Meet Arijana Rubin of WISHRENT

Arijana Rubin is the founder and CEO of WISHRENT, the world's first and greatest online rental and selling platform for all unique and creative things. You can rent out, borrow, sell, or buy costumes, props, historical clothes, wedding & bridal dresses, LARP & cosplay items, and many other crazy things!

To learn more, visit http://www.wishrent.com/ or check out the WISHRENT page on Facebook.

1. How did you get the idea to start WISHRENT?

As a professional working model, a cosplayer and larper (Live-Action Roleplayer), I often faced the problem that I didn't have the time or the money to craft new accessories, costumes or props for my cosplays and also noticed that production companies or other cosplayers invest a lot of time and money in something they only actually use once or twice (which is a shame). I also had storage space issues--the costumes, props and other special items I possessed took up a lot of time and space. So I thought to myself, wouldn't it be great if people (who own a cool costume or other special item) could rent/lend out costumes to each other for a shorter period of time? That saves not only a lot of time and money, and is sustainable but also enables creative people to earn some money with their work, without having to permanently say goodbye to their treasures. So I came up with WISHRENT, a way to rent out your personal wishes. :) We are the world's largest online platform for the rental and sales of costumes, props and other special clothes and accessories, and anyone can participate!

2. Where do people need to live to be able to use your service?

Most European countries as well as the U.S. and Canada can use my service. Here's a full list of all the countries that can currently use the service: U.S.A, Canada, UK, Germany (the main country using it currently), Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

3. What are some of the most popular items that people have been borrowing so far?

Game of Thrones Dresses and Wigs (a la Daenerys Targaryen), opulent Ballroom Dresses, Fantasy Headdresses, Mermaid Fins/Tails (that one can actually swim in), Fairytale and Princess Dresses, Evening and Wedding Dresses, Elf Armour, and more!

4. What are some benefits for people when it comes to borrowing something rather than buying it outright?

The benefits for people when it comes to borrowing rather than buying it outright are...

For Borrowers:

a.) Saving Money: The borrowers save a lot of money by borrowing. Instead of buying a ballroom dress that costs 500 Euros to buy, they can rent it for a whole week for just 40 Euros a week. Or instead of paying 1500 Euros for a wedding dress that one only needs for one day, they can rent it out on my platform for a price as little as 15 Euro a week! That's saving a lot of money!

b.) Saving Space: Borrowing frees a lot of space for the borrower! Instead of cluttering up their closets by buying a lot of things they only use a few times, they can simply rent out something for a brief while then return it, thus saving them from drowning in the clutter of their homes!

c.) Sustainability, Community and the Environment: We live in an age of over-consumption and materialism! Sharing between one another is not just more sustainable and better for the environment than buying a lot of stuff that gathers dust! You interact more with the community and get to know more people by borrowing rather than just buying!

d.) Save time: Many people make their own costumes and props. By borrowing something you can save a lot of the time spent making it!

e.) Flexibility & Variety: Since borrowing is so much cheaper than buying and you have a huge access to so many creative things--you can try out new looks, costumes or props every week without breaking the bank! That wasn't possible before because you had to buy it!

And for Lenders/Renters:

a.) Make Money: It's a much more sustainable way to make money. Instead of having special things you made or bought sitting around in the dust, you can make them go to work for you. By renting them out, you can cover what it cost to make them or buy them and even earn money. Your trash (or treasure) could be someone else's for a brief time.

b.) Lenders don't have to part with their beloved items forever like sellers have to do! :)

5. Do you have plans to continue to expand WISHRENT in the future--and is there anything else you'd like readers to know about it?

Yes, I have plans to expand WISHRENT into the future and have it reach out to every corner of the world, particularly Asia and mostly Japan (the birthplace of Cosplay!) We are covering a good portion of Europe and North America now but we want to give everyone a chance to rent out amazing things!

There are also plans to turn WISHRENT into a mobile app which is easily accessible for everyone and to institute an Escrow system for safer borrowing procedures!

I would like readers to know that...

1.) One can also SELL and BUY on WISHRENT. Yes, the core market is mostly based on rentals and borrowing, but buying and selling your creative or unique items is also a possibility we have recently introduced! :)

2.) You can save on shipping by using the map view option to find things in your area and pick them up directly from the lender or seller! By borrowing this locally, you save a lot on the shipping costs back and forth! :) Currently we have items all over Germany, but we are also waiting for input from all over the world!

