Blogging for beginners

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As I reflect on my blog assignments I have seen myself evolve. I started off not knowing anything at all. And now i have taken in so much information and i’m still in the learning process and refining the skills that i have learned. Understanding the basis of Rhetoric helps to better understand content creation. Over the semester I have grown to enjoy writing and I’m conscious of how I’m being portrayed through my work.

Here is my first blog ever on Rhetoric!

When I first began to write about the topic it was hard for me to grasp it. I had to go over the concept many times before I could fully understand it.

Its all about the audience and what will engage the readers but also reflect you as a content creator. Its easy to write what you want to say but we need to keep in mind the rhetorical situation. Everything is important. And it needs to also be professional. And intertwine text with images. This is what creates great content.

Over the semester I realized that I’m more of a creator than an editor. I have the vision but not so much the skills to fix it up. I have never been good at revising anything. I’d rather leave that up to the editors.

Overall the advice I would give to beginners is to make sure you understand your audience and that its always changing. You always have room to improve and make revisions.

 

My Gallery

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Food Reviews

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Munchies 420 (sandwiches american)

After seeing their segment on the TV show Man vs. Food my sister and I knew we had to try this place out. So we rounded up a group of our girlfriends and went on a mini road trip to this yummy jewel. Although it was ducked off on a small street in Sarasota, Florida, giving off a grunge look this restaurant was heaven to our mouths at the late hour of 3 a.m. or should I say early hours. Either way it was exactly what we had expected. We did not get the “Fire in the hole” wings which were seen on the show, but we did try the Fat Sandy! The Fat Sandy is a foot long sub roll consisted of 2 cheeseburgers, mac & cheese, chicken fingers, Mozzarella sticks, onion hoops a.k.a. onion rings, and spuds a.k.a potatoes! That was literally a mouth full! The quality of the food was amazing. nothing taste frozen everything tasted super fresh. Cant wait to go back!

Old Salty Dog- Siesta key (seafood)

Stumbled upon this restaurant with family while looking for a spot to have dinner after a long day at the beach. Located at the end of the village it was our last resort since everything was about to close for the night. As we browsed the menu we were able to see that an item had been aired on the TV show Man vs. Food and decided to try it out! Although this restaurant is known for its seafood we ordered the Salty Dog! The Salty Dog is a hot dog dipped in beer batter and deep fried to perfection. Served in a bun topped with onions, mushrooms, sauerkraut and bacon! This was a hot dog right out of heaven!

Check out my Inforgraphic!

About Sarasota

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Sarasota Florida 

Sarasota is located South of Tampa Bay in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state Florida.

Map of Southwestern Florida from Google

This city is known for its resorts, Amish community and even its connection to the Ringling family. Sarasota is especially known worldwide for its quality of quartz-white sandy beaches. Lido Key and Siesta Key separate the Bay from the gulf near Sarasota.

Siesta Key holds the reputation as one of Americas Best Beaches. In 2011, expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman also known as Dr. Beach, voted it the  No. 1 beach in the U.S. based on meeting a certain criteria.

The Tourist Experience 

Although Sarasota is known for its beaches its also known for its Italian style culture, The Annual Sarasota Film Festival, and the Ringling Museum just to name a few.

From the vibrant art scene to the many outdoor activities, you will never get bored. But one of my favorite things about Sarasota is the dining experience from exquisite to down right sloppy, there is  a wide variety to choose from.

Learn more about Sarasotas dining experiences!

 

Immersive Experience

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Let the adventures begin! 

I was able to visit Sarasota Fl. on two separate occasions. Each time was a very different experience.

I had never heard of the place until my sister had brought it to my attention. She had recently seen a few of the restaurants on the Travel Channel and insisted we and a few friends take a mini road trip just to check out the signature meals seen on TV.

So for my sisters birthday weekend we packed our bags and headed south for a day!

 

On Separate Occasions

My first experience in Sarasota was very chill. My girlfriends and I only planned to stay a night just enough time to sight see, lounge at the beach, and grab a bite to eat at the restaurant Munchies 420. We got there very early on a Saturday morning at the end of August. Not many cars on the road and not much a variety of people in sight. We decided to find the beach and take a look. And it was beautiful and quiet. And there were tons of older people basking in the sun. And it seemed to us that we were the only group of black girls there. We asked ourselves “where are all of the beautiful people?”

All we saw were older wonderful people. Retired wonderful people at that. Lol, I’m sure you’re wondering why my friends and I refer to whites as “Wonderful” and blacks as “Beautiful” people, it all started when my sisters daughter started to understand the difference between skin color. So to speak in code was the easiest way not to offend anyone.

After being able to count how many people were of other nationalities than white on our hands, we decided to take a look into the statistics. And the demographics showed the city was 80% white! Which we didn’t mind at all just very curious.

