Friday, March 23, 2007

The Journey so Far - 1 Month Blogversary

A LITTLE CELEBRATION IS IN ORDER

It doesn't seem like it but it seems like I have successfully completed a month here at the blogosphere. After doing 14 Posts which have generated 102 comments it feels like I have been around for an eternity. What started out as a simple wikipedia search on what blogging is all about led me to experiment and go ahead and dive in withboth feet so to speak. I promptly got onto blogger and did the 1-2-3 tasks and voila I started my own blog. At first I didn't know what to do and just thought it would just lie their idle like alot of the cybertrash cluttering up the internet but I decided to give it a go and start posting and see if I could find share something other people would find interesting.
The Rural Challenge: The major huddle for me joining the blogging the blogging community had to come with the fact that I had to blog from the countryside where life is slow and there are hardly any major events of reckon, The other challenge was of a more fundamental nature - Connectivity. To those who know rural Kenya internet connectivity is a big let down since we are not served with any reliable ICT services even getting telephone access is a headache the only light at the end of the tunnel is the various wireless services such as GPRS and CDMA which might are available but are mightyly expensive. Fortunately I can still get some limited access in the office in the evenings when every one has gone home and the ONE internet computer is free. Another plus is alot of free time loads and loads of it!
The Techie Challenge: When I crawl through the profiles of most of the bloggers in the Kenyan blogosphere I tend to note that most are in the communications/Media/Tech fields. Now how does a biochemist working in an agricultural set up in rural Kenya fit in all this? Although not a techie by proffession I love all things tech and I quickly devour any new gadgets therefore since I don't have the opportunity to spend on alot of urban neccessities(rent,tranport) I can buy all the gadgets I need so with my trusty Toshib laptop, Sony digicam, Palm PDA (wifi/bluetooth), Cellphone (GPRS/EDGE) I can connect myself to the cyberworld and share the experiences.
The Ride: I did my First Posts and kind of just waited and started scoping the community by first checking out the Kenyan scene and kind of stumbled on KBW and joined the ring. From there I was able to start checking out several of the members first just studying the norms and etiquette before making any comments. With my first hesitant comments I started realizing that they would start hitting back and soon I got my first comments on my blog(Thanks Princess). Pretty soon I was hooked and began openly commenting on topics that I found interesting there were several though I prefered to just to read and keep to myself.
Along the way: I have found some very interesting people in the blogosphere, people who support my beloved ManU and many who support the enemy. There were some who are always handy for a cheer and a laugh and some who provided inspiring thoughts and spiritual food. Quite a number of cheerful posts, crazy stories, Weird events, good tips and interesting experiences and hot debates which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and commenting. . I also managed to bump into an old friend and somewhere along the way even my lil' Bro joined the blogging ride. I even managed to get tips on solving my phone woes and discover a german guy who used to reside in the town I now call home. Nowadays my days begins and ends with me opening my newsreader and collecting feeds from all my favorite blogs. What amazes me is the tit for tat and general good nature of the kenyan blogging community and how everyone is able to get along like old friends without all the flame wars we are accustomed to in chatrooms
The Challenge: Recently one regular blogger decided to challenge quite a number of us to do a post in Sheng/Kikwetuu which is the preserve of the masters, I naively took up the challenge and spent an eternity nashing away at my keyboard even after google was unable to deliver any help. I managed to deliver at least one sheng post which I hestiantly put up and waited anxiously for the ridicule coz according to Wikipedia; Sheng is primarily a language of urban youths which unfortunately I am not and the topic was a bit out of character for me. Fortunately it was not too bad and I got a few nice comments (Thanx) but as to whether it will be repeated - methinks never again!
The Big Mysteries: As I blog I have also come up with what I call the 3 big mysteries of the Kenyan blog community for which I am still searching for an answer:
  1. Is there a prize for making the number one comment? It constantly amuses me how the KBWers are always competing to be No.1, Kwani someone is keeping score or there is a secret prize.

  2. What is the B-Train and where is the destination?

  3. Just who is M?

The Future: I guess what started as just an experiment and a personal challenge has now grown on me and become a daily must do. I have even noticed that several of the bloggers have started switching to Wordpress and after scoping out myself I decided to book my space just in case one day I decide to move though for now I am quite comfortable here at blogger. I am still looking for a course/purpose for my blog but in the meantime I intend to blog on whatever comes to mind although I am begining to think of myself as an insight to the the rural life.

Maybe after accomplishing my first objectives the thrill may no longer be there and I could just decide to say goodbye to the blogosphere but the answer to that is not one I can give for now since I am thoroughly enjoying the Ride.


Currently Reading: Next by Michael Crichton

24 comments:

Farmgal said...

Number one!

Farmgal said...

Ok ok there are no prizes for being first. Its just one of tha silly things we do here...alittle bit of fun. I have answered only one questions wacha the others answer the rest!

Anonymous said...

hi you have great site, I invited you to visit my blog www.the-life-of-death.blog4u.pl kisses from Poland :*

Anonymous said...

Kirima, you must be kidding me. Calling me an old friend is practically an insult.

I think that the word that you are looking for is brother.

egm said...

The number one thing I have seen in other non-KBW blogs as well. As Farmgal says, it's just a silly blog thing.

B-Train... Bilaz Train. It has no beginning nor end. Just one eternal loop. Folks constantly get on or get off.

M... I shall leave the man himself to respond.

