Soapbox

Women can be jerks too

2005-11-28T13:38:00.000+04:00

Tia:Women are always complaining that it's hard to find a decent guy to love and be in a relationship with. They always complain how men are such scum bags and ungrateful cheaters who don't know a good thing when it crosses their ways. Well this is not the case with all women,some are actually blessed with good men who will do anything for their sake. And how do these women thank their lucky stars for finding such guys? By cheating on them, by treating them like they are nothing. It's sad but its true, women are not always the ones to be walked all over, some men go through the same thing. We can not label a whole gender by calling them cheaters and liars, because it's not about what type of hormones rule your body, its more about your personality, morality and principles.

Samyah: That's so true... I really hate those women! lol. We all wish for a good guy and one of us gets one then she ends up hurting the guy and ruining his perspective on relationships, love and women in general. I know some really amazing guys and sadly most of them have been mistreated by their girlfriends. Its funny how the world works; seems like no matter which gender the good ones are the ones who get hurt.
However I do think that women get their hearts stomped on more than men do. As a majority that is..
But for any guy who's ever gotten hurt by a woman, I would tell him not to loose faith because there's always something better waiting for us in the future.
Noora: Sadly it is true. There are women out there who can be as cold hearted as some men are. Like Sam said, they would be one of the few lucky women out there to find a decent guy who offers her all his love and care, yet she uses this to her own good and starts treating him like she 'owns' him.Not all women are great, and not all men are bad either, both are human beings, capable of hurting others, or being hurt by someone. At the end of the day, someone gets hurt, while the other seems to lack the least bit of remorse for making someone go through all this shit!

Stalkers & Harassment

2005-10-22T10:52:00.000+04:00

Samyah: Have you ever been driving and a guy or a bunch of guys started to follow you? They kept to your tail until you went through all the little allies just to get rid of them? Or have you ever been walking with (or without) your sisters/girlfriends and some guys followed you too on foot? Sometimes even just being in CityCenter can put you in a similar situation. I know I've been there and there were times where it not only creeped me out but had me really really scared.
So what do you do in that sort of situation? Most of us have been taught that ignoring they guy will eventually get rid of him, and often it does work. But sometimes it doesnt, and sometimes its not just one guy following you.
I don't know why guys do these things; I suppose it makes them feel superior knowing that they are able to put you in a position of helplesness, but its a disgusting thing to do.
I remember when Dubai's newspapers used to publish the names and photos of perpetrators to humiliate them and I thought that was great, those guys deserved it. The papers have stopped doing it though, and they've started Al-Ameen; a phoneline that anyone can call if they're in a bad situation which also seems to be helping women.
Just a piece of advice to any girl who's being followed on foot; stay away from him/them. Get as fast as you can to people nearby and start screaming to attract attention. That usually frightens the stalkers away.

Tia: hmmmm I remember once i was on my way from work and this guy ( a teenage, I guess 16 or 17!) followed me all the way to my house. Not sure what he accomplished by following me, but it was a nice story to tell lol! However, I never got into a situation where I was stalked, and I would want to be one. Its amazing though how some girls find it entertaining to be followed, I guess it gives their self esteem a boost, knowing that they can attract guys. I can tell you numerous incidents of girls giggling happily while a bunch of guys are following them. There are some girls who will welcome it, and others won't and I guess the guys just can't differentiate between the two. That does not mean i agree with such attitude, women should be able to go out without being harassed. And there should be severe punshiment for those who give themselves the right to stalk girls.

Noors: Urgh, I hate it, and I think it's absolutely low and disgusting for a mature guy to do these kind of things. I just want to understand what they get by harassing girls and walking around them? What? Is it self satisfaction? And if so, then for what? For the fun of it? Well, what's so fun in scaring someone?

I've been through this situation, even in college, and all girls know that it's just a headache which you seriously don't need. You're on your own, why can't guys just respect you and leave you alone for God's sake?

I never was able to understand this, and I probably won't. I just want to hear a guys opinion, and I want a guy to stand up and answer my question, whyyyyy?

Fashion Rules

2005-10-20T23:26:00.000+04:00

Tia:
1- Shoes and handbag should match in color; I could never go out with black shoes carrying a brown handbag.

2- I never buy handbags with prints of letters of the brand name; all those DKNY and CD are a big NO for me.

