New Shopping Sites

If you've ever wanted to indulge in Australian brands or live in Australia and want to support the local talent whilst also helping the Australian economy then i have good news for you. I've found three sites that sell Australian brands and one of them also carries Nicole Ritchie's jewellery line 'House of Harlow 1960'. Below are the sites:

Australian Flavour
Beloved
Frock Shop

Can You Imagine?

I don't know who styled Shakira for this event but obviously the person felt that putting her in a tent would be sexy. Well, the answer is NO!!! The only things stopping this from looking hideous is the fact that her hair and makeup are spot on and she's got an amazing open-toe laced boots on that are drool worthy.

Images via Justjared.com

More Jackets But In Leather...

Let me start by apologising for the picture quality. Both jackets are by Unique and can be purchased online from Topshop. The leather jacket on the left is hooded with a piped detail stitching and stretch panels on the arms which are a bit difficult to see from the picture. It'll set you back about £250 and you can purchase it here. The second one, which i prefer, reminds me of a jacket one of the Olsen twins once wore and i'm going to guess its Ashley. This one follows the shoulder pad trend and has jersey panels on the arms. You can purchase it here for £175. What drew my attention to these jackets are the copper/gold coloured zips that they have. I'm not too sure that i like the colour of the zip but it does look like something that might grow on me slowly.
Images via Topshop.com

It's All About Power Shoulders...

What do you guys think of the power shoulder trend started by Balmain? I've been on the fence for a while because i'm not really a huge fan of trends; but then as we know in fashion everything gets recycled. If the shoulder trend is still in full effect in March next year, i might consider getting a cheapie from ASOS or Topshop just to give it a try as that would be Autumn in Australia. The jacket above is the ASOS power shoulder blazer and it retails for £65. The fact that it's got only one button isn't really working for me because it doesn't seem to suck everything in. That's a key requirement for me when i buy jackets.
This Patrizia Pepe structured shoulder blazer does the job for me with the buttonw but it comes with a hefty price tag: £250. From the pictures, i don't really think it's worth it but you might think differently.

This Oasis power shoulder blazer achieves the look i love with just one button. It's fitted enough to suck you in whilst skimming over the lumps and the bumps. A bonus is that the price is much more reasonable at £70 and is an ok-ish price to pay for a trend setting ensemble.

I have saved the best for last. I must admit that out of all four, this is my favourite because the shoulders are different from the usual ones that i've seen around. For me, this means that it'll have more longevity even after the power shoulder trend dies because it doesn't have that obvious 'ball' look that the power shoulder jackets tend to sport. This Gestuz shoulder piece detail jacket would set you back £139.99 and i'm going to be adding this to my 'watchlist' for sale items on ASOS because by the time i'll need a jacket for winter here in Australia, it'll be Summer in UK. The price reminds me of 'psychological pricing' from one of my Economics classes. The idea is that marketers tend to add .98 or .99 to the retail price of items because it comes across as a cheaper alternative to something with a flat price like £140. Even though from a logical point of view the difference is only 0.01 or 0.02, your subconscious mind still thinks the one with .99 is a bargain. When i asked customers in the aisles of Tesco, UK about how this influences them, i have to say lots of people said it did influence their purchase options...

Never underestimate the power of the subconscious mind and economists...

Images via ASOS.com

The Love Affair Continues...

...but this time it's all about Wonderbra by Dita Von Teese. Seriously, this woman can do no bad in my eyes and these bras are just making me green with envy. The bra above is the 'Sparkle teese' sequin balcony padded bra and you can purchase it from ASOS for £34. All the bras actually cost £34 each and can be bought online at ASOS.
This next one is the 'Sequin teese' cleavage bra which would also set you back £34. This is a different option for those who aren't fans of the balcony bra. I have to say i prefer this option to the balcony bra; but that's because my boobs are big and when i wear balcony bras i always feel like my boobs are going to touch my chin.

Next up is the 'Satine teese' cleavage bra which is actually my favourite from the collection and comes in mauve and red options and also costs £34.

Last on the line is the 'Multi teese' sequin bow padded multiway plunge bra. I have to say the bow on the nipple area seems a bit impractical considering it could easily tug on your clothes and rip off. This one is my least favourite of all and is £34.

Images via ASOS.com

Potbelly....

