Monday, February 28, 2011
Megumi Hayashibara
Megumi Hayshibara is a true heavyweight of anime. Her resumé is a who's who of various anime series as well as a handful of great songs by her. It almost seems like she's been in everywhere in anime and elsewhere. The (born March 30, 1967)-year old native of Tokyo, Japan just makes you wonder- is there anything in anime or music you HAVEN'T done? This blog post is about anime staple and heavyweight... the one, the only, Megumi Hayashibara.
^ from: www.askactor.com - Megumi Hayashibara basically ruled the '90s (and even the 2000s) in anime and anime music- she was seemingly EVERYWHERE!
Megumi Hayshibara has lent her voice to many songs and media. That even includes her work in the Ranma 1/2 series (which is my all-time favorite anime) among MANY other roles. I have even heard a lot of Megumi's musical work as well. A number of songs compliment some of the many different anime and video game series she's involved in. When away from her many singing and voice acting roles, she's a fully-registered nurse. According to what I read, she was never hired as a nurse for any position. Megumi also used to be a DJ while in nursing school. However, her career didn't last very long as a DJ despite having her own radio show. She's even authored a manga biography called "Megumi-Toons," but the artwork was done by someone else. To all the petite ladies who may be reading this- she's one of yours! Megumi Hayashibara stands all of 5'1"!
[Some of] Megumi's many voice roles (sources: Anime News Network, IMDb, and Wikipedia)
* Ranma Saotome in "Ranma 1/2"(when Ranma is a girl)
* Rei Ayanami of "Neon Genesis Evangelion"
* Momoko Sakurayama of "Patlabor: The TV Series"
* Musashi/Jessie (of Team Rocket) in the "Pokémon series ("Team Rocket's blasting off again!" *ding* ^_^)
* Faye Valentine of Cowboy Bebop (LOVE Cowboy Bebop!)
* Haruka Urashima in "Love Hina"
* Diddy Kong in the Japanese version of "Donkey Kong Country" (I didn't know that)
* Fukumen, Genkai (young) from "YuYu Hakusho"
* Lina Inverse from "Slayers"
* Hello Kitty in "Hello Kitty Ringo no Mori no Fantasy"
* Latias, Gardevoir in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"
Most of her work in voice-overs has landed her with some of the biggest roles in some of the biggest series. This alone is proof that people have (1) given her a chance, (2) become so well-liked that she took on so many roles, and (3) has really established herself as a heavyweight in the industry.
^ "Give me a Reason" (1996, "Slayers Next")
^ "Sakura Saku" (2000, "Love Hina")
^ "Oversoul" (Opening to Shaman King)
Megumi Hayashibara supplements her voice to this lovely remix of "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" from Neon Genesis Evangelion:
I don't watch as much anime as I would like to. However, Cruel Angel Thesis looks very cool from another video I saw when preparing this blog post. Two of my all-time favorite series in sci-fi robotic fighting are Mobile Suit Gundam and Macross Plus.
This is Hayashibara Megumi rocking out live with "Northern Lights" below:
Again- Megumi Hayashibara has seemingly been everywhere. Her music is as popular as many of her voice over roles.
Anywhere. Everywhere. There seemed like nothing Megumi Hayashibara couldn't do. I have so much respect for her and all of her work. You know you want more Megumi! :) Here are some more links to help you to learn more about Megumi Hayashibara. Feel free to help yourself here:
* Megumi House on King Records (official) (Japanese)
* Megumi Hayashibara on Anime News Network
* Megumi Hayashibara on IMDb
* Megumi Hayashibara on My Anime List
* Megumi-Toons: a Manga Biography of Megumi Hayashibara!
* [Unofficial] Megumi Hayashibara Facebook fan page
* Wikipedia Page on Megumi Hayashibara
All things Megumi Hayashibara on Amazon:
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
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--- Megumi Hayashibara ---
This was the best I could find to introduce you to Megumi-san:^ from: www.askactor.com - Megumi Hayashibara basically ruled the '90s (and even the 2000s) in anime and anime music- she was seemingly EVERYWHERE!
Megumi Hayshibara has lent her voice to many songs and media. That even includes her work in the Ranma 1/2 series (which is my all-time favorite anime) among MANY other roles. I have even heard a lot of Megumi's musical work as well. A number of songs compliment some of the many different anime and video game series she's involved in. When away from her many singing and voice acting roles, she's a fully-registered nurse. According to what I read, she was never hired as a nurse for any position. Megumi also used to be a DJ while in nursing school. However, her career didn't last very long as a DJ despite having her own radio show. She's even authored a manga biography called "Megumi-Toons," but the artwork was done by someone else. To all the petite ladies who may be reading this- she's one of yours! Megumi Hayashibara stands all of 5'1"!
Megumi Hayashibara: Voice Overs.
Megumi has taken on many roles. I will name only so many of them because she has taken on so many roles, so here are some of the different roles and characters she has lent voices to:[Some of] Megumi's many voice roles (sources: Anime News Network, IMDb, and Wikipedia)
* Ranma Saotome in "Ranma 1/2"(when Ranma is a girl)
* Rei Ayanami of "Neon Genesis Evangelion"
* Momoko Sakurayama of "Patlabor: The TV Series"
* Musashi/Jessie (of Team Rocket) in the "Pokémon series ("Team Rocket's blasting off again!" *ding* ^_^)
* Faye Valentine of Cowboy Bebop (LOVE Cowboy Bebop!)
* Haruka Urashima in "Love Hina"
* Diddy Kong in the Japanese version of "Donkey Kong Country" (I didn't know that)
* Fukumen, Genkai (young) from "YuYu Hakusho"
* Lina Inverse from "Slayers"
* Hello Kitty in "Hello Kitty Ringo no Mori no Fantasy"
* Latias, Gardevoir in "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"
Most of her work in voice-overs has landed her with some of the biggest roles in some of the biggest series. This alone is proof that people have (1) given her a chance, (2) become so well-liked that she took on so many roles, and (3) has really established herself as a heavyweight in the industry.
Megumi Hayashibara: Music.
When she debuted in music in 1990, she made a single called "Pulse." Her first album was released a year later called "Half and Half." The following YouTube videos demonstrate Megumi Hayashibara and her singing:^ "Give me a Reason" (1996, "Slayers Next")
^ "Sakura Saku" (2000, "Love Hina")
^ "Oversoul" (Opening to Shaman King)
Megumi Hayashibara supplements her voice to this lovely remix of "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" from Neon Genesis Evangelion:
I don't watch as much anime as I would like to. However, Cruel Angel Thesis looks very cool from another video I saw when preparing this blog post. Two of my all-time favorite series in sci-fi robotic fighting are Mobile Suit Gundam and Macross Plus.
This is Hayashibara Megumi rocking out live with "Northern Lights" below:
Again- Megumi Hayashibara has seemingly been everywhere. Her music is as popular as many of her voice over roles.
--- What I Would Tell Megumi Hayashibara (if she read this) ---
Megumi Hayashibara, you have basically defined excellence in music and in your many voiceover roles. All kinds of roles and all kinds of success. You HAVE to be in some sort of Hall of Fame or have some sort of lifetime acheivement award or something for your work. I think even anyone who is even remotely fond of anime has to appreciate your work and all the various roles you've taken throughout your career. You have my full respect for your amazing work throughout your entire career.Would I Want to Meet Megumi Hayashibara (if given the chance)?
Megumi is Japanese media royalty to me, so absolutely!Anywhere. Everywhere. There seemed like nothing Megumi Hayashibara couldn't do. I have so much respect for her and all of her work. You know you want more Megumi! :) Here are some more links to help you to learn more about Megumi Hayashibara. Feel free to help yourself here:
* Megumi House on King Records (official) (Japanese)
* Megumi Hayashibara on Anime News Network
* Megumi Hayashibara on IMDb
* Megumi Hayashibara on My Anime List
* Megumi-Toons: a Manga Biography of Megumi Hayashibara!
* [Unofficial] Megumi Hayashibara Facebook fan page
* Wikipedia Page on Megumi Hayashibara
All things Megumi Hayashibara on Amazon:
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to the all-new John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
GIMP and Paint.NET
Not everyone can afford Photoshop to edit or make pictures. I have two programs I want to introduce to you if you are editing art and want free alternatives to Photoshop- GIMP and Paint.NET. GIMP is a very powerful program with all kinds of functionality. Paint.NET can be thought of as a substantial (and free) upgrade from Microsoft Paint. If considering alternatives for paint programs, try these two programs. I will bring light to both of these programs to all of you here in this blog post.
^ from: karuppuswamy.com - GIMP is a powerful tool for making/editing pictures.
GIMP is an acronym meaning the "GNU Image Manipulation Program." You can create all sorts of amazing effects and touches for almost any kind of application. It is completely open-source, and you can add many things to enhance the GIMP and make all kinds of other effects. Among other things, you can download extra brushes for you to use to make and edit all kinds of lovely images. I am using GIMP right now to edit my blog's header. The majority of work on the header was done with GIMP. Here is a look at what I have done:
^ the header I am working on. Actually, it is just a Beta header for my blog.
As you well know, blue and gold are the official colors of my blog and most of my other online work. So you know I would never alienate my blue and gold colors (unless I wanted to have my alternative red and gold colors). The effect is very simple in making this header. I created a gradient, downloaded one or two brush sets, and used the Create tool to make the golden "John's Blog Space" text.
* I began using a wide-enough header to fill the space properly. I then went ahead and made an appropriate gradient to make the effect of nighttime.
* You may say that it's girly, but I downloaded two sets of sparkly brush sets from Obsidian Dawn. One brush set is a Glitter Brush set of glitter brushes, and another is the Sparklies brush set from Obsidian Dawn. I picked these two because I needed a set of brushes to make the classic display of stars and space. The stars and sparkles GIMP provides only allows you to do so much. So I needed to use a set of brushes to make lovely sparkle effects. Both the Glitter and Sparklies offer a great package for anyone wanting sparkly effects for their art in GIMP.
