Rawatan Hentikan Peluh Ketiak Diperkenal

LONDON: Pakar bedah kosmetik kini menawarkan pembedahan selama 60 minit untuk menghentikan peluh keterlaluan pada ketiak selama-lamanya, cuma pada harga ΰ3,500 (RM18,064).

Perkhidmatan Menghapuskan Peluh Laser, yang dilancarkan semalam, menjanjikan pengakhiran kepada masalah memalukan – diketahui sebagai axillary hyperhidrosis – yang menjejaskan tiga juta penduduk Britain.

Ia diperkenalkan pakar bedah, Mark Whiteley, memulakan pembedahan membuang urat bengkak 10 tahun lalu.

Prosedur terbarunya membabitkan suntikan bius pada ketiak, diikuti laser yang memusnahkan kelenjar peluh secara kekal sebelum tisu yang dirawat dibuang menggunakan kaedah sedutan.

Sejak beberapa tahun ini, selebriti seperti Madonna, melakukan suntikan Botox pada ketiak sebagai penyelesaian sementara kepada masalah peluh berlebihan.

Dr Whiteley, yang menawarkan rawatan itu di kliniknya di Guildford, Surrey, berkata: “Semua orang berpeluh untuk menghilangkan kepanasan dan kita berpeluh di seluruh tubuh. Bagaimanapun, sesetengah orang berpeluh di bahagian tertentu lebih daripada orang lain. Ketiak membentuk satu peratus daripada bahagian permukaan tubuh tetapi peluh keterlaluan di bahagian itu mencetuskan keaiban dan boleh merosakkan pakaian.

“Menghentikan peluh dari bahagian itu mengalihkan aliran peluh ke 99 peratus bahagian lain tubuh. Oleh itu, kadar keseluruhan peluh yang keluar dari tubuh tidak berubah tetapi malu disebabkan peluh keterlaluan pada ketiak dapat dirawat.”

Katanya, dalam masa sejam selepas dibius, rawatan laser antipeluh baru boleh mengubah kehidupan sesetengah orang, membolehkan mereka menghentikan peluh pada ketika dengan kadar segera. – Agensi

Berita Harian

Eva Mendes Teratas Senarai Impian Lelaki

Eva Mendes (kiri) dan Megan Fox

Aktres kelahiran Cuba pilihan lelaki, Megan Fox tempat kedua diikuti model Marisa Miller

LONDON: Bintang filem The Spirit yang seksi, Eva Mendes mengejutkan hampir semua pihak selepas beliau mengungguli tangga teratas senarai ‘wanita paling diimpikan’ berdasarkan kajian pendapat majalah online, AskMen.

Aktres kelahiran Cuba berusia 34 tahun itu menduduki tempat pertama dalam undian yang meminta lelaki menamakan wanita ideal yang memiliki ciri kelakar, pintar dan berkarektor selain mempunyai tarikan seks.

Mendes yang berada di tempat keempat dalam senarai tahun lalu yang dikumpulkan halaman web AskMen.com gembira dengan kedudukan terkini dengan berkata:

“Inilah ciri paling menarik lelaki iaitu memberikan penghargaan hingga membolehkan saya berada di tempat teratas. Terima kasih semua.”

Eva mengatasi aktres Transformers, Megan Fox yang menduduki tempat kedua manakala model Victoria Secret, Marisa Miller dan model glamor Britain, Keeley Hazell masing-masing berada di tempat ketiga dan keempat.

Fox dinamakan sebagai ‘wanita paling seksi di dunia’ tahun lalu oleh majalah FHM tetapi hanya mampu berada di tempat kedua dalam undian membabitkan lebih 10 juta pembaca majalah AskMen.com.

“Ia menakutkan tersenarai sekali lagi dalam AskMen.com! Ia tahun yang menarik dan mengetahui saya mempunyai peminat yang mencukupi untuk mengundi dan menyokong saya amat menakjubkan,” kata Marisa Miller dalam satu kenyataan.

Pendatang baru yang tersenarai tahun ini termasuk Isla Fisher yang berada di tempat ke 31, penyanyi I Kissed A Girl, Katy Perry di tempat ke 38, dan isteri Presiden Perancis, Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni, di tempat ke-76.

