. We have a
belief here in my country that whatever you do in the
beginning of the year, you would be doing the rest of
the year. That’s why we want to have a feast on the
dinner table, have our pockets full of money, and oh
yes, explode firecrackers in the hope of driving away
evil spirits. But for me, starting the year amidst
the chaos and noise of exploding firecrackers invites
disaster and more evil spirits as they rather thrive
in such an environment.
During those days that my blog was in hiatus, I still
continued to bike and join a couple of group rides,
one with two of my siblings through the mountains and
rivers of Montalban (Rodriguez) Rizal and one with the
Firefly Brigade in our annual gift giving ride through
Quezon City. I wanted to blog about this but then…I
will forever find biking envigorating, stress
relieving and the cheapest way to move around my city.
So what, you would be asking, is the real reason why I
was away and did not bother blogging?
Should I be honest now and admit the real reason? I
just posted a comment on Manilenya’s blog about one of
the reasons. In it I mentioned that I was questioning
myself about the direction this blog is going. Am I
writing because I love it as an expression of my other
love which is biking? Am I still blogging because I
find it as my way of becoming part of the solution
instead of the problem (the tagline of this blog)? I
am asking this because as I signed up and was approved
for being paid to blog, I suddenly found myself being
drawn to write about things that have nothing to do
with biking at all! Yes I was the one who sought to be
part of it but all I wanted was to earn something from
this blog while writing about things that interest and
move me. Yet when I perused the list of topics that I
should write about, I found myself wondering, what
have I gotten myself into. It’s like I would be
prostituting my blog if I accept those writing
assignments. Would you like me to write about hotel
reservations because, well if you want to join bike
tours you would need hotel accommodations too, right?
Not far fetched but then, that would not be in the
vein of what I want to write about.
The other reason that I stopped was tags/memes. Please
don’t get wrong or take it against me. I love that
other bloggers think of me in a positive way. There
was a time that I eagerly awaited receiving tags
specially from blogger friends whom I highly regard.
When I was starting this blog, I thought that
tags/memes would defeat my purpose of writing about
biking, since most of those I have read concerned
personal things not related to biking. And then I
started to receive one, then two, etc. and I got
caught in the excitement of receiving and passing them
on to others. Until I got down to thinking again: I
have ran out of people whom to pass tags that I
haven’t passed on to before. Where would this stop? I
have to reassess my position. Tags became a burden
instead of a tool to gain more friends. I began to
look at memes as a tyrannical force enslaving me to
write and what’s worse, I have to pass the same
torturous job to others.
Now that is off my chest. I hope I have not offended
anyone of those who might have received a tag or two
from me or those who have passed a tag or two to me.
Blogs are wonderful tools to reach out to others.
Bloggers are people enriched with experiences from
others who are willing to be open to ridicule and
criticisms but always on the mend, still willing to
carry the torch forward and beyond.
My StumbleUpon Page
welcome back Rino…
i’m really glad to see u again because it keep bugging my mind to what has happened to u..do whatever u like and love to do..when it becomes a burden then u have to stop…sometimes i also have to think about myself before i keep awarding my friends wth memes and tag..what i do is i take them proudly but never pass it to others..and i think i’m happy wth tht resolutions…
see u again Rino..:D
ei I am glad you are back rino.
I like getting those memes/tags but as you may have noticed, lalo na yung mga na re-received lately, that I rarely pass it onto others…basta I just leave it as an open invitation for anyone who would like to participate and do the memes/tags na lang.
Thanks as always sa visit mo.
TC
Oh Rino!
So glad you could be so transparent!
I’ve sorted through the same feelings on the memes/tags. They are wonderfully affirming and often fun, but indeed, can intrude upon what you see as your “purpose”. -And there’s the fear of unduly burdening others by passing them on.
And yes, if you cannot write about things you truly believe in, your passion to write about anything at all will fade…
I’m just so glad you’re sorting your way through and have come back. I think you have such valuable perspectives to share with us all!
hey, i am so glad you’re back! I had been coming by over and over and you weren’t home! At ikaw ay nandito na nga uli, so - welcome back rino! i missed you.
anyway, so you were faced with the blogging dilemma! Just do what you want to do! Wag pa-pressure sa iba - the way when you ride your bike - you’re free, masyadong mabigat if you carry those burdens in your back and you get on your bike. leave them and just go..!
