Long time no see, everyone! It’s been a month since my last post, which was also an example of a seriously outdated entry.
I kept saying that I’m coming back, but I actually have not written a post until now. This has been the longest break I took in the aniblogging scene. But some of you might not have felt my absence because I had been leaving comments here and there. To be honest, I have been slowing down on the comments, too. Anyway, sorry for the long wait. I’ll also be disclosing my ‘plans’ for this blog below.
But let’s follow the FIFO (first in, first out) rule–first things come first.
As the post title more than implies, my anime blog has been floating in the internet for a year now. WordPress notified me last 2nd of June about my first year anniversary with them. Aw. I was touched. For them to remember and remind me of something I myself had forgotten…
I mean, I thought I was meant to virtually celebrate this occasion on the anniversary of the first post I ever published here. However that is not how it works. From now on, I’ll leave it to WordPress to notify me of the next birthdays of this blog.
Speaking of anniversaries and anniversary posts, everyone seems to like some moment reflection on what has transpired within the past year (or few years) and how things have changed, etc etc.
Has anything changed in this blog? Or within me? It wouldn’t be a stretch to say “yes” to both questions.
I thought this blog would become big within a year–something that would have hundreds of visitors a day. I guess that was waaaaaay too ambitious of me, who doesn’t really write as much as the other bloggers around. And my some of my topics are too obscure for the search engines to pick up. But in the end, I’m quite content with this blog. A fourth of my blog views (so far) come from this post alone. You get the idea how unpopular this blog is, but I truly appreciate you all for reading my entries and dropping meaningful comments.
Ever since I entered the blogging scene, not only centered on anime, I often feel like I am always trying to construct my own thoughts in such a way that I could later share them on my blog(s). I still don’t speak English most of the time, but when I think I often do it in English. My vocabulary is not the most diverse and, in my opinion, my readers would not learn a lot of new words by reading my entries, but I somehow get the feeling that I’m improving in terms of examining myself and expressing my ideas.
All those months of just talking about things I’ve found in anime, music, and random life events–how possibly could I not grow in this aspect? But I’m aware that I still have much to improve upon.
By blogging, I have met many wonderful people across the globe. Simple exchanges could also lead to more meaningful discussions. I am always reminded of how little I know and how much there is so much more to learn–which is why I have this growing interest in reading. Before I took up blogging, I barely read anything. Sure, I read some books in the past. But that’s about it.
It’s like a domino effect: blogging > meeting various people > seeing their ideas and insights > wanting to know/read more > expressing my own thoughts > prompting reactions from peers. But what I found out is that it’s coming to a full, but never the same, circle. It’s a spiral of dominoes–stacking on top of one another–as time goes by. And that spiral never really comes to a full stop.
While I’m at it, I want to drop a shoutout to some of the people who inspire me with their works–Frog-kun (Fantastic Memes), ArriaCross (Fujinsei), Foxy Lady Ayame (the beautiful world), and Leslie (Zyrogate Faine). To a lot of other wonderful people on twitter and wordpress/aniblogosphere I have pleasant chats and discussions with and who have seen and responded to my ups (fangirl and celebratory tweets) and downs (rants and depressing tweets) even through this cyberspace: thank you.
Where will I, and the blog, go from here?
Unlike anything I have wrongly promised, there will be no sort of “regular schedule” of blogging. Rather, I will not be promising anything regarding my post schedule and content. I may end up writing only once a month or weekly. There could be a time when I may not even write anything at all, then suddenly come back as if the absence was no big deal.
To be honest, it would not be totally strange for me if my blog becomes inactive for a long time. Not that I want to stop blogging anytime soon. But that possibility is present, and I won’t be denying that.
Moreover, I already have in my mind some changes that I’m going to make in this blog. Hopefully these will not drastically affect what I already have here, most especially the cute community of readers and commenters who like the stuff I write out of my own amusement.
You may be wondering why I’m doing this. It’s nothing much, personally. Perhaps, it’s just that the reality of working life I’m soon to enter is slowly sinking in, and that I’m kind of losing a vision of the future where I would still be actively blogging and reading other people’s blogs. I may write and read from time to time, but it is inevitable that I will be using more of my free time to rest. The nature of my future jobs is industrial, ones which not only require a lot of mental energy but can be physically draining as well.
