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Cozumel Mexico Pgs 3-6

Interview with Nicki Minaj Pgs 7-10

Blogs

Pgs 11-13

Cozumel Mexico Tourism

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Cozumel Cozumel city is a Mexican island located in the Caribbean Sea. Cozumel is Mexico’s largest Caribbean Island. The island is a large tourist attraction with over two million visitors per year, most of which arrive by cruise ship. Tourists are attracted to the island for its Mayan remains, beautiful beaches,snorkeling, and scuba diving. Cozumel is home to the largest reef system in the Americas, known as the Mesoamerican Reef. Which claims over 250 different species of tropical fish. It is also widely known for its underground rivers. Said to be some of the most beautiful cave and cavern diving in the world. Caves in Cozumel remain highly decorated and each contain their own tropical sea life. The waters in the caves remain clear as air so all the sights are clearly visible making it a destination spot for divers and snorkelers alike.

Cozumel covers a 249 square miles and has a population of over 100,000 people. The island is about 45.73km (28.42mi) long and 15.65km (9.73mi) wide. The native language spoken is Spanish, however English is spoken by most hospitality services. Currency used in Cozumel is Mexican pesos, U.S. dollars are also widely accepted, however U.S. coins are not accepted. The major religion in Cozumel is Roman Catholic with 89% of population, followed by Protestant with only 6%.

The meaning of the name Cozumel means “Land of the Swallows”. The story behind the name originated from the story of Ixchel. As legend goes all the Mayan women had to make the journey from the mainland to the island at least one time in their lives to pay homage to the fertility goddess (Ixcehl). This was a treacherous journey made across the channel in only a small canoe. As a gratuitous gesture Ixchel released flocks of swallows to the island each spring. These swallows can still be seen as frequent visitors of the island.

Cozumel has a very rich history. It was settled about 2,000 years ago by ancient Mayans. In 1518 a Spanish conquistador by the name of Juan de Grijalua discovered the island when he was blown off his course to Cuba. He left a golden statue as a gift, which can now be found at the downtown San Miguel Cathedral. Soon after this the infamous Cortes found the island in 1519, this led to the destruction of many temples and ancient culture as well as the spreading of the small pox disease. Inhabitants of the island went from 40,000 to only 30 people by 1570. By 1600 the island was uninhabited. By the 17c. the island had been rediscovered by pirates who used the island as a safe haven. Many famous pirates are noted to have used the island during their travels. However, the island remained mostly uninhabited until 1847 when families fled from the Spanish backsplash over Maya rebellion during the War of Castles. These families ended up settling on the island which remain a sleepy little fishing town. In 1961 Frenchman Jacques Cousteau claimed the island the most beautiful scuba diving area in the world. Which lead to what it is today.

Today the island is a sought after destination and travel area. With an average temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit and a water temperature of about 77 degrees, meaning every day is a beach day in Cozumel. Tourist have many options for their travels to the island which include: white sand beaches, scuba diving, snorkeling, shopping, aquatics tours and exquisite hotels.

“ The meaning of the name Cozumel means “Land of the Swallows”. The story behind the name originated from the story of Ixchel.”

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“Good advice I’ve always hated but

looking back it made me greater.”Nicki Minaj

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ME: So tell us about your pre-Nicki Minaj superstar life; is there anything that we should know about what makes you you?NM:All of my young and teenage early years we lived in fear that my mother would be killed by my father. It was ridiculous, It was very tough emotionally for me to have a parent who was an alcoholic and a drug addict…

My father was violent — physically and verbally. When I first came to America, I would go in my room and kneel down at the foot of my bed and pray that God would make me rich so I could take care of my mother. Because I always felt like if I took care of my mother, my mother wouldn’t have to stay with my father, and he was the one, at that time, that was bringing us pain.ME: Wow, that is tough, I’m sorry about that. That definitely would shape the person you became. That’s sweet of you to take care of your mom. Something a lot of people notice about you is your unique style. Can you tell us a little bit about your style?NM: I’ve constantly tried new things, even as a child, and have always been obsessed with pink. Now I’m just a little more ladylike and fearless. You should never feel afraid to become a piece of art. It’s exhilarating. I just love off-the-wall, radical, colorful pieces. Lately, I find myself in Versace and Alexander McQueen. As for shoes, a sexy Louboutin heel always does the trick.ME: So what is one thing you would say we should all buy (style wise)?NM: Flat knee-high boots! They can be cheap orexpensive, purple, green, yellow, pink— you name it. I’m in heels a lot, so I love when I can slip my boots on. They’re comfortable and so cute! Or pink lipstick!

