The Visa Diaries

Google, in their web stats package (Google Analytics which I recommend to anybody with a website, despite the fact that Google is obviously on its way to world domination through data) has this amazing feature where they show you a map of the world over-layed with little spots indicating where people have visited your site from. I just discovered today that if you mouse over those spots, it tells you the name of the place. One of the absolutely best things about this blog for me, and what makes it worth spending the time on it instead of all my other “real work,” has been feeling like I am reaching out and making a connection with people all over the world – that is simply amazing!

So, my next natural question is: what do you think? and, in the theme of this blog, what do you buy and what does it mean to you? What was the significance of something that you bought, you in Leeds? or Lima? or in Petaling Jaya? or anywhere really! Tell me about anything, whether it cost 50 cents of fifty dollars (or francs, or pounds, or pesos, etc etc) Send me an email at visakate@gmail.com and I will post your stories.

Maybe shopping is not quite Medecins Sans Frontiers, or the UN election monitoring program, but I do think that investing objects with meaning, and aquiring things that symbolize some aspect of our larger hopes and aspirations, is something that we all share. So, though it may not save the world, I hope to hear from you anyway, Malmo, and from you, Montigny-Sur-Canne…

My friend Armand, a tech PR whizz who feels none of my overwhelm at the immensity of the blogosphere, and hence no need to escape to Fresh & Wild bulk barrels, in fact claims that he does not like shopping. Well now. This a common, if audacious, misconception among many men. They spend their money on cars and music and wine and dinners, and claim that they don’t like shopping… More on this later (the inquiry on this blog will definitely extend out of clothes and fashion!), but at least one smart guy has already picked up this thread.