My Blog Hit 35,000 Views !

Dear Dr Mike,

With your prompting, I started blogging. I set a target of getting listed on Sg Daily which is generally considered the pinnacle of local blogs. I have achieved it within 3 months. I have also made it to Online Citizen and Hardware Zone amongst so many other websites. It is now more than 35,000 hits.

A successful Mt Everest conqueror will tell you that he has no regrets even though he risks death climbing the world’s highest mountain. My name is now recognised in the entire SMRT network beyond the Rail Ops/Trains Dept.

Mike, I will die with no regrets having thrown down the gauntlet and delivered the knockout punch!

My mission is accomplished.

Alvinology
Another Alvinology
Sammy
Hardware Zone
Another Hardware Zone
Singapore Daily
Another Singapore Daily

Dear Alan

I like your spirit but don’t wish to see you get into trouble.

With your command of English and a lifetime of invaluable experience I feel it is a waste if you don’t blog to express yourself or to share your experience.

Please continue to churn out original materials…

Best,
Mike.

This blog was started in Oct 2011. It is coming to 3 months. Every day there is a post either written by myself or re-produced from my friends or elsewhere – usually jokes, anecdotes or some interesting stories.

Dr Mike Loh is my good friend. He calls me “kindred spirit!” He is a published author of 7 books and a seasoned blogger himself. I have benefited much from his guidance. There are many things I learnt from him esp those novels or writers hitherto unheard of such as Shantaram, Stieg Larsson, Jonathan Kellerman, Michael Connelly, Linwood Barclay, Orhan Pamuk amongst others. Having got acquainted with him have enriched my quality of life immensely.

Usually the viewership or number of hits hovers around 50 to 100 until that breakthrough. “SMRT Train Officer” really boosted my blog to a dizzily high of more than 17,000 hits. My blog’s total views is now more than 35,000 hits.

Maybe it is due to the fact that almost every Singaporean commutes daily by trains. Train is part of the Singapore landscape. They are just curious and wanting to know the person behind the train. Humans by default are curious creatures. “SMRT Train Officer” satiates that innate curiosity.

Of course, I was delighted and overwhelmed by the huge response. Even as I was writing this, comments kept coming in. A writer’s greatest satisfaction is the solid endorsement from readers. Applause is music to a singer’s ears. Almost all comments given by netizens are encouraging and positive.

From here, I have made some cyber friends such as Alvinology , Singapore Actually etc. Since my blog posts are automatically tweeted, I also attracted some followers and made new friends on my twitter account @palmuser_alan such as @KCLee, @Emeritus PAPer, @ELSee, @Amy Chen, @bookjtinyisland, @Shawn Lim, @Patty, @Occupy Singapore, @Sheena, @Liang Kaixin etc. That also led to my FB and we added each other as friends.

Frederick Forsyth in “The Cobra” says “Blog or Twitter is the bizarre offspring of the internet!”

The Holy Trinity of the New Social Media – FB, Twitter and Blog where they synergise each other cannot be underestimated. Many organisations have ignored or are slow to recognise at their own perils. I am NOT refering to SMRT.

Remember, I can’t bite the hand that feeds me.

As I was drafting this post, a 22 yrs old NS man by the name of Terrnce Au serving in the Air Force and a self proclaimed “train enthusiast” gave lengthy comments on my “SMRT Trains” post. I was very impressed by this young man’s passion for trains albeit somewhat blunt on his demeanor!

When I told my No: 1 at TNM Crew station that I started a blog some time ago, he asked me if I could make money out of it? What’s the point of wasting my time writing blog posts? I retorted that at least I would have left something behind if I were gone tomorrow whereas he would have left nothing without any legacy. He smirked and snickered at my remark.

Alas! HR got wind of it. In no uncertain terms, I was “advised” to refrain from commenting on company matters. A letter of “advice” will be issued to me. My hands are now tied. No more blogging on my job or SMRT related matters.

I do not wish to break my rice bowl.

I hope the above will clarify my status quo. Henceforth, I shall still continue with blogging but on other interests or subjects leaving out my job aspect to avoid infringing company’s policy and incur the wrath of those gods up there.

It is indeed an exhilarating experience. Many cyber friends are made here. I will treasure them. I thank all of you who have visited my blog. I am humbled by the unprecedented support shown on my “SMRT Train Officer” blog post.

I wish you all a Happy New Year & Thank you all.

I am a finalist in the Singapore Blog Award 2012 – SOLD.SG Best What-The-Hell Blog. Please vote for me! Voting ends on June 30, 2012. More info on this page. Thks for your support.