The Blogger Recognition Award 2020

November 13, 2020

Kpop Bts GIF - Kpop Bts Heart GIFs — This how y’all got me feeling~

Hey BAYOG Fam! I’m finally doing this post! To be honest, I’ve always been overwhelmed. It’s like I’m not busy, but I’m also busy… Actually, I started this post and had it in drafts since the beginning of October… Finally got around to it now… Again, been not busy, but busy… I gotta catch up on all my [webtoons/manga] and [webnovels], I do [translating/subtitling] Thai dramas on Viki, I have family stuff, and of course I also have work and errands to do IRL. ~~I should also be trying to catch up on sleep…~~ Still, I had been trying to do at least one post a week for BAYOG. I know the BAYOG bros have stuff going on, so I took it upon myself to try to hold down the fort for the bros. I never thought I was great at it though. I also suck at being in the loop and connecting with other bloggers and people online. Anyway, I try my best to fit in time to post something and then just basically pass out. Then I reemerge a few days or a week later to repeat the process. WordPress is also usually buggy for me, so I don’t even get notifications of half of the things. Heck, my avatar doesn’t even display on my comments or posts for some reason. I also have the memory of a goldfish, so I tend to forget things easily too… So imagine my hella late surprise to find out that I and our humble BAYOG blog had been tagged for blogger awards???!! I’m honestly super surprised and flattered. I also feel awful, because I’m hellaaaaaa late. Like we’d been tagged way back ago, and I just never realized it…

The first award we’d been nominated for was The Blogger Recognition Award 2020. We were first [nominated back in January] by the lovely Emiko over at [Ramblings N’ Scribbles]. Wow… I’m really trash to only now just get to this… I’m so, so sorry, friend… Anyway, Emiko and her blog are absolutely adorable~ I really love all her doodles too! I used to love drawing, but I kind of stopped a long time ago. I remember it would take me forever to do a little doodle. So honestly, the fact that Emiko is able to do all these doodles is really impressive! They’re also super cute! Definitely go check out her blog! She’s got some great webtoon recommendations too! My latest favorite post from Emiko is [List: Dear Webtoon, Gimme Back My Heart]. You all know how much I love reading webtoons~ Emiko actually listed quite a few of the ones that I like and follow too. Also, kudos to her for drawing something for every one of them!

My lovely and dear friend Neha over at [BiblioNyan] [nominated me and our blog in August]~ They’re honestly probably one of my first friends I’ve made after I started blogging with BAYOG. Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing as I started blogging. I didn’t know if people actually read or enjoyed it. However, I continued because I enjoyed it. Neha would always read and leave comments. I enjoyed having discussions with them from the posts, and even our personal experiences as minorities. Neha honestly provided some really great support that pushed me to continue blogging and really enjoy it~ Thank you for that, friend~ Definitely check out their blog, because they cover so many different things from anime, manga, video games, self-care, Asian cinema, and Asian literature. You’re sure to find plenty of interesting things to read, and fun discussions too!~ I’ll drop their [Love Me, Love Me Not Volume 1 by Io Sakisaka: A Fresh & Fascinating Exploration of Love & Friendship] post~ I actually really liked the series when it first dropped. So I really enjoyed reading Neha’s impressions of it~

ごめんなさい！ GIF - Jasorry Jaanime Chuunibyou GIFs

Again, I’m so, so, so, sooooo incredibly sorry for noticing and doing this so incredibly late. However, on behalf of myself and the BAYOG Crew, I do want to thank you for thinking of BAYOG! I’m honestly super touched. I spontaneously joined the BAYOG Crew at the end of November 2017. My first post was in December 2017. So I’m into my third year of blogging. Y’all are the reason why I enjoy doing this even now. Like I said, I’m not good at connecting with other people or bloggers. Mostly because I’m so shy and socially awkward. I honestly wasn’t even sure if I could include myself as a part of this community. I didn’t know if I even had that right. Don’t get me wrong. Everyone has been incredibly nice. I just felt that I didn’t have the right to be considered a blogger while all these people I saw were so incredibly passionate about blogging. Meanwhile, I was just basically posting my inarticulate rants. However, y’all made me feel so welcomed and made me realized that I am a part of this community. Nearly 3 years into blogging, I’m finally realizing and accepting that I am a part of this wonderful community. I’m taking small steps to get to know other bloggers and make new friends. My world and I have grown slowly, but it’s been really wonderful~ So really, thank you~

Rules & Things:

So I noticed it’s the same award, but slightly different rules… So I figured I’d just do one post and just put both versions of the rules… (･ω<)☆

The Rules (Emiko’s Version)

Thank the wonderful person who nominated you and leave a link back to their blog.
Explain your blog’s origin story or its history.
Hand out two or more pieces of advice for new bloggers.
Nominate ~~victims~~ 10 other bloggers and hook us up with links to their blogs.

