#TosynTravels By the deserts of Saint Louis...

I went to Senegal in March. It was a quick and brief trip as i had only a few days off work and also had to host #TosynsBuzzLive, well live, on Pulse.

Brief but well worth it.

I think it is interesting that not all Africans travel within Africa, especially around countries where as Nigerians for example, we do not need visas. There are actually a lot of countries, for example, ECOWAS countries, where Nigerians can enter without visas and they are beautiful places.

There is a lot to s.h.a.r.e about my trip to Senegal so expect to see little posts from time to time. Today, i would like to s.h.a.r.e specifically about Saint Louis.

Saint Louis is also known as 'Ndar' in Wolof and is home to the famous Saint Louis Jazz Festival which i unfortunately missed this year but will pencil down for next year by His Grace.

Saint Louis is a simple place, with narrow roads s.h.a.r.ed by cars like the taxi that drove us there, bicycles and horses and carriages. It was fascinating to see horses, not in the randomly grazing on a field or playing polo context, but actually on the road beside me, taking people to work.
On the side of some roads was water water water with canoes and people fishing.

We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Mermoz which really was my favourite of all the hotels i stayed in there. First the rooms were simple, spacious and had a home feel to them, but the real joy was all the sand and sea we were surrounded by.

I loved nothing more than to walk around and take pictures, or sit outside to read in the sand.
If you go to Saint Louis. please do check them out.

They offer guided tours and Aurelien went on one. I will beg him to write about it. I spent the time doing what i love doing most- sleeping, eating, and walking.

We headed back to Dakar by road. But this time, not via the busy intercity roads we came by, but via the desert. And that was when the fun tripled.

Picture this- you, a jeep, water and sand with birds so close by and you driving not just BY the water, but actually IN the water, going past fishing villages and villagers. I loved it!

Then we went to one of the deserts proper and drove round then got back to the fishing villages and then headed into town proper.

(It was not all fun and romance though as we got caught up in the worst traffic ever. I live in Lagos so if i think a traffic situation was bad, you know it was BAD).

So where to go? Saint Louis
When to go? Aim for May to catch the Saint Louis jazz festival
Who to go with? A friend, bridal party, or your partner
What to pack? If you are in your hotel you can do shorts and bikinis but for trips around the town, keep it stylish but modest.
What to try? Definitely the ...

#OAP101 Want to get on radio? Start a podcast now!

Hi all.

I do hope your week is off to a great start.

Mine sure is. I feel very productive today and i have been able to do a few of my to-dos before 12pm which means i can count this as a productive day for sure.

Today i wanted to touch on a question i get asked a lot in varying ways. The summary is- how do i get on radio? You can listen to the OAP 101 podcast here where i go in depth with different tips.

While the podcast gives different tips, i am tackling one tip- starting a podcast.

When people ask me about how to get on radio, i advise them to get a podcast first. Why?
- Podcasts are relatively free and easy to begin. With your phone and a host platform like Soundcloud for example, you can start broadcasting to the world.
- Starting a podcast and working on it regularly will train you for when you do get on radio. And thirdly
- You can start gaining a following which means you become more attractive to potential employers.

If you do want to start your podcast, here are three quick things to do
- Think of WHAT you want your podcast to be about. I personally have the OAP 101 podcast which is tips for aspiring media personalities, the Tosyn Bucknor Show podcast which is like a summary of my show on radio with extras, the daily news podcast, and i am about to kick off two new ones.

Decide what you want your podcast to be about and you are off to a great start.

- Decide on the style, and time. Also, think of a schedule in terms of when you record, if you edit, when you edit, and lastly when you publish and where.

- START! s.h.a.r.e and tell a friend about it!

If you have follow up questions please do ask in the comments. Otherwise you can shoot me a quick dm on Twitter or Instagram

#MCM Which OBFW character would Illrymz date in real life? We have the scoop!

Morning all,

I am sitting here while i watch the weather trying to decide if it wants to be really sunny or cool.

It's Monday so it's time to stalk, sorry, check in, on some of my favourite people ever. Today i want Illrymz to sit down and answer some questions.

Ill (as i like to call him) is, according to Wikipedia, " a Nigerian television host, radio personality, writer, producer, Event MC, artiste and former model. He is the Creator of the sensational daily Instagram news show #SELFIENEWS and CEO of Contagious Collective, A creative media content company that has produced hit syndicated radio shows such as: Radio Outloud with Nokia & ILL, The JUMIA WHAT AM I? Radio Show, Nunu Super Kids, and 0809ja_Radio, To name a few. Popularly known as the #GQmc, Illie's Television Credits include; The Host of Nigerian Idol, Co-Host of StarGist, Soundcity, and Nigezie. 'In 2016 he became the host of the Coke Studio Radio Hour produced out of Los Angeles USA. 'Nigerian Idol"

Na wa o!

Only him?

Ill also plays 'Charles', which by the way was his acting debut, on 'Our Best Friend's Wedding, Read my review of the show here.

TOSYN BUCKNOR: It's Monday and i know there are a lot of people that dislike Mondays. Do you?

ILLRYMZ: I Don't dislike Mondays! I don't dislike any day I make money! Lol 

TB: Lol, i feel you!

I have just watched the most recent 'selfie news' show which is honestly just laugh out loud funny. When did you think of it and where do you see it going in years to come?

ILL:  I created #SelfieNews on holiday last year, because we live in the social media age and I had to be more active on social. But I don't want to post cars and watches and money like everyone else. I want my posts to stay true to my brand. I'm an entertainer so I want people to follow me and get entertained. It's been great so far and I'm looking at #SelfieNews becoming a mobile service and fully functional website for news content. 

TB:  In 'Our Best Friend's Wedding', your character starts going through his black book to find 'the one'. First off, do YOU feel any pressure to, like him, get married and secondly, which of the exes or best friend in the series would you fall for in real life?

ILL: Lol I'm in no rush to get married in real life. I've got a lot to achieve still, but who knows... anything can happen. Hmmm what ex or best friend from the show could I fall in love with in real life? Ahh that's hard cos they are my friends in real life. Tooo awkward 😂😂

TB: (this is where i throw in a 'hian' and roll my eyes). Okay fine, let's talk advice. Who has given you the best advice ever and what did they say?

ILL: The best advice i ever got was from Jesus! Asides that, uhm my Parents... 

My mum said, " believe in yourself you are destined for greatness" and my dad said "money isn't everything".  I didn't understand this advice when I was younger, but now it's a little clearer. 

TB: What's one thing people don't know about you?

ILL: One thing about me people don't realize is that I'm a super shy guy! It's hard to believe but it's the truth. A lot of people perceive my private nature for arrogance. They can't be further from the truth. 

TB: I think i can see that. I may suffer from the same issue. Lol. Anyways Ill, thanks a lot for taking time out to chat with us!

ILL: Thanks for the interview! Let me be your MCM every week lol promise I'm going to the gym 😂

(Follow @illrymz on twitter and instagram and look out for selfie news and 'our best friend's wedding')