Anywho…..

The whole reason for taking this mini road trip was to indulge in a certain sandwich called the “FAT SANDY”. And boy oh boy was it good.

My second experience was with my family. We were not able to relax and have a real vacation so this second time around my sister and I decided to take the family to experience Sarasota. We had told my mother how quiet and beautiful it was during our stay that weekend. And described to her how much more beautiful the sand was at Siesta key Beach compared to her favorite, Tybee Island.

The only time we as a family were all available was the week of spring break. We thought we were avoiding the young spring break crowd but actually ended u in the midst of it all! Unlike the first time it being quiet and us being almost the only people on the beach, you could no find a spot to relax and crack open your favorite beverage without someone stepping over your belongings or possibly being hit by a flying football or Frisbee.

It was not like the Panama City Beach crowd rowdy and young adults booing music through their portable speakers. More like families having a good time.

After leaving the beach we had all worked up an appetite and decided to walk along the strip. By this time is was getting late and everything was about to close within the next hour. So we had to make a decision, and make it quick or it as going to be Burger King for dinner. The last restaurant on the strip was called  “Old Salty Dog”.

Little did we know that we had stumbled upon a gem. After taking a look at the menu we knew we had to order the “Salty Dog”,  which was also seen on the TV show Man vs. Food.

And once again boy oh boy was it good!

Check out my food reviews here!

 

Cherry Blossom Festival Returns

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Cherry Blossom Festival Returns 

By: Cherish Baker

  • This was the 36th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival
  • Festival took place at Georgia International Horse Park 
  • Cherry Blossoms bloom in March

CONYERS, Ga. – The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival is an event that many Rockdale county and other surrounding counties look forward to every March which features the understanding of the Japanese Culture.

This event takes place every year at the Georgia International Horse Park which was once the site of the 1996 Olympic Equestrian events.

The 36th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival took place March 25-26, 2017. There will also be international treats and local vendors.

Cherry Blossoms are significant in Japanese culture. Significance being that they represent the fragility and beauty of life. They represent spring.

” I am an avid attendee,” says Ben . ” Something great for the whole family and there’s plenty of things to do keep the kids entertained.”

The Cherry Blossom Festival

Its the pinkest time of the year, and this festival is one of many being held during the month of March. There is the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. and  also one in Macon Ga. not to far from Conyers, Ga..

The Cherry Blossom festival was originated to encourage others to understand different cultures through music, food, and other entertainment.

March is the month in which the Cherry Blossoms are in their peak season for four days to two weeks before they fall from the trees. And this is why people get together to watch the trees and parlay.

In 2006 Conyers received full rights to the festival. And hundreds of people gather at the park every year to celebrate the rich traditions of the Japanese culture.

 

The Vendors

Not only were there steady performances, there were homemade arts and crafts vendors.

Vendors were happy to be apart of such a great celebration. Many vendors attend the festival annually. Rain or shine, they create and set up shop for the two day experience.

Many attendees walked around from booth to booth checking out the handmade crafts.

“I picked out a personal bouquet of paper flowers from a vendor,” said Tiffany Barnes. ” I named her the paper flourist because she cut all of the flowers by hand.

Tiffany Barnes Paper flowers Bouquet

If anyone wanted a good laugh they headed over to Caricature artist and Owner of Toonheadz, AJ Jensen’s booth.

” A guy posted up next to my booth kept laughing at each caricature I drew,” said AJ Jensen. “So I suspected he wanted one and drew one of him.”

The Food & Entertainment

The different smells filled the air . The smell of the cherry blossoms in bloom, the smell of a variety of festival favorites and Japanese dishes and cuisine.

From fair foods such as funnel cakes and Italian Ices to authentic bento boxes.The festival made sure everyone was immersed in the culture.

Bento Boxes are common Japanese cuisine, containing rice, vegetables and fish in a box-like container.

As far as entertainment, it was ongoing. With one act after another there was never a time when there wasn’t someone on the stage.

Local artist performed and 104.7 The Fish and other local radio stations were there to broadcast live. But the highlights included Japanese dancing and demonstrating the ancient art while wearing elaborate traditional costumes.

If you have missed this past weekend full of fun be sure to not miss the opportunity next year to see the Cherry Blossoms at their peak. Also a few reminders, make sure to bring water and try to arrive early to obtain a good parking spot.

 

 

 

 

Places, Experiences and Mapping

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What is a place? And what is its significance?

First lets define place. Place is a particular position or point in space. It can refer to a living space, a place of worship, or even entertainment. It can also be a feeling or perception held by a person. These places can be unique and special to some creating an attachment. But when you write about a place you have to give the physical aspects as well as the characteristics that relate to you. But in order to understand place you need to understand experience.