3.) You can sell or lend out anything creative or unique or special on our platform!

4.) For added security regarding the lending procedures, we are asking that all lenders ask for a deposit, ship with tracking, and ask to have their items returned via shipped tracking or use one of our rental contract samples and review people honestly! Our community has so far been trustworthy and there have been no issues, but there could be future black sheep!

5.) We are young; tell your friends and family young and old! This is the most unique platform in a long time, and you won't find such special items anywhere else! :)

Thanks, Arijana!

An Excerpt from The Wave by Lochlan Bloom

This striking black and white cover for The Wave by debut novelist Lochlan Bloom caught my attention--doesn't it make you want to find out more about the story?

The plot suggests an interesting mix of meta-fiction with a slightly dark edge and hints of David Lynch. After speaking to the author online, Lochlan sent me an excerpt from the opening of the book which appears below.

The Wave will be released next month by Dead Ink Books and is available to pre-order from: deadinkbooks.com/product/the-wave-by-lochlan-bloom/

Lochlan has completed recent projects for BBC Radio Scotland and written for Slant Magazine and Ironbox Films amongst others. He is the author of several pieces of short fiction including the novella Trade and The Open Cage.

The BBC Writersroom describes his writing as "unsettling and compelling… vivid, taut and grimly effective work," and he has written for Litro Magazine, Porcelain Film, EIU, H+ Magazine as well as Calliope, the official publication of the Writers’ Special Interest Group (SIG) of American Mensa.

He has attend the invitation only SCENEinsiders event at the Gothenberg Film Festival and currently has a feature length script in production with Porcelain Film. He has also taken part in workshops from the Publishing Training Centre and EdinburghMediabase.

Lochlan lives in London and does not have a cat or a dog.

For more details visit: http://lochlanbloom.com.

*

(from) The Wave

μ opened the front door and there it was. It struck him as unusual. There was never normally post for him – some bills perhaps – but even that was less now that he had moved flats.

He turned the envelope over, feeling its weight. The heavy-duty manila suggested its contents might be valuable. His name was written on the front in thick marker pen. Brightly coloured stamps and postmarks crowded together – wavy lines of red ink. One mark looked like it read: "Brasil" and another: "Airmail." μ didn’t know anyone in Brazil.

He pulled at the thick glue that held the envelope shut. Inside lay a sheaf of typed sheets. Names and descriptions of locations were interspersed with clips of dialogue, as if someone had been following people, noting down their actions. It made no sense. Had some confidential dossier been sent to him by mistake? He looked closer.

It appeared to be some sort of film script. He didn't read these sorts of things and he struggled to grasp the layout. Most of each page was white space, broken only by small regular clumps of text floating in the centre. Why had it been sent to him?

He leafed quickly through. Page after page was covered in light grey font reminiscent of old-fashioned manual typewriters. He ran his finger over one of the pages but it was smooth and appeared to have been printed rather than hand typed. Who would send him this? He checked the envelope again; it definitely looked like one of the stamps read "Brasil." There was no letter of explanation enclosed.

μ threw his bag on the couch and placed the script on the table, orbiting around it. The flat took up two floors of a draughty old building that had been half-heartedly renovated in order to rent out. The landlord was never there and his flatmates weren’t back by so he had the place to himself.

He flicked through the first few pages. What a disappointment! Twelve pages in and it was clear that this was no "Citizen Kane." Instead there was a confused story about a character named Ddunsel, who seemed to be the main suspect in a case involving several abductions, child molestation and murder. In several places graphic descriptions of his crimes were included. He seemed to be some sort of all-powerful psychopath. The action jumped around at random and the dialogue was uniformly poor. Who had sent him this drivel?

The few sections that contained anything approaching a decent plot were ill-thought-out and μ felt a dislike for the writing. There was no narrative line, only a haphazard collection of scenes, and it was obviously written by someone with little love of language.

Despite the clumsy phrasing, μ felt it was all written for a purpose, as if by some malevolent intelligence. He was in the middle of reading one repulsive section, describing the brutal rape and murder of a young boy by Ddunsel, when the sound of the front door made him jump.

They would all be returning for dinner. μ put the manuscript down and then, on impulse, covered it with a magazine. He had nothing to hide, but still, child murder was not what he wanted them to think he usually read.

