Friday Focus: Lola Akinmade-Akerstrom

Posted on October 21, 2011July 31, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

This month, InsideJourneys inaugurates Friday Focus, a series of interviews with writers and travelers.

October’s Focus is on Nigerian born writer/photographer and editor for Matador Goods, Lola Akinmade-Åkerström.

Lola holds an MSc in Information Systems from the University of Maryland and has a solid background in Geography. She specialized in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for 10+ years and her affinity for the geosciences and maps meant she was born to travel.

Her work has appeared in Vogue, National Geographic Traveler, BBC, San Francisco Chronicle, Travel Channel’s World Hum, Forbes Traveler, Sherman’s Travel, Fodors.com, ISLANDS Magazine, United’s Hemispheres, Guardian UK’s Been There, Smithsonian.com, CITY Magazine, Pology, GoNOMAD, Away.com, Transitions Abroad, Matador Network, amongst others.

Some of her articles and photography have been syndicated on MSNBC, Yahoo, New York Daily News, Chicago Sun Times, Huffington Post, and Time Warner.

She has also worked as a field journalist on the web team during Eco-Challenge’s Expedition Race in Fiji and currently volunteers as a photojournalist with the Swedish Red Cross and World Hope International, documenting their projects in countries such as Nicaragua, Sweden, and Cambodia, and C.H.I.E.F – an NGO based in Nigeria that promotes grassroots health development, HIV/AIDS awareness, and the empowerment of women.

Lola describes herself as fiercely passionate as well as compassionate and has a generous heart. She is also guided by her faith.

Here’s Lola Akinmade-Akerstrom on writing, traveling and her approach to both.

What do you find most challenging and most fun about being a travel blogger?

I actually consider myself a writer/photographer and blogging is just one of many platforms I use to share work. What I find the most invigorating in terms of blogging about travel is that I can bring people alongside me and provide a ground-level perspective of where I’m journeying through.

There are various challenges based on what type of travel blogger one is. There are many bloggers whose main goal is to make money through advertising on their site so their challenge is trying to get traffic and viewers. There are others who want to score free trips so their challenge is showing PR companies that they’ll get some return on investment.

For me personally, I earn most of my income from freelancing and so my own challenge is to always have a fresh pool of ideas and a steady backlog of work.

What does it mean to you to travel?

Travel is two-fold for me, and I consider it a part of my life. As idealistic as I am, I also try to keep a balanced view on life. I can’t make travel so consume my life that without it, I feel helpless. Yet, travel is an integral part of my life because I’ve been traveling overseas ever since I was 1 year old.

In terms of travel being two-fold, for me travel is not only about traversing the world, counting countries, and absorbing every other culture while losing yours in the process. Travel also requires that I be an ambassador for my own culture, sharing it and educating others I meet along the way as well.

I see travel as an investment and I wrote about my views here.

What places are on your bucket list and why?

Though I’ve been blessed to visit so many countries (roughly 40 so far), I’ve actually chucked out any bucket lists I had. Because my attitude and philosophy towards travel has changed with time, I’ve stopped looking at life as a checklist and more as a moment by moment experience. If I never get to go skydiving off Kilimanjaro in my lifetime, I won’t have regrets because it wasn’t on some bucket list that defined my life.

That said; I really want to go to the North Pole. It has always been a childhood dream of mine and I know someday it will happen. I also want to visit Mongolia as well as travel through and spend some time in a lot more West African countries.

Describe your dream trip.

I’ve been drawn to the South Pacific for some time now. Though I’ve visited Australia and New Zealand as well as spent 3 weeks in Fiji, my dream trip would be to spend 3-6 months in the South Pacific, island hopping and visiting every single one of those remote islands.

Tell us about a place you visited that you didn’t like.

Brussels was the one place I really didn’t dig. I’m always open to giving it another chance.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself through traveling?

There’s a certain down-to-earth vibe that comes with being a traveler. One thing I’ve learned is to never take anything or anyone at face value. I’m very open-minded and always give everyone the benefit of doubt. I’ve also learned through my travels just how versatile and flexible I can be.

What gadgets do you have to have when you travel?

I still don’t own a smartphone mostly because I want to balance working on my travels with actually experiencing each moment. This may change within the next few months, but right now, I don’t miss having one. I always have a travel netbook as well as a DSLR camera when traveling. I often use my camera to capture what I call “visual notes” which I then piece together into an article (in addition to traditional note taking) when I’m back at my desk.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I would like to point readers to a couple posts that I think might be helpful. I always get questions about breaking into travel writing and photography and I’m always open, honest, and realistic in my responses. Here are a few articles/posts worth reading.

