Truth be told!
Do you share this view?
Culled from Genevieve's Instagram!
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Thursday, October 31, 2013
Introducing Hardey's Place...the lady that makes Agege Bread!
Introducing Hardey, a reliable dealer in 100% human hair extensions has debuted with a landmark stride in the Cyprus Community and the Fashion and beauty scene.
She has stood in gap bringing to bear as a representative of Hair products, Lingeries and delicious African cuisine which is seen missing in the cyprus community for a long time especially as the African craving needs for beauty products is concern.
My first encounter with her was by a great friend of mine Teesdiva who i knew shortly before my coming to the Island. Hardey parades herself with such sweet sense of professionalism, on meeting her i knew my hair is going to get the best pampering it deserves, not in any way will i miss my Naija stylist, i murmured to myself.
Hardey also sell human hair accessories and hair treatment with sources from
India and Brazil, the Uk. Look to Hardey for your hair lace wig, lace frontals, Mongolian, Brazilian, Indian Vigirn
hair, European hair, Meril Classic Italian weavon and Russian straight hair amidst other varieties in stock.
Furthermore, she also offers home delivery for most tasty delicious African Cuisine. Not forgetting, if you need a taste of that delicious Agege Bread, Hardey's Place is the spot to be.
The next time you are in town don't forget to stop by her place for the best of African delicacies!
Feel the difference......for more info, kindly call: 05488796637
OR Inbox info.posche@gmail.com for more inquires.
3 Essential Beauty Products That Exposes the Skin to Cancer
Are you a beauty product freak that easily goes for any product, once you hear it is ‘good’ and it works? Just how much time do you take out to read the ingredients on a product case before you make the purchase? Wake-up! There is something you need to know.
Do you know that your body absorbs almost 60% of the ingredients of any of the skin care products you use! Having known this years back, I constantly observes that most of the body products I use are made from natural products extracts, like honey, olive oil, turmeric. I will sharing in a couple of weeks essentially home made beauty products that Nourishes and makes the skin glows.
On this note, i will be sharing with us the 3 main culprits in your beauty products that expose you to the risk of breast cancer and other health risk
PARABENS
Parabens are preservatives that increase a products shelf life. Almost every skin care product seems to have this.
Parabens can cause breast cancer since they can mimic the hormone estrogen and get easily absorbed into our blood stream. According to a study conducted by the Journal of Applied Toxicology, low dose levels of parabens were found in all the 40 samples of breast tissue that were taken from recent mastectomies. The most common types of parabens are
Methylparaben and propylparaben and are found in lotions, deodorants, creams, and ointments.
ALUMINIUM
Yes, your skincare product can contain aluminum.
Aluminum is found mostly in deodorants and antiperspirants. This metal also mimics estrogen and gets easily absorbed by the skin. Aluminum is also a neurotoxin and since it is used so close to the breast, it greatly increases the risk of breast cancer.
CETEARETH-20
Ceteareth-20 is a very common ingredient used in skin care products. You will find it mainly in emollients, moisturizers, cleansers, conditioners, exfoliants and acne creams amongst others. This chemical ingredient is contaminated with I,4- dioxane and Ethylene Oxide. Ethylene Oxide allows the skin emollient to spread uniformly and easily on the skins surface and also helps in binding all the other product ingredients together.
Both these chemicals are carcinogenic. especially Ethylene Oxide, which is a known breast carcinogen.
So next time you hit the cosmetic store and reach for well packaged and enticing looking beauty products, take a few seconds out to read what they are made of.
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Email us on info.posche@gmail.com on how to make our blog better for your reading.
Kissing: Its Vital Role in Choosing and Keeping Partners
Two new studies of kissing have found that apart from being sexy, kissing also helps people choose partners–and keep them.
In a survey carried out recently, it was said that women in particular rated kissing as important vital communication signs in building up their relationship, however more promiscuous members of both sexes rated kissing has a very important way of testing out a new partner if he is the one or not.
