Embarrassing Moments [4]

            I dedicate this embarrassing moment to a dear fan, who was concerned about the frequency of  Hindi Bindi posts. Due to the entirely busy schedule that had become mine over the past year, the frequency of my posts became stagnant and since our conversation, I wasn't able to change it much, but I promised this post... and I try my best to keep my promises. I'm not keen on calling names, but Ms. Potter, you know who you are. =) Congratulations to you on your impeccable results and everyone else who excelled in their 2013 examinations! It took a great deal thinking about the perfect embarrassing moment to dedicate to you as I was hoping to impart a great life lesson lol. Then it hit me that  you did so well in form 5, that the school would undoubtedly take you back for form 6, and although I can't guarantee you learn a great life lesson... I can almost guarantee you won't be making the same embarrassing mistakes I made in form 6. 
           So surviving form 6 seems pretty easy apart from dreadful CAPE, but looks can be deceiving. Being in form 6 for the first time, you will definitely feel the power rush, I mean you're apart of a selected few who have the authority to do and say whatever you want [within reasonable limits obviously]. You have designated free periods, you have a shelf in the library that you finally qualify to borrow books from, you can be in the hallways during scheduled class times, you have BFF status with some of your teachers, you can spend your lunch times in the labs, you have younger students asking for your help, permission and finally giving you respect, you now have friends in high prefect posts to help you out a little, you get to make major decisions such as the theme your house will choose for sports day and the bazaar booth that you all will run if there isn't a disco..... should I really go on? You get the point, being in form 6 brings on a lot of responsibility but it's nothing that you can't handle without having fun... except for packing and stacking chairs in the hall =/ 
           Back in my lower 6 days, which was 3 years ago [feels old* as it felt like just yesterday =( ], I was a dedicated form sixer and felt as if would have gone to any end to make matters work for my school. Save yourself the embarrassment from the start, and don't go extremely out of your way and put yourself out of convenience for non-academic ventures in school, as your actions would not be greatly appreciated in the long run. That sounds like bad advice, but seriously! Say you come home on a Wednesday night with a lab due on Thursday which also happens to be a non-academic event, for which you need to make a banner because you are the 'artistic' one in form 6. You could do your lab first and then stay up as late as necessary to finish the banner, or you could complete the banner and then rush to do your lab which you probably can't complete because you're too tired and will eventually finish it off in the morning. Your biggest mistake was bringing this shitty banner home to complete all by yourself! Because let's face it, as that banner hangs above everyone's head at the event; no one is going to know exactly who did it, no one cares who did it, no one cares that you stayed up till 3 am completing it, and no one will pay more attention to it because you, 'an artist' did it, compared to if  a 'non-artist' did it. And the greatest truth of it all, is that after this grand event, your 5 hours of painting and colouring will be resting sweetly in the garbage bin. Save yourself this embarrassment that comes with this form 6 responsibility, and instead of taking on this project by yourself.... during a double free gather some friends to help you even if they say that they can't paint. Firstly it'll be much more fun as you'll have the company to joke and laugh with, secondly you'll finish faster as with 4 helping friends you may finish in 1 1/2 hours leaving you with loads of time to finish your lab early and catch some sleep and thirdly, even if it's not a masterpiece nobody cares! It does it's job just fine =) Sadly I must confess that I have fallen victim to this banner shit for Sports Day, luckily I didn't have any labs due.
          As I said, I would go to any length for my school... and the lesson of this post is to not venture to too far a length as you could eventually fall off a cliff and die.... of embarrassment! The second and main instalment of this post occurred when I was in lower 6. My cousin, who was fed up of the boring, lame repetitive stalls that we have every year, decided to think up something new and well I who was quite bored of our bazaars as well was quite intrigued by this new idea. So basically this idea was that we'd have a booth which would obviously be Fanta-bulously decorated, where people who wanted to model their outfits for bazaar and wanted to be considered the 'Best Dressed' would come and model on a podium for about 15 minutes. Within that time they would be assigned a number and other people would come in, and pay $5 to vote for their favourite outfit and we called this; L'ambiance Chic.

Yes, this is the actual sign we made for the door lol.

            Like I said, my friends and I were very dedicated to this cause of creating this new stall. We tried to gather other people to help but I don't think they were particularly fond of this idea as it kind of seemed as if we were whoring out people =S. I don't think that the teachers were fond of this idea either, but somehow we got the permission... I'm not sure how it happened, but I know it happened during a free period. Now my cousin was the head planner for this as it was her idea we were working with, and well it kind of seemed like a brothel because the original idea was to "get 'good looking' models to come model and people would come and vote for their favorite". Lmao, and well the theory behind this is that "people would pay to come and see good looking people". This is really embarrassing already! Now without thinking this completely through and not yet realising how superficial this really was, we began looking for models. Now the problem is that contrary to what you may believe, not many people are keen on modelling and putting themselves up for display. While the decorating and the budget was on track....the income of willing models was not. This is when our desperate and thirsty man behaviour began as we tried to recruit people to model or else we wouldn't have a stall. We began going from class to class asking people to model... however being an all girl school, getting guys was difficult. So here's a list of embarrassing things I did in order to make our bazaar stall successful:-

- I was forced to give my name and contact info to this guy at lessons, who we asked to recruit models at his school for us...... He never recruited anyone!

-At a later and more desperate state, I had casually asked this same guy to model and he said yes, but never showed up......For the rest of extra classes that I had with them and probably all now; they think that I think that they are gorgeous model material.... which they aren't.

-At a much later and a much more desperate state, my cousin managed to convince me to ask people on facebook and for some crazy ass reason I put aside my sense of dignity [btw a key point to surviving form 6 is that when dealing with people that aren't from your school, never ever part with your sense of dignity] and actually starting asking guys from my chat to model for us. I can't remember how many people I asked, but I know that I was rejected my all! Never send an ugly person to do a good looking person's job! Obviously that was the prime mistake we made lol...... Now I have to live with the humiliation that several people on my facebook think that I'm crazy attracted to them as I asked them to model for me.... when that is definitely not the case.