Thank you, Lola, for sharing your insight and your articles with us.

Read more about Lola Akinmade-Akerstrom or follow her blog by visiting her here.

Travel Photo Thursday: Noni

Posted on October 20, 2011October 20, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

A few years ago, Noni was all the rage. Everyone was buying and drinking the juice for its health benefits. When I returned to Jamaica on vacation during the heights of its popularity, a friend pointed it out to me — I had no idea that it grew wild here. Locally, it’s known as “Duppy Soursop.”

In Jamaica, a duppy is a ghost and since the Noni does look a little like a soursop, another tropical fruit, but in a weird and unusual way. It stands to reason that if it looks like a soursop, something people are familiar with but is weird or strange, it must belong to the other world, hence duppy soursop.

Soursop, courtesy rarefloweringtrees.com — Soursop

Noni is said to contain nutrients such Vitamins A and C, niacin, iron and potassium. Like in other countries where it’s grown, in Jamaica, the Noni fruit and its juice, leaves and root are used for a variety of ailments from diabetes to menstrual cramps.

This is my submission to this week’s Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website!

Can I Leave the Person I’ve Become Behind?

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

One of my uncles in Florida always reminds us whenever we travel to Jamaica that we must leave the US behind. By that he means that we have to remember that many of the things that we’ve become used to – service and its efficient delivery, the availability of certain items, etc., will be irritably slow or sometimes non-existent.

But is it really possible to leave the person I’ve become behind?

We are the sum of our experiences. When I left Jamaica for Canada in the early 70s, I took with me all that I was then. I saw and experienced Canada through the prism of that person and it, in turn, shaped and prepared me for my pretty near seamless transition to life in the U.S.

Travel has also provided indelible experiences that I’ve added to my reservoir of knowledge. These too inform and dictate how I view the everyday, and the world.

The person who’s now returned to Jamaica is the same and different. I fall back on my Jamaican-ness but my foreign-ness sees the glaring contrasts, sees what’s missing or what can be done better, faster, more efficiently.

From the garden — Flowers from the garden

Like the day I went to get my phone. As soon as I walked into the store, an agent, who was on the phone sorting out an issue for a customer in line, mouthed that she’d be with me in a few minutes. I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t expecting this level of attention. Clearly, she took her training in customer service to heart.

However, when I wanted to add minutes, or “top up” – pre-paid phones are very common in Jamaica – I was surprised by the antiquated method that was used. The agent pulled out a clipboard with a sheet of paper, asked me for the number, wrote it in one column, then the amount of minutes I was buying in another. (Sometimes, the customer is asked to write the number instead.)

When I handed her the money, it was just put in a drawer, the change returned to me. My number and amount of minutes I purchased were then keyed into a machine that looked like a small cash register. Immediately after, I received a text acknowledging the top up.

There must be a more efficient way to do this, I thought, as right away, I spotted several different ways in which mistakes could be made.

A few days later, I discovered how easily. I had purchased an international plan (1,000 minutes for about $15 – a steal!), and approximately $5 worth of local minutes. I was surprised, when during a local call, I got a message that I had only a minute left.

Where did my $5 go? I called the store but got nowhere so I went in person to sort it out. When I saw the clipboard for that day, my phone number and money were recorded but the confirmation number they would have received after the amount was keyed in was not there.

I’m glad I got the money credited but I shouldn’t have to spend my time chasing $5. I could have used it to do something else.

In the end, none of us can totally leave who we are behind. My hope is that a little of me will rub off, that my being here will be of benefit.

Staying Connected While on the Road

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

One of the issues we face as we travel from developed to developing world is matching the ‘always on’ level of connection we’ve come to expect and enjoy. It becomes particularly critical if you plan to be away for longer than a week and you’ve committed to post everyday.

Prior to leaving the US, I researched connectivity options available through the major providers in Jamaica – Digicel, Lime and Claro – and felt confident that the only difficulty I’d have is deciding which company to use.

Last Monday, I set out to get a new phone and SIM – I had misplaced my Jamaica SIM and the professional I paid in London to unlock my Nokia phone damaged it instead. Getting the phone was the easy part.

When I told the sales person that I wanted to purchase a wireless modem, she asked where I lived. She might have seen the look on my face and quickly added that she had to check to see what service was like in my area. I was surprised. According to Digicel, their 4G service was available everywhere.

She tried the modem on their laptop and it fired up instantly. I’d learned from previous experience that getting anything done with a Mac in Jamaica was problematic so I had her try it on my laptop.

