Coffee With Diana

I kick-started publishing my thoughts online and whatever that goes around on a so-called "blog" nearly ten years ago. Friendster introduced it to me until I moved to Multiply. Those now-defunct social media platforms started it all for me, until eight years ago I decided to "formally move" here in Blogspot. I did not intend to have a particular theme to write about, nor did I intend to be known through blogging or writing. This is the closest thing I do to talk to myself. In fact, none of those in my closest circle knew about this secret business I have. Most of my friends were like, "Friendster, yeah..but, blog? what? what blog?". I didn't bother them about it again. Haha! Until in 2006, my childhood Ate, Ate Diane, came back to MSU for good and one of the things that we talk about enthusiastically was blogging. Finally! Someone can relate to my inner nerd that was kept hidden under the rug. Blogging, as I've learned from her, was a huge thing in the Metro. In reality, it was quite dwindling already when I was barely starting.

I love reading stories, fictional or not. I love reading in general, so blog-reading is something that I enjoy so much. I've met a known a lot of people through their respective blogs. Some of them became friends of mine in real life. :) 

One of the blogs that I take pleasure in reading is that of Nessreen Diana whom I always refer to as Nessreen but she then told me that she is known to everyone as Diana.  I came across her blog through Ate Diane's as they're friends in UP.  I particularly took interest in her stories about growing up as a Meranao, as a woman, and as a Filipino in Jeddah. Growing up in the bukid of Mindanao State University, I had an impression that my cousins and relatives who were living abroad lead a glamorous and fabulous life. But, her Jeddah stories made me aware that they are also regular people and that we, in inged, live a much more normal life. Although they have an easy access to all the things we mostly yearn for like fast-food shops and malls. Haha!  

The Meranao community is so small that we are connected one way or another. Ate Diana happened to be a cousin of my good friend Mabi, and later on, I met her brother Adnan (through Mabi, of course). I remember meeting Adnan and after finding out they were siblings, I was thinking that this guy might be one of those "characters" I read on his sister's blog. Haha! 

Several days ago, she dropped me a message informing me that she's in Bangkok and asked if I want to meet-up. Of course I want to!!! She's some sort of a "celebrity" in my blogging world so how can I say no to that?! We met and talked over coffee at a mall near us. I hope she didn't mind commuting though. Hehe. We talked for almost three hours about her job, about her life in Jeddah (yeah, you cannot shut her up about Jeddah!), about my life here and about the people we commonly know. Turned out, we know A LOT of people in common! Small world indeed! It felt surreal to finally listen to her speak Meranao fluently. I guess that's how it feels to meet your favorite writer or author, that you're convinced that, yeah, they're real people too. I had a "Diana-hangover" a day later, replaying our conversations over and over again in my head. Haha! 

You can check out her blog on my blogmates list, on the right side of this page, so you'd know what I mean. She's Nessreen there. :D