My Ciao'ing > Reviews (263)

My Ciao'ing? Hmmmm......I guess I have to start by saying I haven't been the most consistent of members. Yep....I've been here before. So for me to write about me ole' Ciao'ing is probably a bit of a con really, what with me writing only a handful of reviews over the past few years. I suppose I could say I’ve had one, big MF of a writing block but I’d be lying and the truth is, I lie all the time. In fact, I wouldn’t believe any of the stuff below if I was you.

*strokes chin thoughtfully*

Hmmmm…should I continue or go back to my undercover life of reading rather than writing? Do you really want me to go on? Oh….OK….I will anyway, now that I've started and my reader is completely hooked *rolls eyes optimistically*

So where have I been? What am I doing here now and what are my plans? Well....I dunno really *shrugs virtual shoulders* Oh look, that's not reeeeeally true. There was a time when it was all about the writing for me but, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I am now genuinely interested in the more consumer-orientated aspects of this 'ere site. Yes, really. I've never been much of a shopper at the best of times and have always been one of those blokes whose partner desperately looks for the nearest "crèche" when out and about in shopping malls to maroon peeps like me in, either to play aimlessly on me Nintendo DS (Scrabble rocks on the DS) or read a newspaper or have a sneaky beer or just about anyfink other than shop. I mean, let's face it, shopping is for da (California) gurls really, innit? Hmmm.....well maybe it was before but as I career towards my late 40s, I appear to be taking a bit more interest in which TV would look/work best? Where can I get a good value suit and which book should I invest my hard-earned in next and why? Well...it's a small move forward on where I was before in my anti-consumerliciousness.

To be fair, there are quite a lot of interesting review thingies that I’ve enjoyed reading in my fledgling reunification with CiaoLand. I’ve read about all kinds of stuff and even read about some HD box thing yesterday that means you don’t have to sign up to Sky HD. This would have been guilt-edged, gold bullion-esque information that may have prevented my recent massive outlay on Sky HD and my monthly bill spiralling to in excess of £81 to the digital TV entrepreneurs who have the inherent ability to squeeze every last shekel out of barmy punters like me. Holy moley, it’s me teen daughter who watches the darn thing all the time and it’s me that’s paying nearly a grand a year for the privilege. Ah….I seem to have gone off on one again.

Sooooooooooo……where have I been and what on earth has that got to do with Ciao? Well....erm....I did lose my way with these review sites. As a former stalwart on both Ciao and Dooyoo, I just kinda found I lost my mojo and no end of Austin Powers-like searching could recover it. So in the meantime, I've been immersed in the world of banking. Oh...yeah...did I mention that I'm a banker although I do sidestep any accusations of causing or contributing to the current economic crisis on the back of…well….

erm…..What am I doing here now and how will I use Ciao? Well…I’m glad you asked that. I am using Ciao sparingly. Like a good member of da site and a potentially active member of the Big Society/Ciao Community, I look up those reviews where the product interests me rather than getting too hung up on who’s actually written it. That way, I get to read stuff I’m interested in as opposed to being lured by big members. No…I mean big characters. You know….like….thingy and wotsit. Oh look….I’m not getting berated again for name-checking in ops/reviews like I have been previously (boy, do I miss people like Hogsflesh, Plipplop, Torr and….oh….scratch that…sorry….NO NAME CHECKING - I’m an honourable member now. Honest). Oh…if you think I’m going to be using cheap innuendo like I tried to with the word “member” earlier then think again. I simply won’t be doing stuff like that again. I mean…that would be like trying to squeeze things in by the back passage, y’know slipping one in and I simply *have* to be hard. On myself.

However, I’ve no doubt that as I write and read more, I’ll end up making “friends” and swapping banter and people will add me to their circle of thrust and the whole thing will mushroom again. I mean, one person’s already added me after JUST ONE REVIEW. How trusting *is* that? Yeah, I know. Clearly, I must rock. Eeeeespecially with me being a banker and having no friends at all and….oh….*cries into beer glass*

So anyway, has any of this been of any use to anyone and told you anything about my Ciao-ing? Well…as that Geordie bloke used to say in “Big Brother” - “You Decide” Come to think of it, I did watch the last series of Big Brother and Ultimate Big Brother and…well…I should look up some reviews of it on ‘ere, shouldn’t I?

There you have it. I’m emotionally spent and my tissue’s being wrung out due to the salty tears wept at the thought of being carefully ushered back into the Ciao community again. It’s nice to be back. Well, sort of. Not sure how often I’ll write or what I’ll write about but it’s been nice to bash my Bishop- keyboard and, one thing I can guarantee, and that’s I will be reading and rating and generally pottering about the site for a bit.

In short - hello again

Yours.

Brummie 699 (formerly marandina)