Although reading online articles isn’t always the type of activity I get myself involved into, there is one special exception for my favourite blogger, Danny Choo.
Started out as computer engineer, Danny has worked himself up through multiple executive jobs until he achieved his own blogging company. Through his own website, dannychoo.com, Danny has captivated many readers by sharing his experiences in Japan. Depicting Japanese culture and lifestyle in his blogs, it appeals to many Japanese lovers such as I.
http://www.animefestival.asia/afa13/img/img_sp_danny.jpg
At first glance, many may ask, “Why Danny Choo?” He seems like the everyday blogger you would find elsewhere on the internet; however, Danny is much more than just sharing life narratives. By including multiple large-scale pictures to go with every post, Danny’s blog lean towards a more visual presentation. Utilizing this method, it captures the reader’s attention and puts them in the point of view as if they were visiting Japan. Referring to his Japan Supermarket blog (http://www.dannychoo.com/en/post/27190/Japan+Supermarket.html), the pictures almost represent that of an in store walkthrough. Accompanied, by a couple lines of text here and there, Danny summarizes the point of the topic.
By consistently blogging his experiences in Japan, Danny eventually became an icon in his community. So I ask myself how can an average person blog his way to the point of being recognized by the Japanese Government. All he had was a dream of spreading Japanese culture globally through his website.
From the beginning of his posts in 2004, Danny’s website has accumulated what I would perceive as a collection of culture knowledge. From all the marvelous destinations to the cultural events, Danny has an interest for all reader’s alike. If I were to begin a blog and record all my experiences, how could I follow the trail of Danny Choo and appeal to my readers? To produce quality stories in a unique way is something I hope to be able to portrait if I ever begin a blogging career.
/Vinson Tam
Note:
Welcome readers, bloggers and fellow students alike,
With this being my first scholarly blog, the content may not have lived up to your expectation. To follow up, I wish you, as the reader, to provide any feedback or comments regarding my article. I appreciate it and hope to contact you all soon !
References:
http://www.dannychoo.com/en/post/25018/Danny+Choo.html
http://www.dannychoo.com/en/post/27190/Japan+Supermarket.html
http://www.dannychoo.com/
Vinson, as someone who does not read blogs on a regular basis, I am very glad that I have learned about this individual through your post. I appreciate your comment about his particular use of visuals, because I do think that form can set apart one life narrative from another, which explains how enticing and entertaining his blog is to readers across the world.
Such a way of “e-travel” or virtual tourism, is an interesting concept to me; with globalization comes our increased access to images of foreign and exotic places. My concern is that with quick access to a picture of the Eiffel tower, or the Grand Canyon, at our fingertips, we may become less curious about the world and lose our enthusiasm for travel. I even wonder if some people prefer to live travel through another person (such as a blogger) as it is much safer, cheaper and perhaps more entertaining as it is accompanied with commentary!
This question is discussed in the following article http://www.theguardian.com/travel/blog/2010/feb/17/google-maps-trans-siberian-virtual-travel. A further statement is made about the “un-sustainability of travel”, and emphasize is placed on the realistic view of the world that can be accessed through various technological programs. Have you ever considered this to be a possibility for the future?
Thanks for a great post!
Adèle
Hey Adèle! Thanks for taking your time in reading my post and leaving your thoughts!
I really liked how you pointed out the fact that people have the ability to go on the web these days and virtually “travel” the world at their fingertips. The vast amount of information out there on the internet could provide a detailed imaginative vacation in your head! To think that if some actually prefer to “travel” around the world this way, it could prove to be a problematic issue. As more people rely on the internet, many will start devoting their lives on the computer rather than the real world; quoting what you said, “lose enthusiasm for travel.” Personally, I prefer to visit foreign countries in person and experience it myself; however, to others, they may not have the luxury of travelling across the globe.
Referring to your comment regarding viewing the real world through technology, I actually remember something quite interesting from a recent gaming convention. Back at E3 2014 in June 2014, Sony announced a new 3D virtual reality head gear device (http://www.cnet.com/news/sony-project-morpheus-vs-oculus-rift-at-e3-2014-vr-gaming-gets-very-real/). The device still looks like it’s in the prototype stage; however, I have high hopes of this device taking virtual reality to a whole new level. With this, people can virtually travel to any destination they want if they wish. Nevertheless, I never know what the future may hold, but I certainly hope I too can travel to the tropics from the comfort of my own home.
Thanks again!
/Vinson Tam