Singapore and Meeting Blogger Friends

In late May I had the amazing opportunity to go to Singapore for a few days to participate in the Asian Festival of Children's Content. I was excited to get to add yet another country to the list of countries I've been able to visit. At my previous job I knew bright students who studied in Singapore, so I've wanted to go and see what makes this country have such a good international reputation.

Singapore is a manageable city with an easy-to-navigate public transportation system. I hadn't heard of any "unmissable" sights in Singapore, so I just sort of chose metro stops at random and explored the areas there. (This is a great way to get to know whatever city you're in, and you never know what delights you'll find.)

Raffles Hotel, one of the oldest and most prestigious buildings in Singapore (not where I stayed):

Chinatown:

Boat Quay and Clarke Quay (pronounced "kee") along the Singapore River:

The Singapore skyline. It's not as instantly recognizable as other cities' skylines but once you've seen it it's pretty unforgettable:

Probably the most famous "Singapore sight"--Marina Bay Sands, seen here through a mini-thicket of "supertrees" in Gardens by the Bay:

The Singapore Flyer:

So yes, my camera really liked everything it saw and was able to capture in Singapore, but probably my favorite thing about my time there was that I got to meet, for the first time, some bloggers that I have been talking to for years! Bloggers like Liyana of LiyanaLand and Tarie of Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind encouraged me and inspired my blogging back in my early days, reminding me with their mere presence to keep the importance of diversity in mind as I blogged about YA lit. And what would a Singapore blogger meet-up be without mentioning Chachic, with whom I've exchanged countless postcards and whose unabashed enthusiasm for her obsessions is infectious?

Chachic, Tarie, and I (we're sorry you couldn't make it, Liyana!) met up in a giant mall on Orchard Rd. for a blogger girls night out, where we got plastered and danced with hunky men in themed clubs until dawn. No, actually, we just ate cupcakes. But they were VERY GOOD CUPCAKES. Thanks, Chachic, for introducing us to them!

[left to right] Tarie, me, and Chachic <3 p="">

Chachic showing off the cupcakes!

It was great fun hanging out with these incredible ladies, and I would love to do it again. My tastes of Southeast Asia so far (Singapore, Malaysia, hearing about Manila from Tarie) have only made me want to explore it more. Next year la!

Attending the Asian Festival of Children's Content 2013

Greetings from Singapore! My, what a fast and furious time these past two days have been for me. I have been here participating in the fourth annual Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC) as a speaker, panelist, moderator, participant, learner, and appreciator. CRAZY, RIGHT??? Thanks to the efforts of super bloggers Tarie (Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind) and Liyana (LiyanaLand), I came to Singapore to give a keynote speech on "Getting the Most Out of Blogging" (moderated by Liyana) and be part of a panel called "Blogging Today and Tomorrow" with coolcat author-blogger Candy Gourlay (moderated by Tarie).

Me (far left) with Liyana (second from left), Tarie (far right), and two sweet blogger-writers from Malaysia WHOSE NAMES AND BLOGS I WILL PUT HERE IF SOMEONE TELLS ME. Please. Help. Photo taken by: Paolo Chikiamco.

For my speech "Getting the Most Out of Blogging", I talked about how blogging should be more personal rather than professional, and, as such, should be able to grow as you grow, change as you and your interests or passions change. Blogging is a reflection of yourself rather than a blatant self-marketing tool. Thus, blogging should be low-pressure and fun; the minute that it stops being fun is the minute you should take a blogging break, step back and remember why you started blogging in the first place: because you felt passionate for something, and wanted to share that passion of yours with others.

Yes yes, that's me speaking. Photo credit: Liyana.

I've got to be honest with you: I was in a bad place, blogging-wise, in the weeks and months leading up to this conference. I felt overwhelmed by and fed up with blogging and other related forms of social media. Others were racing ahead on Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr... and the more I fell behind, the less I wanted to be part of that race.

Finally putting words to those feelings I had long bottled up inside me, and then hearing from people who still love blogging yet also understand its pressures, reinvigorated me in ways I could not have imagined. In particular, Candy Gourlay and Vivian Kirkfield's panel "Blogging and Tweeting for Authors", of which I was moderator, snapped me out of my social media funk and made me realize that I cannot and will not let social media dictate me and my happiness. Fueled by the energy of the like-minded souls I met at AFCC, I am now ready to come back to my blogging and other social media branches with a better understanding of how to best use them to maximize my voice and, most importantly, my happiness.

I need to edit this photo, but this is Candy Gourlay and me right before our panel on "Blogging Today and Tomorrow." I think it is very revealing of Candy's personality...

AFCC is not perfect, but I believe it is on the right track to being the best thing to come to children's literature, media, publishing, and blogging in Southeast Asia. I am so grateful to AFCC for giving me the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to speak about my blogging experience, and I also would not hesitate to attend again if I am in the vicinity in the following years. With hard work and only a bit of luck, hopefully AFCC can continue to grow and attract more and more people to this worthy event. They've got a supporter in me.

More about Singapore and the bloggers I met coming up soon!