Social Media Substitutes a Voice to the Silenced

There have been a lot going on lately in parts of the world where people were hindered from expressing themselves freely. I have identified a trend where social media (especially Facebook and Twitter) have aided a way to “cheat” the system.

I think the Speak 2 Tweet idea by Google, Twitter, and voice-messaging startup SayNow was a very important one. The world needed to know what was going on and the Egyptians needed to be heard.

During the midst of the chaos in Egypt a young man Khaled Said was one of the many who were brutally murdered by the Egyptian police. The victim wasn’t there to tell his story, but Facebook (FB) was; Google’s Executive Manager Cairo Wael Ghonim created a FB group, “We are all Khaled Said” where he brought attention to the way he died and contributed to growing rebellion leading up to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.

Ghonim was kidnapped by the Egyptian police. Fortunately he was rescued and told his story to the world on that same day. Watch the full interview with English subtitles below:

Not only Egypt, but also Bahrain, Libya and Iran turned to social media networks Facebook, Twitter and YouTube video sharing to ignite a revolution.

I think the use of social media tools during crisis’s are essential and sometimes even the only way for voices to be heard and the “real” truth to come out. A big minus point is credibility; any hoodwink could write a post.

Partey at The Park || Response #6

I’m responding to Club or Tourist Attraction? because I recently went to The Park on my birthday. Yes, it was just my first ime there. I had heard a lot about it, just about all my friends had been there already so I wanted to go check it out and try out the food. My birthday was on a Thursday (04/21), so that’s when I went and we were planning to eat, but we were 10 minutes late…the kitchen was closed. I did look at the menu and it certainly looked and smelt good :(.

I do agree with her description, crowd of young professionals, well-dressed and attractive and the music is variable from oldskool to reggae.

I did like that the club had 4 levels, which gives you enough room to move around, switch music, and people lol. If you don’t necessarily want to talk to that person at the bar on level 2, you can simply excuse yourself, go up or down and avoid those awkward run-ins :p.

Overall I enjoyed my night. Looking at the past first there was Dreams, then Love and I guess The Park took over for the 21+’ers.

Other comparable 21+ clubs in DC I would say are Josephine, Lux and smaller ones Bar 7 and Layla.

Some pics at The Park

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Justcruizin’101 || class #12

During this semester I’ve learned that social networks aren’t just about keeping in touch with friends and family and sharing media content. I’ve learned how important it is in business and even politics and how if not used right it could cause a major backfire to your image or a huge positive boost. All in all, you have to be very careful when using social media for your organization.

My favorite part of blogging has been the freedom to pick your own topic and writing style. Although it’s a school assignment, personal side of it takes that a way a little and I’ve also learned by incorporating the readings and other criteria weekly.

When I lived in Europe I would travel a lot and I wrote blog posts while traveling. I was motivated to keep updated every few days, because I had something interesting to write about and my followers were waiting to read new posts. I used a travel community called waarbenjij.nu which means whereareyou.now in Dutch to update on my traveling adventures.
I hadn’t blogged in 1, 5 years (since I moved here) until now. I don’t think I will continue blogging for now, if I do it will probably be when I travel again.

Summer Struck || Response blog #5

Every time I think of the summer I get mini-butterflies of excitement. Reading Sabrina’s Summer on my mind! realy had me having summer on my mind….thinking about the warmth, summer-dresses, beach trips, bikini’s, shades I can go on and on.
Warm weather just naturally goes with the need to be outside and preferably (if you live in a city) some waterfront or rooftop bars.

I’m originally from Amsterdam, where during warm weather I loved taking a stroll along the canals (night or day) with a friend(s) and some chocolate ice cream. Alternatively if you don’t want to walk, of course there is also the boat rides through the canals with a quick overview through the city of Amsterdam. On my 21st birthday I had me and my friends picked up from a restaurant and drove to Haagen-Dazs in a limo, got a couple of Brownie Obsession ice cream sundae’s and just drove through the city. That’s not something you can do every day (unless you’re Diddy), but definitely a nice one-time experience.

My favorite sun-fun day spots in and around DC would have to be the Baltimore National Harbor and the rooftop at the W hotel in DC and Ibiza nightclub. I just like the metropolitan feel at the harbor and I think downtown Baltimore is beautiful. The W is grown and sophisticated and a nice view on DC. The rooftop at Ibiza is very cozy with couches in corners, a bar, music…a great place unwind in the summer.

Happy Hour in Amsterdam || Response blog #4

Reading blog post Got it Made in the Shade…Sippin a Glass of (spiked) Lemonade… about outdoor happy hour spots reminded me of my home town Amsterdam. The city of outdoor happy hour spots or as the Dutch call it “terrasje pakken” which literally means take a terrace. I don’t think there is anything the residents of Amsterdam love more than “terrasje pakken” as soon as the sun shows up.

The center of Amsterdam will be full of residents and tourists enjoying a drink or ice cream at huddles of tables outdoor around restaurants. If you’re ever there, the most popular areas are Rembrandt square, Munt square and Dam Square. All within 10 minutes of Amsterdam Central Station.

What are your favorite jewelry lines? || Response blog #3

I only have one ear pierced, also a long story which starts from when I was a baby (so I was told). Since I only have one pierced ear and I do like to wear earring, I can only wear clips. I ALWAYS lose my clip earrings, because they come of easier than regular ones…which means I have to buy them frequently and at a low price. However, most clips are very old fashioned, grandma style like, huge and round, it’s hard to fine cute longer ones.

