"Mouse Eared Kiwi in Taipei" is the winner of the Best Taiwan Blog Awards for 2008 in the "Best Taiwan Personal Blog" category. Blogger MEK joined us to answer a few questions and tell us a bit about the blog, blogging, the Taiwan blogosphere and Taiwan in general.
Background details
Blogger - MEK.
About the blogger (adopted from the blog) - "I'm a twenty-something year old who likes making cupcakes, pub quizzes, jumping in puddles, karaoke, beach cricket and choosing new hair ties."
Blog - Mouse Eared Kiwi in Taipei
Years in Taiwan - Under a year
Blogging platform - Google Blogger's Blogspot
Country of Origin - New Zealand
Age - 26-30
The Interview
Q: What was your main motivating force for beginning your own blog?
My first post was written around the time I began my preparation in earnest for the move to Taiwan in 2008. Although the audience is primarily my friends and family back home and around the world, I try to include helpful information such as addresses for others who browse on into the blog and are interested in visiting the same spots. Mainly though, I started it to share my experiences with my family.
Q: What is your blog mainly about? Please tell us a little bit about the general topics you usually discuss in your blog.
Usually I write about experiences in Taipei that might be interesting to my family and friends. Sometimes I also throw in what might be a useful piece of information for other expats living in Taipei.
There are many well established excellent bloggers on all sorts of topics from politics to restaurant reviews. My blog is not in that league at all. New Zealanders live all over the globe. I'm really just another ordinary kiwi leading an ordinary kiwi life, telling mum and dad back home about that rainbow I saw, or those cupcakes I made.
Q: Did you experience any special or out of the ordinary events or interactions as a result of writing a blog?
Not yet, but I hope to meet up with other bloggers during 2009 when events pop up from time to time.
Q: Do you have any favorite blogs about Taiwan you would like to recommend?
Ever since a hungry girl's guide to taipei introduced me to the beef spring onion pancakes at a vendor in Taipei 101, I have eagerly devoured every new installment on her blog!
Q: What advice would you give new bloggers?
Blogging can be used for many purposes; keeping in touch, letting off steam, sharing the good times, self promotion, information sharing, shen me de.
Make sure that you enjoy writing what you write; when a blog becomes a chore it's time to put the virtual pen down. I don't write every day, sometimes I don't even write every week, but I write when I have something I want to share and so far blogging has remained a fun hobby.
And of course, Good luck!
Q: What advice would you give someone considering coming to work, study or live in Taiwan?
Write down the number one reason you wanted to move to Taiwan in one sentence and keep it in a safe place. Later, if you make the trip across and the going gets tough, it might help to remind yourself what your reason for coming was.
Happy Chinese New Year MEK.