Again, i’m letting you know i am so glad you’re back!
yyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!
..ang haba kuyaRino?… ganun kc kita na miss e! been a while di krin nag pakita at nag paramdam… oh well, its not important though– i am happy that ur back and im hoping ull keep on blogging kung ano tlga ung gusto mong gawin sa blog mo!
musta na po? hows the holidays season jan?… am happy tlga na nakabalik na c kuyaRino ko!
ingats po! GOD bles u and ur family!
If all of us who monetize their blogs will be honest with ourselves, at one point in time we also had these questions. We also felt that monetizing our blogs would make it lessen its appeal to our visitors and all. Ganyan na ganyan, kuya. But personally (I can’t speak for the others), the need for an extra income won out. But there is something I realized the past few days. I need to maintain one personal blog talaga with lesser, if not altogether none, paid posts. Kaya I am cleaning up Sasha says… Yung ibang blog ko na lang ang tatadtarin ko ng paid posts hehe
Welcome back, kuya! Daily na ako dito
Happy weekend!
Rino,
akala ko matapang na yung post ko…sagot actually sa comment mo. meron akong nakahandang titulo sana ng post ko after a week of well hindi hiatus..hindi ko talaga nasilayan ang internet. pero mas matapang ito… mga salitang hindi ko masabi (regarding meme) pero I’m sure alam mo na yun dahil sa dami ng meme na binigay mo sa kin iilan lang ang ginawa ko..kahit na kaibigan pa kita lol! Pero hindi ko man ginawa (medyo nasasakal pa rin ako) at isa pa itong paid post. ewan ko baka isang araw hindi na rin ako magblag lol! depende sa mud
Mabuhay ka! pero yung pag iingles ko (na baluktot) I find it amusing kasi feeling ko kasi nakakahon ako e..gayung hindi naman karamihan ang mga noypi na nagbabasa ng blog ko. amusing in a sense that some non-pinoy blogger read my blog tapos nagiiwan pa ng comment. Pero syempre mananatili akong manilenya na kilala mo
pramis.
hehehe tignan mo baluktot ang ingles lol! hehehe kulet ko sensya na lol!.
@waliz: I was ok the whole time I wasn’t blogging. I just needed to reassess my reasons for continuing to blog. Thanks for being there.
@Becca: I hope to be here for a long time, memes or no memes.Thank you too for continuing to be there.
@Heather: thanks for believing in what I have to offer. It may not be much but it comes from my conviction that even a small effort can contribute to the solution we all seek regarding our environment.
@elay: salamat, my favorite pilot of the Philippine skies! Sana minsan habang nagbi-bike ako, mapatingala ako at makita ko ang helicopter na pinalilipad mo!
@vera: wow, nakakabingi sa lakas at haba yung yehey mo! lol…thanks kapatid sa mga pag alala mo sa akin. AT congratulations pala for having endured an entire year na malayo sa mahal mo.
@sasha: thanks for welcoming me back! I’m still not discounting the possibility of accepting more paid post, kaya lang hindi muna siguro ngayon. I’d like to enjoy writing what interest me first, than writing only because I will be paid to do it. Masaya rin iyon kaya lang mas enjoy pa rin para sa akin yung free ako to choose…
@manilenya: alam ko namang mas matapang ka pa nga sa akin e…di ba aktibista ka pa nga?
LOL…aniweys, so nagsawa ka rin pala sa mga meme/tags na ipinasa ko sa iyo ano? Nag comment na ako don sa latest entry mo na dyeta…basahin mo na lang don mre, mabuhay ka!
i know how you feel, kuya.. know what, just write to express.. writing naman talaga comes out better if it’s from the heart.. and diba, nandito din naman kame kahit noon pa. so may kita o wala, we’re still here. naks. papakyut pa ano. hehe.