He was sharing the house with foreigners. They entered, talking amongst themselves, and threw a nod in μ's direction. He nodded back and they busied themselves preparing their evening meal. There were only three others that actually lived there – Georgi, Ivan and Katarina – but often their friends would come around in the evenings and as many as ten or twelve of them would sit in the shared space eating and talking.

μ had not stayed in the flat for long but it already felt a lot better than the place he had been before. It was hard to believe that he had stayed in that old house for so long. Now he was sure his problems were behind him.

"All those people living on top of each other, rubbing against each other every day," he thought. "It's just as well that I moved out."

*

Learn more about The Wave by visiting Dead Ink Books.

A Site for Rentals in Split Croatia

Have you ever thought about traveling to Split, Croatia? It's the second-largest city in Croatia, and it's in a beautiful location on the Adriatic Sea. It's a picturesque location with a coastal mountain range, and it's a convenient place to stay if you're going to visit nearby islands, too. The city has a combination of old, historic locations and newer and renovated buildings.

If you're wanting to browse places to stay in Split, check out Split-rentals.co.uk. You can find a variety of houses (villas), hotels, and apartments that are available to rent. The listing for each property gives you a lot of relevant information about amenities, location, and more.

Split is a popular vacation destination because of its well-preserved natural setting and mild, sunny climate. Who wouldn't want to enjoy a clean, turquoise sea? Plus, if you are interested in history, you'll find a lot of attractions to visit, such as Roman ruins and archaeological areas.

In addition to providing information on rentals, Split-rentals.co.uk also gives lots of useful details about Split such as what parts of the city are best to stay in, what times of year are best to visit, what events occur in the city during different months, what restaurants are best, and what the must-see sights are. The site also gives a list of the city's best beaches.

I always like to check out several different websites before I visit a new city, and Split-rentals.co.uk is a good starting point to get ideas about the different types of accommodations in Split as well as the different things to do if you decide to visit.

Meet Daniel Wicharz, Senior Sales Executive

Daniel Wicharz is a Senior Sales Executive with Skrill. He began working with the European payment provider Skrill at the end of 2013, and he is responsible for sales operations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In the past, Daniel worked as Senior Sales Representative for payment provider PayPal where he gained experience in the e-payment industry. He has also worked for other well-known companies, including Google and Apple. Learn more about Daniel by clicking here and here.

1. How did you first become interested in working with online payment providers in your career? 2. What do you enjoy most about your current position with Skrill?

I enjoy the speed of transformation of the industry and the "hidden" overall value. Online payment providers like Skrill make payments happen online with extremely low fraud rates that nobody could ever imagine just one decade before. Even in high risk industries, we manage to decrease fraud to a level that even the cash industry cannot beat, especially when you take fake money into comparison. We make payments happen on a global level from the states to Europe, Australia, everywhere. Who could have foreseen one generation before, that it is as easy to pay someone on the other side of the planet as someone next door.

3. How do you see the world of online payments developing and changing over the next year or so?

It will change by far. I am sure we will see "online" payment penetrating also the physical stores. The trend to paying with your mobile phone or even your watch in a store will become mainstream.

Thanks, Daniel!

Introducing Englanti Editing, a Useful Site for Writers and Readers

Englanti Editing is a Finland-based business offering services for people who need documents, websites, and other materials edited. The cool thing about their website is that it also provides a variety of free resources for writers and readers.

The site showcases good writing and helps to promote the work of up and coming authors. On the Featured Books page, you can read about books from independent authors, learn about the authors themselves, and read excepts of their work. The genres/topics of the book vary, and I found some interesting selections including flash fiction, historical fiction, and a coming of age novel. Authors are invited to contact Englanti Editing to ask about having their books featured on the website as well as on Facebook.

Authors can also contact Englanti Editing to ask about having one of their short stories published in its entirety on the website. The site has a nice selection of stories, all of which are suitable for readers of all ages. You can also find author interviews by clicking the Interviews and Insights link on the site. I always like to find another website which features author interviews, so it was a pleasure for me to visit this link in particular!

Writers who visit the site are invited to participate in the Leaf Writing Challenge; writers can share stories written from the perspective of "a leaf being carried on the breeze," and the editors at Englanti Editing will feature selected stories on their website and also give award certificates to the best stories received by December of 2015.

