The Pakistani Spectator

My blog has remained anonymous over the years and I prefer it stay that way. Online I’m known as De Grouchy Owl, or Owl for short. I’m a 26-year-old half-Pakistani, half-American Muslim woman who works as a journalist. My URL is www.degrouchyowl.blogspot.com.

 

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

 

My blog is called Degrouchyowl. I started this blog in 2003 as a means to polish up my writing skills and a way to keep in contact with all of my friends spread out across the globe.

 

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

 

My skill level has definitely improved over the years. I went from being a very reluctant and obtuse writer to one who is now a published columnist and I credit my blog for that. Style has also dramatically changed as I’ve moved through phases in my life – sometimes I am serious introspective, sometimes I am flippant and silly. But rarely am I the same way more than a few months at a time.

 

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

 

The most amusing blog experience I can remember was the one time I was ‘spotted’ by a reader. I was living in Dubai at the time, working as a reporter. I had a lot of ground to cover and was wearing a very painful pair of shoes, so I took them off and did all of my on-foot hurrying through the Dubai Trade Center and down Sheikh Zayed Road without them. Along the way I, in my barefoot glory, stomped by a very stunned looking young man. Later that day I got home and blogged about the incident, and lo and behold, a commenter professed to be the man I stomped past, and described what I was wearing to a T. Turns out he was a regular reader and would not known one of his favorite bloggers had stomped past him had I not told the very unmistakable story in first-person. It was the first accidental ‘outing’ I ever had through my blog.

 

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

 

Many of my favorite bloggers have become some of my best friends over the years. We communicate through our blogs, Facebook, emails and visit one another in person when we can.

 

 

 

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

I find the fact that there is ‘citizen journalism’ through blogging very interesting. I like to believe it will help keep empower the public to take charge of how they are informed and what they will believe.

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

 

There is definitely more give and take of opinion and information through the internet. But whether we are contributing useful information is debatable. There is a lot of static and a lot of disinformation that has to be waded through.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?

 

I don’t consider my site all that exceptional. It’s longevity and popularity continually surprises me. I guess what makes it interesting is the fact that my own experiences are rather unusual and I write about it all in an amusing and accessible way.

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

Self discipline

 

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

Pass

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?

India, Japan, and Turkey.

 

What is your favorite book and why?

The Quran. I believe it’s the word of God and you can’t compete with that.

 

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

Their sense of humor, or lack thereof. I love people who can make me laugh and appreciate those who laugh at my humor.

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

There have been some people in my life who told me that I was an awkward writer and shouldn’t bother.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

 

I don’t know of any blogger who’s ever made much money from their blog.

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

 

Hahaha, I think so. My blog is always at its best when I have time to spare for it, and at its worst when I’m swamped with real life obligations.

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

 

We can all act as diplomats of our ethnicities, religions and races.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

http://sweepthesunshine.com/

 

http://www.knicq.com/

 

http://puritanjamshort.blogspot.com/

 

http://ultaseedha.com.pk/

 

http://www.abezsez.com/

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

It’s been five years of blogging, and I’ve lost/changed my comment platforms many times over the years, so I can’t really check to see which ones were the most popular.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?

As a half-Pakistani person who has lived eight years in Pakistan, I can say that I have a very deep affection for Pakistan and its people. They are wonderfully generous, hospitable and

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

The one blogger I’ve met who has absolutely floored me with their awesomeness, in hteir blog and more so in real life, is www.knicq.com, or Knicq Bhai as we know him.

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

I think the biggest noticeable difference is the expectation for life. I loved the fact in Pakistan people had none of the feeling of entitlement that residents of the ‘developed world’ seem to have. When there is so much want and injustice around you, it is easier to be thankful for the little good in your life, because comparatively you are better off than so many.

What is the future of blogging?

I’m not sure. I got into blogging when it was still fairly unpopular and I think it my have crested. Most of the people in the Blogosphere I was in initially have stopped blogging long back. And with the advent of MySpace and then Facebook, I think the niche that blogging once enjoyed has now been taken over by less time consuming and skill-requiring platforms.

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

I got my first column writing gig through blogging. A reader worked for a Pakistani paper and asked if I would contribute for the paper’s weekend edition as Degrouchyowl. That experience gave me the confidence to later take on a full time column at my own real-life job in a different newspaper, under my own name.

What are your future plans?

 

God knows.

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

 

Live fearlessly.

Last 5 posts by The Pakistani Spectator

• Interview with Blogger Tikun Olam - November 30th, 2008
• Interview with Blogger EngSpeak - November 29th, 2008
• Interview with Blogger Jeff Noble - November 26th, 2008
• Interview with Blogger Jan Marshall - November 24th, 2008
• Asif Zardari: ‘India & Pakistan Share Blood Ties’ - November 24th, 2008

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