I’m also trying to expand my worldview and understand myself and the people around me better by trying to engage in other things like book reading and music appreciation (and if time and resources allow, music making), to name a few. For quite some time now, I am slowly realigning my activities to allow me to get exposed in other interests. It’s embarrassing for me to say that for several years the only thing I’ve been really, really interested in is anime, even though I don’t have a lot of borrowed insider knowledge. I figured it’s not too late to have a change in pace in life. You can say this is also my self-therapy for something that’s burdening me for a while now.
That said, I admit I still have many things I want to say about anime/manga that I’ve read/watched. The challenge lies in whether or not I will be able to pen the thoughts I’d try to weave in the midst of other real life occupations.
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but if I have to force myself to say something and post entries way beyond my real capacity, then it wouldn’t be enjoyable anymore. This is my realistic take on what I am most likely to do with my blog (and my life, by extension, because this blog has also been a significant part of my life within the past year).
This post has become longer than I had originally planned. I think I’ve said what I wanted to say, unless someone points out that I may be forgetting something. If you think I really am, leave a comment or drop an anonymous question.
Having re-read this whole thing, it does not sound like your usual anniversary post but… whatever.
Have a great day!
Anime Vios 
Congratulations on your anniversary! 😀
The flame may subside, but it will never be extinguished!
Architecture is one of the most difficult professions to find jobs in. Some of the best architects changed fields.
As for the visual arts, “I live to draw – not draw to live!” The advantage of not being a “professional” is that you can always draw what you really want, rather than what you boss or anyone else tells you to!
College and the transition to work can be hectic, but, once things stabilize, you’ll have more time and fun! 😀
Wow. I didn’t actually look at it this way. Thank you!
Halos sabay-sabay pala tayo ni Arria ng anniversary ehh.. Kaso wala akong blog for that.. Alam mo na, tinatamad ako ehh.. Hahaha but you know, you did a great job! Naastigan ako sa inyo ehh, ang dami ninyo ng blog posts.
Just type/write anything you want, no pressure at all, that way you can appreciate every post you create. 🙂
That’s prolly why you two are my first friends here! 🙂 Okay lang namang gumawa ka ng lookback post kahit ngayon. Sa side blog ko nga, late na yung anniversary post niya. Haha.
Naks, thank you. Tinamad ako magblog nung naging busy ako, but now I want to write everyday.
Ganun talaga pag graduating, daming dapat asikasuhin.. so ngayon graduate ka na, hanap naman ng work, di ba? hehehe kakamiss din! aabangan ko mga post ninyong dalawa.. 🙂
Yeah, naghihintay pa sa results ng job application. Mag-iisang buwan na akong nakatambay lang sa bahay. 😦
apply lang ng apply.. don’t lose hope.. 🙂
Hey, congratulations on your first year! Blogging should be done on your own terms. Otherwise, you’d just burn yourself out. I learned that the hard way. 🙂
Thanks for visiting my blog as well. I never expected anyone to visit a nearly defunct, nine-year old blog, but thank you for your input. I appreciate it.
Thanks! I reached this conclusion because of a recent anime burnout, so yeah. 🙂
I discovered yours through Calaggie and, hmm, what I didn’t expect was we know each other in real life. I honestly didn’t know you were a big-name aniblogger. Nice to see you start blogging again, even if infrequently. 🙂
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This is kind of interesting to see, as I came to a lot of similar conclusions after a year of blogging, myself. Congrats on making it this far, and I hope you thoroughly enjoy whatever you write in the future!
Also, to echo what others here have said, you seem to have a very intimate grasp of English and its many inane grammar rules (and when it’s okay to break them). It reads very naturally.
Also, I’m kind of getting the feeling that you’re in a STEM field? If so, props to you – I’ve found it to be challenging, fulfilling work that not enough people try out. And if not. . .consider this a heads up that STEM is pretty cool.
I read your first anniversary post before. Hmm. Indeed, ours are kinda similar.
Thank you very much for the kind words! 🙂 One of the reasons I’m going to slow down blogging is that I actually do want to take my time on topics I want to write about. I have a lot of intriguing topics in mind. But being occupied with a lot of things in real life makes it realistically easier for me to just let this blog be for some time and work on those topics whenever I’m free.
Oh, and thank you for that assurance on my English. 🙂
Yes, I am. I’m more in the applied sciences field, more specially food science and technology. Science is very interesting and there’s just so many to learn. My dream was to become an architect or visual artist, though I’m not good enough at the visual arts because I neglected practice for years.
A most hearty congratulations on my part for reaching a year of aniblogging.