Aktres Scarlett Johansson yang berada di tempat ketujuh berkata: “Ia satu penghargaan kepada saya terpilih di kalangan 10 juta pembaca AskMen sebagai seorang daripada wanita impian.”

Pengacara Project Runway, Heidi Klum; pemenang Oscar, Halle Berry, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel; bintang Confession of a Shopaholic, Isla Fisher; Charlize Theron; superstar Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai dan calon Oscar 2009, Penelope Cruz dan Angelina Jolie, turut tersenarai.

Bagaimanapun, penyanyi Britney Spears tidak tersenarai dalam kedudukan ke-50 teratas yang turut membariskan penyanyi Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood dan Beyonce. Britney berada di tangga ke-90.

Begitu juga dengan Madonna yang tidak tersenarai dalam kedudukan ke-50 teratas malah juga tidak berada dalam senarai 99. – Agensi

Berita Harian

Arabian Night

THE Ziryab International Music & Arts Festival is back featuring Arab artistes from the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

To be held on Wednesday from 9pm at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the three-hour concert will see performances by Abdullah Ruweished from Kuwait, and Nawal Al-Zoughbi and Mayssam Nahas from Lebanon.

With 33 albums under his belt, Abdullah is known as “the ambassador of Gulf songs” with concerts in the United States of America and Canada, and his music conservatory in Kuwait.

With 12 albums, Nawal has acquired a solid fan base throughout the Arabic-speaking world, including parts of North America and Europe.

She has also been called “the Madonna of the Arabic world” for constantly changing her image much like the American pop diva.

As for Mayssam, she has recorded five albums, performed in Tunisia and in the World Bowling Master Championship 2006 in Kuwait, as well as various television programmes in Egypt.

This concert marks the second one in the week-long festival.

The first was held last Friday at the same venue, featuring Hussain Al-Jasmi from United Arab Emirates, and Rola Saad and Toni Qattan from Jordan, both of whom had performed here last year.

Regal Production and Entertainment Sdn Bhd director Teresa Dian Chew said the event is organised in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry.

“We aim to entertain Middle Eastern tourists who visit the country annually, especially during this period of their summer,” said Chew.

However, because of the early fasting period next month, this year’s festival has been shortened to a week compared to the festival last year which put up five concerts over two months.

Also, this year no local artistes will be performing unlike last year, which saw Mawi and Noryn Aziz entertaining as well.

“We are unable to have a concert longer than three hours, which will be the case if our artistes are also featured,” she explained.

“Both Ziryab and Malaysia understand the importance of bridging cultures, which is the main objective of the festival.”

Tickets for the concert are priced at RM150, RM200, RM250, RM350 and RM400. Call 03-2031-1703 or 03-2031-6606.

 

New Straits Times

Girls Just Cannot Have Fun

SINGAPORE : Gosh, it must really suck to be a girl. You people just can’t do anything, can you?

Last weekend, Transformers star Shia LaBeouf got into an early morning car crash, after reportedly doing whiskey shots at a bar and, as Us magazine quoted a source, “dancing around and acting really crazy”.

At about 3am, his pickup truck collided with another vehicle, flipping the actor’s truck. He was arrested because, according to a statement from the police, it was immediately apparent to officers at the scene that LaBeouf was intoxicated. He was then released for misdemeanour DUI (driving under the influence).

The 22-year-old is now recovering from hand surgery and is expected to miss a whole month of work on the “Transformers” sequel. And the only shocking thing about this? The fact that no one batted an eye.

When Paris Hilton was arrested on her DUI charge, there was plenty of public outrage. When Lindsay Lohan was arrested (twice) on DUI charges, bloggers called for her to be shipped off to rehab. She even almost missed out on shooting her latest film “Labor Pains” because insurance companies refused to cover the party-prone starlet. And she didn’t even hit anyone.

Even relative (this is Hollywood we’re talking about) good-girl Mischa Barton was shamed into admitting to Nylon magazine that her DUI arrest was “a low point”, and that she was “disappointed because it associated me with a group of girls that I would rather not be associated with.”

Yup, a group of girls.

