Random follow #299 - @iofthetyger

There are plenty (like HEAPS) of really nice people who are on twitter.  Random Kiwi Tweeter extraordinaires.  @iofthetyger absolutely fulfills this definition absolutely.  Many people would go so far as to utter the words "what a lovely man he is" and I have to agree with them totally.

Chris is a cricket loving, vocal supporter, full time dad and part time employee for the good folk at Vodafone.  Yes he does work in their social media team but everyone who is a parent knows that just cos you walk out the door in the morning and go to work that your parental duties are done with.  They aren't.

There is a lot to like about Chris and the way he tweets.  He reminds us all of what its like to be a parent sometimes - 

"It's 10:30 time to exercise my paternal duty and turn off the mind numbing and pointless kids TV,and switch on the cricket #unpopulardad"

He also shares with us some very funny views on the Christmas holidays

"Its just occurred to me that the increase in local dog walking is probably to do with the increase in mother in law visits,-as I walk my dog"

And it look slike his role with Vodafone also allows him (from time to time) special access to the @NZWarriors rugby league team.  That fact alone is one which causes me to be jealous and wonder what it would take to attain that sort of privilege......

Chris is an amazing tweeter who doesn't take himself or the internet too seriously.  His ability to have a laugh and share items from the brighter side of life on twitter make him really endearing.  With a warm personality and charming sense of humour I am sure Mrs @iofthetyger got it really right when she chose him :)

Chris is a kiwi through and through and his better half is most definitely English.  I have only just added Chris to my follow list and I genuinely wish I had of found him earlier in the year to have had the pleasure of his company.  Oh well, now's a far better time than never.

So @iofthetyger gets the final words in this blog post.  And just like we all do, he shares a very funny insight into the world around us - 

"I probably shouldn't,but I make a lot of judgements about new neighbours when I first see their wi-fi networks name".

Random follow #128 - @DancinMabel

Writing a blog about someone who you have only been following for a really short space of time is fun.  Its all also hard work but more importantly it is fun.  @DancinMabel is a really lovely kiwi tweeter who has very recently decided to try her hand in the UK.  At least for a little while.

To be honest I don't know a whole lot about her.  And I like that fact.  What she does do is provides little clues along the way through her tweets and if you string a few together yo can build up a bit of a picture of her -

"Manchester is a mental place to be right now. #stillsuppportarsenal"  Location.

"Nothing makes your day quite like a 4 year old convinced his Batman face paint has made him actually turn into Batman."  Perspective.

"Hey Dublin! Sorry I'm late, America hadn't finished with me yet! Lets get stupid."  Sense of adventure.

She has a few selfies in her timeline which show that she is a very attractive young lady.  She is also a very happy lass who has some real zing about her.  

Occasionally like the rest of us she loses her pep and needs a little encouragement - 

"If anyone has seen my mojo can you kindly return it? #notmyself"  but don't we all?

Anyway @DancinMabel comes highly recommended as a lovely young lass who tweets a little here, tweets a little there, tweets a little everywhere.  And if you add her to your follow list you'll most likely see some fun tweets about - English life, being an expat in a foreign country, missing home and some new adventures that she will go on along the way.

If you want to tweet her or see what she is up to then you need to alter your clock because her tweeting timezone is quite different to ours.  Do I recommend @DancinMabel as a worthy follow? ABSOLUTELY.

Random follow #94 - @mfcuk2

Freedom of speech is the first of the amendments that belong to the Constitution of the United States of America.  What that means is that every man, woman and child has the right to share their views with the world.  Not all of those views will be agreed with and often times the views shared are controversial and the opposite of that others think.  But they are still views, nevertheless, and the law says they can be shared.

@mfcuk2 is a twitter user who makes no apologies for sharing his point of view.  Twitter as a public space and forum is the ideal platform for him to share his views as well as challenge your thinking and philosophies.
Malcolm leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that he can (and will) challenge the conventional.  Here is his twitter bio - "Opinions r my own! Offended? Get over it, as it was intentional!".

He has a fresh perspective on the world and a very healthy (and at times heavy) intellectual wit.  I really enjoy his links to news articles and stories that would not normally catch my eye or come across my desk.  Not everybody understands his approach which can lead to this -

"RT @CalvinHarris: People don't get my jokes i'm like this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

Couple that with a fantastic, albeit a genuine but quirky sense of humor and you get this -

"RT @MrRandomSilly: “The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you can't always be sure of their authenticity.” ~ Abraham Lincoln"

But its exactly that wit and sense of humor that makes him so endearing - "RT 3d printers don't kill people. People with 3d printed lightsabres kill people."

So he is a very funny chap.  And I say chap because from what I understand that is a term often used in the country he spent many years in.  Maybe these tweets go a little way to explaining some more about him -

"Waiting for the bus, I'm approached by someone asking for a spare $2. I politely say no. He shakes my hand and says "Welcome to NZ!"

"The urge to say "But I've lived in NZ for 4 and a half years!" was great. Assumptions are everything and nothing at the same time! #ttrttpt"

Please don't get me wrong.  @mfcuk2 is not a tweeter who intentionally practices at pissing people off.  Its just that often times people don't quite get where he is coming from.  He is also a very sensitive and kind guy who is well able to express himself in a gentle and compassionate way towards people.

In the days before the Christchurch earthquake it was commonplace for those with a message to bring either a chair or a step ladder out into Cathedral Square, find a spot where they could be well seen and easily heard and then start sharing their message.  That is how I see @mfcuk2 and social media.  You can stop and listen to him if you so choose.  If not then just keep walking.  But that isn't going to stop him from sharing his mind with the world.

It would be good though if a few more of you stopped and took notice.  You could learn a thing or two.  I know I have.

The soap box.  The classic platform for taking your message to the streets.
Has it been replaced by social media?  Food for thought.

Randon follow #44 - @TophHooperton

Over the last few weeks while working on this project I have been genuinely surprised to find out how many tweeters in New Zealand are either -

a) English living in New Zealand or
b) Kiwi's living in England
c) Kiwi's who have lived in England and have returned home

I really enjoy English people and the wittiness that they bring with them.  If you were to bottle all that wit and turn it into tweets then you would come up with an end result of @TophHooperton.

"Social Media is so difficult you won't understand it until you see a PowerPoint explanation."

There are many tweeters who work for the media in one way or another and @TophHooperton is one of those people.  But the difference with this chap is that he doesn't tweet as a 'company man'.  In fact he is able to not take it all too seriously and he is able to have a joke about some of the viewing TVNZ has on.

"You know how fancy foodies do that smear of sauce on plates that looks like the inside of a nappy? Why? #MasterChefNZ (+1)"

And he will also share his thoughts about other tv with you as well (don't we all tweet about tv programs?) -

"Just when you think #Girls is as good as it gets, it gets even better. Holy crap. My squishy heart."

And I also managed to pick up on the fact that he is single.  Some times this fact can really irk parents.  And in @TophHooperton's case this is true also -

"My mum's fulsome list of reasons why I'm single is still amusing me. It ends with 'I don't think you'll meet someone til quite late in life'"


In summary - Christopher (only his mum use's his whole name probably) is a very likable chap who creates amusing tweets and uses his English wit to humor the world.  One tweet at a time.