When we moved to Kuala Lumpur (almost a year ago now) I decided to start up a FB page dedicated to our family exploration in our new ‘home country’. Sure, it was a way to keep our family and friends up to date with our adventures, but if I’m honest, it was more about hoping to relay our discoveries to other people that I didn’t necessarily know. As an expat for many, many years I know what it is like to arrive in a new country and start from scratch. So many questions come up and I wanted to add some relief to newcomers to KL; to at least point them in the right direction so that they would feel confident in knowing what there was to do with the little ones, where to hang out in kid-friendly cafes and restaurants, and also give them a way to meet other families by getting involved in different activities.
My FB page journey started slowly but it was nice that my friends were seeing what new places we’d stumbled across on the weekend. As we arrived here in the school summer holidays, the three of us had plenty of opportunities to try out soft play centres for (my then) 5-year old twins and have our days to settle into KL life. I’d then manage to put together a little review with photos in the evening once the little people were in bed. It was fun, it kept me busy and it meant my children didn’t have time to be bored AT ALL!! I was out to discover everything in KL that was suitable for families – it was my new mission!
Then one day, I figured I should put an album together of all the soft play centres we had ‘tried and tested’…. And I genuinely wasn’t ready for what happened next! I still don’t know how it happened, or how it all started, but it did! The ‘notifications’ tab on my FB app stayed blocked for about a week, my phone would ping non-stop for hours at a time as more and more people discovered my photos and a write-up on indoor play areas in the city! It was then I realized that long gone are the days that I am writing just to keep in touch with my FB list of friends! When, after a few weeks, the insane popularity started to subside, my post (here: https://m.facebook.com/KLKidsfamilycityguide/albums/1744541659111067/) had been liked 1200 times, commented on 1100 times, and shared a massive 8200 times on FB!! Yes over EIGHT THOUSAND times…. and counting as even now people happen across a post that, I guess I can say went semi-viral?!!
I now write for over 8000 people who follow my page. People from all walks of life who, like me, just want to discover Malaysia. Whether they are expats living here, tourists wanting to get the best out of their fortnight holiday in the city, or people who were born and raised in Malaysia, they want to read what I have to say about our adventures in KL.
To say I am overwhelmed would be an understatement. I mean, I hoped that the page would work. I hoped that something I would write about would help someone…. I can only hope that is the case.
I run the page by myself, it is after all our family adventures and not just a general info page. It is not something that I get paid for, it’s not ‘a job’ per se but I enjoy it. It combines my love for my children, travelling, writing, and family moments spent together.
So, yesterday my only post on FB was a simple one. A message of sheer appreciation for every single one of my ‘followers’. To every mum who has ever contacted me with a question, to every parent/teacher/friend who has tagged their family members in an article I have written and to everyone who has helped me make this ‘little FB page’ into the big success it is today. My blog page is not as popular, and that’s okay, because I still love the fact that you are reading this now, and that I have a few fellow bloggers who I interact with and there is a mutual appreciation for what we do.
So I share with you what I wrote on Facebook yesterday, as it applies to you here too.
“Thank you” just doesn’t quite seem enough….
8000 likes and counting; I am completely amazed! You guys are the absolute best – you have liked, shared, tagged your friends and family, and made my KL page what it is today. Not me, but you!
Thank you for your support, your kind words and messages, and also for being my inspiration to continue writing and to discover even more of this beautiful country.
So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Sarah x”
For anyone who hasn’t yet found Kuala Lumpur Kids – A KL City Guide for Families, feel free to pop over and join us in our journey 😉
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