An excerpt of my interview with OMY was translated into Mandarin and published in My Paper and U Weekly 优1周 UW on 10 Nov 2014.
Here is the full interview in the original English.
1. What do you really blog about?
I blog anything about food and travel that moves me to write and share. Though anchored on the core of food and travel, I am not going to set boundaries for my own space.
Having said that, what moves me are the unfancied and untold.
I love blogging for the underdogs. The unsung food heroes. The untold food and people stories. Hence, Johor hawkers, which was where I started in the beginning. I have been looking for more unheralded food. For example, I am now looking at new immigrant food in Singapore.
2. What do you think is special / unique about your blog, that's different from most other food blogs?
My blog draws widely differing reactions from readers.
A judge in the OMY Blog Awards panel commented that my blog is "full of life and filled with the human touch".
At the other extreme, someone anonymous left a comment on my Facebook Page that I blog about "common food which is not worth eating".
Perhaps, because most of my content is so mundane and familiar, I have to look deeper to find interesting angles to present to the reader.
Find beauty in the ordinary.
3. How much ($) do you spend into running your blog on average each month?
About SGD1,500 a month. Mostly on food and transport. I am using Google's Blogger which is an essentially free platform and hosting service like YouTube which also belongs to Google.
4. Being a food blogger, how do you avoid "eating too much" and putting on weight?
Yeah, I have a extra big challenge. I actually try to eat all the food that I am served instead of just tasting small sampling bites. It's an attitude my mum instilled in us when we were children. It got stuck.
When not food tasting, I try to have simple meals like more oats and fruits. I brisk walk at least an hour a day except when the haze prevents me. Actually, my way of blogging involves a lot of walking. I often park my car and walk around the shop houses, markets and coffee shops to sniff out good food.
5. What are the best and worst experiences you've had in your blogging journey?
At the wedding of Bryan and Sue May
The best experiences is when I am able to make a positive connection with people, and between people.
Hawkers invite me to their homes and introduce me to their families. Sometimes strangers at other tables paid for my meal before I went to settle the bill. Strangers came to say hello. I attend readers' weddings and other private celebrations. Johoreans overseas write to me to tell me my blog keeps them connected with home. Johoreans write to me to tell me that they are discovering their own hometowns through my blog.
Worst experiences are when I got chased away by hawkers, which still happens once in a while.
Social media is a very new phenomenon, so some misunderstandings are inevitable. I myself am quite confused by social media, say just three years ago.
Some hawkers are wary of bloggers because of bad experiences, so their defensive reaction is understandable.
6. How do you deal with the bad experiences, if any?
Too blessed to be stressed
I just remind myself of the objective and social purpose of what I am doing and that always gets me recharged for the next blogging trip. In any case, by far most of my encounters are very heartwarming and positive, so I know that the occasional humps along the journey are just exceptions.
7. What do you wish to see more or less of the blogging community, perhaps especially for the very competitive food scene?
I hope more people realise the possibilities and opportunities blogging and social media create for community service.
For example, I wish more bloggers join me to explore the new cuisine that new immigrants are bringing to our food culture. Yes, create more awareness of the new comfort foods that are entering Singapore's food culture. In this way, food can serve as a bonding tool as it had done before when our forefathers too came to this island from other shores.
Though Singapore probably has the highest density of food bloggers in the world, the voices are not as varied and diverse. I hope there are more trend setters rather than trend followers.
8. Say a few words about winning in Singapore Blog Awards 2014!
Firstly, my gratitude to the hawkers whose stories won the readers' and judges' hearts - I am just a scribe. My heartfelt thanks to my readers in Singapore and overseas for voting for Johor Kaki. I would like to congratulate and thank SBA for playing a crucial role of setting the quality benchmark for blogging in Singapore every year.
Tony
At the Awards ceremony after receiving the Best Food Blog award for the second year running, the interviewer from Singapore Press Holdings asked me, "What sets your blog apart?"
The question got me stumped for quite a while. (I didn't expect to win a second time.... )
Click on picture to view video. My interview is from 2:23 onwards.
You can see my stunned, pregnant pause above.
I racked my brains in emergency mode and managed to blurt out that perhaps having a larger social purpose might have helped.
Phew... managed to wiggle out of that tight spot...
But the question, "What makes an award winning blog" set me thinking.