The Rules (Neha’s Version)

Thank the human who nominated you and feature a link to their blog in your own award post.
Post the award’s banner somewhere on your blog or post.
Share the reason why you started blogging.
Share two pieces of advice or insight that could help new bloggers.
Nominate no more than fifteen other bloggers.
Tell your nominees about the award so they can partake!

Origin Story & Why I Started Blogging:

This might be kind of long, but I think it’s worth discussing because of the journey and impact blogging had on me. So if you didn’t know, I originally was not a part of the BAYOG blog. BAYOG was a project created by my wonderful friends: Kenny (Blackatron), Nick (Rokutsu), Marc (cmdrcluckcluck), Loha (loheezy), and their friend Dave (Sinmadaura). I believe they started the blog back in 2016? For reference, I met and knew Nick and Marc from college back around 2009-2010. I started hanging out online with them more often at one point in like 2013, and started getting into video games. They introduced me to Kenny and Loha when we’d game online together. I was always busy since all I did was work. Rather than being busy, it’s more like my schedule didn’t match theirs. So I couldn’t game or join calls as often. Still, we were all pretty good friends. All I knew was that they started a blog, and I definitely supported them doing what they loved. Fast forward to November 2017. I saw they posted that they were looking for people to contribute to the team. I remember commenting, “I’d help but I suppose I’d only be more helpful with the more girly series and live action movies/dramas lol.” At this point, I wasn’t sure I’d even be of help because I didn’t really watch as much anime or read manga anymore. I lived more in live action dramas/movies land and more interested in music. Nick and Kenny soon messaged me and said they’d welcome me to the team and would love any help. So that’s how I spontaneously joined BAYOG.

I was made the Real People Stuff expert since my interest and knowledge was mainly with Asian dramas and movies. To be honest, at the beginning I didn’t think actually consider myself a part of the crew or blog. I saw it as me being more of a guest just helping my friends with their precious project. I thought I was helping my friends get a break. I know one of their goals was to build a community. So I thought that if anything, I’d be helping them diversify their content and trying to reach topics and demographics they might not have thought of before. Again, I didn’t even consider myself a blogger. I think we all thought that I would just post things occasionally. However, I somehow ended up getting really into it. I think I basically planned and scheduled out a month or two of posts. I wasn’t sure if anything I wrote was any good, or if anyone would even read it. I just treated it as me ranting or chatting with friends. It was just a way for me to help my friends while getting my thoughts out. I wasn’t even really sure if I could be considered a part of the community. Especially since I didn’t really cover video games, and I just barely covered anime at the time. All these bloggers put so much passion, heart, and soul into their posts. I didn’t think I had the right or could even be considered in the same community as such passionate people. My mindset was still like a guest helping out. I tried to tread carefully with blogging for BAYOG. I’d always ask the bros for permission for everything, and they always told me how silly I was being. The BAYOG bros always allowed me to expand my range of topics and just gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted. They told me I didn’t need to ask, and would constantly remind me that I’m a part of this blog too. That this blog is mine just as much as it’s theirs.

Still, I’d say I was being cautious? I enjoyed writing everything. However, I felt bad. I’ve managed to add new things onto the blog, but I definitely turned it away from the anime and gaming blog it was originally meant to be. I overran the blog with drama and music posts. I tried to make it more relevant as I covered webtoons too. The blog was also my outlet, and sometimes I’d cover some personal related things. A part of me felt and wondered if I was ruining the blog. Still, I continued on. We once talked about our goals and visions for the blog. For me, I just like discussing things. I find joy in seeing people enjoy and relating to what I’ve written. So despite everything, my goal became that I just mostly wanted to write for myself and for anyone who’s looking for someone or something to relate to; Be it entertainment or some sort of comfort. I didn’t know if alot of people would even read or like my posts. However, if even just one person enjoys it or finds comfort in it, that’s enough for me.