Don’t worry about your English. A few grammatical errors but even fluent English speakers mess up once in a while. We all understand the messages you wish to convey each time you post. Keep up the good word whenever you are able.
Don’t worry about having to post on a regular basis. Do it when you feel you the lightbulb inside your brilliant mind lights up ready to inspire your fingers to type away a magnificent worldview.
So yeah rock on at your own pace dood! We’ll all be here to cheer you on to victory.
Thanks, Yuri Headmaster! 🙂
Indeed. I think I’m worrying about my English too much. Knowing that my readers get what I wanted to convey every time is more than enough for me to say I did well myself. Thank you!
As I said in my reply to Kai below, I think I’m accustomed to this irregular blogging schedule now. I feel freer and that more easily makes me inspired whenever I’m dying to wanna share something.
As nano always says, I’ll keep rocking on!
“Unlike anything I have wrongly promised, there will be no sort of “regular schedule” of blogging. Rather, I will not be promising anything regarding my post schedule and content. I may end up writing only once a month or weekly. There could be a time when I may not even write anything at all, then suddenly come back as if the absence was no big deal.
To be honest, it would not be totally strange for me if my blog becomes inactive for a long time. Not that I want to stop blogging anytime soon. But that possibility is present, and I won’t be denying that.”
Hey, like Leap said, don’t feel obligated. Just blog whenever you feel like it, I had been doing the same myself, and it’s working well. And if you feel the need to stop blogging, well, that’s life 😦
And eh, I think your English’s at the very least ten times better than mine :p I feel like I take forever to make a point, though I personally think my writing’s become more focused recently, even if it’s mostly using simple words and not “acutely convoluted” vocabularies, lol. Though my grammar is still as bad as ever.
“I’m also trying to expand my worldview and understand myself and the people around me better by trying to engage in other things like book reading and music appreciation (and if time and resources allow, music making), to name a few. For quite some time now, I am slowly realigning my activities to allow me to get exposed in other interests. It’s embarrassing for me to say that for several years the only thing I’ve been really, really interested in is anime, even though I don’t have a lot of borrowed insider knowledge. I figured it’s not too late to have a change in pace in life. You can say this is also my self-therapy for something that’s burdening me for a while now.”
Definitely! I think this is very important too, and I had also started doing the same, though it’s mostly less intellectual stuffs and just watching movies (after a gap of not actively watching movies for several years), aside from the usual wrestling stuffs. Although part of the reason is that recently, I feel like I’m slightly, just slightly, burned out with anime, so watching other stuffs, especially ones with different culture help.
Anyway, good luck with your working life :p I been there myself, and still struggling, lol; and also grats on the first year 🙂
Thanks. And yep, blogging when I only feel like it pretty much means I’m gonna be blogging at a slower pace than I did in the past months. Normally it would make me feel bad for not writing much, but I’m getting used to this feeling and I don’t feel that bad anymore. That actually makes moments when I find myself writing again very fulfilling times. And that is the feeling that makes me feel good. So, I don’t think I’m going to disappear so soon… yet. 🙂
Yeah, I notice some spelling and grammar mistakes on your blog, too. But nobody’s perfect. Even I commit mistakes upon publishing a new post and only notice them when they’re already out. I remember your tweet before, which was about editing posts after publishing them. The thing with any written material–as I would like to believe–is that there never really is a “finished” version of it. Something is always open for critique and revision for the better. But whatever remains, i.e. what seems to be the final version, is what the author/writer may have wanted it to take form at the time of publication (or if we’re talking about studies, the current technology we have can have influence over our output). That is why writing is a never-ending process. Oops, this is getting sidetracked.
Anyway, I actually appreciate how I learn some new words from you. The way you write with variety is admirable. And I concur that your most recent posts are a lot more on-point than those I read in the past. But, still, I always love your posts (maybe except those on games since I don’t read them, i.e. I’m not a gamer).
Aha, I can relate to that. I’ve been trying to get into movies again as well. I recently made a letterboxd account (the MAL of movies) to go with this additional pasttime. It’s really been fruitful. I now know better that movies can be quite the delightful medium.
Oh, I believe you already know that I’m kind of slowing down with my anime as a result. Like you and froggy, I’d been having anime burnout lately. I don’t know if this is true to you, but I realized that being only exposed to Japanese media I’ve become too short-sighted. Well, this is also because I’m not much of anything else other than an anime watcher. So what I’m doing these days are more diversified. Variety is the key!