Two years in a row, there ought to be something that I am doing right which would be helpful to share.
Of course, I don't know what went through the judges' minds, but here is my more considered response to the question "what sets your blog apart" after I had more time to think about it.
I am sharing it here, in case other bloggers may find some of the ideas relevant or helpful.
Before I begin, let's recap on the Singapore Blog Awards' judging criteria.
50% - Inspiring and entertaining content
20% - Presentation (Visual Appeal & Ease of Navigation)
30% - Public votes.
If I were to sum up in one sentence, what made my blog different, I would say, "Think beyond yourself".
As I mentioned in the interview, having a social purpose can help set your blog apart. But, it is for more important reasons than just being different.
By focusing on making a positive contribution to others, our content will naturally be more inspiring.
In Johor Kaki blog's case, my tagline is "Put every good hawker on the World Wide Web".
By focusing on bringing benefits to others, readers too can be inspired to do their part for your blog's mission. Engaged readers can follow your recommendations, share your posts and support you in other ways as well.
During the voting process, readers told me that they are rallying their friends, family and even extended family to vote for Johor Kaki because of the blog's mission to help hawkers.
I am touched and grateful that readers expended their own personal goodwill for Johor Kaki, without any enticements. Many overseas readers voted for Johor Kaki but only Singaporeans are eligible for the voters' lucky draw.
At a personal level and unrelated to the blog awards, a goal bigger than myself has more driving force and gives me more staying power.
In blogging, there are downs as well as ups. When the chips are down, a bigger purpose will power you through the hard times.
I get chased off unceremoniously by hawkers once in a while. If it were not for the larger picture, I would have stopped blogging, a long time ago.
Be real.
It is ok to share with readers the difficulties you face in achieving your blog's mission. Even your failures and failings.
Your perseverance will inspire your readers.
It's ok necessary to reveal a little bit about yourself. The reader wants to connect with a real person. A person who stands for something. It is ok that not all readers will agree with everything you do or about you.
In this aspect, friendship is similar between real life and virtual life. Sincerity will attract genuine friends in real life. Being genuine in virtual life will attract sincere readers who will go to the trouble of rallying their friends and family to vote for you, even when there is no personal gain for them.
Have fun.
Look out for the funny, lighthearted aspects of your subject matter. Share funny anecdotes about yourself and your subject.
Everybody enjoys a good laugh and comic relief, including bloggers. Being able to laugh at yourself and at the situation entertains the reader.
Having fun and being passionate about your blog is also infectious. I try to make my blog positive and uplifting. Whenever I am not enjoying my blogging, I will pause and check if I am heading in the wrong direction.
Hope some of the ideas are useful for you. I welcome you to comment and share your ideas :D
Live your passion and let other things (like traffic, fans and awards) follow.
Tony
31 Aug 2014
16 Aug 2014. Johor Kaki blog was awarded the Best Food Blog honour at the Singapore Blog Awards 2014 ceremony today.
I received the award trophy and certificate from Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State, Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information, and Ministry of Education.
This honour is really possible only because of the support of many people, which I am grateful for.
First, my sincere thanks to the hawkers and businesses as you are the content, without which there will be no food or hawker stories, no Johor Kaki blog.
Thanks to my makan kakis and readers who tip me off on where are the best eats. You saved me a lot of wasted calories and many liters of petrol, not to mention giving me many mouthfuls of pleasure.
Above all, you gave me your friendship which I value more than anything Johor Kaki brought to my life.
During the month long voting process, which was actually quite harrowing, many readers and friends voted for Johor Kaki. Many of you went further by rallying your friends and families to vote for Johor Kaki. I am truly touched by your sincerity - expending your personal goodwill on Johor Kaki's behalf. Your well wishes and support gave me a lot of encouragement and gave me the confidence that I am on the right track with Johor Kaki blog.
During the next few days, I will be private messaging you to personally thank you for your support. If I missed you by mistake, please give me a shout out. I value your friendship.
My gratitude to fellow bloggers for the great company, and generously sharing with me your blogging tips and knowledge.
My thanks to the panel of 10 judges for their decision (which make up 70% of the judging criteria. Votes make up 30%).
Thanks to Singapore Press Holdings for staging the Awards and the OMY team for conducting the event so professionally.
With gratitude,
Tony
16 August 2014