...these days, the amoebic nature of my tummy decides what i wear because i don't want to get uncomfortable about my tummy poking out the front of my clothes. So today, i was having a little tete-a-tete with my tummy because i didn't know what to wear. Crazy i know, but after stroking my tummy with ego boosting words, i put on my clothes and went to uni. It's ok though, i'm aware of how crazy i can get. Anyway, i found this song on YouTube titled 'POTBELLY'. Enjoy.

Image via Sptimes.com

These Days, Shopping Is...

...just plain boring and depressing. It is difficult to come up with a resounding answer as to why it feels this way to me. It's not the fact that half of the shopping mall has been closed for a while because i'm already over that, plus there's online shopping. I don't have any politically or psychologically sound reason for this feeling. Of course, i still love going to look at clothes and admiring the beauty of fabrics and their craftsmanship. But to put them in my closet? Well, that's where the lack of interest starts...You see, my closet is filled with clothes that i've rarely worn since i purchased them. As a matter of fact, i haven't worn 2/3 of my t-shirts this semester. They're just there adorning the hangers and creating an illusion in my wardrobe while i rotate the same ensembles week after week. My post on Jessica Biel yesterday made me think long and hard about this. Maybe i'm turning into the Australian version of Jessica? Before i couldn't wait to go shopping or own things or add another item to my wishlist. Now i'm more interested in snow than shopping and i don't have a wishlist anymore. I actually deleted 4 pages worth of stuff because i just couldn't be arsed about it. Now it's just more interesting watching people wear stuff; i've even lost interest in buying magazines. The only thing i've managed to garner some interest in is bras because my boobs began to 'speak' to me and i had to listen...I definitely know the recession has nothing to do with this because i'm an economist so i know that for a country to get out of recession, there needs to be an inflow of money into the economy. In simple english - people need to spend!!!

On a side note, somebody in the kitchen thought it was a brilliant idea to replace the usual supply of soy milk with rice milk. Soy milk is already bad as it is and i had to train myself to learn to drink it. But rice milk? That's another issue on its own. For starters it looks worse than skimmed milk; it's like staring at coloured water!!! And don't even get me started on the texture in your mouth; i'm pretty sure me chewing A4 paper has more texture than the rice milk they put out. I don't know if it's just the brand of rice milk but it tastes vile!!! It's LIQUID VERMIN!
Image via i.Treehugger.com

On The Fence...

...when i saw this picture of Jessica i wasn't sure what to think. I don't know if its because she's the one wearing it but it sort of looks bland. Maybe there's something missing like a pop of colour? I actually do like the outfit, but something isn't working for me at all...What do you guys think?

Image via Justjared.com

Impressed?

When it comes to jackets and wristwatches, i must admit that i'm extremely picky. Okay, so maybe i'm picky in general but jackets and wristwatches have a way of elevating a bland ensemble to 'simply chic' status. I'm not really into accessorising or excessorising as Rachel Zoe likes to call it. I'm all for the no-fuss, stress-free look. Due to my pickiness, i ended up not buying any winter jacket in Australia because none satisfied me enough to shell out some dough for it. Due to this, i'm looking to US and UK to purchase my winter jacket for next year. As far as pickiness goes, this leather jacket above by Warehouse certainly satisfies my needs. It's simple, chic and doesn't look like your regular leather jacket non? It actually reminds me of a Spring topshop jacket i own. You can purchase this jacket from ASOS for £150. Since we're moving toards the summer months here in Australia, i'm going to put this jacket under my ASOS sales watch list because if it goes on sale, i'm definately buying myself one.
I've never really been a fan of the whole denim leggings or jeggings or treggings fashion trend. But when i saw this Villa denim legging on ASOS, i was really impressed because from the pictures it really does look more like your average jeans than leggings. I think this might be due to the ripped detail and also how the legs just graze the calf and ankles as opposed to the skintight look you get with leggings. You can purchase this from ASOS for £40.
Since i've started a love affair with my boobs, i think it's appropriate to interest you guys in this bra by Caprice. I used to buy her bras when i lived in UK and the few i got were quite comfortable. If you're looking to get extra boobies without effort then i suggest you invest in her bras because they do give you a slight Wonder Bra effect. I love the straps on this and also the bow detail in the cleavage area. You can totally wear this under a mens style shirt whilst still feeling really sexy because you know what's underneath. The sizes go up to a G cup and would set you back £20 for an A to D cup or £22 for an E to G cup.

