Quite Quaintly So
December 13th, 2009
i have a huge final paper due in exactly 24 hours, but i felt like i needed to talk about something, so here i am, feeling rampantly candid at this unfortunate time.
when i first moved my private blog to quaintly.net, i was a 17 year old girl who simply had a lot of things to say, and was very lucky to have a space to say it. as i was going on 18, i began to gain traction as a “blogger” and quickly learned what was appropriate and not appropriate in this strange, new world that was thinly populated but widely supervised by some of the most outspoken of society. there was a time when i frantically would say, no no i am not a ‘blogger’, but that quickly became counter-social. so by the time i was 19, i’d found myself quite by accident in a cozy spot of the world wide web, in which people would come to find me and read what meager things i have to say about my life and the world around it. i liked the camaraderie, the growing strength of my fledgling written word, the partaking of alien insights, and other tidbits that i would fortuitously find under this slightly larger canopy of my existence. this was also when i started to make a lot of money from blogging. by 20, i was getting advice on how to manage my blog and turn it into a business opportunity. this silly, pink thing which wasnt even a .com! remember, blog more about certain topics, less about the politics, less of the emo, more of the pictures, you all know the drill.
the truth is, i’d stumbled quite accidentally into this. i was growing up and learning how to find my own voice, yet i had to quickly learn how to accommodate as many people as possible in order to have the most effective voice of all. i know, i know — write for yourself and not for others. but listen to me. that’s not always the case. every now and then you have to write what other people want to read. sometimes writing what other people want to read is also writing for yourself. it’s the blogger’s theoretical win-win situation at its very best example.
my problem was that it wasn’t so easy for me. i knew the formula for becoming a popular female blogger — or even the most popular female blogger — and it’s not a difficult one, but it just wasn’t a place that someone as neurotic as i am could occupy. i worry about everything– what if too many photos of myself made people think i was ditzy? what if an excess of sentimental text bored people? what if i hung out with ‘top bloggers’ and they felt like i was only hanging out with them to get traffic? what if i linked a certain celebrity blogger and he thought i was only doing it to elicit a link back? how do i adhere to the formula without trading too much of my own voice? how does one know what the optimal balance is? why don’t other bloggers have this problem?
i know of very few bloggers who share the same problem as i do, mostly because everyone else takes a firm stand on which side of the fence they belong on, and we don’t. we try very hard to reside in both areas, thinking that a compromise is better than giving up one side, but we — or i — end up being nowhere. we want to maintain some sense of groundedness, but the competition of being a mainstream blogger is one that is so highly engaging. and so very, very sticky. i think most of the top bloggers can attest to how easy it is to get sucked into the contest, and how easy it is to feel like they need to start masquerading in a mainstream performance to gain more traffic or advertorials when their “competitor” or a blogger they “don’t like” starts doing better in those terms.
i’ve always had the philosophy that it is a beautiful thing when people are comfortable in their uniqueness, celebrate their little deviations, and resist conforming to the norm. which is why i am oftentimes sad and very disappointed when i look at what i’ve done with my blog so far. i stumbled into this, found a cozy number of readers in my hands, and had absolutely no fucking clue what to do with them. so for the longest time, i tried to juggle by playing two different tunes to two very different crowds. it was only very recently that i decided to exit the race, and just do what the lazy me likes to do, whatever that may be at the given point in time. putting serious effort into blogging and working hard to maintain an audience is for the pros, really. they are very, very good at what they do, and i can only watch and admire as someone who is not in their league and cannot pretend to be.
however, the effect of playing two tunes with one instrument has its lasting effects and these are sometimes irreversible, especially when it matters. even when it doesn’t matter, they can be irreversible too. i occasionally talk to my friends about a particular category of readers, which i don’t quite have a name for, but describe more or less in terms of- “when i first met her, she pretended that she didn’t know about my blog, but come on“. at the risk of sounding vainglorious, this does actually happen, and quite often too, because it is a necessary effect of the two tune, one instrument thing. i’ve met many, many people who pretended to not have ever heard of me or “oh i probably read your blog once a year or something”, but then i’d later find out from their friends or some other serendipitous source that she or he has been reading my blog for a long time, or reads my blog often enough to know about some things s/he alleged to not know. these things are easily proven, of course, and just as easy to fish out of an unsuspecting pretender who’s unaware that other people can pretend too. i am often asked if i get creeped out by people who approach me saying that they are fans of my blog, but i can firmly say that i love the honesty and friendliness of such people. i am so touched by their warmth. the people i do get creeped out most by, actually, are the aforementioned ones who prefer pretending to my face that they don’t read my blog.
