The year that was!

I am stepping onto the second year of blogging today. ๐Ÿ™‚ At the end of one year of blogging, I am happy that I started blogging. Since this blog has become an important part of me in the past one year, there is no way I am going to settle for a short post now. ๐Ÿ˜› Hereโ€™s looking back at the first year of my blog. ๐Ÿ˜‰

For the first time, I tried to put into writing what I felt on listening to a song or watching a movie or just my views on what was happening around me or some random thoughts and discovered that I too can write something about music, movies, everyday happenings, etc. I tried to make a blog post out of anything and everything that I felt was โ€˜postableโ€™. ๐Ÿ˜‰

When I wrote my first post (Arvind, instead of publishing my first post once again as a part of your tag, I am linking it now. ๐Ÿ˜› ), I had no clue at all as to what I was going to write about. At that time, the only interesting thing happening was the December Season and for the first time, I tried putting into writing what all I enjoyed/ didnโ€™t enjoy in a concert. But, I was absolutely dissatisfied with what I was writing and told a friend of mine that all I am writing is, the rendition of this song was good or that raaga alapana was excellent, etc. (even now I am doing the same thing only! And the reason why I am not posting regularly about the concerts I attend, is only this. Nowadays, I post about a concert only if I feel like writing about it) I told her that am at a loss of adjectives to use for my posts anymore. ๐Ÿ˜› So much so that I decided that I wonโ€™t post anything about the concerts. But, boredom got the better of me and I kept writing posts on the concerts (please donโ€™t refer to those as reviews, simply because, they are not).

Thatโ€™s when January came and I wanted to write something for the birthday of A.R.Rahman, the only music director whose music had fascinated me like no othersโ€™. Call it the turning point or whatever, Prabhu linked my post in hisโ€™ (for which I canโ€™t thank him enough since I know, quite a few of my now regular readers came to my blog only through his) and I got the first of the regular readers of my blog, Adiya and Ranjhith (Hellโ€™s Angel โ€“ a very close friend of mine, a couple of my friends and my sister were the initial readers of my blog and later, Prabhu too started reading. Donโ€™t know if there were any silent readers ๐Ÿ˜‰ ). Very soon, the number of regular readers of my blog started increasing and comments started pouring in, thanks to my posts on A R Rahman and his music and later, my posts on Mani Ratnamโ€™s movies. I owe a big thanks to Mani Ratnam and A R Rahman too! ๐Ÿ˜‰ But for my passion for their works, I wouldnโ€™t have written so many posts. Each time I rave about a song or a movie here, I donโ€™t know why, but I find my liking for it increasing even more!

Today, thanks to my blog, I am doing something that I cannot imagine doing in the real world. If I am sitting face to face with say ten people, it will be a long time before I start freely interacting with them. But through my blog, I am doing the unimaginable for me by interacting with so many of you. ๐Ÿ™‚ Today, not only are there a lot of readers reading my blog, but a few of them have become good friends of mine too. ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks to my writing about music and Mani Ratnamโ€™s movies, I am getting to interact with many Rahmaniacs, Carnatic music lovers and fans of Mani Ratnam here. I feel that networking through blogs is lot better than through networking sites (one reason being I can restrict the details I give about myself ๐Ÿ˜‰ ) and I am enjoying every bit of it. ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks a ton to each one of you for making this happen! ๐Ÿ™‚

At the end of Q4 of this blog, I have decided to stop posting the customary quarterly blog stats from now on. ๐Ÿ˜› Presenting the stats at the end of the first year:

No. of posts: 224
No. of comments: 2342 (including my reply to comments)
Hits: 73727 (sum of the hits of both my old blog as well as this one)

With this, ends my vote of thanks! ๐Ÿ˜‰ Thanking each one of you once again! ๐Ÿ™‚

21 thoughts on “The year that was!

  1. sangs

    Congrats,Aparna.I came to your blog via Prabhu’s too.Found it good reading and stayed on ๐Ÿ˜‰ .Am still hoping there will be a post on “Nayagan” ๐Ÿ˜‰ As ur blog second anniv gift,perhaps you know,to all your readers .

    Reply
  2. arvind

    WOW..five stars for it..
    i am glad to be ur blog’s reader …keep blogging..hope you continue for blogging for many more years ๐Ÿ™‚
    by the way u told me that u will complete the tag when you have nothing to post…
    i wonder if you really dint get anything to post..you can always write on ur favourite topics like music (carnatic ) :P….

    Reply
  3. Sathej

    Hello Aparna,
    Firstly congrats…
    I really don’t remember how I visited your blog-it wasn’t through Prabhu’s I think…Anyway, I have been reading since January this year and its been nice all the way:) You write quite nicely about concerts – you aren’t biased and its actually good to know such views. We people are all biased ๐Ÿ™‚ Keep writing:..
    Sathej

    Reply
  4. Sreekrishnanv

    So happy for you – esp when you thanked Rahman and Maniratnam – without whom – For me too, my passion to do things with perseverance and innovation would not have been there – Well said – and it is also the reason why i started blogging

    I dont remember how i landed here – but i dont think thats important to me now. This is one blog that shares the same views on few topics, talks about something that i wish to and introduces me to new people (like Sangs and Sami) – introduces new blogs to me like the Aminus3 photoblogs in your “blogs i read” – what more do i want out of a blog ? infact i havent updated my blogroll – only to use others blog rolls like yours prabhu’s and Anu Srinivasan for quick access ๐Ÿ˜›

    Also it was great to see some known faces visit your blog as i visit their blog through different source – only to find that like minds unite … anywhere

    I have also enjoyed comments back on my blog from you –

    Great work till now – hopefully you continue to do so whatsoever !! Congrats once again !!

