Thursday, November 16, 2006

selfless blog-gratuity

I try and read as many possible blogs during my day. Besides always partaking in the very basically depraved poen talk on my own blog, I love reading other blogs. There has been a strong upsurge of blogs starting in South Africa since the beginning of the year. And some of the writing is excellent. And entertaining, not to mention educating and insightful.

My blog’s 2-year birthday is in January. (It’s a Capricorn), and the blogs I read mostly all started sometime this year really. When I first started up Peas On Toast, it was only after months of reading other people’s. Mostly from the UK and the US, as not many SA blogs were around then. God knows I’m not a tech-wizard, I only found out what a blog was on reading an article about them in Cosmopolitan. I started writing, using real names and wrote in candid detail about my life, I was a mere picadot on the Internet. No one would ever possibly find this piece of shit, surely? Au contraire.

It was the best therapy ever. The comments I first started getting were from people I didn’t know, who lived in places like Oklahoma, Georgia and London. It became somewhat of a support group when things were cack.

Then for some reason Peas On Toast became another sounding board altogether, a very large support group, voyeurs, my mates, and of course, the ex boyfriends. This blog has got me into plenty trouble. But it has also been a daily ritual for me, where if I don’t blog, I feel like I haven’t had a full day. It’s been the most incredible medium for me for so many reasons: a support group, readers, writings, writers, therapy, sentiment, frustration bashing, and most importantly, being able to look back on what I’ve done, achieved, lived through and grown from.

It’ll just be hilarious when one day one of my kids turns to me and says: “You know mum, I was surfing the Net the other day….and I checked this blog Peas On Toast. She’s crazy. Don’t worry mum, I’ll never be like her.”
"Well that's a relief, my angel."
Fuck. Can you imagine.

Zuzula's blog is one I’ve been reading everyday since the very beginning, she’s my longest blog buddy. Love her.
My blogroll gets longer nearly every week. I can’t put everyone’s up there, but the one’s I read I think deserve a link. There are so many more that have popped up recently that I need to add. At first I didn’t think it wise to meet any of the other bloggers in person, and when I first walked into a room full of people where the screen didn’t separate us, was during the Blog Awards. Now I’ve met so many, and it’s nice to know them. We really are a community.

I still cannot believe how much my blog has changed my life. People come up to me and ask if I’m Peas in night clubs and social gatherings, I have found work through my blog, I have collated emails from people writing to me from places like Antarctica (can you believe it?), it’s got me back in touch with lots of people I have lost contact with, people offering to beat up my ex-boyfriends for me, being a delegate at a blog conference, I get letters that are complimentary, I get letters that aren’t, I get links sent to me, I get asked on dates (can you dig it?), I’ve been sent presents (which was particularly lovely), and I’ve made an insurance company shit themselves.
All because of Peas On Toast. It amazes me, and I can’t tell you how much I love my readers and fellow bloggers.

I wonder if I’ll be doing it for the rest of my life, or one day, when I finally have all my shit together – ha ha whatever – I’ll disemblog forever. Or maybe when life gets boring and I eventually settle down with a white picket fence, a rat and an Audi A3.
Or maybe I’ll be blogging from Cancun, as a retired old lady that drinks way too much whiskey and dates men half her age. Maybe.

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

YAY! i am first today!
Well, with the international trend for books by bloggers, you are heading inthe right direction Peas-y Poo!
But i must say that, since you have been getting into trouble, and everyone seems to now know who you are, your posts ae a lot tamer, which ain't gonan get you that 6 figure deal.... C'mon, we want the dirt back! Go into witness protection and change your identity or something, cos we want filth!
HAHAHAHAHAHAAH!
(evil cackle ala Dr Evil)

Peas on Toast said...

Daytripper - if you want filth babecakes, I'm gonna need to hire you as my bodyguard. If that's cool, then we have a deal.

;)

Anonymous said...

Can I completely plug a blog here? This one is awesome, and I think everyone shouls give it a read.

Peter Barlow said...

Hehe, oooh pick me for your blogroll Peas! Only joking, I don't even know any old ladies who drink Whiskey in Cancun! ;-)

Marc said...

Cool post. Happy early birthday.
U forgot to mention your Indian Mango Stalker

ChewTheCud said...

almost 2 years of posts, almost once a day? ok - blogging is starting to scare me. plus you get 100+ comments sometimes - dunno how you cope ;P

Peas on Toast said...

Pete - will take a look. And your blog is definitely going onto my blogroll. I need to add yours, a mate of mine Nic's...o many.

Peter Barlow - You know the DCI Rhodents, you are a Rhodent, so already you're in the running!

Marc - thanks guy! My Mango Stalker doesn't know about my blog...I don't think! :)

Peas on Toast said...

Chew - it's hectic hey? Been blogging religiously for almost two years. My settings tell me I have 543 posts...