-On the day of bazaar, a few of us partnered up and went around asking people to come to our stall and vote lol.......Desperate times call for desperate measures.

- In the end, my friends tallied the votes and we had to present this 'Best Dressed' tie and sash that I made, to the guy and girl who got the most votes. Now time was drawing near to the end of bazaar, we had closed our stall and somebody needed to make the announcement over the sound system and well no one wanted to do it ...so I volunteered as I figured that no one would know it's me on the mic [it won't be embarrassing as nobody would see me]. By this time, the hall was crowded and they had somebody performing blah blah... They cut the music for me to make the announcement of the winners and I believe the runners up. When I volunteered for this task for some reason I thought that the winners would come outside and meet me, I completely did not think that I would have to go on stage and present the winners with their tokens while talking on the mic still and be seen by everyone.... but I did have to =| It was one of those awkward moments when you know people want you to come off the stage really fast and so while I was talking on stage my idiot level went sky high! I think I was talking really fast so that I could just get it all done with, and when you talk really fast nobody understands a word and basically you sound stupid. =|

           After something like that, how could you not enjoy hiding at home for a three week long vacation?? Oh! I believe we managed to make $500 doing this crap lol =) So that was my advice for avoiding embarrassing moments for incoming form sixers, just in time for the start of school next week =D You're all welcome! =P Other tips include; don't get dots and don't get on your teacher's bad side... AHHHHH What the heck! You're only in lower 6 once, go ahead! Embarrass the hell out of yourself! Make wonderful lovable memories as that's what you'll have to keep you warm as you face the cold face of CAPE unit 2 =) 

Becoming 20

             I turned 20 today. My teenage years have officially come to an end! And weirdly enough, I don't miss it and I'm quite accepting of this change. Maybe because the change isn't so prominent, like I'm still using the same toothbrush as I did when I was 19 for goodness sake =P. I remember last year when I turned 19; I had so many regrets, unfulfilled wishes and desires which left me with the worst feeling in the world, and I could only pacify myself with the sole accomplishment of placing on the CAPE Merit List. As a result of that, I made a promise to myself to change this and accomplish everything I wanted to do throughout my teenage years in this last final year of teen-ess. I even made a list! By the way, lists are very efficient... so I'm definitely a list maker now lol. I'm very proud to say that I kept this promise to myself. With a year off I had enough time to be able to accomplish many things since turning 19 last year. I worked hard to accomplish the things on my teenage list, that it almost makes sense to turn 20 now; so that I can start a new chapter of my life and make a new list.
                 In my last year of teen-ess, I managed to:-
-Get my drivers license.... but still not allowed to drive =|
-Learn to drive both right hand and left hand cars....... and still not allowed to drive!
-Somewhat dye my hair a crayz colour... but I learned that dying your hair isn't everything it's cut out to be...it was pink for a while but black is more professional.
- Finally clean/pimp my room.... so that I could actually walk on the other side of the room lol.
-Write SAT's and 2 SAT subjects..... I wonder why I didn't do this after writing CXC :S
-Write BMAT.... never had I felt so stupid but I did manage to score really high in the essay! But then again I don't know anyone who hasn't :/
-Write CXC Physics and get a distinction.... I'm so proud of this because in September my mother tried to put me in lessons and everyone refused me. I remember talking to this one lessons teacher in particular and when I said that the only topic in Physics that I know is graphs, he told me that it is impossible for me to learn the entire form 4 and 5 syllabus in 4 months. Well with the help of my friends and a brave lessons teacher that we only came to know in the middle of December, I was able learn everything in one month =D Take that mean teacher man! hmph.
-Attain two scholarships.... open government schol and an admissions schol from UoT, lolz even though the University of Toronto one isn't so big, it makes me feel better about myself =P lol lol.
-Get into medical school... =D Med school is very hard to get into btw!!! sigh*
-Get my hair cut properly..... and re-grow it lol.
-Start learning classical Indian dance......... key word is learning lol.
-Umm.. Read 7 books so far this year..... lolz that's a lot, I usually read like 3 books a year =| 
-Umm...Try sushi... and love it.
-Actually play Holi... on public grounds with strangers..... way too much freaks for my liking lol.
-Raise a baby parrot... :D she's too adorable... well at least I believe it's a she....

             Well obviously I didn't too many 'cool' things this year, but at least I got some stuff done and I have no regrets...which is a most awesome feeling. However there are things I haven't managed to do like write a book, which is something I always wanted to do before turning 20.... It was hard not accomplishing it at first but even though my teen-ess is over and I won't be noted as an amazing teen writer... life goes on still, and I could still be the next Rowling perhaps?

