"the dxb gardener" is under going a transformation

Howdy,

I recently attended at Blogging & Social Media workshop here in Dubai by David Hobby of the blog Strobist during GPP 2012.  If you are interested in taking photography courses here in Dubai check out GPP's website. If you are interested in learning how to use your flash off of your camera check out David's blog.

One of his workshops at GPP 2012 was about blogging and social media - he had a few other course as well. It was a  great course but I felt it was too short - it left me wanting more.  It really needs to be a 2-3 day workshop to get some hands on experience.  Unfortunately for me, I learn by monkey see monkey do (with a few bananas needing to be thrown in).  I also want that safety net if I have a question right then and there I can get a response.  I KNOW there are places on the internet that explain it but if your a bit thick as I am when it comes to internet technology it is nice to have someone hold your hand and explain it. :-)

Anyway, back to the course.  David complied a list of 50 Rules to Blogging and Social Media which he handed out to the class.  There was a rule on the list that gave me pause and convinced me that I should come out of the closet ...

Hummm?!?  Maybe that did not come out right.  I am coming out of a closet but not THAT closet! 

When I started my blog Feb. 2011, I had a social nick name of Bubba on a local radio program.  One day they were talking about a survey done by CNN and one of the presenters got himself in hot water by saying something like "I bet they did not interview Billy Bob living in a trailer park in Oklahoma for the survey".  So people were sending in meassages to the show riding him pretty hard - one person was even upset that he would say anything bad about Billy Bob Thorton (only Billy Bob they knew of course).  So, I thought I would call into the show - On-Air - and bring a bit of humor to the topic. I called in and said "My name is Bubba and I do not like what you are saying about my brother Billy Bob!"  We all had a good laugh and it gave him a chance to explain the stereo-typed Billy Bob/Bubba characters in the USA and what he meant by his comment.  So, anytime after that day when I called in to the show they would greet me as Bubba and so it stuck.  I then decided to use that name as the person writing the blog.  I thought it might be a good marketing tool.

It has been a bit over a year, both presenter have left the show now - the show is still on-air but they do not take On-Air calls anymore.  I have grown tired of having to tell people the story each time someone ask me "So, why are you using the name Bubba" - half way through the story I can see their eyes starting to glace over!

So, after taking David's class I realized I needed to apply one of  his 50 rules to my blog - Find your true voice and be faithful to it. Don't try to project someone you are not.

As much as I am a country boy at heart and I am told I still have some of that Texas twang in my speech I really don't consider myself a "Bubba".   I have lived overseas most of my life, been exposed to so many different cultures and ideology that I am a product of all that but still not forgeting my roots.

So for now on a Tamater will be be a Tomato.  You will still get the silly Mater video clips and some country boy thinking and expressions but it is now coming from Charles.

So, as I study David's list, you will see other changes to the blog that hopefully will be beneficial to you as a reader.  If you have any other susgestions for changes to the blog please feel free to place them in the comment box below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Charles