3- clothes that has the brand name written across for the world to read, are not for me.

4- When going to wedding my purse/handbag and shoes has to be the same color as my dress. They say that black goes with everything, but they never managed to convince me.

5- I don't have restrictions when it comes it colors, I could wear anything as long it's the right shade for my coloring.

Samyah:

1- Never ever EVER wear white shoes. Unless they're off white or beige, but never pure white (this is also one of my biggest pet peeves).

2- Personally, I can't wear something thats completely off white cause I end up looking ill with my skin already being that color. I also can't wear pale colored scarves for the same reason.

3- I am a woman who likes my denim wore right, some jean rules:

- Never wear sevens (big on top tight on bottom)
- Should only be slightly tighter around the knee area, bell bottoms are so over.
- Writing on the butt of a jean looks whore-like (can i use that word here? lol).
- Never buy droopy, cheap jeans.Jeans were meant to be well-made, you end up wearing them the most anyway. Go expensive, but not too much.

4- I don't really have that many rules.. just never to overdo your look; too much makeup is for clowns not women. And showing too much of your body isn't really flattering, it just makes you look cheap. One more thing.. keeping up with fashion is cool, but make sure it suits you first.. then wear it ;)

Noors Just like any other girl, I can't leave the house unless I know I look good.

1- I don't care abour brand names, I usually go for casual stuff such as Next, mango, DKNY, coach, and the likes, but at the same time, it never means that I can't dream of buying a gucci handbag one day, when I can afford it. For something like that, I would save enough money and buy it on my own.

2- I like to be update when it comes to fashion. Not that I'd wear anything, but I like to see what's new, and choose what suits me. Lucky for me, I have my dad who has a good taste in clothes, so is my mom, but my dad is always away for work, so I get to get something new all the time lol.

3- I don't have any specific rules. Important thing to me is, it looks good on me, doesn't make me look fat, matching colours, and sophisticated. I like looking elegant no matter what I wear or where I go, I want to look good even if I'm just wearing jeans and a top. Well, not always, but hey it boosts up your energy when you have a stressful day ahead of you!

Think Pink!

2005-10-16T20:36:00.000+04:00

Tia:Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in females, and is the 2nd common cause of cancer death in women in the western world. Men can also develop breast cancer; however the risk is not as high. Each year on the month of October, breast cancer is recognized by the patients/survivors and their families as well as families of victims of this disease. A pink ribbon is worn to show support to all those who were affected by breast cancer.To my understanding breast cancer is not given much attention to the Arab world, because women of Asian origin have lower risk of developing this disease. Thats why I was quite surprised when i found Breast Cancer Awareness in UAE while I was searching online. This is a good step, and I hope the rest of the middle East countries will follow. It was found that one that diet plays an important rule in the causation of breast cancer, and saturated fat was found to be a key dietary factor. And if we look at the diet in our culture, will find that fat is an essential component. Thats why i believe its important that women should be breast cancer aware, we should have campaigns about breast cancer, what are its causes and how to prevent it as well provide information on how to do a simple self check-up for breasts.
Samyah: First I want to thank Tia for bringing this cause to my attention. I spent all last night and this morning reading about Breast Cancer and learned some interesting facts. For one, the country with the highest rate of the cancer is Iceland, but some say this is because of their national cancer registry.Also a reasearch in Netherlands has linked breastcancer to lefthandedness; they say Left-handed women are more than twice as likely as right-handers to suffer from breast cancer before reaching menopause.
Now here is the very interesting part; I found a study that stated breast cancer patients in Oman present with advanced stages of the disease at younger ages than their counterparts in the West, have lower survival rates.The study suggests that the main reason for this is decreased awareness and neglecting screening programs, which means the cancer gets caught in its later stages when its not easy to cure.Click HERE to read more. Also according to Gulf Center for Cancer registration in Oman the average age of bc patients was just over 46, compared to 61 in the US.BurJuman shopping center in Dubai just had a walkathon for BreastCancer on the 25th of last month. Participants had to pay a fee of Dhs 50 and the money made went to their own awareness campaign. Burj Al Arab also joined in illuminating pink lights with 40 other countries on the 1st of October. Hopefully it won't be long until Oman can have something like that! In the meantime I would advise all women (especially those past menopause) to check their breasts every couple of months for lumps and to get a mammogram every year. The button on top of this post is for you to simply click on and by doing so you help support free mammograms for women in need across the globe. Every click is tripled in October!

