Five Years-indeed a long time


Hi,all!Well,I did mention a special post planned for today. And,so,here we go. What's special? Nothing much,except that it's now five years since I wrote my first post on rediffblogs,with the same id,i.e. http://amitsmusings.rediffblogs.com/

Instead of going back five years,let me begin with today and then go backwards to the first post,just for a change.
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Today,blogging is my absolute favourite pastime. Why? Numerous reasons-firstly, I always loved reading,and, what better source to read,than,the unknown?i.e. Blogs-written by people from all over the world(Though,of course,I'd say-I must be reading less than .01% of the world's blogs-has anyone done a consensus on how many blogs exist?LOL).'Unknown',of course,means,I can never predict what I'll find on my favourite blogs.
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Some blogs and bloggers have become my 'staple diet', and, if they haven't posted when I click their blog link, it seems like there's something missing in the day. The most regular and enigmatic writers from my list are Keshi,Sol,Austy,Red,Amy-each one is unique and each one has a different writing style which,the more I read of,the more it makes me feel'Yeh dil maange more'(The heart demands more)as the Pepsi ad goes.*grins*
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But then,the list still continues-there're those who write a bit less frequently,but,when they do,they also come up with gems- from Arunima to Alka(Who writes on such pertinent topics-hats off!) to Anz to Shreya to Curious to Cyn(Cynic in Wonderland, whose also been around for a pretty long time,and,is always telling us anecdotes of her workplace) to Dreamz to Payal to Poo(who's always got something humorous to say on her daily life events) to Ditty (one of the rare few who was blogging back then,too,and continues nicely!Did you encourage Poo to blog,Ditty?I'm sure.:)) to Twilight to Alpha(Who's my 'blog twin',courtesy we both started blogging around the same date and who has a flair to write humorously)Vanilla to Ritu to San to Sush to Sakhi to Dee.....in fact, if you're really curious,you should check out my entire favourites list-and,at ease-when you have ample time to read,not just for the heck of it.Then,you'll realize why I love these blogs(and bloggers *grin*) so much.:). BTW,the list is being updated today, with those who're not posting,being removed..haha!(And,when you do post regularly,you'll back in the list,coz I'll still have the urls with me).


Let me go back a bit,now...when I switched over from rediffblogs to blogspot. The reason was simple- rediff kept conking off- I'd write a post,it wouldn't be auto-saved(I began writing in word,first,as a way out) sometimes,and it'd be really frustrating to have to type again.At other times, I couldn't log on,or,the update wouldn't be visible. And,they began focusing more on their other site,rediffiland.And,with most other bloggers being on blogspot,I decided to follow suit. And, no regrets. Actually,no regrets about rediff,too- it was great fun posting there,as well. But,on Aug 03,2007,I moved permanently to blogspot,even though my first trial was in June'04.(I always refuse to give up,till the situation's extreme,you know..LOL)
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Back in 2003,what enticed me to blogging? Well,for one,I just clicked accidentally on rediff,on the blogs link.And,it said'Welcome,start your own blog!and,went on to list' publish your thoughts,online,anytime, participcate in lively discussions and communuties,make new friends.And, it still says that!!Check it out! But, now, it's like a stepsister of rediffiland.What a downfall,from the days when, to have one's blog listed in their left panel,titled' Sizzling Blogs',would be an occasion for celebration. Heaven knows when the list was last updated,but,you can see one of the bloggers' names there,who inspired me then,to go on blogging.
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It was 'Jottingz'-the lil lady used to write totally facinating posts(Jots,if you're reading this,you'd better reply,and,also,tell me when you're beginning blogging again).
Then,there was(Still is,albeit in a new avatar) Pixel,who now posts on becauseofb and her blog who, besides posting,would come up with the most intriguing photos,taken from the most unusual angles,and,leave it to us to guess what the pic was.See for yourself. Now,of course,there's a new fotu-blog,too.The lil lady's now in NID,Abad,the place where most such artistic people go and still posts the most facinating pics n posts!:) Pix,I mean,Bhavs,if you're reading this,do comment.

Then,there's Starlight, who's Mauritius based,very much in touch via email/sms,but,not blogging yet..I've been promised that she's going to restart blogging with a bang(Kams,u listening?),and,am just waiting to read her exciting posts,again. That's another good writer who inspired me to keep on blogging,in my initial stages.