ChewTheCud said...

i can see how this can start to mount up - just had my first archive. shit! second thoughts are a bitch. i need to stop reading this post ;P

Anonymous said...

It's been the greatest joy for me to read your blog, and also to have met you in person. I think that blogging can be as much therapy for those who read it as it is for those who write.
Love ya Peas.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Peasy:)

I've know what you mean about blogging every day, mine started out as a way to stop clogging everyones inbox after I moved, and now I think my readership mostly made up of people I have never met. If I don't do a post a day I definetly feel like I'ce missed out on something.

KaB said...

well...I really enjoy reading your blog & I totally like Zuzulu's as well! She's hilarious...very blunt & apt!

blogging really is a laugh-a-line...it keeps me preoccupied & away from my all-too important work...procrastination is way too much fun! But must admit...it's fun surfing the blogosphere...just the other day I came across a professional escort (she did all the naughty too) & wrote about it...it was kind of like her diary space of all her dates & thoughts...my god...it was amusing & quite scary to read what this girl gets up to!

Whatever makes your bum hum right?

Peas on Toast said...

Jam - I love you too dollface. Without your input, what would I have really? And your blog never fails to delight me either. :)

Pete - it's amazing how blogging has become such an integral part of our lives, n'est ce pas?

Thanks Kab - was that Belle du Jour by any chance? She's incredible. Thanks sweetheart, long live blogging!

Anonymous said...

Hey, snap! My blog will also be hitting the terrible twos in Jan. We're practically establishment now.

Peas on Toast said...

Kyk - awesome! Should we have a joint birthday party? I feel they deserve us giving them a massive thrash, perhaps we can get News24 to sponsor? (They liked our blogs, didn't they? ;)

Anonymous said...

Too true. Also, Confessions turns a whoel 1 yesr old on 25 Jan, all growed up:)

Peas on Toast said...

Ah Pete, he's an Aquarius! Bless.

Daedalus said...

Ertjie,
Yeah ... can you believe it. You actually connected to the Ostendo peeps via this little piece of code and the result of that is the mindless comments I come and make here on a daily basis...
Kinda surreal... (doing a similar topic post at the moment - will let ya know when I post via mail... weird ... we mind-melded somehow)

All this kuk I just typed will make sense a bit later ;)

Peas on Toast said...

Awesome D-Guy, can't wait to read it. And it comes down to exactly that: a piece of code connecting thousands of people.

Champagne Heathen said...

Why are you drinking whiskey in Cancun?? Why not tequila & cocktails in Cancun, & whiskey during the summer break to Ireland where the toyboys are more sweeter sounding.
Ah well, you do it your way & I'll do it my way, and I am sure we'll bump into each other enough along the way :)

I started this blogging thing to survive the last few months of a painful job. I really meant to blog less/ end it when I started a real "work during daylight hours" job. I have failed. But I am quite glad I have.

I am watching with fascination as more & more people realise what it really is & get hooked. One friend described it as the new version of social 'smoke breaks' during the working day. At least now though, the boss still thinks you are hard at work!

Peas on Toast said...

Lol Champs I'm sure we'll bump into each other in insanely ridiculously hot male paradises... yum!

Well said: smoke break for those who pretend theyre hard at work. Bloody convenient isn't it? ;)

Katie Possum said...

"Or maybe I’ll be blogging from Cancun, as a retired old lady that drinks way too much whiskey and dates men half her age. Maybe."

You, sweetheart? DEFINITELY!!!!

Koekie said...

Blogging and the internet are both awesome... in every good and bad sense of the word.

Katie Possum said...

Do people seriously come up to you and ask if you're Peas??! Based on what? You dance like you may be a Peas? They recognise your shoes from the post last week?
So bizarre!

Peas on Toast said...

Koekie - touche.

Kate - lol. They do. I figure it's because a friend of a friend of a friend has told them it's me, or something like that. The most bizarre is people I've never seen before coming up to me in places like Manhattan and saying, "Are you that blog person, you know Peas?"

I never really know how to react, usually I laugh, introduce myself and carry on carrying on.

Katie Possum said...

That's the best way to handle it I think! But, admit it, sometimes its downright annoying, right?! Do you feel like you've been censored a little bit by the rising numbers who know the Peas behind the pseudonym?

Peas on Toast said...

Kate - I never find it annoying, quite flattering really, but I'm always taken aback. I have definitely been censored since people know who I am, newspaper reports, etc. But most importantly, I still get to write about things I still enjoy writing about, so it hasn't shut me up completely. :)

Peas on Toast said...

Dave - thanks mate. I'm not sure either really. :)

Anonymous said...

I havent been reading for a long time, but I am digging your blog...and I am in for michael bolton! :D

zuzula said...

wow - thank you for the name check Peas, I'm very flattered! I love you too ;)

I have this thing about my blog being called 'twentysomething' - maybe when I hit thirty next year i also need to hit the delete button. But if I do... I'll let you know how to find me!