It's always nice to find a business that gives back to its community--in this case, the business gives back by providing a platform to help authors get their work out into the world, and by providing readers a place to find new authors and works to enjoy. I'll be interested to see what other literary content EnglantiEditing.com features over time!

London Drivers for Sightseeing and Private Transfers

Followers of this blog might remember when I posted before about custom tours of Italy where you travel in a minivan. So here's another post about an inconspicuous way to travel abroad. Did you know that there are licensed private car services in and around London that can cost you 40% less than a taxi? If you need to get to an airport or a cruise ship port, or if you just want to do some sightseeing, you can hire a car for less.

For example, for a cab Manchester to London (or London to Manchester, of course), you can find an affordable transfer fare, especially if you book ahead of time. You can also choose from different types of cars, from an executive car that carries three passengers, up to a minibus which carries up to eight passengers.

The drivers are licensed professionals, and they can pick you up at all sorts of popular points in and around London. They have fixed prices for common journeys, so you know what to expect, and nobody will be playing any games with the meter! Submit the info about your journey using the "request quote" feature on the London Drivers site, and plan your travel budget accordingly.

Learn more about London Drivers on YouTube.

Meet Mark Wolk of A La Carte Italy Tours

Mark Wolk is a business owner, tour leader, and head chauffeur. His business, A La Carte Italy Tours, offers a personalized luxury tour service in Italy.

1. How and when did A La Carte Italy Tours get started as a business?

A La Carte Italy Tours started fourteen years ago in the hope of bringing Italy closer to travelers. We all know that there are many tourists wanting to see Italy and its beautiful spots. The tours we provide are custom-made to suit their every need and interest. We cater exclusively to smaller groups, mainly coming from the USA and Canada, to give them a personalized luxury tour service. We try to give our clients the best service; that is why we have lasted all these years. Most of our clients remember us and even recommend us to those wanting to travel here in Italy. Not to mention our returning clients--some coming back for a second or third tour!

2. What are some of the benefits for travelers who work with you to arrange an individualized tour, rather than participating in a tour with a large group?

When you work with a large group, a lot of time and energy are wasted on organization, waiting, and large vehicle logistics. If you come in a small group--say a couple, a small family, or probably a group of friends up to six individuals--we can provide a tailor-made tour to Italy that is one of a kind. We chose to specialize exclusively in private tours, so our clients can be comfortable with each other and enjoy the trip all throughout.

The real aim here is to provide our clients, mostly Americans and Canadians, a personalized luxury tour to see the different beautiful places of Italy. As this is a private tour, everything is set to fit the clients' requirements. We prepare our proposition for the places to visit day-by-day and decide the places to go and see first. Our clients also have a free hand to drop by preferred places on the way, stop for an unscheduled photograph, etc.

Generally, we allow two weeks or more for the tour to maximize time and the benefits it provides. So it is going to be an enjoyable trip that will make memories.

3. How do you customize the tour for each traveler or family?

Italy is beautiful place to see, be it in huge cities like Milan, Rome, or Venice, or the coastlines like the Amalfi Coast and Sicily. As a private tour company, we have studied and plotted these magnificent tourist destinations for many years to allow our clients to choose the places they prefer to see.

Let us say in the Amalfi Coast tour, we allow our dearest customers to see the West Coast of Italy. We provide them a private local driver who has great knowledge of these places, and we also have local specialist guides explain the rich history and culture of the area.

We suggest ten days to see the Amalfi Coast, Central Italy, Northeastern Italy, Northwestern Italy, a Rome to Amalfi tour, Sicily, and Tuscany. As for most tastes, there are more attractions to see in Milan-Tuscany and Rome, and the private tour should take around twelve days. The Rome-Florence-Venice tour should take fourteen days. To see the best of the Northern part of Italy, the tour should take around fifteen days. To see the best of Italy should take seventeen days.

Our clients are provided with great and comfortable accommodations. They are also privileged as we organize Italian cuisine and wine tasting in the best possible conditions.

The price is variable to suit the number of participants in each tour. We are usually booked ahead well in advance, and we suggest that our customers make their bookings at least three months before the trip. A La Carte Italy Tours is a personalized quality tour service that gives customers the utmost satisfaction.