There were other inspirations,too-Mehak(Who's in touch,but,out of blogging-will you please return,ma'm?)Wandy,Wunderkind,Snegius(Well on the way to becoming a Doc,now),Ms. Maxmax,....*tries to recall more*..
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And,what about Dubai?We've had some nice blogger meets -where Pixel,Dreamz,Godo,Curious,Lazydad,Manubhai,Ashi,KKJ,Sid and Tan(When they visited Dubai),...were present.And,it was great fun,since they were all actively blogging at that time.Now,of course,just a handful of us blog from Dubai,and,visit each others blogs-Dreamz,Curious,Harsha..and,that's surprising,coz if you see the UAE community blog, it has a massive list of bloggers. Let me mention another lively blogger,Mona from Indonesia,who visited Dubai on work duty a number of times,and we had a blog meet or 2 with her.She's a big fan of Hindi movies and also loves mango lassi.:)
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Then,there have been blog fights (Wherein I was not a party,just The Observer) where people would be 'katti' with each other,would conspire,form teams,not visit the enemies' blogs...
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And,there've been blog marathons,where bloggers from round the world logged on to yahoo messenger,and talked and talked and sang and talked,some of them for 14 hrs- they were Anz and Deepak,who finally 'won',the last marathon I was a part of. Deepak reminds me,I find it pretty unusual-why're there so few guys into blogging- I can name the ones who've been a part of my blogroll,on my fingertips- Deepak,Godo,Gautam,Manu,Khotta,Kash,Taran. And,most of them lose interest over a period of time-either family issues or work or travelling.
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Lastly,I can't end this post,and not mention Between Us Friends(BUF,as it's known amongst us),another blog where I love to hang out,though many of the Friends there,are somewhat busy these days. hehe...BUF is the brainchild of Ishita who wanted a nice blog-place for friends to hang out,and share views on common topics,and,well,you have to see the blog to see how nicely it's planned out-we have topics on a monthly basis,and,everyone contributes their views on the same.And,there's book reviews,movie reviews,birthday/anniversary dedications..to name a few. I'm quite sure BUF will be around for a long time to come!:)
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That's pretty much what I wanted to convey. It's been a looong post,and,I'm sure some of you fell asleep while reading it. And,those I didn't mention,please don't mind-it's purely unintentional.
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Thanks a million,,everyone,for being around,always!Your blogs gave me a raison d' etre to keep up with my favourite subject(English), to continue reading and,of course,writing!!:)Cheerio!

(Quip: That's a 'die-hard' blogger!)
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Footnote: Oops- I just got a comment from another great blogger:Sonali,whose unusual blog name was Khamakha.Great to see your blog again,Sonali..will surely add it to my blogroll,shortly!!

Comments

austere said…
WOW.

Congratulations.


Its been delightful knowing you too.

off to check my rediffblogs, when was the first ever post?
AmitL said…
Hi,Austy-wow-you read it on a Saturday-I thought u'd see it on Monday,only!!:)thank you,thank you...always been a delight knowing u,too!:)Yep,do check rediffblogs.:)
Keshi said…
Well guess what...ur blog is also one of my FAVs to read. And its a great pleasure knowing someone like u Amit. Cos ur one of the honest and closest mates of mine in this virtual world. U hv always been polite, decent and caring. U hv never hurt me even once and u hv always made me laugh with ur clever n witty comments n posts :). To me, ur more than just a blog mate...ur a REAL mate. HUGGGGGGZ n ty for this tribute!

Keep up the good work too!


Keshi.
Mona said…
Congratulations! I know I am not regular blogger anymore :P That blogger meet in Dubai was awesome, thanks to you and thanks to all the dvds too :) That mango lassi in Dubai is the best, guess what? I can't find any mango lassi yet which is able to be compared with that 'Dubai' mango lassi :) I start writing a blog again in blogspot http://serendipity-sk.blogspot.com/ until I have times to design my website again :P
Khamakha said…
after a long time here amit... Congratz:)

-sonali (titzbitz)
Alpha said…
Loved the post and the cartoons. Blog on.... congrats to me and you!
Anonymous said…
lovely post ji!
thank you for your kind appericiation! :)
how are you doing?
Anonymous said…
amitji -

see i brought pixie ("b") here ;) buzzed her to check ur blog :P

well i have been blogging in a different place/name now..chk this - http://praddytalks.blogspot.com/

Am losing touch with blogging i think, will make an attempt to revive it - your post just inspired me :)

-godo
Anonymous said…
Wow Amit. Thanks for the honour. BUT the admiration is mutual.I TOO CHECK your blog from time to time. :-) Sometimes you too hibernate but not as frequently as me. :-) Keep blogging.
The Ego said…
Wow ... it's been a long time for you eh? I'm relatively new that way ... just 2 years!

Anyway ... nice post... and hope you keep blogging for many more years!

PS - Cool, I made it to your list! :D
Harsha said…
yay! I had an honourable mention too ;o)

Congrats!
Anonymous said…
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Gosh 5 years is a long long time. I completed 4 years this year and seems like yesterday when I had started blogging. Amateurish stuff from everyday things was something that leads to writing somewhat not so everyday things :D

I still remember the time I came by your blog and made a mental note to come by again....the image of the observer on top and the ending the post jokes were all the more reason to enjoy reading your posts.

The time gone by was sooo much fun but it all seems like a distant time altogether. You never know it might just come back (lemme think about planning another Bloggeratti..whatsay?)

Shifting from rediff was really something that i thought and re-thought about as it felt like shifting base...had some good times there.