This post would not be complete without a blazer that can be worn during these Spring months in Australia. And if the weather these last few days is anything to go by, we might be needing one because it is actually looking more like the British spring than the Australian spring i experienced last year. But not to worry because i bring you this ASOS boyfriend blazer with the rolled up sleeve that is oh so chic and very comfy to keep the chills away and light enough not to make you drench in sweat when it does decide to get warmer. You'll also appreciate the versatility of it as you can easily pair it with jeans or denim cut offs or even cute dressed during the day; and at night over a party dress. It would only hurt your wallet by about £50. While we're at it, might i also interest you in my favourite jewels of the moment from ASOS? Long horse engraved pendant for £8 and Disney Couture ring for £25. Happy shopping ^_^

Images via ASOS.com

Scared Of The iPhone Flu?

...there's no need to worry anymore because i have a cure for you. Allow me to introduce to you the new LG Chocolate phone aptly name LG BL40 chocolate. This is one LG phone that i'll be more than happy to invest in so now i have one more thing to save for. But considering the fact that i live in Australia, i won't be suprised if it actually gets here a bit late considering that it is typical for us to receive new phones after the US and the UK. But hey, i'm not complaining at all. I can see myself having a summer fling with this phone. It's got the majority of the features of iPhone but i'm hoping with a slightly cheaper price tag. But what's actually interesting is that Twenty8Twelve by S.Miller [Sienna Miller and her sister Savannah Miller] have actually designed a case for this phone. You can read more about it on My MANy Bags. For those of you who live in Australia and are interested in getting this phone when it finally arrives, i suggest you keep your eye on the online shop Electronic Bazaar because they have the highest amount of LG phones i've seen online compared to other shops i've come across. They also have the LG ice cream phone and i think the Lollipop phone for a certain person who's reading this....
Images via Mymanybags.blogspot.com

Nobody Does It Like...

...Freida Pinto. This girl is chic without even trying; i must say her stylist is doing quite a good job at it. It look oh-so effortless and i'm totally digging her skirt and clutch.

Image via Justjared.com

It's Official...

...i'm slowly turning into a certified drama queen. I spent the remaining half of last week [from Wednesday evening] thinking that i'd failed one of my tests. Thinking about it now, it's quite hilarious because i was only certain that i'd lost 5 marks out of the 20 marks available because the lecturer was telling someone the answer to the questions afterwards. But hey, that really didn't stop me from dramatising in my head. The word FAIL doesn't resonate well with me at all when it comes to my academic life because i know how much money it costs per semester. Anyways, i got my results today for the test and i got 60%; although i'm not all too impressed, at least i didn't fail. Don't worry, i'm not going to tell you guys what i got in the remaining assessments for the subject because i'll feel like i'm rubbing it in your faces but it was definately better than a 60%. Now, i have one more test score to get because i had 2 different tests on Wednesday. It's time to start shitting myself with worry; only God knows what is taking my lecturer such a long time to put the scores up. Hello, it's not like we're more than a 100 people in that class anyway...

Images via Fashiontribes.typepad.com and Simpsonfever.files.wordpress.com

My Nose Is...

...is epic. It is almost the size of jupiter and i'm sure it could safely land an alien spaceship. Yes, today has turned into my fat and ugly day. Don't bother asking me why because i don't really have an answer to that question. The light at the end of the tunnel is starting to look really dim and i'm beginning to think it might soon be a blackout sown there. I've started getting rid of my compensation clothes...yup, you heard that right. All the size 10 and 12 clothes i had way back in 2006 before i got ill; especially the new ones...i've been holding onto them in the hope that someday i'll fit into them. But this evening, staring down at the amoebic capabilities of my tummy to change shape whenever it wants, i pulled out my brand new size 12 DVB for Rock & Republic and gave it to my flatmate whom it fitted perfectly. I didn't take any money from her because it felt like taking the money was bringing more pain to my heart. I just had to get rid of it and now i don't have to look at those jeans in my wardrobe anymore with such hatred because someone else can derive much pleasure from wearing them. Hope y'all had a better day than i did...
Image via Uk.eonline.com

Life Can Be Sweet...

...only if we just hold on a little bit longer.

Image via Girlsarebitchy.blogspot.com

It's Never Too Late...