* Making the "John's Blog Space" logo involves using the Glossy Logo tool. I changed the font to a lovely one in keeping the logo classy. I wanted to find a golden color gradient to use in making the lettering golden. I made the background white for the best effect. Then in editing, I added an alpha channel to the background just to make it easier to make a transparent graphic. I merged down the whole resulting image and saved it as a PNG file.
* When applying the "John's Blog Space" text to my main header, I made sure to add extra sparkles so the graphic would look lovely in addition to the sparkly background. I added some extra glitter or sparklies effects to make the logo stand out a bit more.
All in all, GIMP is a solid tool to use and is quite powerful. Learn more about this program (and download it) by www.gimp.org.
^ from: www.appsheriff.com - Paint.NET Sample screen.
Microsoft Paint takes you only so far. If you want something you can better work with, try Paint.NET. This is a bare essentials paint program that can be upgraded to include many more kinds of images to edit. It is a very solid and reliable program to use. You can even edit in layers (as well as in GIMP). Paint.NET is ONLY available for Windows. Microsoft .NET framework required.
More information: Paint.NET
These are just two programs you can use that are solid in editing images. Don't have Photoshop money? You don't need Photoshop because both GIMP and Paint.NET are two great programs to use. Here are links to where you can download either or both programs, in case you didn't see the links in the two sections:
* GIMP
* Paint.NET
I mentioned getting brushes for GIMP. To get brushes for GIMP, as well as Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro, one site you can visit is free-brushes.com. I want to send special credit to Obsidian Dawn for the brushes they provide for Photoshop and GIMP.
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to the all-new John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)
--- GIMP ---
^ from: karuppuswamy.com - GIMP is a powerful tool for making/editing pictures.
GIMP is an acronym meaning the "GNU Image Manipulation Program." You can create all sorts of amazing effects and touches for almost any kind of application. It is completely open-source, and you can add many things to enhance the GIMP and make all kinds of other effects. Among other things, you can download extra brushes for you to use to make and edit all kinds of lovely images. I am using GIMP right now to edit my blog's header. The majority of work on the header was done with GIMP. Here is a look at what I have done:
^ the header I am working on. Actually, it is just a Beta header for my blog.
As you well know, blue and gold are the official colors of my blog and most of my other online work. So you know I would never alienate my blue and gold colors (unless I wanted to have my alternative red and gold colors). The effect is very simple in making this header. I created a gradient, downloaded one or two brush sets, and used the Create tool to make the golden "John's Blog Space" text.
* I began using a wide-enough header to fill the space properly. I then went ahead and made an appropriate gradient to make the effect of nighttime.
* You may say that it's girly, but I downloaded two sets of sparkly brush sets from Obsidian Dawn. One brush set is a Glitter Brush set of glitter brushes, and another is the Sparklies brush set from Obsidian Dawn. I picked these two because I needed a set of brushes to make the classic display of stars and space. The stars and sparkles GIMP provides only allows you to do so much. So I needed to use a set of brushes to make lovely sparkle effects. Both the Glitter and Sparklies offer a great package for anyone wanting sparkly effects for their art in GIMP.
* Making the "John's Blog Space" logo involves using the Glossy Logo tool. I changed the font to a lovely one in keeping the logo classy. I wanted to find a golden color gradient to use in making the lettering golden. I made the background white for the best effect. Then in editing, I added an alpha channel to the background just to make it easier to make a transparent graphic. I merged down the whole resulting image and saved it as a PNG file.
* When applying the "John's Blog Space" text to my main header, I made sure to add extra sparkles so the graphic would look lovely in addition to the sparkly background. I added some extra glitter or sparklies effects to make the logo stand out a bit more.
All in all, GIMP is a solid tool to use and is quite powerful. Learn more about this program (and download it) by www.gimp.org.
--- Paint.NET ---
^ from: www.appsheriff.com - Paint.NET Sample screen.
Microsoft Paint takes you only so far. If you want something you can better work with, try Paint.NET. This is a bare essentials paint program that can be upgraded to include many more kinds of images to edit. It is a very solid and reliable program to use. You can even edit in layers (as well as in GIMP). Paint.NET is ONLY available for Windows. Microsoft .NET framework required.
More information: Paint.NET
These are just two programs you can use that are solid in editing images. Don't have Photoshop money? You don't need Photoshop because both GIMP and Paint.NET are two great programs to use. Here are links to where you can download either or both programs, in case you didn't see the links in the two sections:
* GIMP
* Paint.NET
I mentioned getting brushes for GIMP. To get brushes for GIMP, as well as Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro, one site you can visit is free-brushes.com. I want to send special credit to Obsidian Dawn for the brushes they provide for Photoshop and GIMP.
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to the all-new John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wedge Footwear
(UPDATED: February 21, 2012)
Wedges can be just as stylish to wear as any shoes with a well-defined heel. Some say that wedges are more comfortable to wear than traditional high heels. Some others think of wedges as fake high heels. Whatever the case, wedges surely offer a sense of style that can be just as fun as any traditional high heels. I only have a problem with wedges that have either a bad-looking wedge base, or wedges that look good... while the rest of the shoes look ugly. There are very few wedges I dislike. In this blog post, you'll get your fair share of wedge love. I'll be talking about wedges in this post.
By all means- wear your wedges proudly and fabulously!
There aren't really wrong ways to wear wedges. If you're a petite (or even a Sweet Petite :D), they add some extra height. Wedges do as good as any average high-heel pair of shoes.
• In "See Through," Michelle wears a lovely pair of Mango wedge sandals to compliment her lovely blouse and sheer skirt. Have a look at these chic wedges by checking out "see through" on glisters and blisters.
• Michelle wears a gorgeous pair of Topshop "Wisteria" wedge sandals to compliment a lovely white top and some high-waist cuffed shorts in "Wisteria 'Ninja' Shoes." Not only is her outfit is lovely, but the "Wisteria" wedges are totally gorgeous. These wedges look like they are wrapped around to form a delightful pair of wedges. See for yourself: "Wisteria 'Ninja' Shoes" on glisters and blisters.
• The previous two wedges are chic sandals. Now, here is a tough pair of wedges worn by the Indonesian beauty. Her fighter boots deliver a stylish knockout with this all-black look in "velvet." Michelle pairs a hot black velvet dress with her tough wedge lace-up booties in "velvet" by glisters and blisters. To see these wedge lace-ups in better detail, have a look at this post: "fighter boots" by glisters and blisters.
Xiomara wears a very cute pair of floral wedge sandals along with a very cute outfit in "Vintage Daydream Believer" on My Own Private Xanadu. She plays with both colors and patterns in "Dots Neither Here Nor There" on My Own Private Xanadu. And finally, Xiomara shows off her colorful side (she's colorful and cool to begin with) with "Bubblegum Hues" on My Own Private Xanadu.
• Allison's latest blog post features her in a pair of cork wedge sandals that I've seen before in blog posts. Check out her cute strappy wedges in "not exactly a light breeze" on Curvy Girl Chic.
• From wedge sandals to wedge booties, Allison shows a little toughness with a leather skirt, a feminine top, and a denim jacket. The wedge booties zip up on the sides and has a strap to secure them. Check out "mixed media" on Curvy Girl Chic.
• This last inspiration is a pair of wedge lace-up sandal boots. This old blog post from June 2010 called "lets fly away" on Curvy Girl Chic has these sandal boots paired with a cute bird print dress.
These are only a few of many different fashion bloggers I follow. To introduce yourself to more fashion bloggers here on Blogspot, please visit Fashion Blog Shoutouts! here in my blog. And I would like to say hello to any bloggers I made mention to in this blog post if they are reading this.
Here are more wedges in pictures.
^ from: www.geekshoes.com - Louis Vuitton Pomegranate wedge sandals.
The wedges above are a by-the-book definition of wedge shoes. Take note of the base of the sandals and the high heel wedge base. This is a pair of wedge sandals I can EASILY see being worn with bootcut/flare jeans or pants as well as girly dresses and skirts. Compliments about your looks are almost guaranteed wearing some sexy wedges like these with a hot outfit. Though these LV wedges are obviously expensive, you can still find a lovely pair of similarly-styled sandals from lesser shoe makers (or some no-name brands) that are equally hot.
^ from: kaboodle.com - wedge skimmer sneakers.
When you want to wear a cute pair of Converse-like sneakers without actually wearing any traditional lace-up sneaker, these skimmer wedges is a nice alternative. These are slip-on skimmer sneakers that are as fun to wear as any ballet flat. Only thing is- you get to express a little heel at the back.
^ from: rockthetrend.com, by way of photobucket.com - Victoria Beckham wore these Dries van Noten wedge sneakers in 2007 before throwing the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game. This is a sporty cute look for a fashion star like Victoria Beckham.
Okay- it probably isn't a good idea to do any intense exercising in a pair of fashion wedge sneakers. However, you can still wear these sneakers under a pair of flared jeans. Maybe the most famous wedge sneakers are the Skechers Shape-Ups.
^ from: www.sawf.org - Non-traditional wedges- take note of the modestly-defined heel.
This is more a pair of what I would call non-traditional wedges. Non-traditional since these are wedges with a somewhat nicely-defined heel. They don't have that flat bottom look like most other wedges. That's why I say these are non-traditional because they don't have the same wedge-like base from the other shoes you've seen.
^ from: www.alternativeoutfitters.com - Wedge boots from CL by Chinese Laundry.
Fancy wedge boots or booties? They can be just as good as any average high-heel boots/booties.
So proudly wear your wedges! If you want to shop for wedges online, I can help you with this Amazon widget below. The search text is automatically set for wedges. You can, however, change up the search text to include wedge sandals, wedge pumps, wedge boots, or whatever wedge shoes interest you. I recommend you keep the searching within wedges just to keep this blog post relevant.
Thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
• Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
• Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
• Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)
Wedges can be just as stylish to wear as any shoes with a well-defined heel. Some say that wedges are more comfortable to wear than traditional high heels. Some others think of wedges as fake high heels. Whatever the case, wedges surely offer a sense of style that can be just as fun as any traditional high heels. I only have a problem with wedges that have either a bad-looking wedge base, or wedges that look good... while the rest of the shoes look ugly. There are very few wedges I dislike. In this blog post, you'll get your fair share of wedge love. I'll be talking about wedges in this post.