i know the few reasons why it happens. sometimes they’re shy and it’s a personal choice to not want to appear like they’re taking an interest in a complete stranger’s life. this i take no issue with, and fully respect the decision of. but sometimes — and these are the creepy ones — there are those who simply don’t want to acknowledge to me, others, or their selves that they spend any time reading this insipid, self-centered blog of a 21 year old girl’s life, whether daily, weekly, once a year, or having accidentally clicked on my link once. sometimes i think it’s funny (”waiiiiit, oh my godddd, you mean youuuuuu are pinkpau?”), but most of the time, the dishonesty and the two-facedness sincerely scares me when i do find out about it. i start wondering if i really want to be friends with someone who reads about my life and my opinions, but asks me questions and engages in conversations with me as if they didn’t already know my thoughts and answers on these issues. or worse, if they’d also been going around proclaiming things like how a pink blog of a 21 year old is just too shallow! for their refined tastes!
a big reason of why this blog is still pink is because i’ve simply been too lazy to change the layout, but a tantamount reason is because i’m not particularly bothered to sustain the interests of people who hurriedly remove themselves from a blog just because it is a shade of color that they associate with things that are ‘beneath’ them. of course, not all the creepy ones have a pink aversion, but a significant portion do. it’s sad, but there’s not much i want to do about it. i’m sure there are many black and white blogs out there to read. in fact, i had an ex boyfriend who complained to his best friend that he thought my blog was … what were the words … moronic, pink, stupid. when i found out, he had a million excuses about how it was all simply an exhibition of male pride, but seriously, fuck that. if he couldn’t deal with a little color flush and some emotional writing, then that’s fine, don’t — but why hound me for the rest of the relationship over how i never blog about him?
likewise, random people who pretend that they’ve never heard my blog, and moreover, enjoy so much the crumbly judgment they find themselves so capable of passing about people they barely know — it’s fine if you don’t find my blog suited to your eggbox constraints of what a blog should be. but please, save me the big smiles and the faux friendliness. what, really, do you know about me? and what is this attempted interaction really about? you must need a favour. it shames me too that you once upon a time accidentally clicked on my unsuspecting link.
this has veered off into a somewhat angry direction. apologies- i’ve digressed. what was my point? that we live in a strange world where people lift so many assumptions over their heads. i was talking to a friend earlier about how easy it is to misconstrue a person’s entire constitution, especially with this very human habit of trusting in self-constructed truths. a tip: dream a little, live a little– not everything or everyone can be so neatly defined and understood, especially with faculties as imperfect and incomplete as ours.
and a tip to myself: dream a little, live a little– not everything or everyone can be so neatly defined and understood, especially with faculties as imperfect and incomplete as yours.
to the folks who have been reading for however long, people who have so graciously taken the time to write me comments and emails, and have come up to say hi even if it was in the middle of a meal or in the midst of a large education forum, and people who have been so kind to tell me they read my blog every now and then, i thank you muchly. an equally huge thank you to the people who hate the colour pink, but still find the tenacity to keep reading! (especially you men reading from the office, who write in so politely to request a color change– your emails make me giggle so! color change hopefully soon, when i become less lazy).
each time i log onto my quaintly dashboard, i am excited to write because there are people who think that the simple things i have to say about life and the world are worth the crucial currency of their time and interest. time and interest taken in something is such an honour for that something, so i thank you. how do i properly thank you? :)
Entry Filed under: Rants
112 Comments Add your own
1. missfiona | December 13th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
thank youuuu. thank us by writing more! :)
2. liz | December 13th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
missfiona, that was exactly what i have in mind! =D write more. i love reading your blog posts, even if sometimes, i have a tendency to skip some posts =p
and owh, what’s wrong with pink? it isn’t too pink. i’ve seen others with much more pink.
and i love the emotional posts. whatever emotions you’re having at that time. i find them poignant. very moving. like the space heater and snow post. totally love it.
keep blogging. don’t care about what others think, because for every one who disses your blog, there’s another five who loves it (statistically not proven by the way)
good luck for your finals =)
3. kimberlycun | December 13th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
i know the formula too – plastic surgery and the occasional display of thought process (stolen by someone else).
4. WP | December 13th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Hehe, that’s happened to me before too…having exams coming up but just felt like I had to write something.
I don’t know which of your posts exactly are purely “for others”, but I think that if you’re writing something that others like to read but are happy doing so, everything’s just fine. The only thing you shouldn’t do is to force yourself to write something that you really don’t want to write just because of an “obligation” to your readers. We don’t pay to read your blog, nor do we pay you to write it, so we take what we can get, and as it is, you do have many interesting posts (I admit that I’m not interested by everything under the sun, so sometimes I do skip posts) and that is why I come back to read your blog.