I did an amazing project with M.A.C. and created my Pink 4 Friday shade. It was a great experience.ME: I would agree both of those are super cute andaffordable. I love your pink lips, I think you’ve started a trend with the pink lipstick. You have a lot of fans especially with the younger generation.What do you think of fans emulating your style? And what advice do you have for your fans?NM: It’s a blessing! They feel like my little sisters and brothers. I have this urge to protect them and have fun with them at the same time.Your victory is right around the corner. Never give up.ME: That’s sweet of you. So, you wear some crazy stuff. Have you ever worn outfits or looks and thought “oh... that was a mistake”?NM: All the time, but it’s the price you pay when you wanna play!ME: Haha ok good to know. What about your music career, we haven’ t really talked about that. What was the point when you knew you had hit it big?NM:The song “Monster” — never in a million years did I think I’d get a chance to record a song with Jay-Z or to be on a Kanye West album. It was truly a defining moment as an artist.ME: Kanye is a huge star, but so are you! What is your favorite song so far?NM:”Super Bass” — it’s on my deluxe album. It’s fun and sexy.ME: Mine too! That song made me an instant fan.

NickiWith

Minaj

Talking

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“Mixture of Facebook statuses and Instagram photos combined into one place.”

Many of you have probably heard about blogging before. Blogs have begun to pop up everywhere. If you aren’t currently blogging on your own you’ve probably seen them pop up on your Facebook feed. You may even follow a number of blogs. The blogging trend can be a very fun and easy way for your journaling or sharing information via the internet. The word blog is actually a shortened version of Web log. The literal definition of a blog is: 1. A Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer. 2. A Web site containing the writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions etc., and often having images and links to other web sites.Blogs are most often used to provide commentary on particular subjects, as personal online diaries, or online brand advertising. Many blogs are based on a certain category such as sports, fashion, or journaling. To me it almost seems like a mixture of Facebook statuses and Instagram photos combined into one place. Blogging is a new form of social networking. Many blogging web sites allow “bloggers” to follow other blogs and post their own blogs publicly or privately depending on the user’s personal settings. These settings make the blogging sites similar to the social networking sites we all use. If blogging sounds like something you might be interested in here are a few sites you should check out to start your own: tumblr.com, blogger.com and wordpress.com. Each of these sites allow you to create your own free personal blog. You can also browse through other blogs to see what they are posting.

The most popular blogging site is blogger.com. After checking the blogger site I found it to be very easy to use for the basic purposes, but also allows for a lot of personal settings and different functionality. The settings within the blogging sites allow you to easily create privacy settings, which allow them to be viewed publicly, privately, or with your circles. So depending on what time of blog you want to set up you will want to set your privacy settings accordingly. Once you get your blog started there are many different ways you can use your blog. If you are using your blog as a journal or diary, you probably want to keep your blog private or maybe only share it with close friends and family. A lot of the blogs I have seen most people use are a sort of family newsletter. These blogs will often include what you/your family has been up to. These types of blogs are mostly shared via Facebook for anyone who wants to check in and see what has been happening. You can also create your blog and post it publicly. These blogs are mostly created in order to make a profit. The website allows you to post advertise-ments on your blog via Adsense. The ads normally show up on the sidebar of the blogs and as viewers click on the ads your blog can make money. There are also a lot of sponsors for larger blogs. These companies will send products to the blogger in exchange for a review on their blog. Keep in mind that it does take quite a bit of work to grow you blog large enough to obtain sponsors or profit from your blog, but if you are willing it can be a very fun way of earning some extra income. Some bloggers make enough income from their blogs they consider blogging their full time jobs!

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