Brunei Polar Girls

Now isn't that amazing? Girls-ladies-women again! Yeah ...we will do it again!

God willing, two Bruneian ladies - dubbed The Polar Girls - will be joining the Commonwealth Women's Antarctic Expedition to the South pole!!

A Fund-raising Walk will take place at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on Sunday, 15th February 2009. Let us give these two ladies the support in realising a dream-of-a-lifetime and to accomplish a near-impossible feat that will put Brunei on the world map, once again!

Way to go Polar Girls! Brunei is proud of you!

Words women use

Ever notice the familiar or common words that women use when they speak to their men? Well, an email was forwarded to CQ not once, but thrice!

So why not share with you readers, especially CQ's own kind hehehe. CQ can't be too sure if CQ had used these words too often.

• Fine :This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
• Five Minutes :If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
  
• Nothing :This is the calm before the storm.This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
• Go Ahead :This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
  
• Loud Sigh :This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)
• That's Okay :This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
• Thanks :A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' ... that will bring on a 'whatever').
• Whatever :Is a woman's way of saying i don't care!!
• Don't worry about it, I got it :Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Well men, maybe you would like to remember these terminology so as to avoid any possible arguments with your other super halves.

And to all the women, you know you will have a good laugh, because only you know if it is true ...hmmm but then, why not just chill out yeah?!

Bling-bling your tootsies

So you did not listen to what an expert say on how to buy a good pair of shoes! hehehe ..CQ is no expert maahh but CQ would like to share some tips (macam betul aje).

When buying shoes, make sure there's half an inch space at the end of the shoe. Your toes should be able to wriggle freely in the shoe. Of course most women would love to wear killer heels to match with the outfits. Where got class when wearing baju kurung with tonnes of bling-blings or katok with flatties ..right?

Anyway, if you need to wear heels all day, do make sure to find time to let or allow your feet to breathe every other hour and do keep a a pair of flip flops handy to wear ...during breaks.

But hey! what's that stinking smell ehh? Waaah whose feet smell so like want to puke? Yup, after hours of wearing heels, your feet tend to 'smell smell' ...CQ does not know why smell but CQ has a ten-cents-worth tip to share hee hee ...

Try soaking your feet with tea. Yes, the tea that you always drink ..err but minus sugar and milk, OK!. Blend tea bags or sachets with warm water in a pail and soak your feet for at least an hour. It is said that tea can absorb the toxic or whatever that cause your feet to smell. CQ did try a couple of times ...and no more smelly feet huhu.

Besides, you can try a simple vitamin-enrichd exfoliant for your tootsies. Take time to pamper your feet with a strawberry foot scrub. This is also good for those with dry and cracked feet.

You need about eight strawberries, lightly mashed. Combine with 3 tablespoons of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Massage mixture into feet, scrub well, rinse and dry off. But do take note that overblending may leave you with a runny and watery scrub. hmmm CQ haas yet to try it out ...and please, do rest your feet well. Do not over-work those foot muscle lahh ....

Woww... now you can smell strawberry-powered-scrub delish tootsies everywhere hehehe ....

Pink shawl in a paper-bag

Comparing and looking at fashion sense this coming raya will be a must -see-and-talk-about thinging among die-hard-fashionistas.

Fashion gurus say little is more. Dressing up may need a little drive and motivation from your inner sense of style. Working out with your proportions will help to disguise the-not-so-good parts of yourself. It's kind of revelation for your beauty-taste of fashion.

Great shoes and handbags will alwyas uplift an outfit. Some women will tend to really stock-up themselves with accessories that are out-of-places. This is a common mistake in the fashion world. Minimal touch will definitely compliments even the not-so-nice baju (dress). To dress for yourself rather than religiously following the trends, will make you look more confident and feels good about yourself. Investing in great accessories will make a simple outfit look stunning and slick. Mix-match of accessories will also make a dull outfit look expensive.

Sometimes it takes the colour and attitude in the clothes we wear to make a shout-out statement about the fashion sense in ourselves. Simple yet elegant is the key to fail-safe outfit that will always make one feel so good.