--- Wedges at a Glance ---
What makes wedges wearable and lovely is two-fold. Wedges offer a platform base for those who don't usually wear platforms. A good pair of wedges will elevate one's style. A platform base helps to further elevate one's style. Commonly, the most common wedges you see are mostly espadrilles with wedge bases.--- Are Wedges Hot? ---
Many people will argue that wedges just aren't sexy. For many people, a stiletto heel is always hotter than a wedge heel. Some may even call wedges as fake high heels. Maybe some people equate wearing wedge shoes compared to traditional high heels more like riding a bike with training wheels. I personally don't think wedge shoes make as much of a statement as a pair of traditional high heel shoes (especially in the case of pumps and sandals, and maybe boots too). However, if comfort is a factor and don't want to sacrifice style, you can't go wrong with wedges. Some ladies find comfort in wedge shoes and still want to look hot.By all means- wear your wedges proudly and fabulously!
--- What to Wear With Wedges? ---
There are a number of ways to wear wedges and a number of things to wear with wedges. To me, I've always liked the combination of bootcut or flared jeans/pants to be paired with cork wedge sandals or peep-toe wedge pumps. Another combination I've always seemed to like: cropped pants with a pair of platform wedge sandals or shoes. Of course, never rule out pairing your cute mini skirt or mid-length skirt with a pair of wedges. Those in love with the jeans-into-boots look likely won't be disappointed finding a good pair of tall wedge boots to wear over jean legs. Wedges and shorts are also lovely. I just would stay far away from going with long shorts (as in Bermuda/walking shorts) with wedges.There aren't really wrong ways to wear wedges. If you're a petite (or even a Sweet Petite :D), they add some extra height. Wedges do as good as any average high-heel pair of shoes.
--- Wedges Around the Blogger/Blogspot Blogosphere ---
What I need to start doing in my fashion-themed blog posts is make more mention to fashion bloggers. So just like I did in my blog post about the Jeffrey Campbell "Lita" shoes, I will share with you blog posts of other bloggers sporting wedges. I will try to describe each one before you (eventually) click on the blog post in question to see more pictures. I am not posting any pictures because I want to avoid any possible copyright issues. Here are how some other bloggers wear their wedges...Wedge Inspirations: Glisters and Blisters.
Michelle Koesnadi of "glisters and blisters" is a beautiful young fashionista from Indonesia. A sweet face and lovely hair compliments her sense of style. Even sweeter than her face and hair are the many styles she comes along with. I picked a few blog posts of hers where you can see some of the wedges she wears. I found some of the best ones showcasing the wedge shoes she wears in some of her pictures. The wedges range from stylish to tough.• In "See Through," Michelle wears a lovely pair of Mango wedge sandals to compliment her lovely blouse and sheer skirt. Have a look at these chic wedges by checking out "see through" on glisters and blisters.
• Michelle wears a gorgeous pair of Topshop "Wisteria" wedge sandals to compliment a lovely white top and some high-waist cuffed shorts in "Wisteria 'Ninja' Shoes." Not only is her outfit is lovely, but the "Wisteria" wedges are totally gorgeous. These wedges look like they are wrapped around to form a delightful pair of wedges. See for yourself: "Wisteria 'Ninja' Shoes" on glisters and blisters.
• The previous two wedges are chic sandals. Now, here is a tough pair of wedges worn by the Indonesian beauty. Her fighter boots deliver a stylish knockout with this all-black look in "velvet." Michelle pairs a hot black velvet dress with her tough wedge lace-up booties in "velvet" by glisters and blisters. To see these wedge lace-ups in better detail, have a look at this post: "fighter boots" by glisters and blisters.
Wedge Inspirations: Chekka Cuomova.
From one stylish Indonesian to another, Chekka Cuomova paired a very cute dress with a pair of peep-toe platform wedges in one of her latest blog posts. Cute wedges with a lovely dress mean great results. See for yourself in Chekka's "Foggy Notion" blog post.Wedge Inspirations: Glamour Bbey.
Glamour Bbey put an outfit together with a nice pair of wedge booties. The Belgian beauty, Cindy Van Dyck, wore a pair of lace-up booties in her blog post entitled You can look at it her outfit by clicking on "THE OUTFIT: 'The Day before Valentine.'" on Glamour Bbey.Wedge Inspirations: My Own Private Xanadu.
Louisiana's Xiomara is a lady with an interesting sense of style. In keeping with the spirit of wedges, some of her most recent blog posts feature different pairs of wedge sandals. I will feature only three of her most recent posts in this section.Xiomara wears a very cute pair of floral wedge sandals along with a very cute outfit in "Vintage Daydream Believer" on My Own Private Xanadu. She plays with both colors and patterns in "Dots Neither Here Nor There" on My Own Private Xanadu. And finally, Xiomara shows off her colorful side (she's colorful and cool to begin with) with "Bubblegum Hues" on My Own Private Xanadu.
Wedge Inspirations: Curvy Girl Chic.
I discovered Allison of "Curvy Girl Chic" by flipping through the pages of Seventeen Magazine, and I have since followed her lovely blog. I have seen her wear some cute wedges in her pictures. Her sense of style is very lovely. Allison boasts a sweet smile to frame her sweet face and has lovely hair to compliment her sweet looks. Three blog posts of hers featuring wedges will be featured here from Curvy Girl Chic.• Allison's latest blog post features her in a pair of cork wedge sandals that I've seen before in blog posts. Check out her cute strappy wedges in "not exactly a light breeze" on Curvy Girl Chic.
• From wedge sandals to wedge booties, Allison shows a little toughness with a leather skirt, a feminine top, and a denim jacket. The wedge booties zip up on the sides and has a strap to secure them. Check out "mixed media" on Curvy Girl Chic.
• This last inspiration is a pair of wedge lace-up sandal boots. This old blog post from June 2010 called "lets fly away" on Curvy Girl Chic has these sandal boots paired with a cute bird print dress.
Wedge Inspirations: Pearls, Lace, and Ruffles.
D of "Pearls, Lace, and Ruffles" donned a pair of pants along with a pair of wedge booties. This Irish beauty usually sports lovely dresses along with some cute shoes. However, she left behind cute dresses to show some style with pants. The wedge booties in OOTD: I Now Own a Pair of Pants!" on Pearls, Lace, and Ruffles are from Primark.Wedge Inspirations: my bliss is this way.
This is the only real post I can feature with wedges. One other post shows them in better detail, but here is "my bliss is this way" wearing her red Chloe Dr. Marten oxford wedges in "Well, well, well. Look who it is. Got anything written on your freakishly tinier boob? It's only smaller when it's scared." on my bliss is this way.Inspiration: tiny sailor.
Tapping into her inner Blair Waldorf (if you're familiar with Gossip Girl), Niki of "tiny sailor" shows you a beautiful black dress topped off with a pair of wedge oxford pumps in "i miss the high-school days of blair waldorf..." on tiny sailor.Inspiration: Really Petite.
I follow four different petite fashion blogs. Perhaps the most beautiful of the ones I follow is Annie of Really Petite. She had a giveaway where a super-cute pair of peep-toe wedge pumps were offered. The wedges are as beautiful as she is. Take a look at these delightfully beautiful wedges on the delightfully beautiful Annie in "Petite Friendly Shoes and Giveaway!" on Really Petite.Inspiration: .a little princess.
Here are a pair of very cute wedges worn by a very young fashionista. She is a fashionable young girl from Indonesia. She wears a dark pair of dark blue wedges with light blue bird prints and cris-cross straps. A cute T-shirt and denim shorts (but not denim jean shorts) complete the look. Have a look at her adorable wedges in "The Birds Fly on my Shoes" on .a little princess..These are only a few of many different fashion bloggers I follow. To introduce yourself to more fashion bloggers here on Blogspot, please visit Fashion Blog Shoutouts! here in my blog. And I would like to say hello to any bloggers I made mention to in this blog post if they are reading this.
Here are more wedges in pictures.
^ from: www.geekshoes.com - Louis Vuitton Pomegranate wedge sandals.
The wedges above are a by-the-book definition of wedge shoes. Take note of the base of the sandals and the high heel wedge base. This is a pair of wedge sandals I can EASILY see being worn with bootcut/flare jeans or pants as well as girly dresses and skirts. Compliments about your looks are almost guaranteed wearing some sexy wedges like these with a hot outfit. Though these LV wedges are obviously expensive, you can still find a lovely pair of similarly-styled sandals from lesser shoe makers (or some no-name brands) that are equally hot.
^ from: kaboodle.com - wedge skimmer sneakers.
When you want to wear a cute pair of Converse-like sneakers without actually wearing any traditional lace-up sneaker, these skimmer wedges is a nice alternative. These are slip-on skimmer sneakers that are as fun to wear as any ballet flat. Only thing is- you get to express a little heel at the back.
^ from: rockthetrend.com, by way of photobucket.com - Victoria Beckham wore these Dries van Noten wedge sneakers in 2007 before throwing the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game. This is a sporty cute look for a fashion star like Victoria Beckham.
Okay- it probably isn't a good idea to do any intense exercising in a pair of fashion wedge sneakers. However, you can still wear these sneakers under a pair of flared jeans. Maybe the most famous wedge sneakers are the Skechers Shape-Ups.
^ from: www.sawf.org - Non-traditional wedges- take note of the modestly-defined heel.
This is more a pair of what I would call non-traditional wedges. Non-traditional since these are wedges with a somewhat nicely-defined heel. They don't have that flat bottom look like most other wedges. That's why I say these are non-traditional because they don't have the same wedge-like base from the other shoes you've seen.
^ from: www.alternativeoutfitters.com - Wedge boots from CL by Chinese Laundry.
Fancy wedge boots or booties? They can be just as good as any average high-heel boots/booties.
So proudly wear your wedges! If you want to shop for wedges online, I can help you with this Amazon widget below. The search text is automatically set for wedges. You can, however, change up the search text to include wedge sandals, wedge pumps, wedge boots, or whatever wedge shoes interest you. I recommend you keep the searching within wedges just to keep this blog post relevant.
