Next up on our UAE Profile feature is Mark, the blogger behind “Mark My World“. He is a proud Filipino who currently works as a Marketing Executive / Social Media Manager and has been in Dubai for 7 years.
Mark has quite a vibrant and colourful Instagram feed (@markmyworldblog). He posts vivid snaps of food, travel, and adventures in Dubai. He mentions that these photos take time to create and curating a feed is not as simple as what others might think.
Even if he may post a lot of pictures of restaurants and hotels, Mark is most proud of his stories that have a more serious tone. At times he gets inspired, he writes articles that delve into more personal topics such as work and life as an expat, depression, and mental health. To name a few, you can check out his posts about Why We Lose our Friends or Why You Should Work Hard Even if You Are Paid Less.
Contents
- UAE Profile: Interview with Blogger Mark of MarkMyWorld.me
- 1. Tell us a little about yourself.
- 2. Can you tell our readers more about your blog/site and how it started?
- 3. What’s a common misconception you had about Dubai or the UAE that’s been dispelled after you got here?
- 4. What are your top places to visit/attractions in the UAE?
- 5. What are the top restaurants you recommend in the UAE?
- 6. What are some of your most successful blog posts or the posts that you are most proud of and what are they about?
- 7. What is the most common misconception you’ve gotten from others about blogging?
- 8. Name some of the bloggers/personalities whom you look up to and why?
- 9. What tips can you share to aspiring bloggers in the UAE?
- Connect with Mark Online
UAE Profile: Interview with Blogger Mark of MarkMyWorld.me
In our feature, Mark shares his story about why he came to Dubai and his favourite spots in the city. He also discusses the challenges as a content creator and tips for aspiring bloggers. Check out the rest of our feature below.
1. Tell us a little about yourself.
First things first, I’m a proud Filipino, born and raised in Manila. I currently work as a Marketing Executive / Social Media Manager for a restaurant in the UAE. In 2012, I came to Dubai for a vacation with the whole family and I fell in love with the city so I looked for a job, found one and stayed since then.
2. Can you tell our readers more about your blog/site and how it started?
My blog is all about my world and the name can be interpreted as a play on “Mark my words” and also can be my name is Mark, and this is my world. It’s my place on the web where I talk about basically anything but it’s mostly about restaurant, hotel, music, movie and gadget reviews. And sometimes, when I’m inspired, I write about positive stuff that can hopefully motivate my readers.
3. What’s a common misconception you had about Dubai or the UAE that’s been dispelled after you got here?
Before coming to Dubai, all I thought of was that it was a desert isolated from the rest of the world and when I arrived, I realized that it was the complete opposite and that the country is spearheading everything from technology to safety and security.
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4. What are your top places to visit/attractions in the UAE?
If you’re a first-timer, you should definitely visit the old Dubai first, ride an abra, visit the museum and learn all about the culture and where it all began. And then there’s a lot of places that one must go to like the top of Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Global Village, Miracle Garden, and the list goes on. I’ve been living here for almost 7 years but I’m still in awe of the new attractions that are opening and the amazing restaurants that one can try.
5. What are the top restaurants you recommend in the UAE?
For fine dining, I love Zuma, BB Social and for a more casual choice, I love fun restaurants like Luchador, Hotel Cartagena, and Black Tap.
6. What are some of your most successful blog posts or the posts that you are most proud of and what are they about?
My most successful post is the one that I wrote about depression. I think a lot of people was able to relate to that and then another post #BeKind Challenge is about looking at things from a different perspective regardless of the situation.
7. What is the most common misconception you’ve gotten from others about blogging?
A popular misconception about blogging is that all I do to get free stuff is to take a picture and post on Instagram. I don’t think people understand the long process that it takes to create content for your feed or for the brands itself. It’s a tedious process for me and it certainly is not easy, it’s very time consuming and you really need to be passionate about it or else it will show and it will not work in the long run.
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8. Name some of the bloggers/personalities whom you look up to and why?
I don’t want to drop names but I like positive people in general. The ones who don’t complain a lot and think that they are entitled to anything this world has to offer. I don’t follow negative people like those on social media because I believe that at the end of the day, when we’re stripped off all our material possessions, we are all equal and we should all remember that.
The one thing that I could share about aspiring bloggers is that if you really want to enter this industry then you should be passionate about it, you should allot time and be genuine. People will know when you just want freebies and they will hate you for that. And if you have decided that you want to do it regardless, a tip would be to start with one post per week if you cannot do once a day. It’s not much but when it accumulates, you will have a lot of content on your hand and the brands will come knocking through your door and it will all pay off.
Connect with Mark Online
Website: MarkMyWorld.me
Instagram: @MarkMyWorldBlog
Facebook: @MarkMyWorldBlog
Twitter: @MarkMyWorldBlog