PS. In case you didn't know, the pink ribbon was created by Evelyn Lauder (Estee Lauder Companies) in 1992.

Noors: Breast cancer is creeping towards our side of the world, and the problem is, women are not aware of this fact, and think that they are safe from this horrible disease.

I remember when I was still at school. My cousins used to sit and make these ribbons by themselves just before October, and gave them out to everyone in their school. I used to take one and put it on my pencil-case.

The Royal Hospital, started a campaign for breast cancer, and they were selling pins in the shape of the logo, and it was quickly gaining its popularity, especially among the female staff, and the good thing is, it helped to spread the call. Yet, at the same time, you'd be surprised at how many people had absolutely no idea what this logo stands for.

I've worked in the breast clinic here, and I've seen the cases coming in. Some were old, others were young. Some of those cases come in such advanced stages, that you just sit and wonder what took them so long to decide to seek medical attention, and then they would ask for miracles!!

Medicine is advancing in this field. And I must say that we do have the fascilities here in Oman, to detect the cancer early, and to provide the best forms of treatment. I guess the only thing lacking, is the spread of the education, and the stress on the need for each and every women to get herself checked up every few moths, or at least once a year, and to carry on a self examination, because no one knows her body better than herself, and only her, can detect any abnormality as quickly as possible.

Lets, spread the call...

He's not THAT into you!

2005-10-09T16:14:00.000+04:00

Noora: Did any of you see the Oprah show where her guest was the co-author of a book that is called 'he's not that into you'? The purpose of the book was to help those women out there, to free themselves from relationships that are going no where, and to give them clear cut answers to their many 'what if' situations.

What Oprah also did, was gather some women, who were going through a tough time in their relationships, and who had many doubts on how to handle situations and on where exactly their relationship are going, or even how to define what she had with her man.

I was just listening to their different stories, and it's amazing how similar women can be. They all want the same thing, something serious, something that is going somewhere steady, they all wanted to feel secure in their relationships, and you see them all trying and trying even when it's obvious that her man was just using her to pass some time and had no real intentions of taking this to the next level, yet you see them giving them chances, and carrying the burden of worrying of how things are gonna go from there.

Why is it hard for us women to let go? Why do we keep on hoping that it is going to work out, and that we have finally found our happy ending?

Tia: Many of my girlfriends were doing this, you know hanging on to guys who were not good to them. No matter how many times they hurt them, they always a find a place in their hearts to forgive them. When asked why their answer was fear of ending up alone, of never finding another chance to be loved. But what kind of love is this, when all you get is degradation and sorrow? What is the use of being in a relationships where you are the one who gives and your partner just takes selfishly? Its better to be alone than with someone who is not worthy. And i don't think we should prison ourselves in the name of love. But again i can not possibly understand how does feel to fear loneliness, to think that you only got once chance and you have to cling to it no matter how upsetting it can be. And i guess when you are in love you will do anything to work things out.

Samyah: I guess I feel sorry for women who can't take a hint. Or who can yet still hope for more. Women are just so emotional, they're always following their hearts.. if their hearts want the guy with the tatoo, motorcycle and fear of commitment then they'll still yearn for that guy even if all evidence prooves he doesn't care enough about them.
I very much agree with what Noora said "all women want security", its so true. Unfortunately for most of us, we go about looking for it in the wrong places. And sometimes we even stay trapped with someone who doesn't give us that.
This is why its important for women to have their self-confidence/worth; without it they're emotional saps clinging onto a thread! Call me stupid, but I do believe that there is someone good out there for all of us.. it just depends on how willing we are to see them or accept them. You don't need someone who doesn't give you what you need... you can always do better. No matter who you are.

CV: Big boobs & nice ass

2005-09-13T09:52:00.000+04:00

Tia: I was watching an episode of Strong Medicine, and this scene caught my attention. One of the female doctors was having a conversation with one of her patients, who her breast implants caused her some type of infection, so the implants were removed. The doctor was arguing that it will be dangerous for the patient to have other implants, but the patient was not hearing any of it. She argued that she was able to be where she is now, because of the size of her plants and that is applied to all women who are holding high positions in their line of work.