Thank you for reading!
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Lime Rock Park
Called the "Road Racing Center of the East," Lime Rock Park is more like a park with a race track built around it. That adds to the unique character of this beautiful race track. The scenic views of this Lakeview, Connecticut, USA race track are stunning. The track comes in at 1.53 miles in length and is a a seven-turn race track. Tack on one or two hundredths to the 1.53-mile length for one or both additional chicanes. This track's length and number of turns may not sound very interesting to most people, but this track is ANYTHING but boring. This track will test you whether you are in a low-powered formula car or a prototype in ALMS or Grand-Am. The track has been in existence since 1957. This blog post is about one of the most beautiful short courses in the world.
^ from: forums.bimmerworld.com, by way of photobucket.com - Minuscule in length but big on action, Lime Rock Park is a 1.5-mile thrill ride in a beautiful American northeast setting.
The unique aspect of this track is just how much this track has a park atmosphere. That's why I said earlier that this course is like a park with a race track built around it. There are no grandstands. I would probably get caught up enjoying the sights too much around Lime Rock Park. Problem is... when you take in the sights too long, you might run the risk of having your car become part of the scenery after crashing! The view going into Turn 1 is spectacular with the big hill and all the trees on that hill. To me, Lime Rock Park is as beautiful on the East Coast as Portland International Raceway is on the West Coast. And if you're looking to better your racing skills, four words will tell you that you WILL become a better racer: Skip Barber Racing School. Skip Barber, in fact, owns Lime Rock Park.
There are only two concern parts of Lime Rock Park to me. The first is the tricky No Name Straight. It has a right-hand bend and a bit of undulation. The BIGGER issue, however, is when you head to the Uphill (Turn 5). If Lime Rock Park is run with the chicane, it can be almost extremely easy to overshoot the chicane because it's so blind heading uphill. This is a short course that is NOT short on action. In fact, this course is even raced on by the NASCAR Camping World East Series. I think I even remember the (then) NASCAR Busch Series racing this course once.
Visit www.limerock.com to learn more about this course. You may also contribute to this track on Trackpedia by checking out Lime Rock Park on Trackpedia. Thank you for reading!
--- Lime Rock Park ---
Here is a look at Lime Rock Park:^ from: forums.bimmerworld.com, by way of photobucket.com - Minuscule in length but big on action, Lime Rock Park is a 1.5-mile thrill ride in a beautiful American northeast setting.
The unique aspect of this track is just how much this track has a park atmosphere. That's why I said earlier that this course is like a park with a race track built around it. There are no grandstands. I would probably get caught up enjoying the sights too much around Lime Rock Park. Problem is... when you take in the sights too long, you might run the risk of having your car become part of the scenery after crashing! The view going into Turn 1 is spectacular with the big hill and all the trees on that hill. To me, Lime Rock Park is as beautiful on the East Coast as Portland International Raceway is on the West Coast. And if you're looking to better your racing skills, four words will tell you that you WILL become a better racer: Skip Barber Racing School. Skip Barber, in fact, owns Lime Rock Park.
There are only two concern parts of Lime Rock Park to me. The first is the tricky No Name Straight. It has a right-hand bend and a bit of undulation. The BIGGER issue, however, is when you head to the Uphill (Turn 5). If Lime Rock Park is run with the chicane, it can be almost extremely easy to overshoot the chicane because it's so blind heading uphill. This is a short course that is NOT short on action. In fact, this course is even raced on by the NASCAR Camping World East Series. I think I even remember the (then) NASCAR Busch Series racing this course once.
Lap Times.
The lap record around this track is 43.112 seconds. It was set by P.J. Jones in a GTP race car in 1993. Here are some more lap times around Lime Rock Park to give you an idea of lap times around this course:| Lime Rock Park Lap Times (source: Trackpedia) | |
|---|---|
| Car/Machine | Lap Time Recorded |
| Porsche 911 GT3 RSR | 53.478 |
| Chevrolet Corvette C6.R | 50.170 |
| Formula Atlantic | 47.1 |
| Audi R8 (LMP Race Car) | 46.753 |
Video Lap.
You want a video around Lime Rock Park? Here is some video insight by one of my personal favorite race car drivers, Mr. Bill Auberlen:Visit www.limerock.com to learn more about this course. You may also contribute to this track on Trackpedia by checking out Lime Rock Park on Trackpedia. Thank you for reading!
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Late Bloomer
If there's one thing about me, I've always seemed to be a late bloomer. I fear if and when I get my PlayStation 3 (and hopefully get Gran Turismo 5), I will have been late to a party that has already played its course. It's like I develop into things a bit too late sometimes. Sometimes too late to where I completely blew my chance. The most common late blooming happens with getting certain games. Like at stores, I have always wanted to get RACE 07. Trouble is, I didn't have the PC specifications. Since upgrading my PC's RAM, I have not gotten a single game to take advantage of the RAM upgrade (no new PC games bought since August 2010). This game used to be on the racks at certain stores until it's basically been on for too long. There have even been games that I've wanted to play for my PC and even my PS2. They were there when they were fairly new. Now that things have evolved, these games and such are now gone. If I had the hardware and the money earlier, I wouldn't have this problem. But, that's just a sign of the times. No matter what the issue is- school, life, love, finding a job, buying a house, being a parent, winning a sports game... there is at least something we feel like we tend to wait too long for or don't want to get into. But when we do decide, "okay, I want that," you may have gotten something too late to where you blew an opportunity long ago when you had the opportunity right in front of you. Are you too much a late bloomer that you miss out on an opportunity too quickly or too frequently? This blog post is all about being a late bloomer... like myself, unfortunately.
Here is an example for you in being a late bloomer...
I was pretty happy on Hi5 and Friendster back in 2004 or so because I didn't want to get involved with the Myspace drama I kept hearing in the news back then. Then, I eventually joined Myspace leaving behind both Hi5 and Friendster. And back then, I was not very enthused being on Facebook. It seemed too boring and didn't allow me to express myself as I could on Myspace. I've been on Myspace since July 2005, and I am still on Myspace to this day even if Myspace has been overtaken and have had circles run around it by Facebook in recent times. I still consider Myspace home though I'm having better days on Facebook.
A lot of things I've eventually gotten seemed like things I've waited too long for. And sometimes when I eventually do catch up to something, it's gone. So what am I to do? Do I get something now to avoid fears of it being gone? Or do I hold off on something until later while also hoping it will be there the next time it crosses my mind? This is just one of those quick reaction deals. You live only once, and your chance to get something may not come around again EVER. So you're really going to have to be vigilant and responsive in times like these.
To any social networking friends of mine- yes. I still don't have a PlayStation 3 and Gran Turismo 5. So your chance to race me or whatever is going to have to wait until I finally join the party (so to speak). I am, of course, working on all of this. Speaking of social networking... look at Myspace now compared to Facebook. Who got the better of this deal today? I actually had a blog post lined up sharing my thoughts on today's Myspace. Maybe I'll post in the future? Subscribe to my blog and find out if and when I do post a blog entry on this!
Do you all sometimes feel like late bloomers to a lot of things? How do you handle being a late bloomer? Comment away and thank you for reading!
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Here is an example for you in being a late bloomer...
I was pretty happy on Hi5 and Friendster back in 2004 or so because I didn't want to get involved with the Myspace drama I kept hearing in the news back then. Then, I eventually joined Myspace leaving behind both Hi5 and Friendster. And back then, I was not very enthused being on Facebook. It seemed too boring and didn't allow me to express myself as I could on Myspace. I've been on Myspace since July 2005, and I am still on Myspace to this day even if Myspace has been overtaken and have had circles run around it by Facebook in recent times. I still consider Myspace home though I'm having better days on Facebook.
A lot of things I've eventually gotten seemed like things I've waited too long for. And sometimes when I eventually do catch up to something, it's gone. So what am I to do? Do I get something now to avoid fears of it being gone? Or do I hold off on something until later while also hoping it will be there the next time it crosses my mind? This is just one of those quick reaction deals. You live only once, and your chance to get something may not come around again EVER. So you're really going to have to be vigilant and responsive in times like these.
To any social networking friends of mine- yes. I still don't have a PlayStation 3 and Gran Turismo 5. So your chance to race me or whatever is going to have to wait until I finally join the party (so to speak). I am, of course, working on all of this. Speaking of social networking... look at Myspace now compared to Facebook. Who got the better of this deal today? I actually had a blog post lined up sharing my thoughts on today's Myspace. Maybe I'll post in the future? Subscribe to my blog and find out if and when I do post a blog entry on this!
Do you all sometimes feel like late bloomers to a lot of things? How do you handle being a late bloomer? Comment away and thank you for reading!
Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
African Beauties
(UPDATED: April 9, 2012)
Lovely ladies of Africa and of African descent are on the menu for this blog post. This blog post features only a fraction of some of Africa's loveliest of ladies. For some reason, I have somewhat recently become fascinated with Africa. Having an international audience is something I always try to establish and maintain. I do [regularly] get blog hits from various African nations such as South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algiers, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and even Mauritius. One way I can try to get more support is to post blog entries that I think my African readers can appreciate. And so, I figured I'd extend my "Beauties" label to include some lovely ladies from Africa and/or of African descent. This is kind of like a blog post to show appreciation for my blog readers/subscribers in and from Africa.
The main point of this blog post is to make mmention to some of Africa's beautiful women as well as to enhance the scope of my international audience. The hope of this blog post is to perhaps get more worldwide blog hits by focusing on some of Africa's loveliest ladies. This blog post features either ladies of African descent or have some part descent of Africa. The main criteria for the most part involves African-born ladies.
To help express African beauties, I will divide my blog post into five regions: Northern Africa, Western Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. Each section will feature at least three ladies from each sector of Africa. I will try to introduce you to each beauty as best as I can. I would like to salute and welcome all of the various represented African nations that I make mention to in this blog post as well as every African nation who finds and reads this blog post.