As the comments before me say, write on! ;)
5. Nicholas | December 13th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Had been a visitor to your blog after linked over by kenny after the Mount Kinabalu hike of you two. How to properly thank ar? A hug or a kiss lo, u pick one :P
6. kiasu andrew | December 13th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
DO NOT CHANGE THE COLOUR
7. kiasu andrew | December 13th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
ESPECIALLY AFTER YOU CHANGED THE FONT SIZE
8. carol | December 13th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
pink is a perfectly fine, intellectual color! /defensive
hugsies. i like your blog for what it is. whether it’s photos or thought-purging or whatever. and i think many people will echo my thoughts.
and i love you for who are =)
mwah.
9. reallybites | December 13th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
eh private blog? are you sureeee?
i like the pink! don’t change!
10. Lisa Cheah | December 13th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I have been reading your blog for a while and I love it!
Heck, I go around telling people you need to read Pinkpau! :P
Haha!
Oh, and next time if anyone dares to say you are too pink! Here is a blog I stumbled upon last week. They can take their complains to her or something instead!
http://if-it-comes-in-pink.blogspot.com/
The name says it all.
11. SAMANTHA | December 13th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
U R NT CHANGING THE COLOUR!
12. axiao | December 13th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I read your blog coz u r so good in writing! Keep on writing..
13. michelle | December 13th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
being unique. :) i take that as a form of thanks.
and oh, ice cream too.
14. nileey | December 13th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
what’s wrong pink? Please don’t change it!
15. junkit | December 13th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
i like your blog! the pink is fine. :) i’ve gotten used to it, don’t change it!
16. ashiebee | December 13th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
i liiiikeee reading your blog too, although i hardly leave comments! keep on writing ohkay **hugs**
and oh, pink is fine as well! ok whaaaaat ;))
17. jasmine | December 13th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
sometimes i find you going on about the same issues in a whiny, why-can’t-pinkpau-live-a-little-larger way, but i read your blog for the beautiful writing and damn am i jealous you can write so well. :) it’s a gift!
i tell people you’re one of the best (in the ’self centered, emotional, 21 yr old’ category). :)
18. KY | December 13th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
i don’t care if your blog is pink or green, but you must come to the party!
19. foong jin | December 13th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
your inspiring and beautiful posts are more than enough thanks, i believe. :D of all the “bloggers” i think you are the one who needs the least conforming, because your talent speaks volumes. people who come here regularly are not here for bimbo pictures or gossips, so there’s no need to pander to the odd few since there are countless blogs on stuff like that already :)
20. dinosaur | December 13th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
i like your writing. it remind me of someone whom i admire as i was growing up. Cos she writes very well too. She stopped writing her blog a long time ago. And as such i turn to you for my daily reading.
And I know how it felt about people reading your blogs. It’s creepy sometime, but you will still carry on for the non creepy who leave an occasional comment that warms your heart.
21. 'cia | December 13th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
say…how to thank me ah ?
very easy. just keep at it.
to put it simply, I like the way you write and you always keep me coming back for more :)
22. JustiN | December 13th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Everything is fine the way it is. You inspire, you intrigue, and you make people laugh. You write your heart out and it shows.
dont change anything la.
oh, and the pink is ok what.
23. wei | December 13th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Thank you for writing =)
24. ubikentang | December 13th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
don’t we all at certain points in life hide our true self beneath our facade to talk, act and behave the way other people expect of us?
anyway, it’s good to hear that you’ve made this promise to yourself to write what is most important to you, rather than pander to other people’s demands. keep writing! love your beautiful weaving of ideas into words as always. :)
25. winnie | December 13th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
i’ve been a regular silent reader up until now, but i simply must echo what missfiona commented: thank us by writing more!
26. LennyTheLion | December 13th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
You’re welcome. Just stay true to yourself, be it pink or whatever shade of color you like..you can’t please everyone but in the first place…why should you?!
“Ne sutor supra crepidam”
27. Elaynne | December 13th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Don’t stop doing what you do! You have no idea how you have influenced some of our lives!!
28. Lily | December 13th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Pinkpau, that was the most beautiful and honest entry. You have no idea how much I adore reading your thoughts. I actually enjoy your posts among other top bloggers because you somehow maintain that dignity of blogging on things that matter to you no matter how brief. Your eye, your words, your thoughts are all inspiring are beautiful, like a hot chocolate on a rainy day. Your way of writing has influenced me on how I write sometimes, and I really, really hope you don’t stop doing what you do. Whatever path you take, the essence of quaintly.net is what that really keeps people coming back to read you, and so no matter what path you take, I believe many of us would still read and support you.
29. nick lim | December 13th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
you are the best! i love you! keep on going :)
30. Evilbat | December 13th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Jasmine:
Regarding your rather harsh comment:
“i tell people you’re one of the best (in the ’self centered, emotional, 21 yr old’ category). :)”
Please label boxes rather than people. It is much easier to write inconsiderate words than to defuse the consequences of them.