I know that this is just fiction, however I also know for a fact that there is not much difference between reality and fiction. Just take a look at of the local newspaper and check the jobs section. Most of the ads which offer jobs for females, will say " a fair/white skin, good looking young woman is needed to fill the named job". I mean with such criteria I would not blame women who use their looks to get by in life, after all they need to survive.

Noora: It's actually sad, but a yet a very true fact. I'm not going to generalize and say that it's done everywhere, but we cannot deny the fact that we do see examples of such attitude in some work areas. I've always tried to make myself believe that it's not true, and as for myself, I would only want to get a job where my work is being appreciated, and makes me earn my respect, other than that, I would refuse to think that me being a girl, was an advantage towards my side.

I've seen it done right in front of me I'm afraid. You see doctors treating females better than the males, especially if they are good looking. And some sick girls just take this as an oppertunity and play along the game to get what she aims for. I just wonder, aren't they ever ashamed of themselves once they've achieved a certain rank, knowing that it wasn't their own hard work that got them there? Does it mean anything? Wouldn't it be like living in this big lie?

Samyah: I admit I've never seen it done firsthand but I've heard about it here and there. When it comes to service jobs I guess you can't really blame them because businesses are just trying to work well,and sometimes for that you need a pretty face. For instance, I remember two Nawras stands in City Center awhile back, the better looking girl had more customers (all male hehe) than the not-so-good looking one. I'm betting she also made more money that day than the other.
As for divisions where it isn't necessary to have a pretty face and its just for the managers/supervisors' satisfaction: thats when I find it perverted and immoral.
I also really hate ads that actually specify what sort of looks they want their applicants to have; its like they're already assuming that a smarter, more skilled and qualified person is useless because she's not pretty!
About women who use their looks, well if you've got it flaunt it! I wouldn't do it but if thats what another woman needs to help her along the way (in a very close minded, sex selling world and as long as she doesn't over do it) then maybe she should take advantages of god's blessings hehe :p

Friendships: Male vs. Female

2005-09-09T13:38:00.000+04:00

Tia:I have always believed that friendship between females is fragile compared to friendship between males. Although females bond with each other faster then males, the bonds between males are much stronger. A girl could you be your best friend one minute, and the other she could be your worst enemy, all you need is to do or say the wrong thing and your friendship will be broken into pieces.

I am not sure why this happens, or why we can’t be as males when it comes to their friends. I guess its in women nature to be always in competition with each other and to gossip about one another.

Samyah: No way. Women's friendships are much stronger than men's. We bond emotionally, we share everything with eachother. We make that friendship into a sisterhood. Guys get together and talk about sports and anything non-emotional. For example; ask a guy if he talks to his good guy friend about his girlfriend/wife --> he'd say no way. But women, well we leave nothing .. we share details and all. And while its true that because women get so emotionally attatched, its easier to cut that friendship, and they forget & forgive less; even so.. female friendships mean much more no matter how long the duration while men can stay friends for decades but it means hardly anything.

Noora: I'm gonna have to agree with Sam on this one. I've always believed that women, once they bond closely, their friendship remains strong and the bond between them can't be easily broken. Like Sam said, women share their emotions, they understand each other and are never afraid or shy to show their close friends how they really feel, and once they get the understanding look back, they just have this instant feeling of comfort, knowing that there is someone who truly understands them. Women share things with each other, they stand by each other's side in their hour of need, and they give each other the necessary support in every aspect of each other's lives. What can possibly be stronger?

I, confess.. not!

2005-09-07T15:37:00.000+04:00

Tia: Most girls are scared of making the first move, cause although guys say that they wouldnt mind a girl confessing her love, deep down inside its something they would not prefer. Since the beginning of life men have always been the hunters and women the hunted. And there is nothing men enjoy more than chasing a prey, which in this case are the women. So when the hunting is cut short, men will be disappointed. Of course this won't not show on the spot because it will be buried deep inside, but with time it will definitely surface.

I think this is unfair for the girl who could be helplessly in love; with someone who she is sure is the one. But the guy in question is just too thick to grasp such fact and take the hints. So what should a girl do? Wait for him to make the first move with a risk that he may never do? Or confess and become an easy prize in his eyes?

