“Doesn’t your blog have rooms for self expressions, personal thoughts or intellectual stuffs other than food and blogging?”

Actually, I used to blog about my emotions and personal thoughts every once in a blue moon. However, I, sort of, completely stopped expressing myself and be more cautious about what I write in my blog due to a number of reasons.

My sisters, cousins, aunties, uncles and most importantly, my parents are reading my blog. Yes, my parents are reading my blog. No, it is not as cool as you thought, probably only half as cool. While I am partially cool with them reading my blog, it is not cool when my parents used the stuffs that I blogged about against me. They don’t do that anymore though, probably they have accepted what blogging is all about. Still, my relatives are reading my blog and up till certain extend, it’s not that comfortable.

Secondly, I don’t really like the idea of exposing my inner self too much, in public. While I do tell my stuffs to my good old buddies or certain specific people on my MSN, I feel insecure exposing my emotions to every Tom, Dick, Harry or any other random readers I have. I do appreciate all the readers I have (Yes, you!), but I can only expose myself that much and anything more than that, it requires more than just reading my blog. The fact that I always like to keep things to myself first doesn’t help too.

Relationships between my parents and I lean more towards the bad side. I barely tell them my stuffs unless the need arises or my parents ask about it. This “unhealthy” relationship started and remained as long as I can remember and even until today, it’s still going on. Although at one point, it looked and felt better. Referring to the above two points, I try not to blog about my private stuffs or even if I do, I will password protect it. Whenever I password protect a post, there are a lot of “work” needed to be done and to make my life easier, I choose not to blog about it. Hence, no personal thoughts or private matters in my blog.

Being a pretty long winded person, blogging about intellectual stuffs that requires elaborations is probably not a very good idea too. Already people are skipping the text part and glancing at the pictures, I doubt people would be reading my 1000 words and text-only post. I am not the kind of bloggers who can express very well with words on specific issues like a few notable bloggers out there. We have such bloggers who are doing way better than me, an average Joe.

As for general or current issues, not that I do not care, I just don’t like to blog what 239487512 bloggers out there are blogging about, be it to express their views, gain traffic and / or attract search engines’ spider bots. I do know what’s going on with the country, be it from the mainstream medias or alternative medias. It’s just not my kind of blogging material and also, refer to the previous point.

So, that’s why you hardly see me writing text-only, emotions, personal thoughts or intellectual stuffs on my blog.

If you read until here, give yourself a pat on the back. And thank you, for reading all.

Writing or blogging about food isn’t as easy as you think, there are unavoidable and hidden pressures whenever I pen down my eating experience in an eatery. Every now and then, I would receive negative and disapproving comments about the eatery that I have recommended in my blog. For that, I feel bad and guilty for the person, even more if the meal cost quite a bit for the person. Now, how should I react to that?

I love to eat, there’s no doubt about that, but my tongue isn’t sharp when it comes to taste. There’s much more to learn in this field and I’m still working on it. I don’t have much expectations when it comes to food as long as it opens up my appetite and I get to enjoy that particular meal, I am a happy man. I then write about the food and share some pictures of the eatery and food in my blog. In the form of a simple sentence, I present the good points about the place, not the bad ones. I am more of a food reviewer, than a food critic.

A food critic, on the other hand, has a sharp sense when it comes to taste, flavour and texture. Even the slightest and most discreet taste, they should be able to pin point it and describe it to you using their words. They show no mercy when it comes to ratings and reviews about the eatery, and by right, should be brutally honest and present nothing but the truth as well.

A good food critic that I personally know of is April Yim. She’s a girl that is even able to tell the difference between the Mille Crepe made by Amos and Nozomi, despite she hasn’t tried the one Amos made. She’s even able to differentiate the local and imported chocolate rice / sprinkle, like hell, I know the difference even after she tried explaining it to me.

Again, I am a food reviewer.

Not that I want to drop all the responsibility and guilt off my shoulder by writing this post, I just want to make sure that I have tried my best to present what are presentable. I hardly write negative points about an eatery if its avoidable and present the good side. I had a bad experience when I wrote an honest review about an eatery in Malacca and the boss of that particular restaurant, being a sour puss, bad mouthed me among my media friends and acquaintances. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. It’s better to build a good customer and boss relationship rather than being mean and honest.