I know there is this chemistry that comes with kissing someone you love. Well if you are so into kisses like me, am sure you understand what am talking about *wink
Read on...
Anyways, one of the study’s authors Professor Robin Dunbar explained that kissing may help solve the ‘Jane Austen’ problem: “In choosing partners, we have to deal with the ‘Jane Austen problem’: How long do you wait for Mr Darcy to come along when you can’t wait forever and there may be lots of women waiting just for him? At what point do you have to compromise for the curate? …[and] kissing plays a role in assessing a potential partner.” But kissing isn’t just important at the start of a relationship; it also has a role in maintaining a relationship.
The researchers found a correlation between the amount of kissing that long-term partners did and the quality of their relationship. This link wasn’t seen between more sex and improved relationship satisfaction.
In a second study, the researchers looked at the link between women’s menstrual cycle and the importance of kissing. What they found was that when relationships were young, kissing was most important at the most fertile stage of women’s cycles. This suggests kissing could be a way of assessing a potential partner’s genes.
How much kisses do you give your partner, do you share this view? Does kissing helps you know what your partners feels about you? How do you feel the first time you missed your partner?
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NIGERIANS AND THE TRUTH!
As an active member of Facebook I have benefited from belonging to the online social media. From reconnecting with old friends to finding new friends, i have done it all. I became a fan an follower of CNN's Errol Barnett for a good number of reasons but his good looks are at the top of the list. While Errol reminds you that people can make the most of their youth, I fawn over the dude when he lights up my screen. the result is loss of hearing for most of his report.
Anyway, my dear Errol knows how to keep his fans active till the point of religiosity. I am more than grateful for this as i have made great friends who converge on that page to air their opinions. As much as I am ashamed to admit this, good looking Errol has held me captive to the detriment of my dear blog. I rather slug it out with an unlucky somebody who had the temerity, audacity, animal boldness, effrontery...,(catches breath), Phew!!! sorry about the grammar..., to make unsavoury statements about my dear country Nigeria. Yet for the life of me, most of my angst is wasted as I have not met a Nigerian on that site who didn't tell the truth as they saw it. A truth I totally agreed with until a recent comment was posted on the high school gay scandal where a lesbian was not allowed to bring her partner to a prom night dressed in tuxedo. Asking for their opinions, Errol also asked his fans if such a thing could happen in their countries.
As expected, everyone had something to say. One gay lamented the discrimination against them but the majority of people I will like to assume are heterosexuals said as much as they did not like homosexuality or understand it, they could not judge the people identified as such. A fellow Nigerian took a bold stand, quoting the Bible and standing on the moral strength of Nigerians as a people to avoid or stem the growing popularity of homosexuality. And at that point I realized certain Nigerians didn't know how to tell the truth. And I was angry not because someone was insulting my Nigeria but because someone had just lied out rightly on a public forum about what was obtainable in the country. That in my opinion was also constituted rubbishing the image of the country as everyone across the globe knew of the evils abound in my darling country thanks to the information, television and internet age. The evil that lives with the good, the evil we cannot dress with a veil and we had someone telling the world that just because we regarded homosexuality as illegal, we were had a high moral standing. So it is okay to spill blood of INNOCENT CHILDREN AND WOMEN as seen in the different sectarian, religious and tribal clashes around the country? Or the killing of innocent people by so called Boko Haram? It is okay to fleece unsuspecting foreigners of their hard earned money or condone ritualists in our midst and take a stance against homosexuality? That for me was the highest level of hypocrisy.
Blind patriotism is inimical to national development and methinks this person was probably not looking objectively at what was on the table before spewing words that made little sense. Worse, she said the words ".. as a lawyer, you should know that..." and yours truly cannot understand why a forum for opinion giving should become a platform of subtle insults. I hold her argument in derision and can only pity her mind set. In her "intelligent" view, the people are largely moral and innocent, our politicians do all their hanky panky with the assistance of martians. And to make it worse, this person is a lawyer. Whither thou goest Nigeria?