More may be featured in future edits. Here is the order for which I will feature each region of Africa:
Order of Featured Locations:
1.) Western Africa
2.) Eastern Africa
3.) Central Africa
4.) Northern Africa
5.) Southern Africa
I will try to find other pictures if I can not use any of the ones I was able to find. Having said this, let's begin!
The first region for lovely ladies I want to focus on is Western Africa.
^ from: blackanese.net - Oluchi Onweagba of Nigeria.
Nigerian beauty Oluchi Onweagba is a (born August 1, 1980)-year old from the Nigerian capital of Lagos. She has appeared as a model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition magazine as well as being a Victoria's Secret model. Oluchi has an exceptional body. Oluchi is NO petite- she is two inches taller than me as she stands 6'2".
^ from: tinypic.com - Nina Keita.
Nina Keita is a lady from the Ivory Coast (or Côte d'Ivoire). The 5'8" model from Abidjan, Ivory Coast has pictures range from fashionable to cute. She is a lovely model with a sweet face. Nina also has a cute voice and a cute accent. Here is how most people know of the Ivorian beauty... this is a short video called "Pattern Play" for Old Navy:
^ from: ghanaweb.com - Pearl Amoah of Ghana.
Not only is Pearl Amoah a beautiful native of Ghana, she is also someone who is influential in establishing Fashion Week in Accra as well as a humanitarian supporting her native people. So someone like Pearl is beautiful both in looks and in heart.
^ from: www.voiceofnanafosu.com - Miss Ghana 2010, Awurama Simpson.
Representing Ghana in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant, young Awurama Simpson is a beautiful lady from Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. The Ghanian beauty is an ambassador to her country as she supported her native land's fishers.
^ from: www.theliberiandialogue.org - Telena Cassell is a young beauty from the western Africa nation of Liberia.
Telena Cassell is a lovely Liberian lady who has wonderful heart and loads of experience modeling internationally. Here is a video featuring Telena Cassell:
From Western Africa, the focus shifts to Eastern Africa. These are ladies either from East African nations or of East African descent. East Africa is often seen as the birthplace of humanity with some of the first noted human fossils being spotted in this part of Africa many years before common era. This part of Africa is also the origins of why Africa is called the Motherland.
^ from: fashionjunkii.onsugar.com (best I could find; this or nothing) - Deliah is a fashion model from Kenya.
Deliah is a lovely lady from Kenya. She used to be a model for Dasani water. She was featured as a Rising Star from fashionjunkii. The young model is a Kenyan model based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
^ from: www.diamondempowerment.org - Tanzanian model Flaviana Matata.
Flaviana is a beautiful lady from Tanzania. The (born in 1987)-year old was the first to win Miss Universe Tanzania with the inaugural pageant in 2007. She would go on to finish 5th in Miss Universe 2007. Flaviana has long been aligned with Russell Simmons since last year for modeling opportunities here in the United States. After seeing pictures of her, the 5'9" model is a really beautiful lady. Flaviana was the first Miss Universe contestant from Tanzania to compete with a shaved head.
^ from: ethiopiaforums.com - From Ethiopia, meet Meseret Mebrate.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of one Meseret Mebrate. She is an up-and-coming actress who is very glamourous and beautiful. Her hair and smile are both sweet and lovely. Meseret also has a lovely sense of style. The link takes you to Meseret's Facebook fan page.
^ from: egoimagekenya.com (best I could find) - Aysha is a beautiful young Ugandan model.
With a deliciously sweet body, Aysha Salma Nassanga Cisse is a lovely model from Uganda. She was once Miss Uganda and has played a big role working with the World Food Programme. Uganda is often called the Pearl of Africa for its natural resources. Uganda may be the Pearl of Africa, but Salma is definitely one beautiful pearl from the Pearl of Africa.
That only consists of two of the five regions. Want to see more African beauties? Make sure you're reading the full blog post if you are not reading the full post. If you are not reading the full post, click "Read More" to see the rest of this blog post. A very famous actress and a Victoria's Secret model will be featured later in this blog post. Which two ladies am I referring to? Read the full post to find out! Or if you are reading the full post, please keep reading! :)
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This section relates to lovely African ladies from Central Africa. I have found some ladies from some of the featured countries in this section. Remember- click on any hypertext headings to visit either their official websites or some sort of fan site (if offered). My goal is to showcase these ladies to you for you to check out.
Stiviandra would be succeeded as Miss Angola by the next beauty...
For this section, I turn my attention over to lovely ladies from Northern Africa. Here are some to fit the bill for North African beauties...
^ from: photobucket.com - Super-cute Yara Naoum from Cairo, Egypt.
Yara Naoum is a glamourous Egyptian model and actress. In addition to modeling and acting, the (born in 1987)-year old is also an interior designer. The native of Cairo, Egypt represented Miss Egypt in the 2008 Miss Universe pageant. Yara Naoum won Pantene Miss Egypt in 2008 and was a finalist of Miss Earth 2008. She is VERY cute!
^ from: portfoliopad.com - Algerian fashion model Amina Kaddur.
Born on May 16, 1988; Amina Kaddur is a beautiful young fashion model from Algeria. She represents Elite Model Management, a Paris-based modeling agency.
^ from: roc4life.com - Angelique Deng is a model of Sudanese descent.
(born December 7, 1989)-year old Angelique "Ajak" Deng is a Sudanese fashion model. She is a fashion model who stands 6'0" (which is my height). Get to meet Angelique "Ajak" Deng by seeing this video:
This concludes the Northern African ladies. The final section is coming up!
The final section pertains to beautiful ladies from Southern Africa. Now please note... Southern Africa and South Africa are two different places.
Since I know South Africa best, I'll start with some South African ladies. I'll start with a VERY famous one whom you might have heard of before...
^ from: www.sfportal.hu - the beautiful actress Charlize Theron, proudly putting South Africa on the map.
Charlize Theron surely fits the bill as an African beauty. Charlize was born in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa. She was the first African to win an Academy Award in any major acting category. She stands 5'10" in height- only an inch shorter than Taylor Swift and Wendy Williams, who are both 5'11".
(ADDED: October 19, 2011) Want to know how to properly pronounce "Charlize Theron?" If so, and if you want to hear her speak in Afrikaans, check out this video:
Now you know! :)
^ from: www.porhomme.com - Get a taste of this delicious South African candy girl- it's Victoria's Secret Angel (though she claims to be no angel) Candice Swanepoel.
Candy-sweet Candice Swanepoel is a South African beauty who is best known as a Victoria's Secret model. The (born October 20, 1988)-year old was born in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Candice Swanepoel is absolutely gorgeous! She has golden hair and blue eyes like sapphires. Even her body has some candy-sweet curves! She even has a lovely speaking voice. I read on Wikipedia that Candice speaks Portuguese fluently. This is candy you can't eat, but she's definitely a candy-sweet African beauty.
Want more Candice? Check out Candice Swanepoel's YouTube Channel or even Become a Fan/Like Candice Swanepoel's Facebook Fan Page.
Whoever said too much candy (or Candice) is bad for you? ;) Candice Swanepoel introduces herself to you in this video, as well as how to pronounce "Swanepoel":
^ from: studio83.co.za - South African beauty Bonang Matheba.
The delicious Bonang Matheba hails from South Africa, and she brings loads of talent as an entertainment powerhouse. You can visit the young lady's website to see what all she specializes in. She has been a model, been in television, been in radio, has been an emcee for live events, and even has been in the fashion realm. There is seemingly no realm she can not enter and excel at.
^ from: www.tvsa.co.za - Hlelo (left) and Ntando (right) Masina- twin South African sisters.
This one highlights on twin sisters Hlelo and Ntando Masina. These South African twins are DJs as well as promoters for the show "Young, Gifted, and African." Hlelo is the older sister (by one minute!) as well as the bigger sister.
^ from: mobilearea.mobi - Botswanan beauty Tirelo Ramasedi.
Botsanwa was represented in Miss Universe 2010 by young Tirelo Ramasedi. This Botswana beauty has a lovely body and seems quite well-natured.
^ from: st-listas.20minutos.es - The Republic of Namibia presents their beautiful Nambian princess, Anna Svetlana Nashandi.
Nambian beauty Anna Svetlana Nashandi won Miss Namibia in 2006 and was in the Top 17 of Miss World 2006.
Unfortunately, Tiffany Simelane is no longer with us. She committed suicide a year ago or so. Tiffany is still a beautiful lady. It's just sad she took her own life.
More ladies may be featured in future edits.
That concludes this blog post! Want to see some more African beauties? Here are some other sites you can visit (more will/could be added in future edits):
• FHM Africa hot women from South Africa from FHM Africa (WARNING: may not be safe for work!)
• Kenyan Models (includes some male models)
• Uganda Models on ugandaonline.net
Thank you for reading!
Lovely ladies of Africa and of African descent are on the menu for this blog post. This blog post features only a fraction of some of Africa's loveliest of ladies. For some reason, I have somewhat recently become fascinated with Africa. Having an international audience is something I always try to establish and maintain. I do [regularly] get blog hits from various African nations such as South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algiers, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and even Mauritius. One way I can try to get more support is to post blog entries that I think my African readers can appreciate. And so, I figured I'd extend my "Beauties" label to include some lovely ladies from Africa and/or of African descent. This is kind of like a blog post to show appreciation for my blog readers/subscribers in and from Africa.
LATEST UPDATE(S):
APR 9 2012 - added two blogs (hints: check Western African and Southern African beauties)--- African Beauties at a Glance ---
Hailing from Houston, we are a diverse people with many people of many cultures. I have known many people from Nigeria and/or of Nigerian descent. I have become quite a bit indulged in African culture.The main point of this blog post is to make mmention to some of Africa's beautiful women as well as to enhance the scope of my international audience. The hope of this blog post is to perhaps get more worldwide blog hits by focusing on some of Africa's loveliest ladies. This blog post features either ladies of African descent or have some part descent of Africa. The main criteria for the most part involves African-born ladies.
To help express African beauties, I will divide my blog post into five regions: Northern Africa, Western Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. Each section will feature at least three ladies from each sector of Africa. I will try to introduce you to each beauty as best as I can. I would like to salute and welcome all of the various represented African nations that I make mention to in this blog post as well as every African nation who finds and reads this blog post.
