Tag Archives: My media appearances

2021, Popular

What’s it like being Jamaican on Saipan?

WATCH NOW! What’s it Like Being Jamaican in Saipan?”
Leave a comment on Youtube, ask a question! If you’re Chamorro or Carolinian, let me know if I got anything wrong!

BACK STORY:
Way back around 1996, before many of us even heard about the internet, Jamaican native and techie, Xavier Murphy, got a head start and was able to secure the JAMAICANS.COM domain name in anticipation of ‘big tings to come!’ His prescience proved correct, and over the years, this wildly popular website has served as a repository of all things Jamaican for Jamaicans and the people who love them!

As Youtube, Facebook and other online media platforms gained in popularity, Jamaicans.com was there as well! Xavier’s popular Youtube video series, “What’s it Like Being [probably the only] Jamaican in ___________?” has provided a way to connect Jamaicans around the world and showcase our presence and impact abroad! Korea? Ireland? Norway? Zambia? Kuwait? Bali? Russia? Malawi? Yep, we deh deh! (Translation: We are there!)

A few weeks ago, I sat on a beach on Saipan while Xavier–about 8 thousand miles away–asked me that very question: “What’s it like being Jamaican on the small, remote, Pacific island of Saipan???” We had fun as I shared facts and trivia about my new island home, talked nomadpreneuring and escaping the rat race, and during the course of the conversation, discovered that Xavier knows one of my long lost primary school classmates and has helped me re-connect with him!

The interview is FINALLY viewable:

The Youtube version of the video has a lively discussion to join in

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=431285311574616

 

OUTTAKE
Here I am prepping the day before the interview:

Want to learn more about Saipan? Here’s a tour/documentary filmed by LaMancha Media featuring a guest tour guide you might recognize :

 

UPDATE (12 days later)

Narcisism alert! Yes, as a former civil engineer, these sorts of things
keep me awake at night. Ever since the release of the Jamaicans.com
interview video (“What’s it Like Being a Jamaican in Saipan?”), I’ve
been tracking the daily views on Xavier’s Youtube channel and Facebook page.

Here’s what my analysis revealed:

• The Youtube version had a total 599 views in the first 3 hours; and jumped to 766 in the 1 hour while I watched it

• The version of the video on the Jamaicans.com Facebook page already had an astounding 15,000 views by the time I first checked it out 3 days after upload; it now has 19,000+ views 12 days
after release.

• Here are the daily stats for the Youtube edition
Aug 30, 2021 3:00am 0 2,253/day         39 comments
Aug 31, 2021 3:00am 2,253 1,861/day     55 comments
Sep 1, 2021 9:00am 4,600 1,652/day      90 comments
Sep 2, 2021 9:00am 6,252 1,854/day      98 comments
Sep 3, 2021 9:00am 8,106 2,107/day        113 comments
Sep 4, 2021 9:00am 10,213 1,326/day         117 comments
Sep 5, 2021 9:09am 11,539 1,327/day        135 comments
Sep 6, 2021 9:01am 12,866 1,609/day       139 comments
Sep 7, 2021 9:00am 14,475 909/day           160 comments
Sep 8, 2021 9:00am 15,384 1,055/day      168 comments
Sep 9, 2021 9:00am 16,439 563/day         166 comments
Sep 10, 2021 9:01am 17,002 355/day      168 comments
Sep 11, 2021 9:00am 17,357 285/day      170 comments
Sep 12, 2021 9:00am 17,642                          170 comments

I discovered that my Canva.com account that I use for creating Youtube thumbnails, also has a graph feature. So, with nothing else to do on a Sunday morning at 6:00am:

Xavier has 25.2 thousand subscribers to his Youtube channel and this video generated an average of 1,500 views per day. If you have your own Youtube channel, this is definitely the sort of daily view activity you want to aspire to!

ANOTHER UPDATE:

26 days to get to 20,000 views! (Plus, there are an additional 21,000 views on the Facebook upload with its own set of comments.

