Meet Emmy-Award Winning Journalist and Travel Vlogger, Tinabeth Piña
Shaping Cultural Experiences
Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My
Update & BBC News Link
A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May
From Nigeria to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid
Annual Human Rights Report
“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and
Euro Crisis & Emerging Stereotypes
Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In
Remembering Tiananmen
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger
Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
Today’s CultureTrav interview is with Tinabeth Piña, an EMMY award winning broadcast journalist and travel vlogger. adidas factory outlet
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What inspired the creation of Tinabeth Travels?
I’ve been an avid traveler since I was a kid! I was lucky to have parents who took their kids on their travels so that wanderlust was instilled in me at a very young age!
As I got older, one thing I realized/noticed when I traveled was –“wow I wish someone had told me that” or ” I didn’t know that” or “I’ll remember to tell someone that if they go there.” So when I saw tons of travel sites popping up online that really didn’t answer some of those questions – I decided to just do it myself. So, on my blog I produce videos offering tips based on where I ‘d just traveled to. Those tips can run the gamut from how to travel to CUBA independently to how to avoid altitude sickness in Macchu Pichu.
The site also highlights some travel deals that I found online that I think are worthwhile, it links to my TripAdvisor reviews, and I also share how much I paid for my trips, where I stayed and what I did. I don’t get paid by anyone/companies to do this — although I wish I did – its just been a labor love because I’m truly a passionate traveler.
Share more about Globe Scholars! Why do you think studying abroad is such a valuable experience?
Globe Scholars is a web series that I have created that encourages students & adults to study, intern, volunteer – basically learn while abroad.
I think study abroad is important, especially in the political climate we currently live in, because in so many ways it’s educational diplomacy at its best. Globe Scholars can be a way to encourage people to create a path to global citizenship. Season one of the web series premiered in January 2018, and it consists of 4 minute episodes about Cuba, The Middle East, India and a Spanish exchange student who traveled to NYC to learn.
In season two, we explore Cuba but from a different angle, Spain and Puerto Rico. All of the locations in the web series are chosen based on places I have traveled to in the past — that way I can relate to the traveler being interviewed on camera. I also shot a 1/2 hour broadcast pilot that is in consideration for national distribution – so needless to say, I’m very excited about the potential of the series both online and broadcast.
Update: Globe Scholars, the web series, recently won a Communicator award.
What excites you about creating your “travel minute” videos? Do you get fun feedback on the topics before posting?
What excites me most about creating the travel minute videos is that although its work — they are fun to produce and it doesn’t feel like work.
It’s very gratifying when people tell me how useful the information is to them, or when people email me out of the blue and ask for my advice based on certain videos. It’s a service for people who want to learn and see more than just someone videotaping themselves on a beach to get likes as opposed to actually giving useful information. It really is news you can use.
Update: Tinabeth’s “travel minute” Macchu Picchu video recently won a Telly award!
When it comes to your personal travels, how do you think exploring the local culture of a destination helps you discover its unique story and layers of history?
When it comes to travel, in general, you can be just a tourist hitting all of the touristy sports in one full swipe, and that’s fine if that’s what you like. Or, you can try to combine really exploring the area like a local, take it in, live there if its only for a few days & that can really help you not only uncover that area’s unique history; but, help you to better understand its people, the cuisine — the reason why that place is what it is.
When I travel, I usually just book it on my own so I can travel at my own pace. I definitely hit some tourist attractions but not all of the time because after a while — I get tired of everything touristy!
Share about a particularly memorable trip you’ve been on! Why was it so special?
All of my trips are memorable in some way, shape, or form but one that meant a lot to me was when I did my Middle Eastern vacation to Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.
There’s always been a part of me who wanted to be an archaeologist/anthropologist. I remember learning about the Pyramids in school, or about the stations of the cross (I attended Catholic school from K-12) — and to have the opportunity to see that in person was beyond my wildest dreams. Imagine standing in front of something that was built 4,000 years ago! How did they do it???
What advice would you share with a budding travel entrepreneur?
Just do it. There’s always room for one more travel entrepreneur, but try to find your own voice and your own niche to help you stand out amongst the rest!
Follow Tinabeth Piña and her videos on her website, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