    Reply
  5. Srikanth

    //
    No. of posts: 224
    No. of comments: 2342 (including my reply to comments)
    Hits: 73727 (sum of the hits of both my old blog as well as this one)
    //
    No. of smileys: Countless ! :)))

    Great… Keep going! All the best!!

    Reply
  6. puranjoy

    Hi,
    I guess I am quite new to your blog compared to other regular readers.
    Congrats, 224 posts in 1 year is a great achievement.
    Can I put in a few wishes as well? And does Alaipayuthe rock or what? ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  7. TeAl

    Congrats Aparna!
    My blog celebrated it’s 2nd bday recently … of course it was a quiet celebration since it went forgotten ๐Ÿ˜› Keep up the good work buddy!

    Reply
  8. Hari Prasad

    Congrats! As you might know I came to your blog very recently when I did a Google search for “Mani Ratnam blog” the day after I met him. Yours was the first site to show up! Have been reading your posts since then, but I think you got into that number game during this time and I ended up seeing more numbers instead of words! Anyways hope to read more in the days to come.

    Btw, have blogrolled you! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  9. Sami

    Congrats ! and me too came to your blog through prabhu’s blog. Found it interesting and stayed here ๐Ÿ™‚ To me what interested was your blogpost on travel, music reviews, chennai blogposts, photos and misc… ๐Ÿ™‚ Keep writing more on this regard also.

    On this occasion of second aniv, Chennai and its temples pathi oru blog post pannunga ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Cheers !

    Reply
  10. Aparna

    SK,
    Thank you

    Sangs,
    Thank you! Surely there will be a post on Nayagan. But I don’t think I can write it this week.
    >ur blog second anniv
    Hey it’s first anniversary only!!

    Adiya,
    Thanks

    Arvind,
    Thank you!
    >u will complete the tag when you have nothing to post
    I remembered your tag just I typed the line. So I just included that line ๐Ÿ˜‰
    Well, I have lots of topics to write a post on. Just that am not getting much time these days….

    Sathej,
    Thank you. I think you must have come from Ram’s blog only.
    >you arenโ€™t biased
    Is it? I don’t know in what way you are saying am not biased

    Reply
  11. Aparna

    Sreekrishnan,
    Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚
    >and it is also the reason why i started blogging
    Nice to know that. I wish you write often on Rahman’s music
    >I dont remember how i landed here
    But I remember. It was through Prabhu’s blog only. It was when the Sivaji songs got leaked.
    >shares the same views on few topics, talks about something that i wish to and introduces me to new people
    My blog does so many things? ๐Ÿ˜‰ Great to know that. Your comment is a reminder for me to update the ‘Blogs I Read’ page with some more blogs I am reading.

    Srikanth,
    LOL! Thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

    Puranjoy,
    Thank you. Yeah Alaipayuthey rocks ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Teal,
    Thank you. A belated congrats to you too ๐Ÿ™‚

    Hari,
    Thanks! I am sure you will see only words from now on

    Siva,
    Thank you

    Sami,
    Thank you. Hope you never lose interest in reading my blog ๐Ÿ˜‰
    >occasion of second aniv
    Idhu first anniversarydhaan!
    You are asking me to put photos for posts on temples. So naan first Chennai templesa photos edukkaNum before I can write a post ๐Ÿ™‚ But yeah I have photos of one temple. So I will try to write a post soon!

    Reply
  12. Sathej

    Yes, thinking back, it must have been from Ram’s blog only.
    Biased – well, reflecting back now, you are a little biased towards TMK and Sanjay, yes :). But otherwise, compared to reviews we read everywhere (and that includes me), yours seem to be from an unbiased standpoint. Shall elaborate later ๐Ÿ™‚
    Sathej

    Reply
  13. Mathangi

    hey congrats! sorry i’m a bit late ๐Ÿ™‚
    i actually don’t remember how i landed here first. but i never knew u were my friend’s sister. later only i realised that. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  14. Ranjhith

    Huhu! Great going. Letme “whistle” twice for this. ๐Ÿ™‚

    > I have decided to stop posting the customary quarterly
    > blog stats from now on.

    We’ll certainly miss this! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Just a ques. Will you be wholeheartedly parting the enormous earnings with the Ads you run here? Becos, Its we who help you in the earnings. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
  15. Aparna

    Sreekrishnan,
    Please do

    Sathej,
    Hmmm ok

    Mathangi,
    Thank you. Oh.

    Hariiii,
    Thanks!

    Ranjhith,
    Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚
    ๐Ÿ˜›

    Ponnarasi,
    Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply

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