Barcelona for the Weekend

Since the onset of my abroad experience, I have been non-stop with the traveling. This past weekend I decided it was time to stay put, and take advantage of my surroundings here in Barcelona. So, on Friday morning, I woke up early as if I was in a new destination, eager to explore. I started my day at Casta Batllo, located on Passeig de Gracias. I found this very interesting because the architecture and design was truly one of a kind. Located at the top floor, I noticed that you were able to walk to an outside balcony, where a camera was situated. Here, I was able to take a photograph to create the illusion as if I had moved into Gaudi’s home. To me, this was a highlight because I love photography and pictures, and I have this image to hold onto for a lifetime. Next, I decided it was time to try new and different restaurants that I have yet to make it to. During the week, I am limited with time to go out and dine due to class. Thus, I took advantage of this weekend eating out and indulging. For lunch, I made my way to an abroad hot-spot known as Bo De B. Here, you can create delicious sandwiches or order a plate consisting of chicken or steak, rice, vegetables, sauces, lentils, feta cheese, and more. While it looks like a hole in the wall, my meal was absolutely delicious and I slapped myself on the wrist for not going sooner in my trip. Next, I made my way towards La Sagrada Familia, where I toured the inside design. It was truly beautiful, and I was amazed by the architecture. Last for the day, I went to Cerverceria Catalana for some tapas. Here, I indulged in fried calamari, Iberian ham and tomato bread, patatas bravas, and other delicious plates. I went to sleep early in order to make sure I would be ready for a fun filled Saturday.

 

The following morning I woke up and headed to Montjuic, where I was truly amazed by the view. Additionally, here I was able to see Olympic Stadium located in this destination. I found this intriguing as well because it was the second Olympic Stadium I was able to see abroad (the other one I saw was in Athens). After this visit, I took a cab to La Rambla, where I walked along this tourist filled street. I went into La Boqueria, where I picked up a delicious tasting arepa and other snacks. I then made my way over to the Gothic Quarter, where I stopped into the notorious candy shop Happy Pills. Initially, I thought the candy would likely be overpriced and overrated; however, it took me less than 5 minutes to consume everything I had purchased. My last stop for the day was to Parc Guell. Again, I was fascinated by the architecture and design by Gaudi, and spent several hours walking around this park. To end my evening, I went to Cal Pinxo, where I indulged in perhaps the best paella I ever had.

To conclude my amazing weekend, I met up with my cousin who lives in Barcelona and he took my roommate and I to a soccer game. This was an interesting experience as well. While my friend and I were eager to get to the game and have a few beers, we learned that drinking any alcoholic beverage in the stadiums is illegal. Additionally, opposite from the stadiums in the United States, sports games aren’t a time to feast. While we are used to indulging in peanuts, fattening snacks, hot dogs, popcorn and more, my cousin explained that the hot dogs were not even good at the stadium. This was a fun experience, where I saw first hand how dedicated the fans are in Barcelona. I truly enjoyed being a tourist in my own home, evaluating Gaudi art, tasting good food, and enjoying life in Barcelona.

Multimedia Report

Click here to learn more about the effects of Internet on adolescents. Additionally, you will find videos, images and more. Enjoy!

Guest Speaker: Valenti Sanjuan

Meet Valenti Sanjuan. Just last week, Sanjuan attended my CEA Journalism course, where he discussed his life story and progression of his career. He began his lecture posing the question, “What is necessary to run a TV Show?” Several answers included actors, a script, an audience, a director and more; but the answer he was looking for was a GOPRO. A GOPRO is a personal camera, often utilized for extreme action video photography. According to Sanjuan, these lightweight devices are perhaps the most important things to have when running a television show. Sanjuan started his career life working as a radio show host at Cataluna Radio Station. After years of working here, he was ultimately asked to quit his job. Although rather a slap in the face and huge awakening, Sanjuan looked at this in a positive light. It was then that he decided to create a television show outside of the television, and build his own career path. While this was a rather “risky” approach, he was determined to be successful and find a way to build a fan base and fascinating television show. Just from the introduction to Sanjuan’s presentation, I learned how valuable and possible it is to reinvent yourself despite hard times.