Noora: I must admit that I'm the kind of girl, who would never ever, tell a guy that I like him, even if I do. I just can't do that, it's not who I am, I just lack the courage to do that. Thing is, I don't think a girl should make the first move. It should come from the guys side, though I'm sure it feels like hell to like someone so much, yet you could be standing right by their side, with them being oblivious of what is going on inside of you, and giving you no attention whatsoever! I think it's okay if a girl gives a guy a hint. Like a small sign that can probably catch his attention, without actually going up to him and telling him exactly how she feels. I mean, if a girl has enough courage then why not? I just can't imagine it because to me, that's just impossible, even if it means that I have to live my life, with this guy never ever finding out that I've ever had feelings for him, nothing about pride, I guess it's just how girls are that's all!

Samyah: I don't think I would be able to make the first move either. Unless perhaps if I was 100% sure that he liked me too but couldn't vocalize it and I was starting to get really frusterated. Otherwise no way!
I do my best not to get emotionally attatched to a guy who I know has no intrest in me, I do the same with anyone who is involved with someone else or is an unlikely potential. When you let your emotions go amok you end up in a mess, so unless I've gotten a green light from him I don't bother to think, hope or even dream about an "us". All girls should do that, so they don't end up suffering silently for years! Its a biological/historical fact that a guy has to like you for it to work. A guy can woe a woman, she'll eventually fall for it, but a woman can hardly do that to a guy. So unless the guy is super shy or incapable of saying anything you (and you know he's completely into you) then I'd say keep your mouths shut girls!

Being the girls we are

2005-09-05T14:33:00.000+04:00

Noora is hectically busy nowdays so the two of us are going to put in a light-hearted entry in the meantime. Just some talk about our favorite hollywood male actors (which would probably reflect on our taste in men in general); between the 3 of us our tastes vary greatly. Noora is into the sweet, innocent, boyishly good looking guys, Tia likes them mascluline and mature and Sam is somewhere in between the two types.

Tia:

Since i was teenage, I always made it clear that i would want my guy to be at least 10 years older than me! Maturity has been always an important factor to me (no idea why :S ). That's why I always swoon over actors like Denzel Washington, Sean Connery, George Clooney and Antony Hopkins.

Samyah:

Everyone who knows me knows I am crazy about Christian Bale. He's my ideal man (in Batman Begins anyway). I like strong, smart, sturdy quiet guys who have a good sense of humour and give off an image of inner confidence. I also picked Joaquin because in all the roles I've seen him in (minus Gladiator) his character was just... alluring.

Noora's choices:

Another fatty post

2005-09-01T14:47:00.000+04:00

Samyah: She's under 60kg, sometimes under 50kg and she whines about being overweight.
And the 40something year old, 4 times being a mother women are giving her this 'give me a break- I could slap you' look.
The guys have even figured us out by now. I've complained about gaining weight (when it was like one kilo) and any guy I was talking to at the time just rolled his eyes.
Why are women so obsessed with their weight? Why do we always think we're fat when we're not? We starve to be as thin as the models on the runway but then we end up with anorexia or bullimea- or a bad habit of fainting during 6aboor at school.
I have around 6 close friends (including Tia & Noora); none of them are over-weight (I swear, none) and they're always arguing over which one of them is the fattest. Ya3ni if you can look at your friend and say she's not fat, when she's relatively the same size as you, why can't you do that to yourself? Or is it just malaqa?

Tia:I only complain when I am not satisfied with the way I look, which is always. But I guess most thin women say that they are fat in order to be complimented. And others do that to show off, and see envy on other womens' faces. Women can be vicious creatures sometimes. I think this all is due to our insecurities, it isn't enough that we think we look good, we need others to back up the fact that they are indeed good looking. Its like when your friend says things like "I think my toes are ugly", she will be expecting a compliment and not an agreement. Strange but its what happens lol

Noora: Hey, I never said I was fat, just would love to get rid of some annoying extras lol, I always say that I know I can look better, and I need to work on it, and I am. I don't go and work out all the time just to lose weight, and I can't lose weight because my weight is just fine with my height, I just wanna look 'fit'. There's a difference!

