Very first thing that you’ll see is the three new links on the homepage…

Ignore all the mess and noise from the public feed and start following your friends’ feed now! Love this feature!

This is who I have on my friends and ignores list now…

but the friends list is sure going to grow soon!

And just to add, once a user is on your friends’ list, all their blogs will appear. So you don’t need to favorite all their blogs. And!!! Once a user is on your ignore list, all their blogs will be ignored! And they’ll not appear on your public timeline too! This is fabulous!

If you’re on Ping.sg, check out your profile page too!

And!! Every blogger wants to learn about their statistics! Don’t lie! Even when you said you’re not, deep down you know you are! :P So this new feature is going to be lovely…

Your monthly Ping statistics!

These are the features I’ve spotted so far, perhaps I missed out some… and I’m sure there will have! So go discover it yourself ya! Tell me what I’ve missed and I’ll add them in!

Updates
Private Pong is now possible!

Great work U-zyn! Keep on coding and bring back THE space for bloggers soon!

Dinner at StraitsKitchen is quite an experience. With great variety of food from the different culture and races and many local desserts to choose from, we were spoiled for choice! If I hadn’t been feeling sick that night, I might have gone for few more rounds to sample all the dishes! *LOL!*

It was my first time meeting Jael but we were chatting like old friends almost immediately! It was also great to be able to have a good chat with Melvin. Both of them shared a about their job and shared their experiences from traveling. As usual, Rinaz and I were enjoying each other’s company through the night. She’s got a real unique personality which makes one just want to find out more, even after meeting for many times.

I think all of us ended the night with a serving of the real yummy mango pudding! Gosh! It’s really very good! If only I could squeeze more into my tummy that night!

Once again, thanks Rinaz for the invitation! And thanks Melvin and Jael for the great company! Hope we’ll have more chance to do such gatherings soon.

A group shot from that night

Disclaimer update:
Just for everyone’s understanding, Claudia usually breaks up her posts of major events into many parts so that her readers need not scroll too much and also for her to post her thoughts of the event better. She has no intention of breaking it up so as to get more pageviews or to get into the top10 charts. She doesn’t run any ads on this blog hence its really pointless for her to do that. Posting everything in one post is much easier as she doesn’t have to arrange the photos in any storyline or title. However she feels that it’ll be more reader friendly for users to find photos they want to use or post that they want to read. Claudia wish to thanks one and all for their friendly mention in their blogs (be it good or bad). If you have any comments or feedback, Claudia appreciates if you can contact her directly via any means possible. Her email is somewhere on the sidebar, do feel free to drop her an email.

Here are the video clips I took with my shaky hands that night…

I want to shake too!! Wahahahahaha!

Claudia did some homework before the party and she recognized some of the bloggers present. She was able to point out some of the people there including… Kevin, U-zyn, Arzhou, Rinaz, DK, Veron, Sheylara, Josh, Ming and a few others. Sadly, she didn’t go up to any of them to say hi. And she felt that they, being the regulars, could have approached the new faces at the event instead to make them feel welcome. She only recalled a girl (Daphne) going around trying to break-ice with everyone. The rest of the gang, well, were just being within their own gang. Claudia even wrote a not-so-good post about it but still looked forward to their 2nd anniversary.

Although the very first gathering with Pingsters didn’t turn out that well, Claudia continues to hang around in Ping.sg, and quietly supports Ping by checking back regularly, helping to spread the words around (although her traffic was very bad than), doing the Ping.sg Ad and she even started attending gatherings and outings with fellow Pingsters. In fact she attended quite a number of these outings! She tries her best to take nice photos at every gatherings to help her remember who was present and so that she could blog about it.

Events attended over the past 1 year with Ping.sg…

• 29 Jul 07: Outing at Miss Clarity Cafe
• 9 Sep 07: Island Creamy
• 3 Dec 07: Meet up at The POD
• 10 Dec 07: Launch of Ping.sg Tshirt
• 10 Jan 08: Pizza outing at Finalmente
• 17 Feb 08: Ping CNY gathering at Decoders Cafe
• 17 May 08: Lim Jiu at Brewerkz
• 14 Jun 08: Prawning Outing
• 3 Jul 08: Pizza Outing at Peperoni
• 19 Jul 08: Ping 2nd Anniversary

Although it was just a short one year time, Claudia got to know a lot of friends through blogging and Ping.sg. Some became quite close and is bonded with some of them too. (But none as close as becoming a BFF-kind-of-close) She is very happy that blogging actually helped expand her social circle and it also gives her the opportunity to attend events and launches that’s “By Invitation” only. This also have been keeping Claudia very busy attending, editing the photos/videos and sharing her experience with her blog readers.

Claudia knows that in any community, online or offline, there will sure to be conflicts, fights, ups and downs. (She’d experienced even worst cases back in her ex-workplace.) But these are also the elements that helped make the community and relationship even closer. It also allows everyone in the community to see and find out more about the people in it.

Claudia started off in a not-so-friendly situation with Ping.sg, but she’s very glad that she’s still participating in the community and is able to contribute a little here and there. She loves taking photos of the pretty, sexy, handsome and friendly people in Ping.sg. Claudia will continue to support Ping and the nice people behind it. (No matter who they are.) She don’t know how long more will she be able to continue supporting the community, but as long as she’s still blogging, still typing, still taking photos, she’ll do her best in anyway she can to support Ping.