2017

Beach Road Magazine

Last month’s issue of Saipan’s Beach Road Magazine featured a special Labor Day article with interviews with four locally-based professionals. Thanks to a recommendation from Bestseller Bookstore manager, Marlon Regaton, I was asked to be one of them  Click on the cover image to read the full article!

Cover of Sept 2017 Beach Road Magazine

Subscribe so you’ll never miss another post!
[email-subscribers namefield=”YES” desc=”” group=”Public”]

2017

China Travel Channel created a video for me!

A few months ago, I gave some producers from the China Travel Channel a tour of the island. Just got an email from Alex with a gift! Using some of the shots of us together, they created a short promotional video I can use to reach more of the Chinese tourists Saipan is attracting!

Subscribe so you’ll never miss another post!

 

2013

What Australian Scott Donald said about the Jamaican in China will make you….

Like any good book reviewer, Scott Donald, the Australian founder of the Hungry Feet blog, is honest about his reading experience. So, I was a bit apprehensive about what he would say when he read a review copy of Guess Who’s Coming to Dim Sum: The Jamaican in China!, the blog-to-book, behind-the-scenes, blooper-and-outtake, parental-advisory version (nothing too salacious, really) paperback version of the Jamaican in China blog.

Well, the nail-biting wait is over. The review is in, and, I’d like you to head on over to Scott’s blog to check it out and let me know what you think.

First, however, in my never ending quest to manipulate you with completely biased, one-sided, often Jamaican-centric interpretations of life through the power of carefully-chosen words, I shall now provide a few slightly edited excerpts from Scott’s review. If any of these titillate, tantalize, terrify, entertain or enrage you enough, do the right thing and check out the full review on Scott’s blog

(I’ve had to take some lessons in creative editing from the recent US presidential elections in order to offer you, the public, compelling soundbites to further my hidden agenda.)

“Jamaican in China: Guess Who’s Coming to Dim Sum’ is a…. dirty little blighter.”

“.Walt Goodridge is..a stereotype….”

“Goodridge is….wandering the streets…”

“Goodridge… travels… pants off…”

Goodridge seeks…a moral compass…”

Of course, Goodridge is…less than…..”

Goodridge is a…blood flowing…voyeur…”

And, so that Scott won’t accuse me of taking ALL of his words out of context, I’ll end with this quote from his review, which needs no editing whatsoever:

“….I was rooting for the author the whole time. The man can write. He is a very likeable guy and author with a wicked sense of humour.

Well, that does seem to be at least TWO things I agree with Scott about. However, before you start the petition against him, check out the blog and read for yourself exactly what he said and if, perhaps, I might have taken some of those words a bit out of context. hee hee

Click here to view Scott’s blog

Don’t forget, there’s also a
full-color version of the book on Amazon

2013

Press Conference: You kidding me? Of course I’ll be heading back to China this year!!

I’m getting that question a lot. Therefore, here’s the official Jamaican in China public position made known at a recent press conference held at an undisclosed location that shall remain nameless.

NEWS STORY:

JAMAICAN IN CHINA VOWS TO RETURN TO, UM, CHINA
Nomadpreneur warns the world to be ready “some time later this year”

Dateline: New York–Jan 3, 2013. Author and nomadpreneur, Walt F.J. Goodridge, made what experts are hailing as 2013’s first major, earth shattering announcement today when he disclosed that he does, in fact, intend to return to China some time later this year to resume his Jamaican in China adventure.

Details and dates were sketchy at press time, and the industry’s crack investigative reporters were unable to uncover any specifics, and so, had no choice but to attend Goodridge’s hastily-arranged press conference.

“You kidding me?? Of course I’ll be heading back to China this year!” Goodridge said in response to an unknown reporter’s question while at that undisclosed location somewhere in New York City. Goodridge, who appeared at the press conference accompanied by an unidentified person who remained nameless, commentless, and pretty much motionless throughout added, “Why wouldn’t I? My last trip was one of the best times I’ve ever had!”

Asked to elaborate on why his last trip was, in fact, such a great time, Goodridge smirked, turned his eyes fleetingly to the unknown, unidentified person by his side, and replied, “You’ll have to buy my book: Jamaican in China: Guess Who’s Coming to Dim Sum! available in black and white AND in color on Amazon.com, but which can be obtained more inexpensively directly from my site!