I think that women are just competitive. They want to look at their best, and they want to be the one to win when compared to other women. And if there's anyone who made them so obssessed with their weight, then it's the media. You don't want to be the girl who's always teased about her weight all the time, it eventually gets to you, and it is rather frustrating, when someone makes such a lame remark that would make someone feel inferior just because they are within the 'thin' size range.

To me, it's just a matter of self satisfaction. I want to see the results of my hard work, and it's not just about what other people think, but also how this makes me feel, 'fit', and not 'thin'!!

Bra Fat!

2005-08-27T10:28:00.000+04:00

Samyah: The latest cosmetic trend in the states is to have plastic surgery to remove your bra fat. What's bra fat? Its the fat that sort of hangs down from your back after you put your bra on. The procedure to remove that fat is called tumescent liposuction. Oprah says that the bra is to blame; meaning if you've got this problem you're bra is too tight! She's probably right. Nonetheless I'm up to here with all the crazy surgeries that are being done. In some cases I can understand why women are doing it... but for the most part I think women are just being lazy! Instead of spending tons of cash on the different sorts of liposuction, why can't they just work out and eat healthy to loose the weight? Even the face stuff they're doing (there's actually a procedure for sewing threads into your face to keep it tight) seems a waste to me. Eating right and getting enough exercise will solve most of your problems, whatever it doesn't solve, rub some herbs into it!

Tia:This is just another sign that the world is going crazy, as each day passes by; no wonder cosmetics surgeons make so much money. Its just amazing how some women will jump on the chance to look beautiful, even if its means to be under the knife. I am sure the first woman to notice such a thing was someone with lots of free time and money, self obsessions and loads of mirrors in her house. But who to blame? Women who lead superficial lives or surgeons who are willing to provide such service?

Noora: Why not just stick to the old fashion way of exercising? Does the trick if you ask me! I mean how desperate are those women to actually go and have surgery to remove some excess fat? Unless it's really really bad, I honestly see no reason for going through the hassle of surgery, with all it's potentional problems for the sake of beauty.

Never believed in those cosmetic surgeries, unless they were used to help those who were deformed in an accident. That I understand. Other than that, it's just a big waste of money and time!!

A traditional day for Soapbox

2005-08-16T21:57:00.000+04:00

Tia:Today the three of us went to Mutruh, this idea has been tossed back and forth for ages, but we never took a step to turn it into reality until today. Although it was hot and the sun blazing, we had loads of fun, and we laughed a lot!

The experience was unforgettable, everything was so amazing. From the whole Suq atmosphere, to the smells and people. I remember when I was younger, I went with my father and some of siblings, I hated every single minute, and never went again since. Right now I am planning to go again there, and do some serious purchasing.

The best part of the whole trip is when Noora and I convinced one of the shop sellers that Sam is a tourist and she was here for a visit. I still remember the look on Samyah's face when we did so; it was a moment to be remembered forever. LOL

Samyah: Ha ha. Hate you both for that! The guy was looking at me like I'm a freak; they told him that I was an American tourist who liked wearing an abaya! Apparently they needed an excuse for all my picture taking. But its alright, I did get back at Tia later for that :p Plus I got loads of great pictures, I'm posting some little ones here, some in my blog and the originals in my flickr account.
There was one point where we were all embarassed though; we found these little silver toys for kids and all three of us started cooing and awwing loudly; the guy looked at us in a funny way and asked 'is this your first time to see these?'
I had loads of fun & Tia's complaining just made it more fun because she's hilarious when she's annoyed & sarcastic. I suppose I was a bit of a pain though, I wanted to stop EVERYWHERE and take a picture of EVERYTHING. It was like being a 3 year old in a candystore!
And for all their complaints I would just like to say I told you it would be fun.

Noora: Okay it was a fun day indeed. They made me wake up early, AGAIN!! So anyway, we get there, and of course, I had to be their guide in Mutrah and in Sur Al Lawatya, since that's a place I go to very often. lol, it was funny to see how impressed they were once we were inside the Sur.

Now the Suq. That was fun, even though it was HOT!! We were really dehydrated by the time we headed back home.

Okay back to the Suq. So we kept walking around, looking at stuff, while Sam stopped every now and then and took pics of weird stuff. You walk around and hear all those people calling you to come inside and check their stuff.

Yeah tia, it was funny the way we both told that guy that Sam was a tourist, funny thing was, when he asked where she was from, i said the states, and tia said UK, so the guy gave us the 'you guys are mental' look lol.