CQ is no fashion addict nor a fashion guru OK! hehehe ...but it will definitely a challenge ehh to look super goddess-like stunning in a very simple-down-to-earth outfit ..huhu =)

So CQ will click click away to catch those best dressed mademoiselles for this festive season.

Home remedy

Sometimes, we are unaware that the simplest form of common ailment can be cured in our very own home - err kitchen to be exact.

Mentrual cramps a.k.a. PMS has been affecting millions of women if not all ...but an effective solution seems a little far away. This painful condition will keep most women from work or any activities and they suffer silently; some are so severe that they can sream endlessly!

Here are some home remedies that have been shared by a friend of CQ's. Hopefully it will do some wonders and cures. Any severe cases of menstrual cramps are best treated by a qualified doctor.

Please try them at least once before discarding them as unworkable. These remedies have been found to be very effective in many women. Well, CQ has not tried any yet ...

#1
One easy and quick fix which every one can try for abdominal cramps is to add 5 grams (one teaspoon) of asafoetida powder to 200 ml of warm water (not hot) and drink twice within a lapse of 30 minutes. This herb has the ability to fix cramps in the abdominal and stomach area and gives partial to total relief in many cases. This home remedy is effective, natural and safe so try it next time.

#2
This is one effective way that involves garlic peels. Garlic has been known to have many beneficial properties. It also can help in alleviating pain and cramps relating to menstrual problems. Peel four to five pieces of garlic and fry them in clarified butter - sounds yummy right? Let them cool and then sprinkle a little bit of sugar on them. Swallow a couple of pieces and wait for 15 minutes to find relief. For more effective relief, swallow another few pieces after a couple of hours.

#3
Another quick fix is to apply heat to the abdomen area for partial relief. You can use a hot water bottle and wrap it in a towel. Apply directly to the affected area for relief.

#4
One cooked banana flower and eaten with curd is a good cure for excessive bleeding during menstruation. This also provides relief from abdominal cramps in certain specific cases so it is worth a try.

SATC

The casts of SATC - image from britfilms.tv

It is all about the revolutionary of four fabulous women - whose disparate personalities were brilliantly patterned.

A TV appointment especially for women whom have interest in knowing about these leading SATC ladies' romanticism, friendship, feuds, their lovers, the scandals and set-backs.

SJP in SATC styles

SATC bags

3rd Cervical Cancer Awareness Month 2008
in Singapore

Complimentry Pap Smear screening for all

Singaporean & PR women aged 25-69

will be offered from 1-31 May 2008

Click here for more information

* * * * * * * * * *


Shower your Mom with Love this May

One of the Best Photo Awards by National Geographic

Celebrate the woman in our life this May

the woman we call ...

Mother

Who rules BBQ?

We are about to enter the BBQ weekend season again. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity.

When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine ...

• The woman buys the food.
• The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables and makes dessert.
• The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - with a coke in one hand.
• The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.

above are CQ's models :)

Here comes the important part ...

• THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

More routine ...

• The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
• The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring him another can of coke while he flips the meat .

Important again ...

• THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

More routine ...

• The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
• After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
  

And most important of all ...

• Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
• The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off" from cooking in the kitchen!

And surely there will be mixed reactions or responses from different individuals ... but usually it is either - seeing her annoyed reaction or/and him trying to be the manly BBQ-er :p

There is just no pleasing some people!

p/s: contributed by Lady Ty - a BBQ fan :D

What do women want?

This is very interesting! To all women please take some of your time to ponder ... and to the men do enjoy the story but please Think!

It is a story of young King Arthur who was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom for as long as he could answer a very difficult question.

Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death. The question was: What do women really want?

Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end. He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: The princesses, the priests, the wise men, and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch for only she would have the answer. But the price would be high as the witch was famous through out the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged. The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first.

The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot - the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunch-backed and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises ...etc.

He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life. He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden but Lancelot, having learnt of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the reservation of the Round Table. Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered.

Arthur's question thus; "What a woman really wants?"

She said, "Is to be in charge of her own life."

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth. And that Arthur's life would be spared and so it was. The neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding huhu. The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom.

But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth be her horrible and deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

"Which would you prefer?, she asked him. "Beautiful during the day .... or at night?"

