Why should men have all the fun?

You can catch her at a plastic table in Singh Hotel
, a rustic dhaba by the highway, waiting for an ice-cold beer and her friends. She should, by right, frequent a place more appropriate to her gender, say, a frilly Cafe Coffee Day in the city, but the guys in Singh Hotel make a pleasant fuss around her and her bike. And the beats of Punjabi folk do wonders for the tough day that she left behind.

And if you missed her at Singh Dhaba, try Maldives. A growing passion for fun among women seems to be hanging out together on holidays, and the more exotic the better. Age is not a bar for sure, neither is the group size, whether it is just four close friends catching up in on a Maldives resort such as, W (US$ 650 a night), pampering themselves silly at the exotic spa, or a grand school reunion of 25, women are determined to have their quotient of fun in the sun with only their girlfriends for company.

“We have been seeing a 25-30% growth over last year in this segment as the trend catches on. Customisation is critical as the experiential part of the holiday is paramount to women, indulgence is also the key, which may range from shopping to spa focused breaks from as short a trip as three days to a week while the most popular destinations are Singapore, Mauritius, Maldives, Switzerland and lately also Italy,” said Haresh Koyande, Business Head, Kuoni Holidays India.

Since the travel major only works on five star properties, the average spend per lady works out to a lakh a day, the Ferragamo shoes apart! The trigger for the breaks? — none, except to be together and focus on having fun! The average age says Koyande for their groups ranges from 30-45.

You can also catch her at a Mont Blanc store in the Capital, trying out men’s colognes. After all, they last longer and the fragrance is strong. And according to her, she doesn’t put it on for the men. Says 1993’s Miss Perfect 10 and today’s entrepreneur Mehar Bhasin: “Brands such as, Chanel, Estee Lauder and Betsey Johnson used to be favourites of women but now more women are trying out men’s fragrances. As for the men, they can just keep guessing.”

You can also catch her polishing the chrome on her car’s hood every morning. A scratch on the paint succeeds where a separation fails. Tearjerkers are not her cups of coffee, she says, especially when it comes to men. For the poised 50-plus Anna Bredmeyer, Miss India 1976, turned supermodel, (one look at her and not a trace of the age shows), cars send her blood rushing.

It’s her life; her passion, and Sundays means opening the bonnet of her Swift for a thorough clean up act! As Bredmeyer says, she hates seeing layers of dust anywhere, not even on her engine block. Of the many perks her various jobs have given her, this yet to turn silver but definitely a swinger is the many visits to the Mercedes factory in Switzerland.

“I have driven all classes of the Mercs but the best are the sports models, it is mind-blowing like none else. Guess it is my favourite car perhaps because it was the first car my Dad showed me and was his prized possession way back in 1961,” says Bredmeyer as she takes a sip of her favourite poison, the German white wine, Liebfraumilch (means mother’s milk).

Today’s woman also shops for Jimmy Choo and Armani, though she emphasises on a pair that has been made in Spain or Brazil. “The reason is that most luxury brands nowadays sell shoes that are made in China. The ones manufactured in places like Brazil and Spain tend to last longer.”

And then if live music is what sends your adrenalin shooting, Blue Frog is the place to catch her, young old, silver gold...and it is one place says Simran Mulchandani, one of the four partners of the place where women outside a five star are comfortable hanging out alone at a bar.

In fact the ratio of men to women is equal, he adds. It has also become a hot favourite venue among women to host parties, so single or in groups, its music increasingly attracts the women’s heels towards it, while the younger ones choose to go and party at Hard Rock Cafe down the road.

In fact, Blue Frog has also got more than a few women on their music label as well such as, Monica Dogra of Shaa’ir + Func, Merlyn D’Souza, singer and song writer Aurora Jane (rock) from Australia....So, it isn’t a rumour anymore. Women are not giving up the chase, as long as rocking the world is concerned.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Getting to the roots of black hairstyles

Barber Markius Freeman, 30, has been growing his dreads for 4 years and he's not about to cut them.

"Cutting them would be like cutting yourself short," he said. "It would be like a sacrifice. It would have to be very, very, important to me, like a job."

While Freeman of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has kept the same style for years, Tartra Plummer, of Lauderhill, Fla., changes her hairstyle every two weeks. The 30-year-old cashier emerged from the salon recently sporting ridges done with a hot iron, a creation by her stylist, Tracey Irvin.

Both are examples of the power of hair in the black community, where styles are a complex and constantly evolving reflection of cultural and political values -- and fashion.

Black Americans spent $3.9 billion in 2007 on hair care products and services, according to Ken Smikle, president of Target Market News, a Chicago-based black consumer tracking firm.

No other community debates the quality and texture of hair, and goes as far as designating hair as "good" because it's straight, and "bad" when it's kinky, coarse and nappy.

