Magazines fascinate me. Love the write-ups, the glossy look, full page photographs and the make-overs. Aah, how I wish I was a celebrity!

But don’t be surprised to know that when you really desire for something, the entire universe conspires to realize your wish. No wonder then, Magazine Marie Claire decided to feature me for a ‘Pretty Me’ contest organized by the cosmetic & fragrance brand Elizabeth Arden. Having sent my pictures a month ago, out of nowhere, I get a call from a sweet Parsi girl Sanaya saying she wants to meet me. And the deal was cracked.

A week later, I had a photoshoot at a studio at Grant Road in Mumbai. Now, I am quite used to the video camera and I know what it takes to be able to convince the viewers but for a still camera, well, you just gotta smile!

(In the Making)

(Blush On!)



(Lips that catch everyone's eye)



(The Final Product)



(With the Marie Claire and Elizabeth Arden team)

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’2009
 
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable  than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
 
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not  understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. 

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….

You’re not as fat as you  imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that  never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you... Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes  you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you  succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your  life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky  chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body,  use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own...Dance..even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for  good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you  should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will  philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you.

Maybe you have a trust fund,  maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.  Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who  supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen… :)

- Helps me to remove the unwanted echoes that interfere in my thought process 

- Lets me fill the space in an orderly way

- Tells me what I want from life

- Allows life to tell me what it wants from me

- Gives me a fresh perspective

- Makes me feel less cluttered in my head

- Lets me perform better

- And finally, relaxes my mind :-)

Now that I know WHY I need clarity, I seriously need some clarity. But about what? I think I will have to post another note on that :-|

Original Post: www.kamiyajani.com

I agree with you that swine flu awareness is needed, but there is no need to be panicky and join the publicity propaganda carried out by media and others which act as a vehicle to spread misconception than to spread scientific information.

Here are few facts about Swine Flu by Dr Deepak Purohit:

1) Swine flu, that is H1N1 flu is not new,first detected in 1987.

2) Infective stage of flue is 5 days, 1 day before and 4 days after onset of symptoms.

3) The best way to prevent it spreading is asking patient having symptoms of flu like fever cough and running nose to take rest at home for 4 days so he does not transmit it.

4) I have seen that the masks in Pune are worn as fashion statement, while walking on road today morning I saw people wearing masks coming out for a morning walk with their dogs! Many wearing masks around their necks, and so on, infect these masks shall act as the vehicles to carry the virus, instead, avoiding crowded places or cinema halls or malls where air conditioners are on, is advisable, because you get recalculated air, where the virus density multiplies.

5) Death after H1N1 flu is not common, infect infections like measles is taking a toll on thousands every year, and we are oblivious of the facts. Swine flu is being blown out of proportion by media trying to create hysteria among lay people.

6) Fever accompanied by respiratory distress, should be immediately notified which is likely to be a complication of H1N1 flu.

7) The mortality is less than .01 percent of those affected, that means may be one in 10,000 affected is likely to suffer the life loss. 

8) If you remember, 2 years ago SARS was blown out of proportion, what happened? Humans develop immunity to the virus, the same is going to happen, we develop immunity in due course of time, the virus is in the air, you cannot stop it, our body is already developing the immunity so nothing to panic. 

We need to take care of children and elderly who have less immunity and do not let them go to crowded places that are all. 

Here’s something from me:

It is important to understand that it is like a viral flu and each one of us might be affected by it today or tomorrow. This doesn’t mean that we all are going to die. We all will be cured the day after and can resume working two days after that. 

The treatment involves nothing more than taking two capsules a day – one post breakfast and the other post dinner. Now, don’t we take more medicines when we are affected by Malaria or Jaundice!

Those who have been dead, there is more to it than what meets the eye.

I am not saying precaution is not important but panic surely isn’t. You WON'T start looking like a pig if you get Swine Flu! (Check image) So chillax.

If you can get Swine Flu twice  - The Times of India, 12 th August, page 4 - "Once you have had a virus, your body develops an immunity to it, so unless there is a significant mutation of swine flu you should not get it again.

And, no, its not fatal. Not by itself, only by additional complications and usually if you are pregnant, already have serious illness like heart or kidney disease or something major.

So, it’s just a matter of chilling out at home for 7 days. And you get fever only the first two days, rest of the days, you are just about fine. Watch television at home, but don’t switch on any news channel. If the swine doesn’t kill you, the over hyped news reports surely will!