Go Showty,
It’s your Birthday
We gonna party like it’s yo birthday
We gonna sip Bacardi like it’s yo birthday
And we don’t give a f*** it’s not yo birthday.
–Fifty Cent
Well it’s my birthday. My blog’s birthday. My blog turns one year old on August 20.
Last year around this time, I was passing through a particularly low point of my life. Which is why I decided that it would be a good idea and a pleasant diversion to blog. Get everything out my system—that is.
So this blog started out aiming to be a personal journal— “I-did-this-and-that”. If you look at my first post, you will see that it endeavors to be a “Dear Diary” type of thing. Which is also why I started off by not blogging under my real name but under a pseudonym.
A word about “Greatbong”. This is not a statement of Bong parochialism—as some humor-challenged anonymous commenter on CSF thought. The “Bong” has two meanings—of course the “Bong” as in Bengali and the second one “Bong” as in a instrument for smoking cannabis. Not that I endorse drugs or have ever tried it myself, but because “cannabis” is related to “ganja” which in Bengali also means an embellished story. So basically a teller of tall tales.
Now ok that takes care of the Bong part. What about the Great ? Well the name “Greatbong” was a derisive epithet given by a non-Bengali friend of mine to refer to all Bengalis who thought too much of themselves…..and so when I was looking for a moniker, I could think of nothing better than Greatbong.
After writing my first post, I realized that noone was interested in what I did and where I had my lunch. Most importantly, I was not interested in it myself.
When I was in Stonybrook, one of the most pleasurable ways by which I would spend time would be to have shouting sessions with my friends that went into the wee hours of the morning where we would hold forth on life, politics, movies and how basically everything pisses us off.
In a new job, in a new city, alone and cut off from these stimulating discussions—the blog became my new friend.
I got to tell you—-I am not among those kind of people who write only for the pleasure of writing. I do like it when people read what I have written and spend the time to comment—a regular readership is definitely a big motivation.
Initially, my blog had no readers—–I tried some shameless publicity….slipping it into my email signature, sending links to my old Jadavpur University mailing group and relatives—-but the returns on my spamming was poor. In other words, as I once mentioned my comments section resembled an untrampelled, virgin forest.
A digression. Getting people to read my stuff isnt something I just started doing last year. I have been doing it for years now. I got off to a good start, but from then onwards, I kept on sending my work for publication to different places and got only silence in reply—-with the exception of a few reviews that made it to Rediff.
My blog solved everything. No need for me to get “published” (not that I still dont want to go mainstream), just press the button “Publish Post” and it’s out to the world.
But yes not much of the world came to read it. I kept on posting and persisting—-a mention or two on Sepiamutiny followed, Suhail Kazi introduced me to the CSF gang, Amit Varma linked to me and I had crossed the tipping point……I was getting read.
My frequency of posting increased. People were coming and commenting—I was getting into comment wars with them—–and before I knew it, the world I thought I had lost in Stonybrook was alive again.
Its not been all plain sailing—-I have had my share of misguided and unkind feedback—some of it (like the one below) on second thoughts, may have been totally justified.
In a post I had pointed out the weird Google search strings that brought visitors to my blog like “DPS Dhamaka” , “Suhaag Raat–what to do?”, “Kolkata Hot Girls” etc etc upon which an Anon visitor exploded:
bull shit…everyone who has basic knowledge of web knows that internet is used for 3 key things1. e-mail 2.Sex 3. Google Search No one can use your blog for email and second best thing to divert people to your blogger is sex,.
Bloggers like you and many organsiations are misusing and putting the latest sex related stuff as comment in there web sites to drive visitors. What is wrong with trying to find a sex clip…but people like you have made it impossible as there are millions of sites without clip and pain for people doing search….Sick, yuck yuck
Someone seems to have caught onto the trick us bloggers use to drive up our site traffic.
My blog has also been called by another Mr/Ms Anonymous as “the Net’s worst blog—long boring posts full of misogynistic crap”…..which let me point out was an honor.
