Recently, I attended a training workshop on e-Commerce. During the break, I took the opportunity to ask the trainer to teach me how to insert a counter to my weblog. Yes, I know it's child's play for the youngsters, but for a 53-year old newbie to blogging, it is quite a challenge.
Anyway, one of my fellow course participants, a 30-something looking lady, overheard us and remarked, "Hey, I thought blogging is for kids only?"
"I don't think so." I replied; "Anyway, I enjoy it".
Actually, as I far as I know, very few Singaporeans of my age blog. I came a across only a handful, including Frannxis, Victor Koo and Mr Tan Kin Lian of NTUC Income (please see links on right side of this page ). I think more older Singaporeans should blog.
Firstly it is good for our aging brains. Putting your thoughts into words is great exercise for our brains. You also get to learn new things - like how to create a blog, how to insert pictures and links etc. Last year I attended a seminar by Tony Bunzan - he recommended continuous learning and lots of exercise for the brain as an effective way to keep away dementia.
Secondly, you get to meet people with similar interests. I have found a few new friends like Frannxis, Victor and Chris - By the way, thank you Victor for teaching me how to insert link.
Lastly, people like me like to write; plus digging up those old memories is great fun.
PS - I like that snippet they play on the radio which ends with the line, "See - you do learn something new everyday". The other day I learnt the meaning of LOL. I often see it in other people's blogs. I always thought it meant Lots of Love.
10 comments:
I am an IT novice. Actually I copied the 'code' from your blog, editted it, and then pasted it at different positions of the template to test the results.
Putting thoughts into words is not only a great exercise for our brains, it also helps to improve our language skills and vocabulary.
It was Chris who challenged me to put up a blog a few months ago. At first I was not convinced. Then he started saying that 'old dogs cannot learn new tricks'. I figured that I fell into his psychological trap. That was why 'Taking Up The Challenge' became the title of my blog. I actually didn't set out to write about old experiences but at this age, I cannot deny that I have a lot of them behind me which I can blog about.
Now blogging has become more than a hobby for me. It has become like an obsession. I know it when my wife starts commenting, 'Why are you spending so much time on the PC?.' Guess I better have some self-control.
Hi Chun See, I'm flattered you didn't put me in the same category as Victor, Frannxis and yourself as far as age is concerned. Actually, I'm not that young either. But I'll always have 9 years to catch up with Victor, and 13 years to catch up with you. Ha!
What's this crap about blogging being kids' play? I suppose people with a love for writing would want to put up a blog. And most kids don't blog; like my son, who is all of 13. Way before I came to know about blogging, I had also put up a webpage, penning thoughts and sentiments on my son when he was just a toddler. In fact, I devoted the webpage to him. Then I cancelled my singnet subscriptions and along with it, my webpage "died".
I sort of agree with Frannxis and you that putting thoughts into writing is a great way to keep our brain active. Our brain cells are finite and die by the thousands each day, never to be replaced, unlike other parts of our body. "Blogging" is definitely one way to keep it alive.
Victor was just being modest when he said I "challenged him that an old dog can do a good blog". I called Victor a wordsmith, he's really good with words. And the phrase above is also coined by him, no less.
Victor - Men shall not live by "blogging" alone, you know. Better don't get obsessed! After your wife thinks you're having an on-line affair, how? Don't think she's not computer savvy, ok? wahahaha..
I think 'obsessed' is too strong a word. Maybe 'addicted' is more appropriate. Anyway, tell your Mrs, it's better than mahjong or karaoke etc. At least it is free.
Nevertheless, we shd be matured and disciplined enough to manage our time. If you like to blog then watch less TV lor. Right??? - pls say you agree.
Chun See, I definitely say I agree with you but the trouble is how to get my better half to agree. You should know about the idiosyncracies of women since you are also married. :)
Oops, hope I didn't ignite a flame war here between the sexes.
Hey it is great to see a blog by someone my age. I am a middle-aged lady who enjoys reading blogs because I believe that there is so much to learn from other people's experiences. Perhaps it is also the auntie in me that wants to be a kaypoh. Nevertheless, I think our generation should try to understand how the younger generation thinks and reduce the generation gap. Lastly, I really think your blog has a very good objective to enable the younger generation understand what we have gone through.
Glad that you like my blog. Its fun for people our generation to chat about the old times - esp the army days. Blogging gives us the perfect opportunity to do so. Previously we only get to do it at funeral wakes or weddings.
I don't actively push my kids to read my blogs but do it indirectly e.g. by asking them to teach me how to insert links, using html and that sort of stuff. But they won't let me read their blogs.
Victor, to avoid your wife from nagging, you should introduce her to blogging. After she got "hook" to it, she will never nag anymore. It's was my daughters (12 and 9 years old) who introduced me to blogging cos I had been nagging on them. Now, I am on the queue list for using the computer, hee hee hee. Indeed, blogging is much better than playing mahjong or watching long hours of TV. From Chun See's blog, I managed to bring back memories of my BRS days...
Hi Kenn, thanks for your advice. Nowadays, my wife does not nag so much about my blogging anymore. (Oh dear, did she give up on me?)
I am glad to know that you blog too. Mind letting us know your blogsite? BTW you talked about BRS days. Does BRS stand for British Royal Service? But you sound like a Singaporean too because we also play mahjong besides blogging.
Sorry Victor, BRS stands for Braddell Rise School. The one that Chun See went. I was from that school too but a much later batch. My blogsite is lees-patisserie.blogspot. Feel free to drop by. My girls are still helping me to improve on it but, I have to wait till Nov school holidays cos they are busy right now.
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