Singapore Blog Awards 2012 E-Interview

I have been asked the following questions. (I have rearranged the questions so I can answer the simple ones first; and leave the long answer to the last

Question 1. How do you feel about being one of finalists in Singapore Blog Awards 2012?

Answer – Proud and happy.

Question 2. How do you feel about the other Finalists in your category this year? How do you think you will fare compared to them?

Frankly, I don’t have any opinions about the other finalists for the simple reason that there appears to a generation gap between me and them. Hence our topics are extremely different. Unfortunately, the organisers did not have a category for Nostalgia or Heritage or Education; otherwise I wouldn’t have chosen this category. I also do not wish to compare my blog with theirs. Just wish everyone the best.

Question 3. Give a reason why readers should visit your blog and vote for you?

This is simple. There should only be one reason why readers should visit my blog and vote for me …… they enjoy reading my stories. My blog is coming to 6 years old; and during this time, I have received many encouraging comments and emails from readers, both in Singapore and abroad who said they enjoyed reading my blog. I have selected a few and published them at the back cover of my book, Good Morning Yesterday. Out of sheer laziness, I will reproduce them here, so that I don’t have to go searching for others.

• “What a wonderful blog - I am telling my friends and children about it” – Tan Tarn How
• “I have been reading your blog with great interest and nostalgia. Thank you so much for this blog; it has given me many happy memories.” - Debbie King
• “I have never seen a more ardent effort than yours (James Seah) and Mr Dick Yip and Mr Lam who make it your mission to archive and make the past accessible to the present. This is what a history textbook can never match up to. The effort is authentic, personal and passionate. I get the chance to read, ruminate and enjoy the colours and atmosphere that make history come alive. Thank you so much, James, Mr Yip and Mr Lam.” - Sim Hui Hwang.
• “I find your web page very informative, interesting and inspiring.  Not many people would have that passion of yours to keep the History of Singapore yet so alive.”  - Ephraim Chan
• “I've been reading your blog on and off for the past few years and am amazed at the amount of information it contains on the social history of Singapore. Many of these aspects would never see the light of day in "official history"; yet these are what give life to history. It is respect for real living people.”  – Jaime Koh
• “I really like your blog; and I envy you being able to grow up in a time where Singapore was still very much in its natural state, with hills here and there, trees and forests, buildings which I haven't had a chance to see before.  … . If I can turn back time, I would wish to go back to the 1950s and take a look at the authentic Singapore lifestyle, and her wonderful and kind people who seem to have changed so much nowadays.”  – Henry Cai

Question 4. When did you start blogging and what drew you to it? Where do you get inspiration for your blog content?

I started blogging in Sep 2005; and since then I have posted more that 600 articles in this blog. As I had elaborated here, I started this blog for two reasons:

1) To reminisce about the ‘good old days’.
2) To educate the next generation about what life of their parents was like when they were young.

Not all the articles were written by me. A substantial number were contributed by friends and readers I did not know before, including men of my generation from the UK who lived in Singapore briefly during the 1960s when their parents served in the British Far East military services.

I enjoy blogging and will continue to do so as long as I have stories to tell – and I still do – and there are readers. I get my inspiration from everywhere; a building I see on the road, something I read in the papers or a blog, or something I heard at a talk etc. etc. Sometimes, when the inspiration hits, I write down my thoughts immediately. Sometimes, I will record the idea in my notebook to research and write about later.

After blogging for nearly six years, I derive immense satisfaction from the following ‘achievements’:

1.  A few months ago, the number of page views for my blog passed the magical 1 million mark.

2.  I have made many new friends; young and old. Regular readers will know who 

3.  I have become quite well-known in certain circles and have been interviewed in the media a few times; e.g. FM938 Live’s, Passion People, Lianhe Zabao, Today, New Paper and My Paper. Have even participated in a couple of TV documentaries such as Foodage and Project Neighbourhood and even the Australia Network.

4.  Often I get invitations to give talks and students approach me for help with their heritage projects and magazines, e.g. the NUS History Society’s publication, 

5.  But my biggest achievement and sense of satisfaction was from publishing a book based on the stories in this blog.