How This Blog Post Works.
If you see hypertext headings for any of the ladies mentioned in this blog post, it means they have a website or something that you can visit to learn more about each featured lady. The different regions are established by the individual regions of Africa. I have included the countries to each region of Africa just to categorize the five different regions I will try to showcase in this blog post. The models featured are not be featured in any specific order. The ones you see here are some of the many lovely ladies of and from Africa or of African descent. These may be full-blooded African ladies, or some part-African ladies. I won't feature everyone from every country, but I will do my best to include as many as possible.More may be featured in future edits. Here is the order for which I will feature each region of Africa:
Order of Featured Locations:
1.) Western Africa
2.) Eastern Africa
3.) Central Africa
4.) Northern Africa
5.) Southern Africa
I will try to find other pictures if I can not use any of the ones I was able to find. Having said this, let's begin!
--- African Beauties: Western Africa ---
THIS REGION: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.The first region for lovely ladies I want to focus on is Western Africa.
Oluchi Onweagba.
^ from: blackanese.net - Oluchi Onweagba of Nigeria.
Nigerian beauty Oluchi Onweagba is a (born August 1, 1980)-year old from the Nigerian capital of Lagos. She has appeared as a model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition magazine as well as being a Victoria's Secret model. Oluchi has an exceptional body. Oluchi is NO petite- she is two inches taller than me as she stands 6'2".
SAZI'S TOP SECRET.
(ADDED: April 9, 2012) Sazi is a Nigerian blogger based in South Africa. Her unique sense of style is exhibited in her many blog posts. Her styles range from casual to chic. All outfits of hers are complimented by her warm and inviting smile and lovely hair. Have a visit to SAZI'S TOP SECRET to gauge her style.Nina Keita.
^ from: tinypic.com - Nina Keita.
Nina Keita is a lady from the Ivory Coast (or Côte d'Ivoire). The 5'8" model from Abidjan, Ivory Coast has pictures range from fashionable to cute. She is a lovely model with a sweet face. Nina also has a cute voice and a cute accent. Here is how most people know of the Ivorian beauty... this is a short video called "Pattern Play" for Old Navy:
Pearl Amoah.
^ from: ghanaweb.com - Pearl Amoah of Ghana.
Not only is Pearl Amoah a beautiful native of Ghana, she is also someone who is influential in establishing Fashion Week in Accra as well as a humanitarian supporting her native people. So someone like Pearl is beautiful both in looks and in heart.
Awurama Simpson.
^ from: www.voiceofnanafosu.com - Miss Ghana 2010, Awurama Simpson.
Representing Ghana in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant, young Awurama Simpson is a beautiful lady from Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. The Ghanian beauty is an ambassador to her country as she supported her native land's fishers.
Telena Cassell.
^ from: www.theliberiandialogue.org - Telena Cassell is a young beauty from the western Africa nation of Liberia.
Telena Cassell is a lovely Liberian lady who has wonderful heart and loads of experience modeling internationally. Here is a video featuring Telena Cassell:
Mulika (or Milly) (Honorable Mention!).
Mulika of the blog "My Capacious Bottega" is a Nigerian lady whom I follow here on Blogger/Blogspot. I've made mention to her in a few blog posts of mine. Remember that this blog post is about lovely African ladies, and Milly is certainly lovely in looks and in her many fabulous blog posts.--- African Beauties: Eastern Africa ---
THIS REGION: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.From Western Africa, the focus shifts to Eastern Africa. These are ladies either from East African nations or of East African descent. East Africa is often seen as the birthplace of humanity with some of the first noted human fossils being spotted in this part of Africa many years before common era. This part of Africa is also the origins of why Africa is called the Motherland.
Deliah.
^ from: fashionjunkii.onsugar.com (best I could find; this or nothing) - Deliah is a fashion model from Kenya.
Deliah is a lovely lady from Kenya. She used to be a model for Dasani water. She was featured as a Rising Star from fashionjunkii. The young model is a Kenyan model based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Flaviana Matata.
^ from: www.diamondempowerment.org - Tanzanian model Flaviana Matata.
Flaviana is a beautiful lady from Tanzania. The (born in 1987)-year old was the first to win Miss Universe Tanzania with the inaugural pageant in 2007. She would go on to finish 5th in Miss Universe 2007. Flaviana has long been aligned with Russell Simmons since last year for modeling opportunities here in the United States. After seeing pictures of her, the 5'9" model is a really beautiful lady. Flaviana was the first Miss Universe contestant from Tanzania to compete with a shaved head.
Alice Musukwa.
Alice Musukwa competed in Miss Universe representing her native nation of Zambia. Infamously, she called out Miss Haiti from the 2010 Miss Universe pageant in an interview, calling her fake. Have a look at this video:Meseret Mebrate.
^ from: ethiopiaforums.com - From Ethiopia, meet Meseret Mebrate.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of one Meseret Mebrate. She is an up-and-coming actress who is very glamourous and beautiful. Her hair and smile are both sweet and lovely. Meseret also has a lovely sense of style. The link takes you to Meseret's Facebook fan page.
Sera Lubowa.
Sera Lubowa is a model from Uganda who is beautiful both outside and within. She has helped to raise awareness for various charities. Sera also is a singer. You can see more of the Ugandan diva by checking out Sera's Model Mayhem page.Aysha Salma Nassanga Cisse.
^ from: egoimagekenya.com (best I could find) - Aysha is a beautiful young Ugandan model.
With a deliciously sweet body, Aysha Salma Nassanga Cisse is a lovely model from Uganda. She was once Miss Uganda and has played a big role working with the World Food Programme. Uganda is often called the Pearl of Africa for its natural resources. Uganda may be the Pearl of Africa, but Salma is definitely one beautiful pearl from the Pearl of Africa.
enLaPink.
(ADDED: April 9, 2012) This young blogger was born in Uganda and has been in the United States since childhood. This is a very cute girl with a nice fashion blog. You are invited to visit "enLaPink" if you like fashion.Anieszka (Honorable Mention!).
Anieszka is a beautiful young singer of Mauritian descent born in Papua New Guinea and based in Australia. Mauritius is an Indian Ocean island nation 560 miles east of Madagascar. Anieszka has a beautiful singing voice and really can be the next big star in music. All you have to do is listen to her sing and become attached to each note and verse of her singing to be convinced. This was her cover song of Justin Bieber's "Baby" below:That only consists of two of the five regions. Want to see more African beauties? Make sure you're reading the full blog post if you are not reading the full post. If you are not reading the full post, click "Read More" to see the rest of this blog post. A very famous actress and a Victoria's Secret model will be featured later in this blog post. Which two ladies am I referring to? Read the full post to find out! Or if you are reading the full post, please keep reading! :)
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--- African Beauties: Central Africa ---
THIS REGION: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe.This section relates to lovely African ladies from Central Africa. I have found some ladies from some of the featured countries in this section. Remember- click on any hypertext headings to visit either their official websites or some sort of fan site (if offered). My goal is to showcase these ladies to you for you to check out.
Diana Tambe Blackpearl.
Diana Tambe, better known as "Diana Tambe Blackpearl," is a Netherlands-based model originally born in Cameroon. The link takes you to the Cameroonian beauty's Model Mayhem page.Stiviandra Oliveira.
The honor of "Miss Angola" was won by Stiviandra Oliveira in 2006. The sweet-faced Angolan beauty was born in 1989 and also won Miss World Africa in 2006. She briefly introduces herself to you all in this 2006 video (when she was 18):Stiviandra would be succeeded as Miss Angola by the next beauty...
Micaela Reis.
Though born in Portugal, Angolan-Portugese model Micaela Reis was Miss Angola in the 2007 Miss Universe pageant. The (born 1988)-year old was the offspring of her Angolan mother and her Portuguese father. As I've learned about Angola, Angola was under Portuguese rule for a long time until gaining its independence from Portugal on November 11, 1975. Micaela Reis is a beautiful young model who is immensely lovely and has a pretty nice voice and accent. She won the Miss Angola pageant in 2007. Visit her Facebook fan page by clicking on this section's heading. Or, you can visit Micaela Reis' YouTube channel.Joëlle Kayembe.
Joëlle Kayembe is a Congolese model from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With the turmoil in her native land, she had moved to South Africa initially as a vacation. That was a greatly extended vacation for her and her family. Joëlle would become a bit famous in the United States as a model. The 5'10" model was in the music video to "Pimpin' All Over the World" by Ludacris as well as being a suitcase model for "Deal or No Deal." She is a goddess with immense beauty. Her Facebook fan page is where the link provided in the hypertext heading leads to.--- African Beauties: Northern Africa ---
(THIS REGION: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia)For this section, I turn my attention over to lovely ladies from Northern Africa. Here are some to fit the bill for North African beauties...
Yara Naoum (Facebook fan page).
^ from: photobucket.com - Super-cute Yara Naoum from Cairo, Egypt.
Yara Naoum is a glamourous Egyptian model and actress. In addition to modeling and acting, the (born in 1987)-year old is also an interior designer. The native of Cairo, Egypt represented Miss Egypt in the 2008 Miss Universe pageant. Yara Naoum won Pantene Miss Egypt in 2008 and was a finalist of Miss Earth 2008. She is VERY cute!
Amina Kaddur.
^ from: portfoliopad.com - Algerian fashion model Amina Kaddur.
Born on May 16, 1988; Amina Kaddur is a beautiful young fashion model from Algeria. She represents Elite Model Management, a Paris-based modeling agency.
Angelique "Ajak" Deng.
^ from: roc4life.com - Angelique Deng is a model of Sudanese descent.
(born December 7, 1989)-year old Angelique "Ajak" Deng is a Sudanese fashion model. She is a fashion model who stands 6'0" (which is my height). Get to meet Angelique "Ajak" Deng by seeing this video:
This concludes the Northern African ladies. The final section is coming up!
--- African Beauties: Southern Africa ---
THIS REGION: Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland.The final section pertains to beautiful ladies from Southern Africa. Now please note... Southern Africa and South Africa are two different places.