Just as I thought, the modem failed. She recommended another, which at about $100, was almost twice the one I wanted to buy. I was ready to buy but they had none at her location.

We drove to the store she said would have it. When I got there, I decided to check with computer technician at a computer store what modem he’d recommend for the Mac. It wasn’t Digicel’s, the one I was trying to find, but Claro’s, the Mexican company that is reportedly eyeing Digicel for purchase.

Luckily for me, Claro was on the floor below but their Mac expert was out and the modem resupply had not yet arrived. It’d be here in about an hour, I was told.

View of the Caribbean Sea from the Montego Bay Convention Center

Since I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and it was getting closer to 2 p.m., I decided lunch was my priority. After lunch, I called – the modem and technician were both there. But he was doubtful their modem would work properly in my location. The signal would most likely fade or drop entirely, he said, so he advised me not to buy.

I thanked him and made my way to the Digicel store. The modem was in stock. The sales person (and Mac expert) to whom I was directed was there. Again, the modem that was supposed to work with a Mac, didn’t. She tried three different devices and called their technicians to assist but no joy. I left the store near 5 p.m. — no modem and no way to get connected.

When I told my cousin, she said I should use her DSL service. I was able to hook my laptop up but the connection is so slow, it drops every few minutes.

So, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to be online long enough to keep up with all your posts. I do hope to get this sorted out soon as I do miss my ‘always on’ connection.

I guess the best part is that I’ve been reading more and getting to bed earlier!

A Taste of Jamaica in Photos

Posted on October 17, 2011August 3, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

The Taste of Jamaica, a display of local foods and culinary contests, was held over the weekend at the Convention Center near Montego Bay. Here are some photos of the event.

A medley of local fruits and vegetables at a Taste of Jamaica — Fruits and vegetables

Ackees at Taste of Jamaica — Ackee, the National Fruit

Sample meal from the chef's competition at Taste of Jamaica — Sample from the chefs’ competition

Taste of Jamaica - Beverages — Beverage samples

Beverage samples from Taste of Jamaica — Beverage samples

Attendees at the Taste of Jamaica — Part of the crowd

Taste of Jamaica Ice sculpting contest — Ice sculptors

I’m still trying to sort out my internet connection, which is spotty at best. As a result, I haven’t been able to spend much time online. Please bear with me, I promise to get to your comments and catch up on all the posts that I’ve missed.

Soulful Sundays: Nana Mouskouri

Posted on October 16, 2011November 28, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

A few weeks ago, when I featured Shirley Bassey on Soulful Sundays, my blog buddy, Narelle mentioned Nana Mouskouri. I hadn’t thought of her in quite a while but I promised Narelle that I’d feature her soon.

I was introduced to Mouskouri when I lived in Ottawa — feels like decades now. I remember the media referring to her as the woman who made wearing glasses ‘sexy.’ One story that made the rounds then was that when she toured with Harry Belafonte, he asked her not to wear her glasses. She refused. Indeed, she is a very attractive woman. But it’s her voice that is captivating in its simplicity. Give a listen to her singing The White Rose of Athens. I also love her rendition of Amazing Grace.

Nana Mouskouri, from sweetslyrics.com — Nana Mouskouri

Born Joanna Mouskouri on October 13, 1934 in Crete, she became known to family and friends simply as Nana. She has recorded jazz, world, Greek folk, Pop, and Classical music. Mouskouri has more than 230 gold and platinum albums and nearly 400 million discs worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female recording artist of all time.

In addition to her music, Mouskouri was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1993 and was elected a Member of the European Parliament from 1995-9.

Mouskouri retired in 2008 giving a farewell concert in Athens, Greece.

Random Travel Images: New York City

Posted on October 15, 2011August 3, 2013 by Marcia Mayne

As I’ve written previously, one of the things I love about New York is the variety of foods to be had.

Mama Mexico is a restaurant near work that I go to frequently for lunch, especially when we have a large group or colleagues visiting. A few weeks ago, I had dinner there with a group of friends. I wouldn’t normally have ordered the paella but one of them insisted. The presentation alone was enough to fill up my stomach. The taste was absolutely divine!

Random Travel Images: Stellenbosch

Posted on October 14, 2011October 15, 2011 by Marcia Mayne

Vineyard in Stellenbosch, South Africa — Vineyard, Stellenbosch, South Africa

: Vineyard, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Whether or not you like or drink wine, you shouldn’t go to Cape Town without visiting Stellenbosch, which, along with Paarl and Franschhoek, make up the wine growing region of South Africa. Only about 35 miles outside of Cape Town, it is well worth the drive to see the landscape, visit some of its many vineyards and sample its wines and brandys.