            Within a year I was able to learn so much and I had time to think and look at life from my perspective not society's perspective. When I was 18, falling in love and doing crazy teenager things seemed to be the things that made you a normal eighteener. But now I know that there's more to life than falling in love and having a great love story. Eventually I realised that it wasn't about silly stories that I couldn't tell and more about stories that I would want to tell... stories that if the world knew I could hold my head up with pride. And that became more important than having many little stories that I could never tell anyone. Over this time, I learnt that setting goals for yourself is most important, or else you would have spent the time wandering aimlessly. I've learnt that any relationship involving people should be discussed between them to prevent misconceptions of where the relationship stands. I've learnt that no matter how badly you try to prevent it, things will always change, including yourself, so be gracious and accepting about it. I've learnt that the only people you can truly count on is yourself and God. I've learnt that the key to making delicious, melt in your gulab jamoon is using less flour ( yea I'm somewhat of an expert now lol). I've learnt that guys don't care about your face, for them it's all about the body. I've learnt that the phrase 'the truth will set you free' is most accurate, no matter how biblical it sounds. I've learnt that not everyone that you're fond of will have your best interest at heart, so learn how to identify those people so you can keep a safe distance. I've learnt that confidence is really what makes and breaks a person and as cheesy as it may be; your inner thoughts really are reflected outwards. I've learnt that the proper way to wash your hair is to actually massage your scalp, not scrub. For the longest time I wanted to be 'popular'... oh dear God I feel like this should be an embarrassing moments post but anyway, might as well continue. For the longest time I wanted to be 'popular' for the same reason everyone wants to be popular and well I guess from the start of time I was never popular people material so my dream of popularity was never attained. It's only now I realise that I shouldn't have wasted my time trying to be popular but rather have realised my nerdiness earlier and work towards being more successful and skilled to have an impressive resume. So the summary of this lesson is to be yourself and don't pretend to be something you're not, especially if it's counter productive. I've learnt that being independent is very important for survival but breaking away and leaving your parents is as difficult as self dependency itself. So to decrease the difficulty of moving away from your parents, slowly learn to do things for yourself over time, this is great advice for those of you planning to study away from home. For introvert people like myself, I've learnt to not be afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone as there's so much out there, you just need to be brave. And lastly, many people learn from their mistakes, however I try to limit my embarrassing moments  these days and I find it wiser to learn from the mistakes of others. Obviously this last lesson requires judgement as you can't watch your friend marry their first love and have their marriage end in a divorce and tell yourself that you won't marry your first love as the same may happen to you. However you can see that their spouse was an adulterer and know not to marry that person as it would be lead to the same outcome........ unless they were cheating on your friend with you because what you both had was real unlike their marriage to your friend. In a case like that you are a horrible friend, and well in the end if they could cheat on your friend they could cheat on you... which brings us back to my lesson of learning from the mistakes of others which is what this post is somewhat about, all of you learning from me =). 
          I hope that these lessons would have somehow helped you and made an impact on you as it did on me. I started this post on my birthday and I'm finally posting it now, some weeks after so please forgive that. Another goal of mine that I didn't get to complete before turning 20 is completing 100 blog posts... but it is now my goal to complete that before heading off to university, so stay tuned =). For those of you turning 20, Happy Birthday and may the start of this new decade move you closer towards the person you want to be and bring you your heart's desires =)

Grads Dresses: 2013 Fashions

       It's that time again, when we feel a little older and a little more accomplished knowing that we just ended another chapter of our life. And to celebrate the end of this undoubtedly huge chapter, what could be more appropriate than Grads? However, we all know that choosing a dress for Grads can be a terrible pain in the 'arsenal', especially if you're like me and tend to have many favorites. A great example of how horrible I am is the fact that, if you asked me to choose my favorite dress out of all that are in this post.... I won't be able to choose just   one! AsI have chosen all my favorites for this.=S
       Since I love you, I'm going to try and make life a bit easier for you, and let you know what you what before you enter the stores, so that you don't go gaga for everything. Usually I do colour posts, about which colour is best for you----> if you missed it, and don't know what colour you should wear, click here! But this time, to have you in the know and all fashionable this year, we're going to discuss the latest trends for Grads 2013.

The 2013 trends that I approve of are;

-Bold in Gold!

    So this year it's all about standing out, being bold, different and capturing the attention of the entire room and you would see this as the reason for many of the other trends this year. Wearing a golden dress would certainly make you the belle of the ball. It has been trending on the red carpet this year as well, making it not as much as a fashion crime as you would have thought. Que: all gold everything #Pro Tip: Gold works well with all complexions.

    

-Sweetheart Neckline.
    Yup, square necklines, v necklines, round necklines, asymmetrical necklines are all out... ok not the asymmetrical necklines. Those are in! But more importantly so are Sweetheart necklines! Sweetheart necklines have always made dresses look cuter and it's not hard to find a bra to wear with. However, if you're on the DD spectrum of the scale, this might not be the best cut for as it will just push everything up, edging your look further away from classy. #ProTip: Sweet heart necklines compliment any chest, giving a curvier top figure.

                

-Flare of Colour.
     We're always advised to add a pop of colour to accent our outfits and now we're going past that inch and taking a whole yard. This year it's all about being bold and standing out, and you can't do it better than a bold brightly coloured dress! Or a lovely innocently pastel coloured dress. Anything's better than a washed out beige this year. We have some lovely in colours for 2013, so you can choose from those if you'd like. My fav is definitely grayed jade. # Pro Tip: Find your perfect colour and rock it, here's your chance to have fun with it and not seem like a crazy person.

            

click here for pictures of dresses in 2013's colours.

-Bling!
    It's all about blinding the hell out of your classmates this year. The shinier the sequins, the better! I love  sparkly Grads dresses just because they're so party-ish and fun and this year they're definitely in style.  # Pro Tip: If your dress is sparkly, you can save money on accessories as they wouldn't have to be as eye catching as your dress. Simple pearl stud's can do your dress justice.

                           

-Embellished Bustiers.
    So perhaps you're not so big on the whole lot's of Sequins idea, but have no fear. You can downsize your bling factor, and settle for an embellished bustier this year. The bottom half of your dress says classy and the top half says party! A perfect mix of both worlds. # Pro Tip: embellished bustiers save you money as you wouldn't need to buy a fancy necklace, and they also draw attention to the bust for a more busty appearance.

                             

-Prints.
     Embroidered print dresses are a great subtle, yet eye catching substitute for sequins. So take your pick between the two. Prints don't scream party but they sure look classy. #Pro Tip: Large prints make you look larger and small prints make you look smaller, so strategize!

-Statement Necklaces.
    Spice up a plain simple dress with a wonderful necklace. Notice the trend here? Splurge on the dress and save on the necklace, save on the dress and splurge on the necklace! Go ahead and choose a necklace that's flattering and comfortable to wear. # Pro Tip: With a fancy necklace, there's no need for earrings.

            

-High Necklines.
     Neck high dresses are in! They're quite pretty, especially in lace. However in order to pull this off well, you'll need to have a long neck or else you'll look like you're choking or your head is floating. If you have a short neck like myself, definitely go for the deep sweetheart neckline as the plunge will make your neck look longer. # Pro Tip: There's no need to buy a necklace and the high neck will hide any scars on your chest.

