How to Become a Supermodel Even if you Don?t Live in the World?s Fashion Capitals

January 18th, 2010

We’ve all heard the small-town boy/girl turned supermodel story before, like supermodel Alek Wek, who was born in the remote southern Sudanese town of Wau. But how likely is it that an aspiring model will get noticed when from a small town, whether in middle-America or the middle of the dessert?

In the case of Alek, her family moved to Britain to avoid civil war, and Alek was discovered in London, so she was in fact in one of the fashion capitals. But there’s still a lot that her situation can teach the average aspiring model. For one, you do need to be ready to travel to the fashion capitals if you want to make it big (New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Milan) but the good news is you don’t have to be born there.

If you’re not lucky enough to be discovered randomly on the street like Alek, then you can at least benefit from the great equalizer, the internet!

There are lots of modeling portfolio sites out there that can connect you to the top modeling agencies without requiring you to move. New Faces Models and Talent at www. newfaces. com was the first of these internet portfolio sites that connects models with top modeling agencies.

New Faces and other modeling portfolio sites allow you to post your photos and stats online for agencies to browse and contact you, which means that no matter where you live, you can be seen in the big markets by the top agencies.

Modeling portfolio sites are only as good as the agencies that use them to scout models, so make sure that the big names like Ford Models, Elite Model Management, Storm Models, Q Model Management and 1 Model Management (which discovered Alek) are listed.

Remember you have to be proactive to succeed, so while a site like New Faces makes all these agencies available, you have to make sure you have quality photos available and manage your portfolio by checking it often and updating your photos. And when an agent or agency contacts you through your online portfolio, be sure to respond promptly and in a professional manner – and who knows, you might be the next supermodel discovery!

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Next Vacation, Forget the Hotel – Rent a Vacation Villa Instead

January 14th, 2010

Are you ready to take your vacation time to the next level? Forget the humdrum mass experience of all-inclusive resorts and mammoth hotels, the newest trend in travel is renting a private vacation villa.

The Caribbean is the hot spot for villa rentals and St. Thomas in the U. S. virgin Islands, a United States territory, is a preferred destination for Caribbean villa rentals. It’s close to the United States and Canada, with lots of direct flights – and the language is English. Plus in the capital city of Charlotte Amalie, there’s terrific duty-free shopping!

Charlotte Amalie offers lots of vacation activities with fishing, golfing, parasailing, shopping, scuba diving, submarine rides, hiking, sightseeing; and some of the world’s most famous beaches, like Magen’s Bay, are only a few minutes away. The island of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands has a history that spans hundreds of years. While visiting St. Thomas you will find hints of European, North American and the Caribbean cultures all around you.

An example of a St. Thomas villa rental is Island View Estate at www. islandviewestate. com. This 4,000 sq. ft villa is perched on a gated hilltop estate offering the most spectacular view of St. Thomas’ pictureque harbor. Each of the four air-conditioned extra large master bedroom suites contain its own private balcony and extra large travertine-tiled bathroom.

Picture yourself sipping drinks with your family or friends around the villa’s private 18′x40′ swimming pool and terrace with one of the most spectacular views in St. Thomas. Compare the luxury of a breathtaking private pool at your villa rental with the typical hotel resort pool struggle for a chaise lounge while being bombarded with someone else’s kids squealing as they canonball into the crowded pool. . . . where would you rather be?

If you enjoy your bells and whistles at home, why give them up when on vacation? The Island View Estate villa comes fully loaded with high definition large-screen 55′ TV with Surround Sound, DVD players and collection of movies and music, a safe, cable tv, a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen, a stainless steel gas barbeque, and the list goes on.

A private villa rental in St. Thomas when shared with three other couples can end up costing less than staying in a standard hotel for a week. With its four spacious bedroom suites, the villa is the perfect setting for a family vacation, family reunion or vacation with your best friends.

Isn’t it time you upgraded your vacation to something special?

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Airline Safety: Increase Your Odds

