With a smile on my face (Thailand = land of smiles), I have to admit that cringel.com is developing. The visitors should judge about quality (is it getting better or worse, what do you think?), but quantity-wise the site is definitely improving.
All the cringel crew are very glad that site users and visitors post comments, give suggestions regarding design and content improvements, and are very active overall.
There are also a few things about the site that we noticed and would like to share with everybody.
English language versus other languages
Please, please, please - use only English language on cringel.com.
There is a whole bunch of reasons for that, and the most important is that English can be read by probably a billion of people, and Lithuanian by mere 3,5 million. The site has visitors from all around the world, from India and New Zealand, to US. So if you write a comment in Lithuanian, the next English reading visitor can not read it. And the discussion stops
Write in English, don't be ashamed if your English level is "too low". It is not. Ask for help if you can not read or write at all. We don't have any content writers whose mother tongue is English, so we all make mistakes. Furthermore - it is about communication, and not about correct grammar.
Commenting existing content and creating your own content
You are very welcome to comment what others wrote, be it positive or negative. We have democracy here.
If you have something, which you think is much more qualitative than a simple comment, drop us a note and maybe we'll let you post it on the main page.
Registering on cringel
Previously, any visitor was able to leave comments, even if he was unregistered. Unfortunately, the amount of spam comments increased drastically, and today you have to register to post a comment (and to access some other nifty stuff too. Do that. I personally promise your email will be safe.
Still have doubts? Register with your secondary email.
Using RSS feeds
is highly encouraged. Add cringel to your RSS reader and you'll be informed when the site is updated. Automatically. That means you will visit the site only when there are updates, without wasting your time to manually type in the site name each time, and sometimes realizing it has not been updated. You are happy, we are happy.
Read more here if not familiar with RSS.
Site navigation
There are tons of ways how to structure the information on the website. At the present moment we are very much blog-like, i.e. posting the new content on top of older content. So that could be called "reversed date sorting system". Some visitors are complaining that it is not convenient. We are looking into that, at the same time understanding, that all systems has their benefits and drawbacks.
Text versus images
Cringel is about decisions in life, new experiences, cultural differences, travelling, etc. Some of it is better expressed in written, and some - with a simple photograph.
We also learned that most of visitors ask for more images, and not more text (blah, why do I spend hours of writing). We understand that, and promise more images and photographs from now on.
Comments
More content, you lazy bastards!
WE WANT MORE!
WE WANT MORE!
MORE PICTURES!
MORE CONTENT!
NO ESCAPE FROM COMMITMENTS! NOT EVEN IN ASIA!
GET THOSE FINGERS MOVIN', GET THE CAMERA CLICKIN' AND SHARE THE FECKING EXCITMENT!
Aye aye, Captain!
So you switched to CAPS.
I see, it's serious then.
Frightened about my safety, I'll redirect your wrath to here and here
Pressure
yo lads,
ragas on line from town called aluva, s. india, whats the crack? any news? as far i know youre supposed to be in vietnam? well how is it? any landmine yet? no? sometimes yes, sometimes no?
ok heres my point - wheres the bloody pics from thai? aye!
Counting the questionmarks
Wow,
8 questionmarks. Either you have been smoking something, or the town called Aluva proved its name and provided you with some beer.
Yep, we are in Vietnam, arrived here a few days ago. Hanoi is quite European I would say.
Concerning the landmines, we will be in Cambodia soon. Let me answer you from there.
The pics from Thai are on my laptop's hard disk :)
Pressure, pressure, pressure!
Wow, how difficult it is to withstand such a pressure.
To Sarunas:
Nobody says that any language is bad or inappropriate in general, but one has to choose a base language for communication. Otherwise we can end up in finding comments in 20 different languages and being able to understand 5% from it all.
It's not about those who post content, it's about those who read it.
To Aleksandras:
I hope that you are OK with reading English. If you wish to write a comment, please drop us an email in Lithuanian.
Also, photos should keep the dialogue going :)
Kur nauji ispudziai?
Some time has passed from your last post. You mentioned that you will be updating the site only once you have something to share. So stop playing with us - I am sure you have something to share with us since your last post has gone somewhere in the far prehistorical times. So either you post something or we are marking your site as site non grata. Laukiu issamaus pasakojimo ir foto!!!!!!!!!!!! Kvepia skandalu.
On. Their. Way.
Well, you know how the postal system of Vietnam works.
Slow.
I sent the post long time ago, but he's probably still somewhere on the way.
But I feel something is coming up this afternoon..
Hi
It is very a pity, that you prefer here dialogue in English. I, for example, basically can communicate on him, but without pleasure. I regret.