4. Why did you choose minivans as the chauffeured vehicles for your tours?

A minivan is a great choice for the tour as it is comfortable when it comes to having more people riding the vehicle. Passengers can easily talk to each other, and there is more room for the luggage. It is easier to travel and to see the beautiful places of Italy along the way. Using this vehicle will allow the passengers to see better as it is large enough inside, but small enough for all Italian roads and streets. The minivan is provided with great air conditioning and heat to suit the warm weather or the cold season.

5. What has been some of the feedback you've received from clients who have enjoyed your custom-made tours?

Absolutely all our clients are happy with our personalized luxury service. They are provided with a tour guide and chauffeur that take them to the many beautiful places in Italy. They see truly magnificent tourist attractions at a price worth the effort. As this is a tailor-made tour suited to their requirements, we as the provider make it a point to never miss what is included in the itinerary. The service is great; hence our clients are always satisfied with it.

The most rewarding feedback we received from our clients is their wish to return to Italy. Our clients enjoy our personalized luxury service, and most of them write to us after the tour to keep in touch.

We love to share our love for Italy. One of our clients enjoyed visiting Maranello so much with us that he wrote to us from the cruise ship that took him back home to the USA. He admitted he had just purchased a Ferrari on eBay, while at sea! It was a remarkable gesture how this client remembered us and considered us his new-found friends.

Thanks, Mark!

The Launch of Mizpah.com

A friend of this blog, Helena Lind, is getting ready to launch a new website for her company, MIZPAH® Jewels. Helena is a creative artist and professional who has taken a great deal of time and care in creating her line of jewels and gifts. The line is named after a word from the Holy Scriptures which is translated to mean "hopeful expectation" and to symbolize peace and wisdom.

The jewels are made in Britain and the European Union from solid, natural metals. The designs are detailed and have been created by artisans to meet Helena's high standards. There are pendants, charms, and other pieces as well. Truly, the project is a labor of love. In Helena's words, ""The mysterious word MIZPAH spoke to me since I was little. To me it was a magical spell of goodness, not knowing then that it would be exactly that for my life one far away day."

Keep up with the launch of this beautiful jewelry line by following Mizpah on Facebook.

Meet Sunnie Rae, Writer and Makeup Artist

Sunnie Rae was born in Vienna, Austria. As a child she discovered a passion for writing, and in 2006 she wrote her first novel (unpublished). In 2004 she has started a training as a makeup artist and since then has been doing makeup for photo shoots and films.

Sunnie Rae adds: "I've been through a lot in my life, but I've always kept the light in my heart. I'm currently working on a movie with Joseph Van Buren from NYC. I love life, animals, my family, movies, and of course writing.

Keep up with Sunnie Rae on Facebook and on Twitter.

1. Would you tell us a little bit about your writing and the projects you're currently working on?

I've been writing since I was a child. I started with poems and short stories. Now I write novels and screenplays (which I love the most). I'm currently working on three screenplays for gk-movies from Austria, and I'm very proud to work with Joseph Van Buren from New York City. It's a sci-fi/fantasy film we want to shoot in summer next year.

2. How do you combine your work as a writer with your work as a make up artist?

Usually I don't combine them, you know. Most of the time I write, and if I find time or an interesting project, I become a makeup artist again. :) When I write a movie, I also do some makeup for the film as I did with gk-movies and with Joseph. Especially if it's a low-budget or an independent movie, this is a great opportunity for the producers to save money.

3. How did you first become interested in becoming a makeup artist?

It's been a long time since then, so I don't really remember, I guess, but I think it was as I saw WHAT you can do with makeup. It's like plastic surgery for the moment. You can correct shapes and make every girl or woman beautiful. To see how they smile and shine when you're finished with their makeup is a great feeling.

4. In your experience, what are the main differences in writing for the page (novels/stories) and writing for the screen (screenplays)?

I think the main differences are how they "look" like on page and the style of writing. In a novel you can write what this person thinks, how this person feels, and you have hundreds of pages where you can describe the main character and his past. In a screenplay you can't do this. You have to let us know about the person, his past, and his feelings through what he says, how he talks, how he looks or reacts, and so on. You should let the audience know everything about the character through his behavior because there is no time to explain everything. I think such a movie would be boring to watch. Also, a novel is more feelings-driven, while a screenplay is more (or should be more) character- or action-driven.