It’s been nearly 3 years since I started blogging for BAYOG, and it’s finally sunk in that I am a part of the blog. That I can consider myself a blogger and a part of the community. Through this blog I’ve been able to get closer to my bros, try new things, become a part of a community, make friends, talk about my interests, and express myself. I’ve been surprised and had fun to find people actually read and enjoy my little rants. I’ve had a wonderful time chatting with some people, and to make new friends. I’ve started getting out of my bubble and started to make friends in the blogging community. Look, I don’t get out much. I’m socially awkward, and I’m always working. If it weren’t for work or doing errands, I’d basically have no social interaction (except for with my family). But everyone has been so kind and friendly. I’m hella shy and socially awkward, but I’ve really enjoyed making new friends over the past couple of months as well as since I started blogging. I’ve had a ton of fun discussing series, interests, or just getting to know them til like 3-5 am. Still, I think what’s most important to me is that this blog has helped me to express myself and taught me to learn to love myself more. I’ve struggled with my mental health for a while. I was going through hella stress, depression, and anxiety. I also felt like I wasn’t good at anything. I had low self-esteem and had times I really hated myself. However, the blog gave me a space to open up and express myself. One of my personal goals since 2017 has been to try to love myself, and the BAYOG blog has been a key part of that. I was struggling really bad before, but I’m in a much better space now because of blogging for BAYOG. I think I’ve grown in several ways, and had several positive changes. I don’t think I’m particularly special or interesting. However, I do enjoy blogging, and it’s given me a sense of accomplishment. Seeing people read and enjoy my content, and seeing how much BAYOG has grown honestly makes me feel so proud of how far we’ve come. So honestly, thank you all for that.

Advice for New Bloggers:

Loona Hyunjin GIF - Loona Hyunjin KimHyunjin GIFs

Be genuine. Be yourself.
I know people have some differing opinions about if you care about numbers and your audience. That’s totally fine, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, for me, rather than wanting to write for numbers, I prioritize being genuine to myself. My approach to blogging has always been to be chill and genuine. If you’ve ever read any of my posts, I’m sure you notice that I talk about what I want to. I put my personality, thoughts, and feelings into everything I’ve posted. I want people to know that this is me. I’m not going to fake things for numbers. I want enjoy myself, and I want to connect with people. I just want to show I’m like any of you guys or your friends. I want you to feel like we’re friends just casually chatting or ranting together. I feel like by being genuine, you’re able to show your true passion and feelings. And I believe that enables you to connect to people better.

Enjoy yourself!
This goes with my advice to be genuine and be yourself. I feel like it’s important to write what YOU want and because you actually enjoy it. Don’t force yourself if you don’t enjoy it or don’t want to write. Writing is practically effortless when you enjoy it. Not only that, you’ll have a better quality content if it’s something you enjoy and genuinely put your heart into.

Remember to take breaks when needed!
Burn out happens. Sometimes you’re just not really in the right mood or headspace to write. That’s okay! Take a break! Don’t force yourself to write when you’re not feeling it. It’s okay to take a break when you need it. Take some time to relax and collect your thoughts. You can even just brainstorm at your own chill pace. This goes with my previous pieces of advice. Be genuine and enjoy yourself. There’s no point in writing if you don’t feel like it, and you’re not going to enjoy it. If you just force yourself, it won’t feel very genuine or enjoyable. Sometimes you also just need to step back to get some fresh ideas or perspective. So take that break, recharge yourslf, and then ease back into it! I know I sometimes forget this too and the BAYOG Bros have to constantly remind me to take a break. Still, I know when to take a break when I need it. I also know everyone will still be here when I get back from my breaks~

Don’t get too hung up on numbers. Prioritize enjoyment and being doing you.
Again, I know people have their own opinions on this. Numbers are a great way to give you an idea on where you’re at and the audience that you’ve reached. Having a goal is great too! However, I’d say not to get too hung up on numbers; Be it views, followers, comments, likes, etc. Sometimes it just takes some time. Rather than just focusing on numbers, I think it’s more important to prioritize your enjoyment and to just be you. Again, writing is more enjoyable when you’re enjoying yourself and being you. It’s all just numbers. It’s okay if you don’t have a huge number of followers, likes, or comments. It’s okay if you don’t have crazy views. Remember there are plenty of lurkers; People who will read and enjoy your content. Even if they don’t comment or hit that follow or like button. Don’t get me wrong, I feel happy and feel a sense of accomplishment with the numbers and engagements. However, I’m honestly already content knowing that there’s someone out there who’s probably read, enjoyed, and relate to my content. Even if it’s just one person, that’s enough for me.

