Talk the body talk
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Thin Desires & Fat Realities
from the Singapore Medical Journal
Catchy bits:
"Even the Japan Sumo Association has started fat testing for the first time in the 2000-year-old sport."
"Popular actresses Fann Wong, Ann Kok and Zoe Tay have a body mass index of 17.1, 17.1 and 17.4 respectively."
"The corresponding "average" Singapore Chinese female of the same height and age range (based on weight for height reference charts for Singapore) would have a BMI of 19.5, 19.9 and 19.7 respectively. "
"53% of females and 28% of males wanted to be thinner "
"As early as 6 - 7 years old, 42% of girls preferred body figures thinner than their own."
"more studies than not show higher rates of eating disorders, body dissatisfaction and dieting behaviour in Caucasians (compared to Black or Asian)" (We're safe.)
" 'Push factors' stem from societal perception of the undesirability of fatness and 'pull factors' from the desirability of thinness. Society gives the message that fat people should not be taken seriously"
"Advertisements conjure up an illusion of quick, effective and lasting weight loss. The reality of dismally low long-term success rates create further pressure in an increasingly heavier society. "
"fat is no longer just a feminist issue. It is a personal, familial and societal issue cutting through all strata of society. Ideas of beauty, desirability, thinness and fatness have to some extent become 'universal' with our modern day ease of communication."
For a story of geographical & time-specific influences on body image, check out Harvard Medical School WebWeekly
Make-A-Wish Come True
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes of children challenged by life-threatening illness or a life-threatening medical condition. Make a donation to encourage these brave children or volunteer personally as a wish granter. :)
I love sad songs.
Almost Over You
Sheena Easton
(Rated as one of the "Best Country Breakup Songs")
I saw an old friend of our's today
She asked about you, I didn't quite know what to say
heard you've been making the rounds 'round here
while I've been trying to make tears disappear
Chorus:
Now I'm almost over you
I've almost shook these blues
so when you come back around
after painting the town
you'll see I'm almost over you...
you're such a sly one with a cold cold heart
maybe leavin' came easy, but it tore me apart
time heals all wounds they say and I should know
coz it seems like forever,
but I'm letting you go
(chorus)
I can forgive you and soon I'll forget all my shattered dreams
although you left me with nothing to show
but all misery
( chorus )
when you come back around, after painting the town,
you'll see I'm almost over you...
How to help others out of unhappiness without forsaking your own happiness
An excerpt from Awakening a Kind Heart by Ven. Sangye Khadro:
"When it comes to helping someone who is suffering mentally, even greater wisdom and skill are required...With compassion we listen to his outpour of grief and anger, sympathise him with what he's going through and offer kind words to console him. But it would not be right to think that we must solve his problem for him, or to become as depressed and angry as he is. Instead, we should use our wisdom and skillful means to help him come to terms with his problem."
If we can balance compassion with wisdom, he will feel better and we will be able to walk away without carrying his problem on our shoulders. (Paraphrased)
That was a fair attempt at a mordant dig but too bad it didn't work.
I wish to believe in the essential, hidden goodness of people. I tried very hard but some people persist in their myopic, unjustified, negative attitude towards others. Thus, resulting in them being highly unlikeable and me getting momentarily annoyed.
However, I won't waste my energy charging up a bull of anger on these people. It's just satorical that I was predicted to fail all my core modules and doomed to a fate of repeat student. Some educators are just so amazingly pessimistic of their students' prospects, don't you agree?
Stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of people
Darsh and I trooped down to Little India on a whim. Deepavali was approaching and D suggested checking out the celebratory spirit in the heart of Serangoon. True enough, there were a sizeable crowd along the streets but most were bypassers, commuters, people working in the area rather than cheerful, jolly shoppers. Quite a spirit damper. Nevertheless, the lightings in the shape of white elephants and giant flowers sprinkle rays of vivid vibrance and energy on the narrow streets. Time seems to have stopped for this little stretch of road. Stocked to the ceiling with troves of merchandise, the shops were built in colonial style with a narrow walkway. Dazzling gold jewellery, fresh vegetable stalls, textile shops and CD stores are ubiquitous.
On the subject of textile, it's worth mentioning that the mannequin were reminiscent of eerie dolls from movie flicks. They wear the same blank look, the crop of unruly hair and an unrealistic barbie doll figure with a tiny waist. Some battery operated mannequin can even move their hands! I guess business will be more brisk if the shopkeepers change those blankfaced lifesized dolls for more subdued alternatives. Kate Moss may have popularised the gaunt, blank look in the 1980s wearing just a pair of Calvins but then, it's Kate Moss. Those dolls spook the living lights out of timid shoppers like me!