Claudia is happy that the 2nd anniversary was a success and she feels that it was more relax and casual this time round. The group was smaller than the first one, but this also allows more interaction between those present. It was more informal and fun. Claudia is happy to meet all the new pingsters and catch up with the long time supporters like herself.

Ping is not just another community that Claudia is engaging in. Ping is a community where she truly enjoys and love being part of. Claudia wishes Ping and Uzyn all the best and may Ping grow and grow and grow!

Group shot of Pingsters and Friends…

(Bigger version)
with some MIA as they had to leave early

Sekling and U-zyn

Wendy and Uray

Mintea and Rinaz

Sheylara

Jean

Miccheng

Shy NTT and Mintea

Yufeng, ironicgamer and Rei

Krisandro the Chao Ah Beng

Nicholas and Hilary

Diana with daughter Shervon

Hendri, Kahwee and Sylvia

Lance and Darren

Sheylara and Jacelyn

Hendri, Kris, Kahwee, Darren and Lance

Daryl (trying to shoot me while I shoot them), Nicholas (trying to steal Sheylara’s food) and Sheylara

Hmm…

Me with sweet and adorable Shervon

Ping on Ping on Ping (understand? Wahahahaha!)

(Bigger version)
Another group shot (blurred thou. Sad!)

Who has the biggest manboobs??

(Bigger version)
Jerrick Lim!!

Here are some of the award recipients…

The 2 sexy and hot bloggers…

Krisandro and Rinaz
Congrats once again!!

For everyone who were at the party, do feel free to use all the photos posted for your blog. I won’t try to sue anyone for using the photos. Wahahaha! These photos are taken by me, a member of Ping.sg community, for you, members of Ping.sg community! :)

For full collection of photos, you can view it here. Some will also be uploaded in Facebook. So tag away!

Rinaz shared her experiences from creating the first Ping.sg community video
The Ping Lipdub Video

We can see how excited she was ya?

The video is very very well done! Everyone loves it! I was rather angry with myself as I couldn’t make it to any of the recordings. Hope we’ll have a second one for Ping’s 3rd Anniversary!

After the video, we gathered the finalist for the Most Pong and Poof Awards

Arzhou, Krisandro, Shervon and Sheylara with Mintea counting the Pongs

Shervon must be wondering what Mintea was doing poking her chest

She’s so adorable isn’t she?

Winners of the Most Pong and Poof Awards…

Shervon and Sheylara

Shervon was awarded the Most Poofed Award

Feeling happy with her Ping Pong Bat

Sponsors sharing more about what they do…

Philip Devlin, Product Marketing Manager from HP

Josh couldn’t make it, so Uzyn received the Thank You gift on behalf of Advertlets

Melvin sharing his role at Waggener Edstrom

Ping Pong bats were also given to our sponsors…

Here’s Uzyn presenting token of appreciation to Melvin

There were two bats that were given out after much effort by Uzyn and his computer.

This is one of the bat…

Uzyn compiling the results in font of group of witnesses

To make the compiling even more transparent, he decided to show it to everyone…

You’ll never see this kind of screen flashed at any other celebrations ok!

Finally after voting by everyone present at the party, Post and Blog of The Year winners were announced!

Congrats to Rinaz for winning the Post of The Year award!

As you can see, she’s very delighted! She sure deserves the award!
(But I’m jealous! I was so close to winning! :P)

Rinaz brought home the Post of The Year ping pong bat, $200 Takashimaya vouchers, dinner for 2 with the guys at Waggener Edstrom (Rinaz bring me bring me? Wahahaha!) and a beautiful hand-engraved wine glass by Markchoon.com.

And the Grand Award was given to Krisandro!! He received Blog of The Year award! So happy for him!

Philip presenting the award to Kris

Kris won himself the Blog of The Year ping pong bat, a beautiful wine glass by Markchoon.com and the sexy HP Mini Notebook (check out the HP Mini in the vodcast by Tech65)!

Kris with his fantastic prizes!
(Envy lah!! Kris I want to play play with your new toy ok? :P)

And here are the winners of the lucky draw for those who voted for the post and blog of the year…

Click to view more photos taken with Nikon D40

Happy 2nd Birthday Ping.sg!!

Pretty cupcakes baked by Caressa

Everyone wanted a piece of the cupcakes…

Trying to get a good shot of the cakes before they’re gone

Some just couldn’t resists having a shot with the cupcakes

Priss, Uray and Wendy

Jacelyn, Sylvia and Rinaz

Finally the food is ready!
Great spread for the hungry Pingsters

Pingsters are friendly and orderly people
See they queue for their food!

Ridz hungry for food

Here are some shots of fellow Pingsters and friends with their food…

Nicholas and Sheylara

Sylvia, Mintea, Jean and Priss

The nice people from Waggener Edstrom

Ruth and Melvin

Wendy and Keith

Like mother like daughter

Shervon and Diana

Cheers to Ping.sg!

Rinaz, Sheylara and Jacelyn

Thirsty NTT tried to pour out the final drip of guava juice

Click to view more photos taken with Nikon D40