January 9th, 2010

Long before, but especially since the 911 airline hijackings, people are weary of airline travel. A lot of people want to know they are riding on a safe airline. Airlines for the most part are safe, and the most dangerous factors usually include flying conditions (such as storms, or mountain terrain). Proper planning of destinations and good airline security lessens the chance of terrorists, bombs and hijackings. Of course there are always the rare occasions that something horrible will happen, but it is said to be 100s of times more dangerous to travel by car than it is by plane. That statistic should be comfort enough. The International Aviation Safety Assessment is a guide to which countries meet the airline safety checks, not the airlines themselves.
The majority of airline accidents occur on take off and landing, so you should try and book flights that don’t have a stop over destination. That’s a good preventative measure right there, not only that, but you wont have to sit and wait to change planes half way through your flight. Another good way to fly safer is to know that larger airplanes have stricter rules and the passengers have a better chance of survival if the plane should crash, so you might want to consider booking your flight with a large airplane of thirty or more passengers.
Like anything else, always be aware of the closest emergency exit, and consider keeping your seat belt on at all times while seated. This is especially true if you are nervous about turbulence; which is often unexpected and can cause injury. You should also keep anything too heavy out of the overhead carrier in case of turbulence. You don’t want anything to fall on you or anyone else. Also, allow the flight attendants to handle your hot drinks and food as they are trained to handle it and can safely manage giving it to you. You don’t want to be walking around with a hot cup of coffee in your hand and have some turbulence spill it all over you or someone else.
As far as airplane crashes go, they are very rare. However, if the incident should occur, try to remain calm and listen to the flight attendants. They know how to handle situations and keep you safe. Often the very front or very back of the plane is the safest. Sitting close to the wings is the worse place to sit. If the plane wings get torn off in a crash it could tear the fuselage and cause death to anyone near the carnage.
But don’t worry, airline travel is safe. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Just believe you will live and you don’t have anything to worry about.

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International Travel Insurance – Don’t Leave Home Without It

December 18th, 2009

Does this sound familiar? You’ve saved and saved for that perfect vacation you’ve always dreamt about. You’re in the travel agent’s office, you’ve just purchased your very expensive ticket and she’s saying that you should buy some international travel insurance too. You roll your eyes because you’re sure all this international travel insurance business is nonsense and she’s just trying to get some more of your money. You say no thanks. While on your vacation, you crash your car and get hurt. Guess what? You’ve got to foot all the expenses yourself and because you didn’t want to get international travel insurance.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, international travel insurance is a must have if you intend to travel out of your own country. Since you’re not familiar, right about now you’re probably asking what international travel insurance is. Simply put, it is a temporary insurance policy which you buy before you leave on your trip. Typically, coverage lasts the full duration of your trip but, depending on who you’re insured with, your international travel insurance can be extended for up to 12 months.
A lot of people couldn’t be bothered with the added expense but there is always the small possibility that something can happen. A good international travel insurance policy will provide three things: good coverage at a reasonable price, readily available emergency assistance and efficient claims processing. It should also cover most circumstances. Your international travel insurance isn’t adequate if it doesn’t cover medical expenses, medical evacuation, travel cancellation and deferment costs, loss of luggage, rental vehicle expenses, death expenses, personal liability and legal expenses.
There is most often a need for international travel health insurance, to cover medical expenses. This can include hospital stays, medication and doctor’s fees. However, international travel health insurance is a godsend in more critical situations as it also covers ambulance services and emergency-related travel expenses, which is especially important in third world countries where supplies are limited and you may need to be transported to another country.
While you may not think that the cost of such international travel health insurance coverage is justified for a short, weekend trip, if you’re going to be hiking through malaria infested forests over those two days, you might want to think again. Use your discretion. It’s much better to be prepared for a possible emergency than to fall ill or get injured and not have any international travel health insurance coverage.

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International Travel Insurance – Don’t Leave Home Without It

December 6th, 2009

Does this sound familiar? You’ve saved and saved for that perfect vacation you’ve always dreamt about. You’re in the travel agent’s office, you’ve just purchased your very expensive ticket and she’s saying that you should buy some international travel insurance too. You roll your eyes because you’re sure all this international travel insurance business is nonsense and she’s just trying to get some more of your money. You say no thanks. While on your vacation, you crash your car and get hurt. Guess what? You’ve got to foot all the expenses yourself and because you didn’t want to get international travel insurance.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, international travel insurance is a must have if you intend to travel out of your own country. Since you’re not familiar, right about now you’re probably asking what international travel insurance is. Simply put, it is a temporary insurance policy which you buy before you leave on your trip. Typically, coverage lasts the full duration of your trip but, depending on who you’re insured with, your international travel insurance can be extended for up to 12 months.
A lot of people couldn’t be bothered with the added expense but there is always the small possibility that something can happen. A good international travel insurance policy will provide three things: good coverage at a reasonable price, readily available emergency assistance and efficient claims processing. It should also cover most circumstances. Your international travel insurance isn’t adequate if it doesn’t cover medical expenses, medical evacuation, travel cancellation and deferment costs, loss of luggage, rental vehicle expenses, death expenses, personal liability and legal expenses.
There is most often a need for international travel health insurance, to cover medical expenses. This can include hospital stays, medication and doctor’s fees. However, international travel health insurance is a godsend in more critical situations as it also covers ambulance services and emergency-related travel expenses, which is especially important in third world countries where supplies are limited and you may need to be transported to another country.
While you may not think that the cost of such international travel health insurance coverage is justified for a short, weekend trip, if you’re going to be hiking through malaria infested forests over those two days, you might want to think again. Use your discretion. It’s much better to be prepared for a possible emergency than to fall ill or get injured and not have any international travel health insurance coverage.

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