Asked if this level of secrecy, hoopla, and a freakin’ press conference were really all that necessary for what amounted to a simple announcement about buying a plane ticket, Goodridge replied: “No comment.”

Pushed further to respond to allegations that the entire press conference was simply a marketing ploy to announce his book for the new year and to generate sales, Goodridge replied: “Well, if there are no more questions, I’d like to thank you all for coming. Happy new year everyone!”


More details

2012

Free Teleclass by the other me on Monday October 8, 2012!

In my alter-ego and not-so-secret identity as “the Passion Prophet” coach, I’ll be doing a free call-in “Turn Your Passion into Profit” and “Living True to Your Self” teleclass/seminar on Monday, Oct 8, 2012. In this class, I’ll be discussing the formula and philosophy that allowed me the freedom to be a nomadpreneur! Check it out!

Here are some of the questions that I’ve received that I’ll be answering during the call*.

“What if I have too many passions?”

“How do I deal with toxic people in my life?”

“How can I predict my passion profit?”

“How long should I give my spouse to pursue his/her passion before I insist they get a real job?”

“When do I quit my job?”

“How will my Passion Personality result affect my success turning my passion into profit?”

This is going to be a very powerful call! Make sure you’re on the call early, or email your question to make sure I have it!

Don’t miss it!

WHEN: Monday, October 8, 2012

TIME: 8PM EASTERN TIME (see time zone converter below)

LENGTH: 45 MINUTES

Dial-in Number:

Access Code:

Walt

*Here are two convenient time zone converters to make sure you have the right time of the call in YOUR part of the world:

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

https://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc

Walt F.J. Goodridge Author and Nomadpreneur
Turn Your Passion Into Profit
Living True to Your Self
Yesterday’s You: How to Reverse Aging
If you want to be my girlfriend…”
view all

https://www.amazon.com/author/waltgoodridge

P.S. Here’s what the latest customer and reader had to say on the Amazon.com site:

“Ive seen a lot of motivational books (such as Tony Robbins stuff) and this one is VERY different. What you don’t get is the typical fluff and puff of most motivational writings that only temporarily make you feel inspired yet leaving the reader with not knowing really how to apply it. This author actually describes the “HOW TO” in coming up with your own passion ideas for making an income stream based off what you know and what you are passionate about. This is the KEY difference.He describes the step by step process and even shows…” Read what else Steve had to say

2012

The Whereabouts of the Wandering Walt

This week I was in Augusta, Georgia. Why, you ask? Well, I’d like to tell you, but if I did, I’d have to–you know–let’s just say that in the interest of national security, and your continued existence, it’s better that you NOT know. Okay, Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to say anything if any men in black suits visit you and ask about it, okay?

I was at a top-secret military establishment, doing a top secret workshop, where I shared some top secrets. On a serious note, my agreement to do the workshop came after a lot of contemplation and reconciliation with my ethics, but I’ll save those details for a future post or article.

Since I was just a 2-hour bus ride away, I decided to take a Greyhound to Atlanta to visit with friends. It seems that everyone I know has moved to Atlanta.

So, I’m sitting on the bus, settling in for the two-hour ride, and while scanning the interior of the bus, I see a “WI-FI” sign! My heart skips a beat! Excitedly, I pull out my laptop and scan for a signal, and voila! Hi-speed internet access on a bus going 80 miles an hour down a highway! It’s been years since I’ve taken a Greyhound, so I was unaware just how far we as a society have come.Can life get any better than this?

First stop was a visit to see Cristy and Ricky! Surely you remember Cristy from Colombia and Ricky from Guatemala? Come on now! They are the couple I met while on Saipan, who’d been to 129 countries at the time (I’m sure it’s more by now, but I forgot to ask), and who I interviewed and wrote about for the Saipan Tribune.

They are the ones who encouraged me to throw caution to the wind and venture out on my own to China! I thank them every time I see them. They were responsible for me becoming “Jamaican in China!”