At the same time, anyone who knows Pinkpau in person will immediately disregard your statement because of how untrue it is. Although most 21 year old women are somewhat emotional, I would bank that Pinkpau does much more philanthropic work than you ever have.
I look forward to your more considerate and truthful comments in the future.
31. sweatlee | December 13th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
heheh i know how you can thank me hehe *wiggles eyebrows
i like long emo/serious/ranty posts that are not too vague! too stupid to figure out if too vague wtf
i ♥ u muah!
32. Evilbatman | December 14th, 2009 at 12:01 am
what other colour could you be? everything about you is pink, from your skin to name :P
33. hannna | December 14th, 2009 at 12:26 am
if you change the pink, will you still be pinkpau? or like…greenpau? (which sort of sounds gross)
34. hannna | December 14th, 2009 at 12:27 am
ooh you should totally have a secret identity skin/theme, for discreet-reading in the office. like how one of lemony snicket’s books came with a reversible cover that can be used to hide its real reading content :P
35. ShenQ | December 14th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Don’t stop writing. That would be thank you enough. As much as you worry about being into the main stream bloggers, I think you are doing fine IMHO.
Keep up and take care.
Sq
36. xiao | December 14th, 2009 at 12:37 am
change the font size back >:( it feels ‘unpinkpau’ *shock gasp awe*
hahaha. as the thread goes, write more! I thank you for having your wonderful words in public for us to read :)
37. Xin | December 14th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Perfect blog u had !!! Support pinkpau all the times !!!
38. Sharon | December 14th, 2009 at 1:12 am
I love reading your posts,
You love writing the posts.
win-win?
:D
39. kindaichi | December 14th, 2009 at 3:06 am
i lived near where you worked as an intern in kl. i always hoped we would meet around that area. but i caught you most unexpectedly at a kopitiam in imbi one afternoon. you were with your parents. i had the urge to go forward to say hi but was simply too shy :P, not one of those two-faced ppl…
i love reading your posts with or without pics. please dont stop :)
40. yvo | December 14th, 2009 at 3:16 am
pictures, i love :)
41. flory | December 14th, 2009 at 3:20 am
please keep the pink! i used to hate it but it’s really grown on me. and it reminds me of brigitte bardot’s gingham dresses. also, your blog is what little blogettes want to be when they grow up and stop tYpiN LyK Dis. don’t stop the pinkpau
42. zheng | December 14th, 2009 at 3:41 am
It’s a triumph to write like that, and not confined yourself into turning like amongst others. Because they ripped smtg out of you and thats something very very rare for a writer nowadays. If you cant be a blogger that earns, be a writer that earns, that’ll show them. Even with the pink, its not that bad to the extend of maleviolence, they are soft pink!
If you must know, your writing are done so beautifully and respectfully to yourself and me, as a reader. Some of them i’m glad to have read.
Dont stop the wild thing frm growing :)
43. Resurrected | December 14th, 2009 at 4:29 am
Been a silent reader for a while. Well, you are doing a great job, pink or not, in writing beautifully, straight from the gut/heart, with wit and intelligence. =) So keep it up!
44. yiwin | December 14th, 2009 at 4:43 am
Been a reader so some time, and seldom comment so i guess that makes me a “silent reader.” But if i were to see you on the streets, i will definitely hope to muster enough courage to say hi. :)
Keep writing, you write really well. And with honesty. :)
45. jon | December 14th, 2009 at 4:50 am
lol..u can always drop by my blog and say hi. Lol. Great post
46. Choonit | December 14th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Hi! Can’t believe I still read your blog after almost.. a year?!
I’ve been enjoying your writings, but to be honest I do skip some posts. But that’s okay, right?
I suggest you just to keep writing whatever you want. This your blog so you own the highest authority. ^_^
And oh, I’m not a big fan of pink, but I’m okay with your blog color. After all, it’s not very pink.
47. bjk | December 14th, 2009 at 5:02 am
i’ve been reading your blog for years! most of the time i leave this blog with a dont-know-what-u’re-trying-to-convey thought but hey i still love how u jumbled your emotions+vocabs!!
keep writing! dont change your layout coz this layout is already labelled pinkpau. i’ll not get used to another pair of eyes up there.
48. Tim | December 14th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Oh whew I thought it was going to end with “..and so I am closing down this blog kthxbai!”
