Blogging is a wonderful way of sharing thoughts, photos and experiences with the cyberworld: everyone can easily post any text in seconds. But there are also ethical problems with a public blog like mine which eventually lead to the question: what exactly is a blog?
For example if I write about personal experiences I like to incorporate now and then a ideas, experiences and thoughts of people I travel with or meet. In this case one has to carefully quote those persons while being aware that the person might read the text. I came across blogs of people who become very personal and judgemental about people they meet. Additionally quoting other people and their experiences is relying on the accuracy of their stories: I am not a journalist and cannot verify remarks or experiences. Furthermore while travelling I read books and newspapers in order to get a better picture of the country. Some books like the ones about the Thai prison system are obviously very biased and they just portray an extreme situation. Experiences and stories might then not represent the normal situation.
Besides being an easy why to share thoughts blogs are also interactive and people can post comments or remarks on them. This gives the opportunity of offering a second opinion or different view.
My goal is to have a travel-blog that first and foremost inspires you, my blog-readers, to visit those wonderful countries and have the curiosity to dig a bit deeper than just the obvious tourist traps. I therefore do not want to be a private dairy with detailed accounts of my daily routine and emotional state but a travel-blog with added information and insights. I also learned that like newspapers accuracy and clear statement of the source are a virtue for my blog. In the future I will try harder to clearly and accurately quote people and portray extreme views as what they are: extreme opinions. Nevertheless a blog is not a newspaper and it lacks editing and proof-reading (so please forgive me my typos). There is also an obligation for you, my blog-reader: post comments on my blog and tell me and other readers what you think. It is easy and quick and increases the value of my blog for everyone. Last but not least I hope you my reader agree that Asia with its many amazing sites, cuisines, traditions and peoples is a truly breath-taking place to visit. There is not a single day where I do not smile and there is not one country I visited I did not enjoy. Yes, sometimes it takes a bit of time and patience to unearth the charm of a country but the rewards are always bigger than the worries. Every time I am asked which country or place I like best my answer is always the same: the very place and country where I am currently am and all the ones before.
What can i say....your blog basically updates me about your whereabouts.And it's great reading about places i've only read about in the National Geographics.Keep up with it!
p/s:does this mean you won't be updating us anymore after you get back home??
Posted by: faiza | January 24, 2006 at 01:09 PM