Thanks a lot! 🙂 I’ll be having my first exam for a food company on the outskirts of my city. Hope this will be it.
Congrats~!!
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but if I have to force myself to say something and post entries way beyond my real capacity, then it wouldn’t be enjoyable anymore.”
– Don’t be. This is /your/ blog. As much freedom as you have to express yourself in it, equally there is the freedom to take a breather from it. I believe that most writers would agree with me when I say that forcing yourself to write is the quickest way to end up hating it – and I, and all of your readers I’d bet, wouldn’t want to see that happen 😀
It may not mean much from a guy in the same boat (more so when I’ve been drifting about for a while now, lol), but all the same, best of luck.
Hello, Leap! I miss your blog! Hahaha
And thanks! I was a bit unsure if it was right to say “sorry” for not keeping my promises. I mean, if I’m a reader I’d be pretty sad if the blog I like visiting becomes a bit inactive. A part of me didn’t want my readers to feel that way. And a part of me also doesn’t want myself to have to force myself to churn out half-ass’d posts just to consistently put more content in this blog. And this is the conclusion I’ve reached. It’s pretty lax, I must say. But this is the solution I feel most comfortable with. 🙂
And yep, I don’t want to quit writing altogether.
Thanks again, Leap! Looking forward to your future posts as well, no matter how laid-back you can be. XD
Yay, yay! Happy anniversary, Miha-chan! Thanks as always for the mention. I was looking forward to this anniversary post from you. I’m glad that you posted it. Anyway, I agree when you said that blogging feels like a domino effect, and it seems that the most fulfilling aspect of it for us is meeting other bloggers. You just get inspired by their accomplishments, right?
I understand that you may not be able to post regularly, but I appreciate that you still take the time to actively comment on our posts. And even if you’re not that active here on WordPress, at least you’re active on Twitter.
I’m looking forward to the changes that you mentioned. I’m curious about what they’re going to be. I wish you the best of luck on your journey into becoming a working citizen. Cheers!
Thank you so much, Arria-chan! It’s such a big honor to know you, and you even consider my blog one of your favorites. Really, I’m so humbled by this. Thank you. :3
Yep! Absolutely. As I said in my reply to Clarence below, I am really grateful that I’ve taken the baby steps to the blogging scene. It’s really enriching. Isn’t it ironic that even though blogging requires you to sit down and write (most likely indoors!), one would more likely input insights by experiencing more of the world outside one’s own confines? Anyway, that’s my case, and I’m sure it’s the same for some other bloggers, too.
Twitter is where I can rant and just post anything about random life events and interesting things. So yeah, it’s a pretty convenient outlet but can be distracting if you don’t know when to stop using it for a while. I admit I use more time on twitter than I’m supposed to. Gotta fix that too.
Ah, the changes I mentioned are not so much of a deal, or so I’d like to think. Hehe
Yep. For now, I just want to gain experience and earn so I can help with me and my mom’s expenses (and there’s loan, too orz).
Thanks again, Arria-chan!
No problem, Miha-chan. I’m just glad to be blogging buddies with you. Indeed, you’re absolutely right. Blogging can be quite a solitary & sedentary activity, but there are many times that it forces you to actively experience things in the wider world. I really appreciate that.
You make a good point. I can imagine that it must be hard to stop using Twitter for most people, but as for me, I still find myself forcing to tweet just so I can get used to it. Well, most of my tweets are automated and the only times that I actively tweet are when I’m replying to tweets or commenting and of course when retweeting interesting stuff. I still prefer blogging here at WordPress than using Twitter. I’m glad I have people like you & the other WordPress bloggers that I can connect with on Twitter.
Well, I wish you the best. Just endure the current situation in your life, and a better situation will surely come. Cheers!
Congrats on your first year!
Success is determined by our own measurements. It is easy to become overly ambitious. Most of us dream of making a go-to blog that people want to read. But sometimes a blogger’s interests are a little too obscure for such a goal. And that is okay. I write about often obscure topics from an academic’s perspective, for example. My posts are often dry because of this, but it doesn’t matter. Writing is a never ending experiment.
Your English is quite good, by the way.
Best of luck with the next year!
Thanks and welcome to my blog, Chris! I actually read the first few articles on your blog’s first page. They’re very interesting. I wonder why I didn’t discover it sooner… But thanks for dropping by!
Indeed. I’ve come to a realization that I’ll just do whatever I want to do with my blog. I’m not too fixated on the blog’s arbitrary success anymore, but I guess I can say I’m successful with it if I have this sense of fulfillment when I write posts I myself consider insightful. Everything else–the comments, likes, discussions–is a huge payoff for the effort that has gone into each post. For now I can’t say that I’ve contributed much to my own blog’s content, so it’s a pretty open field on which I can paint on. It’s somewhat exciting when I think of it like that.
Blogging has no goal of enriching the reader’s vocabulary, so relax. You’re pretty competent in your English and I say this both as an ESL and a teacher.
Also, not sure if that helps, but I’m in the same boat as you despite being older. Animanga is my big passion and most of my free time is spent on them and I need to go search a bit outside my comfort zone to get new ingredients and spice up the posts.
Congrats for your first year and go with the flow~
Thanks Ayame-chan~ I noticed a few mistakes in this post. Hahaha
You know, it might sound pretty ironic to you, but I’ve come to realize more the importance of breaking down my ignorance of what’s going on around me and around the world when I finally read that article of yours on Otoyomegatari.
Ah, it brings back memories. It hasn’t been that long, but if I didn’t have the courage to leave a comment there, I wouldn’t be talking and discussing things with you like this. 🙂
Congrats on the one year of self and community enrichment. I believe that works and contents from bloggers are invaluable to the progress of the anime community, and also the progress of one self.
Looks like another one are the near the career world. It is an exciting world but could be tiring at times. Hopefully your career and jobs are rewarding and worth the efforts you put in.
Go with your own pace and do what makes you happy!
Thank you. Also, the ‘Manga Bites #003’ post is the post that lead me to know you!
Ah, indeed. If I didn’t start blogging I may have remained in my own tiny shell, apparently oblivious of what’s out there. For someone who stays mostly indoors, interacting with a lot of bloggers have helped me open my shell and begin to see what I’d been turning my back to. I don’t even want to imagine that “what-if.”
Anyway, the point is that I’m really grateful that I’m a blogger. 🙂 I guess I should thank my past self for taking that first step of creating a blog and writing a few posts for starters.
To be honest, I still don’t really know what I want to do with my life. Do I want my being food technologist a lifetime career? There are a lot of incentives in entering this field. It’s high in demand but low on supply of experts. Or do I want to pursue my rather neglected passion, which is the visual arts? I’m still kind of lost, but for now I want to gain experience as a practicing food technologist–and that means I have to apply for a job in the food industry.
Thanks a lot for the well wishes!
Y’know, I’m really glad I wrote that Manga Bites piece. Also met and interacted more with a few anitwitters because of that.
I don’t have much experience in this area, so take this cautiously and skeptically:
I once read that it is better to have your passion as a side job instead, and money-making work/job as your main career. (I forgot where did I read that from. It comes with the assumption that pursuing your passion as the main career is riskier than having a stable but less interesting job, which is often the case, painter vs corporate employee, for example.)
Logically it would make sense. Using painter vs corporate employee for example, money will be a motivation factor for the less interesting day job in a company, while your passion can give you the motivation to work on your paintings on the free time, after the tiring, long hours of work.
Personally, I’m not in this situation (yet), but i think it is logical. Having a stable career will ensure that I will be financially stable, sort of like a safety net (I’m quite towards the safe side of things). However, I did read a bit of argument against that, saying how one should just pursue what he/she likes.
If I’m in this situation, I’m quite sure that I will still go into that more stable career and adopt a wait-and-see attitude for the opportunity to do what I like.
Wow. Yeah, that sounds reasonable, and the way I’m dealing with personal stuff is similar to that. It’s logical, but that really depends on the person.
I’m also the type to play on the safe side and not take too much risks. My family’s not well-off, and I really want to help alleviate our living conditions. My education has been also from the assistance of many people, and that means I’ve had debts here and there that I should pay back–which explains why I’m desperate for a financially stable job at an economically stable company. I’m thinking of broadening my experience first in the industry, or in government institutions if opportunities arise.
So yeah, even if I say I want to pursue my dream job, reality just wouldn’t let me. But having heard (read?) your advice, I’m starting to see that I don’t really have to sacrifice my degrees to do the thing I like doing most.
Thanks a lot! This really helped me see things on the brighter side of my circumstance! I hope you the best as well. 🙂
Congrats on the one year mark. Good luck on whatever the changes you plan on implementing and everything else.
Thanks a lot, Joe! 😀