The Amateur's Preface

Blogging has been around for decades and as usual, I only jump on the bandwagon once people start leaving. 

 

I recall spamming friends' inbox with lengthy mass personal e-mails once every blue moon. I had secretly fantasized that my friends would love to be updated with my latest mischiefs, and not to mention ... my mishaps. Any other sane person who has such severe ASS (Attention Seeking Syndrome) like I do, would most likely choose to maintain a blog for this purpose. I, on the other hand, was just too IT illiterate, cowardly, and lazy.

My hectic schedule the past few years has spared friends from my spams. I then thought of sending a few pieces of writings to a local daily. They were published but alas, none of them were translated into $$$.
 

It was a cousin who recently suggested that I start a profit-making blog. He told me to look for a niche market (or something of that sort). Frankly speaking, if I really had a niche (and if I had discovered it), I would have been a billionaire by now. He said companies are willing to sponsor bloggers by giving them vouchers and free gifts etc. If I can get money while doing something I enjoy, why not?  

 

I toyed with his idea and started to think of a possible niche for myself. These were some thoughts that did their marathon in that empty space between my ears:

• Cosmetics and beauty? I don't recognize half of the tools women use to give shape to their face before getting out of the house. I used to fail in art classes and till this day, I don't even know how to apply foundation or eye-shadow or rouge or mascara or eye-liner etc. You get the idea.
• Health and fitness? One look and you will know I am neither healthy nor fit.
• Electronic gadgets, then? I am probably the only living soul on earth who is still using a mobile phone with a keypad and WITHOUT a camera. I don’t own an iPad or an iPod. The closest commonality I have with the whole i-generation are iRanian friends.  
• Photography? Without a camera on my mobile, how would I be able to camwhore or practise taking decent photos of beautiful landscapes?
• Travel? I suffer from severe motion sickness. I get dizzy just by sitting on a swing.
• Food? Given my size, you wouldn’t want to encourage me to over-indulge in this.
• Music and entertainment? My knowledge in this field is just too embarassing.  
• Teaching and education? Come on, get real. Who actually wants to blog about work besides bitching about policies, bosses, colleagues, and students?

It looks like I do not really have a specific niche, after all. What I have is a little bit of random thoughts here and there. What I love most is to rant about these thoughts.

 

 

Sure, it is not profit-making. Yet I will try to throw in a few entries now and then. After all, life becomes more fun when results and money are not a factor. Who knows? One day, A Dash of This and That might just climb its way to the likes of columns such as But Then Again and Bangsar Boy, both of which I really enjoy reading.

 

If, at any point this entry has put a smile or even a slight snicker on your face, I would think that my mission is accomplished. =)