Thank You Tracy

It is not often a small time blogger like me get praised for some of the blogs I posted.Most of such accolades comes from friends or fellow bloggers. The latest came from a complete stranger by the name of Tracy. I would like to share with you what Tracy wrote in my comment column on Labuan revisited Part 3, Places of Interest. It was posted on July 1st when I was in Labuan looking after my 1 year old grand daughter Balqis. This is what Tracy wrote in the comment column yesterday 24 th September 2008.

Anonymous said...

Dear Zawi,
I have just spent the past hour reading every word you have written in your Labuan post and think you have a real knack for travel journalism! Witty, non-judgemental and honest. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I am going to Labuan this weekend and had done a search to find things to do (I am a British tourist!) and your blog has given me my list of things to do.
I like the way you see life.
Warm regards,
Tracy

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

It is not that I want to bask in the euphoria of praises or accolades that I am blogging about this comment from Tracy. I just want to highlight to you that Tracy is a tourist who has found some use of what we write. If we tell them of what we have, somebody out there may read it and may find the information useful to them. In this case Tracy is a tourist why may want to find out about something of the place she will be going to. No doubt there are any other write ups about the place but since mine is quite the latest that she could lay her hands on.

Many official websites or brochures write beautiful things about a place with splendid photographs taken by professional photographers with non of the back lanes or dirtier side to show. This gives the place a false impression due to the omission of such information. Often times they are obsolete information which may not be true anymore. When the tourists come, they feel cheated. Personally I prefer to let them know the truth so that they won't be disheartened upon seeing the real thing on the ground.

I was fortunate in that I managed to attend a briefing by Virtual Malaysia courtesy of Tourism Malaysia Kelantan under the then Director Puan Hajjah Lijah Othman (now retired). We were told to post as many pictures of Malaysia as we can. It is the only way to let tourists all over the world know how Malaysia looks. So I did just that in my blogs, post lot of pictures and tell a bit about the place.

I am so happy that tourists like Tracy has seen it and I am convinced many more tourists has seen it too but they just didn't make a comment like Tracy did.

Let us promote Malaysia as a destination of choice by posting lots of pictures of the place where you come from. Places like Gua Musang, Dabong, Tumpat and others in Kelantan are unique in their own way. The only way for people to know about them is to post a story with lots of pictures for the world to see.

For you Tracy, I am honoured to have you read and comment on my blogsite. We wish to welcome you and hope you have a happy time in Malaysia. Please enjoy Labuan when you get there this weekend.