          

-Chiffon Layer.
    This is in! And you just have to accept that fact.However this is a lovely alternative to the high low cut dress, if that style doesn't float your boat. The elegant long overlay over a short club chic dress is a definite best of both worlds. And it's even better if it's detachable as the chiffon layer takes your dress from elegant to party as you hit the dance floor. #Pro Tip: Walking in heels and wearing a long dress takes utmost talent, so if you feel yourself tripping on your skirt, you can easily 'detach' yourself from that stress. Also, this look is quite expensive, so for a wonderful DIY: 
1. Buy an awesome short dress that you love. 
2. Buy at least 2 yards of chiffon cloth the colour of your dress.
3. Cut a semi-circular piece and waistband, and then attach the two.  

      

-Ombre!
The Ombre; it looked hot on your hair, it looked hot on your nails and you're damn right if you're thinking that it'll look hot on your Grads dress too! It's a great way to have fun with not just colour but colours. #Pro Tip: You don't have to choose just one colour and you can accesorize using the most minimal colour on the dress rather than the most prominent colour.

      

-High Slit.
    The high slit is back! If you can't decide between a short dress and a long dress, then this is a great way to have the best of both worlds.You get to cover your legs and show your legs through the night. While the high low dress does provide this same luxury, this is it's classy alternative. #ProTip: You can just shave the leg closest the slit and leave the other as no one would see it =P 

       

        These are the trends, and there'll always be timeless classics such as lace and low back. So it's your choice in the end.  You know what to do! Dare to be different! However, since being different is the trend, how different and bold could you possibly be if everyone is trying to do the same?Choose wisely and stand out.

Embarrassing Moments [3]

         Despite having so many embarrassing moments, it seems that I am reluctant to share them with you, as this is only my third post. When I started my blog, I figured that at this time I would be at post 21 not 3. You all must understand that embarrassing moments are embarrassing and it takes a lot of courage to share them. Even now when I look back at previous posts I feel embarrassed and sorry for myself lol. But what's a girl to do? Many of my embarrassing moments have stemmed from my utter stupidity and lack of being a normal social being, but today I bring to you embarrassing moments which stem from my temper. 

I have a really bad temper, so that escalates a situation quickly lolz. Even my horoscope readings have warned me of this and after this post you may understand why.

          My first story it set about two years ago in Trinidad. One summer, my friends and I were at this 'Science camp', and that meant that we had to spend a week away from home. It was night time, and one of my best friends and I decided that we should go and sleep fairly early. As we approached the door to enter the building leaving everyone behind, this guy calls out to my friend. We had spoken to him before and he was friendly enough, and well I wasn't dumb enough to not realise that he was interest in my friend. I'm guessing that she didn't feel the same way.... After he calls out and gets her attention, he boldly asks her, "Do you have a baby?" in a very non-sarcastic tone. I'm not sure why, but this infuriated me! I have no idea what was going on in my head but somehow I managed to think that he had realised that she was not interested in/rejecting him and this was his way of getting back at her. Asking her if she was a victim of teenage pregnancy, so as to justify her not wanting him as she already had a man and a baby. "What the hell?? Why would you ask her if she had a baby??! Does she look like she had a baby to you?!" I blurted in a scolding manner. Ok well I may or may not have said those exact  words but something close to it. I really can't quote myself but let's pretend I said that for the sake of the story. I was ready to argue when I realised that both of them were just watching me with a 'WTF' expression plastered on their face. If memory serves me right he replied, " I didn't ask her that." "So what did you ask her?"I asked meanly. "I asked her if she has a bb [ blackberry]." Wellll I definitely felt stupid as the two of them carried on their exchange of words like decent human being without my input. I think I apologized, I'm not entirely sure... but I'm entirely sure that he thinks I'm crazy. Even my friend thought I was crazy, so I could only imagine what was going on in his head.

         My second story happened about a year ago. I have a feeling I might regret typing this, but that's why there's a delete button. Sigh* takes a deep breath* ok well it was my cousin's second Sunday. If you're not familiar with Hindu Weddings, you should know that the wedding takes place on a Sunday and during the week the bride will come back to her parents house and on the following Sunday [i.e the Second Sunday]  the groom and his family will come to the bride's house to take her away to his house. And well it's a custom that the bride's family would powder the groom's family for taking her away from them... but apparently that is a dying tradition.
 It was time for them to leave and my family brought out the powder and all of them were too scarred to powder the new in-laws, so they sent me because I was the brave one. The fact that I was the brave one is really something because if you know me, you would have never used that word to describe me. I remember doing this for my aunt's wedding and it was super fun as it was sort of like a white phagwa. So I ran wit the powder bottle to sprinkle powder on them and well with the wind blowing most of the powder didn't land on them. And for some reason they didn't want powder on them as if powder would have stained??!?! or as if it was hard to dust off!?! My whole family watched from the balcony as the groom's bulky older brother who's married and has a child, forcefully snatched the powder from my hands and held me down and began pouring it on my face so that I can barely breathe, with an awful grin on his face. This pissed me off greatly! Because I'm a little girl compared to him and this is tradition, if he has a problem then I think he should have stayed home, also he broke my princess Santa hat. Secondly, I'm not lying, this guy looks like Ravana the Demon King and so that bothered me mentally as I always saw him as a force of evil. Thirdly I did not feel that he had any right to hold me down  and I felt it was rather in appropriate and I felt unsafe. So I did one of the most regrettable things... I kicked this man where the sun don't shine in front of everybody, my anger towards him fuelling my strength. The embarrassing part of this was not just his stupid actions towards me but also the look on everyone's face when I realized that they were all still watching. I felt like I had no choice but to defend myself in the way I did and I may most likely fight again to defend myself. But I figured if put in the situation again, I'll just follow my dainty cousins and just sit back and watch one of my best cousins leave and not powder anyone so as to avoid the whole scenario, because from that day on the groom and his family hated me and I feel as if my actions have affected my cousin negatively in her new home. However I can't undo the past to get that second chance, so I can just apologize and hope to live it down... although I doubt that'll ever happen as my other cousin [ the bride's brother] always reminds me of the event. So... to my cousin and her husband and her in-laws... I'm greatly sorry for wanting to powder people and to Ravana.... I apologize, but you didn't have to be such  a dumbass in the first place, you cud have just taken the powder like everyone else and dust yourself off after, but no you had to be a giant bum hole and do what you did. And to my family.... why the hell didn't any of you step in?! 

