It’s the blogger, not the blog
Last year, I begged Jun Asis for an extra ticket so I can bring my wife to the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards. He was nice enough to pull some strings, and bend a few rules to accommodate a stranger’s request. This year, I won a special BlogBank award. Noemi says (via Plurk) that it’s a cute award and that it suits my personality. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Noemi. If you want to see a complete list of winners, click here.
The next blogger I met after Jun was another Jun: Juned, that is. At that time, the “prayer controversy” was burning the online forums and everyone seemed to have a point. Nostalgia Manila was complaining about his representative being mistreated, though I think it was all a misunderstanding. They sorted it out just as quickly as tempers flared. ‘Ah, so this is how the blogger egos collide!’, I said to myself. So I wondered if I would behave that way when I “join the majors”? A little more than a year after starting my blog (and $17 dollars in total adsense earnings since then), I still haven’t figured out how to put Google Analytics to my blog. How could I even dream of “playing with the big boys (and girls)” of the Philippine Blogosphere? However, this award has given me the opportunity to learn from them and they made me realize how much more there is to know about blogging.
This year, I have met some of the most brilliant bloggers who are out to change the Blogosphere as we know it. There are haters and lovers, but best of all, there will be change. Like a rabid fan, I watch the Blogosphere evolve constantly with every event, with every product launch, and with every award. The rules for next year’s awards will change and the standards will be redefined. Today’s trash could be next year’s treasure and vice-versa, but that’s a little too far off to worry about. No matter what people say, I will hang my plaque on my wall and smile my biggest smile each time I look at it. I hope to give this award next year to someone who is more popular, but with a more obscure blog. It’s all up for grabs, dear bloggers and readers. But for now, it stays with me.
Thank you very much to everyone at BlogBank and the 2008 Philippine Blog Awards! Good night.
Comments
Comment from Ed
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:29 pm
Congrats ulit! More awards coming up next year!
Comment from Prudence
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:30 pm
At talagang yakap-yakap pa ah! Uy, si Noreen dapat hug mo diyan! Ehehehe :p
Comment from lady cess
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:31 pm
congrats arpee! well-deserved award!
Comment from ajay
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:32 pm
Whahaha. Nakakatuwa ang award na yan. bagay nga sa yo.
P.S. Ano yung last shot, kua na ba yan sa Diamond Hotel? lolz
Comment from Arpee
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:32 pm
to micamyx: hehe, cute ba? my wife said i look like my dog (i have a very cute dog)
to ed: hope to see you and your award next year!
to prudence: for one night lang naman bago i-sabit, hehehe!
Comment from Gail
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:42 pm
Huweweheehehe nagulat ako sa pix mo… the first and the last! 
Congrats!!!!!!!
Comment from Janette Toral
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:42 pm
Congratulations Arpee. More power to you!!!
Comment from fran
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:43 pm
congrats arpeeeeee - franny and paul 
Comment from Paul
Time: September 22, 2008, 11:00 pm
Congratulations!
Comment from markku
Time: September 22, 2008, 11:09 pm
Gusto ko sana explain ng mabuti yung award since ako yung nakaisip nyan, pero sa madaling sabi, keep up the good work kaibigan! It’s not always just about the blog, more often than not it’s about the person behind it. Hindi lang to tungkol sa kung gaano ka kagaling magsulat o magkwento, madalas mas mahalaga kung pano ka maging tunay na kaibigan ng lahat. 
Parang SMB dapat nag-sponsor ng award, hehehe.
Congrats Arpee, you deserve it!
Comment from Poyt
Time: September 22, 2008, 11:29 pm
Markku, oo nga eh, parang pang-SMB yung award niyo. Kulang na lang may “Tagay”! sa hulihan. Congrats, Arpee! You are really more famous than your blog!
Comment from the jester-in-exile
Time: September 22, 2008, 11:34 pm
ginawa ba namang teddy bear! LOL!
