The Bub in the Belly

I am a blog stalker/lurker/hopper/voyeur. It is a recent hobby of mine - trawling the internet, skipping from blog to blog to blog. There are various groups of bloggers which I visit - my friends, the parents, the crafters, the design critics, the lifestyle blogs. Virtual communities have sprung up among those with common interests and positive communal vibes leap out from the web pages. It is amazing to feel the camaraderie. It is equally amazing to read the comments left by the readers - always supportive, always interested, always encouraging.

There are some blogs which I particularly enjoy, which I return to over and over again. I brazenly poke my nose into their lives, read every report of their going-ons and examine every shred of photographic evidence that they disclose. These bloggers generously give their time, creativity and effort to share their lives with me in their beautifully laid out web pages and yet they ask nothing from me, despite the fact that I derive so much pleasure, entertainment and enrichment from their work.

I was feeling a little guilty at this imbalance so it was with great interest that I read that Nuffnang.com is presenting the first ever Asia-Pacific Blog Awards, honouring the best of the blogosphere in our region. People are invited to vote for their favourite blogs and the voting results will be announced on 23 October 2009 in Singapore. The nominated blogs and voting form are here.

I shall certainly be casting my vote. This is a great way to show my appreciation and say a small thank-you to bloggers everywhere. I was particularly pleased to see that taxidiary.blogspot.com has been nominated for Best Hidden Gem, a title which describes it perfectly.

Keep up the good work, all you bloggers!