     Sigh* Well I hope that was entertaining for you as it was painful for me lolz. On a lighter note... I have been learning to control my temper so that similar situations don't occur =) But learning to control my stupidity and awkwardness is far from achievable, so you can be sure to read post 4 sooner or later.

Bad Hair Day 1 FRIZZ & OIL

           We've all tragically fallen victim to bad hair days, and the worst thing about bad hair days.... is that they're unexpected! From mine own experience, I can say that my hair is the worst when it matters! It's the most awful thing when you're getting ready to go to a grand event such as a wedding and your hair won't straighten  and only keeps frizzing instead! That's pretty much the story of my life and I've learnt quite a lot, so I'm here to help =)

            Having beautiful hair is really essential to looking groomed. You can have perfect make-up and a gorgeous outfit, but if your hair looks like crap; dry and over processed, it all goes down hill from there. Whereas on the contrary, if you had beautiful hair, you would look amazing and be more confident, you can even get away with very amateur makeup to top it off. So to help prevent bad hair days and treat bad hair days, I'm telling you my secrets, as I've become somewhat of an hair extraordinaire as I try to fix my own hair. These tips are all wallet friendly or organic concoctions that you can do yourself, because salon products are quite costly. Also, it would be a fairly simple blog if I just decided to name drop, which I won't do because that's silly and I want everyone to be able to share in the joys of my secret to beautiful hair. However, I do use store bought products in my hair, none of them will be mentioned here, so if you're curious... feel free to ask me. These are all quick remedies for your hair, keep in mind that they won't cure unhealthy hair. Many times when you're looking for hair care tips, you find things about drinking lots of water to keep hydrated, quit smoking, don't drink too much alcohol, start exercising etc. Yada! Yada! Yada! Even though those are very good points that we should all follow in our lives.... 'ain't nobody got time for that' when you have an hour or two to get ready and your hair's gone all Wild Wild West/ Book Hermione.

FRIZZ

           So I'll begin with the most common hair trauma to hit all seven continents... FRIZZ. Usually, in my younger days I would use any hair shine product to try and tame my hair, however that would never work for me. I would keep applying more and more because it seemed as if my hair was just absorbing it and remaining frizz, until a point came when it seemed to work.... but by then it would be over saturated and I'd have flat greasy hair [despite just washing my hair yesterday]. Your hair frizzes because it's dry and seeks moisture in the form of water from the air, so to really cure frizz you need to hydrate your hair and seal in that hydration, so that it's not thirsty for atmospheric water, and also stay away from heat which will ultimately dry out your hair.

• One of the best ways to moisturize your hair, is to use a leave-in-conditioner. It leaves your hair feeling silky smooth, manageable and also FRIZZ FREE. There are many leave in conditioners on the market, and you can purchase one from your favourite hair care line. A natural alternative is simply using coconut oil. Rubbing a small amount of coconut oil in your palms, and then uniformly applying to your wet locks from the base of your neck till the ends of your hair, will leave you with soft, frizz free hair when it dries. It is necessary to use oil sparingly as it is really easy to apply too much and make your hair so oily that the strands will clump together like wet dreads. Indians have long used coconut oil for their hair and we've all seen the results of that. Be sure to use a high grade coconut oil, like the one used for cooking and not the low grade one used for lighting lamps/deyas. Another recipe for a leave-in-conditioner is 1/4 cup jojoba oil and 1 tbsp olive oil. Jojoba revitalizes and hydrates hair, whilst olive oil hydrates and tames frizz and fly-aways. A few drops of lavender oil will fragrant the mixture nicely. It should be stored in a dark coloured bottle, preferably kept in the fridge and should be lightly applied/massaged to damp hair from root to end.

• I  am more fond of using essential oils to tame frizz and fly-aways as compared to store bought products, as they nourish your hair while taming it. As said before, use oil sparingly as you can easily put too much. Rubbing a very small amount in your palms, and then running your hands over your hair where there is frizz or fluff eliminates such frizz just like store bought products, but leaves your hair softer. Essential oils can be applied to damp hair from the base of the neck to the ends, after using a leave in conditioner for best results of tame hair. There are a variety of essential oils for you to choose from, each with their own set of benefits, such as avocado, coconut, Argan, Moroccan, olive, almond, vitamin e, rosemary or lavender. Personally I use almond oil and sometimes vitamin e, as it is light enough to apply to both dry and wet hair and also has a nice fragrance. 

• Sometimes your hairbrush can have an electrifying effect on your hair. We can see this as after washing your hair and letting it dry naturally, as soon as you brush it through it becomes poofy and frizztastic and you're wondering, 'why did I bother to brush my hair because it looked better before!' To combat this static electricity, just spray your hairbrush lightly with hairspray before brushing or just use a comb instead. You should actually be combing wet hair as wet hair is more vulnerable to breakage with a brush as it is weak. If your hair is especially prone to frizz after washing, then the problem may be with your towel. Instead of towel drying, try wringing/squeezing/sapping your hair with paper towels as paper creates less friction than cloth. If you can let it dry on it's own then that's even better. Avoid heat drying unless you have no choice, and if you have no choice, be sure to put a protectant before drying and a moisturizer after drying. If you're blow drying your hair, don't flip your hair over and blow dry upside down, because even though it creates more volume.... it also creates more frizz.

• In need of a quick fix? Let's say you've just styled your hair and now you've got rebel hairs waving in the breeze... Rubbing about a dime size drop of hand lotion in between your palms, and then gently smoothing over the wispy areas. This works just like gel, but without hardening the hair.

• If you have time for a hair mask, then by all means go ahead!  I can't guarantee that it works, because I've tried many but I can't remember getting results that I loved. But regardless of how well it worked, it was fun and something relaxing to do. Hair masks feel good on your hair, and you feel good knowing that you took time to treat yourself. Here's the recipe for an anti-frizz mask.

     De-Frizz Your Hair Mask

   Gather:

• 1/2 cup honey.
• 1/2 cup yogurt.
• 1 tbsp almond oil.

