When Routine Isn't Exactly Normal

Printed July 2008


"When routine isn't exactly normal." This is the byline of the blog belonging to a one Mr. Kenny Sia. Kenny, easily one of Malaysia (and arguably South East Asia's) most popular bloggers, is surprisingly affable and friendly. Considering the gargantuan amount of attention his blog has gained, Kenny is a true example of everything a good blogger should be ; interestingly funny while giving readers some insightful food for thought.
With some 20,000 unique hits a day, Kenny's blogging formula has proven to be a success. With posts ranging from humorous pokes at Malaysian life to meeting personalities of note, it is no wonder that Kenny's blog has pretty much set the standard.


SS: Kenny it goes without saying that you are a super-popular blogger. How did you get started?

KS: I started about 3 years ago in January 2005. Back then I was going through a very difficult period in my life - I was living in Australia for almost 8 years and I had to move back to Malaysia on short notice because my father has fallen critically ill. It was a turning point in my life because I had to leave everything behind: my friends, my job and my girlfriend at the time.

Back then blogging had only just become popular. I found that it was a great way to document my life and keep my friends from all corners of the globe in touch with what I was doing. Along the way, I wrote some entertaining and humorous entries, people passed the word around quickly, and the rest, like they say, is history.

SS: You receive a large number of unique hits to your blog on a daily basis. Was there a particular post you wrote that helped you gain more visitors?

KS: Several blog entries of mine stood out above the rest. Those are the big hit ones that I categorized as "Favourite Entries" on my blog.

The first hit was way back on April 1st 2005 when I parodied some of the more popular bloggers at the time. Since then, I was known for poking fun at Kuching's insanely long road names, my spoof on the OSIM uZap advertisements, and my prank on a lucky draw scammer from Hong Kong.



SS: What was your first real acknowledgment from the media that you and your blog had 'arrived'?

KS: It was an interview with The Star Metro back in June 2008 that first propelled me into the mainstream limelight. The real acknowledgment was when my blog entry on Kuching's long road names was re-published in The Star Two and I got paid for it.



SS: Did you ever imagine that your blog would take you to where it has now?

KS: Absolutely not! The internet obviously knows no boundaries and I am very lucky to have the support of my readers to bring me where I am today.



SS: Has being a blogceleb manifested itself in everyday life? Do people stop you on the street because they recognize you?

KS: Yes, it has. It is really weird for me because I'm still this very normal and regular person just like everyone else. Once, I was in McDonald's in my shorts and slippers, digging my nose with one hand, holding a sloppy burger on the other when a bunch of schoolgirls came and asked for a photo. It was very embarrassing. 


6) Has your blogging fame affected your personal and family life in any way?

Unfortunately it has, and not for the better. My family has warned me repeatedly not to compromise their privacy online, and I have very heated arguments with my mother sometimes over the content I post on my blog. Friends nowadays always add a cautionary "Don't put this on your blog har!" when I take photos with them.



SS: What are the downsides?

KS:  You have to keep up with people's expectations, and with that comes a lot of restrictions on what you can and cannot do.

If I did not include any jokes in my entries, people would hurl hurtful insults towards me and call me boring. Then there are those who always enjoy repeating to me "With great power comes great responsibilities" whenever I write something mildly controversial.

In a way, my blog is not personal anymore but the property of the 20,000 people reading it daily who demanded to be entertained. Putting up with people's expectations and insults is very draining to the emotions.

SS: You were a judge on a beauty show recently :

KS: It was a show called Malaysian Dreamgirl and it was broadcasted exclusively on www.malaysiandreamgirl.tv

It's obvious I have no experience in judging beauties, but the producers roped me in on the project purely for the publicity I would have been able to generate as an internet figure. I was excited to be part of it because I was and still am very attracted to the prospects of having a locally-produced online reality series. Sure enough, the show garnered a huge cult following and became a smashing success.

We all learned an immense amount from doing the show. And it'll be coming back again by the start of next year.


SS: What are your blogging plans for the future?

KS: I plan to bring the lifestyle blogging genre more into the mainstream and hopefully attract people who do not normally read blogs to start reading them.

At the same time, I'm also promoting other bloggers

Visit Kenny at www.kenysia.com. Alternatively, Sabahan readers may be interested to note that Kenny will be in Kota Kinabalu to participate in the Borneo International Marathon scheduled for October 12th 2008.