Understanding the importance of social media in today’s society, Sanjuan decided to create a Late Night Television Show known as Visto Lo Visto. This show included features such as live music from different bands, and a public audience who were heard laughing and commenting in the background of the show. Additionally, this show is particularly successful in using social networks. For instance, they utilize their Facebook page to create events online, and they encourage their audience to tweet throughout the show. Interestingly, Sanjuan discussed that the first row of the show is typically notable Instagrammers and guest people, whose appearance will draw an even larger audience and fan base. This show utilizes more slang than typical television series presented on television, and it attracts a young fan base.

After building awareness online through the creation of the show, he was asked to start a show on TV3 known as ETIQUETATS. This show is more similar to a typical television show, consisting of a background of different stages. He compared the setting to a music festival, which typically consists of various tents playing different kinds of music. What I found most interesting about this is that brands will pay a certain amount of money in order to be exposed to the audience. For instance, in a video clip he showed to the class, the people were sitting around eating branded pizza and drinking beer. I found this interesting because by simply paying, brands can increase awareness through their display name. Additionally, he showed us a brief clip of another episode, where he was seen on a spin bike alongside a top biker. This was interesting as well because it drew attention to this man in a funny manner. ETIQUETATS has been extremely successful as a television show, utilizing sites including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to build their presence. ETIQUETATS works alongside with Gordon Seen in order to promote different brands and gain public relations.

As displayed in the clip above, his last and most inspirational project he came up with is known as Valenti Esta Loco. These shorter videos are presented over his YouTube channel, and are created to inspire his viewers. Although it took some time to build his audience, he currently has 2.5 million viewers. One day a friend suggested for him to do a marathon. Inspired by this idea, he decided to do his first marathon and record his journey along the way. Since his first marathon, he has worked his way up leading to more strenuous and longer marathons- ones that even consist of multiple days. His show Valenti Esta Loco is highly adventurous, containing live music and utilizing just his GOPRO. Sanjuan was highly interesting and entertaining in the classroom, and seeing him on YouTube was even better. He is a very funny man, looking to inspire and adventure, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was an up and coming celebrity.

Fashion Photographer: David LaChapelle

American commercial photographer David LaChapelle was born on March 11, 1963, notable for his hyper-real photography skills. LaCapelle was born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he admired the public schools for their notable art programs. His interest in art and creative taste was established early on in his life. At the age of nine, his family moved to North Carolina. He was not satisfied in his new home and was frequently bullied by his peers for being gay. By fifteen, he ran away from home and went to New York City where he worked as a busboy. At seventeen, LaChapelle met notorious Andy Warhol, who offered him his first career in photography. Warhol instructed him, “Do whatever you want. Just make sure everyone looks good.”

During this particular time, LaChapelle´s work was reaching a large audience, with images being featured in Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, and other notable magazines. Further, LaChapelle is known for photographing different personalities including celebrities Tupac Shakar, Paris Hilton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hilary Clinton and more. In 1995, LaChapelle shot the “Kissing Sailors” advertisement on behalf of Diesel. This was monumental because it was one of the first images to promote homosexuality, while representing the peace that ensued after World War II. After establishing himself within the realm of photography, he expanded his knowledge to the field of film and video. He worked on music videos, theatrical events, and films. By 2006, LaChapelle had a slight change of heart and shifted his focus away from commercial photography to fine art photography. Below is a short clip giving insight to who David LaChapelle is.

On a recent episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, David LaChapelle was their chosen photographer for their annual Christmas card. From this clip, it is clear that LaChapelle believes that it is his way or the highway. The Kardashian Christmas Card photoshoot was said to have cost approximately $250,000; thus his work comes with a huge cost. Below you will find the Kardashian’s Christmas Card of 2014. He is extremely creative, valuing pop culture and uniqueness for all his celebrity shoots and commercial work.  Today, LaChapelle is living in the jungle of Hawaii, and continues to draw inspiration from his surroundings as well as through understanding pop culture. His work is truly monumental, working within fields of photography, exhibitions, and film, while establishing unique personalities to every piece he creates.