Since I know South Africa best, I'll start with some South African ladies. I'll start with a VERY famous one whom you might have heard of before...
Charlize Theron.
^ from: www.sfportal.hu - the beautiful actress Charlize Theron, proudly putting South Africa on the map.
Charlize Theron surely fits the bill as an African beauty. Charlize was born in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa. She was the first African to win an Academy Award in any major acting category. She stands 5'10" in height- only an inch shorter than Taylor Swift and Wendy Williams, who are both 5'11".
(ADDED: October 19, 2011) Want to know how to properly pronounce "Charlize Theron?" If so, and if you want to hear her speak in Afrikaans, check out this video:
Now you know! :)
Candice Swanepoel.
^ from: www.porhomme.com - Get a taste of this delicious South African candy girl- it's Victoria's Secret Angel (though she claims to be no angel) Candice Swanepoel.
Candy-sweet Candice Swanepoel is a South African beauty who is best known as a Victoria's Secret model. The (born October 20, 1988)-year old was born in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Candice Swanepoel is absolutely gorgeous! She has golden hair and blue eyes like sapphires. Even her body has some candy-sweet curves! She even has a lovely speaking voice. I read on Wikipedia that Candice speaks Portuguese fluently. This is candy you can't eat, but she's definitely a candy-sweet African beauty.
Want more Candice? Check out Candice Swanepoel's YouTube Channel or even Become a Fan/Like Candice Swanepoel's Facebook Fan Page.
Whoever said too much candy (or Candice) is bad for you? ;) Candice Swanepoel introduces herself to you in this video, as well as how to pronounce "Swanepoel":
Bonang Matheba.
^ from: studio83.co.za - South African beauty Bonang Matheba.
The delicious Bonang Matheba hails from South Africa, and she brings loads of talent as an entertainment powerhouse. You can visit the young lady's website to see what all she specializes in. She has been a model, been in television, been in radio, has been an emcee for live events, and even has been in the fashion realm. There is seemingly no realm she can not enter and excel at.
Hlelo Masina and Ntando Masina.
^ from: www.tvsa.co.za - Hlelo (left) and Ntando (right) Masina- twin South African sisters.
This one highlights on twin sisters Hlelo and Ntando Masina. These South African twins are DJs as well as promoters for the show "Young, Gifted, and African." Hlelo is the older sister (by one minute!) as well as the bigger sister.
Lucky Packet.
(ADDED: November 16, 2011) Here is a very cute South African fashion blogger named Laiqah (pronounced: lah-ee-kah). She is a sweet petite from Cape Town, South Africa who has great style. You can visit her blog, "Lucky Packet," by clicking on the header to this section.Tirelo Ramasedi.
^ from: mobilearea.mobi - Botswanan beauty Tirelo Ramasedi.
Botsanwa was represented in Miss Universe 2010 by young Tirelo Ramasedi. This Botswana beauty has a lovely body and seems quite well-natured.
Anna Svetlana Nashandi.
^ from: st-listas.20minutos.es - The Republic of Namibia presents their beautiful Nambian princess, Anna Svetlana Nashandi.
Nambian beauty Anna Svetlana Nashandi won Miss Namibia in 2006 and was in the Top 17 of Miss World 2006.
QhuleQue.
(ADDED: November 27, 2011) The blog called "QhuleQue" is the blog of a young African beauty named Nomaqhule. She is a South Africa-based African beauty born in the Kingdom of Swaziland. Her blog is fairly young with her first post being made back in July 2011. If you want to see a Swazi beauty, feel free to visit this young lady's blog.Tiffany Simelane (Honorable Mention!).
Tiffany Sibongakonkhe Simelane is a young lady representing the Kingdom of Swaziland. Swaziland is a small African nation east of southernmost Mozambique and somewhat northeast of South Africa. The Swazi sweetie will introduce herself to you in this brief video:Unfortunately, Tiffany Simelane is no longer with us. She committed suicide a year ago or so. Tiffany is still a beautiful lady. It's just sad she took her own life.
--- If You Are Any of my African Readers/Subscribers... ---
I want to say hello to all of you. I do everything I can try to get more readers and subscribers. My audience from Africa is sometimes here-and-there. In an effort to get more readers worldwide, I've expanded my efforts to get more readers from more places.More ladies may be featured in future edits.
That concludes this blog post! Want to see some more African beauties? Here are some other sites you can visit (more will/could be added in future edits):
• FHM Africa hot women from South Africa from FHM Africa (WARNING: may not be safe for work!)
• Kenyan Models (includes some male models)
• Uganda Models on ugandaonline.net
Thank you for reading!
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
International Appeal
Never content with just a domestic audience, I always try to go for an international audience. I think anyone who REALLY wants to be a star in any industry has to try to go international. I can brag about having an international following because I have been able to get blog hits and readers from people worldwide. It feels great (and I mean no disrespect to my own American audience) when I can get traffic and support from nations besides my native USA. For most American people, international means America, Canada, Mexico, and maybe a few western Europe countries. I even enjoy meeting many people from around the world both in person and online.
This blog post is somewhat about trying to gain international appeal as well as motivation to get international appeal. You make material for the Internet, so the world will be watching. Can you provide solid content to keep people coming back for more? Just something to think about before you read this blog post.
^ Why be national when you can be international?
I can honestly say that I have no idea how I became so focused on an international audience in any of my work in the first place. All I do know is that I must be doing something right if other nations like my work as much as some Americans would. There are some nations that view my content more than others. Sometimes, MUCH more than others.
In other words...
* ...if you won a beauty pageant against people in your city or state, try a national beauty pageant or even an international pageant.
* ...if you win a Spelling Bee against people in your school, try going to a national (or even international) Spelling Bee.
The most important element of any industry is to understand your potential and compare it against others in the same field. As a blogger and as a YouTube director, nothing is more important to me than knowing my work is appreciated worldwide with hits from worldwide. I remember doing a few YouTube videos regarding what I love about Spain and India. Because of my work, I feel I've gotten a bit better support from people from Spain and India. I am even still surprised to get so much support from people from these two countries even today.
One of my biggest efforts was when I decided I wanted to get blog posts going to expand my range of topics to include Oceania and the South Pacific. Before posting the blog entry of the same name, I got blog hits mostly from (as far as this region is concerned): New Zealand, Fiji, Guam, and one odd blog hit from Vanuatu. Since talking about Oceania and the South Pacific, many more visited JBS (John's Blog Space) for the first time- the Cook Islands, American Samoa, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Niue, Nauru, Kiribati, and Tonga among others. The real big break I got was when I decided to make mention of Miss South Pacific 2010 in Papua New Guinea. I had even posted a blog about sports in the South Pacific. I made mention to the Nauran Australian Rules Football team, and even posted a link to the Nauru team's website. Had I not decide to focus my energy on topics regarding the Pacific and Oceania, I don't think I would have gotten as much support from the South Pacific.
Sometimes, I get some pleasant surprises when certain nations visit a certain blog post. The blog posts usually most visited are my blog posts regarding hair. I sometimes get blog hits from the Caribbean and from African blog hits on braided/plaited hair. I even get some blog hits on some of my Motorcycle Style (which I think I need to do more of to offer diversity) from African nations. To show the appeal of Gran Turismo to the world, I once got a blog hit from Greenland (the big island far northwest of Iceland) regarding one of my Gran Turismo topics.
As long as you post quality content, people will notice and share. I don't just post anything stupid just to draw a negative reaction. I am reminded of some people who post anything online just to get noticed regardless of how senseless and/or insensitive it may be. I would never damage my own integrity by making a fool out of myself in this manner. I have gotten quality comments and feedback from quality people in my time here on Blogger/Blogspot. I have run into the occasional knucklehead at times, but I was able to deal. I tell people on Facebook that people take notice when you make great content. Now, I am no trail blazer to anybody or anything, but I do what I can to generate traffic and draw reactions from the blogging public. There are people who look to my blog and all I've done here for inspiration, but I don't honestly think I am anyone seriously groundbreaking or worthy enough to be featured on websites and TV shows and stuff.
One of the biggest breaks of this year was when I did two blog posts on two young Filipino singing stars- Charice Pempengo and Sarah Geronimo. It was also where I launched my "Philippines and Filipino" blog label. I never thought I would get so much traffic from two posts regarding two popular singers. Then too, the Philippines is one of my most frequently-visited countries for John's Blog Space.
Never know what one blog post can do for you in terms of getting traffic.
So what do I do? I sometimes look up pictures and Wikipedia information on locations. This was how I got to appreciate places like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Mongolia, Grenada, and places like that. I got myself to appreciate the beauty of Estonia as well as Slovakia's beauty. I've loved Spain and its architecture for the longest. I even sometimes listen to national anthems of certain locations just to familiarize myself more with each country. The whole deal is about education to me. I want to understand my international audience and familiarize myself better with the world. Each blog hit from certain locations help make this possible.
So the biggest positive for me is in becoming better accustomed with where people are from. This is a learning opportunity for me. Some people just think there is some uneasiness in someone just trying to learn more about places around the world. In actuality, I just want to know more about the world and its people. That is why I went to the lengths that I did (for example) to become interested in the South Pacific. I actually went online and did a lot of reading on various South Pacific nations to become better accustomed to this sector before making quality material in my blog on the South Pacific. I consider Geography my strongest Social Science for a reason. I actually have interest in learning about the world and its people. Blogging (as well as YouTube) helps me gain a better grasp on this concept.
That's the biggest challenge to me- dealing with cultural differences. However, it's dealing with cultural differences while still trying to make quality blog posts. I am not perfect at my craft, but I do the best I can in my craft.
This is why I visit other peoples' blogs. This is why I try to post material that I think people will enjoy worldwide. This is why I try to appeal myself to other people with various topics. The main reason- YOU! I hope to continue providing content for people the world over. I am not sure what frontier is next, but I will do my best to try to gain more worldwide traffic and perhaps even meet new people in the process.