-Appreciating Ayim for initiating this piece
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Brazilian Ex-footballer's Head Found In A Paper Bag Near Rio de Janeiro!
Police in Brazil have launched a manhunt after the severed head of a former professional footballer was left on the doorstep of his home. The horrified wife of Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos, 35, made the gruesome discovery as she left the house in Rio de Janeiro for work early yesterday morning.
The player's eyes and tongue had been cut out and his head placed inside one of his own rucksacks, police said. Mr Santos retired from football two years ago after a successful career playing for several teams in Rio de Janeiro, as well as for clubs in Sweden and Honduras. He had recently set up his own business selling health foods and dietary supplements.
Continue...
Police said today that Mr Santos is believed to have been snatched from outside the shop he had opened in the Realengo district of Rio as he closed up at around 7.45pm on Monday. Witnesses said they saw several men bundling him into his car, a Hyundai i30, and speeding off just before midnight, a spokesman said.
He was reported missing by his wife at 9pm on Monday. Mr Santos' brother-in-law, who didn't want to be named, told Brazil's Globo G1 website that the player's wife, Geisa Silva, 31, stayed up all night after her husband failed to arrive home.
He said: 'Every time a car passed by she would go to see. 'She was getting ready to go to work at around 5.30am when she heard a noise, opened the front door and saw his rucksack. 'When she opened it she discovered it contained his head.
'I did not want to look but the people who saw it said they had gouged out his eyes and cut off his tongue,' said the horrified relative.
Neighbours living close to the crime scene reported hearing a woman screaming: 'My God, it's Joao!
It’s Joao’s head.'
From what I know, he didn't have any enemies and neither did his wife,' the relative added.
In a statement Mr Santos' widow said the couple had not been subjected to any threats. Lead murder investigator Rafael Rangel from the 14th Military Police Battalion (BPM) in Rio, said witnesses saw armed men kidnap the businessman. 'We believe that the people who took him knew the family’s routine,' said Rangel. Investigators are working on the hypothesis that Mr Santos could have been murdered by a drugs gang because of Mrs Silva's work at a military police base in a local slum.
The Police Pacification Unit in the Morro do Sao Carlos is one of dozens set up in Rio's favelas to retake control of the city's slums from violent drug traffickers.
However, according to police chief Rafael Rangel,Mrs Silva worked as a social worker in the base and didn't patrol the streets or make arrests like other police officers.
He told Brazil's O Dia newspaper the motives of the murder are still unclear. He said: 'Mrs Silva has no idea who would have done this. Neither she, her husband or any other member of the family have suffered any type of threat as far as she knows.
'There is nothing that would justify such a barbarous crime.' Santos did not have a police record. Later today Brazilian police said body parts dumped beside a city river were believed to be those of Mr Santos.
The player's brother-in-law told Brazil's Globo G1 website that family members had positively identified a torso found next to the Guandu river in Queimados, greater Rio de Janeiro, by a birth mark on Mr Santos' stomach.
A police spokesman said other body parts had also been found in the area and were being DNA tested. He said the murder bears the hallmarks of an execution by drug gangsters, but stressed that "every line of investigation" is still open.
The couple had been together for 11 years and were described as ‘lovely’ by neighbours. 'They were a happy, quiet couple,' said a neighbour, who asked not to be identified. 'But you never know what may have motivated a crime as stupid and as senseless as this.'
Mr Santos’ played as a professional footballer between 1996 and 2005 - during which he scored 33 goals in 103 matches as a striker. Nicknamed
Humble Hero, he was signed to a number of second division teams. He also played abroad for Swedish Club Oster Vaxjo and Olimpia in Honduras.
A recent United Nations report into drug trafficking- related crime in Brazil found that more than half of the homicides, robberies and thefts have a direct or indirect link with this criminal activity.