LaBeouf, in the meantime, can be seen on the cover of the upcoming September issue of Details openly talking about how he’s a big fan of booze: “I don’t know how to have one drink,” he reportedly told the magazine. “I don’t know how to do it like a gentleman.” He then added that he and his dad would smoke and drink together.

It seems the general sentiment is one of, “Oh, well. Boys will be boys.” It’s a blatant double-standard that makes a boy like me happy to own a pair.

Colin Farrell hit Hollywood as anotorious, boozing womaniser, rarely seen on a red carpet without a cigarette and a plastic cup of beer in hand. “Oh, he’s just Irish,” people would say, swooning just a tad. “You know these Europeans.”

Right. Eva Green is European and she can hardly get away with wearing too much eye-liner.

Even old Hollywood legends aren’t exempted from the sexist curb on female fun. Peter O’Toole, a hell-raiser in his day with fellow boozers Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Oliver Reed, has “amusing anecdotes of debauchery”.

“Booze is the most outrageous of drugs, which is why I chose it,” he famously said.

Elizabeth Taylor, however, is just “plagued by problems with alcohol”.

The double-standard doesn’t just apply to Hollywood. Christopher Lee served some time in jail for his DUI hit-and-run, and the incident has blown over with considerably little drama. Can you imagine if it had been Fann Wong instead? This is not a case of popularity being a factor. Benedict Goh and Terence Cao – now that’s running the gamut from C-list to A-list – were also caught drink-driving, and while there was a certain amount of scandal involved, it was nothing compared to the apocalypse the four tabloid horsemen would bring if it had been Felicia Chin or Zoe Tay.

Neither is that double-standard restricted to just misadventures in inebriation. Good golly, no – it applies to just about everything.

Let’s talk celebrity sex tapes. Pamela Anderson made Tommy Lee a legend, Paris Hilton made Rick Salomon an instant celebrity and Kim Kardashian gave Ray J a boost from “Brandy’s little brother” to “hip-hop star”. The girls, however, were called a variety of very unkind names.

George Clooney matured into a “silver fox” regularly voted one of the sexiest men around. The “Sex and the City” girls are the new Golden Girls.

David Bowie’s a genius. Bjork is crazy. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones are legends. Madonna’s a grandma. RuPaul’s an entertainer. Cher is a drag queen.

What’s that, ladies? It’s not fair? You bet it isn’t. Gosh, it sucks to be you. –

Channel News Asia

Suka Duka Perjalanan Puteri Pop, Britney Spears

BRITNEY Jean Spears merupakan puteri pasangan Jamie dan Lynn Spears. Lahir pada 2 Disember 1982 di Kenwood, Louisiana. Britney memulai karier sebagai penghibur ketika berumur sepuluh tahun. Waktu itu, Britney mengikuti program Mickey Mouse Club.

* Menjuarai carta lagu

Beliau melancarkan album single, Baby One More Time pada Februari 1999. Lagu tersebut berjaya menduduki tempat pertama carta lagu di seluruh dunia. Diikuti penghasilan lagu Sometimes pada bulan Jun pada tahun yang sama, yang turut berjaya seperti single pertamanya. Kemudian, pada bulan Julai, Britney memulakan jelajah konsertnya.

* Cinta pertama

Pada September 2000, Britney untuk pertama kalinya muncul di khalayak ramai dengan kekasihnya, Justin Timberlake (kumpulan N’Sync). Pasangan baru ini menghadiri majlis MTV VMA di New York bersama-sama. N’Sync meraih dua penghargaan malam itu, tapi seluruh perhatian lebih tertumpu dengan kenyataan Britney di mana dia mengatakan tak mahu melakukan hubungan seks sebelum berkahwin.

Sayangnya hubungan cinta mereka tidak lama. Pasangan muda ini berpisah pada Mei 2002. Akhir tahun itu pula Timberlake mengeluarkan single solo, Cry Me A River, dengan video klip kontroversi di mana ia dilakonkan oleh seorang model seiras Britney.

* Jualan patung

Hingga tahun 2001, Britney sudah menjadi bintang terkenal. Albumnya dapat dijual hingga mencecah jutaan angka dan tiket konsertnya sentiasa habis dijual. Namanya juga digunakan untuk mempromosikan pelbagai barangan dan paling mahal ialah patung yang serupa dengan dirinya.

