Such a strong statement. This was the first thought I had when I first visited Lydia?s blog. The whole ?me versus the Germans? thing is somewhat reminiscent of wars fought between nations in decades past. But that?s not the point, actually, as Lydia clears up. This blog is all about her travails ?conquering Germany one day at a time,? as a British expatriate in Germany. Lydia talks about the weather, moving, drinking, computers, shopping, smoking, relationship and the whole lot about herself. It?s an online journal, after all.
Visual Aesthetics ? 7
Lydia?s blog uses a stock WordPress theme modified to be based on the color pink, and to contain the author?s own header image (designed by no less than the author?s fianc?). The original theme was actually the grand prize winner in a theme-designing contest, so I can say it?s among the more aesthetically-pleasing designs. I?d think that the pros come with cons, though. For one, the site is readable and friendly to the eyes. However, the general look and feel tends to be similar to a host of other blogs that uses the same theme. But we can give credit to the blog author for making the appropriate modifications to personalize the blog?s design. Further, the author?s use of images in virtually each blog post is very eye-catching. I?m not much of a fan of graphically-oriented advertisements and buttons, though.
User Friendliness ? 8
The site is fast loading and navigable enough. The links to static pages, comments, help/about pages, and external sites, are prominent and identifiable enough. I find the lack of sufficient categorization a bit limiting, though. The author could have used this feature more, rather than file most of her posts under the generic ?ramblings.? But generally, the site is readable, accessible, and navigable.
Reading Enjoyment ? 8
Lydia?s blog is fun to read, especially for those interested in reading about perspectives of a twenty-something woman living in a foreign land, or just about plain living in Europe, whether in her native London or her new Hanover home in Germany. Judging from the number and quality of reader comments on Lydia?s site, one can conclude that the blog is considered enjoyable to read by quite a handful of people.
Useful Info ? 9
Readers will find much information on Lydia?s blog, whether these be on food, shopping, or simply everyday living in Germany. You even get the current. This author writes on a wide range of topics, and readers would surely appreciate the way Lydia relates just about anything to her own life.
Overall Experience ? 8
Me v the Germans is a good read. Each article posted seems well thought of and well-written. Fellow expats would likely be interested in reading about the author?s experiences. The rest of the blog readers would likely find the light, but informative, articles quite refreshing in a world of blogs full of uninteresting and sometimes useless things. Lydia?s blog rates above average in our book.