What would have sucked would have been to be called “the Net’s second worst blog.”
At the risk of beginning to sound like an Oscar-acceptance speech (or worse like Dharmendra at the Filmfare Awards), I would like to thank all my readers, commenters and flamers for their continued support………
The music has started playing…….and I must now take my leave.
But before that let us raise our imaginary glasses to another glorious, opinionated, politically incorrect, “misogynistic” year of unadulterated blogging !
The Greatbong Blog & Podcast 
Hi RBC president!
Happy Birthday! here’s to many long years ahead 🙂
I read your blog almost daily, its like having a one-sided RBC discussion without any gossip though 😦
so that part sucks.
Hope we do have some reunion one day, though it does seem highly unlikely. But this is one way of staying in touch, and so ” Go GreatBong!”
Bidisha.
You are an exceptional writer. Although I do disagree with you on a few things. But heck, humor is humor. Nothing controversial about that. Cheers.
Here hoping for many year of great reading!
Have always enjoyed reading you(right from the school days – those essays like “The Sounds I love to Hear” that we were made to write in our English classes)…here is wishing you many years of great writing ahead!
-Tithi.
Happy Birthday!
‘When I was in Stonybrook, one of the most pleasurable ways by which I would spend time would be to have shouting sessions with my friends that went into the wee hours of the morning where we would hold forth on life, politics, movies and how basically everything pisses us off.’ — What would college life be without these sessions.
I am sure this is not news to you but your blog is one of the best written ones that I have come across on the net. Honestly. I don’t praise people very often.
And you do remember that Dharmendra speech from Filmfare Awards Night a few years back! That’s why I love coming here…you seem to notice and remember the kind of stuff that I do! Keep blogging, man!
“You Have to meet GREATBONG to know how great Bengal is.†The line I am doctoring is from an Archer book to put my mind about your outstanding blog. ‘A beautiful mind- Parnab Mukherjee’ brought me to your blog and I instantly fell in love with it. Your literary skill is superb. It is always fun to read your posts. There were moments when I was laughing on and on and on, reading your post.
Reading your blog has become part of my daily routine. Can you please increase the frequency of posting? I am addicted.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREATBONG!!!!
Hey Arnab,
Wish a very happy birthday to RTDM. Rock on mate.
Yours is one of the most amazing blogs on the Indian blogosphere. When I go through my bloglines subscriptions, a smile already wells up as soon as I approach RTDM in anticipation of whats coming.
Dude, You are exceptional. I look forward to a lot more great stuff from RTDM in the times to come.
Wish many more birthdays fo RTDM
m/
Happy B’day to your blog !!
Initially when I hit upon your blog, it was interesting from the perspective of finding someone’s blog who you actually happen to know and have met previously. Then I read what you had to say and got hooked. As others have already mentioned, you have a great writing style and plenty of opinions – so rock on ! I am sure you will break through someday.
J.
@Kaushik-Bidisha…hey great to see you in the blogosphere. Yes I do miss my RBC days—some of the best times I had were spent acting out “Badrinath Ke Kamottejit Sanyasi” and making dance mixes (only to have you-know-who stealing my thunder argh)….hope to see you guys regularly.
@Gawker: Yes how boring would the world be if everyone would agree !
@Kaushik-Bidisha, Gawker, SD,Tithi, Arnav, Ritzy, Vulturo, Jatayu———thank you sooo much for your wishes and the compliments—-Birthday blog khush hua !
First let me wish many many happy returns of the day to your writing capability whose other name is your blog. Keep on writing and believe in yourself. What amazes me the most is your candidness – you have no qualm in talking (should be writing!) about when you did not have that many readers for your blog, etc. In this day and age most people beat their own drums – they don’t want to play it down they way you do. I like your openness but at the same time I am apprehensive about how many people will really appreciate it. I guess it is your style to be humorous – even at your own expense. Happy birthday again.
Arnab….wish you (RTOADM) a very happy birthday. I hope to be still reading this as it celebrates it’s second and third year…..and so on.