* Meriahkan acara olahraga AS

Pada bulan Januari 2001 Britney diberi kesempatan memeriahkan pertunjukan olahraga Superbowl Amerika Syarikat (AS). Kali ini, dia bergabung dengan legenda rock Aerosmith di samping artis lain seperti Nelly, Mary J Blige, dan band kekasihnya, N’Sync. Brit berganding dengan Aerosmith untuk membawakan lagu hits kumpulan ini Walk This Way.

* Berubah seksi

Pada akhir tahun 2001, Britney membuat perubahan imej yang kelihatan lebih seksi. Untuk album ketiganya, BRITNEY, ia merakam single bertajuk I’am A Slave 4 U dengan bantuan penerbit terkenal, Neptunes.

Lagu ini awalnya ditawar kepada Janet Jackson tetapi ditolak kerana dia merasakan Britney telah menyanyikan lagu ini pada majlis penghargaan MTV.

* Pada tahun 2003, Britney tampil di acara MTV Awards dan mencetuskan kontroversi. Dia yang berduet dengan Madonna dan Christina Aguilera. Ketika di penghujung lagu, mereka bercium dengan Madonna sebagai penutup lagu Like A Virgin.

* Puteri pop

Pada tahun 2003, bukan hanya album Britney yang terjual laris, tapi apa pun yang menggunakan namanya pasti mendapat sambutan. Pendek kata para pengiklan berlumba-lumba untuk mengambilnya dan pada bulan September dia bergabung dengan dua rakannya, Pink serta Beyonce untuk tampil dalam iklan Pepsi. Mereka tampil dengan menyanyikan lagu We Will Rock You. Dikatakan iklan ini paling mahal ketika itu.

* Perkahwinan pertama

Segalanya berubah menjadi ngeri buat Britney ketika dia menjadi pujaan ramai dan ramai terkejut dengan berita perkahwinannya dengan teman sekolah, Jason Alexander. Kedua-dua remaja ini berkahwin pada 3 Januari 2004 di Little White Chapel, Las Vegas. Namun perkahwinan itu tidak lama – hanya bertahan selama 52 jam. Kononnya, ibu Britney, Lynn meminta pasukan peguam berpengaruh untuk membatalkan pernikahan tersebut secepat mungkin.

* Suami kedua

Hanya selang sembilan bulan perkahwinan pertamanya, Britney menikah lagi dengan penari latarnya, Kevin Federline pada 18 September 2004. Dan perkahwinan itu dikatakan tidak mempunyai prestij dan paling teruk di kalangan selebriti. Para tetamu wanita diminta mengenakan seluar berwarna pink dengan tulisan ‘Maids’ di bahagian belakang dan lelaki mengenakan baju putih dengan tulisan ‘Pimps’. Malah, tetamu hanya dihidangkan ayam goreng dan burger. Brit menari sepanjang malam dan rakan serta keluarga harus membayar minuman mereka sendiri. Akhirnya pasangan ini dikurniakan dua anak, Sean Preston (lahir 14 September 2005) dan Jayden James (lahir 12 September 2006).

* Berubah buruk

Pada tahun 2006, Britney menjadi lebih dikenali kerana imej buruknya dan bukan kariernya. Bintang muda yang cemerlang ini jatuh dengan gosip dan skandal. Pada bulan Ogos, Britney mencetuskan kontroversi di Jepun apabila gambar bogel ketika hamil menjadi muka depan majalah Harper’s Bazaar, yang akhirnya dilarang dijual di negara itu.

* Britney botak

Setelah dua tahun berkahwin, Britney mengirim SMS kepada suaminya untuk meminta cerai. Selepas peristiwa ini, perangai Britney dikatakan semakin teruk.

Pada 17 Februari 2007, dia mengejutkan dunia dengan membotakkan kepala sebagai tunjuk perasaan kepada dunia betapa dia sakit secara emosional.