Peas on Toast said...

Awesome Nicole! Thanks man. Mikey B watch out! :)

Anonymous said...

Seems like blogging has become quite the thing to do. I think one of the most important things about keeping a good blog is to have regular posts. It irks me somewhat to load a site to find that there is no recent posts. Similar to nic's blog. Can't really blame him though, cos i'd probably only post once a month if i ever get a blog going.

Peas on Toast said...

Zu - don't you even think about hitting the delete button mate! How about changing the name to: twentysomethingsomething?

If you leave the blogosphere I'll cry big tears.

Peas on Toast said...

Anon - agreed. The only blog I still regularly check for updated posts is Things I Hate About My Flatmate. He's in a class of his own though, even though he hasn't updated in months...

Champagne Heathen said...

Peas, to get back to your comment to me WAY back up this list...if we know of "insanely ridiculously hot male paradises" & we wish to be there, why are we waitig for one day??

Why are we sitting here staring at our computer screens, dealing with crazy jobs, when such heavens-on-earth exist??

Revolving Credit said...

Umm....what do you buy a blog for it's birthday?
A new hit hit counter?
A fresh template?
or maybe some blog-bling?

Revolving Credit said...

Champs - I see you mentioned the T word above, so you must be over your alcohol poisoning?

Champagne Heathen said...

Rev, I am out of the ICU on it & under mild care. I can hear the word, but I still wouldn't want to smell it, let alone actually some yet.

But it is only Wednesday!

I reckon, if you want to go all out, you give the blog its very own site! (Less chance of crashes)

Anonymous said...

blog bling = blong?

Peas on Toast said...

Champs - I don't know about you dollface, but until I marry a husbank or make millions with my differently-cocalled prowess, I have no choice but to kiss editor's ass. Sucky.

Rev - I'm gonna get my blog drunk. Feed it Jaefermeisters, then take it out for dinner and give it some blog-bling. :)

Champagne Heathen said...

I meant "actually DRINK some yet". I see my subconscious is still scared that it is blocking the action word just thinking about pouring some T down my throat.

I should be an out-patient by Friday though.

Revolving Credit said...

Peas, sounds like you may have to buy your blog a lottery ticket for it's birthday.

Anonymous said...

get your blog drunk? take it home and ride it roughshod, put it away wet? or you could treat it, maybe give it a new color scheme - something not vag-pink maybe... ;P

Revolving Credit said...

Chewy, you advocating that Peas turn her blog into a pay-as-you-cum porn site for its birthday?

zuzula said...

if i do leave the blogosphere i'll see you in Cancun. mine's a large glass of pinot noir ;)

Champagne Heathen said...

@Chews - Oh, so this is the colour of "me". I have always wondered. Ohgod, the whole design & layout of this blog just took on a whole new appearance for me. Thanks Chews, now I am going to struggle every time I read this blog again!

Rev - isn't it already half way there, judging by some days' comments??

Anonymous said...

hahahahhahahahahahahahaha

Peas on Toast said...

Vag-pink? No no no. Poen-Pink china.

I'm not changing the colour of my blog for love or money!

I may have to take it hme after birthday drinks and shag it senseless though! ;)

Anonymous said...

Yes, we have noticed the lack of the greatest music blog of all time: The Muso, on your blogroll. The loss is, of course, yours.

Anonymous said...

but what we really wanna know is if the color scheme was a concious decision on peas part or not. dark pink, light pink, touch of brown... ;P

Anonymous said...

Stop it just stop it! The poen comparison has gone too far!

Peas on Toast said...

The Don - alongside Nic my Australian mate, Pete, Peter Barlow, yourselves and another blog I've been reading of late (which I can't say anoything about apparently - which is killing me), I have many people to add.

Consider it (almost) done! :)

Dan Lurie said...

That's an awesome post Peas. Well written.

Peas on Toast said...

Thanks guy. :)

Billy said...

Your blog rocks Peas. If i was a blog id want to be yours. This and the russian bride depot are a must visit for every day of my working week.

Its my birthday tommorow. (Shameless Plug for attention)

Seem to be losing hair faster today. odd.

Anonymous said...

I just started a blog a couple of months ago, did the no-names thing and went straight to being a home wrecker, apparently. They broke up because of the info on the blog, he says, she wanted to call and kak on me - then they made up and now they're not hanging with us anymore. Gotta love it!

Unknown said...

Peas your blog can be just as theraputic to read as mine is to write. baie dankie.

Peas on Toast said...

Happy happy Billy! *sending you lots of cyber shooters* Yay! Hope you have a splendid day!

Anon - hectic! Hope and trust all is all back to normal?

Hunnii - thanks dollface! :)

Anonymous said...

Not a chance p - no calls from the previously serial caller. Now no thanks to a party invitation. And the paranoia begins ;)

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