Comment from noemi
Time: September 22, 2008, 11:46 pm
congrats arpee. I love your thank you post.
Comment from Arpee
Time: September 23, 2008, 12:06 am
i went to the PBA without expecting anything but the pleasure of your friendship and company. with or without an award, i’ve always felt like a winner when i am around you guys. a million thanks to everyone at PBA.
Comment from karla
Time: September 23, 2008, 12:33 am
congratulations arpee
Comment from Phoebe
Time: September 23, 2008, 2:06 am
Very well deserved, Arpee. I honestly can’t imagine anyone else getting that award aside from you. Hope you enjoy your bubble wrap and mabuhay ka!
Comment from jun
Time: September 23, 2008, 7:58 am
Congrats Arpee! You deserve this award. Not because of what you can do but because of who you are. Jayvee is right. In the end it’s not how well you blog, it’s how you live your life.
And you are living the LIFE!
God bless.
Comment from Maki
Time: September 23, 2008, 10:41 am
Congratulations for winning! Ang cute ng award! Kahit sinong mabigyan niyan matutuwa rin! ^_^
Comment from Between BItes
Time: September 23, 2008, 12:24 pm
Congrats Arpee! Cheers to the man behind Pinoy at Large!
Comment from BYAHILO
Time: September 23, 2008, 1:25 pm
oi! congrats! ti, manglibre ka na? ahah
Comment from letsgosago.net
Time: September 23, 2008, 3:47 pm
Sobrang nakakatawa ung last pic! panalo! congrats Arps!
Comment from ayi
Time: September 23, 2008, 4:06 pm
grabe..hold mo mabuti..baka mawala yan.
congrats anyway…u deserved it.
Comment from maggie
Time: September 23, 2008, 4:20 pm
wow, congrats! you deserve it!
Comment from jencc
Time: September 23, 2008, 6:49 pm
arpee, it was lovely meeting you last saturday. and i love the picture of you sleeping with your award. para kang anak ko. lol!
Comment from gerald
Time: September 24, 2008, 4:59 pm
yehey !! congratz, magaling ka talaga pare.
Comment from Rommel
Time: September 26, 2008, 2:01 am
Hi po Hehe. Congrats sa panalo nio po!
Comment from Didi
Time: September 26, 2008, 12:39 pm
Ang cute!! I would have done the same…
Sleep with the award!!
Congrats!
Comment from jhed
Time: September 27, 2008, 1:28 am
You deserve it my friend! Way to go!
Comment from Karla Maquiling
Time: September 27, 2008, 6:32 am
Congrats, you deserve the award! I too can’t figure out the Analytics thing so we’re on the same boat.
Maybe next year, Noreen will make it Go, go!
Comment from Joyceee
Time: September 29, 2008, 1:06 pm
ang cute niyo pong tulog sir arpee! ^_^
congrats sa award!
Comment from eric aka senor enrique
Time: September 29, 2008, 5:36 pm
Congratulations! Love that last photo
Cheers!
Eric
Comment from sandy
Time: September 30, 2008, 11:26 pm
you sooo deserve this one, dear. congratulations to you!!!! by the way, it’s CUBAO EXPO Y.E.S. ’08’s kick-off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The two of you & Mercy should make some time for it!!!
hugs!!!
Pingback from Episode 45: The Philippine Blog Awards Top 5 Hitlist : CokskiBlue - Pinoy Vlogs, Videos and Vodcasts
Time: October 5, 2008, 8:55 am
[...] Awards by Noemi Dado 24. Thanks for the Honor… It was a surprise, Really! by Martin Perez 25. It’s “The Blogger, Not the Blog” by Arpee Lazaro 26. Obrigado by Benj Espina 27. 2008 Philippine Blog Awards Winners by Juan Karlo [...]
Comment from Micamyx
Time: September 22, 2008, 10:26 pm
Awww ang cute naman hehe congrats Kuya Arpee!