Probably not. This blog used to see hundreds of visitors a day. We’re down to 20 on a good day. It’s discouraging and I’m currently exploring and experimenting with videos in case you haven’t noticed. Hopefully, my former fans will subscribe to my YouTube channels and if not, then I’ll just have to find some new fans. I can’t go on writing articles that fewer and fewer people read.
We’re coming to the end of 2023 and while I had promised myself to make up for the “lost Covid years”. But while the heart is willing, the pocket is empty. It has not been a good year for business and to add oil to fire, we’re going to welcome 9% GST when we sing Auld Lang Syne to welcome 2024. But then, how do you explain the crowds at Din Tai Fung, Dian Xiao Er and Swensen’s?
Maybe unlike me who strongly believes in homecooked food, these people have their priorities and are willing to pay for a dining experience even if it’s their last penny – like some people pay their water bills and government fees quickly but owe their friends money for months. Maybe they are not as poor as we have assumed. Just like this Chinese Cinderella, Meng Yang.
Many former bloggers have already made the switch from writing to making videos. One famous YouTuber I follow even said that if Li Bai were to be alive today, he would be a YouTube star instead of a poet. Times have changed and we’ll only exhaust ourselves swimming against the changing tides.
Long ago when I took photos with film, I had to lug bulky photo albums around whenever I shared my experiences with friends.
With the internet, came a major breakthrough. Even though my homepage was created with basic HTML and photos had poor resolution, my images and write-ups reached thousands of visitors. Even Lonely Planet and Discovery Channel got in touch with me.
Then, digital photography replaced film. It was a huge blessing. I didn’t have to carry cartons of film on my trips. I didn’t have to wait for processing. I didn’t have bulky albums and printed photos anymore. Sharing was easy and that’s the trouble; too easy. The digital universe became an exponentially expanding one. New galaxies were forming daily and I became a tiny star. I can still share, but what the heck, I need to struggle to get noticed! 
Philosophy is out. Attitude is in. For Instagram and TikTok, the more shallow, narcissistic and self-centred they are, the more popular they become. The game has changed. What can yesterday’s players do other than to maintain a modest online following with this platform?
Being a newbie in video, I’m still experimenting and exploring. Making videos is really quite different from just writing. For the latter, I don’t need to be presentable in front of the camera. Correcting a sentence is also simple. But when I make mistakes in a video, I need to shoot that part again. It’s tedious and time-consuming. Don’t underestimate a few minutes of video. The commitment that this medium demands, is tremendous.
The beginning is tough. I have neither boobs nor youth. What I have are knowledge and experience but unfortunately these things don’t count for much in today’s TikTok and anti-intellectual environment. I just need to present everything with a hook that will keep fans and bring in new ones. Do give me some suggestion on how to do it. Just don’t tell me to play Kim Huat, Ah Lian or Wang Lei.
Having said all that, I have not lost my love for writing and I’ll definitely be writing my annual Looking Back in Wonder on the first few days of 2024. It’s something I need to do to get over the previous year. I don’t celebrate Christmas and I try to avoid the Orchard Road crowds, but while everyone is making travel plans, I’ll stay put and wait for off season discounts. Watch out for my travel videos.