Culled from UK Daily Mail
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Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Ghana Achieves Breakthrough In Heart Surgery
The National Cardiothoraic Centre (NCTC)of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has successfully carried out a ground-breaking heart surgery without opening the chest of the patient.
The one-hour coronary stenting surgery on a 50-year old Nigerian could have taken five hours if the heart surgeons had used the normal open-heart procedure.
A coronary stenting surgery involves placing a tube in the coronary arteries which supply the heart with blood to keep the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart disease; the most common type of heart disease that leads to heart attack.
A stent is a tiny, expandable mesh tube made of medical-grade stainless steel or cobalt alloy metal.
The three doctors led by the Director of NCC; Dr. Lawrence Agyemang Sereboe, performed the surgery on the Patient (Muhammed Diggol) who is from Kano State, Nigeria. He was earlier in the year diagnosed of severe heart pain which made it difficult for him to breathe propserly.
Other members of the surgery team were Dr. Abdul Samed Tanko, Head of the Cardiology, and Dr. Martin Adu Adade, a cardiologist.
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Oprah Winfrey At It Again!
Media Mogul Oprah Winfrey is to sell off Personal belongings in a high-end auction at the weekend. She is set to auction belongings to the charity, this time giving out as her ways to give to humanity. Though this isn't one of a surprise initiation, but that which involves items from her most expensive 3 homes.
The auction, which will be dubbed a 'yard sale' is said to have more than 500 items from her homes in Chicago, Maui, Indiana and California
Personal belongings autographed by Winfrey includes vintage magazine covers and original promotional materials for the film The Colour Purple.
All the Proceeds will go to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy graduates of her school in South Africa.
How have you impacted on humanity today? How often do you cultivate the habit of giving? It start with you..
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10 Tips On How To Make Your Man Fall In Love With You
Hey my beautiful damsels, you really need to show your man
that you have what it takes to drive him nuts. Prove your worth to him and
watch him stay. There is hardly any woman or lady out there who does not want
to be in a relationship where the man she is in love with is over heels crazy
about her too. Making your man loving
you back as he would isn’t hard at all, with the foundational spice I called
PATIENCE, and you will be able to.
Below I will be discussing some few tips on how to achieve this;
every lady out there needs tips.
10. SHOW THAT YOU ARE INDEPENDENCE
Firstly of all, you need to show that you are independent,
and not a lazy fag that depends on every penny from him to get your needs met. It
is important that you show him how strong and entrepreneurial you can be. One
thing I have come to realise with guy-girl relationship is that, men loves that
hardworking, goal oriented babes. Trust me, if you think sticking with him at
all times and relying on him will work, then you might need start thinking
again, it’s only a matter of weeks or months before he starts avoiding you and
finally dumps you.
9. YOU AR NOT A PARASITE
This explains the constant sticking to a man. Neither is
following him around will make him want or appreciate you more. You do not always
have to be in front of him preparing yourself to so anything he wants. Men love to have their space, some time out
alone by themselves or with the boys like they sometimes call it.
Therefore, it is important that you give him some space, so
as not to look too desperate or cheap.
8. DO NOT TAKE HIS PLACE
As much as I always talk about equality, there are some
roles that you cannot do when you are in a strong relationship that leading to
the alter. When you allow a man to show his masculinity, he will take the lead.
As much as you don’t want to be seen as been too over independent, there are
certain roles which should be left for the man, trust me men loves it when the
women they love seek there counsel. Don’t
we love to be pampered… here is the time to show that.
You should be thankful when he steps in and help in some
ways.
7. KNOW HOW TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE
If you have a gloomy appearance and you are always looking
sad and depressed, then you cannot expect to attract a man. A cheerful
disposition is good always, radiates a man spirit. Make him realise that you
have a good life.
6. GIVE HIM SUPPORT WHEN RELEVANT
No matter how strong someone is, even men; there is always a
point in their life when they will need to have some sort of support, a shoulder
to lean on. It is not the period to act over neither nagging nor paranoid. At this
point, learn to be sensitive to the subject of discussion. When they need it, you should be there for him
and encourage him.
