In the middle of March, I finally figured out how to install SiteMeter to this blog so I could have some idea of how many people were actually reading it (it was odd to be writing into the blogosphere with little idea of whether anyone was reading – that’s why I so appreciate comments (hint, hint!)) – and according to today’s SiteMeter report, 4,015 visitors have looked at XiamenAdventure since March16. Wow! That’s more people than have ever read any of my law review articles, I’m sure (in fact, I’m sure that’s more than have read ALL of my law review articles combined!).
SiteMeter gives really interesting information about visitors – nothing private, don’t worry! I can’t figure out who anyone is – well, except that that person with a charter.com domain in Fort Worth, Texas, who visits a bazillion times a day I know is my mom (Hi, mom!). And a lot of the lists show “unknown” about most visitors, so your secret is safe!
My favorite parts of the SiteMeter results are the locations from which people are viewing the blog, and the “referral page” – or how they got to the blog. People from as odd and exotic locations as Kenya and Kazakhstan have found us, and I have fairly frequent visitors from Canada, Britain, France, and Portugal. Not surprisingly, most of the visitors are in the U.S. So hello to Bountiful, Utah; Overland Park, Kansas; Barnet, Vermont (Kim – is that you?); Honolulu, Hawaii; Cincinnati, Ohio; Duluth, Georgia; Flower Mound, Texas; Tampa, Florida; Downer’s Grove, Illinois; Binghampton, New York; Sparks, Nevada; and to all of you who show up as “unknown” on the list!
Not surprisingly, lots of people find the blog because of referrals from adoption list-servs or blogs by other adoptive parents. (Feel free, everyone, to tell folks about the blog if you think they’d be interested (as you can see, I’ve become addicted to page hits, and now I’m unashamedly trolling for more visitors!)). And a lot of people reach the blog because my home law school has kindly included a link to it from their website – I think a lot of folks working at Texas Wesleyan click on that link to reach us, but also a number of prospective students wanting to learn more about Texas Wesleyan get lured here, too. Welcome!
My favorite referrals are the ones who get here because of a google search. I’m amazed by the number of people who find us because of a search for squat potties! We show up if you look for pipas, and for Shamian Island as well as Xiamen Island. And then there’s the person who found us in a search for “Xiamen escorts.” I bet whoever that was didn’t find us as “adventurous” as the blog’s name suggested!
So, thanks for reading. Posting to the blog has become a great way for me to process our experiences here – I’m one of those people who write to learn. And I’m glad you’ve all decided to come along for our Xiamen Adventure.
UPDATE: Wow! Thanks for all the comment posts! It's been fun to hear personally from all you SiteMeter statistics!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
29 comments:
I've really enjoyed reading your posts! I'll be in Beijing for six weeks this summer. Thanks for sharing
Guess what? YOur father also opens your blog several times a day to see if you have a new entry. In fact, sometimes instead of "good morning" I get " Is there a new entry this morning?" He also misses his 3 girls who are in China. We both love to read your blog, it makes us feel like we are still part of your life. YOur sister and brother also enjoy reading your adventure, we talk about it when we talk on the phone or webcam.
So thank you for writing it....And I do find it more interesting than your law articles....a lot less dry!(sorry)
There may be others in FtW. who use Charter ;o)
bises
Hey - we are another Charter.net reader. Rowan and Eliza love to see the pictures - those they are very jealous of the whole beach in the back yard thing.
We love visiting with you even if it is vicariously.
See you in July -
Hi, we have been enjoying your blog! We are coming to Xiamen 05-03-07 to adopt our four year old son. We would love to be able to meet you and the girls.I left a message for you on the Xiamen adoption webgroup as well.
With Blessings,
Jill
Elva, here , my daughter Dee and I have been reading your blog and thoroughly enjoying it. She was in Kazakhstan bonding with the 10 yr old boy she is adopting.Your mother and I are in the same grandmama's group.Dee is going back to Kaz Monday ,5/30, to bring home her son.She already has a 15 yr old daughter , adopted from Russia.Dee will not blog this next trip.I too check for entries several times per day. You write most interestingly ! Cheers !
Tuning in daily from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho! Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.
I love reading your adventures. Shared the blog with a friend who brought her daughter home from China in Nov 2005. I just love to travel and find your journey fabulous!
ps How can I get a site meter for my blog???
I love reading your blog each day!
I have a grandchild adopted from
Zhangzhou SWI.We were in China in
2005. I'm a retired teacher and
envy you the chance to teach in
China. You are giving your girls
a wonderful experience being able
to go to school there and be part
of the culture. Keep the stories
coming you make may day. Yvonne
in Kentucky
There's nothing noted about Connecticut?
I enjoy reading the blog- great insight into a different land. Although I did want to talk to you about your Wal*Mart shopping.
BTW- I'm a former student who relocated.
I enjoy reading your blog. We have an 8-year-old daughter who was born in China (Guangxi). She announced this week that she feels American and doesn't want to be Chinese anymore. You are providing your girls (and yourself) with a wonderful opportunity to learn about Chinese culture. Wish I was there!
Vonna in Newton, Kansas
I'm in the Azores (Portugal). We are a military family in the process of adopting with GWCAA. As I commented before your blog is wonderful!
