Facebook, Facebook, Facebook!

I have people questioning my Facebook posts. Why spend so much time? What’s your agenda?

I don’t bother justifying myself. Who are you to ask how I spend my time? But here’s the reason:

I lived for 10 years in Malaysia. 10 important  fricking years of my children’s lives.  I have over 1000 friends who have become real friends. But wait, they are not only my friends. They are the village – albeit a cyber one – that played a part in raising my children, especially my youngest child who moved to Malaysia when she was only 4 years old.

This is an example. G is not well today. She is at home. I made her this healing, nutritious pasta dish. But wait a minute, I did not make it all on my own. I just took the broth out of the freezer. The pasta came out of the freezer, too, but it was made my two Facebook mums. And delivered to me in a different country, with love.

Michelle Woo and Susan Choong made the pasta in Kuala Lumpur. Susan carried it all the way to Phuket. She brought it to my house in a cooler bag. She and her husband stayed for half an hour or so, and we just had fun chatting and laughing. Then goodbye and thank you, but I felt 100x richer.

Facebook is also business for me. When I wrote my first parenting book, Barefoot in the City – Raising Successful, Free-Range Organic Kids, I had eighteen people contributing their writing to this book. Where did I find them, for goodness sake? Facebook, of course. Where else??

My daughter G recognises the important role these Facebook folks play in our lives. She has decided to give my parenting book away for free on Kindle for one day – her rationale is, those who follow us on Facebook (and care about us over the years) will know about it and download it on the said-day. Strangers can pay. I thought it is an amazing gesture on her part, as she is the financial beneficiary of this book.  Me, I am asking for help again. Please leave reviews for me after reading your free download. Pretty please?

So folks, that’s what Facebook is to me. It might be different to what it means to you, but hey, at least now you know why I spend my time here.

Note: where did I find this girl standing next to G? Facebook, of course! Her mother, who became my very good friend, took this photo.