2011: THE YEAR THAT WAS! (as a BLOGGER)

2011 is a very exciting year for me as a blogger!

First of all, this is my first year as one.

I started just last January 2011 with 6 posts, the first of which was on the Apple Stores in Boston and New York and second, on a memorable wedding of friends from the US celebrating it in Zamboanga City.

However,  when an unprecedented explosive incident happened by the end of January, my momentum as a blogger halted since my priorities changed... and I wasn't able to write anything on February and March!

In April, I tried to start writing again as soon as I came from Penang and Singapore and I thought, I have things to write about now, and also the trauma of the explosion has died down.

I wrote about the Marina Bay Sands and also about my new Nikon Coolpix P500 36x wide superzoom.

Interestingly, the blog about the NIKON P500 36X WIDE SUPERZOOM POINT AND SHOOT: SUPERZOOM MODE is the most popular blog!

From April to July, I only wrote 3 to 7 blogs per month, but I also realized how long the blogs were.

August came and I wrote 15 blogs... an improvement I may say.

I wrote about our road trip from Zamboanga to Camiguin and back.

I also found something close to my heart, which were pictures of Zamboanga City taken by me in a chopper! Not everyone is given a chance as I had in 2005. BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF ZAMBOANGA CHURCES AND PARISHES CIRCA 2005 is my second most popular blog.

The other popular blogs were on Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Ferrero Rocher Christmas Tree in HongKong and even on the Lantaka Hotel and Vinta Regatta in Zamboanga City!

By the end of August, I had to go to Cebu for the demise of my nephew. I wasn't busy there and so I had time to blog. But most interesting was, I wrote 12 blogs on my experience with the JICA Friendship Program 1987 Science Students group on my first travel abroad to Japan last 1987!

Can you imagine 1987 events!!! I was so inspired since my batchmate, Dr. Emil T. started a Facebook group and was trying to look for our batchmates and indeed, we found many Filipino and Japanese friends.

It seemed all the memories flooded back, of course, with the help of my old albums and typewritten data! 

2012 marks our 25th year anniversary of that special event in our lives!

By September, I had a total of 27 blogs that month. The most number of blogs written in a month.

What inspired me this time were things related to Zamboanga City =  places and events, especially that the Fiesta Pilar was coming on October.

Also at this time, I dug up many of my old photos from the late 1990s to mid 2000s on activities and places in Zamboanga City.
I felt I wanted to share to the world about the beauty of Zamboanga City, which is usually a misunderstood place!

By October, the Fiesta Pilar itself was my inspiration.

I also had many travels related to work and also with important family activities.

By November, I continued to enjoy visiting at interesting places in Zamboanga City. I realized not much is written about my dear Zamboanga City.

This December, I have written on varied topics which ranges from  happy Christmas events, hotels stayed to depressing calamities.

In fact, I have ended with a sad note talking about Typhoon Sendong, but I still believe in hope and rising above adversity.

I wrote a total of 131 blogs this year!

Interesting gadgets that thrill me as I check on them include Topblogs which I started last September 26, where I started with the # 300 and now at #112, at times reaching #93 when I was really busy writing. Of course, the number goes down whenever I don't blog.

My statistics says that I had the most readers last November 8, 2011 with 159 views and 145 unique visitors that day.

In my Blogspot stats, I had 188 pageviews last December 23, 2011. And I enjoy the places where the audience comes from.
Of course, most of my audience are from the Philippines (5,923), then the United States (1,766); third from Singapore (377) ; fourth, Russia (350) and fifth, Malaysia (235).
I can't imagine that many of my audience would come from Russia? 

I started with the Flag Counter last November 13, 2011 and enjoy seeing each new country, the latest of which is Macedonia. 

I now have 69 official countries and 4 from unknown satellites from Asia-Pacific and the European Union.
I have 114 flags collected including regions in a month a a half.

I also like looking at my MapLoco which now shows 286 countries in two weeks time. 

I also just started Adsense last December 21, 2011  and now I have $0.98 to my name! I am not really optimistic that I am going to earn from blogging but it tickles me to know about this.

2012 will bring so many changes in my life.

I have lots to blog about since the last quarter of this year is full of many activities and places visited.

However, since I am facing new challenges which may take up most of my waking time, I may not give as much time to blogging.

Whatever 2012 may bring for me, que sera sera!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE... MAY BE IT BE BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS... FULL OF LOVE, PEACE AND JOY!!!