I followed your adoption blog when you went to adopt Maya, and so of course I had to catch up on your adventures when you posted the link to your new blog. Your writing really pulls your readers along on your adventures, every day I wonder what fun stuff happened yesterday! -- Elizabeth in Overland Park
Hi Malinda and Girls,
We try to remember to check your blog each day to see what's new! It's so interesting to read, and we have learned so many new things just from reading it. Please continue to post about your journey - we are really enjoying reading it!
Have a great day :)
Emily (and Ellie) from FCC-Tarrant County
Hi,
Hello from Norman, Oklahoma. I try to check your blog every day also. We adopted our Emma from Guangxi province also. I have also let several real-life and virtual friends know about your blog as well.
StaceyB
Hi I am Carol fm Florida. I have a 2 1/2 yr old daughter from Yibin, China. I love reading your blog all the time. I wish I could provide my daughter with the experience that you are to your girls...so tell us - why you moved - what was your driving force to make the change? Was it hard - how about salaries - can you tell I would really love to do this..scared - YOU BETCHA - but who knows..
Hugs fm us-ps I love site meter as well! Amazing - who are the people (I have one in Singapore - that is always cking - who is this person?)
C & K
www.babysites.com/sites/cmackoul/
Hi Malinda - well of course we are big fans! I love reading your stories - some of them we could have almost written ourselves they are so similar to our own experiences in Shenyang. Would you believe our university took us on a death march up a mountain as well??? What is up with that??? It's been so fun reading about the girls and how they are doing. I wish we were closer so we could get together from time to time. Sorry to say we might be skewing your site stats as we have to use a proxy to visit. Kerri
As another adoptive parent/lawyer who oftimes ponders spending some extended time in China, I've been enjoying your blog.
It's great to read about your girls encountering interesting "stuff" everyday. And good for you for surviving the most recent hike.
I've also added your url to the links section of the Yahoo group I co-own: Homeland Travel China
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homelandtravelchina/
Looking fwd to reading more.
Catherine B. in Toronto
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog!! Your such a talented writer, plus being a smart, beautiful woman and mom. I especially enjoy your details about the girls' school experience. I'm bringing my 4 and 5 year olds
(adopted from Guatemala) to Kunming, Yunnan province in August. My husband and I want them in a Chinese school. We'll be teaching university level and hope to stay for several years so the kids can get grounded in Mandarin. You are truly an inspiration. I hope my blog will be half as good. PS: As soon as I get a blogger identity, I'll fess up the real me!
Me again - sorry - I need to edit "your" as "you're". I'm an English teacher...
Just so your Mom doesn't jump all over me, I'm the writer of the post that I've corrected. I just loved it when your MamaBear was protecting her Cub from nasty Anonymous and the word "beggar". Right on, Mimifrancoise!!
To Anonymous of # 20 post: I am really very kind and do not Jump on people for misspelled words. But I thought that Nasty Anonymous was out of line to say something and not identifiy her/himself. Your post made me laugh....thanks, I loved it!
Mimi to my best girls...Francoise because that is what my parents wanted.
Malinda,
I recently found your blog and have been enjoying it almost daily. We have two adopted daughters from China--Xiaonan, Hubei and Hengshan, Hunan. They are 2 and 5 years old and keep me incredibly busy. I think it is fantastic that you are able to be back in China with your girls. You all must be very flexible and adventurous. You're a very entertaining and informative writer. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us.
Nora
Connecticut
I am a single mom to an almost twelve year old daughter adopted from Hunan in 1995. I love reading your blog. I am also a lawyer. I envy you this opportunity. I love hearing about your every day life, especially. How fortunate you and your daughters are to have this experience.
Julia in Pennsylvania
Chiming in from Eastern Ohio. I have a daughter who was adopted at 25 months--home almost a year!--from Guangxi.
I love the blog, the perspective, the laughs.
Wendy
Another single mom from Portland, OR with two incredible daughters from China, 10 and 6 1/2. Both from Guangdong. Love your blog!! And I too, check it every day:-)
Malinda,
I think I show up as Bountiful, Utah, and although I spent my formative years there, only my ISP's server is located there now, the rest of us are in SLC. I'm single with four Chinese born daughters, two from Guangxi, and wish I had more time to keep up with your writing, sometimes I have to speed read. Trying to think of somehow, some way, some day doing something similar, but coming up blank so far. So living vicariously through your adventure is good for now.
We are addicted to your site. We check it so often that Emily, our latest addition (home 1 month today) thinks that any picture that she sees of Asian girls that is not of her and Kaylee are Zoe and Maya. We have all really enjoyed sharing the experience of living in China vicariously through y'all. Emily is looking forward to meeting the famous Zoe and Maya in person when y'all get home.
Wendy, Mike, Kaylee & Emily
Blossom
I'm in Bradford, Vermont, not Barnet, but Barnet is only up the road about45 miles. It could simply be another viewer.
As I've told you many times before, you are a very entertaining writer and I love reading your blogs. It does make me feel closeer, even closer than when you were in Texas, since you didn't keep a blog there!
Kim
Hello
buy diazepam
Foods that acidify urine, nonetheless, can lead to a faster absorption and elimination of diazepam and therefore decrease drug activity and levels.
[url=http://www.mahwey.com/]order valium[/url]
It has been the most prescribed benzodiazepine and is used to treat a wide range of medical conditions.
http://www.mahwey.com/ - buy diazepam
Salty foods can slow down the absorption and elimination of diazepam thereby increasing drug activity and levels.
Post a Comment