Lancelot pondered the predicament - as any men would. During the day he could have a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle - an old witch! Or would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day? But by night a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous, intimate moments with?

If you are a man reading this - What would your choice be? and if you are a woman reading this - What would your man's choice be? What Lancelot chose, is given below but STOP! make your choice before you scroll down below ...OK? - do not cheat!

Noble Lancelot, knowing the answer the witch gave Arthur to his question, he said that he would allow her to make the choice herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time; because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life. Now - what is the moral to this story?

The moral is ~ 1. There is a witch in every woman no matter how beautiful she is! 2. If you don't let a woman have her own way, things are going to get ugly.

So, always remember it is either 'Her Way' OR it is 'No Way'! SO always not to try understand women's mind - its only her, no one can calculate the things huhu.

Do smile before you exit :)

Ancient age

This is awesomely interesting. A devout Muslim, Mariam Amash is thought to be the world's oldest woman alive at 120 years old. She was discovered by chance when she applied for her new identity card.

A Bedouin descent, she lives in the predominantly Arab town of Jisr az-Zarqa in Northern Israel.

According to her records, she was born during the Turkish Ottoman Empire period..hmmm an era where many forms of media like radio and television are scarce. How did she ever manage to stay healthy at this ripe ancient age?

Mariam Amash is said to be an active lady who rises as early as 5am, walks a lot without aid and attributes her exceptional longetivity to eating rich diet of vegetables ...WOW! A pious Muslim lady, Mariam Amash made her last pilgrimage to the Holy land of Mekah in 1990, making a total of five trips in her life.

An extraordinary aged lady who must have seen and gone through a lot of history in her time ...and possibly she could be a 'walking encyclopedia'!

Well, in my seventeen years in Brunei, I have met and seen many old aged people. Some do age gracefully while others aged either too abruptly due to illness or stressfulness of life.

But nothing really amaze me than this unidentified old woman (above picture). I have seen her walking along highways and roads that I have passed by. In my thoughts, she could be some one's wife, mother, friend or sister or a grandmother. She could be about 70 - 80 years old or maybe more than that.

She never fails to carry a bigger-than-her-size basket on her frail shoulders. She also has a worn out handbag. Everyday she would dressed in different set of soon-to-be-discarded kain sarongs, faded blouses and wears a scarf on her head. Her feet are protected by an old pair of cheap flip-flops and on rainy days, she carries an umbrella.

Once I did bump into her in a shop near my area. She was buying a box of mosquito coils and two packets of Hacks sweets. Smiling at me meekly, I could see her ancient face is full of wrinkles and creased folds and her skin are obviously tanned-sun-dried yet she is quite bubbly when she speaks ...in her thick Bruneian accent. She did amuse me with her fuss-free spirits and attitude.

For an old woman of her age, she definitely has an extraordinary amount of energy and stamina to have her daily morning walks to wherever her destination brings her (only God knows where) with a load on her back that some of our young people of Today's world could not even carry!

I believe, just like Maraim Amash, this petite and strong-willed old lady must have lived on rich diet of vegetables or 'ulam-ulaman'. wowwww...so People! eat lots of vegetables and do daily exercises to maintain that you-look-young looks when you are old and stay healthy.

Helen Keller

Helen Keller, was one of the world's most admired woman in her time.

A deafblind American author, activist and lecturer, she had a memorable collection of quotes that brings words of wisdom, courage and inspirational. A remarkable individual and a someone who was willing to accept challenges - and above all, had wanted to make a difference in the lives of her fellow men and women.

The thoughts that had offered profound statements on the meaning of being human and on life in all its complexity.

A rare photo of young Helen Keller and her teacher,
Anne Sullivan, taken on Cape Cod in 1888
(recently discovered by Researchers - 2008)

Helen Keller had campaigned for the women's suffrage, workers rights and socialism and many other progressive causes.

Among Helen Keller's famous quotes ~

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

A Woman

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape...but
A woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything...but
A woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her...but
A woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future...but
A woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them...

A strong woman walks sure footedly...but
A woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...but
A woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey...but
A woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

~ Author unknown ~

Remember always that You are both a strong and a woman of strength :)

How to look slim

Healthy tips for all women of all ages and sizes :) on how to look slimmer anywhere at anytime.

