Of new friends and pig jokes
Being a total social spaz, coming to Blogher took a lot of courage for me. For one, I speak nothing like the way I blog. Always having to look for the right words to use so that my American friends can understand me, while making sure I speak in the ‘right’ accent (gon-DOE-la? GONE-dola, COM-mittee? CUM-mittee?) is very stressful for me since I tend to think faster than I speak, so if I don’t talk quicker, I might not remember what I want to say.
This ultra-consciousness causes me to rarely approach someone to make small talk or conversation, which I know will go away once I get ‘into the groove’.
Which is not such a good thing if you attend a conference full of bloggers - and women bloggers, at that.
Before we came, DaringYoungMom (who was fabulous yesterday during her session on whether the blogosphere needed an intolerance intervention) who had been to last year’s shindig, and I talked about how some of the attendees to Blogher06 were disappointed that some of the more famous bloggers were not as responsive as they’d hoped, when approached. This, I don’t have a problem with because well, I don’t really care. But first, I need to be able to get over the ‘approach’ part first. The fear of people not responding well to me is something I worry about later.
You’d think that having been a journalist would’ve fully trained me to talk to total strangers. Well, I’m not a journalist anymore and cannot arm myself with a business card validating my right to ask questions indiscriminately - even the stupid ones. Plus this is a blogger conference, so everyone’s a blogger. Imagine a journalist going to a conference for journalists (esp. a journalist who can’t even talk). Not so special anymore.
But I am glad to report that I’ve managed to overcome some of my spazness, and have made some great new friends who happen to be staying at the hostel. They are Jennette from Pastaqueen, who is publishing a book on her weight loss journey (she lost 200lbs!!!) which will be out April 2007 (see I’m marketing for you, Jennette!), Shonnie from myblogcoach.com (who will always be remembered as the Pig Joke lady), Cheryl from Hummingcrow.com, Adrienne from Babytoolkit (who also writes at parenthacks.com, which I love) and Cassie, whose blog I will link later at Indecisivepeach.com.
And because of all of you, I’m having such a great time here in Chicago!
Okay, now go to my pictures are at Flickr!
Posted in Imperfect Everything
July 28th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
WOW! I’ve love Jennette’s blog for ages! Sounds like you are having a great time. We missed you last night but look forward to hearing about your great trip!
I told her! Jennette is a very modest, softspoken lady, she never even mentioned her book until we were at a session about book writing. She is such an inspiration! If she ever gets on Oprah, I have photo booth pictures of her and me making silly faces so I can totally sell her out to the tabloids for stories with the angle “JENNETTE THE AMAZING SHRINKING WOMAN GETS CRAZY!”
July 28th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Just stopping by to add you to my reader.
Have a safe trip home!
Hey Karrie! Was very good to meet you lady. Keep in touch, ok?
July 28th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Talk in whatever accent you want! I’ll figure out what you’re saying. Though, when you go on to become our next Jazzercise instructor the accent you choose may be an issue… Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Hey you! Well, I don’t want you to think I was talking about my butt hair when I ask for butter, you know. And here I say the word ‘hostel’ and people think I’m saying they’re ‘hostile’. Well, I have accepted that I’m just going to offend some people no matter how hard I try not to, so what the heck.
July 28th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
I’ve really appreciated your “spazz-ocity”! I’m glad we were able to meet and hang out, plus let me just say how jealous I am of great your pictures of Chicago turned out; they are very nice.
Hey you! And I appreciated that you appreciate it ;). Oh please I hate that tiny little camera. It’s really not a good thing to use a DSLR and then switch to a regular camera. You become such a snob.
July 29th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Yay! I’m so glad to have met you! Your pictures are awesome, so you make me feel less guilty about leaving my camera at home.
Have a safe trip back tomorrow!
Oh that’s right! I didn’t even notice you weren’t taking pics lol, self-absorbed as I am lol. Yea, we’re definitely keeping in touch.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Jenn, I have the same problem about how I speak too. My classmates said they don’t understand the words that are coming out from my mouth. definitely made me feel good
I don’t feel very comfortable (and a little fake) talking in the American accent but they will really not understand if I speak in Manglish, right? Sometimes I lapse into a semi-British accent as well lol because that’s closer to how we pronounce some words. So it sounds bizarre sometimes. But then it becomes MY accent. Maybe people will hear it elsewhere and say, “Hey, you speak like my friend Jennifer from Malaysia!:
July 30th, 2007 at 6:01 am
Jennifer, I had such a blast with y’all at BlogHer07! I will treasure the memories of laughs, learning, and conversations shared. I look forward to the next time we’re together in person — hope they have a good hostel and that the city is prepared for an inundation of articulate, awesome women, especially Cassie, Adrienne, Cheryl, Jeanette, and you!
And I feel privileged to have met you too, Shonnie. You’re a really wonderful person and I wish we could’ve spent more time together!
July 30th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Well, I didn’t think you were a spaz at all! Though if you do sell those pictures my opinion might change
Thanks for the marketing though. I love how you answer people right back by editing the comments. I might start doing that myself. It was great meeting you and I’ll definitely be checking in on your blog.
LOL thanks for dropping by. I am so tired. I need a long nap. Just so glad to seemy kids again. You will always be an inspiration to me, weightloss and otherwise