5. What do you hope to accomplish in the next five years?

I hope to still get chances to write screenplays and to finish my novel. I want to move from Vienna, and I want to see the world and meet a lot of interesting people. In five years I want to make a living from writing (only), and I want to see one movie (or more) I wrote on screen.

Thanks, Sunnie Rae!

Meet Marcelo Robalinho, Lawyer and Author

Marcelo Robalinho is a lawyer, with a Bachelor's degree from University of São Paulo – Largo do São Francisco, the most prestigious Law College in South America. He also has a Master's degree in Sports Law from University of Neuchâtel, in cooperation with the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES/FIFA). The author of Third-Party Ownership Of Football Players, Marcelo is partner of a Brazilian Law firm "Robalinho Alves Advogados" and partner in "Think Ball & Sports Consulting," one of the biggest football players' agencies in South America and Denmark, with clients around the world.

For more about Marcelo's book, visit this online bookstore, and see the book's Facebook page.

1. For those who may not have heard the term before, what is Third Party Ownership?

In soccer, this term means that one party, or more than one, hold a percentage of economic rights of a football player. The economic rights means the right to receive some percentage of money that club will earn when transferring the player to another club.

2. Why did you decide to write a book about this topic?

To try put more light over the topic.

This topic now creates big discussions in the "football world." The UEFA started one campaign to ban TPO, and some national associations of football (in England, France, etc) already ban TPO. On the other hand, a lot of clubs around the world use the TPO tool to survive and increase their competition level.

It's important to highlight that in transfer of many football stars, the use of TPO was involved; as a few examples, Neymar now in Barcelona; Falcão now in Monaco; Hulk now in Zenit Saint Petesburg; Tevez now in Juventus; etc. This puts the matter of TPO in newspapers every day, and sometimes the journalists write articles which convey big mistakes about the rules. My book attempts to try give more information to everybody.

3. What is your own experience regarding transfer involving TPO?

I worked as a lawyer or adviser in hundreds of transfers involving TPO, sometimes working with the selling part, sometimes with the buying part, and sometimes for the player. I have experience, too, with how to build investment funds in TPO.

4. What are some of the financial demands on football clubs that casual observers aren't aware of?

The casual observers think that the cost of football is only the players' salaries and transfers. This is a big mistake; each day the clubs are forced to improve the front office with specialists in several areas such as lawyers, social media, press, scouting, medicine, etc. The costs add up for the clubs from all sides, and for small and medium clubs it isn't easy to find sponsors and fans to buy products.

The possibility to allow to a third party to buy one share of the economic rights for a player gives small and medium clubs the chance to keep better players, make money and share the risk, because the big majority of players aren't sold.

5. Is your book intended for lawyers, or can all readers understand the subject matter you're covering? In other words, who is your intended audience for your book?

This book was written in easy language, not lawyer "language." One of my targets is to help the market to better understand this tool that is very common in south America and Iberian countries, and with this understanding, TPO could become more easy and allow fast transfers around the world.

I believe that the book can be very helpful to lawyers, journalists, advisors in investment funds, managers of clubs, agents, players, members of football associations and federations, etc. For sure a soccer fan will enjoy the book to understand better what happens with his favorite club.

Thanks, Marcelo!

Meet Clabbe, Founder of the 200 Days in Africa Project

Born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, Clabbe moved to Prague, Czech Republic, in July 2006. After relocating, he started traveling on a more serious basis as he came to realize that travel is what he loves the most in life; he also started a travel blog to share his experiences. In reflecting on the ways he has managed to change his own life by working through the bad and creating something good, he came to see and understood that life is not about the things you own but about the things you do and experience. This realization led Clabbe, in late 2012, to begin a project called 200 Days in Africa. In his own words, "Travel is the only thing you can pay for that makes you richer."

1. What gave you the idea for 200 Days in Africa, and when will your trip begin?

I will leave my manager job to start this life-changing journey in November, and this will be my fourth visit to the African continent but the longest to date. The 200 Days in Africa project is actually a product combining several thoughts I have had over the years. The biggest part of the project will be the volunteer work I will be doing in Sierra Leone for almost three months where I will be working with street children and their situation.

