'un blog que tu dois voir de toute urgence'

Sure, I'll admit it - I check my hits, at least once a day.

It's self-affirming, in a way, to know that friends and family are not the only ones stopping in. But mostly I do it out of curiosity. I want to know what led readers to EatingAsia. Another blog? A complimentary blurb in an little-known travel site (exactly one hit, to be specific)? Or is it a direct hit, indicating perhaps an RSS feed, which in turn suggests that said unknown reader is interested enough in my dribble and Dave's photos to want to be informed of new posts?

This morning I clicked an unrecognizable reference and was led to a memo from anonymous to anonymous, subject titled: un blog que tu dois voir de toute urgence. My high school French sucks, but I think that translates to something like "a blog you must see urgently".

How cool! Not that someone somewhere thinks someone else needs to check into EatingAsia pronto, but that there is someone somewhere whose mind (or whose friend's/family member's/colleague's/acquaintance's mind) works just like mine does; someone who obsesses about food, who's curious about what other people in other parts of the world are eating, who wants to know what is delicious where. "My friend, here is a very unimportant blog about FOOD. But of course, because it's about food, this is an urgent matter, something you must look into immediately!"

That I am somehow connected, however ephemerally, with likeminded people is an unexpected benefit of this whole project. Anonymous memo sender or receiver, if you're ever in the neighborhood I'll be happy to treat you to a plate of fine char kuay teow. (And please forgive me for publicizing the memo - you remain anonymous after all, and the subject line was just too wonderful to let lie.)

OK - enough with the lovefest. Let's get back to the food porn.

Comments

[Max]

In my case, an endless assault of personal recommendations, until I succumbed.

[ANN]

I wanted to thank you for posting
the pictures and info on cheong fun. I
spent a couple of pleasant hours researching
this noodle and even found some recipes.
Being isolated in the mid-South USA is lot
different than living on the Pacific Rim.
Hope to master this noodle so I don't have
to be at the mercy of the few restraunts that
serve it.

Thank you so very much.

[Robyn]

Max, nice to know. Thanks.

Ann - you're welcome, and I would love to know how you get on making chee cheong fun at home. Good luck!

[Vincenr]

I guess I do agree with Max. :)

But you did mentioned on your blog that there were sites promoting your blog, of the likes of KLue magazine. I believe they help.

Blogrolling/My site being linked up by more 'veteran' bloggers have definitely brought up the traffic a notch.

In all, I believe great content, user interface and layout have the ultimate say in maintaining the traffic.

Keep up the excellent work Robyn. :)

[Robyn]

Hi Vincent - KLue never promoted me, just published my letter to the editor. Brief spike in traffic, then back to normal. Believe me, if I was blogging solely for the gratification of seeing my traffic numbers mount ... Eating Asia would be no more!! Thanks for the compliment though, always open to more of those. ;-)

[Marketman]

I check my hits too...it's amazing where when and how they come to the blog... you have some terrific entries and I truly enjoy your blog!

[Robyn]

Thanks Marketman, back at you. What's perplexing is when you get a little, brief spike in traffic but referrers give no clue as to why....

[CH Addict]

I actually just mentioned you on Chowhound.com before reading this post. Honey, if you want to see food-obsessed people, check out the site.

[Robyn]

CH Addict, thanks for the mention on the illustrious mother of all food sites. Wow, you "love" EatingAsia? :-)

I post on CH as foodfirst. Less so since I started the blog, obviously. I proudly assert that my CH posts on KL (Sept 2003), Penang (Feb or March 2004), and Thailand (throughout 2002) are as food-obsessed as the best of them!