...to start afresh, to turn a new leaf, to change your life or to follow the path you want. It's only too late if you decide that it is. You don't need to go back into your past and change it because you can't. You don't need to wait for a miracle or an epiphany because it might never happen. I hope you're not waiting for someone to die before you decide to do what it is that excites you because that person might end up outliving you. I know, sometimes it takes someone to give us a hot slap in order for us to breathe a new breath into our existence. But why wait for the slap from someone else? Why not just do it yourself? I'm not trying to sit in front of my laptop and just preach away, I'm trying to motivate myself, and those of you who happen to read my blog that you can start from anywhere. You can start from right now and just take it one day at a time. You don't need to try and swallow the entire chicken; just take a bite and chew slowly. Savour the moment and enjoy the tast and then move on to another bite. But always remember that there might be some people on the way who want to pull you down; those people who don't want you to succeed. They can be like a piece of bone in your chicken poking the insides of your mouth. Don't let that hold you down, just remember that the wind tests the strength of the oak tree and even when the wind is really hard, the oak tree bends but it never snaps. So take all the bitches, all the criticisms and all the stand-offs as a way to reaffirm it to yourself of what it is you're hoping to achieve. Of course, sometimes it hurts but that's life. We've got to find a way to roll with the punches and just keep living.
As for me, i'm taking baby steps to eleviate myself from my social awkwardness status. It started with me talking to one stranger a day. But this week on thursday, i actually participated in event in my college. It wasn't awesome and i'm not going to lie; i didn't really enjoy it. But that wasn't the point of me going, the point was for me to get out of my comfort zone. I admit that i wish i started this much earlier in the semester because now everyone is in their own clique/posse so it's difficult to start making new friends. But no one said that change was easy at all. It can be pretty daunting and sometimes, just the thought of it makes me want to crawl back under my covers and watch the movies that i own and have already seen over a 100 times. But each day, i try to push myself just to do something. Anyway, hope you guys have a great weekend. I'm spending mine trying to do an accounting report on Billabong International Limited. Just reading their 112 page annual report for 2008 has cemented my decision that Accounting is not the profession that i want to indulge in.

Remember, you are the change that you seek!!! Bonne nuit mes amis!
Images via Fantasticfiction.co.uk and Qualified-lifecoach.com

It'a All About Printing...

Before we get onto fashion, i just need to mention the fact that i bought myself an all-in-one printer on Tuesday for $59! This is my first printer ever! I know, i'm a bit late on that scene but the feeling is magically orgasmic. I can scan all my magazine pages that interest me without having to worry about the need to cut them and glue them onto my scrap books. I used to have 3 of those until i did a ruthless dejunking last night; scanned all the pages that still interests me and chucked the rest right into the bin. The feeling of getting rid of magazine cut outs as far as 2004 is both exhilirating and liberating. It's almost like all that junk has been blocking my chi and now i'm on a mission to get rid of any magazines in my room that is older than August 2009. Any page that interests me can now be easily scanned onto my laptop and stored forever ^_^.

Now onto the fashion aspect; lately i've been garnering some interest in clothing that has printed motifs onto it. Like the Miss Sixty one above or the Killah one below. I love how the patterns have been printed onto the tees to create an illusion and i'm also loving the slight graffiti effect going on. The Killah t-shirt below reminds me of some mini skirts i saw at Cotton On yesterday as it's the same pattern and the same grey shade but the print on the skirt was on a black background. I'm pretty sure that Supre would soon catch up on this trend. You can purchase both t-shirts from ASOS. The Miss Sixty waistcoat print t-shirt would set you back £45 while the Killah bodice print t-shirt costs £30.

Image via ASOS.com

Horsing Around

When i saw this picture of Beyonce, the only thing i could think of was getting myself a long necklace with an animal pendant. Although i'm still in search of one with the head of a tiger/lioness, i think this horse pendant from ASOS is a good consolation price. It's got a burnt gold look and would cost you £8, click here to own one.
Image via Asos.com

A Stranger Is...