Aleksandras
Kalba/language
Dear all,
I could not possibly translate the quote from the 1599 Postilla, written by M. Daukša, that you will find below - so it comes in Lithuanian, my apologies. Suffice it to say that although I feel comfortable writing in English - and I will do so whenever addressing to the English speaking visitors of this blog - I also find it quite unnatural to communicate with my Lithuanian friends in the language that is not our own. If diversity, including linguistic, has any remaining value, I kindly ask you to tolerate my language and hope to be excused for this stubbornness. Alas, it's too late to change. And here comes the quote:
"Kuri pagaliau pasaulyje yra tokia prasta ir niekinga tauta, kuri neturėtų šių trijų, lyg įgimtų dalykų: tėvų žemės, papročių ir kalbos? Per amžius žmonės kalbėjo savo gimtąja kalba, visada rūpinosi ją išlaikyti, gražinti, skleisti, tobulinti. Nėra tokios niekingos tautos, nėra tokio menko žemės užkampio, kur nebūtų vartojama savoji kalba. [...] Pati prigimtis to moko, nes kiekvienas iš motinos paveldi polinkį savo gimtajai kalbai vartoti, išlaikyti ir skleisti. Tą matome ne tiktai žmonių, bet ir neprotingų gyvūnų tarpe. Kaip būtų keista, jeigu juodvarnis lakštingala imtų suokti, o lakštingala juodvarniu krankti; ožys liūtu staugti, o liūtas – ožiu mekenti. Dėl tokių būdo atmainų dingtų įgimtos gyvulių ypatybės. Jei toks pakrikimas iššauktų sumišimą gyvulijoje, tai suprantama, koks sąmyšis ir netvarka kyla tautoje, kai ji, paniekinusi savo kalbą, pamilsta svetimą, pamiršdama, jog Dievas ir pati prigimtis reikalauja kalbėti savąja kalba.
Ne žemės derlumu, ne drabužių įvairumu, ne šalies gražumu, ne miestų ir pilių stiprumu laikosi tautos, bet daugiausia išlaikydamos savąją kalbą, kuri didina ir palaiko bendrumą, santaiką ir brolišką meilę. Gimtoji kalba yra bendrosios meilės ryšys, vienybės motina, pilietiškumo tėvas, valstybės sargas. Sunaikink kalbą – sunaikinsi santaiką, vienybę ir dorybę. Sunaikink kalbą – sunaikinsi dangaus saulę, sujauksi pasaulio tvarką, atimsi gyvybę ir garbę“
Mykalojus Daukša, Postilla, 1599
Lietuviu kalba
A tai prie ko cia ta lietuviu kalba, jeigu zmones skaitydami bloga nieko nesupranta? Lietuviskai su keliauninkais galima bus gyvai pakalbeti kai gris ( tikiuosi)
mrx
Wow! That was a power comment and I must say I agree with it 100%, anyways, let the owners of the page decide which language to communicate with.
Btw, I think that the word "stubborness" comes with one "n" :)
Net jeigu ir nebutumei
Net jeigu ir nebutumei pasirases, puikiai suprasciau, kas cia komentuoja ;-)
Fair offer: comments in English for more of you in the photos!
Hey Jurga, Marius,
Respect for having guts to do what you’re doing and for keeping cringels.com live – and best regards from Vilnius!
But actually I'm here to protect your old not-travelling-but-thumbs-up-for-you acquaintances’ right to see more of you in the photos. There’s nothing wrong with present photos – very interesting and well done, but still - there’s almost no you in them!
Therefore here comes my fair trade (blackmail?:) offer: no Lithuanian spam in comments section in exchange for more of you in the photos! Deal?:)
Taking the English-request seriously (but ready to post Lithuanian comment anytime:), and wishing you all the best,
Proficient blackmailer, Milda
It's a deal
Hi, Milda the Proficient,
I can see you found quite a tool for convincing us..
Well, Asia is much more interesting than the travellers that are there, but a few pics showing us somewhere in a far far background mayyyybe are appropriate. You win.
Gimme points!
Ahoy! Yo mates, Saulelis on air...
Firstly, I wanna give an official 'Good job!' to both of ya. I still can't recover from envy attack... I had a similar sort of plan, but there I am - still saving money in the fuckin world's capital of rain... No worrys tho, I'm doin great and will catch up. Soon, hopefuly ;)
So what's the business with the points? How do I earn'em and most importantly - whats the prizes?
Anyways, have fun with them whale sharks and pass on hugs and kisses to Balta from me if u see her.
New Zealand?
Hey Guys
Just wonder when are you gonna be in New Zealand?
New Zealand is quite far ahead
Hi, D,
we are entering Myanmar 29th of April, then one month in Nepal and one month for Malaysia, add one more for Australia, and then we're in NZ.
So that should be somewhere around August.
But plans are known for their fantastic ability to fail. So you never know what happens in real life.
Planning to come over to NZ?
i am actually pretty sure
i am actually pretty sure about going there. Just can't choose when. I guess it ll be winter there in August. Not the best time for travelling down under... Anyway, i'd like to join you for a week or more. So could you please be more specific with dates, cause I need to book tickets and stuff.
Exact dates
Wow, it would be great meeting you there!
I counted a little more, and realized that if we will stick to the plan, we'll end up in NZ in the beginning of September. But, if it is too cold there, we could decide to swap NZ with Malaysia and Nepal. Then we'd arrive to New Zealand two months earlier, which is beginning of July.
Give us a few days to rethink it.
Wow, Sauleli, thanks for
Wow, Sauleli, thanks for appearing. As you are not in the position to safe all the money in Earth, come on, take those you have and meet us somewhere in Vietnam ;)
Re the points: you are earning them by posting comments. Eaaasyyy. Comment, earn the points and ... get this wonderful unforgettable trip for free to Island Of Your Dreams. Joking of course. We will send you nice souvenir from local artisans.
Balta is sending best wishes.