Firenze

During my last weekend in February, my best childhood friend Jamie and I traveled together to Florence to meet up with our third. The three of us have known each other since our kindergarten days, and we have kept a close knit friendship to this day. Back in our days, we used to refer to ourselves as JAR, standing for our names Jamie, Rachel and Abbe. It was great to reunite abroad, just the three best friends that anyone can have. Jamie and I flew to Pisa, where we took a bus that was about an hour and a half to the small town of Florence. There, Rachel greeted us in her stomping grounds. Our first stop as predicted was lunch at a restaurant known as Trattoria Za Za, where I indulged in a delicious Caprese salad. For the table, we split beans in a tomato sauce along with seasoned artichokes. We sat at this restaurant for nearly two hours, drinking their house rose and catching up on our past experiences abroad.  After lunch, we went to Rachel´s apartment, where we spent the remainder of the day being lazy and napping. A few hours later, she took us to dinner at a restaurant known as La Giostra. This restaurant is notable in Florence for being one of the best and most expensive restaurants. Here, I had one of the best meals of my life consuming Spaghetti Bolognese. After this delicious feast, we met up with some of Rachel´s friends and went to a club. It was fun to see the difference between night life in Florence and in Barcelona; except, I was rather shocked by how similar they were to one another.

The following day we went to an another amazing lunch at a restaurant called Osteria Santo Spirito. On a carb streak, I indulged in a delicious pasta with tomatoes and garlic. After our lunch, we explored the small town of Firenze. We walked along the Ponte Vecchio, which was truly quaint and scenic. We also walked through the leather markets, as Florence is particularly known for having great and affordable leather items. Amongst the abroad students, everyone raves about this man known as Massimo, who has the best leather. So, as we were guided, we stopped into his store and played dress up for quite a while. I did not end up purchasing a jacket, however I fell in love with one of his bags and had to get it. It was a copy of the Stella McCartney bags, and a copy that looked just as good as the real one. We also walked along the markets where I purchased a beautiful scarf, a cool leather bracelet for my boyfriend,  and other fun little pieces that remind of Florence. Additionally, Florence is particularly known for these yarn like bracelets that have flowers, butterflies, and other cute looks. Although copies are made all over the world, the true place to buy these bracelets are in Florence. So, I bought three for myself and one for my boyfriend so that we can have something to match one another. Rachel took us to other fun boutiques in Florence, and I must admit my credit card bill must have been pretty high due to the great shopping. After all, I was only there once how do I refrain?

For our last dinner in Florence, we had a group dinner with all of Rachel´s abroad friends. Nearly seven girls sat at the table indulging in everything delicious and Italian. That night we went to the club Space, which everyone also raves about for being the best. The following morning, we had to return back to the square to get on the bus back to the Pisa airport. However, I could not leave Italy without having gelato. We stopped at this gelato place next to Rachel´s apartment, where I had a huge cup of nutella gelato. This was well worth every bite. I in fact learned something this break: real gelato is never piled up high, that would be fake! I had such a great weekend relaxing, gossiping, eating and being able to spend time with my best friends in the world.

Social Media for Brands

Why should brands utilize social media to promote their company/organization? As you may or may not know, social media is highly vital for organizations to use, as it comes with many advantages. First and foremost, everyone is currently using the Internet and it is a way of life. For instance, whether searching for a hotel online or seeking a certain restaurant, the Internet helps you connect to these places. Just last week when I was in Greece, my boyfriend and I were craving a delicious Greek salad. We searched on trip advisor to find out where our dreams would become reality. We read a series of reviews and ratings, and ending up going to the particular restaurant listed online. Here is just a minor example of how the Internet drives clientele and business. On the opposite end, organizations could benefit by listening to the reviews and ratings they received. For instance, if a restaurant was ranked low for their customer service, the owner should take note of this and make changes within the organization. This is beneficial for both the organization and the client simply because the organization could make these subtle changes within the workplace, while the client will ultimately receive more satisfaction. Social Media is highly valuable because it not only promotes the brand through word-of-mouth  information, but it enables organizations to grow and change in a positive manner due to what is being said online.