Macy’s has some really cuty trendy clips which aren’t too bad price wise, but sucks when you lose it the next day. So I just stick to Claire‘s buy 2 get 3 earrings and they’re cute so it works.

Other than my watch by Guess or New York & Company I don’t wear any jewerly, because I lose them all. I used to collect nose studs from Bijoux-Brigitte in a jewelry box of different colors, shapes, silver, gold, zirconia etc. I stopped collecting when that box dissappeared.

Vacation: how and where? || class# 12

Please vote on the poll before reading the post and re-vote at the end. I would like to see if there will be any differences in percentages. Thanks a bunch!

Every year, especially at the beginning of the year people start thinking about and planning their vacation for the summer. It can be a real hassle (especially for families) to decide how to vacation, where to go and of course the budget! Personally I choose to cruise, because I find it very convenient, great value for my money, a lot of fun and variaty.

I prefer it over a land vacation, because your vacation already starts as soon as you board the ship towards your destinations. With a land vacation you will sit in the plane or bus the whole travel duration and not do much. Also you only get to visit one destination unless you book air fare and hotels for every single place you want to visit. The cruise ship takes you to different ports and you don’t have to pack and unpack every time you get to a new place.

On the other hand some travelers would rather just stay at one place for their entire vacation. Also some travelers feel like they get better deals on air fare – hotel combo deals. However, they may not be adding meals, transportation and entertainment costs. Here is an example of the 2 in a high season month:

7 Days Bahamas Cruise
Itinerary: Baltimore, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas/Freeport, Baltimore
Departure dates: Jun 5, 19 2011
Prices from: $769
(incl. Accommodation, all meals, transportation, entertainment on-board)

Land vacation
Itinerary: BWI – Nassau, Bahamas
Flight to Nassau, Bahamas: $358
6-night hotel stay: $352
(Excl. meals, transportation, activities)

In…san…ity || Response blog #2

This response is to Gold Rushed’s blog post Lady with a Mean Punch. I can relate to her post, because I just recently started doing this work out thing myself. Actually going to the gym though seems impossible for me. I think I postponed a BOSU class for like 3 months lol.

I moved here from Amsterdam about 1,5 years ago and I’ve gained um-teen pounds since, which I think has a lot to do with my lifestyle change. In Holland the majority of people ride bikes or walk and the Dutch are also more health conscious when it comes to food. I think I walked at least 5 miles a day including running to catch the bus or train and I NEVER ate Mcdonalds. I didn’t even really like junk food until I moved here….where I drive to get the mail *embarrassed face*.

So yeah…like Dyanne said I don’t do it so much to “lose weight” either, just to stop gaining it before I get to that point where I have to work out to lose weight. Since going to the gym is an #epicfail for me, I decided to try this work out program called Insanity by Shaun T. When you’re done doing these work out sessions, you won’t be able to talk, hence the title in…san…ity *breathing in between*. This buddy of mine actually started doing it and I saw a difference within the first week, so I’m giving it a try.

“Are You Ready to Dig Deeper?”

Ignorance is Bliss || class #10

My blog post for week 10 is titled Ignorance is Bliss, because we have it pretty good in America and the western world. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, because a lot of us don’t know what’s going on in the rest of the world.

At my job as a client services rep at the Cruise Web I provide service to clients who are booked on a cruise. Well lately there have been a lot of cancellations that I had to action, because of all the terrible things going on in the world. A few countries that are having problems include Mexico, Egypt, Tunisia and Japan. A lot of cruise lines replaced their port of calls due to safety issues and so a lot of our clients who are booked on cruises that were supposed to visit these places cancelled their reservation. A lot of these people then complain about these ports of calls being cancelled, because their vacation is altered.

I definitely do understand that, but it seems a little inconsiderate towards the people living in those places losing their lives and everything they have. Nevertheless it being a safety precaution…I think the awareness level is very low on what is going on in the world. This week I’d like to dedicate my blog post on some of these global issues through the 2 contents I haven’t used before, the following narrative audio and picture video.

Mini Cherry Blossom Obession || Response post #1

As I mentioned in my blog post My Secret Obsession I love Cherry Blossom trees in the Spring. Luckily I’m not the only one who likes to go “cherry blossom watching”. Just today Deborah Kracht from Art Head Studio’s posted a blog titled What do 3,000 cherry blossom trees look like? about her visit to the festival in Washington DC.

My response blog is on Sabrina’s Cherry Blossom Galore.

I’ve never been to the actual cherry blossom festival in Washington DC, I don’t know why but I’d love to. Maybe I’ve never went because it’s so close to where I live and I see the tree’s whenever I drive by. I also have some of my very own in my front and back yard of which I take tons of pictures from. Although I have to say they weren’t as much and pretty as last year…hmm I’m giving it a chance until the end of April. Especially this tiny tree accross the street from my house….it was the most beautiful last year, but now it looks like it’s still winter.

From reading Sabrina’s post it looks like a fun-filled day with friends or perhaps family from out of town. I’ll surely go beyond my yard next year. Of course there always the option of taking a cruise on the Odyssey to admire the trees in DC. Here is a guide blog to help plan a great cruise tour; Cherry Blossom Cruises in Washington, DC by Rachel Cooper.

Enjoy my cherry blossomed slide show. Pics taken in front of my job office, my front yard and down the street from my house.

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