Blog blocked

Before heading back to Fiji on Monday I took one last look at many things I wouldn’t see again for months: my family, snow, my two cats, Hart’s orange hair, my girlfriend’s giant eyes, a clean bathroom, milk – and my beloved blog.
Yes, I won’t be seeing my blog until April when I return to Canada. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be adding new posts.
It was mid-November when I first realiz something is amiss. I try to log on to blogspot.com, but keep getting an error message. And it isn’t just for my blog. I can’t view anything on blogspot.com or wordpress.com. The sites must be down, I figure. But after a few days of the same thing I do what journalists do best: I start digging. First I scoure the net for news of the sites being down, but find nothing. Second, I hit the street and go to Vodafone, my internet provider.
The clerk assures me that it isn’t the company’s policy to block any domains, but when he sees the unsatisfied look on my face he leans over and whispers to me.
“Nobody can access the blog sites in Fiji; they’ve been censored.”
Now I'm satisfied with his answer.
But I'm not satisfied with the situation.
I love blogging, and lots of people back home enjoy reading my blog. It gives me a way to keep in touch with friends and family in Canada. In the words of my mom: “Reading your blog makes me feel like I’m there with you.”
What would I do now?
I consult some web-savvy friends about ways to get around the internet filter. One of the nerds gave me the name of some free software that would allow me to access any blocked sites. I thank him and wish I had discovered the software in high school.
The software works, and I’m a blogger again. But now I’m a paranoid blogger, so I decide to play it safe and not even write about the censorship issue.
But within a few days the software ceases working for reasons beyond my limited computer comprehension. Once again I’m blog blocked.
This time I try a new approach. I write my posts and then email them to my girlfriend to put up for me. After a long tutorial she successfully posts the entries and pictures.
But there’s just one problem with this method: I can’t even see my own blog.
I love tweaking the layout, resizing the pictures, creating links and ensuring the blog looks just rights. I thrive off reading readers’ comments. It gives me insurmountable pleasure to see a new post go up. Now I can’t do any of this.
But I guess this just adds to the experience and makes me appreciate the freedoms I have back home.
Oh Canada, the true North strong and free, I can’t wait to return to you and view my blog in thee.