49. mg | December 14th, 2009 at 5:45 am
i really like reading your blog altho i did not leave that many comments. thanks for writing!! and pink is fun! :)
50. TummyRumble | December 14th, 2009 at 6:49 am
yea man.. Thats what I’ve been thinking about also recently. Even at the bottom of the food chain, you can see other blogs mass publicising themselves on your page and sometimes you think, WTF.. Traffic stealer… But I soon came to realise that, nah, its not worth it, I can’t’ be bothered, do wtv you want. Even close friends can become enemies through blogging and traffic stealing. I find this rather stupid as people are trying to fight over traffic. So, in the end, just cut yourself from it and don’t really give 2 sh*t to what other people are doing. As long as you feel comfortable with it, then screw wtv others thing. =)
51. TummyRumble | December 14th, 2009 at 6:50 am
think*
52. Cayenne | December 14th, 2009 at 7:16 am
owh phew. seriously i thought u gonna close down ur whole blog. i’m a secret stalker of ur blog for quite some time edi. u’re really good in expressing urself with words. saluting that. keep writing and there’s nothing wrong with pink. it’s just the best color the resemble urself. =)
53. jasmine | December 14th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Dear Pinkpau,
Carol notified me that you (and apparently evilbat) feels my comment was harsh and inconsiderate. I sincerely apologize if you feel that way. :( It was really a jovial, direct comment but well, I suppose I’m learning to only do that to friends I know well.
Evilbat, I did not say that pinkpau is self centred and emotional, I said her blog is (and she said so herself in the above post). In my opinion, self centered and emotional writing isn’t necessarily bad. Again, I probably forgot about the negative connotations often attached to these words.
fyi, i’d also put my blog in the self centered, emotional, 21 yr old category…
So again, Su Ann, I am really really sorry if my comment hurt you. Do take care in the States.
54. misshazel | December 14th, 2009 at 8:16 am
i love you for who you are. <3 <3 <3
55. melissa | December 14th, 2009 at 8:17 am
i don’t think you need to say thank you to us as your blog readers – i read your blog because i love the way you blog! :) good luck for your final paper too, and I hope cathay take you off their waitlist ASAP!
56. Charlotte | December 14th, 2009 at 8:37 am
I’ve stopped reading many blogs like kennysia, cheeserland, xiaxue. No offence to them.
But I still enjoy reading yours. :)
I do spot traces of the ‘formula’ every now and then… but.
I hope you still continue writing the way you do. :) you’re uniquely you. :)
ps. I think why not keep your blog the colour pink if that’s the way you like it? :)
57. tea | December 14th, 2009 at 8:39 am
don’t change the colour pinkpau! i don’t really favour pink but this wouldn’t be quaintly.net if it was any other colour :(
58. Charlotte | December 14th, 2009 at 8:45 am
As a blog reader I would like a blog to be in the blogger’s favourite colour. Not a colour to accomadate other people. You know what I mean?:)
That’s just how I like it. :) But it’s your decision to make in the end. :)
59. aud | December 14th, 2009 at 9:16 am
u know how you know you’re a good blogger? cos all your readers have good english WTF cos i think it takes a certain standard of intellect, language command & wit to be attracted to your blog :)
60. ying swan | December 14th, 2009 at 9:32 am
pinkpau is always the first link i click on when i do my daily blog readings =)
61. clem | December 14th, 2009 at 9:47 am
pink or not, i read your blog religiously for writing mojo.
62. kreazi | December 14th, 2009 at 10:13 am
just keep on writing su ann. tht’ll be a great favour if you really wanna thank your readers :) I can’t rber if it’s close to 2 or 3 years that i’ve been reading your blog… and I must admit that this is one of the very few blogs tht I really look forward to reading, and never got bored of. Even a simple blog post with only words is enough to make me come back for more :)))
63. khian | December 14th, 2009 at 10:27 am
quaintly, i love u
64. sheon | December 14th, 2009 at 11:26 am
but i actually like the color pink….. but i still hate (ok, dislike) cupcakes!
65. wai2kit | December 14th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Lol pink is definitely okay! It’s soothing in a way.
By the way i actually started blogging due to peer pressure and all last time but in time it actually became one of my hobby. I now don’t update my blog cos i HAVE to but i WANT to.
P/S: I enjoy reading your blog like many others do. I’ve also stopped reading some other girl’s blog who ‘advertise’ themselves a lot in their blog.
66. Wan shin | December 14th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Dear Su Ann,
all ur wordy posts r why I love reading ur blog so much =) please dun turn into another commercialized blog full of ads.
67. bs | December 14th, 2009 at 11:44 am
yeah thank us simply by writing more!!!!
68. Deanna | December 14th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Pinkpau, dare I say you are the only text-only blogger that I follow (I do enjoy your pictures now and then, but I can also follow your text-only entries too). :)
There’s just something about your writing that helps me visualize what you’re saying. Thank you for not giving up writing/blogging!
69. Alex | December 14th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I’ve been a silent reader for a long time and I just wanted to say that you and your blog are awesome and I love reading it. =)
70. jh | December 14th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
your blog is the only blog where i read and re-read every single word of a post, to decipher the true meaning or just merely for pure enjoyment of your writing =)
but i do agree with sweatlee tho, it gets frustrating when i couldn’t understand what you’re trying to convey in your vague posts!
made me felt stupid. LOL. still love them alot tho. they form a major part of my attempt at improving my vocabulary and self-expression =)
71. Stranger | December 14th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
and hi, I read your blog and hope that’s not creeping you out!