*hugs* kuya, and Happy new year.
hay salamat kapatid bumalik ka na.
Natutuwa ako (no pun intended) its because you have these realizations. yan din mga napagdaanan ko noon. I was asking myself if I was blogging because of the merit that they visit my blog or is it because I want to write?
I think we for a time would really be questioning our selves and I thin its a positive sign because we are growing. Normal lang yan napagdadaanan mo.
re: Meme
there was a time that I was really choked by all these memes. remember when I said na I hate memes? pero ginawa ko din kasi i found it to be fun.pero nang lumaon asus nasawa na ako. Atchara na. Till now i still have pending memes. what I do is I spice up the meme and turn it into a post or feature. I dont pass them anymore since i really get tired of editing the links. yun ang para sa akin ang mahirap kasi I would have to remember the exact letters of the url para lang gumana. I have this upcoming meme which was passed on to me na ginawa kong special feature. abangan mo baka tomorrow ko ipublish kasi kinarir ko yung pagsusulat. Creativity lang ang naging solution ko sa memes kasi its the natural way of linking eh. I don’t pass them anymore unless it was created by a friend for example thess and ronnie. ginagawa ko talaga and i promote it kasi magaganda ang meme nila. unlike some memes that are really senseless like the viral tags (remember my post about that?)
Re: my own meme.
Nagcreate ako ng meme nung december (my christmas tree and my ninong/ninang) kasi first time ko magcreate ng meme. wala lang. curiosity lang kasi triny ko lang. naging successful naman. And medyo fulfilled ako kasi natry ko gumawa ng sariling meme. Now the christmas tree meme has been successful that next year it will be online again… annual na kumbaga.
Re: monetized blog
I don’t see anything wrong about monetizing your blog kapatid. it will lie on the way you see your blog is heading. For example yung blog ko, wala ads yun kahit pa sandamukal na ang nang-eenganyo sa akin na magmonetize kasi nga its very unusal for a catholic blog to become profit oriented. Up to now ayoko mag ads kasi i got the server for free and nahihiya ako na pagkakitaan yung blog na wala ako ginastos kahit isang sentimo. yun ay sa akin lang. pero the rest naman ay may rason kasi nga kumbaga walang puhunan pa kaya pag sakaling kumita makaka-afford na sila magbayad sa susunod which is very understandable. kaya don’t be afraid to monetize your blog. now I suggest gumawa ka pa ng isa pang blog na walang masyado pressure na kung saan ay money making lang talaga para di maapektuhan ang blog mo na ito. ganyan ginawa kasi nung iba na kaibigan natin. in order for their original and mother blogs not to be affected, they created another blog solely for the purpose of profit. ganun nalang gawin mo.
wag ka panghinaan ng loob kasi darating talga sa buhay ng blogger yan.
natutuwa ako kasi you gave yourself a space to realize things for youurself which is ginawa ko din during the desperately petty days.
anyhow pasensya ka na kapatid kung ngayon lang ako nakadalaw kasi hindi ko na malaman kung san san ako pupunta sa dami ng nagtatag sa akin at sa dami ng nagtatampo sa akin sa di ko pagbisita sa mga blog nila. alam ko naman na kahit hindi ako makapunta dito ng madalas o kaya kina becca maiintindihan nyo kasi ibang level naman ang blog friendship naten sa ating sirkol. haha.
anyhowits good that you are back. may kasangga na uli ako. and dont worry about us kasi we are still thesame bloggers when youleft. walangnagbago.
o ayan inangkin ko na blog mo. pambawi sa matagal ko ring pagkawala haha.
sya sige at dadalaw pa ako sa iba blogs.
Pax et Bonum!
Hi Rino. Thank you for leaving me a comment on my similar entry. I am glad that I am pretty normal because I felt the same and I applaud you for being open and honest about this. I also hope I did not offend fellow probloggers with what I’ve written. It’s how I felt.
There are ways to go about it naman, I found mine..and I’m glad you also found your realization.
Have a fine weekend, Rino! God Bless you!
Now that\’s something to think about. Glad I stopped by - keep up the good work.