   Concoct:

1. Combine all your ingredients together.
2. Massage into hair from root to ends. 
3. Let this sit for twenty minutes before washing out with an all natural shampoo.

OIL

         The only thing worst that frizzy hair, is having flat oily hair. Oily hair is so annoying because when your hair is oily it falls flat on your face, you look sick and you can't do anything to make it look better besides wash it! Hair will get oily as the hair roots secrete oils and we also add oils to tame our hair, as a result of all this oil, the hair on the head slicks back while the ends are finally looking the way we want them to. If you have naturally oily hair, then you would want to stay away from adding anything oil based as well as shampoos& conditioners which add oil. I'm no stranger to oily hair and I can tell you it's aggravating. Sometimes you may have forgotten to wash your hair and then thinking you can get away with it.... you realise it's too oily to style decently and you can't go and wash it quickly because you don't have time to tame that beast. Well you need to get rid of that oil! And get rid of it fast.. how to do so?

• So whether your hair got oily and you don't have time to wash it, or if you washed your hair and added way too much essential oils, you can try this home-made dry shampoo recipe which will absorb the oils. Mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 4 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and just spray where hair is most oily. Be careful not to drench your hair with the mixture, just dampen and shake bottle before spraying. After spraying, use your blow dryer on low heat to dry it so that you can style your hair and get on with your busy schedule. Or you can let it dry naturally.

• My cousin thought me this trick. We both have the same problem; where the roots of our hair and beyond would get oily, especially our bangs and with having long hair the ends would be perfect, not greasy and not dry. To combat oily bangs so as to prevent breakouts and not have it flat on your forehead, line your hair line with baby powder before you go to sleep and that takes care of that. I decided to take it a step further by applying baby powder directly to the roots of the oily hair, and massaging it in before bed. The next day my hair was not oily at all, and had even more volume. If your in a last minute rush, you can add baby powder before styling your hair, massage it in and then blow dry on low/cool to get rid of the white. However it should be noted that this is just a quick fix and you would have to wash your hair in a days time because the powder would have accumulated on your scalp.

• To avoid getting oily hair, then you should avoid touching it. You would find it difficult to flat iron your hair with volume. That in itself is a task and once you've achieved that volume, you don't want it to go. Many us of tend to run our fingers through our hair a lot before leaving home and getting ready. That's a NO! NO! NO! don't do that as you're just compromising your volume and making your hair oily as your fingers would stimulate your oil beds through touching it. Just remember that you would be running your fingers through your hair throughout the night/day to keep your hair in check, so try to minimise touch from the time you're readying and leave it for important times; such as when you're coming out of the car.

• If you have really oily hair, then you can use an acidic rinse to strip the oils from your hair. You can make the rinse as strong as you want, using lemon juice and water. You can use the juice from 3 lemons and a quart of water and rinse your hair with the mixture after shampooing. Leave the rinse for 5 minutes and then rinse off with water and follow with an oil free conditioner. If your hair isn't very oily then use less lemon juice or more water, if it's very oily then use less water.

• You know how much I love hair masks! Here's one to increase your hair volume, which oil tries hard to defeat.

A Thickening Mask for Massive Volume

     Gather:

1 ripe banana.
1 egg.
1/2 cup flat beer.
1 tbsp of honey.

     Concoct:

Mash your banana, creating a thick consistency.
Mix in one egg and blend until smooth (a hand mixer could be helpful...).
Add 1/2 cup of flat beer, then a tablespoon of honey and blend.
Apply to scalp, roots and all the way to your ends.
Let your mask sit for a few hours, and then shampoo out. 

Why beer? Well, beer has properties that help to thicken the hair, giving the appearance of fullness and volume. It  also contains proteins that provide shine and strength. 

         

Top 10 Good Looking People Problems

          Firstly, I'd  like to congratulate everyone on their CAPE/CXC examination results! So CONGRATULATIONS!!! Looks like being more religious this year to thank God for my results last year really paid off for this year as well =) <3  I must say that I was really surprised and grateful for my results,because for me it wasn't so easy and thus I can undoubtedly say that the only thing more difficult than exams is .... being Good Looking.
         Yes, I may be a honorary Ugly person, but I am also a self-proclaimed Good Looking person, and I can tell you that it is no walk in the park. It's a hard life, and people always assume that you have the best of everything just because you're Good Looking. We may not have the best of everything but we almost always get our way just because of our Good Looks, but damn! It just isn't easy! Before I was a self-proclaimed Good Looking person, I would always assume that their life was perfect and that everyone loved them and that if I was Good Looking, things would finally be easier. But now that I am a self-proclaimed Good Looking person, I see that having the perfect life, and being loved by everyone is part of the package but it isn't so easy. It's as if I've brought the 11th plague upon myself. Imagine a world where you have nothing to wear, because you're too sexy for your shirt! The horror! Being Good Looking is quite stressful, and yes I've never actually experienced the stresses of being a Good looking person since I'm not,[I know it's difficult, through practice simulations =P] but I've done my research to bring to you the Top 10 Good Looking People Problems, in a very random order, just so you'll know that beauty like this is more a curse than a gift.

Top 10 Good Looking People Problems:-

GLPP#1 - Be A Model.
          So imagine yourself casually walking down the road and someone randomly stops you and says, "Oh my God! You have the perfect height and body, and your bone structure is amazing! You're so Good Looking, you should be a model!". Ok yes, it's flattering  the first  every time, but gosh is it annoying?! I mean yes being a model looks nice and all, but just because people are Good Looking, it doesn't mean you want to flaunt your body for the world to see! Good Looking people have dreams of becoming highly respected business men and women, doctors, lawyers, engineers etc., where they get to cover themselves up with suits, scrubs, lab coats and coveralls. They have these high dreams and aspirations but does anyone ever stop them to say, " Holy Shit!!! You have the perfect look to be a doctor!!!", NOOOOooo..... To make matters worse, people are always entering you name into beauty pageants and competitions just because they know you're Good Looking and will win, but they never stop to ask if this is what you want to do. It's almost as if you have no control over your own life!  Priyanka Chopra is a fine example of this, as her mother and brother nominated her for Miss World despite her being busy and working hard towards being an engineer. Did she win? Yes. But despite her having won the Miss World title, and becoming a most popular and well famed Bollywood actress backed by many awards, and having her own solo album...... it was done against her will all because of her Good Looks.


