Reviews

I guess after reading this blog, I am still not quite sure what to make of it. The writer of this blog is obviously conveying his daily thoughts, rants, ideas, and just general chatter. However, I read the entire blog, and am still asking myself one question. Why?

Most bloggers blog, or start blogging, for a reason. Either they are talented writers and are trying to show off their work. They may be business people with something to sell, or give advice on. Or, they may just be very worldly people that have a great deal of interest or experience in a certain subject, and they would like to share their experiences and knowledge with us. This blog is a bit different. Although, I believe the person writing the blog has a great deal of programming knowledge, he does not share much of it. Nor does he really have any certain topic, or present anything of real value.

I have seen and read many blogs of this type. Most of which are usually just people writing because they are bored. However, I sort of feel this one may be a bit different. My gut feeling is that this may be a blog to pay attention to in the future. This blog is new, and therefore, I do not feel the author has quite found his niche yet. But, trust me on something. The author of this blog has something that I just cannot put my finger on.

Perhaps it is his quirky poetry. Or perhaps it is his love of gardening and vegetables. Maybe he will eventually show us his talents as a programmer, other than a little js code to make fun of those of us interested in vanilla Ice tours. In any case, I think that this blogger will eventually find his way into blogging society. He is obviously diligent about his blog, and writes to it frequently, and he seems to be one of those types of people that can pull something of interest out of almost anything.

The design of the blog is very simple and plain. However, I think that as he becomes more passionate about his blog, he will spice it up a bit more. Take stroll through this young blog, and be the first to leave a comment for him. Although I cannot give a better review of this blog right now, I think this one might be one worth book marking and coming back to in a couple of months. At least he has not made a point of covering his blog with ads, and worthless attempts at profiting. That in itself is a very good sign.

3 Chinstraps!

Hong Kong Digital Vision: Looking Around Hong Kong by Digital Camera offers readers a photographic chronicle of life and events happening in Hong Kong daily. Chris Lee, founder and creator of the blog gets up close and personal with the people, places and things that make up one of the world’s largest cities.

The blog offers an entertaining and unique perspective on Asian culture from a person who has witnessed these things first hand. An IT professional, Lee’s photography hobby translates beautifully into the blogging medium, allowing readers to understand his point of view regarding the culture of Hong Kong.

The photographs are excellent, truly capturing the spirit of the subject or event being photographed. Lee documents interesting information about the country, such as the Floating Classroom picture. In it, a young girl sits in the back of an open van at a plastic child’s table, studiously working on her latest homework assignment. Surrounding her are all sorts of various items, including a bicycle, a pair of tan boots and multiple rubber balls perched precariously atop the bike.

His photographs of the 17th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre offer up a stunning display of lights, held by those citizens attending the memorial. It’s beautiful, and evoked feelings in me that only good photography can.

While the blog itself has a relatively simple design, it’s quite easy to navigate. You won’t find yourself aimlessly clicking on link after link, hoping to be taken to where you need to go. Additionally, the way the layout is designed meshes well with the overall tone of the blog. One minor detail I have a bit of a gripe with involves a lack of in-depth descriptions regarding the subjects of the photographs. While Lee offers brief captions underneath each photo, I’m a little disappointed at the lack of detail for each description.

Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this photographic adventure. If you’re interested in gaining a different perspective on another culture through the eyes of someone who has already been there, I would highly recommend this blog. It has enough archives to keep you busy for awhile, and tons of links on the sidebar to keep you interested.

If you have some time to spare, check out Hong Kong Digital Vision. You’ll be inspired, awestruck and entertained by this unique first person perspective on Hong Kong daily life.

Invading Holland is the subject of this review. It highlights the life of an Englishman as he settles into a new life in Holland. For those of you that do not know, Holland and the Netherlands are the same country, more or less. Not sure who would ever go through life not knowing this fact anyway. *Points to himself*

Invading Holland reads somewhat like a story book. The writer of this blog is a cartoonist/game designer/comic that accepted a job in Holland, and has now decided to blog about the country and his life within.

A great deal of information about the life of this writer is chronicled here, as well as an exceptionally well written tourist guide for the country. Written through the eyes of a tourist, this blog is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn about the culture and attractions of living in Holland. He writes about everything from general information about the country, to detailed information about things like the Red Light District and the native language.

Along with a great sense of humor, this writer also incorporates his artistic talents into the blog. There are hand draw cartoons with almost every post, and the set of characters he uses seem to illustrate people in his life, even himself.

There are some awesome stories written, and with the authors humor added to the story, they are all quite funny and interesting to read. My favorite story is titled “Lift of Terror.” It details an event in which he is trapped in an elevator with the possibility of not being found for days. I really enjoyed the little song he wrote while being trapped.

While the design of the blog is very simple and does not contain many of the “Bells and Whistles” that can be found in many blogs, it is easy to read and easy to navigate. In the end, the most important functions are readily available in the side bar.

I really enjoyed this blog. I spent a couple of hours reading various posts, and laughing at the humor. The blog is somewhat new, but I have a feeling that this writer is creative enough to find something new to write about regularly.

If you have a few minutes, I recommend spending them at Invading Holland. You will not only be entertained, but you will also learn a little something about a country that many of us know so little about.