Q. How did you start your blog? Did anybody influence you?

A. Yes, Jen of maganda  http://maganda.blogspot.com. I was googling something, totally unrelated to blogging and blogs and her blog came up in the search results. I clicked, read and couldn't believe the voyeur in me taking such an interest in an everyday person's life. I followed the links that she had to other blogs, got hooked even more, and it wasn't long until I started one of my own.
 
Q. What motivates you to  blog?

A. There are three major reasons I blog. I blog to record events, feelings, thoughts, trips...to have something to look back on for posterity's sake.  I also blog for vanity's sake, there is no denying that. Where else can I write something and have an audience as large as the one I have, make comments and receive their input?  Lastly, I blog to make friends and get to know people. I didn't have a large circle of Filipino friends and I can honestly say, that I have someone to meet and chat with in almost every continent in the globe. I think Antarctica is missing, but that's all :-).
 
Q.  What benefits do you derive from blogging?

A. The friends are the best part of blogging.  They have given me great advice, input and lots of laughter through the web. Some of them, I've laughed with in person.  Visiting new places is so much more exciting at the prospect of meeting a blog friend in the flesh.

Q.  On the other hand, do you find anything frustrating about it? What's its downside?

A. I myself have had nothing but positive experiences from blogging.  The dowside would be the intrigeras or trolls that go to a blog and leave a nasty, hurtful comment.  That can escalate into what they call blog wars. I wrote a post on how to behave in the blog world. If I were to get a nasty comment, I usually ignore or delete their comment. I have no room for that type of negativity in my blog. 

 Q.  What has been the highlights of your blog life in the past year?

A. I was named sexiest Filipina  blogger by now-on-hiatus http://basangpanaginip.blogspot.com/ . I never advertised it on my blog but a blog friend made a comment about it. I was teased endlessly by my workmates regarding that!

Besides that I also started - and stopped - a problog. It was a nice experience but my interest in it waned.  What I'm really proud of is my continuous affiliation with PINOYexpats.  I never  would be doing this now if I had never started blogging. 

Q.  Do you still see yourself blogging five years from now?

A.  I'm wary to answer yes or no. I could have children, I could be so busy with child-rearing or school that I just drop blogging altogether. If the pull to chronicle my life, to keep connected with my blog friends, and of course if my vanity continues to need some stoking, I can see myself still blogging in 5 years.
 
Q.  Please tell us something about the design of your blog and the blogging platform you're using. Are you happy with it?
 
A. I'm using Wordpress 2.0 and my site is  hosted on the mychronicles.net domain. I've been very happy with Wordpress though the WYSIWYG feature of the latest version of WP hasn't been my favorite.  Overall however, I find it very user-friendly.

I'm using a template designed by Beng Hefner, another blogger and designer extraordinaire.  Right now, I'm pretty happy with the design and won't change it anytime soon.
 
Q. What do you think are the qualities of a good blogger?

A. Oh gosh, if you're to go by my criteria, a good blogger is someone based outside of the United States! But that's my filter.  I love different cultures and so most blogs I read are outside of the country so I constantly learn new customs and idiosyncrasies about that country, yes, even the Philippines. I'll decline judging what makes a good blog, because everyone's a judge and their filters are different. 

Q.  Your blogging habits?

A. I usually blog at home either late at night when my husband's gone to bed, or early in the morning after he's left. He doesn't completely approve of my blogging.  I usually blog 2-3 times a week. Less if I'm busy, more if I'm particularly inspired.

Q. Plans for your blog...

A. I'm not a pioneer blogger, just a simple wife enjoying writing once in a while.  I plan to keep blogging the way I've always blogged. Modestly, regularly. I've got no big plans. But if something was to inspire or motivate me, hey, I'm always open.