Secondly, I can never fathom why Bollywood can on hand, produce classic beauties like Rai and generate leagues of belly flaying uncle muthus shaking their bon bon in music videos. They are a complete juxtaposition of each other. D laughed when I presented my analysis of the current Bollywood scene. Those two people are indeed polar opposites on the same continuum. Well-shaped Indian celebs are from the glamourous, Hollywood-inspired Bollywood. Uncle Muthu is the head of Kollywood - the C-grade imitation of Bollywood. Now that makes sense.
I stuck out like a sore thumb at Serangoon and I half-joked to D that she's my protection charm. The girl gave a shrug and said she's as alien as I am. She can barely speak tamil to save her neck and she's as Indian as I'm a Maori.
Dinner was Indian vegetarian cuisine. I'm a newly converted weekday vegetarian and D was nice to accomodate my food preferences. After witnessing three embroyoes attached to a fallopian tube on a piece of chicken, I've lost all cravings for chicken. Pork has an acrid smell whereas I abstain from red meat. The only meat I eat sparingly on the weekend is fish. Coming back to Indian food, it's served in large portions, tremendously filling and full of carbohydrates. D said what we have are modest portions of the usual portions served to some other customers. Goodness! I had yogurt rice (with grapes, peas & carrots), nasi briyani, curry vegetable, spicy pickles and a mini flour doughnut. I only managed half a doughnut, a few scoops of rice, cleared the veggie and I was bursting at the seams. I confessed my plate looked untouched but the starch is so overwhelming!
Recounting the food I've eaten in the day after popping a listerine, I realised those carbo are no ordinary carbo. Before dinner, I only had coffee, two slices of wholemeal bread with cheese, a veggie pau and an energy bar. And I woke up at 5.40am to boot. The carbo still feel undigested now. =/
On a more somber note, D commented I should be very proud of myself. I didn't think too deep into it but if truth is to be spoken, I was estastic because the monetary strength of the scholarship will alleviate the financial burden on my parents. That is the primary reason I applied for the scholarship. As for being proud of myself, that's secondary. I guess it's justified to say the unhappy past that has haunted me is finally released. I'm free. Am I proud of myself? I suppose yes, I am.
I GOT THE SCHOLARSHIP!!!!!!!
I exploded precisely at 7.40am, Thur, 13 Oct 2005. Witness: Jacqueline.
Jacq handed me the thin SIM envelope. My heart did a double take. I reached out for it with gurgling anxiety. Thin envelopes at this critical month only mean two things - IN or OUT of scholarship.
I tore the envelope with trembling fingers. Those fingers shook the most when you need them to be dexterous and quick. First word, Congrations! My heart skipped a beat.
I am pleased to inform you that your application for the SIM Scholarship is successful.
I cried for god after the punctuation. Hopped around regardless of the number of shaking ceilings of the residents beneath. Exclaimed in disbelief over and over again despite Jacq standing near, thinking I've gone demented. It's quite an irony, Jacq is the first one to know I got a scholarship. LOL. Talk about fate and destiny.
Now: 8.15 am I swear I'm composed. I've sang the last chorus of Westlife's "Fool Again". Don't ask me why I chose that song. Two explanations I can offer: 1. It's one of the most cheesy songs I can sing off heart. 2. My brain is in complete disarray. Whatever song that comes up in the music jukebox tucked in my brain, I will SCREAM it out LOUD.
Lovely Thursday. And I'm going out with a dear jc classmate after school too! A celebration just in time!!! I really love god (When I say god, I meant the Taoist gods.) and Buddha for their generous blessings.
Thank you list:
1. Mummy - For helping me search for a business suit & graciously sponsor my full attire & loaning her Burberry tote to me (Though I returned it before using it after thinking I had been eliminated.) And force me to really think hard on my vision. Thanks to mummy, I had one now! And it's solid as the Gibraltar! hee
2. Father - For encouragement & concern. He never thinks for a second that I won't make it.
3. Joanne - She read ALL my essays. And judging from the near 60 pages portfolio I submitted, she did quite a fair amount of editing, giving valuable inputs, poking fun at silly mistakes & the final OK signal.
On top of that, she's my voice & decorum training coach. As mentioned in the previous post Penguin Says Quack Quack Quack, I can't even balance my butt on the chair with my legs tucked to the side. The one most important thing Joanne hit me with is power speech. After a subdued life, I 've almost totally forgotten the importance of dynamic power speech. Thanks to her timely reminder, I read a leadership book & many inspirational books thereafter. (Steve Covey's Living the 7 Habits is superb.) The night before the BIG day, I confessed lamely that I was too embarassed to speak before Joanne. Needless to say, I DID NOT practise my interview at all. Scary, isn't it?
One thing I learnt is NEVER ATTEMPT TO MEMORISE A SCRIPT. You'd end up sounding like a fako news anchor. Trust me on that point, I learnt it the hard way after burning out the poor cassette tape with my dismaying oral recordings.