Growing up in Sweden, you cannot see the difference between rich and poor due to the social security system we have. This became more noticeable to me when I moved to Czech Republic in 2006 and more and more during my travels to different parts of the world. I have learned to appreciate that I grew up with everything I wanted around me in terms of comfort. Coming from a divorced family I did however miss some of the family life in terms of security and love which made me rebel in school with frequent trips to the school counselor. I felt disadvantaged only growing up with one parent when I was a kid, but when I look back today, I have managed quite well in my life. However, there are those in the world who grow up without any parents and this is hard for me having had the feeling of being "let down" by my parents when they divorced.

My uncle was a missionary and also worked for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency which took him to Africa on several occasions, not to mention being evacuated from Rwanda when the civil war started in 1994. His sons, my cousins, followed in his footsteps and also volunteered in today's Congo. So in a way you can say that it lies in my bloodline to do this.

One part is the pure adventure of traveling in Africa as I love the African continent and how life passes you by in a slow phase. Patience is a skill you will develop when traveling in Africa. The third part of the project will be the creative and inspirational part where I will be interviewing people I meet on my journey about their dreams. Do we all share the same dreams? The events, impressions and interviews will later end up in a book that I have decided to call 200 Days of Dreams.

By saying life-changing I mean it will change my life, and if I manage to have some impact on those I work with, I will be happy.

2. How did you first connect with the organization Street Child, and what kind of work will you be doing with them?

I had decided that I wanted to start in the western part of the continent, so I searched the internet for information about any organizations operating in the west. There are a few, but not so many as in the "safer" African countries like Ghana, South Africa, or Tanzania where it seems like most organizations deploy themselves.

Unfortunately the volunteer business has grown and there are agencies that have no more interest than for you to pay them a lot of money. They take your money and ship you off for a few weeks or even just ten days to a remote village to do something not specified. I don't fully agree with the payment-to-work policy, but I can understand it in some cases as nothing in life is for free. With this in mind I started to weed out the organizations that I had found operating in the western part by checking their requested fees and what it would get you. Some investigating by using Google would also pull up information if there were any warning flags posted about the organization in question.

In the end Street Child was the last standing organization, and I started to investigate even more deeply to find if this was a legit organization or not. Fortunately I have a lot of friends in United Kingdom where they are based, and it turned out that even a friend of a friend had previously worked for them and gave the thumbs up.

I will be joining their street work team and will be working alongside their social workers assisting them with their daily activities with the children, follow up home visits and writing reports. I will also help the business team with setting up businesses for the families to keep them self-sufficient. And I have also personally requested to help out with school building as I have a pair of hands that I want to put to best use.

3. How can people around the world participate in your project?

A project like this of course involve some economical investment from my side, and I am currently saving money and also have raised some through advertizing and articles on my other travel blogs. I am also organizing different events and am currently looking into organizing an African movie night later this year.

The biggest cost will be my stay in Sierra Leone and the volunteer work. On this project I ask everyone who can to help me out. If you see it like this, a lot of people donate money to some organization to get that "I help out" feeling, but do they really know how much of their donated money actually reach its destination rather than disappears in "administrative" costs? By helping me out you will actually get visual proof that the money goes to what the money is intended for. I will be posting pictures and also blog about the volunteer work I am doing on the project page and my blog.

People can help me help others and see that in person through the material I will provide. I understand that people can be reluctant to just donate money to me as they have no idea who I am. As a response, I have created a few small tokens such as silicone wristbands and T-shirts that you can buy cheaply to support the project. So instead of just giving me money, you are actually buying a product that will support this project. The persons who help me out in some form will also be recognized as supporters on the site.

My oldest supporter is the grandmother of the woman who helped me with the translation of the site into Polish. She is turning 85 this year and lives in Wolsztyn. She heard about my project and wanted to help out as "No one can do everything, but everyone can do something" and bought one of the wristbands.

4. When did you first discover your love of traveling?

It wasn't until I moved to Czech Republic in 2006 that I realized that it is easy to travel. I joined a hospitality network which helped in reducing the costs as well as started hunting different websites for cheap flights here and there.

Before I moved to Prague, I had done some travels in the Nordic countries, some visits to UK, a week trip to Cyprus and a road trip through Western Europe with some friends. And that was collected over a total of 28 years. Since I really started traveling in 2007, I have managed to visit some 30 countries including three trips to Africa and one trip to Asia, and I also lived in Bulgaria for almost two months.

I am very keen on history and to discover the world and its history makes me understand more why the world and its people looks and behave as they do today.