GLPP#2 - Stalkers.
          That word says it all! Stalkers... You know you're officially Good Looking when you've got yourself some stalkers. It might seem really creepy at first but it takes some getting used to. It's part of the natural cycle of life; ugly person sees really Good Looking person and crushes on them majorly, but yet they're too shy and scared to approach that person because they know that they'll get rejected and nobody likes to get rejected, so instead of undergoing the humiliation they just stand from a far and admire the Good Looks. All Good Looking people have stalkers, and well yes it's freaky, but you need to learn to cope with this very natural part of life. Stalkers can vary; some just admire from Facebook pictures, some like hard copies of pictures so they can kiss and so they build a shrine and well others like the action live so they'd follow you around your daily life, sometimes with a camcorder to record some action for keepsakes. It's a dangerous life, but your Good Looks enslave you to such generous service. Tough luck.


GLPP#3 - Everyone Flirts.
          Parties are the usual place where drunk guys and gals like to flirt up a storm, but when you're Good Looking, people don't need to be drunk! As soon as you enter the party, everyone's on you like a fly on shit. You made the worst mistake of not coming with a date, so everyone knows you're single and wants to dance with you, people are even winking at you from the far far end of the room. Bringing a date wouldn't have helped your situation at all, since people act as if your date isn't even there. And well it doesn't stop at the night life, IT'S EVERYWHERE! Everywhere you go, people want a go at your sexiness. The cashiers are flirting with you, the gas attendants, the vagrants, even people of the same gender! It's really ridiculous and makes having a love life difficult as your lover will always feel insecure about the relationship.If you're single and you're looking for someone it's perfect conditions to really scope the scene but then you have to pretend not to notice the butt ugly ones to avoid hurting their feelings.  At least you can get a few free drinks, refills and gum from life... it's not much but it will have to suffice for your screwed up love life.

GLPP#4 - Everyone's Jealous.
          With Good Looks, comes great responsibility  said a wise man once, somewhere on this Earth. He didn't go down in history for some weird reason, but he definitely knew what he was talking about. With Good Looks comes popularity, the hottest guy/girl you know, expensive gifts from admirers that want to impress you, you get chosen first for good things, all this and much more. Having all these things that so many people desire dearly, makes you a target for envy. Everyone envies you and what you have and they want to be just like you, in hopes that they will soon get what you have. You may even start to notice people copying your style, it's not really that you're a fashion prodigy but because people are trying to be just like you. Jealous people aren't always creepy in the good way that they want to be like you, they are those creepy in the bad way that wish you die and that you wake up with warts on your face. They wait at the sidelines waiting for you to get fat and ugly, because beauty isn't permanent and they know it.... unless you can afford a good plastic surgeon. It's really scary and nerve wrecking to be in the center of such negative energy that it really messes with your mind. There's no way to combat jealously, unless you became unGood Looking... but that's impossible.... so you must live a life of misery.


GLPP#5 - Are You Stupid?
          It's not out of reason that Good Looking people can be stupid. Many people have the theory that ugly people are smart because they need something to get by on; they need intellect to get high paying jobs to make lots of money to attract a spouse. But Good Looking people get spouses without trying, heck they get a lot of things without trying. Hence it proves that Good Looking people don't need to get/be smart to succeed in life and therefore many people believe that Good Looking people are all stupid since they've seen a lot of not-so-smart Good Looking people. That generalisation hurts since there are quite a few really Good Looking people who are incredibly smart! They're topping their classes, acing the shit out of tests, attending Harvard and what not, all while being so Good Looking it hurts. It is quite hurtful to 5 billion people that you possess these two coveted attributes,... but who cares about them? What really hurts is that nobody thinks you're smart just because you're Good Looking! They talk to you like you're an idiot, and referring to #1, they don't think you can do anything but look pretty, so they never expect you to do something where a lot of thinking is involved despite you being more than capable.


GLPP#6 - Too Many Fake Friends.
           Making friends can be pretty difficult, but that is definitely not the case when you're Good Looking. You have people following you around, sucking up to you, and practically begging you to be your friend. However, it's difficult knowing who's really going to be there when the going gets rough. When it comes to friends, the term quality over quantity definitely applies, but it's so hard for you to determine who are your really good friends since everyone is so busy trying to be on your good side to maintain the relationship. This is probably one of the most difficult things about being Good Looking, since the only way to find out who'll be there with you through thick and thin, is when you're actually going through a crisis! And by that time you would have probably hurt the people that matter most, been abandoned for dead by those whom you thought cared and drowning in your troubles probably so far out that you can't be rescued. No one can out run fake friends, it's just that Good Looking people have to deal with 15 times the amount of fake friends than that of the average person, and that is far from pleasant.

GLPP#7 - Breakup/Love Songs Are Nonsense.       
         William Shakespeare once said that if Music be the food of love, play on. Music speaks to the soul on a level that words cannot and hence that is why there are sooo many love songs out today. Finding songs that aren't about a significant other; either someone you love, someone you're crushing on, someone who broke your heart, a friend with benefits, someone doing something that stirs up passionate feelings, can be a very daunting task. Since there are soooo many songs about love and break ups, it's really difficult to be a Good Looking person amidst music. Good Looking people counteract Shakespeare, wishing that Music which fuels love must stop. These are strong feelings, but from their stand in life, love songs and breakup songs make no sense and are a waste of time. Good Looking people rarely fall in love, because like normal human beings they're always looking for someone better than them and well since they're so Good Looking, such is impossible to come across, therefore they can't relate to all this mushy gushy crap about seeing someone, and having your heart race out of your chest and your breathing increasing so much that it almost stops altogether. And if they never fall in love, you could understand why breakup songs are completely ridiculous to them. Plus if a Good Looking person were to fall in love by some miracle, they would be the one dumping as Good Looking people are never dumped and this further more proves why they would think breakup songs to be completely pointless.  Love songs fuel the soul, I guess they keep us dreaming  and they comfort us in times when words don't seem to do, and unfortunately Good Looking people will never get to experience this and the magic of Taylor Swift.


