AI interviews AKIC

To celebrate having over 450,000 page views on this blog, I commissioned AI to ask me ten interview questions about my blog:

AI: Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us what inspired you to start your blog?  

AKIC:  I’m Andis Edmunds Kaulins, born December 24, 1964.  For 37, 38 years, I lived in Canada. I have lived in China since 2004.  I started this blog because I had the dream of being a writer and because being in China may cause the blog to be of interest to someone.

AI: What topics or themes do you typically cover on your blog, and why are they important to you?

AKIC:  I blog about whatever happens to interest me.  It could be politics; it could be my life; it could be what I see here in China; it could be a lame idea of mine that I hoped was funny.; whatever…

AI:  How do you come up with ideas for your blog posts? Do you have a specific process or source of inspiration?

AKIC:  Sometimes, I tell myself that I have to blog, so I brainstorm.  Sometimes, I see what other blogs do.  Sometimes I have no time but to take a photo.  I look at the blog like it’s an historical document.

AI:  Could you share a memorable moment or experience related to your blog that has had a significant impact on vou?

AKIC:  Not one in particular.  I have had strangers walk up to me and tell me they read my blog.  Some liked it, they told me.  Some warned me to not pick on the excesses of pervert expats.

AI:  What challenges, if any, have you faced while maintaining your blog, and how have you overcome them?

AKIC:  Being in China, it is of course, the great firewall.  I have a good Bee Pee N now, thank God!  Another is my mistakes.  I really should wait a while before I publish my entries.  I don’t have an editor but myself.  I need to remove myself from myself when I do self-edit.  Another is my moments of  ill will, my temper tantrums, as it were.  Do I record these moments or not?  Do I wait for a better time to expose myself?  There are things I am holding back from saying.

AI:  How do you engage with your audience or readers? Do you have any strategies or tips for building a strong connection with them?

AKIC:  I keep telling them to email me.  andiskaulins@protonmail.com.  One response.

AI:  What do you enjoy most about being a blogger, and what keeps you motivated to continue writing and sharing your content?

AKIC:  I get a big kick out of good view numbers, and the occasional attention the blog gets me.

AI:  Have you encountered any surprising or unexpected benefits or opportunities as a result of your blog?

AKIC:  A few times, people have bought me lunch.

AI:  Can you share any insights or advice for aspiring bloggers who may be just starting out on their own blogging journey?

AKIC:  Don’t bother!  I don’t want the competition!

AI:  Looking ahead, what are your future goals or aspirations for your blog, and how do you envision it evolving?

AKIC:  Maybe, I will change the name of the blog to Andis Kaulins Was in China or Andis Kaulins in the People’s Republic of Canada.