Regina Kimball, a Los Angeles filmmaker, has documented the politics of black hair from its ancient African roots to today's hip-hop designs in her film "My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through My Hair-itage."

The 78-minute film uses black hair to explore cultural, societal, and political issues in the black community over time. The film reveals the significance and pride of African hairstyles, such as cornrows and braiding.

These days, stylists say anything goes with black hairstyles for men and women. Natural hairstyles, dreadlocks, Afros, permed styles, bobs, weaves, extensions, even mullets, fades and Mohawks.

Kevin Donjoie wears what he calls "a 'fro Mohawk," inspired by Mr. T.

"You've got to be a little different to pull it off," said Denjoie, 31, of Ft. Lauderdale. "There's a very wide range of hairstyles now. Afros, dreads, brush cuts, designs -- and the girls have plenty of styles. Too many of them I can't name."

Theresa Lewis, a hairdresser in West Palm Beach, Fla., said the most popular styles these days are ones that are easy to maintain: nice short cuts or natural hairstyles or braids and weaves that are not time-consuming to care for.

Christy Lubin, a graduate student at Nova Southeastern University, prefers a "wash and wear" natural style. Her hair is puffy and she's received some criticism from other students, who have told her she has bad hair. "No perm," she says. "This is my true beauty."

Lewis has been doing the hair of Anna Rosier, a speech language pathologist from Boynton Beach, Fla., for more than 20 years.

"When you find a hairdresser you trust, you stick with her," Rosier said.

Last week, Lewis gave Rosier a short cut that wrapped her face, with loose curls hanging down her neck. It's a professional look that fits her life, Rosier said.

Yolle-Guida Dervil wears her hair in natural short box-cut braids. She is what many call tender-headed, and used to cry in pain when her mother combed her hair.

Frustrated, her mother got her a perm. Her father was furious. Now, a decade later, he disapproves of his daughter's braids.

"My dad has a problem with natural hair," Dervil said. "He considers it unprofessional."

But she likes her hair natural. "I'm either confident or brave," she said. "I've found comfort in it."

http://www.freep.com/

Is my man gay?

Being involved with a man living on the down low must be a woman's greatest fear; or certainly something she wouldn't believe could happen.

Unfortunately in Barbados, as elsewhere, it is not uncommon for men who are in a public relationship with a woman to be having discreet sexual relations with other men.

Although there is a growing tolerance for homosexuality, it is still not widely socially acceptable in Barbados. So, many men and women hide their sexual preference to maintain the status quo. Having a girlfriend is one way a gay man may try to keep a "straight image".

Sadly, this can have dire consequences if he fulfils his gay desires outside the relationship; for instance, his female partner may be unknowingly exposed to sexually transmitted diseases if her cheating boyfriend doesn't use adequate protection.

So, how can you tell if your man's gay?

According to a young homosexual interviewed by the SATURDAY SUN, there are quite a few tell-tale signs, including those that would be considered clichés. These are:

* He cries at movies.

* He glances at men when they pass, especially the attractive ones.

* He has no qualms expressing, or even gushing, about how attractive another man is.

* He prefers anal over vaginal sex with you.

* He has an intense interest in fashion and dresses very fashionably; is well groomed and is a little too knowledgeable about different brand names.

* He consistently compliments women about their clothes, hair and shoes, as opposed to their face and body.

* He makes a lot of flamboyant gestures with his hands when he talks.

* He brags about how many gays think he is attractive.

* He likes to watch or is turned on by gay porn.

* He has a lot of homosexual friends.

* When you ask him if he's gay, he responds evasively as opposed to denying it.

These guidelines probably do apply to many men on the down low – especially the last three – but clinical psychologist Dr Marcus Lashley was quick to shoot down all of them.

"There is no absolute way to determine someone's sexuality," he said in a telephone interview.

He insisted there was no set criteria or prototype for the gay man and one could only judge on an individual basis.

According to Lashley, a man might display these traits because of his upbringing and cultural background, but not because of his sexuality.

For instance, the well-groomed, fashionable man might be "metrosexual" – American slang referring to a heterosexual who spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance.

Even the man who goes on about how sexy another man is may be expressing what he subconsciously wants for himself; in other words, he's probably wishing he had six-pack abs like his object of admiration.

Seeing that there may be no real criteria that applies to all men on the down-low, your instincts may be your best "gaydar".

So what do you do if you think your man is gay?

Make sure you're listening to your intuition and not your paranoid fears. You need to ask yourself if you really think he's gay or if you are subconsciously sabotaging your relationship.

Take a moment to meditate on this before you make any drastic decisions.

by GINA AIMEY-MOSS
ginaaimeymoss@nationnews.com
http://www.cwc2007publications.com/