/goes back hiding in the bush or whatnot.
72. TC | December 14th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
i read yr blog because I want to re-live my uni days through yr words. I did my uni in boring old Mel, Oz and you are doing yr uni in the most exciting city in the world. Enjoy it!
I am 37 yos (Msian) with 3 daughters and living in Queens, NYC now. Maybe I’ll see you around the streets of Manhattan.
73. Marlene | December 14th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I read every new entry that comes up and still enjoying them very much… even though to be completely honest I don’t understand every post… but understood this one! Keep them coming!
74. sara | December 14th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
i don’t understand why people dislike the idea of a pink blog so much, as it is only a colour, and does not represent the content of something. so it’s a girly colour, yeah discovery of the century! i do think you’ve got a very nice blog layout, one that does not ‘age’ with time. some blog layouts do get boring with time but yours is not one of them. plus it’s not garish at all, not one bit. and i think it’s rather lovely!
hmm it’s rather strange that people around you associate you with a lot of negativity of blogging and blogs, and i honestly can’t see why. you rant about what you feel, almost ALL the blogs i’ve come across have people doing it, though perhaps not as eloquently as you. iperhaps people find it intimidating. /idk. think blogs are meant to be a little more self centred don’t you think? though perhaps not in all its literalness.
the thing i find that some people don’t get is that studying abroad can do many things to you. and it throws you a lot of lemons than say being in the comfort of family at home. you are finding yourself, and it’s what you’ve been talking about. big deal people!!!! perhaps it is this that they do not click with. open people divulging their thoughts. then again, i might be going at a tangent from what you are trying to express, since words can be deciphered more ways than one.
it sounds like this blog has been a source of many emotions :/ well to those ppl who say ‘waiiiiit, oh my godddd, you mean youuuuuu are pinkpau?” take it with a pinch of salt, with a little bit of stride and know that if it happens again, toughen up, slap on some vaseline and a thick faced mask and smile :)
good luck with your undertakings! i totally love your blog to bits!
75. Serene | December 14th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
You are awesome. And you write awesome.
76. Cheryl | December 14th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Hey. I think you have very good opinions to share. Though sometimes, freedom of expression will be questioned by some, it seems worthwhile to write for those who don’t question it, nevertheless. So, keep up the good work ;)
77. Kim Ong | December 14th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
The pink is to trick people into believing you’re ditzy but when ppl start reading, they’d be taken aback. Aha!!
I think your blog is one of a kind, one that uses the kind of strong English, with deep English vocab other bloggers (like me too) fail to emulate. :)
Keep it up, I’m loving what’s beneath the pink.
Muax muax.
78. peach | December 14th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
keep writing :)
you’re awesome!
79. twinkle | December 14th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Ok pinkpau, change your pink karer to emm let me see… what huh? More intellectual colour like… dunno la!!
Hayaaa.. pink is OK.. Keep on writing. Your English is good, very puitis one.. and I believe some people might copy and paste…
DUn worrih la… good lak on your final…
80. yvonne | December 15th, 2009 at 2:13 am
by writting more. xxoo
81. Anonymous | December 15th, 2009 at 2:37 am
This is by far your most interesting & thought provoking writing. You are amazing..
82. jun | December 15th, 2009 at 3:11 am
well, you can thanks us by writing more. hehe…
every time, i’m excited when i saw new post in your blog because i knew you’re going to write a beautiful and moving post. your words touched me and inspired me and made me have this strange feeling that think the world a much more happy place.
oh, and pink is fine with me. tak kan you want change yellow or whatsoever colour and call yourself pinkpau right? is your signature colour.
83. vvens | December 15th, 2009 at 3:31 am
hey su ann! this is my first time commenting from my office, and when i wanted to comment, i saw the name column is field! OH! my ex colleague must have been reading and commenting in your blog! :) :)
anyway, no matter what colour are you changing it to, i still enjoy to read your blog. the emo ones, the random ones and the pictorial ones. er, but i don’t understand politic ones :(
84. howzan | December 15th, 2009 at 4:04 am
i used to read lots of blogs to kill time, and also blogged myself. but i soon realised that i’m not good at writing. and what i wanted to convey just didn’t turn out too good in words. which is why i read yours! i have always admired your flair in writing and how sometimes what you wrote is exactly my thoughts as well.
i stopped reading some of the higher traffic blogs because “oh wait if i have a pinkberry i can comment on this post anywhere i want and in the process i get bonus talktime bonus this bonus that until the end of the month” it gets annoying with too many ads.
anyway, thank YOU for writing and entertaining us with your blog posts (emo or non emo, still a good read).