GLPP#8 - No Relaxation.    
         Mostly everyone desires alone time, and frankly we need alone time to reflect upon our actions, rejuvenate our minds by reading a book or by taking a nice cat nap. Honestly we need that solitude to keep ourselves from injuring people, even if it's once a week just for half an hour. It can really do a lot for you. However being Good Looking provides such a busy schedule that it's difficult to find time for yourself. People are always following you around, you're always invited to parties; which seem to happen every other day, people are always inviting you to go out with them to hang out, people are stalking you constantly, you have to go to your sports practice or club meetings, you're swamped by work, people keep asking you out on dates, modelling agencies are always ringing your phone off the hook, you have to shop for new outfits every weekend either to keep your clothes as fresh as your looks or a friend wants your Good Looking opinion.... should I go on or do you get the point? Basically Good Looking people are so busy all the time, they have noooo time for themselves, they're like Mother Theresa's spawns. These wonderfully beautiful creatures, must suffer the hustle and bustle of the day, every day without a single minute to keep to themselves to maintain their sanity..... and all for the sake of the people.


GLPP#9 - Match Maker.
          Now pretty much everyone has tried to play Cupid in their life, setting up so called "Perfect" mismatched couples and seeing how that plays out. Some of us are actually successful and do actually create a perfect and loving couple. But when you're Good Looking, being a match maker usually has a complicated ending. The problem arises when you're setting your friend up with someone whom you think is perfect for them, and while you're getting to know this person to tell them about your friend [sometimes even before this]..... BAM! That someone is in love with you, crushing on you instead. You become part of a creepy love triangle where you're friend's supposed new partner is crushing on you and not you're friend because your Good Looks are irresistible.  Matters are made worse when your friend has been crushing on the person you were supposed to be setting them up with, for a while. This is the kind of thing that ruins friendships, especially if the friend is ugly. And well we all know that it's the ugly friend that needs you to hook them up, or else they would have had someone by now. With Good Looks like yours, it's hard to not break up already existing relationships and creating new ones seems like an evenly matched task........ is that a match made in Heaven?


GLPP#10 - There's Only One You.
           Life transforms into the biggest bitch when you realise that you're one of a kind and there won't be another as  Good Looking as you. Yes there are other 'Good Looking' people out there, but they aren't as Good Looking as you, no one could ever be as Good Looking as you or could anyone ever be worthy of your Good Lookingness other than yourself. And so many sleepless nights are spent crying over the fact that you can't date yourself. Whether you accept it or not you'll have to settle for someone ugly as everyone is below you, and that is just a bummer considering your astounding Good Looks.


               And there you have it, the seemingly only 10 problems there are to being Good Looking. This just goes to prove that All that Glitters is not Gold [ I'm on a roll with Shakespeare tonight]. Good Looking people, I sympathize with you and, Ugly people count your blessings. This post was started a while back and I finally took the initiative to finish it! Happy 2013 as this is somewhat my unofficial first post for the new year. The year is still fresh, so good luck with all your endeavours and being Good Looking.

Violence Against Women

       In honour of UNESCO's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is recognized on the 25th of November, I have come to blog about violence against women. 

               I haven't much to say, so this should be rather short because I wouldn't want to waste your time repeating all the usual things about stopping violence now and gender equality etc. despite their importance. However I do come to make two points.
              The first, is something you all may know already; the way a man treats his mother is the way he'll treat you. I find it so necessary to bring up this point, because I feel that a lot of young ladies these days blindly go into relationships and end up with the worst end of the stick. The reasoning behind this statement, is that a boy spends his whole life with his mother and by extension, his sister/s and while growing up he can either respect them as equals or treat them like shit. However he treats these important women in his life, is how he will treat his future wife as these customs and this behaviour have been apart of him forever and qualities like that hardly ever change, and it takes very little to send them back to their former selves if they do 'reform'. So I beg, that in our struggle to eliminate violence against women, that young ladies keenly observe their future spouse and ask questions to truly know what they are getting themselves into. Trust me, it's not always obvious, as I know a guy, Zack, who pretends to be a nice guy. He's only 15 and has the worst temper, and often explodes; he curses his mother and hits his sister but if you ever hear him talk on the phone with his girlfriend, you'd wonder if this is the same monster. And his devious mind is surely at work as he pretends to be a loving and caring son and brother only while on the phone with his girlfriend to put on a show. What a good show indeed, because she's surely fooled by his trickery and wouldn't listen to a good word of mine.
            And that brings me to my other point; I have told you the previous story, which by all means is completely true, even though it was embarrassing for me to type and inform you all that I know such an arsehole. In preparing and thinking about writing this blog, I truly had an internal battle of whether to state this or not and even how to state it because I was embarrassed and I'd like to think that along with fear, embarrassment is what also keeps violence going. The embarrassment of knowing an abuser and of being abused is really tremendous, and it coerces you to keep it a secret. It's being consumed by the shame that one could be so weak to let someone take advantage of them, and the fear of being judged for letting this happen. But I want to say that the time for fear and embarrassment must come to an end, and it is time for a revolution. Why should those who have been abused be embarrassed, when those who abuse are much worse. Abusers are the ones that should be cowering in shame to show their faces, they should be afraid of people knowing the horrible acts that they are capable of. It is the fear of the abused that keeps abusers going and keeps them thinking that they are strong and in complete control, and this must end. It is a cycle where the abuser is afraid of letting people know what he does, that if the abused does say something, the abuser will strike again, leaving the abused in greater fear. It's a complicated topic that is beyond my resolve, but I do believe that if we create a loving and understanding environment for those that are abused, they could be more comfortable in disclosing their stories. Let's not move backwards in time and have women cowering in the shadows of their male counterparts but rather let us move forward where equality is real. Let us reform our society, free from stereotyped roles of masculinity and femininity, so that we can be equals amongst each other living without violence.