Vivastreet blog

Breathtaking images of a free diver hitching a lift on the back of a beluga whale in Russia’s icy cold White Sea emerged this week in the news. It is the first time a diver has been this close to one of these magnificent creatures, which seemed to enjoy its rare encounter with a human. The free diver, Julia Petrik, is a world expert in her sport, which involves participants holding their breath for many minutes at a time, without the need for bulky scuba gear. Sounds impressive to us….and very cold!

Perhaps free diving is a step too far, but if you have always yearned to explore the ocean beneath the waves rather than from the comfort of a yacht (because of course all our Vivastreet users have their own yachts!), then how about donning a pair of flippers and trying a little scuba diving? We’ve got some great diving equipment for sale if you have always fancied giving the sport a go. We’ve got diving accessories, such as this diving regulator, and even some rather natty diving clothing, such as this fab ladies’ diving jacket, to help you stay stylish even when those around you are more interested in eating plankton than checking out your aquatic sartorial elegance.

Get the body you want with this new fitness class led by qualified instructors

But what if this extreme sport is a bit too extreme for you? Well, if you want to stay active without having to break the bank to buy expensive equipment, have a look at our fitness training section, where you will find all sorts of opportunities and ideas for how to get fit – and stay fit – for life. No-one is going to mess with you after you’ve taken part in this attitude fitness one day event, for example. And have you ever thought about taking part in a boot camp? It involves little more than a good pair of trainers and a will of steel, and it’s where those in-the-know go to if they want to fight the flab, tone up their muscles and generally look hot-to-trot! You’ll find loads of like-minded individuals and may even make some friends along the way.

For those of you for whom boot camp or fitness training is still a little too strenuous, don’t worry, we still have options for you.  If hitting a small white ball around a park is about as much as you can handle, then why not invest in some golf training to improve your handicap and get to grips with your swing. Judging by the number of pensioners who converge on my local course at the weekend, it’s not what you’d call an extreme sport. But believe me, when you’ve just taken seven to get out of a bunker, the blood will definitely be pumping round the body!

So what are you waiting for? Quit piling on the pounds and get yourself off that sofa! And don’t kid yourself that playing Wii Fit while tucking into a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken is going to get you into the best shape of your life. There’s no time like the present and there’s no excuse for not getting in shape for this year’s Christmas party!

VivaStreet has a wealth of music and singing teachers to help you sing like a superstar

For those of you who don’t know your Jedward from your JLS, well, you must have been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks. X-Factor mania has yet again taken hold of the UK, dividing the nation over which contestant deserves to be knocked out, and which deserves to go through to the next round. For all the talk about the outfits, the hair do’s and have/haven’t they had Botox, the real question people are really asking is this: “Can they actually sing?”

Whatever the answer is, if – like us – all this singing and dancing has left you wishing you could get up on stage and perform, but you feel like you may be lacking some of the necessary coordination, rhythm, vocal expertise, then have no fear, VivaStreet is here to help. You need look no further than VivaStreet’s very own Dance, Music and Acting classes section where you will find a wealth of singing teachers, piano teachers, and in fact all sorts of tutors who can help turn your musical dreams into reality. Whether you need help with your singing ability (or lack of) or have always fancied yourself as a bit of a dancer, we’ve got all sorts of performing arts experts to help you get your footwork sorted and your vocal chords in tune.

Perhaps you have always harboured a desire to sing like Mariah or Frank, or maybe you’re thinking “actually I played a pretty mean fiddle” when I was younger, time to set the screeching cats free……..or maybe what you’re really dreaming of is getting up on stage and auditioning for X-Factor yourself!

So once you’ve got a few tunes under your belt and you’re ready to belt out a medley of show tunes, pop songs or rock classics, then check out the local artists and local musicians section of VivaStreet where you will be able to find some similarly inclined individuals – or rather some “desperate to be famous” individuals – within your area who are ready to perform with you! Who knows, the next Take That may just be a few clicks away! Whatever the results, you’ll certainly be able to impress your colleagues at this year’s karaoke Christmas party.

And after you’ve spent some time investing in your musical interests, if you’re still not convinced you’ve got what it takes to get up and perform, then take the simple option and hire a professional! If you’re putting on an event or party anytime soon, whether it’s a wedding pianist, a tribute band or an Irish dancing group you’re looking for, then here at VivaStreet we have every type of musician for hire just for you in our local artists section.

1.    When buying or selling, you should meet in-person to see the item and exchange money. 99.9% of fraud is carried out by people who won’t meet you. Would you advise your friend to send money to someone they don’t know? Why are you going to do it!

2. Never send or wire money to sellers or buyers. This includes never mailing a cheque or using payment services like Western Union or Money Gram to pay for items found on Vivastreet.

3. Never send your item before receiving the money.

4.    Beware of the Overpayment Scams and bounced cheques. Be suspicious if you are overpaid for products and a number of credit card numbers are used. The scammer is expecting you to/will transfer the refund; either paying for the freight before then discovering the cheque they sent out to you has bounced or before realising the money order/credit cards details they produced were phoney.

5. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Especially when deal seems too good to be true (price is too low, rent is below market, etc.). Be careful when buying expensive items like mobile phones, laptops, plasma TVs, airline tickets and even tickets for shows/gigs.

6.    Vivastreet does not offer any sort of buyer protection or payment programs. Vivastreet does not act as an intermediary and does not make arrangements for any payments or transactions. If you are contacted by someone who claims to be from Vivastreet and you are asked to transfer money for an item for sale, this will be an illegitimate request and any emails you receive of this type will also be fraudulent. DO NOT follow any of the instructions contained within the email or given over the phone.

7. Never provide your personal or banking information. Do not give out personal, credit card or online account details (e.g. social insurance number, bank account number) over the Internet/email. We advise only buying and selling with people you can meet. Fraudsters don’t meet a person, that’s how they get caught!

8. Please report to us any attempted fraud or suspicious emails or other activity by community members. If you have knowledge of a fake ad, please report by clicking the “Scam” button on the bottom of the ad or sending the Ad ID number to our help desk along with any knowledge you may have of the situation. In case of fraud or illegal activity, we also recommend that you report it to the Police.

It takes a lot of people to operate a website like Vivastreet. For us it’s more than a place to work – it’s a community. Let’s just say that the Vivastreet team is made up of many very special people and dedicated individuals. Our team is still quite small at the moment but nevertheless extremely motivated.
We have dugout this old video of our team in the early stages. We have grown and expanded a lot over the years, however this video still represents the positive spirit we all hold on too.