Please note something- I am NOT a superstar! I know I kind of sound like I am an internationally-recognized superstar in talking about an international audience, but there are bloggers much more established and respected than I am. There are those who get featured in publications and websites. There are those who may end up on TV programs and such. A big example of established vs. not being established are some of the fashion blogs I follow here on Blogger/Blogspot. Some ladies featured have appeared (or have been mentioned) in publications. Some of them include my blogging friends Michelle Koesnadi at Glisters and Blisters in Teen Vogue, Tuuli of fallie in Teen Vogue, and Allison of Curvy Girl Chic in Seventeen among others. I haven't had these offers or perks of interviews or features ever. I haven't been established in any sort of way or made popular in any serious sort of way. Only thing close was my blog post on my first impressions of the Gran Turismo 5 kiosk demo, when it was linked to by my friends at GTPlanet.net.
I am not an established superstar. All I am is a guy on the Internet who tries to stand out in his own way rather than fit in.
So that concludes this blog post. Hopefully this will give you some insight to maybe push for an international audience. I think you will feel better knowing people worldwide appreciate your work rather than a specific international region. It's a chance for more people to appreciate your work. It all begins with a solid product you provide to your audience. It continues with consistent and persistent quality content to your audience. Why be national when you can be international?
Thank you for reading!
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This blog post is somewhat about trying to gain international appeal as well as motivation to get international appeal. You make material for the Internet, so the world will be watching. Can you provide solid content to keep people coming back for more? Just something to think about before you read this blog post.
--- International Appeal ---
^ Why be national when you can be international?
I can honestly say that I have no idea how I became so focused on an international audience in any of my work in the first place. All I do know is that I must be doing something right if other nations like my work as much as some Americans would. There are some nations that view my content more than others. Sometimes, MUCH more than others.
My Theory on International Appeal.
Feel free to quote me if you wish:"You can be the best in your field of study against people in your city, region, or country. However, the BEST way to gauge your overall potential and your total worth is to compare your work against other people in the same field of study from various nations and of various cultures."
-John Marine (me)
In other words...
* ...if you won a beauty pageant against people in your city or state, try a national beauty pageant or even an international pageant.
* ...if you win a Spelling Bee against people in your school, try going to a national (or even international) Spelling Bee.
The most important element of any industry is to understand your potential and compare it against others in the same field. As a blogger and as a YouTube director, nothing is more important to me than knowing my work is appreciated worldwide with hits from worldwide. I remember doing a few YouTube videos regarding what I love about Spain and India. Because of my work, I feel I've gotten a bit better support from people from Spain and India. I am even still surprised to get so much support from people from these two countries even today.
If You Blog About it...
...they will come. At least, if you post something of great quality. I always hope my content can be appreciated worldwide, especially some of my bigger blog topics. I try to put substantial effort in all of my blog posts and in my YouTube videos. My efforts pay off often times.One of my biggest efforts was when I decided I wanted to get blog posts going to expand my range of topics to include Oceania and the South Pacific. Before posting the blog entry of the same name, I got blog hits mostly from (as far as this region is concerned): New Zealand, Fiji, Guam, and one odd blog hit from Vanuatu. Since talking about Oceania and the South Pacific, many more visited JBS (John's Blog Space) for the first time- the Cook Islands, American Samoa, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Niue, Nauru, Kiribati, and Tonga among others. The real big break I got was when I decided to make mention of Miss South Pacific 2010 in Papua New Guinea. I had even posted a blog about sports in the South Pacific. I made mention to the Nauran Australian Rules Football team, and even posted a link to the Nauru team's website. Had I not decide to focus my energy on topics regarding the Pacific and Oceania, I don't think I would have gotten as much support from the South Pacific.
Sometimes, I get some pleasant surprises when certain nations visit a certain blog post. The blog posts usually most visited are my blog posts regarding hair. I sometimes get blog hits from the Caribbean and from African blog hits on braided/plaited hair. I even get some blog hits on some of my Motorcycle Style (which I think I need to do more of to offer diversity) from African nations. To show the appeal of Gran Turismo to the world, I once got a blog hit from Greenland (the big island far northwest of Iceland) regarding one of my Gran Turismo topics.
As long as you post quality content, people will notice and share. I don't just post anything stupid just to draw a negative reaction. I am reminded of some people who post anything online just to get noticed regardless of how senseless and/or insensitive it may be. I would never damage my own integrity by making a fool out of myself in this manner. I have gotten quality comments and feedback from quality people in my time here on Blogger/Blogspot. I have run into the occasional knucklehead at times, but I was able to deal. I tell people on Facebook that people take notice when you make great content. Now, I am no trail blazer to anybody or anything, but I do what I can to generate traffic and draw reactions from the blogging public. There are people who look to my blog and all I've done here for inspiration, but I don't honestly think I am anyone seriously groundbreaking or worthy enough to be featured on websites and TV shows and stuff.
Big Breaks Internationally.
The strength of the Gran Turismo fanbase came into play as I saw my views skyrocket once I posted my blog entry regarding my impressions of the GT5 kiosk demo. I picked up lots of blog hits from GTPlanet and many other different message boards (can't name some of the others immediately). This also included various nations who viewed it. Among many others- the United States, Canada, Italy, Spain, San Marino, Australia, New Zealand, Mauritius, Hong Kong, and several other nations.One of the biggest breaks of this year was when I did two blog posts on two young Filipino singing stars- Charice Pempengo and Sarah Geronimo. It was also where I launched my "Philippines and Filipino" blog label. I never thought I would get so much traffic from two posts regarding two popular singers. Then too, the Philippines is one of my most frequently-visited countries for John's Blog Space.
Never know what one blog post can do for you in terms of getting traffic.
--- Rewards of an International Audience ---
When someone visits from a country or city I am not familiar with, this gives me a chance to learn more about the place. There were some blog hits I found that came from places I'm not familiar with. These hits give me a chance to familiarize myself with certain locations.So what do I do? I sometimes look up pictures and Wikipedia information on locations. This was how I got to appreciate places like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Mongolia, Grenada, and places like that. I got myself to appreciate the beauty of Estonia as well as Slovakia's beauty. I've loved Spain and its architecture for the longest. I even sometimes listen to national anthems of certain locations just to familiarize myself more with each country. The whole deal is about education to me. I want to understand my international audience and familiarize myself better with the world. Each blog hit from certain locations help make this possible.
So the biggest positive for me is in becoming better accustomed with where people are from. This is a learning opportunity for me. Some people just think there is some uneasiness in someone just trying to learn more about places around the world. In actuality, I just want to know more about the world and its people. That is why I went to the lengths that I did (for example) to become interested in the South Pacific. I actually went online and did a lot of reading on various South Pacific nations to become better accustomed to this sector before making quality material in my blog on the South Pacific. I consider Geography my strongest Social Science for a reason. I actually have interest in learning about the world and its people. Blogging (as well as YouTube) helps me gain a better grasp on this concept.
--- Challenges of Gaining an International Audience ---
The biggest challenge to me is in possible cultural differences. When you try to appeal to certain nations, there are differences (sometimes VAST differences) in cultures and in customs. The challenge often times is to try to bridge the gap as much as you can. This is a challenge I often look forward to because this may give me a chance to better understand people from various audiences. Because of this, I gain a better understanding of other people and cultures, and it leads to better appreciation of the world I live in and the people that comprise it.That's the biggest challenge to me- dealing with cultural differences. However, it's dealing with cultural differences while still trying to make quality blog posts. I am not perfect at my craft, but I do the best I can in my craft.
--- Special Salute to my International Audiences ---
It doesn't matter where in the world you are from. You are here reading my blog, and I'm happy. Hopefully you love my content as much as I've tried to make this blog appeal vastly to many people. Just the fact of knowing that people worldwide [at least] visit any or all of my blogs means that I am doing something right in drawing traffic to my blog. I love my American audience, my Canadian audience, and my Mexican audience; but I am always enamored with an international audience. I feel great people and great concepts are appreciated worldwide rather than within a certain international region. I feel that the greatest champions of any sport or competition are those who can be hailed and honored worldwide. I love my international regional audience, but I will not become entirely satisfied with my work unless an international audience appreciates my work in addition to my own international regional audience.This is why I visit other peoples' blogs. This is why I try to post material that I think people will enjoy worldwide. This is why I try to appeal myself to other people with various topics. The main reason- YOU! I hope to continue providing content for people the world over. I am not sure what frontier is next, but I will do my best to try to gain more worldwide traffic and perhaps even meet new people in the process.
--- Final Thoughts ---
What should you take away from this blog post? If you are to become famous online, post material in blogging or in videos. If you are to become validated online, try to post material that as many international audiences can read and appreciate. The biggest thing to remember is quality content. If people find your content to be highly interesting and worthy of sharing to others, you've struck a chord with a certain audience. Some blog posts of yours become appreciated worldwide across many nations. The more you are able to make something great for your blog, the more people will appreciate your work. There are still people who read my blog on Miss South Pacific 2010 and learning more about some of the various contestants from the pageant. It means that people still somehow appreciate my work.Please note something- I am NOT a superstar! I know I kind of sound like I am an internationally-recognized superstar in talking about an international audience, but there are bloggers much more established and respected than I am. There are those who get featured in publications and websites. There are those who may end up on TV programs and such. A big example of established vs. not being established are some of the fashion blogs I follow here on Blogger/Blogspot. Some ladies featured have appeared (or have been mentioned) in publications. Some of them include my blogging friends Michelle Koesnadi at Glisters and Blisters in Teen Vogue, Tuuli of fallie in Teen Vogue, and Allison of Curvy Girl Chic in Seventeen among others. I haven't had these offers or perks of interviews or features ever. I haven't been established in any sort of way or made popular in any serious sort of way. Only thing close was my blog post on my first impressions of the Gran Turismo 5 kiosk demo, when it was linked to by my friends at GTPlanet.net.
I am not an established superstar. All I am is a guy on the Internet who tries to stand out in his own way rather than fit in.
So that concludes this blog post. Hopefully this will give you some insight to maybe push for an international audience. I think you will feel better knowing people worldwide appreciate your work rather than a specific international region. It's a chance for more people to appreciate your work. It all begins with a solid product you provide to your audience. It continues with consistent and persistent quality content to your audience. Why be national when you can be international?
Thank you for reading!
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