Blogging Blues 2

   KakNgah here.

 

   In fact, it's only been KakNgah this month.

   .........................

   That will change, Insya-Allah. Don't worry. I'll get so fed up of only seeing myself here that I'll probably stop writing soon. That'll give way for KakYong & KakCik to write.

   I never thought that I'd find blogging to be quite as interesting and as fun as this. It's funny. Once, when people asked, "Do you have a blog?", the answer that would come out would be, "What?!! Are you kidding? Na'ah. I don't have a blog, and never will. Never!"

   Well, of course I didn't say those exact words, but you get the idea. The idea of having a blog itself repelled me then. Really!

   But people change, and I guess I did. Now I find that blogs (and websites) are actually a good way of spreading da'wah. In fact, it's a great way of gaining 'ilm. It's been really interesting, especially when I go 'blogwalking'. Funny. A few weeks ago I'd never even heard of the word. Now, I actually use it. Wow.

   Even with all the goodness and benefits, there are also bad elements that I feel I should avoid in the blogging world. My- in fact our main intention in blogging is actually to keep in touch with each other and be updated with the events in each other's lives- KakYong, KakCik and I. KakYong also said that we should use our blog as a means of doing da'wah.

   Anyway (I noticed I use a LOT of 'anyway's), I thought I'd talk a bit about my blogwalking experiences.

   When I decided to move our blog from the old to this one, I decided to also update the other blog that I write in. So I did. I changed the look, with a bit of help from this blog, and voila! A new look. A rather childish one, but a new look all the same.

   Then I started work on this one. I posted a few entries, changed the template, blablabla. Then I decided to go take a look at my other blog.

   And surprise, surprise. I had a comment! Haha. Yes, it probably doesn't mean anything to any old time bloggers. What? KakNgah got a shock because she got a comment? Well, yes I did. I did! I did because I never ever thought in my life that anyone would ever stumble across my blog, let alone read it. But someone did...

   And it turned out to be no other than my friend Ina. Believe me, it was a small gesture but it changed my outlook on the blogging world. I visited her profile, found that she too had a blog, and made a flying visit. Reading her blog, I discovered a new side of her that I never knew. The side where she actually writes, and is pretty good at too.

   Through her I discovered a lot of things about blogging. I mean, I'd visited the blogs that my TESL friends had, but usually only when I was really bored. I'd leavev a few comments now and then, but that was it.

   Then, somehow or other I stumbled upon this blog. The owner chose a very funny name, and I couldn't help but grin when I read it. The Pot Pet King? 'Pot pet' is honestly like the trademark of women, and this blogger is obviously not one. I guess even men like to nag sometimes. An oxymoron, I guess.

   What interested me was not the blogger, but the latest entry that he had. A 'Cover Your Aurat' campaign. I was instantly hooked. I read through, and signed up (which anyone can do by visiting his site and following the instructions. Oh, you can also click on the picture below to do it).

This is the second time I'm posting this pic and link! hehe

   It was interesting. At first the only sort of campaigns and contests and the like in blogs were ones that didn't really fancy me (like the ones where you have to tag your friends, answer questions and whatnot). Oh, don't get me wrong, I suppose as long as they don;t bring any harm, then they're okay. I just happen NOT to fancy them, that's all. Why? Well, I don't really see the point. If you do, then it's your call and I have no say in it.

   But an aurat campaign is definitely different. It's for a good purpose, and it's definitely a good means of doing so, Insya-Allah, so I signed up. Our blog was the 24th person to join, if I may say so, and now there are nearly a hundred supporters. I hope they get more.

   This campaign was truly the thing that started me blogwalking. I think I must have visited most, if not all, the blogs that supported it because I wanted to see what people had to say. Some didn't know what to say, but it's okay since they support the thing anyway. What I really loved were some of the very good comments and entries that some bloggers had. They were really good. I discovered that a lot of people know what is right and what is wrong, and some are quite blatant about it. It's just a matter of acting out what you believe.

   (You can click here to read KakNgah's entry. I hope when KakYong and KakCik have time to write, they'll write something too.)

    Through my visits, I gained a lot of things. One: Knowledge. Two: New acquaintances and hopefully and possibly, new friends. Putting the campaign matter aside, I discovered that blogging and blogwalking is a serious matter to bloggers. Yes KakYong and KakCik! Know that!

   It's important to them to have followers, because it means that people read your entries. It means that people try to keep up with your life story. I suppose that's good... I don't really know. There are different ways of looking at it, I guess.

   Take Facebook, for example.

Yup. This one. You don't have one? Unbelievable. Not.

   I only accept people I know, and as far as possible, girls. My intention of having Facebook is really to keep in touch my my friends, people I know. But if people (well, girls and women) want to get to know me, okay, bring it on. And that's more or less the way I look at blogging too.

   So if anyone reads my entries, either here or here, then alhamdulillah. If you follow me, I thank you-we thank you very very much and I hope we can be friends.

Salam ukhuwwah KakNgah bids to everyone she's had the pleasure of interacting with these few day...

   But if nobody follows me, or people read my entries but do not follow me, or leave comments... whatever you do, I think I'll keep writing as long as I can. I mean who wants to read my entries anyway? They're awfully long, and I babble on and on. But it helps. Writing helps. I can't help writing very long entries because I just love writing. I do. And I love reading other entries, no matter how long they are, as long as they're good. Honestly. It's good that we're sharing knowledge.

Sharing ilm is something Islam greatly encourages.

   So there you are. Followers or no followers, I'll write. Readers or no readers, I'll write. Maybe I'll touch a heart or two, who knows? Prophet Nuh a.s. lived for around 900 years, and he made da'waah his whole life. Yet he was only able to change less than one hundred people (correct me if I'm wrong, please). So who am I to grumble or complaint if no-one is touched by my poor means of da'waah? I must still do it, for it is a responsibility given upon all mankind.

   As always, Allah knows best. May He reward those who work for Him.

   Wallah'alam.

   P/s: KakCik promised to write soon. Pray for it. I am.