Met my reader(s)

Have not been blogging much. 

• Partly because I wanted to give myself a break to enjoy idling for a change -- I had many ideas of stuff to blog about but just decided that they can wait and/or I needed to mull over some issues for a bit more before I write. 
• Partly because (inevitably) I met a reader of my blog by chance recently, in my decision to offer support to fellow IENs (internationally educated nurses) in B.C., Canada. In fact, another reader* recently identified herself (via email) although we have met each other in person before. [*Note: If you're reading this, you'd probably know who you are. Thanks for your email advice, I have since reviewed and edited the contents under "Nursing in Canada". Hope it is ok now.]

I used a pseudonym for convenience of not being easily identified. Nevertheless, if one were to follow my posts over time, and if one has access to certain information, I am really easily identifiable in both Canada and Singapore. After all, I don't believe in lying about who I am and there aren't many people with my unique combination of circumstances.

Yet, the stuff I wrote on this blog are at times very personal in nature. I don't know if I want to wear my heart on a sleeve to the public. [Note: I have been getting above 4,000 hits a month for the recent months.] Then again, I started my blog back in March 2009, as an exercise to practise writing in English for IELTS (which I attempted in August 2009) and also to journal my ups-and-downs (given the then-impending major life changes of a career switch and migration) as a means reflect on life. Thus, it would defeat my purpose of reflecting on life if I were to avoid writing about the personal stuff. 

A solution that would meet the demands of both privacy and reflection would be to revert to the journalling using good old pen-and-paper. Or to change this blog to a "private" members-only blog. But then, it would mean that I cannot share the information that I have gleaned along the way with random strangers on a similar journey. E.g. My current 3rd most popular post is "IEN preparing to apply to CRNBC". Why? I suspect it may be because there seems to be a dearth of information on the matter. Back when I was a newly landed immigrant, I remember some kind folks sharing with me hearsay from someone-they-know-of who-met-someone who happened to have gone through the process or know-of-someone who did. 

I have recently learned from the above IEN (reader of my blog) that CRNBC and some of the immigrant settlement services agencies (e.g. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. or MOSIAC) conduct talks for IENs about getting their qualifications recognized. Please check directly with those agencies for such talks if you're interested.

After much pondering and having enjoyed an extended break, I decided to resume blogging. I was after all inspired by one brave Singapore Serf who sought to escape the lemming-like existence prescribed for the Singaporean heart-landers. [E.g. 75% Singaporeans stated that they are struggling according to a 2005-2009 Gallup World Poll. Or click here for Frugal Introvert's commentary blog post.] Since I was encouraged by Singapore Serf's down-to-earth journal of venturing overseas, I believe that there are others who are curious about an ordinary* migrant's experience. E.g. My current 4th most popular post is "Facebook exchange: What it means to leave Singapore". 

*Note: Not everyone who leaves Singapore is a high-flyer. It is a myth that one has to be a high-flyer to emigrate. 

So trusting the world (occasionally with my heart on my sleeve), onwards I blog.