Tag Archives: email

Aug25

Why do you blog?

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Why do you blog?

Why do you blog? This was one of the writing prompts on WordPress this week. I decided to give it some thought.

I was living in Guadalajara when I started blogging on WordPress. Two of my housemates, Sean and Omar, were computer geeks and helped me get set up. Both of them were working remotely while living in Mexico for a while.

Before I started my blog, I used to send out mass emails to friends I’d left behind in Winnipeg. But now that I was living and teaching in Mexico, I found myself keeping in touch with others I’d taught with or lived with over the years. It’s true that a one-liner on Facebook got the word out and was easier than writing emails, but I could write in more detail in a blog.

I also used to include a lot of photos in my blog posts. I do a fair amount of traveling and there are always new museums, art galleries and parks to explore wherever I go. I made a lot of new friends and we often went on adventures together. But that changed when Covid arrived.

My blog posts became more introspective when I sought asylum in Mexico in March of 2020 when my FMM expired. I had given up my work visa when I retired back in 2016 so I was now counting my 180 days again. When I finally made it to Leavenworth at the end of September, I had a lot more freedom and fewer restrictions. Life was a lot more normal than it had been in Mexico. I was able to be vaccinated and was able to obtain medication I required that had not been available in Mexico.

My 180 in the USA was almost up in March of 2021. Do I go to Canada and pay $2000 for a two night hotel stay in isolation and then have nowhere to live once I got out? Do I go back to Mexico and take my chances in a third world country during a pandemic? Thank you to the CDC for coming to the rescue and issuing a level 4 travel advisory against travel to Canada. I retained an attorney and successfully sought asylum in the USA.

It’s now 2023 and I’m pretty much back on track with winters in Mexico and the other six months in the USA and Canada. But my blog posts are very different than the ones I wrote when I initially began the blog on WordPress. One featured photo and more writing. I write about life rather than travel. I occasionally write about family. I still tend to shy away from politics and religion.

I can’t remember the last time I sent out a mass email. Instead I encourage people to read my blog. I have followers around the globe and am grateful for all your support. I’m not the least bit interested in making money from this blog although I know several people who do just that.

I blog because I enjoy writing. I blog to give others some insight into my nomadic lifestyle. I blog in the hope that what I write may impact someone else’s life. I blog for me and I blog for you.

Mar15

Scams

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Scams

I always hear people complain about scams. Usually it’s on their cellphones. I solve that problem by never answering a call from someone who isn’t in my contacts. If it is a legitimate caller and they’re not in my contacts, they’ll leave a voicemail.

I get bombarded with other scams by email. I’ve published two books and I’m always getting emails from supposed publishers who want to promote my books and promise higher royalties. I get at least one of these a week. Occasionally I glance at them out of curiosity. Their command of the English language is seriously lacking. And the names of the representatives are quite comical. Somehow a name like Jose Shakespeare or Mahalia Dickens don’t exactly inspire much trust. Neither does Bill Jones or Jack Smith. And the same representative will contact me claiming to be affiliated with two or three different publishers.

And then there are the testimonies published on their websites by authors they claim to represent. Unknown authors, books that have never been published. It’s easy to create a website these days. No. It’s necessary to do your homework when choosing a publisher.

I used the same publisher for my first two books. The jury is still out on whether or not I will use them for my third book. The genre is different and I’m exploring other options for this book. In the meantime, I’m enjoying writing fiction. No need for the disclaimers used in the first two books. No need to change names of people and places. Fiction is fun!

In other news, I’m in one of the rare states in Mexico that isn’t red. The USA seems to get their warnings out a lot sooner than Canada these days. I guess Trudeau isn’t as concerned about the safety of the citizens of his country.

Happy Humpday!

Jun30

Penpals

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Penpals

June 30. I’m still in Mexico. Borders are still closed. Canada is still enforcing the Quarantine Act.

In another lifetime it was month end at work. It was the last day of school when I’d take my kids out for brunch after picking up their report cards. Another tradition was going to Chuck E Cheese later on in the day.

And then I moved to Mexico ten years ago to teach English. One of my first projects was setting the students up with penpals.

I’m actually still friends with my first penpal. I was living in Winnipeg and Carole lived in Minneapolis. We were 12 when we met. We have been friends for over five decades.

Today technology such as Face Time, Skype and Zoom have changed completely the concept of long distance relationships.

Today’s generation will never experience the thrill of rushing home from school to check the mailbox for a letter.

They will never have the opportunity to browse through stores in search of the perfect writing paper, envelopes and hasti-notes.

I also remember going to the post office in search of commemorative stamps rather than ordinary postage stamps. And the joys of sealing that envelope with wax!

Mail was only picked up at certain times. In the city there was next day delivery. International mail usually took 3 days.

I must admit that I now refer to email as snail mail with all the other options available. Here in Mexico the postal system is almost non-existent making FedEx a good friend.

But it’s nice to reminisce about the past as I compile more stories for Memoirs For Madeline. My granddaughter is only two and I wonder what communication will be like when she turns 12.