...only a stranger for a day. What did you do today? I for one spoke to a complete stranger for about 10 minutes today. Seriously though, today i feel like i'm on some sort of coke or riding on an enigma that is just moving through my entire body. I mean i just spent 10 minutes of my time waiting for the bus talking to a girl i've never seen before!!! It's phenomenal in every sense of the word considering how much of a social cripple i am. Usually when i'm at the bus stop, i tend to plug in my ear phones and just nod away to music or an audio book. On other times, i manage to amuse myself and others around me by subconsciously making random movements. Today's random movement was skipping. Honestly, i can't even begin to give you a reason why i was skipping or how i even started considering the fact that i wasn't listening to music and i didn't have a rope with me. So this girl smiles at me in a weird way whilst fishing for her cardigan. So i smiled back and chipped in 'Freezing huh?' and that was how the conversation started. She talked about expecting this year's summer to be pretty cool considering that winter wasn't - thank God someone agrees on that note. I told her about my planned bus marathon to dash back to my accommodation to pick 2 slices of toast before returning for the tutorial i had next. The point of this whole conversation isn't what i said; but the fact that i actually spoke!!! I'm still amazed at myself and i'm going to try and say hi to a random person everyday for this month. Of course, some people might choose to ignore me. But if i only get one smile and response back, i'm fine. But hey...that's not the end of the story for today...
After my toast induced marathon, i got back to uni just in time for my tutorial. For this particular tutorial, 2 people are meant to teach us a topic each week and today happened to be a guy that fascinates me but i've never had the balls to say hi to. Lame i know, considering that i've actually attended this class for the past 6 weeks. The most we've ever done is exchange glances and smiles across the room. But that all changed today because we didn't just glance at each other for 50 minutes, we actually spoke!!!!! There's just something about his eyes that seems to draw me in everytime i see him; or maybe it's the fact that he looks much better in skinny jeans than i do. But today was like 'glance overload!' Everyone i assume knows that one of the main things in presentations is to try and maintain eye contact with your audience. Well, he did that pretty well and since all the people sitting on my side of the class left early, i was the only one in that section for him to maintain eye contact with. But hey, i'm not complaining one bit. By now i'm sure it's obvious that i didn't listen as much; my subconscious mind did its job of absorbing everything he taught because i can actually remember. So after sharing glances for 20 minutes of his presentation, i decided to have 'small talk' after class.

I already knew his name but i really couldn't think of another way to start the conversation so i asked for his name again and he told me John. The minute he said that, i absolutely realised why i'm slightly fascinated by him. He reminds me a bit of Johnny Depp; he's not your puke cute kind of guy but he is somewhat enigmatic. Did i mention that he's got a bit of a bass/baritone voice going on? Anyway, he asked me the question 95% of people ask me and for the same reason 'So, where are you from?'. Cocky me, i wasn't willing to give in easily so i said 'around somewhere...but why don't you guess?' And he goes 'Well, i detect a bit of American, some European language and a bit of Pommy but it's all one big mix'. So i ended up telling him i'm nigerian but i've lived in other countries and his response was 'Aha, it all makes perfect sense'. I must admit no one has ever told me that i've got a bit of European pronounciations in my vocabulary but i'm pretty sure when i tell my friend in UK this, she's going to be stoked because she's from the french-speaking area in Cameroon so i always try and practice my french with her. I'm guessing all my years of learning languages has finally creeped into my accent. Well, i'm off to go do some kickboxing!
Images via Despianart.com and Synthtopia.com

Always 'Switched On'!

So, my mum called me at 8.20am Australian time today. After she'd asked about how i was faring, her next question was "So, what are you thinking of now? Because i know you are thinking!!'. You see, there's this phrase my mum always uses to describe our connection: 'Blood is thicker than water!'. What it basically means is that no matter the distance between both of us, we always manage to know how the other person is feeling and call at the appropriate time. She always knows when i'm down without me having to text or even call and the same goes for how i can judge what's going on in her life. Since i've been up at 6am this morning, my brain has been processing stuff like a 24-hour internet download. I was meant to be studying for the two tests i had today but it's so bloody difficult to concentrate when there's lots of things going through my mind. Even as i type this, i've got several things going through my mind and it's best you're not aware of this. It's one of the things that makes me feel like i'm going crazy! I always find it very difficult to quiet the thoughts running through my mind. The worst part is that when i actually try to write them down in a bid to quiet my thoughts, my hand is in a competition with my mind on who can move faster than the other. Usually, it's my mind that wins because i'm always rushing to write down my thought before the next one pops up. That's one of the reasons i'm not really consistent with writing in my journal anymore because by the time i'm done with one thought, another has popped into my head and then another. Infact, i have a headache as i'm writing this....even my eyes are trying to graze over the words in a bid to stay on track because lots of things are happening up there...

The funny thing is that this usually happens at any given time of the day. I could be sat next to a friend and my brain goes on autodrive; i can even be having a conversation with them whilst it's going on up there. The worst is when i'm sleeping or in the shower. My mum once got really freaked out when i was about 12 or 13. I'd just come home for the holidays from boarding school and i decided to sleep in her room because my aunt had taken over mine. All of a sudden, i started sleep talking. But the strange thing for her was that i wasn't talking jargon; it was a logical chain of thought and i was having a sort of three-way conversation with my mind over something that was going on in our family at the time. I was basically arguing with the point of view that the entire family and everyone else who felt our business was theirs wanted us to go with. Of course, my mum freaked out and ended up recording my entire conversation on my own tape recorder. She listened to it over and over again and then cried her eyes out. Of course, when i woke up, she told me everything that happened and played the tape back just to prove it to me. You know what she said? 'You're not just your father's daughter; you are your father in female form!!!' That's a very serious thing to say considering how stubborn and opinionated my father can get; which is probably why we don't argue like regular parents and children do. Our arguements always tend to go in the form of politics, bargaining and negotiations but without the shouting or the insults. Of course, after the whole tape incident she always asks me for my opinion because 9 times out of 10, it's the opinion that's going to break the family rule.

So now that i have come to the end of this post - i have to run and get the bus to uni - i would like to know how to quiet my thoughts once in a while. Because during my test at 11am this morning, i was actually thinking about a phrase i'd read earlier in my management textbook made by one of the founders of Southwest Airlines, USA.

Image via Pierotonin.com

Road To Recovery...

Yesterday, i blogged on people's opinions and why we care so much. So from today onwards, i'm on a road to recovery about letting other people's opinions rule my life and just plain caring so much for such unnecessary drama. And since you're reading my blog, you are going to take this journey with me - hopefully ^_^. I just found a blog called 30 sleeps and there's some amazing posts in there. One of them is the post that's going to make this journey slightly doable: How to not care what other people think. Read and enjoy ^_^

Image via The-malaysian.blogspot.com

Move Over Amazon...

...because i have found Australia's answer to Amazon.co.uk and it is none other than Fishpond! I'm a sucker for buying books and NLP audio books and i usually had to result to ordering them online from Amazon because most bookshops here didn't carry stuff like those. Although Amazon is a bit cheaper because i can get lots of second hand copies, the whole shipping issue and the drama of having all my international purchases leading to me having to pay custom charges - which hasn't ever happened but i'm really scared of - usually means that i have to schedule my purchases so it doesn't look like i never shop in Australia. But they have everything i want including Grand Designs, Pride & Prejudice, French Women Don't Sleep Alone. Plus you get free shipping on orders over $49!!! They even say on their site that they are better than Amazon!!! Well, i'll be the judge of that as i'll soon be ordering a few items from them....
Image via Bookoffers.com.au

Inspirational Jewellery

So, today is a triple 9 day [9th of September 2009] and what a better way to celebrate it than to bring you some inspirational jewellery. I'm a sucker for jewellery that has inspirational or personal quotes inscribed on them and this Disney Couture ring is a great find from ASOS. On it is written 'think a wonderful thought'. What a beautiful item to have adorning your finger on a daily basis to remind you of the bliss of being alive and the abundant future that awaits you if you can just visualise! This baby has shot to the top of my impending ASOS shopping list and it would set you back a mere £25. Click here to buy yourself one!
Image via Asos.com

Love....Again....

"Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop" - H.L Mencken [1880-1956]

Images via Savagechickens.com, Myspace.com/alsofanpage

Does This Remind You Of LV?

When i saw this Warehouse scarf on ASOS, the first thing that came to my mind was this LV scarf that many celebrities including Sienna Miller were spotted wearing. I loved it then and i still love it now. The LV scarf actually comes in pink and i think brown [forgive me as i'm not too good with colours] and this Warehouse one also comes in pink. If you'd like to purchase it, click here. It would set you back by £18 and i think that's a fair investment for winter right?
Image via Asos.com

Why Do We Care So Much...

...about other people's opinions? As a society, we seem to be in constant worry about what the other person thinks. What does my boss think? What does my friend think? We even care about what total strangers think. I can understand the logic behind caring about what your immediate family members might think because they might be the closest people to you and don't necessarily want to let them down. But we seem to care quite a lot about other people's opinions. Do you think it was the same in the past where there was less media interference in society? Where the rules were slightly different? These days, everyone seems to have an opinion about others and i certainly know i'm one of those people. I try to caution myself about it when i realise that i'm doing it because it just seems quite stupid doesn't it?

In the game of pointing fingers, who's to blame for it? Hitler, Mass media? Tabloids? Personally, i grew up in a background where other people's opinions of you either makes or breaks you. In my little village down south of Nigeria, once a negative remark has been made about someone in your family by an elderly person, you know you're screwed. I don't mean screwed like people are going to hate you. More like no one wants to have any associations with your family; no one wants to marry from your family or even marry into your family. Did someone hear that you spent the night in the house of a man whom you're not married to? OMG!!! You are in for the biggest shit of your life! You certainly would be the new slut of the village and whichever man decides to marry you from that village would always live in the shadows of that incident. As for your family; well if you have a father like mine then chances are you'll be disowned. But your family would always have to live with the shame that you dragged their name in the mud. Of course, it's not the same in other villages and it certainly isn't the case when you live in the city. But these issues have their way of rearing their ugly heads.

My mum was telling me about a family that's currently going through 'shame' in the village circle. They live in the same town as my parents do and we also happen to come from the same village. Well, they sent their daughter to the US to study for her undergrad and she came back pregnant and unmarried. Of course in the western world this isn't too much of a big deal, after all there's an ample part of society with single parents. In my city, the only shame they're having to endure is that her parents hold a certain prestige in the church community. So she has commited the ultimate sin!!! On the other hand, in the village she's now the news headline. Mum went back to the village for my uncle's traditional wedding and the story is pretty much all she hears. "Did you hear that so-and-so's daughter came back from US pregnant and single? What a slut she is. Which kind of respectful man would want to marry her? So she spent all those dollars sleeping around eh?"

Worst part is her child might have to endure such ridicle in the future if he/she ever decides to venture to the village. So should culture then be blamed for the effect of people's opinions? Or should we defer it more to the issue of civilisation. Because my village IS a village populated mostly by the elderly and the young ones living there have already embodied the same habits of the elderly. And the majority of them tend to be illiterate as well. But in the city everyone is all about the 21st century. It's almost like moving from the 19th century to the 21st century in the space of 1.5 hours because that's how long it takes to drive from my city to the village. No wearing short skirts, loud makeup, big earrings, tight clothes, jeans, trousers or cleavage revealing clothes on the trip to the village because that's all it takes for me to relegate my family into a certain opinionated corner. And in the city at home? Well, no short skirts, jeans, trousers, big earrings, cleavage or tight clothes for me either because my parents happen to be very religious so you know every member of the church would have to say something; especially since i actually grew up in that church!

I remember in 2003 i wore hoop earrings to church, that was my first taste of opinions!!! The usher called me aside and said: 'You know, these earrings are very worldly, you should take them off!' Being the stubborn person i was, i said no!!! That was all it took for mayhem to ensue. The next thing i know, my mum's asking me if i was rude to the usher because he went and reported me to her. Like seriously?! After explaining to her what happened, she just laughed it off and said that she's a 21st century mother so she understands me. But that didn't stop other people from commenting. One of the ladies in church told me i was dressed like one of those 'other' girls - the 'sinners' who weren't christains - because of my earrings, the fact that my orange skirt suit was quite fitted even though it was 3/4 length skirt, the fact that i had nail polish on and i was rocking some major black eyeliner. Her criticisng my dress didn't bother me so much because my mum made it and she saw me before i left the house anyway!!! Did i mention that my eyeliner was specially made for me by my gran??? It's a tradition for girls to wear eyeliner especially if you're from a certain lineage because the eyes are the windows to the soul, hence the best seductive tool for men. So what better way than to wear black liner rimming your gorgeous eyes ey? My aunt got a brown-black one from my gran because she's got cat eyes and some major eyelashes so she doesn't need much emphasis like i do. Mum gave up wearing eyeliner after she got married because she always hated it, but gran used to make her wear it and since she was already married she didn't need to seduce any men anymore....hahahaha.

Image via Sheerchaos.files.wordpress.com

Weird News From Around...

