From the desk of Miss Know All: Anti-aging... with or without botox!

(Published on 25 July 2006 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

One of my favourite yesteryears Hollywood stars has been Lucille Ball. Her zest for life is admirable and worthy of praise. I love what Lucille says about aging… “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.”

Lucille Ball could not have put it better sweeties… a number of my friends have been forty for the past 5 to 6 years. Facelifts, chemical peels and microdermabrasion – nothing seems to work for too long. My friend was worried about her (now very noticeable) crow’s feet. Anti-aging cosmetics were liberally bought and liberally applied. But the adamant facial lines refused to budge and fade away. Finally a dermatologist was consulted and botox injections were suggested. We returned from the consultation with my friend looking even more concerned and confused. Forget crow’s feet, suddenly her frown, laughter lines and forehead expression lines all seemed more pronounced. I promised I’d get back to her with more details about botox.

Botox is the short form of Botulinism toxin. It is a form of a purified protein that is injected locally in the area that is to be treated. Botox paralyses the muscles that are responsible for the wrinkles by blocking signals from the brain to the nerve endings, hence preventing the muscle from contracting. Injections temporarily put the muscles asleep for a short duration of time. Results are known to last longer with repeated treatments. However the secret lies in adapting a good routine to keep the lines at bay. This would involve cutting down on smoking and alcohol, exercising regularly, using sunscreen, eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and drinking lots and lots of water.

What better way to end than quote what Sophia Loren has to say about age: “There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” Oomph is no longer the fiefdom of 20-year-old sirens. Age is not important, the attitude is. How else can one explain Sophia Loren posing in a slinky black dress for the International Pirelli Calendar at the age of 71!

May be to stay forever young - we need to smoothen out the wrinkles in our mind about aging. As for we Miss Know-All’s - we use the term aging for others and for wines – never for ourselves.


Miss Know-All
wow@dailymirror.wnl.lk

From the desk of Miss Know All: Caviar... much overrated!

(Published on 11 July 2006 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

I had the opportunity to attend a cocktail party thrown by a waning socialite recently. It was yet another exhibition of Manolo Blahnik pointy toes and bling. The who’s- who arrived flashing their diamonds as well as their artificial smiles. As glasses clinked I did what you do best on these occasions – squeal… exclaim… flutter… and sigh! Everything seemed okay and bearable till the canapés laden with caviar came around. While the hostess went into great lengths to explain how the caviar was bought the last time they were abroad, and friends around her rolled their eyes savouring the delicacy – I could not refrain myself from exclaiming that I did not relish caviar one bit. Conversations felt silent as people absorbed what I had just said. Caviar makes my hair stand on end and no amount of false pretensions can get me to eat a morsel.

Caviar is the processed salted roe or eggs of various species of fish. It is considered a delicacy throughout the world. The name ‘caviar’ comes from Persian which means the sturgeon and its product, the roe. As it is expensive, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth. In the words of James Beard -"The roe of the Russian mother sturgeon has probably been present at more important international affairs than have all the Russian dignitaries of history combined. This seemingly simple article of diet has taken its place in the world along with pearls, sables, old silver, and Cellini cups."

The best caviar comes from sturgeon that is fished from the Caspian Sea. Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran are famous for their caviar and are leading exporters of this delicacy. Some of the highest prices are paid for Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga varieties. Golden Sterlet caviar is very rare and was once the favourite of tsars, shahs and emperors.

Diminishing yields due to over fishing have resulted in cheaper alternatives. Paddlefish and hackleback caviar have increased in popularity. Culturing of sturgeon has been increasing, especially in France, Uruguay and Southern California. In Scandinavia, a cheaper version of caviar is made from cod roe. Caviar from burbot, vendace, and whitefish can be bought in Finland in its natural form as an alternative to sturgeon caviar. Commercial caviar production normally involves extracting the ovaries of the fish, although a number of farmers are experimenting with surgical removal of the roe, allowing the fish to produce more eggs during its life span.

While my forthrightness got me disapproving looks from the hoity-toity – I sat sipping my sweet sherry and digging into a platter of kebabs and olives. Nah! Nobody lays the norms for a Miss Know-All. We don’t need to pretend and take the support of such crutches to exhibit style. We exude style… caviar or no caviar!

Miss Know-All
wow@dailymirror.wnl.lk

From the desk of Miss Know-All: A catch 22 situation!

(Published on 4 July 2006 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Look around you. The present day scenario reminds one of a ‘Catch-22’ situation! Similar to a ‘damned if I do, damned if I don't’ state of affairs. While all quarters struggle to bring some normalcy into our day to day lives – it unfortunately seems to be a no-win dilemma. But let us switch out of this pessimistic view. For words like pessimism do not exist in the dictionary of a Miss Know-All.

Having said that, do you know what ‘catch 22’ is? Interestingly, the term gained popularity as the title of a 1961 war novel by Joseph Heller, who referred to an Air Force rule whereby no sane pilot would be crazy enough to want to continue flying dangerous missions. The only way a pilot would be grounded is if he were truly crazy, but if he asked to be grounded; he was then considered sane and would not be grounded. Perplexed dahlings? Let us put it in lay man’s language for your benefit. A perfect example of this circumstance occurs when job searching for the first time. You can't get a job without experience, but you can't get experience unless you have a job—it's a Catch-22 situation! Got it?

A Catch-22 situation is a paradoxical situation that has no conclusive ending. It describes a situation in which an individual has to achieve two actions, both of which require that the other one be done first.

In his novel Heller considers the case of a U.S. Army Air Force bombardier who wishes to be excused from combat flight duty. In order to be excused, he must submit an official medical certificate demonstrating that he is unfit because he is insane. However, according to regulations, any sane person would naturally not want to fly combat missions because they are so dangerous. By requesting permission not to fly combat missions, on the grounds of insanity, the bombardier demonstrates that he is in fact sane and therefore fit to fly. On the other hand, any flyer who wished to fly on combat demonstrated that he was insane and was unfit to fly. Naturally, the ‘catch’ would assert itself, short-circuiting any such attempt.

Good lord! Writing this is almost driving me insane! In a Catch-22 problem one is placed into an unfavorable situation no matter what choice one makes. But as per Carol Pearson, heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves. Situations are dealt with in the best possible way that comes to mind at that particular moment. Just remember to let your head rule over your heart at all times – and you would have made the right decision come what may.

Miss Know-All
wow@dailymirror.wnl.lk