85. eyeris | December 15th, 2009 at 4:35 am
But your name is PINKpau. How can you NOT be PINK? :p
Oh, and the middle of the fence is a happy place. Traffic? What traffic? :D
86. zzzyun | December 15th, 2009 at 5:30 am
haha what’s wrong with the colour pink?
blogs shld not be taken at face value. it’s the content that counts :)
anyway, i’ve been reading a long time but didn’t leave alot of comments. wanna let u know that i enjoy reading ur wordy posts especially.
keep it up! and write for yourself too!
87. Mar | December 15th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Say thank you by, um, saying thank you.
Hey, colours can change and blend, but it’s the inner you that’s permanent. Keep that intact and you’ll stay sane (not saying that you’re insane now though.. ^.^ )
Love the flowy, flowery, eloquent, dreamy, passage that you lead us (your readers) into with every post, and all I can say is, keep em coming and do your best for the exams. All zee best~
88. lishun | December 15th, 2009 at 7:11 am
top of my blogroll, you are! even before your move to quaintly.net. =)
btw remember the encounter we had in alexis? at least my friend was honest about being a fan! hehe.
89. eternityStar | December 15th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Hi,i have been following your blog for some time, i think about 5 months but never leave you message. This post made me feel like I should somehow leave some foot print here :p I like your writing very very much and I enjoy reading them. You are so good in it. Write more and don’t care others =) Be yourself!
90. Zeek | December 15th, 2009 at 9:14 am
i read quaintly.net becuz lately the post is so long tis like reading an article. WTF?! its ok about the pink wallpaper, small matter. if those who dont like it, just ignore it la. :)
i know pinkpau the blogger, but not SuAnn.
91. caffy | December 15th, 2009 at 9:18 am
nooo pinkpau noooo! How is pinkpau pinkpau if her blog is not pink!
Now to serious stuff: I don’t much care how your blog looks like (but I think this layout and this shade of pink is very you – frivolous [in a good way], light-hearted and girly yet wistful and insightful – or maybe the colour is so merely through association with you), but I like how what you write is genuine and heartfelt. Your blog is now one of the only blogs kept by people I’ve never spoken to (”celebrity” bloggers’ I’ve all abandoned – but you’re more than that!), that I read and try to keep up with every post. I love reading what you write about your life, about things big or small, because sometimes, it gives me insight to mine. You’re one of my favourite authors (though unpublished – hurry up and write already! That sounds so selfish, but oh, you wouldn’t know how addictive what you write is!), and sometimes I find sentences your wrote floating in the midst of my stream of though, like the many quotes from books, plays and poems I’ve studied by the likes of Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, Oscar Wilde, Sylvia Plath, Wordsworth, and Virginia Woolf. Instead of pretending I’ve never read your blog, I’d gladly proclaim I do, and urge everyone who loves good writing, or has any sense, to read it.
And quaintly.net insipid, moronic or stupid! You have got to be kidding me. They are the ones who are insipid, moronic or stupid, them who says that! It’s dreamy insightful, honest, meaningful, and beautiful. As for being self-centered: so those who write about their lives, complete with camwhore, photoshop-ed pictures every post, aren’t? While you, who wrote things like your previous post, are? Thank you pinkpau, for the many many thought inspiring, beautiful posts thus far, I love you (and your very rightly pink blog) the way you are. Sorry for sounding a pompous, too.
92. joyce | December 15th, 2009 at 9:33 am
hi su ann. :) you’re very welcome. as said by many previous commenters, simply thank us by writing more! if i do meet you in person, i’d be slightly embarrassed because of that e-mail i sent to you. however, i’ve learnt that i should not dwell on the stupidity of my impulsiveness and rash actions, instead laugh and learn from my mistakes, and i hope you’ve forgiven me if i’d offended you in any way. i know that readers can only know so much about a person from her blog, so purely judging from your blog posts, you’re a precious and rare gem, so keep on rocking our world with your awesome writing! :)))
i second caffy!!! how is pinkpau pinkpau if her blog is not pink!
93. quaintly | December 15th, 2009 at 11:22 am
you folks are all so wonderful :)))))))) i must have done something right in my past life.
and i didnt think that so many people didnt mind the pink! i get a lot of very polite (and oftentimes very cute) emails from guys, girls who dont like the color, and people who work in places where non-work related surfing has to be done discreetly, and people who generally think that i should be outgrowing the color by now, so i always assumed that a colour change would be for the better. haha. so you guys are either really cool or really tolerant. :)
i dont know if you guys noticed but i’ve been perlahan-lahan phasing out penggunaan nama pau merah jambu dari belog saya. ini bermula semenjak saya realized bahawa banyak kawan2 saya dari koleeej sedang meng-enjin cari (wtf) nama itu dan terdapat belog saya… so saya panik dan cuba mengremovekan nama itu dari aktiviti internet saya. but then i’ve since realized that it’s too late because of enjin cari cacheing… haih. takpe lah, mungkin baik juga that i grow up a little bit :) tetapi i will always feel like a pau merah jambu…!