5. ALWAYS LOOK PRETTY
When some ladies get married, they let themselves go simply
because they now have their spouse. You should not let go. If you went to the
salon to get your hair done before you got married, then keep doing that. If you
were smart and trendy when he first married you, why stop how?
This is mostly targeted mostly to the married ladies out
there. Looking good is good busy. If you man is the one that likes
you in skimpy wears, I see no point why you shouldn’t wear that which keeps the
spice in your married relationship. Then stay smart and hot for him, it will
keep his love and affection for you and will see no reason to look elsewhere.
4. JEALOUSY
I have seen many ladies that try to spend as much time with
their friends in order to make their man jealous. This will drive him crazy
thinking of those hours with your friends. While I would never do this, because
I believe your hubby or man should be your best friend, there are some ladies
out there that will recommend this. Again, it all depends on who you are.
The more he craves for your company and attention, the more
the relationship grows stronger and the more the love.
3. BE A GREAT LISTENER
One sure way to get your fiancés to be so into you is during
your discussion or chit-chat, you show him that you are interested in his
discuss by paying rapt attention and listening to him. Men loves it when they
have a woman that cares about what they tend to share and discuss for instance,
football..
Don’t be self-centred by always talking about your desires
and your life alone. Give him some space
to communicate his mind while you listen. Men like it when they are appreciated
and praised for their actions.
2. MAKE YOURSELF UNIQUE
There are many women out there
that are attractive too. You need to set yourself aside from them. Making
yourself outstanding and unique is a key to a man’s heart.
The point here is finding
something that makes you unique and go with it. It is never advisable to just
flow with the trends.
1. 1. JUST
BE YOURSELF
In the end, you should be
yourself. Do not try to be like some super star you once saw on television. Don’t
put up an act, be yourself and earn his respect.
Feel free to share your experiences.
What do you do to set yourself apart from the other ladies?
How did you make your husband or
spouse fall head over heels in love with you?
Share this with your friends on
facebook and twitter, simply click on the share button.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Healthy Drink Recipe To Try…
Here is a good anti-inflammatory drink ( i.e reduce inflammation, pain or swelling) a refreshing drink to keep you hydrated, flavour your water while adding benefits to your body. let’s try this.
RECIPE : Add to a small jug of water the following:
- Squeeze 1/2 a pineapple
- Squeeze 1 lime
- Chop and squeeze 1/2 inch a ginger
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey
Let’s drink to health .
What is your favourite ingredient in this recipe?
RECIPE : Add to a small jug of water the following:
- Squeeze 1/2 a pineapple
- Squeeze 1 lime
- Chop and squeeze 1/2 inch a ginger
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey
Let’s drink to health .
What is your favourite ingredient in this recipe?
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Modern Day Bullies
Who gives us(this generation of pouters,fashion crazed teens,skinny jeans wearing males)the audacity to judge another being, irrespective of how low a person has brought himself. We have created a certain standard to which he who does not reach is considered a lesser human being a not just in.
Our filthy little minds,Oh no..it is indeed not enough,we have then decided to take it a step further to even publicly destroy the person, not attempting to vile our hearts. I know of a friend who will brag of getting the latest Peruvian hair, the latest LV Collections, how she and her said fiancé shops online to get the latest stuff.
Who set these invincible rules?
Who is the game master?
Who is the trend setter? Who do we even trail?
If these questions have never crossed your mind,well it’s about time they did!
I totally agree that the beautiful ones are not yet born, because if what we portray is beauty,then the world is in dire need of another saviour!
The innocence of our infancy is a vague memory. If only we'd bring down our shoulders, if only we stop for just a minutes to think, we'd see that instead of growing to adults, we are growing into babies, however possible that is.
If only we’d bring down our shoulders, if only we stop for just more than a minute to think,we’d see that instead of growing to be adults, we are growing into babies, however possible that is.