This comment seems to get longer than your post :P....so to sign off...i hope to see this blog up and running forever with amazing posts everytime, year on year.
Arunima said…
Dear Amit,

I was a bit scared to come here when you said you have mentioned me. Considering my last post and your comment on how yo never can use that word. :-) I saw the topic and realised it is harmless.

You have been one of those bloggers who have inspired me made me continue blogging. Congratulations on the 5 years.

I award you the 'award' from my blog. :-)
*Smiles* Congratulations on ya 5 year blogging experience. I Am sure it has been quite a delightful journey.:)

And thanks for sharing your thoughts & support on my blog.:)

Cheeries!
Soham Shah said…
5 years ..

wow that's a really long long time .. It sounds like a hell of a ride for u ..

Congratulations for completing 5 glorious years and wish that u write more and more stuff and keep us engaged to ur blog all the time ..

U r also a 'staple diet' for me if put into ur words !!!
hey congratulations. and may you have another fifty years more!

Been great reading you as well!
Anonymous said…
Hey AmitL,
Congratulations on completing 5 years!! :)

Your post, especially the bits about the good old Rediffblogs days, brought back some really fond, good memories! :)

Here's to many more blogging years! :)

Cheers,
DiTtY!
congrats amit!!!
blogging sure is additctive!!!....
OMG Amit, this post is one of your longer ones! :P Can't finish reading it while at work, but will surely come back to it.

woo hoo at still being ON your blog roll despite random and spontaneous postings :)
also, just noticed, the female to male blogger ratio for your favorite bloggers is a little one-sided.. hehe :D

Cheers!
AmitL said…
Hi,Keshi-thanks for that lovely comment..:)I nearly blushed,reading it.:)Tks again,mate!!:)
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Hi,Mona..haha-well,waiting for ur next Dubai visit..and,yes,let me check ur new blog.:)
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Hi,Sonali-hey,grrrt to see u here after ages..do read the post again..I added a footnote for you!
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Hi,twin,Alpha..:)Tkssss..do be back,and,do begin writing regularly again!!
----
Keshi said…
hehe :) Its wonderful to know ya Amit!


Keshi.
Solitaire said…
Wow what a story!! And thanks for the acknowledgment!
Unknown said…
Hey...thats a wonderful recap of the "story thus far"... May have many more...
AmitL said…
Hey, Pixelji…how’s u? Good to see u here…and, the appreciation-is totally genuine!:) I’m doing ok..when’s ur Dubai visa trip?
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Hi, Godoji, Tks for bringing Pixie along…will check out ur blog in detail…glad to know this post inspired u.:)
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Hi, Alka- the pleasure is all mine.:) haha to the hibernation part..well, I guess sometimes, it just cannot be helped..I’d love to write posts on a one-a-day basis, but, the right mood is required, too, na?
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Hi, Dee…yep..long time..:)Well, u’re also picking up, so to speak…great to know u! And, of course u made it to my list. U had doubts??
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Hi, Harsha…*smiles at the yay!*…
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Hi,Anz- well, I always thought you began blogging before I did.:)ohhh…u reminded me of the ‘Observer’ image on top of my rediffblogs page..yes..that was a nice one, done by Jottingz. Well, yep-a bloggeratti would be a great event if u do it now, also. I forgot to mention that as one of the events.:) Tks for the good wishes.Hope to see u around too, for a long time to come.
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Hi, Arunima…ROFL..u thought I used the ‘frequent’ word from your last post? I’m thrilled to note that I’m one of those who inspired you to continue blogging..and, tks for the ‘award’.:) Always nice to read ur posts.
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Hi, Amy…tku, tku…yes, it’s been a delightful journey, definitely…and,u’re one of those who make it a pleasant one!:)
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Hi, Soham- yep, it does sound like a long time, na? Tks for the compliment. Here’s wishing you a long time in blogville, too.Will add ur url to the blogroll, shortly.
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Hi, Cyn..tks..and, haha…another fifty years? Whew…u think the net will be in the same shape till then? We might have 3D mental projections of blogs by then, I’m sure.
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Hi, Ditty…yes, even I was reminiscing a lot when writing the post. U remember any more of those regular people? Here’s to many more blogging years from you, too!:)
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Hi, SS! U’re mentioned in the next post.:) Yep, it sure is addictive.
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Hi, Shreya…yess, the post IS one of my longer posts. And, I still feel I missed out some good writers/friends. So, will continue it a bit, in the next post. And, haha…even I wondered that, about the female to male ratio of bloggers.:)U’re a sharp one, as I always say!
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Hi, Sol….thank you!! And, the acknowledgement comes from the heart!!:)
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Hi, Ritu…thank you!! And, the ‘story so far’ quip made me smile…let me guess how the story will continue, and then we recap next year???:)
Anonymous said…
Hey Amit! Congratulations!!!

Thx for the mention... All I have to say is that I consider myself blessed and lucky to have come across you through blogging. Am really thankful to God for that...

Big bear hugs!
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