The Pakistani Spectator

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?

I am male, 19, Australian, but half-Malay in ancestry. Going by the name of Virgilius Sade, which is from two of my favorite authors. I just started both my piano lessons (which I am soon going towards my AMEB qualification) and writing for the local quarterly, Relative Magazine. I like cooking, playing the piano, writing stories, poetry and lyrics, watching cartoons and drawing and also hanging around with other people of the Arts in the city. Randomly Relevant is my blog where I post everything from amusing Youtube videos, world news, politics, religion, science and also occasional bits about myself.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?

Yes, I do because at first when I started to blog, I experimented with different blogging types and also different styles of writing until I was comfortable with having a mixed bag that I could call mine, as it were. I am still experimenting to this day with the thought of adding my drawings as well. As a blogger, it’s important to keeping growing in terms of your subjects, otherwise, the material will become repetitive and people will start to notice.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?

Gaining new readers, sparking some very intelligent discussions and debates and the occasional trollers and also cracking jokes in post comments.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?

Read the posts that interest you and comment, no matter how short, and post not too early, but not too late.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?

I don’t know of any innovative technologies in politics, since I tend to keep away from politics in real life.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?

The Internet is the biggest that I know of compared to that of a fax machine or even the mail and since there are new ways of distributing information and presenting them to everyone on the planet, it’s more… interactive. It brings an Internet video conference meeting to mind when I think about it.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?

I am not afraid to start writing things that would scare the average Perth citizen and cause a bit of a riot; I have quite a lot of guts when it comes to challenging others and leaving them speechless.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?

 

Change. I decided that it was time that I picked up the pieces, move on and do something better and then change myself for the better.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

My happiest moment would be the friends I hung around in college; I’ve met people who are as just as eccentric as I am in terms of jokes and tastes in clothing. I enjoyed even the most oddest moments with them like Pirate Day around Perth and getting reactions from onlookers everywhere. The gloomiest of my life was learning of the passing of my cat, Trevor, who succumbed to kidney failure and old age. Getting used to the fact that he wasn’t at home was very slow for me, like all changes in life.

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?

Let’s see; Japan, England, Malaysia

What is your favorite book and why?

It would be I, Robot by Isaac Asimov because it tells of the relationships between robots and humans in everyday situations and how the behaviors of both the different characters are in turn reflections of ourselves. Plus, I’ve always been more of a Science Fiction person that a Fantasy genre reader.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?

Their eyes, the way they talk when they introduce themselves and their clothes.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?

Now that I recall it, yes, there was. My uncle John (which is odd because I have two uncles by the same name and this uncle John is related only by marriage, but I called him that anyway) said that I shouldn’t write, because it wouldn’t make much money and he tried to convince me that it was a waste of time. He even told me to get into something more sensible in terms of a career choice (which wouldn’t surprise me, because he works as a businessman).

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

There’s online adverts and some sites also have subscription, as far as I know.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?

No, because some people can juggle between jobs with even the littlest amounts of time and even blog on their way to work on the train if they have Internet access on their laptops or PDA phones.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?

Abiding by the rules of Responsible Commenting and reading through everything you write before pushing the “post comment” button.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

Sulz – http://sulz.wordpress.com/ There is only one way I could describe the way she writes her posts; it’s like looking through a cherished scrapbooks drinking a cup of hot chocolate with plenty of marshmallows in.

TheDesktop - http://thedesktop.wordpress.com/ He blogs about current events, like myself, but with a dose of gross-out, anything-goes humor mixed in.

abarclay12 - http://abarclay12.wordpress.com/ She tells of the lineup called “Team of the Week” which showcases the most bizarre in World News and offers her own slice of commentary in each piece which is like being wired up to an IV-gasmask hybrid with laughing gas each week.

Davidbdale - http://davidbdale.wordpress.com/ He writes non-fiction stories that combine flash-fiction with poetry set in everyday surroundings with 299 words or less. A testament to the words of “less is more”.

Romi41 – http://romi41.wordpress.com/ She writes about finding the right man in the most oddest of places and for us fans, it’s a source of entertainment as well as a “learning facility” of sorts when it comes to relationships with members of the opposite gender.

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?

There was one where I wrote about Christianity; it got me quite a few enemies and one fan in the form of anotherdoubtingthomas, who has a blog by the same name.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?

I have no perceptions whatsoever of Pakistan since I don’t know anything about the country.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?

No, not yet, but I intend to be!

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?

The technology that they have and the stark contrast of it compared to those who do have quite a lot of technology.

What is the future of blogging?

Becoming the next newspaper, only online.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?

No, not directly, but emotionally and psychologically, it’s a definite yes.

What are your future plans?

 

To be a musician and to keep blogging as I get older and stay connected with everyone on my blogroll.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?

 

Thank you for reading the answers to my questions. Hope to see you engage in conversation in Randomly Relevant and don’t forget to say hello too!

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