At week 5, I assume a person’s PUB 101 blog should be making a lot of progress. Progress is subjective, depending on the theme of a person’s blog. From the perspective of my blog, a lot of progress would be incorporating many pictures related to Vancouver Gems. I found that since I have not posted much in my public content, it is challenging to present an ideal blog as there is nothing to present.
I find that I cannot really substitute pictures in my blog progress and that the only thing that will make my blog presentable is waiting. Waiting to continue eating at Vancouver Gems and gathering pictures. For now, my blog will lack aesthetic.
I learned that besides the actual process of constructing my PUB 101 blog, I find that I have to put a lot of effort into the external work of eating out. The whole process of finding content for a public post is not easy when eating out. Every time I eat out, I have to break down what I’d like to post for the week. I search on social media platforms (Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, Dished) a Vancouver Gem of the week. I try to visit different cities in the lower mainland as you’ll find repetitive cuisines in certain areas. For example, I found that when writing about Hẻm 377, many of the surrounding businesses were Vietnamese cuisine, so I try to avoid that. I try not to repeat the same cuisine. I also try to pick something I think other people would be inclined to try (not something too simple and basic, not something too risky especially for people with dietary restrictions). I try to go out at least once a week, drive to the location, and take notes while I am out. “Blogging isn’t just a way to organize your research — it’s a way to do research for a book or essay or story or speech you don’t even know you want to write yet. It’s a way to discover what your future books and essays and stories and speeches will be about.“
I take notes on the exterior of the location, the parking scene, and the aesthetic appearance. I try to discreetly take pictures as the Vancouver Gem may be busy. I try to take a good look at the menu and order a variety for content. I take many images and write notes of what I like about the interior, the food, the drinks, the prices, and the hours. Most of the time, I am satisfied with the food and drinks I have ordered based on previous reviews and try to add my own opinions to add on.
Creating a food blog is quite the experience!
References
Doctorow, Corey. May 9, 2021. “The Memex Method: When your commonplace book is a public database“