5. What advice might you give to other people who are looking to translate their personal interests/strengths/etc into a means to help others?

Do it.

Don't think too long about it.

Don't doubt yourself.

Now is better then never.

And make sure that you enlist in something that is really helping out in some way if you are going for a longer trip. In my opinion, a ten day trip to an animal sanctuary in Africa is not the best way to help out unless you are a veterinarian. If you still want to do that, then you can volunteer at your local zoo instead. And don't believe that you will be saving the world. Most likely it is the world that will change you to a better person while you might have some impact on the people you want to help. Accept that other people live in different ways and adapt your own standards.

Most of all, don't feel pity and sadness for people just because they don't have tile floors or a TV or anything similar to the western world's desires. They might even feel pity for you having all these worthless possessions.

Thanks, Clabbe!

Meet Ioannis, Founder of Foob.me

Ioannis founded Foob to cater to the growing demand for Facebook cover graphics by social media users. Ioannis operates Foob out of Greece with support stuff based in India and other countries.

1. What is Foob?

Foob.me is a website that creates custom Facebook covers for Facebook users. The covers are generated automatically, and they are for free: browse the selection of templates here. Users can also choose to get manually customized covers for a fee.

2. Why would users prefer to use your covers rather than their own photos?

They wouldn’t! We believe that users want to use their own photos in their covers. Foob.me takes the users’ photos and text and produces a more appealing graphic that just makes your Facebook profile look a whole lot better. Our capability to automatically customize users’ photos is what sets us apart from every other Facebook cover website that offers stock wallpaper-like graphics.

3. When did you launch the company, and what response have you seen?

We have been in beta mode for a year now, hiding from Google. We opened our doors to search engines on December 2nd, and we expect to see more traffic in the following weeks. Over 50% of users who land on our website end up trying out our covers. We believe this is a very promising statistic for the future of Foob.

4. Do many businesses also use Foob to customize their Facebook pages?

We have no way of knowing how our free generated covers are used. Since our covers are free of watermarks, businesses could use them as well.

5. What are your plans for the future?

We want to add thousands of cover templates and expand our content dramatically. We currently have about 200 cover templates.

Thanks, Ioannis!

Meet Mbeyeline, Independent Music Artist

MBeyeline is an artist on the rise. Her worldwide fan base is closing in on 100,000 people and growing, and she's approaching 4 million views on her YouTube channel, MBeyeline TV. At just 19 years old and being an independent artist, she will open for Pitbull in New York and France in the coming months, and her music video, Total Control, is advertised in Times Square, NYC.

1. When you were growing up in the Republic of Moldova, how did you first get introduced to R&B music?

I got introduced to R&B music thanks to my aunt. Being just a couple of years older than I am, she was always watching MTV so the music played there grew on me and defined me as an artist later.

2. What made you decide to break out as a rapper?

My "too manly" attitude doesn't fit with me just being a pretty lady performing R&B on stage. I feel rap music with all my heart. I've been through many things in my life, and all the aggressiveness can be easily converted to art through rap. Rap music allows you to share your lyrical diary with the world.

3. Why do you think there aren't more female rap artists in Europe?

There are. But none of them have made it all the way across the ocean. And none of them have the recognition I've worked so hard for and gained for myself. 4 million YouTube views, 50,000+ worldwide fans and collaborations with American rap artists--and this is just the beginning.

4. How has YouTube helped you find fans all over the world?

YouTube started my career. Through this amazing platform, I have managed to build a strong name for myself, get booked on shows, be invited for interviews on TV channels and radio stations, and now, earn money, too.

5. Finally, a two-part question: What's the biggest challenge in being an independent artist, and what's the biggest benefit?

The biggest challenge is that you basically have to do for yourself everything that a record label does for their artists. From writing the songs, to taking them to the professional studios to have them mixed and mastered, promoting them to radio stations, hiring video producers, paying for video production, having your music videos pushed to all available broadcasting channels, managing yourself, booking your own shows and gigs, taking care of all transportation to the interviews you are invited to, and so on.

The biggest benefit is that you learn all these things--otherwise you would have never known how this business goes for real. This way when you get more money and take your career to the next level, you know what's good, what's bad, what's a scam, and what's a real opportunity. You prepare the throne for a long lasting career.

Thanks, MBeyeline!