* Kekecohan di MTV

Britney memang pernah menjadi ratu untuk acara MTV Awards, tetapi pada 9 September 2007 dalam acara yang sama, dia menutup mulutnya kerana terlupa lirik untuk lagu Gimme More. Penampilan pertamanya ini bukannya membuatkan penonton kagum tetapi terkejut dengan tindakannya.

* Kehilangan anak-anaknya

Setelah berjuang dalam perebutan hak anak dengan Kevin Federline, mahkamah Los Angeles memutuskan demi keselamatan anak-anak ini, mereka tidak diizinkan tinggal lama bersama Britney.

* Masuk hospital

Setelah berbulan-bulan bertingkah laku pelik, Britney akhirnya ditahan di hospital. Pada 3 Januari 2008 penyanyi ini membuat kecoh dengan polis. Britney berkelakuan pelik akibat meminum ubat. Akhirnya, polis membawanya ke pusat perubatan terbaik, Cedars Sinai Medical . Britney diberi rawatan psikologi dan kini dia telah dibenarkan pulang.

* Kisah cinta dengan paparazi

Beberapa hari setelah Britney diizinkan keluar dari hospital, dia kembali membuat kejutan dengan membuat hubungan bersama salah seorang paparazi yang mengikuti ke mana pun dia pergi.

Sejak kedua pasangan ini bersama, ada berita yang mengatakan mereka telah berkahwin di Mexico dan sedang hamil.

* Kembali ke pangkal jalan

Dalam pengawasan kedua orang tuanya, perlahan-lahan Britney kembali pulih. Dia jarang ke kelab malam dan berkelakuan pelik dan dikatakan dia kini kembali fokus pada kariernya. Pada bulan Mac 2008, dia mendapat tawaran berlakon dalam sitcom As How I Met Your Mother. Penampilannya dalam satu episod sitcom ini berjaya mendapat sambutan penonton.

Tingkah laku Britney yang kembali normal dan tidak lagi liar, menyebabkan dia diterima peminat semula. Malah, pada 6 Mei tahun ini, mahkamah membenarkan Britney mengunjungi anaknya untuk tiga hari seminggu. Berita ini cukup menggembirakan Britney dan keluarganya.

Utusan Malaysia

The Iconic Wayfarer

The Original Ray Ban Wayfarer in black.

The Ray Ban Wayfarer has stood the test of time and is now an essential summer accessory, says CHEONG PHIN

Reproduced in various sizes and colours.

The white choice of the celebrities.

FASHION always seems to renew itself on what has come before and the current revival of many things from the exciting 1980s is no exception. It was a time when bright colours, chunky plastic jewellery, leggings, skinny jeans and rock music ruled the world. The younger fashion followers today were only born then and never got to experience the explosive fashion of the ’80s.

It’s therefore easy to see why it is like a breath of fresh air to them and when it’s mixed up with today’s contemporary clothing, we all end up finding that everything old (or ’80s) is new again. One must-have plastic accessory from that era that stood the test of time and is fast becoming a must-have accessory again today is the iconic Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses.

Reproduced and re-imagined in various colours and sizes in almost every fashion corner in London this season, the square framed plastic sunglasses is the essential unisex summer fashion accessory.

The fad started a few years ago when fashion forward celebrities like Chloe Sevigny and Mary-Kate Olsen started wearing vintage Wayfarer frames. The Ray Ban designers soon noticed the increasing popularity of these vintage pieces and the prices they were commanding on eBay.

Responding to this new fashion craze in the market, Ray Ban reintroduced the original Wayfarer design in 2007 with a marketing strategy that included the use of new media like MySpace to connect with a new breed of consumers.

A host of the young Hollywood celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Kirsten Dunst, and British “bad” girl Amy Winehouse have already been spotted wearing these “cool” sunglasses.

The Ray Ban Wayfarer is an iconic design of sunglasses available with polarised lens and spring hinges that has been manufactured by Ray Ban since 1952. It’s reported to be the best-selling style of sunglasses in history and has been labelled as “one of the most enduring fashion icons of the 21st century”.

Designed by Raymond Stegeman, an inventor who procured dozens of patents for Bausch and Lomb (Ray Ban’s parent company), the radically new shape of the Wayfarer was “a mid-century classic to rival Eames chairs and Cadillac tail fins”. According to design critic Stephen Bayley, “the distinctive trapezoidal frame spoke a non-verbal language that hinted at unstable dangerousness, but one tempered by the sturdy arms which, according to the advertising, gave the frames a ‘masculine look’.”