4. LP and Christoper - For guaranteed entertainment & good fun during the killing preparation month.
5. My Sardinas. Chyan, Cheng Ping, Gracia & Biyun rise up to the occassion marvellously. Proof- read my essays even though they were dead busy with insane schedules. And giving me words of encouragement & advice when I'm at my most neurotic state.
6. Joel. I remembered you said I should go write for the newspapers when you I sent you my essays. Lol. I laughed my knuckles off and I still stand by it. I'm not that zai yet. Hahaha! Thanks for helping out with the overall presentation and my killer 10-year career plan. ;p
7. Darsh - Though your editing tips came a tad too late, I appreciated the thoughts & effort put into it. Thanks!
8. My lecturers for fantastic recommendation though some think otherwise of me. It's okay!
9. Jiuan's encouragement --> merci!
10. Admin people. You won't believe how helpful they are. ;p
Deck the hall with lalalala....Fa-la-la--
Gotta get down to serious work now. My accounting sheets for this afternoon's tutorial are still blank. =x Have to write thank you cards etc. So much to do!
What an eventful Thursday. Must ask LP to check my luck forecast on the lunar calendar. My guess is 吉 ;p
Blistering Summer @ BC
The heat waves are generating faster than bacteria mutate. The air is getting steamier. The fans outnumbered by 2-infinity, are putting up a valiant fight against the never-ending heat waves with deafening roars. I'm perspiring as if I've just run back from Kallang. My head is splitting with jabs of pains.
I bite my teeth and push myself to finish up the laundry, pack up the place, make a cup of hot Jasmine tea (not before realising there's no ice in the freezer). Waiting for the tea to cool down, my head to clear and the heat to dissipate.
(White flag) I'm crashing the showers for the second time in the evening. It's either a cold shower or sleep in the field in my birthday skin. Since the latter is as unlikely as Singapore snowing in the next five minutes, it's down to a moodless shower.
I miss the air-cons at home, where I have the liberty to turn it on as and when the weather is cracking me. Christopher and LP have an even lower tolerance for heat - Christopher needs the air-con when he watches Sesame Street; LP sleeps with the air-con blasting at 16 degree celsius, full speed through the night. And what do I have with me now? Two pathetic fans.
Enough lamenting. If I'm lucky, the tea will be forgiving on my throat by the time I'm done with a cool splash.
Fast Cars - Vroom Vroom!
I've to confess that marketing classes always make my day. What with previewing banned ads, watching videos and an animated lecturer, it's hard to frown on a Tuesday afternoon. :)
We had a video on Mercedes-Benz today. GOODNESS ME! Guess what perks the marketing manager at Mercedes-Benz has?
A NEW MERCEDES MODEL (FOR EVALUATION. As long as I get to swing the car key and vroom vroom down the fast lane, who cares what's it for?) EVERY TWO WEEKS.
Damn...this guy goes through more Mercedes than I throw away old socks. Some people here even have to stick their hand on a car for DAYS to get a car. It's not some fancy Benz, mind you. A Subaru Impreza 1.6 - no grounds for comparison, really.
Mercedes-wannabe boys...now you know where da best job is. And gals out there who fancy a rich boyfriend should probably start paying more attention to car display showrooms and hopefully, net the marketing manager.
Taking a break from this Self
I'm in a adulthood crisis, juggling multiple personalities and staring into the air, questioning the reason for my existence, evaluating my merits & demerits, trying to reach out to my future...
I'm quieter, more mellowed now. I don't know what to say and socialising is too demanding & tiring. As a friend puts aptly, msn chatting is socialising as well. Perhaps that explains why I prefer to stay away from the online buzz.
I look forward to family dinners because I'm away from home 5 days a week. I like to spend the weekend lounging at home because on Sunday, I'd be off again.
I'm reading Buddhist teachings and visiting temples because of the search for inner peace.
I'm a machine of chaos. Do I engineer chaos from within or absorb chaos from external? That is my question for my Self.
Interesting 21st century lingo
Skippies: school kids with income & purchasing power
Mobys: Not the singer Moby that Eminen hates but "mother older, baby younger"
Dinks: double income, no kids
Dewks: dual earners with kids
Puppies: (Darn, not even I've heard of this) poor urban professionals
Woofs: well-off older folks
A no brainer quiz
| Your Blogging Type is Pensive and Philosophical |
You blog like no one else is reading...
You tend to use your blog to explore ideas - often in long winded prose.
Easy going and flexible, you tend to befriend other bloggers easily.
But if they disagree with once too much, you'll pull them from your blogroll! |
Bon Jovi ROCK my world
My all time fav rock band - Bon Jovi
Their new hit
Have A Nice Day is a BLAST. Check out the
music video .
Jon Bon Jovi is 43, Richie Sambora is 46 -
so what?
I can't get enough of Jon Bon Jovi's throaty vocals...he electrifies my speakers. Richie Sambora's work on the guitar is amazing. It's a sheer engineering miracle that the stage doesn't collapse with this rock band pumping the music.