94. CV | December 15th, 2009 at 11:56 am
To be honest, there is only one reason to read your blog –
Authenticity.
95. Abby | December 15th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
HAHA WHY U SUDDENLY WRITE IN MALAY! anyway I like your blog also :)
96. Claire | December 15th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
what’s wrong with pink? it’s a sweet colour afterall.. :)
i’d admit that i read your blog, just love the style of your writing and how you could be so true in your words.. :)
97. sylvia | December 15th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
we all luv pink color. what’s wrong with it? Luv your writing…
98. ShaolinTiger | December 15th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Sorry who are you? I don’t read your blog.
But I love pink.
BTW you thank us by writing MORE AWESOME ENTRIES LIKE THIS.
99. Justin | December 16th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Echoing the previous comments, DO NOT change the pink color. I know that I’m a guy and all, but come on lah, individuality. Pinkpau is not pinkpau without pink. Haha. anyways I stalk your blog a lot, and I really enjoy your writing. I’ve never met you, but it’s like I’m getting a window into someone’s life who is simply joyous and thoughtful. you are awesome.
=)
100. may | December 16th, 2009 at 11:23 am
you are awesome.
besides your great posts, one thing i like about your blog is that it has no advertorials (maybe in the past la but now dun have ady). not that i dun like you earning money hahhahaha.
keep up the good job.
101. Mar | December 16th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Ada rasa sikit punye weird la biler terbace bahasa melayu di sini! tetapi, melayu atau engrish, as long as… what’s that word again. authentic (I think someone mentioned this earlier), and you’re true to yourself, your legion of fans will still be behind you. Be it pink or redish white or [insert colour here].
102. zuwairiaiman | December 16th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
i like your writing, the way you treat the word. really like your story.. keep on writing i support you
103. foreverjas | December 17th, 2009 at 6:42 am
havent drop by recently :( i miss your blog. miss your writing. love it. pink pau keep up the good work! you’re my inspiration :)
104. kerrey | December 17th, 2009 at 8:52 am
:D i’m one of your silent readers too!!!! keep it up!!!!!!!!! really love your blog and style.
105. roddick909 | December 17th, 2009 at 9:56 am
nice post u got here. thanks for sharing….
106. kreazi | December 17th, 2009 at 10:15 am
hahahahahahahaha…. adakah anda sangaja menaip dalam bahasa malaysia supaya rakan sekolah anda tidak dapat mencari anda melalui enjin? Hahahahahahhahhahaaa… pau merah jambu sounds so cute!
107. Tey Cindy | December 20th, 2009 at 4:48 am
i don’t think u should change the color of yr blog just becuz some lameasses think it should be blue, black, whatever! the faint pink is part of the quaintness of it; why change? & hey, everyone (including me) uses their own picture as their blog header, but u don’t. i’ve always find that interesting, the small fonts too! lol
don’t know how u see me as a ‘blogger’, but i feel exactly how u feel about most part of this post. i can’t write as good as u, & i’m glad someone writes with sound the voice of my thoughts.
we are who we are; let’s not let anyone take that away from us! ^^
108. me | December 22nd, 2009 at 3:21 am
you weren’t this famous back when i started reading your blog… i think it was like 6 years back! although i don’t comment much, i loved it back then and i still love it today :)
109. Bananas. | December 24th, 2009 at 1:48 am
There should be more bloggers like you!
And girl, you’re far beyond shallow. -,-
That being said, when’s yr book coming out? I love the way you articulate yrself. Utterly brilliant.
110. Wendy | December 25th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Love your blog posts! It’s thoughtful, inspiring, and so well-articulated. truly a great writer.
And hey, part of the reason i like this is because it’s pink. Makes it nice to read, as compared to black n white. Hope you don’t change it! =D
111. rachel | December 27th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Hi,
I’ve been reading your blog (for the longest time). not sure when, but really do love your writing and how real you sound ((:
The pinkness appeals to my inner bimbo. don’t feel compelled to change it. haha! please do write more (when u feel like it of course).
112. me | December 30th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
what is pinkpau without the pink? what is in the colour, why be obsessed about it? who cares whether pink is trendy or too sickeningly sweet? it is a part of your identity, your blog’s identity. why change? many years later, many many years later, you will find that pink is just another colour, and it is the identity behind it that matters, n u r comfortable to return to liking pink again, and to heck anyone who tells u otherwise. don’t change your identity.
Leave a Comment
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed