the skinny truth

I have a friend is college who was so obsessed with being skinny, she ate nothing, drank only black coffee and smoked a lot. She had "discovered" that if one were to eat roti canai and down it with coffee, the dough will expand and keep her full the whole day. I wondered whether many women in Malaysia suffer like her.

I myself have to admit the pressure to be slim is always there. We are bombarded with images everyday to tell us to slim down, to diet and how good a celebrity looks with her slimmed down physique.

But how skinny is too skinny?



Is this too skinny?
Not so for the models. They still get hired. They are still sent down the runway with their designerwear.

Recently it was reported that an association in Brazil has decided to stop using models who are too skinny and concentrate on those who are healthy looking in order to send out the message that thin is well, not in.

But will that materialise?

I am afraid it will never happen. What is worrying is that every Malaysian probably knows at least ONE person in their circle of friends or acquiantance who is suffering from being obsessed with their weight.

I didnt know how to help my friend.Of course I can draw the line between being fit and healthy and thin and sickly. But how do you tell a person to identify the problem when they refuse to see it?
I am no longer in contact with that friend now. But I hope she no longer suffers from this obsession.

I really hope that I will not wake up one day and realise that everybody aspires to be like this:





Its scary. And I hope I never get infected.

the unexplainable

I was just looking through the Malaysian Female and Marie Claire mags the other day in MyNews.com. I tend to do that. I actually stand at the magazine shop with no intention of buying anything and browse through all the magazines there.Am I being a cheapo?I guess I am. I mean, why buy when you can read it for free?Thats the Malaysian in me talking there...

Anyways, what I dont understand from these magazines are all the items they feature in them. Shoes that costs RM5K, bags that go up to about RM10K, clothes around the same price tag.
Firstly, do the women who buy these magazines actually buy these items? What does the average woman in Malaysia earn? (Paula Malai Ali and her "We have loose change to get one of them Jimmy Choos" on Oprah was not only a misrepresentation but pure BS.LIke HELLO?She's not even Malaysian?)

Would it be too hard for the magazines to say feature things that we can actually go out and buy?Without having to say, rob a bank on the way just to be able to afford it?

And what about the women they feature in it? With their fashion advice which is always the same- "you dont need expensive clothes to look good. You must be confident!If you are confident, you will be beautiful!" And then you turn to the next page and they show you what is in their wardrobe- their Chanel shoes, LV bags, Gucci glasses.AND they expect us to go HELL YEAH!We dont need those expensive stuff to look good!And then we rush out to the nearest FOS and buy all the clothes there?

Why dont they feature the average Malaysian who earns RM2-3K a month? Those I-have-too-much-money celebrities and models featured in the magazines are getting to me. DAMMIT!We know you have money and stop all that crap about confidence being all we need. Cos you're already beautiful and rich.
Bitches.

What I find most amusing is this. Marie Claire has a lot of feature articles. About the poor and the abused. The tribes we have forgotten somewhere in the jungle. The women who have been smuggled in to the country for prostitution. AND on the next page, you have...drum roll please..LUXURY ITEMS! Things that cost thousands and thousands of RM. Ok, does anyone else see how ridiculous it is?

Hey, has anyone thought maybe, the celebrities that are featured in the magazines would like to give up some of their luxury and donate it to the poor? How come I dont see articles about these celebrities with their expensive things giving money to these charities?

Hey Marie Claire, maybe you could get them to donate their expensive clothes to the poor? Maybe if they spend a fraction less from their monthly shopping, they could give to those who need it? How about it?
Maybe you should just format ur magazine so that it will make sense.

I read in the newspaper today about the HSBC "BE A MILLIONAIRE" contest. According to the article, 30% of Malaysians actually said that they will give away half if not more of that 1 million if they were to own it. It got me thinking.
Firstly, I think most of them are liars. Well, if they are not liars, they are what I call the "half-truthers". GIVE away the 1 million? or RM500K?To the poor or the less fortunate? Before I go any further, spare me a minute. I need to throw my head back and laugh out real loud.

These so called people remind me of the beauty pageant contestants who want world peace and a protected environment. How are they similar? Well, they are mere words. These people dont give the money away when they have it. These beauty queens dont go around doing charity when they win the title (unless they're obligated to). As far as I know, I dont remember seeing any of our Ms. Malaysia do any of the charity or donating their wins to charity. (Oh wait, I must give credit to our Ipoh lass Ms. Anabelle Kong who did donate RM15K to various schools in Ipoh. She did good.) When those won have won the money or the beauty pageants are featured in the newspapers, I dont hear them say "OH!I am donating so much and so much to this and that charity. In addition, I have also decided to help out in this and that charity!" Instead they pose in couture gowns worth thousands and thousands of dollars, or attend big galas and premieres in their expensive clothes and jewellery. As for those who win loads of money, they probably move to another country or are suddenly unheard of again.
So giving money to the poor and undepriviliged?What a load of BS.

I think its one of those "If only" syndrome. "If only I had RM 1 million, then I can donate it to charity. If only I had more money, then I can help out in that orphanage, If only I didnt have to work 50 hours a week then I can help those underprivileged kids..oh..If only!

If I had the RM1 million, this is what I will do with it.
Stash RM500K in the bank to earn interest.
Give my family RM300K.
Spend RM200K to buy a house for my family to live in.
And perhaps, start giving money to those people who come around and insist that we buy useless gadgets which costs RM10 to help the poor/underpriviliged.(These people are dogdy)

Ok, before you all think I am heartless, I do give to the poor and disabled. I might not give much but I still do. If I see a blind man selling tissues for 50 sens a packet, I give him a dollar and take only one. If I see a blind man selling calenders, I give him RM2 instead of RM1. But will I give out RM500K to them?Nope.
I need the money too.

Hey, at least I am honest.