Its 12:30 pm. As usual the sun is scorching hot with a warm breeze swaying trees. With such weather, the Pac court was the most appropriate place to carry out the three interviews that would help me write my article. It was so quiet and lonely like a graveyard. No one would believe it is the same place that always looks like a market place over the weekdays. The only noises that made the place seem alive were the buzzing bees, the playful hyraxes and the low-toned rugged voice that came from the G4s guards’ radio. I chose the most dust-free bench and sat on it waiting for my interviewees.
The clock says 1:00pm. None of my interviewees had shown up. I nervously shook my legs and craned my neck towards every direction to see whether they were finally showing up. Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat. I heard the resonance of high-heels. Finally, that could only be Shirley, one of my interviewees. She loves wearing high-heels. If it was possible to sleep in high-heels, take a show er in them and go to the gymnasium in them, Shirley would comfortably do that without complaining.
“Sorry I am late. I had to pass by the salon to fix this new weave…” She slowly turned in a circle as she ran her fingers through her new, long and curly weave. “Hmmmmm, you look amazing, could we please start the interview?” I quickly interjected before she started talking about the latest pairs of shoes she had bought or the new Gucci bag she got from an expensive store in town. “I am sorry,” Shirley embarrassedly responded while she sat. “When did you start blogging? And what made you start blogging?” “I started blogging in 2006 when I completed high school but I got more involved when I joined Daystar since there is unrestricted internet almost all the time. I love sharing the most interesting parts of my life with others. This made me start a personal online diary.
It is quite interactive since I get to know what happens in the lives of my friends and they get to know what goes on in my life. I always upload photos of the places I visit and the people I hang out with every day.”
“Does blogging have any disadvantage?”
“Sometime back, I had a bad experience with a stalker on my blog, which was a disadvantage on my side. This guy could not get off my back. Any time I uploaded a photo or a new post he would comment annoying, abusive, infuriating comments that made me stop blogging for some time. Till to date I have never known the person who gave out my blog details to this man, I guess it was one of my friends.” I could see the anger and disgust that flared in Shirley’s eyes as she narrated this experience. “When I stopped blogging for that period, I switched to Facebook which seemed more private since I could control who viewed my profile.”
“Did you switch back into blogging?”
“Yes, I did but not that often since I got scared of being stalked.”
“Sema Joy (Hi Joy), a clear, brassy, husky voice interrupted the conversation. I slowly turned my head towards the direction where the voice came. A smile light up my face when I saw the other two interviewees, Mercy and Robb. “Poa (am okay), thanks for showing up, am almost done with Shirley please sit,” I excitedly said.
“I got scared of being stalked so I blog less and Facebook more,” Shirley concluded.
“Robb, when did you start blogging? What made you start blogging?
“I started blogging 8 years ago when I was in Uganda Uganda
“Does blogging have any disadvantage?” “Yes, it is outrightly B.O.R.I.N.G. I got bored with time since it became a routine and let’s face it who loves routine?” “No one” I almost shouted my thoughts.” “I got used to the whole routine of uploading a new post, a photo or video and then other readers leave their comments. I stopped blogging and frankly I do not want to go back to that routine any time soon.”
It is 2:00pm. Shirley is fidgeting on the bench. She must be thinking of beating one of her friends in getting the latest Louis Vuitton bag or designer sunglasses, what a showoff, I thought.
“Mercy I know you do not blog, why?”
“Before I came here I had to go through a dictionary in order to know what blogging is, at least I have a slight idea. I am an introvert and I love having my own privacy. Blogging is way too public for me; I can neither start my own blog nor comment on other people’s blogs. I mind what other people say and think about me, this has made me not blog. I prefer sending messages and e-mails since they are private.”
I could see and feel the boredom that radiated from Robb to Shirley. Robb was looking drowsy and he yawned after every five minutes.
Shirley was giving me the ‘can you get done and over with’ look, a similar feeling that she shared with the weather that had changed from bright, hot and sunny to cloudy, windy, cold and almost drizzling. Neither of them was encouraging.
“Blogging should not be used to give out personal information, it should not be a personal online diary,” Mercy conclusively said. Shirley gave her a heart-piercing look since she uses blogging as a personal online diary. She slowly mumbled something and before she could say it loud I stared talking, “Shirley, Robb and Mercy thanks for showing up…and…” before I was done Shirley and Robb were already up on their feet ready to go. I slowly stood, did not complete my sentence and walked away with my interviewees who were already ahead of me. (1,069)
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