Tag, You’re It~

Nominating the following blogger friends with wonderful blogs:

Takuto|[Takuto’s Anime Cafe]
Elle|[Of Midnight Ravings]
Rose|[Wretched & Divine]
Karandi|[100 Word Anime]
Irina|[I Drink and Watch Anime]
RisefromAshes|[Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan]
Eggsandwich04|[KS Blog]

To all the people I nominated, you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to~ I know everyone is busy, or sometimes you just don’t want go to tagged stuff~ It’s all good friends!~ I just wanted to show my support for your blog and amazing content! I also just wanted thank you for always being so kind and supportive as well~ You’ve all made me feel so welcomed, make me want to continue blogging, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know you all~

Bts Bts V GIF - Bts BtsV KimTaehyung GIFs

Once again, thank you for thinking of me and BAYOG! Thank you so much for the nominations~ Thank you for your kindness, support, and friendship. Also thank you to our friends and readers. Even you lurkers! I see you all! You’ve helped BAYOG grow so much, beyond anything I would have expected. Thank you for giving me support and being a part of something that’s become so dear to me. Thank you for helping me grow, and being a part of my journey to love myself. I’ll strive to work even harder on the blog, and hopefully have more content that you can enjoy with me~ Take care, stay safe, and have a wonderful day friends!~

LET’S BE FRIENDS!~ (つ✧ω✧)つ

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is YrvT5wg.png — Fangirl all the things!~

Hihi! I’m Minty! I’m Thai-American~ เป็นคนไทยค่ะ~ ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักนะคะ~
I’m BAYOG’s hella basic Asian chick, Real People Stuffs expert, and boba addict. I’ve been a part of the BAYOG Crew since 2017~ I fangirl and mostly blog about music, live action movies/dramas, manga/webtoons, and occasionally webnovels~ When I’m not blogging, I’m usually writing/singing Thai-English covers~

It’s nice to meet all of you lovely people from around the world! Thanks for stopping by our blog!~
💜• ขอบคุณค่ะ • ありがとうございます • 감사합니다 • 谢谢你 • Salamat Po •💜

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ebKfToV.jpg

Wanna Buy Boba/Coffee For Your Bobae?☕ (´｡• ω •｡`) 💜: [Ko-Fi]
Feel free to buy me bubble tea/milk tea/coffee if you’d like. I’m always sleep deprived, and I’ll forever appreciate your kindness~

Let’s Be Friends On SNS! 💜(♡°▽°♡)
Let’s talk memes, music, dramas, movies, spoilers, or fan spazz!~
I also sing and write lyrics~ You can hit me up on my socials or Discord. I’m always happy to make friends~ For questions or business inquiries, contact me through my BAYOG email~
[Twitter] | [Instagram] | [YouTube] | [Cardd]
Contact: BAYOGMinty@gmail.com | Discord: piecesofminty#0182

Dramas I’ve Watched/Am Watching 🎞️: [DramaList]
My Music Playlists/What I’m Listening To🎧: [Spotify]

JOIN THE BAYOG FAM (つ≧▽≦)つ 🎮🎞️
We share and chat lots of stuff on Discord, and we’re on other platforms too!
Don’t forget to say hi in the Discord server so I can properly welcome you~
[Discord Server] | [YouTube]| [Twitch] | [Facebook]| [Podcasts @ Spotify]
Follow the BAYOG Bros Too!🎮
They all good people! These your guys for anime, manga, and games!
[Kenny – Blackatron] | [Nick – Rokutsu]
[Marc – cmdrcluckcluck] | [Loha – Loheezy]

BE SAFE. BE RESPONSIBLE.
WASH YOUR HANDS. WEAR A MASK.
SOCIAL DISTANCE. PLEASE.

Take care y’all. Please stay safe and take care of yourself. All jokes and fun aside…please, please, please, pleaaaase always wash your hands, practice social distancing, and wear a mask! It’s better to be cautious than face irrevocable consequences of health complications or death.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

AS A GROUP OF BIPOC, BAYOG strongly stands with Black Lives Matter. We are all too familiar with the racism that we, our friends, and family have faced on a daily basis. Every life is precious. However, as BIPOC, we also recognize that black people are a group of people that face extreme racism and at a higher risk for their safety. We’ve individually done several donations. Of course, donations to support the cause and support change isn’t the only thing needed. Support for the cause and change also requires conversation and understanding. Make sure to have those conversations. Please remember to be an active supporter, be it through donations, sharing information, and/or conversations and speaking up.

Bts Fighting GIF - Bts Fighting Bangtan GIFs — Keep it up fam!

If you can, please consider donating. I’ve donated more than once as well. For one of my donations, I donated through the BTS ARMY x BLM project. I recommend that if you’re unsure of where to donate. This is because the donation will be split amongst several different non-profit organizations. Of course, you can also choose a specific organization(s) if you wish as well. You can find that [HERE].

You can also check out the following:

Stay strong. Fight racism, brutality, injustice, and bullshit. Don’t lose sight of the goal. We’re witnessing and being a part of history. Be allies and make sure change happens. Once again, BLACK LIVES MATTER.