Additionally, when an organization has a presence on social media, their SEO is ranked higher up. For instance, I googled Ruby Media Group, a small public relations agency, to test this theory out. First to come up was the Ruby Media Group website; next was the Ruby Media Group Facebook account, Twitter account, Linked In Account, and YouTube account. Through just this one example, it is clear that having a social media presence increases your chances of having high rankings on Google. Watch this video of Kris Ruby herself discussing the role of social media in organizations today.

Using social media is valuable, as it not only creates a personal touch with their clients but it also enables them to participate and engage online. For instance, organizations will often create different promotions in order to gain a stronger presence online. One of my roommates abroad is a huge fan of the clothing company UNIF. They created a social media campaign asking their followers to upload a photograph on Instagram of them doing a good deed tagging the hashtag #UNIFdeeds. My friend, who is rather humorous, decided to plunge a toilet as her #UNIFdeeds. Other devoted followers posted photographs giving money to a homeless people on the street, donating clothes to a clothing drive, and helping with other local community service events. This was beneficial not only for the organization, but for the people participating. Overall, social media enables customers to engage online and build a presence through interaction and networking.

Finally, the last and most important argument I have is that social media is absolutely FREE. Joining Facebook and other social media accounts costs nothing, and the outcomes are monumental. Having a presence online enables you to reach a large audience, and connect with other virtually. In todays day and age, I would highly suggest organizations to be aware of social media and able to participate online in order to build a presence and engage with customers online.

Honeymoon in Greece

This past week my boyfriend who is currently a senior at the University of Miami visited me for his Spring Break. We spent several days exploring my Barcelona stomping grounds, and then made way to Athens, Greece for a short and sweet trip. After two plane rides and a short layover, we arrived in Athens, where we checked into the Athens Diamond Homtel. Our cab driver dropped us off in the city square giving us vague directions to walk to the hotel as that particular street was closed off. As we searched for our hotel, we saw men dressed from head to toe in military uniform, police enforcers, and a huge group of people protesting. Although by no means violent or abrupt, we were fully unaware of what we were walking into. Asking a few locals, we finally made our way to the hotel and never felt a bit uncomfortable for the rest of our stay.

 First and foremost, we searched to find some authentic Greek food. Upon walking up towards the mountains, we found a set of stairs consisting of several restaurants. A nice looking man approached us, and told us we must come and eat at his restaurant. As typical Americans, we looked at the menu and knew we wanted Greek Salads; however, this man steered us in the total opposite way. He said, “allow me to bring out a few plates of authentic Greek food; you can buy feta in the grocery store.” First, he brought out Tzatziki, a dip complimented by pita, displayed in the picture to the left. Next, he gave us Zucchini Pancakes, which were stuffed with feta cheese. Last, he served as a plate of lamb and potatoes. Every dish we consumed reached far beyond our expectations. We enjoyed our meal so much that we returned on our last day in Greece. After indulging, we decided to walk off lunch and go to the Panathenaic Olympic Stadium. This was where the Olympic games were once played, and it truly captured a sense of history. One of my favorite parts was the allocated chairs for the King and Queen, nicely decorated with the most desirable view. Below you will see Justin and I sitting the chairs, taking on the role that these noble people once did.

On our second day, we did all of the sightseeing. First, we hiked to the top of the mountain visiting the notable Acropolis. When we immediately entered, we saw the Theatre of Dionysus. Next, we toured the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Here, we met a nice man named Christos, who told us he would show us around to different places located around Greece. First, he showed us where the President lives, and we were fortunate enough to witness the changing of guards. Next, he took us to Mount Lycabettus, which was by far the most beautiful place I have seen in my life. We climbed up a series of stairs to reach the top of this church and mountain, and have the most insane view that overlooked all of Athens. It’s safe to say we felt like we were on top of the world. After this, he left us off by the Roman Agora, where we took a lunch break. After all that sight seeing, feta cheese was most definitely necessary.

On our last day in Athens, we walked around both of the Agoras, which contained old ruins. We revisited our favorite lunch spot, and walked around the Athens Flea Market after. Here, we customized our very own beaded bracelets and explored the little stores located throughout. They sold everything from olives and little gadgets to fur jackets and leather bags. We also stopped at a frozen yogurt place called Chill Box, where we indulged in frozen yogurt and delicious ice-cream. Overall, our trip could not have been more amazing!