• Stand comfortably, erect and stick your stomach in. Good posture always makes you look slimmer.


• Dark colors such as olive, black, charcoal grey, and navy help make areas appear smaller so wear them where you think you need it. For most women it's from the waist down.


• Avoid shiny or heavily textured fabrics. Shiny fabrics reflect light, making any area appear larger. Heavily texture fabrics only add extra weight. Sewn-down pleats in skirts and blouses can both create a slimming effect. Include vertical lines in your accessories, such as long chains worn around the neck. Avoid extensive use of horizontal lines - belts, boat-collar blouses and border print skirts. These styles can add extra width to your body frame.


• Your best asset is your face; so draw attention to it with scarves and jewelery worn around the face.


• Introduce simple lines, such as A-line skirts, tailor-notched, collared blouses and blazers. The over sized blazer is a great solution for camouflaging large derrieres and hips. Double-pleated skirts and trousers mask protruding stomachs and provide comfort as well.


• If you want to appear thinner incorporate dark, cool and dull colors and textures. Dull textures absorb the light like wool or cotton. Some very slimming colors include black, navy, olive, violet, charcoal grey, chocolate brown, plum, eggplant and burgundy.

On my personal view, slim size women are best dressed in colours...a bonus eh :D ...but whatever it is, big size is still a beauty ~ just be who you are ...colour your fashion life the way you want it.

What's in the handbag?

When I started to carry a handbag in my mid teens, I was asking myself what am I supposed to have in a handbag. I was more of a sporty type of girl that was always carrying a backpack or a large tote bag, full of my softball or basketball gears.

I was so curious that I went being so 'busy-body' peeping into my vain girlfriends' dainty bags...and wooooo! They carried lots of make-ups - mostly different kinds of lipsticks, comb and many little things like pictures of boyfriends, hair clips, change of jewelleries and many more.

It was a change of style, when my good friend, Steffi, who was just as 'tomboyish' as me (only during those teens years lah) and me went on a hunting trip at shopping centres to get ourselves perfect handbags for the school's year-end party...lols. We don't use much make ups, so it was just purse, lip balm and a packet of tissue can be found in our handbags hahahaha....

But as time went by, we learnt the tricks of adding up what sorts of contents for our handbags. And when I started to work in my twenty's, I was so hooked up on buying designer handbags and purses....some brands like Gucci, CJ and Lanvin are still in my possession while most of them have been given or thrown away.

I learnt to appreciate these fine and beautiful custom made handbags. It did cost a fortune at that time and I took careful care to keep them. On certain occassions I would splurged myself with a new one... the longest that had been with me was a Nina Ricci purse, for about twenty years. Now tattered and been replaced with a Braun Buffel :D

I have also added more items in my handbag such as diary/notebook (which I still do now), moble phones, pens, a mini pouch of lispticks, balms, liners rouge etc...a packet of mentos and many more....lols

But I guess, different women have different contents in their handbags. Each woman has her own preference when choosing a handbag in regards to the colours or style or even in sizes. Today's women do enjoy splurging themselves with expensive ones. Well...is it a trend or just being a victim?


Anyway, do women realised that their handbags do post some risks of contracting illness if not diseases? How is that so? Imagine, or you may see that some, if not all women, tend to put their handbags on the surfaces which we do not know for sure if those surfaces are really clean...for instance in the public toilet. Handbags are often put on the counter while women wash their hands...with the naked eye, it looks clean but what if it happens before the cleaners made their rounds??

Another good example is at eateries or restaurants. Women tend to put their handbags on the floor by their side...hmmm yikes! Can you imagine what 'stucks' at the bottom of the handbags...and then when these women get home, where will the handbags be put? Some are either on the dining table, living room or anywhere in the home... errrr I will leave the rest to your imagination ..lols...like the germs at the bottom of the handbags being 'transferred to the dining table and so on...yikes!!! There could be millions of germs...some could also be deadly!

Think about it and be your own CSI ...because I have and I am so kiasu on this...lols.


Below are among some items found in my tote bag...Bigboss thinks I am always carrying a large rock! hahahahaha....