The silver shops were really awesome. We kept going to different places, and looking at what they had. Next time I want earings or anklets, I think I'm gonna check there first before going to Clairs!! Oh yeah, and the huge ring that we saw, lol, I thought it was interesting, I tried it on, but it was too big on my finger, and too heavy may I add!

Finally, on our way out, we stopped at a shop, and I bought two pillow cases that we girls just fell in love with, the green colour matches my room. I also bought a material that was hand-made with beads and stuff, lovely, only problem is, it's blue, so it doesn't really go with the colours of my room lol, but I couldn't resist, and when you're out with Sam, you tend to buy stuff easily!

Oh and btw, I really liked our pics by the sea, can't wait for Sam to send them to me!

Women, Men & PMS

2005-08-11T10:40:00.000+04:00

Tia: Does PMS gives women the right to behave badly? I am sure many men ask themselves the very same question whenever they are forced to deal with their wives/sisters emotional outburst every month. Men see PMS as an excuse that women use to get what they want, to bully and abuse them. Many also claim that women only get their frustrations out on guys, but they do not do that to their female friends/sisters/female relatives.

So are women making things up? Do women exaggerate the effect of PMS? Or are men too ignorant to understand the situation and prefer to belittle the whole thing to save themselves the hassle?

I believe that men ignorance and lack of knowledge is an addition reason that leads women to behave they way they do.Men should understand the hormonal and emotional changes that women go through during that time of the month. Instead of cracking jokes, or staying away when their wives/partners experience this, they should look for ways to make them feel better. It would not hurt if they take a bit of their time, to read about it, the information is only a click away. And how knows maybe if men pay more attention and understood how it feels to go through PMS, women wouldn't need to submit completely to it effect.

I wonder if it was the other way around, if men were the ones to get PMS would complain as much about their partners. I highly doubt it.

Noora: I must admit that it's not always easy for a woman to control her feelings while she's PMSing, eventhough we all tend to say how we shouldn't get our hormones affect our judgment, but in certain cases, it gets to even the best of us, and before you realize what exactly is going on, you would've acted purely with your mixed up emotions.

Don't misunderstand me though. I don't believe that PMS can be used as an excuse for women to have emotional break downs and expect everyone to be okay with it, all I'm saying is that sometimes, it just gets out of hand, and though they try to fight it back, it just comes out, and men should be gentle, and understanding that it's a stressful time for them, and like tia said, jokes are just as bad as staying out of their way.

lol and tia, I don't believe that men can ever be able to go thorugh the monthly PMSing, too much for them to take! Seriously, men aren't physiologically ready to bear things the way women do, I believe that women have far more patience to take things in and yet live their normal lives.

Samyah: PMS begins abt 2 weeks before menstruation. Many don't believe its an actual problem, some even say its "just in the woman's head", when in fact PMS is vitamin-mineral deficiency syndrome and should be treated that way. Most health practitioners, say that the symptoms are not only real, but often destructive and personally frustrating. It affects the nervous system and often changes psychological harmony and balance; leading to wild sudden uncontrollable swings in mood and emotion.
I doubt PMS affects every woman, and unusually it might even be used as an excuse. But I will argue that there are quite a few females out there who are victims of their bodies, and its unfair to blame them for something out of their control. I've read cases where women reached such a level that they've committed crimes during PMS and pleaded innocent on the basis of uncontrolablle PMS. A lot of courts don't recognize PMS as an excuse, and many feminists don't want them to either. In some ways I agree, if the courts did it would be reinforcing views that women are slaves to their hormones and unable to occupy employment positions. Of course as I said earlier there are women who cannot help it, but it would be very unjust to generalise that on all women, especially since most of us hardly have any severe symptoms.

I think that guys should be a tad more understanding, and not discard PMS as a lame feminist excuse.

There are some ways women can help themselves to control PMS symptoms: refrain from consuming too many sweets (esp 2 weeks before menstruation), take in complex carbs such as whole grains, beans, fruits, and veggies and have a good supplement of calcium daily. A bad diet just elevates PMS symptoms and is more likely to cause problems for the woman.

