The Pakistani Spectator

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?
I am a Londoner who was doing fine gadding about town and being a bit like Bridget Jones except not quite so desperate, when like in a fairy tale I kissed a frog who turned into a prince. We spawned two children and hopped the Pond to Baltimore, USA ten years ago where I have adapted to motherhood and life in the slow lane.

I am a non-fiction writer and novelist and have written an erotic novel called <a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Lured-Lust-Black-Tania-Picarda/dp/0352335335/”>Lured By Lust</a> under the name Tania Picarda. It has been in print for ten years and is a very hot read set in a London art gallery. I used to work in art galleries in London myself, as well as public relations, but over in the USA I spend my time when I am not with the kids writing books. My blog http://www.mommyhasaheadache.blogspot.com is a place people come to be entertained and I don’t dissapoint. Come on over! One non-fiction project I am working on is a collection of Funniest Sexual Experiences and I am looking for your readers to send me their most disastrous dating experiences via my other blog at here.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?
I do feel that I have become a better writer over the years. I would like to publish non-fiction books with a humorous slant on subjects such as sex, motherhood and dating.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?
I have made some wonderful friends via blogging and even recorded some podcasts with a friend who writes the blog http://www.redsy.com We hosted some phone in programs and many of our blogging friends phoned in, with hilarious results! You can hear our podcast http://www.mommyhasaheadache.blogspot.com/2007/02/sluts.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?
I spend a couple of hours commenting on my favorite blogs and also email with maybe a dozen bloggers.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?
Twitter is very useful in politics as it gives very up to date news to the public in real time.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?
Blogging has made people more verbally responsive but not necessarily more responsive in any way that might change society on a practical level. For example say you write a political blog - is it really that useful in a practical way to air your feelings about a politician or a political system? You are letting off steam, sure, but effectively political blogging does not change much. To change things politically I believe you need to do it from the grass roots up, via political activism, lobbying or involvement in local politics - or nothing really changes for the better.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?
I am irreverent and funny and my voice is unique. Although I have kids I don’t think motherhood need be my only topic. I enjoy writing commentaries on pop culture and the vacuity of today’s celebrity culture.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?
Life has been fairly easy especially since I got married. I think I have been lucky to have charm, beauty and a nice set of legs. As well as huge amounts of modesty of course!

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?
The happiest times were the births of my two daughters. The worst times, there have been many. I have a depressive side to my nature and had a fairly tough childhood and remember often feeling lonely and isolated when I was younger.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?
Buenos Aires - hurrah, I am visiting there in June!
Tour of India - so far I have only been to Chennai but I loved it.
Tour of Australia - have been once but need to explore more especially the Great Barrier Reef.

What is your favorite book and why?
My all time favorite book is a collection of short stories by Ian McEwan called In Between the Sheets. I read this first when I was a teenager and these stories have burnt themselves into my brain. These tales - while bizarre and macabre - also get to the heart of what loving someone entails i.e. A two-timing pornographer becomes an unwilling object in the fantasies of one of his victims and a jaded millionaire buys himself the perfect mistress and plunges into a hell of jealousy and despair.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?
Whether they are fake or not. I really have no time for insincere people. Don’t pretend to like me if you don’t.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?
No, I remember several teachers at school saying I should become a novelist because I always had a big imagination and loved to tell stories.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?
By luring advertisers to their blogs, but while I think it is okay to have a few ads, having too many is a turn off for the reader.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?
Yes, that is partly true but you must also have a good writing style and a subject that hooks the reader.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?
I think blogging has made people more open. The longer you write a blog the more open you become. Before I started my blog I felt isolated, especially living in a country that is not my country of birth. So blogging was a lifeline and I soon made many friends.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?
This blog is actually written by the very talented Gorilla Bananas: http://www.japingape.blogspot.com
For wry humor I love Scottish blogger MisssyM: http://www.misssymartin.blogspot.com
Aussie blogger Fingers is crazy, but in a good way:
http://www.whineguide.blogspot.com
Kate Lord Brown will lift your spirits if you’re feeling blue: http://katelordbrown.blogspot.com
Moi is a wonderful cook and fashionista: http://bitetheapple64.blogspot.com

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?
I often (unintentionally) stir up controversy with my posts and always enjoy a lively debate.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?
My perceptions of Pakistanis come from befriending Pakistanis living in England. I have enjoyed learning about their customs and especially enjoy their food.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?
I would say that Captain Smack of http://www.captainsmack.blogspot.com is the most unique and original blogger I know. His take on life is breathtaking, funny, surreal and perverse - at the same time he is very likeable.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?
That is a very complex question - because on the one hand it should be the objective for developing countries to erradicate disease, improve sanitation, increase literacy etc. However I sometimes wonder in the rush for developing counties to become ‘developed’ whether they are losing some essential part of their culture by wholeheartedly embracing Western ideals. I do not believe that all Western ideals are good and believe that the strong family culture of many developing countries has been destroyed in countries such as Africa where families have been broken apart because tribal or traditional village based societies are on their way out and men have to travel away from their families to find work. I think there needs to be a balance for developing countries - to celebrate their own culture and unique skills rather than simply watering down their culture to compete in the global marketplace.

What is the future of blogging?
At the moment many have jumped on the blogging bandwagon but give up after a year or so. In the future hopefully the cream will rise to the top and the best blogs will increasingly become the mainstream media rather than the counterculture as they are at present.
You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?

As my blog has grown in popularity I find I can be less free in what I write about. Often I will want to write about a funny incident that occured but will hold off on doing it for fear of offending the person involved.

What are your future plans?
I would maybe like to live in South America at some point and am learning Spanish to that end.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?
Yes, if you have ever had a funny or humiliating dating encounter please for inclusion in my book please email it to me via my blog at www.badsexconfessions.blogspot.com