BlackPlanet members, Travelistas Andrea and Teri, jet set around the world, experiencing different cultures, lifestyles and entertainment for their online travel channel, Travelista TV. Check out their BP profile page here and also check here for their travel stories here on Hello Beautiful.

Ciao Hello Beautiful Family! We are Andrea and Teri of Travelista TV, an online video diary of exotic travel. We jet set around the world in search of the good life – adventure, culture, cuisine, parties, and star-studded events.  We have traveled to over fifty countries collectively, and we love speaking foreign languages as we embrace new places and faces.

You can catch us dancing salsa in the Dominican Republic; flirting with hotties in Brazil; or yacht-hopping with the ballers in the Mediterranean.

Every week we will share with you the latest and greatest in travel, including:

• our favorite hotspots around the world
  
• where to get the best travel deals
  
• celebs on vacation
  
• practical tips for the jet-set woman, including what to pack and how to look good while traveling
  
• how to make the best of your vacation on any budget
  
• Travelista videos and photos from around the world

As your fellow travelers in crime, we encourage you to live the good life. So relax, get your cocktail, open up the map, and pick a country. It’s time for a jet-setting experience, the Travelista way!

Get Practical Packing Tips from the Travelistas!

Check out our video!

Have you ever entered into a relationship with a black man that was not originally from the United States? We all would like to believe Q-tip’s classic line that states “black is black” but there are cultural differences that will pop-up when trying to maintain a relationship with a man orginally from Africa. We all know that Africa is a huge continent and cultures vary from country to country but here are some of the general differences that one will notice when dating a traditional African man:

African men do not have the “gold-digger” issue. They will generally be more generous up front because in many African countries the man is the bread winner so they are socialized to believe that it is their job to take care of the family. African American men are so scared of “gold-diggers” only there to get cash so they will be less generous in the beginning. We have to earn their affections and in many cases prove that we are not there for just the money only.

Worrying About The Marriage Crisis Won’t Help Black Women

Education is king in Africa.The men realize that having a degree beyond a bachelor’s degree is the great equalizer that can free them from the chains of poverty. Many Africans come to America to get an education so they may have several master’s degrees or a PHD. When entering into a relationship African American women may think that African men lack ”an edge.” In our community, Swagger is king; we chase the men with the most bravado/street credibility. Sexy and dangerous can only go but so far, we are starting to value the educationed men more.   

In America, we take monogamy very seriously. Any man born here knows that cheating is a no-no. When African American men do cheat they work hard to hide it because they know that we may end the relationship for this reason. In African countries when men cheat they are not as good at hiding the evidence. The women in Africa believe that all men cheat, so they will not leave their husband because he had an extra marital affair.

If you get really serious, A.K.A marriage, there is no such thing as extended family.“It takes a village to raise a child” is an African proverb which illiterates that his sense of community may vary from yours. In most caes they are expected to send money back home or take care of an elderly parent. You will have to be on the same page when it comes to this because apart of his income will be leaving your household regularly. They are also taught not to question their elders’ judgment, so getting along with his family is crucial. As African Americans we are taught to respect our elders but once we are all grown up we assert our opinions more.

Loving the Right Man

Take a look at some hot traditional African celebs:

Rihanna has done nothing wrong. Think about it. Should she be ashamed that her man hit her? Is there something wrong with being sexual? Something abnormal about taking nude pictures and sharing them privately with her boyfriend? Is it her fault that someone stole and/or leaked them?

And yet, Rihanna seems embarrassed.

Violated Rihanna fights back

I think I know some of the reasons she is. Being a West Indian like Rihanna, our culture is one of pride. In the Islands, you’re not supposed to do anything that gives the outside world something to talk about. Your business should be kept under wraps. Most of all, you’re not supposed to bring any shame on your family.

Of course, this precept is kind of hard to follow when you’re a celebrity, like Rihanna. By allowing her business to be in the street, according to West Indian culture, not only did she embarrass herself, she also embarrassed her family.

When it comes to domestic violence, most women in the Islands keep it to themselves. Abuse isn’t something that is discussed openly like it is here in the States. According to the Women of Color Network, 23.4% of Latinas in the U.S. report being the victims of intimate partner violence. The numbers jump to 29.1% for Black women, 37.5% for Native American women and 44% for Asian and Pacific Islander women. In the Islands, the true numbers are harder to come by.

Rihanna is probably the most high profile celebrity from the Islands. She may feel that she let her people down by attracting all the “negative” publicity. Bajans pride themselves on being the most low-key of all the Islands.

As a West Indian who grew up in the United States, things are drastically different for our women here. Americans lay everything out on the table. Now Rihanna is like every other American girl: Laid out on the table.

Still, even in America, women are made to feel ashamed of their sexuality. Women are blamed, even as victims, for being beaten and raped. It must be that revealing outfit she was wearing, they say. She was asking for it.

Black women get it doubly, because society has always portrayed us as seductive, alluring, worldly, and lewd. When music videos came along we saw nothing but scantily clad black women shaking their hips to lyrics depicting us as b**ches and h**s. Believe me, if Madonna leaks some naked pictures, it’s boosting her career. You won’t see her running out of town, trying to escape the media.

The irony is that the Islands are a very sexual culture. I experience America as a much more repressed place. In Barbados, it is said, girls come out of the womb knowing how to “whine” (meaning move their hips sensually). There, it’s no big deal. Sex is a part of life.

I know that Bajans were proud of their “girl” who came to the States and made it big. But with her sex life made public, Rihanna committed the ultimate taboo: Bringing shame on her family, and by extension, her people. You can hear it in her lyrics, this obsession with being a “good girl.”

Forget about upholding that image, Rihanna, either for the folks back home, or the media here.
You are a young, beautiful girl who did nothing less human than trust the wrong man and, perhaps, be a little careless with your digital files.

Don’t suffer for outdated, chauvinistic cultural ideals. Don’t hide. Fight back.

Rihanna was spotted shopping at Intermix in the West Village of Manhattan on Wednesday, May 6. Check out her revealing outfit and watch Rhi Rhi work!

To celebrate the sixth day of Kwanzaa’s principle of Kuumba which means “creativity” we thought that we’d focus on people who exhibit this principle in action. Let’s see if they can get your creative juices flowing!

Missed a day?  Click on each principle to learn more.

1st Principle Umoja: Recipes for Kwanzaa

2nd Principle Kujichagulia:Self Determined Women Gallery

3rd Principle Ujima: Community Organization Gallery

4th Principle Ujamaa: Cooperative Economics Entrepreneur Gallery

5th Principle Nia: People with Purpose Gallery