There are two experiences. Primary is your initial experience. And Secondary is the experience you reflect on. You can go to a place and have a primary experience then later you will have the secondary experience when you reflect on the experience and how you relate to it.

In What is a Sense of Place by Jennifer Cross she goes over the characteristics related to people and places.  She says that the concept of sense of place came from two different aspects. Relationships to place being the first aspect, and community attachment being he second. People can relate to places by creating  bonds and types of  attachments to a place in particular. But you as a person are not limited to have a relationship with one places but many ppeople have relationships with multiple places.

Cross goes over characteristics between people and places in the Table below .

Table 1.1 Relationships to places

I can agree that you can become connected to a place which then becomes meaningful to you in a certain way.

An example that comes to mine is the story that my mom tells us about how she grew up. And unless you have lived there you may not be able to actually relate unless you have visited and experienced it yourself. I have heard many stories on how the home was only one room and that she would have to walk down to the creek to fetch water and there was no bathroom nor was there a stove because there was no electricity. See my mom is not that old so I always thought her stories of living out in the middle of no where in White Plains Ga. were bogus. A few years ago on a sad occasion after a funeral we decided as a family to visit the land that my mom was with her sisters which was the very place where she grew up. This place had only created a Narrative Relationship with me. I had only grew oup on stories about this place.  But as I experienced the land on which my mother lived and saw the home in which she lived in it became a Biographical Relationship now I’m not only emotionally connected with this place but my mother as well.

When writing it is important to create the Places and hen determine the Experiences.

In Katherine Harmons book, Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination, she states that people have the instinct to map. People often create a map of their own after experiencing certain places. Everyone experiences places different. Therefore there are many different maps.

But each places, experiences, and mapping go into writing! You can’t have just one to make a good story.

 

 

DIY Video: Cold Remedy Tea

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I chose this home remedy because this is one that is often used in my house and has been for years. When you are sick you don’t exactly want to get up and go to the store but if you have these simple ingredients on hand always you will never have to worry about that. And It has always helped me through a cold. Not only does it contain only four ingredients but it takes less than 2 minutes to make and you will start feeling better in no time.

Each ingredient aids in helping your immune system fight off a cold. The only reason people get sick is because they are not eating the proper foods that help fight off viruses and bad bacteria from growing and spreading throughout the body.  A diet in fruits and vegetables helps your body fight off free radicals in your body because they are rich in vitamins minerals and nutrients that your body needs. So, if you are one to get sick often maybe you should start consuming more fruits and veggies.

Through this process, I have learned that everyone’s remedy is its own. Maybe you like more honey than ginger or like your tea hot rather than lukewarm. Maybe you like lime rather than lemon. It’s all how you prefer it. And that these remedies have been passed down from decade to decade. Remedies can change depending on research and learning more about what it is you are consuming. I have learned to make it your own, don’t forget to do research and consult a doctor if problems persist.

Check out my video below!

L.A. Experience

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My Digital story is about my first trip to L.A. and not to mention my first trip to the West Coast and it was Grammy Weekend. This experience was very enlightening for me. It opened my eyes to see that there are so many opportunities in other places rather than just Atlanta and its possible to create opportunities as well. This trip also gave me insight into the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry is where I want to be. My passion is music and this is what brought me to L.A. I took a risk and took on a challenge and it landed me this awesome opportunity. I’m an assistant to two companies a music management company and a firm, and although it was initially a work trip full of meetings and photo/video shoots it took a turn when the artists decided not to comply with their manager and the itinerary. It quickly became a leisure trip. It showed me that the industry is not all glitz and glamour. And you must have a tough backbone to stand firm. But I’m sure that’s with anything in life. Everything is not easy if it’s something you really want then you will take failures as lessons learned and strategically plan your next step.

The process in creating the Digital Story board was not easy. Well at least not for me. I had never created a mini movie before just the normal power points. So I had to learn how to put together this short film and also figure out how I was going to compile my whole trip into three short minutes. I was a difficult task, as far as the first draft I created a story board to help with the format and a script for the voice over. But when presented to the class they informed me to try not to go in order from day to day but to create topics grouping things together. Which should allow it flow better. They also told me to speak up because my voice was low and to focus on the point that I was trying to get across and how could relate to the readers. So I took all of the constructive comments from the peer revisions and applied it to my final draft. When I presented the final draft to my peers they were very impressed on how I took what they all suggested and applied it. And they were in awe that I created this Digital Story on my phone simply using IMovie.

I myself am proud. Its not the best but it is better and I am still in the learning process. I’m sure it is much easier to use IMovie on the Apple laptop rather than on the IPhone, but I had to work with what have.

Check it out below!! Hope it makes you think of a time when you felt like you can make it despite what may come your way. Take risks create opportunities and live life!