These Wayfarer which took advantage of the new plastics technology at that time was revolutionary and targeted at men initially. However, it became increasingly popular among Hollywood starlets and was evidently a pop culture icon worn by many celebrities for the last 50 years on and off the screen.

In the 1960s, Audrey Hepburn famously paired her Wayfarers with her Givenchy black dress and pearls in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a look that was absolutely “cool”. The oversized shades then were an example of the early Wayfarer silhouette.

A series of design modifications ensued and two decades later, Tom Cruise reinforced the “cool” factor of these dark shades in Risky Business while influential Material Girl Madonna inspired a huge fashion follow up when she wore them in Desperately Seeking Susan. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd even made it looked “cool” in their bad ways in the cult movie The Blues Brothers.

To a certain extent, musicians like Bob Dylan and Blondie also gained their iconic “cool” style from donning these shades. The incredible impersonation of the Dylan character by Cate Blanchett in her recent movie I’m Not There was based on that 1980s iconic look. When celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Rob Lowe and Tom Cruise started wearing them off-screen, these plastic square frames quickly became the decade’s sunglasses of choice. Apparently, Ray Ban expanded from two models of the Wayfarer in 1981 to more than 40 models in 1989 and the Wayfarer went on to become one of the biggest cultural icons of the ’80s.

If you’ve never owned a pair of Wayfarer sunglasses, it’s never too late to buy one now and enjoy the “cool” Wayfarer experience. The current collection of Ray Ban Wayfarers is available in Original Wayfarer, New Wayfarer and the Wayfarer Folding style. In addition to the classic black and tortoise, they also come in an array of colours such as red, white and blue. You can buy them at almost any optical store that sells Ray Ban products or simply buy online on the Internet from shopping websites like http://www.sunglasses.co.uk and http://www.totalsunglasses.com.

The revival of the Wayfarer in mid 2000 and the expiration of Stegeman’s 1953 design patent also produced numerous designs inspired by the original Ray Ban Wayfarer. These include Oliver Peoples’ “Hollis”, REM Eyewear’s “Converse” and various styles by fashion houses such as Juicy Couture, Hugo Boss, Chanel and Marc Jacobs.

 

New Straits Times

Kereta Pilihan Selebriti

Sazzy Falak bersama kereta kesayangan.

Apa jua jenisnya, kereta penumpang, kenderaan utiliti sports (SUV) atau kenderaan pelbagai guna (MPV), kenderaan beroda empat yang lazimnya dipanggil kereta menjadi keperluan kepada semua, miskin atau kaya, tua atau muda dan apa juga pekerjaan yang dilakukan.

Yang membezakan antara semua ialah jenis kereta yang dipandu, sama ada mewah atau murah bergantung kepada hasil pendapatan masing-masing berdasarkan pekerjaan yang dilakukan.

Selain ahli perniagaan dan politik yang sering dilihat memandu kereta-kereta mewah berjenama antarabangsa, golongan selebriti atau lebih senang digelar artis juga adalah antara pemilik kereta-kereta mewah yang sedang menjalar di atas jalan-jalan raya.

Seperti juga artis-artis luar negara antaranya pasangan suami isteri, David dan Victoria Beckham, Rowan Atkinson yang lebih dikenali oleh peminatnya sebagai Mr. Bean serta Cameron Diaz, artis-artis tempatan juga selesa memandu kereta mewah pelbagai jenama.

David dan Victoria Beckham atau Posh Spice itu adalah antara selebriti terkemuka yang memiliki banyak kereta mewah antaranya yang berjenama Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche 911, Range Rover, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce Phantom, BMW M3, Audi Q7, Lamborghini Gallardo dan Mercedes S500.

Yang menariknya ialah kebanyakan daripada kereta-kereta ini dilengkapi dengan kerusi bayi berkulit bagi menempatkan anak-anak pasangan tersebut agar selamat sepanjang perjalanan sejajar dengan gelaran sebagai ibu-bapa penyayang buat pasangan itu.

