Q. What made you think of forming a group like Blogkadahan?

Dr. Emer: Honestly, I wasn't really thinking of anything grand when I formed BloggingBERKS or BBerks Cafe, as it is known today. Clarification muna, because many people get confused.

I formed BBerks with the intention of facilitating email exchange between bloggers. Bloggers need to talk to each other. That's why I thought of renaming it to BBerks Cafe, because that's what you do in a coffee shop --- talk, a healthy exchange of ideas. I thought of expanding the group into what we have now because the more, the merrier. There are still many more applying to join, but because of the agreement that we are not accepting new members anymore, recruitment has stopped. Personally, I would like more members, provided they are carefully screened. It isn't an elitist group (as some other bloggers perceive), and it isn't also a recruitment agency for anyone wanting to join. My original idea is some-sort of round table discussion about any topic under the sun  with healthy, productive inputs from everyone.

Of the original seven founding members, 3 have left and 4 remain. We also have some members drifting away, some choosing to lurk around, either because of heavy work, or because of a late realization that this egroup is not their cup of coffee. I can't blame them. The same thing goes in any social interaction. But I will remain here, not only because I started this group, but because I think that communicating with each other is a way of learning the Truth we often seek daily in the puzzles of everyday life.

Batjay: Ate sienna created the layout of our blog site called “The Rebels Without Because”  and we started in February of 2005. So far, we've already talked about 14 common topics, we've created one short story called "ITUTULOY..." and collected 3 greatest hits collections on Poetry, Holy Week Adventures and one particularly funny thread about Thypoid Fever.

Q. For the other members, what made you decide to join the group? What do you love about your Blogkada?

Lara: What do I love about this group?  Free-wheeling discussions, so many different personalities = microcosm of life, with its attendant joys and sorrows.  Parang cocoon, I feel safe most of the time in here.

Tito Rolly: I was among the original members when we were just an email group of 7.  When Doc Emer proposed the Blogkadahan, we unanimously agreed.  I was still a newbie at the time and I have been enjoying the fruitful interaction between us.  So I thought it would more fun to know more bloggers out there.  What I love about the group is that we can talk about anything under the sun.  From the mundane to the more serious stuff.  And everybody has an input on almost anything.  No push-overs.

Batjay: I love on-line friendships. It's totally different from the regular relationships that you build in the real world. First, you are not distracted by what you see. When we started, I didn't have any idea about the other members, how they looked like, how they spoke. In a way this is good because you don't develop prejudices. You develop friendships based on what the other person looks like from within. I am sure, the other members were disappointed when they finally saw me but by then it already too late for them to back out,hehehe.

Ting Aling: What do I love about this group?  Picture this, you go inside a cafe knowing that you have someone to talk to 24/7.  We're about 32 but we're not all there at the same time.  You do get the assurance though that there will always be someone you can talk to no matter what time of the day or night it is. 

Mec: Actually, I just got surprised that I was suddenly getting e-group type of mails before, in my Yahoo account. But I was already blog friends with some of the original members then, having met them at the Pinoyblog (but I've been exchanging e-mails with Jet for more than a year already by then). They led me to Gmail and there's no looking back.

Mari: I like the diversity of Blogkadahan. The shared experiences and insights are truly enriching. I get to know about places/cultures I only read about in books. I love this group because I feel loved.

Bong K: As like others here, I was one of those invited by Dr Emer  in late December 2004 or sometime in January 2005.  At first I didn’t know about this Google group kaya lurking lang ako, then one by one, the bloggers I have been admiring have appeared, blasting all aspects of their person--the jokes most especially.  As time progresses, I felt I really belonged--even in a venue where members are (thousand) miles away from one another--everyone cares for one another.

JMom: This group is special to me because it is one of the few entities who had managed to elicit a string of emotions from me. With this group, I have felt giddily happy, somberly sad, silly as a teenager, worried like a mother hen. I have laughed, cried, sighed, prayed, and hungered with a group of people that in real life, I would probably be too intimidated to be friends with. Unless I have known them for a long time or have a common background or experience with them, who would have thought I would be friends with university professors, doctors, engineers, writers, poets, artists, youngsters, oldsters, and all in between? Only in the BBerks Cafe! 

