End of a Day's Ramblings

After another busy week, I've slumped on my chair and before I could get up to make some tea, I managed to stumble on to some of these findings, so I thought I'd share them with you all.

' Why Modesty is Essential... ,

So, I was reading this article on the BBC, titled 'Why do men shout at women in the street?', and initially I thought, what a strange title. I could not immediately foretell what it was about.

The article happened to be about the many women who face harassment in their everyday life on the streets. From the whistling, to the the catcalling to even groping. It is not at all unusual. In fact, it is so big of a problem that there's finally an article on the BBC about it to highlight the increasing problem!

As one quote in the article rightly put it: "Culturally, men have been indoctrinated into it, and it's been a privilege for them to walk down the street fantasising about women. The culture hasn't checked the behaviour."

While I know there might be disagreements from some people on what I'm about to say, I also know that many of you might already agree with me. The fact is, a lot of men see women as sex objects. It is why, we sisters, have to take it upon ourselves to dress modestly and lower our gaze, whilst making sure we're doing all we can not to attract the wrong kinds of attentions in everything we do.

I also know that there will be the following arguments against and for these:

1) It is not the woman's fault for dressing how she wants to. Men have to control themselves.
Totally the wrong way to think about it!
If you are religious, what ever sect you may come from, I'm sure there are guidelines and rules clearly stating us all to be modest and dress in a way that will maintain your dignity and not reduce you to the level of an 'object'. In turn, we're also avoiding causing any temptations and helping men lower their gazes.
2) Some women actually like the attention they get. It makes them feel better about themselves.
Self-esteem is an important part of developing yourself and achieving happiness. But in my opinion, if you need the attention and crave for compliments from strangers, this is simply not going to feed your self-esteem in the long term.

I also saw this article on the Metro this week.
A few adverts demeaning women were taken down after a few people complained about it. ' The adverts had two photos – one of three girls in a nightclub and another of a woman in a yellow bikini – and stated: ‘Awesome views.’ '

I was reminded of this advert I saw on TV about a new POM drink. It was launched a few months ago. I cropped the picture below as I thought it was inappropriate (the woman is completely nude apart from a snake covering her 'parts').

My immediate thought was, what does this drink have to do with a woman?

The company 'smartly' played it out well, by letting the woman act out 'Eve', almost in a way to glamorise the drink & find an excuse for her nudity.
This is just one of the many ads out there using women to sell things; be it a car, butter, anti-perspirant, you name it!

{Source}


What do you think?

------------------



Earthquake in Burma

{Source}

Like in my previous post on Japan's earthquake, a picture like this never fails to bring chills tingling down my spine. To think of the very foundations of the ground underneath us being cracked as if it were an egg's shell makes me also feel humbled by reminding us that whilst we are building the world around us, we are not the makers of the universe. Disasters such as these are beyond our control. It is a reminder that sooner or later, we will all lose our possessions, our youth, our jobs.
This world is only temporary. So be humble. Be thankful for what you have. Count your blessings.
And let us pray for the people affected by these disasters and also those facing civil wars.




------------------

' Jacob Barnett ... ,

A 12-year old prodigy with an IQ higher than Einstein, teaches some pure Mathematics! Professors and lecturers are apparently already planning to prepare him for a PHD research role.
I'm one of the many people intrigued by Mathematics and I was amazed at how clearly he explains all the steps.
If you happen to know what he's talking about, it'll be more fun to watch =P. You can tell he knows exactly what he's talking about!

Bringing Modesty Back into Fashion

Now, this won't appeal to everyone of you out there. Everyone at the end of the day will have their own views. Some of you might find these tips silly, funny, or fussy. The rest of you might find them very helpful.

I've been blogging a lot on beauty products mainly. And I noticed the fact that I've not exactly been following the mantra of my blog 'Bringing Modesty', as it says. What is modesty? We all view modesty in different ways. Some of us think dressing up modestly means we create a 'modest' image. Or it could be the way we speak, the way we treat another.

To me the word 'modest' is everything you do. From the way you dress, to the way you handle yourself, friends, family and so on. (I'm not great at explaining this! But I do hope you get the idea).

Speaking of this, I'll admit I need to take and follow my own advice at times, which I struggle with.

So I'd like to share some tips for anyone interested...


Perfumes

You'll notice I have been blogging a lot on perfumes. Ideally, if you don't want to attract attention, be aware of how much perfume you spray on. It's always best to spray yourself with enough perfume wherein you can smell yourself and others from a distance can't. You could try this: spray on some fragrance on your wrists twice, rub them together then rub these on your neck. No need to bathe in perfume!

For Oud: these are a lot stronger, so dilute these in water before using.

And...when you're at home with family, spray on as much perfume as you want! This might sound silly, but why apply fragrance when going out only? Wouldn't any of you wear nice clothes (for example) or perfumes for your husbands at home (or for yourselves without the guilt)?

If you love the scent of perfume and this is the reason you spray it on yourself, why not spray some on a hanky and breathe in the scent, carry it with you...

I find that the hair gives out a lesser odour when you've just applied perfumes to it, compared to when you've applied it on places like your wrist (which gives off heat). So, if you want, you can spray your hair instead. This is an option =).



Can't find fashionable or comfortable long sleeve tops?

Invest in shrugs and boleros! These will go with any outfit and will give coverage and are handy especially for summer as they don't add the whole extra layer of a long sleeved shirt.

Uni Qlo sometimes do have an excellent range of long sleeve wear - so check them out.

Esprit also has a 'long sleeve' range on their online site. So check those out - they're available all year round and update with each season.



Solutions for low cut tops...

One option most of us know is to wear another layer under that top. Some people I know find it hard to find this other top itself... so what I suggest is... (for emergencies or temporarily...or permanently if you wish)... wear a shirt the other way round (usually most shirts would work) and you'll notice that the back side to it covers up all the way to your lower neck line. If you're wearing something on top of that shirt...it won't be noticeable! Just make sure there are no designs at the back.

Modesty Panels are also an option. No, I haven't tried those, but according to the Daily Mail's article, these are becoming increasingly popular.

Speaking of Modesty Panels, if you can stitch another layer under the low cut top yourself... this would be more preferable =) less hassle...


If you have any other tips, please feel free to share.