Molding Soapbox

2005-08-09T11:44:00.000+04:00

Samyah: About the colors: I started out with a green and magneta color theme but I couldn't get that to work so I tried a maroon and gray. Tia hated that look so I had to try something else.. I settled for these colors at the time because they worked well and seemed kinda "soapy". But since the day after I made it I've gotten kind of sick of them! The colors are just too girly for my taste and I feel like I'm choking on a ball of cotton candy everytime I open the page. I've got two ideas for future template changes though, lets hope it the girls like them.
About the links: we opted against putting a blog list because put together we know so many people that it would be impossible to make a list and not forget a fellow blogger. So as not to make anyone feel left out a list of general links seemed like a better decision. I'm sure you'll have guessed it but the nutrition stuff is Tia's, the few medicine sites are Nooras and the political and news sites are mine.
About the member info: I know it seems sorta cheesy but there had to be a way to get to know each of us without having to read too many of our seperate comments. The addict part came as a joke but sort of stuck after that.
About the name: We considered many things among them "fusion" or "Girl Talk" but the latter was too cliche and the former too odd/boring. I found soapbox while I was looking up synonyms for "talk". The definition for soapbox is: To engage in impromptu or nonofficial public speaking, often flamboyantly. I was worried about how the girls would feel about it but I got lucky: they loved it right away!
About the posting: I came up with the idea that we'd share a post instead of being seperate (we do seperate in our own blogs anyway). What happens is; the first girl starts a topic, saves it then comes the next, adds to it and the third adds whatever she has to add and publishes it under Us.

Tia: The Colours: Yeah I remember the the maroon and grey layout, it was horrible! (no offense Sam). All I could think of is " what the hell is she thinking ". But then she showed me the current colours and I fell in love on the spot!
The Girls image (in the banner): HAHAHA, we argued for days about the images, each of us had her own idea of what image should represent who and since I am the eldest I had to compromise. (do you see what i have to put up with?!!)
The links: yes the Indian songs link is mine (come on go ahead and laugh), I was joking about adding it knowing that the girls will definitely say no, but Sam was smarter and added the link!

Noora: Oh yeah, I remember the old colours, I wasn't paying much attention to everything that was going on with my finals in my head, so I left it to them. But I remember once we got together at Sam's place, and we all agreed on the colours we're using now. I loooooved the foot print, I thought it was cool.

Now choosing a pic of three girls was a hassle. lol. You should've seen some of the examples that both Tia and Sam came up with. I still have some of em' saved on my laptop, and everytime I look at them, and just laugh, I think there was one with three brides if I'm not mistaken hehe.

Yep, medical sites, were my suggestion. I've also asked Sam to add a link to the site of a conference that we will be holding in our college in a few months. It is going to be a big event, and I thought I should keep a link here to the official website. I should add a few links to my favourite exercise websites lol, I forgot about them for some reason, good thing I just remembered that!

Soap this!

2005-08-08T23:22:00.000+04:00

Samyah: Its finally done. We had the idea for this blog about 2 months ago but in midst of all our hectic lives it kept getting delayed. I suppose I should take most of the blame seeing as it was in my hands to begin it!
Anyway, this is just a place for us three friends to talk about stuff we talk about when we're hanging together in a mall, but since we're all going to be misplaced in a about month an online blog will be our connection to eachother. The blog setting up was mostly done by myself (all the designs are my own- I'm still a beginner so no hate comments please!) but I really have to thank E-Sensation for giving me help with editing the blog posts. Couldn't have done it without his boost!
Okay girls.. time to get this blog rolling!

PS. The indian songs site in the links part is NOT MINE. That's all Tia's!

Tia: I am a woman of few words, so I will keep this short and simple. To say the truth I had my doubts about me joining this blog, as I have a history of deleting blogs when I get bored. But as Samyah mentioned in few weeks time, we will be parting and this blog would be our way to stay close to each other. so people who are reading us wish us good luck!

PS- I would like to thank Enigma for his help, and also Samyah for all her hard work

Noora: Well here we are at last. All three of us friends, joining together in one blog, to share our thoughts and opinions, and to keep us all connected to one another.

Having friends like these two girls is a blessing, I just hope that we remain such good friends for as long as we live.

Thank you Sam for all your hard work on this blog, and another big thanks to Enigma for helping out, lol, especially since tia and I both no absolutely nothing about blog settings and designing.