The Pakistani Spectator

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

I am a 18 year-old palestinian female who grew up in a small city in Canada with a passion for anything internet related. I’m very interested in politics and world events, which lead me to political blogs which then branched into a fondness for personal blogs. I saw all the wonderful blogs out there and thought blogging would be something I would enjoy since I’ve always been eager to give out my opinions to anyone who is willing to listen to them. My blog is a mixture of personal rants, politics, and entertainment which I think makes it well rounded.

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

I definetely feel that the more I get into blogging the more my writing will grow. I’ve never felt like I had any special talent for writing, I’ve always written just for the sake of getting things off my chest, but I feel with time my writing will become more expressive and meaningful. This is important because writing style and content is what makes people connect with your blog and what keeps them coming back.

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

When I started my blog I did it mostly for myself, I just wanted a place where I could write my thoughts down and document them so in the future I could look back on that part of my life. My most memorable experience was when I received my first comment on the very first post I had written. I hadn’t expected it all since the post was a personal one about me complaining about a family member, but it felt nice knowing someone could relate.

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

I think it is important to not only read but comment on other people’s blog when you feel you have something worthwhile to add because it is a great way to create a connection and can brighten up a blogger’s day.

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

I think blogs are a great way for people to share political news, especially the kind of stories that big news organization don’t deem important enough to show. With the internet people aren’t so reliant on t.v to get their news, they can escape any biases and get the news they really want to read along with hearing the un censored opinions of others aswell. The internet has also become a great tool for funderaising as presidential candidate Barack Obama has shown. With his campaign site along with facebook Obama has been able to fund most of his campaign on individual contributions by his supporters.

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

Yes, these new technologies make people feel like they are more involved and also allows them to voice their opinions which motvates people.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?

I don’t know if there is one particular thing that does, I pretty much just say whats on my mind and write what I want to write when I feel like it, I don’t censor myself or try to please anyone.

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

My drive to succeed and prove others wrong is the main thing that had brought me succes in life.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

I can’t really pin point the happiest day of my life, any time when I am free to be my crazy loud self is a happy time for me. As for gloomiest time of my life, I would have to say my first year of highschool. Whoever said highschool is one of the best times of your life was lying.

Do you think [the use of Twitter and other social networking tools by politicians] is bandwagon jumping or what?

No, I actually think it is smart for them to utilize the internet, anytime they can make their supporters feel like they are involved I think they should go for it.

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?

I would defintely like to go back to my parents’ home towns in Palestine, unfortunately with how things are down there I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.
Other place would be Paris or maybe Rome.

What is your favorite book and why?

To Kill a Mocking Bird, I love the strong multi-dimensional characters and how the author portrayed the racism and hypochrisy of that time.

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

Their body language and the level of confidence they exude.

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

I’ve never been blatantly told I couldn’t write, but at the same time it wasn’t something that was encouraged either. Writing has always been something I did privately.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

You know, for most ordinary bloggers there isn’t much money to be earned. Unless your running a giant popular blog where you can make some money off of advertisments, I don’t think it is realistic to start a blog thinking your going to be able to make money off of it.

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

Not necessarily. It’s true that some of the most succesful bloggers put alot of thought and effort into their blog, sometimes all you need is a couple of spare minutes to write down your thoughts. A blog doesn’t have to become something that is time consuming.

What are your thoughts on corporate blogs and what do you think the biggest advantages and disadvantages are?

I don’t know much about corporate blogs but they are probablly a great way for companies to announce new products and respond to customer criticism

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

I think just being open to other people’s opinions to issues and topics you might blog about and being able to respectfully debate with others can make people more tolerant to other people’s views and can create an overall friendlier environment.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

Mona ( www.rebelliousarabgirl.net)
Diary of Asoom (www.diaryofasoom.blogspot.com)
Carmen’s Web (www.diasporicdiscontents.blogspot.com)
Organic Muslimah (www.organicmuslimah.blogspot.com)
KabobFest (www.kabobfest.com)

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

I can’t think of one in particular..but anytime you blog about politics and your opinions about the world around you your bound to get a response, people get very animated about politics.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?

I know that Pakistan is an ever evolving country, I like how they’ve welcomed some westernization but at the same time have retained their culture and traditions. I find it interesting how people from different ethnic backgrounds who speak many different languages are all living in one country.

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

I think the biggest difference is the attitude of the people. People in developing countries usually have so much drive to succeed and have high hopes for their country and are generally much more grateful for what they have, people in developed countries tend to take much more things for granted.

What is the future of blogging?

I think the blogging world is going to continue to grow just as the internet continues to grow. I think we are going to see much more people become interested in blogging as more people get introduced to it. I definetely don’t think its something thats going to go away in time.

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

I try to limit the amount of time I spend reading blogs and working on my own. I keep the people in my personal life seperate from those in my blogging life, even my closest of friends have no idea that I blog.

What are your future plans?

Well, I’m going to be graduating from highschool in a couple of days and I hope to pursue a bachelor degree in education so that I can one day become a elementary teacher. As for blogging, it is definetely something I am going to continue aslong as I can as my busy scheduel permits.

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

Nothing really profound comes to mind, I’d just like to say I’ve checked out the site and I think you’ve got a good thing going here.

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