Hanging out with Cristy and visiting friends from Colombia.Cristy’s on the far left in pink, and my hand is on Ricky’s shoulder

Stay tuned! Cristy’s been showing me photos of Quindio, Colombia, and I have a strange feeling I might be Jamaican in Colombia soon!


Did I mention it was 105F in Atlanta? My kind of weather! See the thermometer reading on the rear view window?

Then the Wandering Walt was handed off from Cristy to my good friend, Anika.


Cristy, Anika and the Jamaican. Your time to watch him, kiddo!

Of course, no trip to any new destination would be complete without a quest for a vegan restaurant. So, I reconnected with my good friend, Princess Dixon, who New Yorkers might remember was a regular vendor at the West Indian Day celebration on Eastern Parkway, and started out vending on the corner of Church Street and Vesey in Lower Manhattan which is where we first met. Princess and her partner, Kwadwo, are now the proud owners of Healthful Essence Restaurant in Atlanta! This restaurant’s got everything! It’s vegan soulfood with a Caribbean flavor! I’m in heaven again!


Princess and Kwadwo in front of Healthful Essence, 875 York Ave in the west end of Atlanta

And, if you can’t make it to Atlanta, but want to sample some of the meals I had while there, check out Princess’ cookbook!


The cookbook (only $18.95 + shipping) View more

visit the site to order the cookbook at HealthfullEssence.com, and check out her Youtube promo video featuring a delicious look at Raw Pizza, Un-fish cakes, Roti and more!

 

And then, it was back to New York!

On the AirTrain from JFK airport to Queens!

2012

Listen to a live interview with Walt Goodridge this Sunday on BlogTalkRadio’s The Ripple Effect

Success in life is often a ripple effect. The little drops of thought and action that fall into the river you’re traveling on cause an ever-expanding wave of influence that has untold consequences further on. That’s the underlying theme of my friend Lisa Bullard’s “A Ripple Effect” radio program on www.blogtalkradio.com. She’s invited me to come on the air  live and talk about just about anything our conversation makes its way to! Nothing is scripted, and her invitation phone call to me was about 10 seconds long–something she does to make sure her guests are completely spontaneous when the interview happens! So, I wish I could tell you what Lisa is going to ask me, and what, therefore, I’ll be talking about, but I have absolutely no idea!

The interview will be on Sunday, March 18, 2012 12NOON Eastern Daylight Time

The call-in number will be  0000000
UPDATE: Listen to the archived interview here: https://www.waltgoodridge.com/interviews

2011

The best-kept-secret-passion-prophet-nationwide-tour comes to the Queens Library for Teens in Far Rockaway!

The Queens Library for Teens is a unique project in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. It boasts a computer center, game room, mini-recording studio and workshops to offer students aged 12-19 growth, networking and an after-school meeting place.

Since I’m passing through New York, my friend, Kim, a counselor at the library, invited me to stop by and share a few words of career advice and inspiration to her students.

It was a great, informal event. The students were very engaging, curious and asked great questions!


Queens Library for Teens. 2002 Cornaga Ave


My introduction


Awaiting the spotlight


Who wants to make money doing what they love?


Sharing the story of my first book


Great team of youth counselors!

FROM LIBRARY LITERATURE: Queens Library for Teens opened one city block from Queens Library at Far Rockaway in December 2007. A 3,000-square-foot former retail store, it is open Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. for young people ages 12 to 19. The library houses computers designed for several users to huddle around; plenty of relaxed, comfortable seating; and library materials of high interest to young adults, including lots of magazines, graphic novels, a recording studio, xbox, wii ps 3 test-prep materials., job readiness home work help, college club and much more.

Rules about noise and snacking are more relaxed than in the “regular library.” We’re now able to schedule more programs of interest to young adults, such as chess tournaments and how to make your own MySpace page. Pre-GED and basic education classes are ongoing and are held in the mornings.

The Library for Teens is staffed by youth counselors, a model that’s been integral to the library’s success. Queens Library trains its entire public service staff to recognize that “everybody serves youth.” Nevertheless, youth counselors have been a major asset.

You can learn more about the library at https://www.queenslibrary.org/index.aspx?page_id=45, and you can visit them on Facebook!