Acolyte said...

Damn! Everyone gets some love here apart from me! I'm off to sulk in the corner........

Adrian said...

hope you've enjoyed that month and continue blogging. i enjoy your take on life in rural kenya.

akiey said...

Enjoy the all that goood blogging brings your way.

Two of your Qs have been answered..maybe next time we'll be the ones posing Qs your way, ama?

Spidey/Tato said...

M-stands for Mathew McConaughey.
and there is a prize for people commenting, imagine cause otherwise it would mean there are psychos out there...and farmgal et al are not psychos are they?
B is for bilaz train...a state of nirvana achieved when one is at one with him/herself alone. ha ha ha

i love this early mornin cheap humor.
happy blogversary

Anonymous said...

Number 10! Anywho, since all the questions have been answered I shall go and have a time out. Keep the posts coming! Thanks for taking up the challenge - you have fitted in so quickly - kudos, it took some of us a while to fikia where you have! **must just be me**

By the way Who the hell is M? Uko dadii, may the real M please stand up!

Now I go join Aco in the corner...Aco stop taking up so much space! **jostle, jostle**

Ad break: For further examples of the arachnid's uniquely strange sense of humour follow that link. Tihiii! ..one with oneself and its not mentioned in the bibilia...I should stop now and go post on my blog...

Unyc said...

Kirima that ws a nice post! Its gd 2 stop n reflect on smething's that we do. Am glad that mine is one of those u enjoy reading.

For me First, Fao...is just for fun. There's sme gr8 feelin u get when u get 2 sme1's post first b4 any1 else...n thrashin pple like Archer, Bomseh, methu, Klara n Sue who hv redefined blog stalking....lol.

As for M..... THINK long n hard.

B-train...3/4 of KBW wako kwa hii train...ama nimekosea..lol

Anonymous said...

Huyu UNYC ni mchokozi. Now she's calling us stalkers or is it e-stalkers? and to claim that 3/4 of KBW are on B-Train. Does it mean blogging makes us fail elsewhere ama why the comparisson? But thinking about it, ever since I started bloggin.....jijazie.

Nice post Kirima.

Nakeel said...

Hope you enjoying the blogging. Now that the Qs have been answered can I seat near Methu and Aco at the corner.

Archer said...

I'm late...as usual, and I see Farmgal amemaliza chai, Unyc anachokoza wananchi kama kawaida, captain of the B train showing how it's done (being at one with yourself? Haha! Nice one!) and only heaven knows why Aco and Methu are ensconced in a dark corner.

Who is M? The question should be, WHAT is M? M is a phenomenon.

Happy first month blogversary! It's great to "meet" your acquaintance and I hope to read much more from you in the days to come.

mama shady said...

merry happy bogoversary!hope you threw a bash and invited the other people who share the one interent comp with you!;)some of those questions ive been pondering as well, anywho, they say the answers are huko juu!anyway, ebu keep em coming!

Sue said...

Now about enemies... the war is not over yet.. hehehe..
Happy blogoversary... You well fitted
I will answer only one of your Questions..
I think M is just an initial for Milk Man.. ama Matheri... ama is it Monk ama it's a phenomenon like Madness or M..... amm gimme time to think..
:.Just Sue.:

Unknown said...

@Farmgal, Congrats you can collect your prize from the....
@Steve, Sorry Bro, I apologize for that unfortunate misrepresentation.
@egm, Ati an eternal loop that sounds daunting.
@Acolyte, Patience, Patience! you shall be mightly rewarded
@Adrian, Thanx, I have enjoyed myself hukus in the bundus
@Akiey, Thanx, I await the Q's with anticipation.
@Spidey, If there is a prize then the competition is on! On your Marks. Nirvana? Ahh! so there is hope somewhere for bloggers.
@aegeus Thanks, Please get out of the corner you have been linked twice in this post (should do your Technorati ratings some good)
@Unyc, Thanx, Blog stalking thats a new one I only knew of cyber squatting I can see you are intent on improving the blog lexicon. I hope umekosa on the 3/4 :-)
@Bomseh, Thanx, Aki Unyc had me shivering at my keyboard I hope she is proven wrong otherwise all is lost :-)
@Nakeel, I think I need to create more space in that corner for all the egos I have wounded
@Archer, Looks like the great M mystery continues and I hope to keep on posting
@Mamashady, Karibu no bash yet since I am hogging all the time here with posts I think they are starting to stare at me with 'bad eyes'
@Sue,The war shall be decided soon on the pitch by the way I truly respect Arsenal as the team of Tommorrow (but as we all know tomorrow never comes!)

Klara said...

Hope am not da last one here!!!LOL!
I loved this post! Happy 1st anniversary!
Kip da post's coming!

Anonymous said...

Klara, no you're not last, guess i am.
great post Kirima, happy blogversary to you.

Spidey/Tato said...

on your makinya ...set your makinya...go!

Unknown said...

@Klara, No you are not last but I must say you are doing poorly for a blog stalker LOL!!
@Betty, ThanX will keep on posting
@Spidey, I'm already on the way, eat dust.

Komi said...

I am not even ashamed of commenting so late. Happy Belated Blogversary!

Princess said...

Awesome post..a little late to the game but it's all good!!!

Unknown said...

@Komi, don't be ashamed your comments are welcome anytime
@Princess, Thanks once again even the first shall be last :-)

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