And don’t even think about your readership. If you sustain this quality of writing, you’ll have a horde of fans. 🙂
3 cheers to one of the best platforms for “gajakhuri golpo” .looking forward to more such stuff from you……:-)
Thank God for the Greatbong. 😀
hey happy b’day to the undisputed Sarkar of all bloggers, u solve problems like no one has ever done. Great Insights, great analysis and even better choice of words, reading ur blog is a soulful experience, and yeah to quote one greatbong,”, people like you have their detractos”, but still u do a job like no one can
keep wrting and this blog will outlast all others, but btw, i still need to grad from the lunch eating and moive watching posts, in due course i will.
btw, u share ur bday with robert plant and fred durst, but ur a much better ‘vocalist’ then either one
yes, greatbong, belated birthday wishes to you and your lovely blog. keep writing, and we’ll keep reading.
rudro
p.s. robert plant and fred durst? thats some seriously hip company, mate. tomar autograph-ta practise korchho to? :):)
oh, bolte bhule gelam. your bit about “ganja” being related to “ganja khuri” reminded me of the third film (forgetting the name – mrinmoyee? or something like that?) in teen kanya (which was edited out in the cutting room, but is available in the vcd version, though), where the raconteur on the banks of the river introduces himself as precisely that, a teller of tall tales, but also seems to indicate that his inspiration owes a debt to the backyard variety green as well. :):)
rudro
Greatbong
Happy Anniversary man. Keep up the good stuff. You and Gawker are laugh riots. So please give us our daily dose of unsurpassed humor.
Sourin
Trust you to write an ode to yourself on your blog’s b’day and draw so many comments!! Only a bong can blow his/her trumpet so loud to be heard across the seven seas. Not that you don’t deserve the attention. You most definitely deserve all the accolades, adulation and more. It’s always a pleasure to take a break from the mundane day’s work and read your blog. Great stress buster, to say the least. Chaliye jao, Bongo shantan, as long as you don’t join my profession and give me a run for my piddly salary, i.e!!
Congrats, dude! Sustaining such high quality over a year, and that too on a forum that often encourages laziness – that’s great work! My own blog birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I’ll probably post something on similar lines.
Hey GreatBong ! happy birthday man! Seriously yours is the best in blogospere! chaliye jan dada!
Wah bhai wah!
Great bong
Great post
Great blog.
Hope you got the message loud and clear 😀
Happy Birthday and may we see more of you!
O blog tum jeeyo hazaron saal!
@yourfan, Sunil, Rashmi, Srin,almost_useless,anon1, Rudra, Chappan, Priya, Jabberwock, anon2 and DGT,
Thank you….thank you all for the most kind words and your best wishes…(blushes)
Hi,
I discovered your blog quite by accident (yes there are still some people who have not heard about the “Greatbong”) around a week back. After reading most of the back posts, I sincerely think you are one of the best going around. The black humour is simply captivating.
U
Hi Greatbong
Happy blog-birthday.
I rarely comment on your blog because I usually don’t understand the in-jokes, but when I do, it is really funny.
congratulations dude.
i’m adding u to my blogroll. (from the favourites list to the single click visit)
Hi GreatBong,
U hav a super sense of humour and the best part bout ur blog is u do seem to notice stuff that is generally missed by most bloggers ( e.g Dharmendra speech as Arnav pointed out, pics of ppl like Shakti Kapoor,Govinda, Laloo et all ..*lol*).
I hav read all the archived posts in ur blog and thoroughly enjoyed each one of them.
i jst wish ur posts wld deal with sports related stuff ( i hope u dont consider cricket as a ‘sport’:d ).
Keep Rocking dude!
A big fan.
@Udayan, Michael, Anya,Binesh…thank you…
Cricket isnt a sport any longer??
🙂
You are the king of comedy…whenever I am stressed out at work my first destination is Greatbong’s lair. Of course I enjoy your serious posts also…and love the balance between rants, serious commentary and out-and-out funnies.
To many more years…..lets drink to that.