Kristene: I had several reasons for joining.  First, I had been reading Doc Emer's blog for a while, as well as Tito Rolly's and Sassy's and respected them very much. When I received the invite to join this group I jumped at the chance. I wanted to rub elbows with people whose opinions were worthwhile hearing, who were respectable and respecting, who were movers and shakers with their words and actions. The second reason was I wanted to plunge myself into the Filipino culture, Filipino humor, make Filipino friends.

Ate Sienna: Jet and Jay invited me to join the group.  I love being part of Blogkada because there are so many things you can talk about without any fear that someone will judge you for it.  You can talk about whatever you want - no holds barred.  Very open ang communication - mapa-family matters, mapa-sex, mapa-relationships, mapa-child-rearing questions.  And most often when you tell the group something, palagi, makakakuha ka ng ibang opinions na hindi mo maiisip minsan.  It broadens your understanding of whatever it was that you opened up to the group.  And they in turn, respect whatever opinions you have. You can have a healthy discussion na hindi kayo magkakapikunan kahit na very different ang mga points of views nyo.

Q. What do you consider the important highlights of the year that was?

Lara: The unspoken agreement to be there for each other through each other's tears and laughter, the separations, the EB's, the personal woes, the personal triumphs, the individual angsts and victories, the weddings, births, baptisms, deaths...  

Batjay: The Christmas EB when we were at the Mega Mall Starbucks where we were crying from laughing too much because of Tito Rolly's jokes. There is a Sting song that comes to mind called "I'm so happy, I can't stop crying" and that's exactly how I felt that evening. The barbeque garden parties in our Antipolo home. I love small gatherings. It's one of the best opportunities to share good food and good stories with great people.I love the one-liner exchanges in the emails. Most of the time, the best of the Berks is not in the blog but in the uncensored email exchange. That's where most of the magic happens because it's where people are intimate and unguarded.

Ting Aling: The comings and the goings and the ones in between.  It is tough to keep a group intact especially with a size like we have.  I chose to leave at some point.  However, it was the thought of abandoning the friends I've met prior to the existence of this group and some good ones I've met through the Berks that made me think otherwise.  It's not a perfect group but it's the best considering all the circumstances.

Jet: I think ang highlights is everytime somebody would be in a slump and feeling low and everybody would come rallying behind him or her. Remember nung nawalan ng malay si Mari somewhere and BongK told us about it? Or yung time after Katrina and we all wanted to be sure that JMom was fine. Or nung nag-earthquake sa Japan and we were all asking about Sachi. Or when G had an accident. Or nung times na low si Lara, or si Sachi and a lot of us came forth to be there with her and for her. Or when we learned about Mec's Pyro. Or everytime somebody would have a birthday and we'd be sure to find a thread wishing us all a happy birthday. For me, yun yung mga highlights ng Berks. It's like a 24/7 friendship hotline.

Mec: EBs would always be highlights, because you get to physically connect with someone who has given you much joy and comfort and wisdom through e-mails. Meeting people for the first time is also always a blast, because finally, you get to hug this person who has said a prayer for you and laughed at your joke... who, technically, was still a stranger, but for all intents and purposes, already your good friend.

Bong K: Foremost is the friendship, then the laughter, then the support and comforting, then the EBs where I get to see the person behind the handle nicks then the greetings (birthdays, anniversaries, christening etc..), and lately the text messaging.

Kristene: I think the important highlight of the year was when the group bumped up against each other, met tension, conflict, whatever you want to call it, and emerged the other side stronger and better than ever.  Grabe, this group really banded together and held on tight.  To me, that is proof that its members are made of integrity and stuff that lasts. These are no fly-by-night friends. They're here to stay and be there for you.

(For comments and inquiries, email annalyn.jusay(at)gmail(dot)com)