I always feel pressured especially when I am bringing my family members to the eateries that I went or tried. The pressure is big and cold sweat will be trickling down my forehead or spine, theoretically. Whenever my aunt (Hwey’s and Deng’s mum) asked me whether is it that good or requested me to bring her there to try the food, I flash my worth-only-a-dollar smile. I am pretty sure she’s quite a picky eater. Heh!

Maybe I should put a disclaimer like Boo_licious (masak-masak.blogspot.com) but I don’t think its necessary, right? I hope. Well, whatever you read on my blog and hope to try in near future, do remember that it could be damn good or damn bad; However, if I say its bad, rest assured that most likely it will be bad. Ha!

One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

Cheers.

Although I have resumed blogging earlier than it was supposed be, it didn’t matter how long I wanted my break to be, because on November 9, by hook or by crook, I am definitely going to publish a post on this day. And that one month long break, was the longest break that I have ever taken throughout my three years blogging life. Certainly, the break was essential.

Recharged. Refreshed. Rejuvenated. Yet, still feeling a little lost.

Why November 9? It was on this day, three years ago, that I picked up blogging, created “Jason Mumbles” and filled them with life text and pictures. It is now entering its forth year of existence in this cyberspace.

Is it worth celebrating? I am not sure.

1) Contents

I think say my blog posts are getting repetitive. Food, food, food, something else, something else, food, food, food, something else, something else, food, food, food and the cycle repeats itself. To say my blog is a food blog, it’s not really appropriate as I am nowhere near the hardcore food bloggers like KampungBoyCityGal, Food Lover Joan Chew, Babe_kl, Boo_licious and many more; neither I am a lifestyle blogger like Cely, Jolene, Timothy and many more as there aren’t many events and happenings in the historical city of Malacca (except for my own life) and also my blog contains a lot more food related posts than life posts. So, what does that make me? A hybrid without the pros of both side?

2) Writing Style

My writing style has always been simple and straight forward. In other words, boring and dull. Vocabulary? It’s almost non existent. I don’t like to read, that’s why. I can’t even remember the last story book I read. Was it Enid Blyton’s or the novel adaption of Toy Story? Fanciful writing is so not my thing. I can’t really coin a long sentences with beautiful words and I certainly can’t describe something well enough. Don’t even think of penning down my inner thoughts. I am not hoping to be able to write fancifully, but a different writing style, more vocabularies, better descriptions and varieties of words and sentences would be a plus.

3) Picture Composition

Yes, my pictures have improved a lot with the acquisition of my very own digital camera FZ30 but I think the improvement curve has now reached an almost horizontal line. I was and never good in arts, I don’t have the creativity and certainly, the eye of composing. Photography is pretty much about lighting and composing your pictures. I certainly can’t compose a very good picture. In a simpler sentence, I am not able to see what others able to see, be it the technical stuffs and / or angles. I learn through trial and error and also by trying to imitate what I see from other pictures, which I failed terribly as well. On top of all these, the thought of buying a dSLR keeps on lingering in my brain. The unique and distinctive sound of the SLR mechanical shutter sound is really addictive.

Let’s just stick with three points, for now.

Still worth celebrating?

Every one has a different definition and ideas about a good blog. Click on the link to read what Robin has to say about “What Is Considered As A Good Blog?“. That said, reality is harsher and crueler and most of the time, a good blog is judged by its unique visitors, daily hits, page ranks and many other ranking algorithms. And I am ranked way way way below.

Well, despite all the lost feeling I had before this and now, I still think it’s worth celebrating. The reason? It’s my blog and I have put it considerable amount of love, effort, passion and time to nurture this humble blog of mine. For that reason, it’s worth celebrating. Not to mention, to be able to stay in this cyberspace where every thing gets outdated and replaced in just a blink of an eye, it’s still something to be proud of.

Last but not least, thank you to all of you who read and visit “Jason Mumbles“. Thank you, all of you. You honour us with your bravery.

And again, may all the silent readers at least leave a comment? Just so that I know who is reading my blog.

May the forth year be a fruitful year.