Tag Archives: Writing

Farewell, another year!

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ReflectionsThis week, as I complete four years of blogging and sharing thoughts, pictures and moments with thousands across the world, I look back to April 2013 when I wrote online for the first time.
In the beginning, I thought this blog would be a platform to express an opinion, show off some pictures and, perhaps, share a recipe or two. I also then pledged I would write, or post something, each day and regularly visit hundreds of other blogs, like and comment on their posts and build up a “network”.
ManamaFour years down the line, that has happened to an extent but what has also happened is that other things have overtaken the will to write, take pictures and generally maintain a presence online.
The daily writing and posting gradually became three to four times a week, then a couple of times and then, weekly. Over the last few months, however, it’s become “as and when there is something”.
BoatsBut in spite of all the “hiccups”, I have managed to maintain a presence, like and comment on some of my followers’ and likers’ blogs and “show off” some of the pictures I take.
I must confess, however, singhcircle.com has become more of a picture portal and not an opinion or a thoughts platform – and this is something I am not really comfortable with. I would once again want it to become what it was in its first few months and what I set it up for initially. This I will certainly strive for.
SunsetI thank all  followers, particularly those who read, like and comment on each and every thing that appears on these pages. There are a few who have been doing so from Day One and they themselves have awesome blogs with thousands of followers and hundreds of comments. It is gratifying to get some very nice and encouraging comments from them.
I will continue to post here as much as possible, perhaps more than what I have been doing of late, but not as much as I did in the earlier days and look forward to the support, the encouragement, the likes and the comments. I promise, also, to be on the Reader far more frequently, going through what those I follow are up to.
Meanwhile, I share four pictures I took of the Bahrain coast in the last few days. Photographs taken on the seashore often always end up with the Manama skyline in the background. These pictures, taken at different times of the evening, and night, have their own stories to tell.

Blogger at Two

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bloggingToday is Day One of my third year at blogging.
When I started in 2013, I had already made an unsuccessful attempt at a presence in cyberspace so I was not sure what it would be like a third time.
However, instead of writing, I started with pictures – to showcase my ‘alleged’ skills with the camera.
I also wrote at times but continued with photos and that’s how it continued.
Gradually, followers started coming in and ‘likers’ increased as well.
That gave me the confidence to keep going.
The attempt was to write or post something each day and I pretty much succeeded the first year.
Year Two was different and not as productive, even though I managed to keep somewhat of a pace.
As I step into Year Three, I thank all those who have followed my posts from around the globe, from places as far away as Zambia and Australia, or as ‘technically-remote’ as Afghanistan and Libya.
This is also a special Thank You to all those who like every post and those who comment fairly regularly, surely after reading it and appreciating.
This is also a Thank You to those who hit the ‘like’ button anyway. That makes me feel good as well.
I have over the last two years, close to 3,000 followers who I think look forward to my posts as much as I look forward to theirs.
The blogging community is a close knit one and we happen to know one another fairly well through our writings and pictures.
This is an ever-growing community that binds us together and strengthens global bonds.
May this tribe grow.

A year on…….

Aside

newspaper-courtesy-of-nickdilulio.files_.wp_.com_I have today (July 1) completed a year in my new job. Or, to put it in another way, a year away from mainline journalism.
I cannot say I have not enjoyed myself – in fact, I have loved the discipline, the early to work and early home routine, plenty of time at my disposal etc but in one corner of my mind, I do miss the hustle and bustle of journalistic life.
And, even in Bahrain, where “nothing ever happens”, it’s been a few eventful years that I spent at the now defunct Bahrain Tribune and the Gulf Daily News. Of course, the high point of any journalist’s career are so-called “civil disturbances” when the eyes of the world are on you. And, I was there in the thick of things during those unfortunate events of 2011.
Those days are, thankfully, behind us and Bahrain has moved on, once again, to become a place “where nothing happens.”
That said, the responsibility that comes with my now year-old job as well as the “attention” that I get all the time makes me not miss the days when I was on the job 48 hours a day, 14 days a week, 60 days a month. There was no night, no day, no afternoon naps, no peaceful lunches, no parties, no outings, gatherings or celebrating occasions. Everything hinged on the unexpected – and that could be a car turning turtle somewhere or a fire in someone’s backyard. citizen-journalism
It could also mean being woken up at 3 am by a friendly paramedic who reported a major fire or a co-operative hospital employee who called me on a Friday to say some fishermen rescued from the sea had checked into the emergency Room.
Even now, when I see an “incident” on the road I almost always jump to “cover” it and realise instantly it’s not my job any more. I do alert friends at the newspaper sometimes but mostly look the other way. After all, they also have a job to do – like I did.
Coming back to the present, I am frankly not really liking the sleeping and taking a nap bit when I return from work but try to utilise the time as much as possible to go on picture walks – and work on a book of picture that, I hope, will see light of day soon!
But, yes, I have no regrets, no emotions.
After all, I am here because my new employers needed me – and those at the newspaper did not!

A year on…….

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blogIt’s been a year today that I wrote my first blog.
On April 27 last year, I had no idea what blogging was; how I would do; what I would write and whether it would continue!
Three hundred and sixty-five days on, I have written or posted 395 blog posts, have raked up 12,765 hits and run up 2,262 followers. I have sure come a long way from my first post (http://singhcircle.com/2013/04/27/suq-reborn-2/).
To say the least, I have surprised even myself. I never thought I had it in me, even to continue for a few weeks. I did not imagine I would end up posting an average of more than a post a day, be it a picture, a quote, a narrative or even a picture caption!
But it has happened.
And I have to thank those sceptics who claimed I would not “go beyond a few posts” and those who said “blogging is just a fad you will soon outgrow” for my determination to go on!
While I initially though I would work to prove them wrong, over the weeks and months, I have begun to enjoy just being online and am now able to write, or blog about anything – from an incident I faced, to something I saw, from a childhood memory or what I think is a picture worth sharing. It’s all happened – and continue to happen.bl
As I embark on the Year Two journey, I have a special mention for all the followers of singhcircle.com, from photographers, gardeners, engineers, doctors, pet and animal lovers, travellers, students, musicians, chefs, men, women, teenagers.
A special Thank You to the handful who have made it a point to ‘like’ every blog post that I do, and even comment in appreciation of some; thanks also to the scores of bloggers I follow and read and who continue to inspire, particularly those who take beautiful and awesome pictures. Applause, too, for family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues who have often commented in person on what they liked or disliked about a particular narrative or picture!
All in all, it’s been a very encouraging year.
I hope I am able to improve, and write even more, not only for my ‘feel good’ factor but also for those who read me. I wish I could be as good, or even come close to, some of those I follow and those who follow me.
That’s no easy task. But there is hope.
As a wise man said once: Don’t strive to be perfect; because if you are so, you will never improve!