Bank robber: I did it to get away from wife
Jeep crashes through house's second floor
N.Y firehouse closes to wash elephant
Cops say man tried to pay for gas with pot

Love...

There can be no peace of mind in love, since what one has obtained is never
anything but a starting point for further desires - Marcel Proust [1871-1922]

Images via Graphics8.nytimes.com, Myspace.com/mygreentv

Corporately Chic..

Here's a picture of Cameron Diaz on the set of her new movie, The Green Hornet. She looks impeccably chic and very much reminds me of my mum. My mum believes in dressing the part whenever she goes to work and every year she manages to win the award for best dressed teacher/lecturer. Even though she's 47, she still manages to outshine the younger ones because she always used to say to me: 'Whether you're fat, skinny or inbetween just dress like you're going to run into your worst enemy. Plus you never know when you'll meet someone who would recommend you for the best job of your life'. Her dream job is to be the Commissioner of Education for my state.
Image via Justjared.com

Big Week

I've got a slightly stressful week ahead of me and hopefully i'm not going to lose my marbles on this one. I've got three tests coming up; Monday @ 4.30 and Wednesday @ 11 and 4.30. Oh, i might actually end up with a random one @ 3.30 on Monday as well. It's like a logistical nightmare. But once i'm done with these, i've got one more test for the week after and two essays to get working on. Maybe its time i go get my eyes checked? I'm still trying to stretch it by a bit. What's your week going to be like?
Image via Candy.k12.or.us

It's A Lonely World Out There...

Even though i might be surrounded by a sea of people...i still feel alone. I feel like a long lost island.
Lonely Video by Akon
Images via Imagecache5.art.com, Varna.files.wordpress.com

Snoring Queen

When i saw my flatmate in the dining hall this morning, i said 'hi' to her only to receive a blank face and the response 'i could hear you snoring through the walls all night!'. I kinda feel for her though cause we are two snorers in a row next to her so i can't imagine how she manages to sleep at night. And to worsen the situation, our beds are next to the same wall so it makes it even easier for her to get woken up at night. Usually when people talk about snoring, they usually emphasise on males but about 8% of the female population in Australia snores. I tend to hear girls saying stuff like 'i can't share a bed with a man who snores'. So does this mean that when i get married in the future i'd have to have my own room separate from my man? It has been rumoured that Madonna used to make Guy Ritchie sleep in another room because he snores terribly. Well, i personally don't like sharing rooms because i know i'm a loud snorer and sometimes i even wake myself up at night from the sound of my own snoring. I actually feel bad for my mum cause she had to put up with my dad and i snoring every night when i still lived at home. My dad and i could form a symphony orchestra just with our snoring capabilities and if we were to compose a song with it; he'll probably be bass and i'll be tenor.
Anyways, i've been reading up about snoring and sleep distruptions for quite some time now and the facts are actually quite scary. Here's the link to a website that talks about snoring and other sleeping disorders. I remember when i used to have movie sleepovers at my friend's house. Whilst everyone would be asleep, i'd force myself to stay up all night because i was the only one who snored and i didn't want to keep the others up all night. So last week, i actually bought myself a mouthpiece that is meant to help with snoring my pushing the jaw forward in order to free up the airway. It cost me $67 including postage and packaging so it had better work because i would be a very upset customer if it doesn't. For those who are interested, i got it from this site. Snoring might be the reason i always wake up very tired everyday...
Images via Digitalinfosolution.com, Snore-gonomics.com

Another Piece Of Wilde

Here's a picture of Olivia Wilde promoting her TV show 'House'; she plays one of the doctors on it. She also took time to promote the new Escada perfume. I have to say she looks mighty fine dressed up in a casual ensemble but i'm totally lusting after her heels. I notice they're not Louboutins so if anyone knows where i can find anything very similar, please leave a comment or drop me an e-mail. I know it's almost impossible for me to walk in stilettos because my feet has issues of its own but whatever!!!

On another note, i have a sort of bad news for those who live in Australia wanting to try out the new Escada perfume. Except you know an actual Escada flagship store in Australia, you can't purchase the perfume because they don't sell in shops like David Jones or Myer. Theie products are strictly in Escada shops except you manage to find a boutique that sells some of their stuff. I guess i have to result to e-bay or England for this one.
Image via Justjared.com