Rowan Atkinson yang sering memandu kereta kodok dalam siri drama komedi popular, Mr Bean pula sebenarnya mempunyai cita rasa yang tinggi dalam automotif dengan memiliki beberapa kereta eksotik seperti Aston Martin V8 Zagato, McLaren F1 dan Audi A8.

Mr Bean membeli McLaren F1 berikutan kejayaan filem “Bean – The Movie.” dan berbanding watak beliau yang seakan-akan naif dan lurus bendul itu, beliau suka memandu laju kereta tersebut yang boleh memecut sehingga 240 batu sejam.

Tidak seperti Victoria Beckham, Mr Bean yang rajin menulis mengenai cerita-cerita permotoran dalam beberapa majalah tidak menggemari Porsche tanpa mengetahui sebab sebenarnya walaupun mengakui kereta-kereta berjenama itu adalah hebat.

Pelakon watak Charlie’s Angels, Cameron Diaz yang pernah menjadi peminat kereta- kereta antik buatan Jerman memiliki beberapa kereta mewah seperti Porsche 911 Carrera, Mercedes SL dan Toyota Prius.

Kereta-kereta itu dilengkapi enjin hybrid yang boleh beralih antara enjin petrol konvensional dan enjin elektrik bergantung kepada keadaan sejajar dengan sikap pelakon itu yang cintakan alam sekitar bersama-sama rakan artis lain antaranya Gwyneth Paltrow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Crystal, dan Harrison Ford.

Sistem navigasi Madonna pula, yang berhijrah ke London pada tahun 2001, memiliki rangkaian kereta mewah antaranya BMW 7-Series, Audi A8 dan Maybach super-limousine serta Cooper S yang dilengkapi sistem navigasi kawasan bagi membantu bintang itu semasa di luar daerah.

Anak kepada jurutera motor terkemuka itu sangat meminati Mini Cooper itu sehingga memuatkan nama kereta itu dalam satu daripada lagu-lagu terbarunya. Artis yang turut memiliki kereta yang sama ialah Sting, Goldie Hawn dan Elijah Wood.

Sementara itu, di kalangan artis tempatan pula, ramai antara mereka memandu kereta mewah terutama buatan Jerman dan Jepun yang terkenal dengan teknologi automotif termaju dan boleh dibeli pada harga yang agak tinggi, menjangkaui kemampuan seseorang pekerja berpendapatan sederhana di negara ini.

Antaranya ialah Erra Fazira yang memandu kereta berjenama BMW, Fasha Sandha dan Noryn Aziz memandu Honda CRV, Hattan dan Fauziah Latif bergegas ke sana ke mari dengan Mini Cooper manakala Ziana Zain dan Misha Omar bergaya dengan kereta Mercedes Benz.

Bagi Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina yang kini sedang berhempas-pulas menjayakan teater P. Ramlee, kenderaan pacuan empat roda BMW X5 bukan sahaja memenuhi selera automotif tetapi juga memudahkan pengangkutan segala barangan keperluan, sama seperti Awie yang selesa dengan Toyota Harrier.

Tidak kira artis, ahli perniagaan atau ahli politik, pengenalan skim subsidi harga minyak baru di negara ini yang bertujuan memberi lebih keadilan kepada golongan berpendapatan rendah dan sederhana pastinya menggoncang sedikit poket semua pemilik kereta mewah ini, walaupun tidak begitu dirasai bebannya selama ini.

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Pilates For The Ultimate Workout

It is popular among young and old alike as it suits many people of all ages, weight and sizes. KARINA FOO tells you how to train problem areas using Pilates.

2. (Intermediate) Rest your head down again. Lift your legs up but keep knees bent. Check to see that knees are parallel to the hips, or that thighs are at a straight 90 degree angle.

3. Now engage your abs and crunch up.

4. (Advanced) While in this crunch position, extend your legs up and toes are pointed towards the ceiling. You’ll feel it in your lower abs by now.

1 (On your left side) Lie on the mat with your left elbow beneath you.

2 (Advanced) Try to do the same exercise but with your supporting arm straight (but keep the elbow slightly bent). This lifts your body higher and intensifies the exercises making your abs work even harder.

FORGET the gym, leave your trainers at home and get a mat out. It’s time to tone your mid section, back and butt. Yes, those common “problem areas” that lots of us complain about can be taken care of with some stretching and resistance training (against your own body weight) with Pilates.

These exercises demonstrated by Celebrity Fitness Pilates instructor, Tara Zewar shows a series of flowing movements that work more than one muscle at a time.

“You gently and gradually go from one exercise to the other. There are varying options for level of difficulty and level of intensity so you can choose which ones to do and challenge yourself from there,” said Zewar.

Pilates is gaining worldwide popularity and is going strong at many fitness clubs.

It is also practised by old and young celebrities alike – Madonna at 49 and 19-year-old actress-singer, Hilary Duff.

Why? Because it’s a form of exercise that suits many people of all ages, weight and sizes.

It comprises slow conditioning movements with virtually no impact at all but helps to increase metabolism and blood flow throughout your body.

You’ll build flexibility, endurance, strength and coordination without gaining bulky muscles, rather, you’ll have a leaner and more toned body.

Pilates is done to engage and strengthen the body’s core, sometimes referred to as the “powerhouse”, which is the abdominal muscles (abs) or torso and mid-section region.

While you concentrate on your muscles working, you also have to focus on your breathing techniques – (inhale through your nose as you feel your rib cage going upwards and outwards, and exhale through your mouth as your rib cage expands outwards).

Expect to see results only if you combine Pilates (at least twice a week) with regular cardiovascular workouts and eat a healthful diet. By the way, the best thing about these exercises is that you don’t need shoes (but do wear comfortable clothing)!

Just remember:

* Consult your doctor if you are unsure about your health condition to perform this series of exercises (or any exercise).

* Avoid abrupt and jerky movements because it’ll strain your joints. Do these exercises in a slow and controlled momentum. Keep the transition between each movement fluid.

* Always keep a straight posture (stomach draws in towards the spine, chest up and shoulders back).

For all exercises starting from a lying down position, check that your lower back is flat on the mat. There should be no gap between it (don’t arch your back upwards). You can place a small towel underneath your lower back for support.

 

New Straits Times

Want To Pamper Yourself?

Want to pamper yourself?

From facials to pedicure, it’s all Ayurveda style at Sowkhya

TAKE THE HERBAL ROUTE Feel the goodness of Ayurveda at Sowkhya

Why would a 3,000-year-old system like Ayurveda need the assurance of a doctor in a white coat? Maybe to convince cynics, dazed by the crazy rate at which the beauty industry is growing, that Ayurveda is the way to go.

“It’s time we recognised our own strengths, even Madonna is getting her tablets flown out of India, so that she can conceive her next child,” says George Koshy, MD Sowkhya.

“The most important difference about this parlour is that we don’t allow you to decide what’s good for you,” says Koshy. At Sowkhya, the Ayurvedic Cosmetology Clinic, you can get your massages and therapies only after consulting Dr. Sajina and filling in a detailed file-sheet. From pedicures to massages its all ayurveda style. “Even the steam is herbal,” says Koshy.

Beauty packages

A plain massage costs Rs. 225 while the Devangana facial treatment, “in vogue centuries back among the Royal family of Kerala” will cost you Rs. 1300. The packages are inclusive of ayurvedic medicine, diet and yoga asanas prescribed by the doctor.

“We don’t assure you of becoming Cinderella in a day, no way. It takes time,” says Koshy. The clinic promises to pamper its clients and will take on only three to four people at a time. Strictly by appointment since the herbal concoctions will be made fresh. A mixer and a mortar and pestle have been kept aside for that — no bottled recipes, no preservatives here.

According to Koshy, while we have regular servicing of ours computers and cars, we still wait for breakdowns when it comes to our body. “We don’t spare time for ourselves, but then we find time to sleep in the hospital for twenty days,” he says. Treatments for rheumatism and diabetes will be available soon. And yes, the clinic is strictly for women. Men will have to wait but not for too long, Koshy promises to set up more clinics. Sowkhya, 2nd floor, Sunnyside, No.49, 1st Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, ph: 52117171, 52116262.

MEERA MOHANTY

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