Growing to be babies that are attracted only by shiny things and pick people only by what they hold in their hands; that speak without regard to who is being spoken to and care only about what makes them happy,possibly taking forcefully what belongs to another to get as much self comfort as we reach.
A new breed of bullies,I must say,commanding of ourselves laws no one has set.
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APPRECIATING MY FOLLOWERS
This is not a blog message as it were, but i will be direct with this one.
We have being thinking lately.. ‘What better way to reward our followers and subcribers?’. As bosydeprincessa's blog reaches its 10,000 views today. We Could not reach a conclusion.
However, here is a little something we wish you will be ever grateful to if this is your first time of coming across it:
http://MegaStoon.Com/sms/sms.php?share=207724.
Do yourself good and check it out. Cheers!
We appreciate every single seconds you take out to view our blog.
Follow Blog via Email. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email: info.posche@gmail.com
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Black Student Accused of Fraud After Buying $350 Belt At A Departmental Store
His only crime was being a young black guy buying a $300 belt': Queens student arrested after buying Ferragamo belt sues Barneys
- Trayon Christian, 19, taken to NYPD precinct despite using his own debit card and ID at the upscale Manhattan store
- The college student, who lives with his mom in Queens, New York, had saved up from his part-time job to buy the Salvatore Ferragamo belt
- Mr Christian is suing Barneys and NYPD for unspecified damages
However once he had paid for the belt and had left Barneys, the fashion-loving teen was grabbed by undercover officers on the street.
According to the civil rights lawsuit, the 19-year-old was asked 'how a young black man such as himself could afford to purchase such an expensive belt. Uhmmmm...
Read on...
The Officers took the teenager, who is an engineering freshman at the NYC College of Technology, to a local precinct.
He was told to show his Identification. Mr Christian once again showed his ID, debit card and receipt for the belt.
The Officers still refused to believe the teenager.
'In spite of producing such documentation Christian was told that his identification was false and that he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase,'
Finally Chase bank was contacted who verified that the debit card belonged to Mr Christian.
It was only then that he was allowed to go after spending two hours in a holding cell, the suit claims.
( Harlem rapper Juelz Santana pictured right wearing the belt coveted by his teenage Fan )
The NYPD denied this and said the student was only held for 42 minutes.
The student, who has no history of arrests, said that he will never shop at Barneys again following the incident.
The teenager, who now works at Target, told the News: 'I brought the belt back to Barneys a few days later and returned it. I got my money back, I’m not shopping there again. It’s cruel. It’s racist.
I am not talking sides with anyone yet, so many things stands out for me in all this drama. Determination, steadfastness integrity, hardwork and a sense of responsibility from both the system and the individual.
Anyways, this is why this platform id here, I will appreciate your reaction to this incidence, since it had become a norm in which black faces. Also will appreciate if anyone who ever encounter such incidence should share their experiences.
For comments and observation!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Straight Talk: Each Day At A Time.
Enjoy!
“What’s wrong?” asked my customer as I covered one eye, then the other, and stared at her in disbelief.
“Your head is missing,” I said anxiously. I slumped on the stool behind the counter of my fashion boutique and placed my palm over my left eye. Sure enough, there was a large black area at the top of my vision in my right eye.
A phone call to an ophthalmologist’s office started the ball rolling and a dye test to look at the retina was performed that afternoon. That night I couldn’t sleep with worry, petrified that I might go blind. The eye specialist confirmed that there was damage to the retina and he wasn’t sure exactly what the cause was – a virus, perhaps? He stressed that it could happen again and cautioned me to keep my immune system strong. I was given a dose of antibiotics and told to rest.
That was in 1986. I was 36 years old, married with three children and working full time. While it didn’t take long for me to grow accustomed to my vision impairment, the shock of partially losing my sight made me rethink my life, and I left my marriageMother-In-Law! Couple Kept Grudges And He Died!. Read more ... » of 19 years. Moving to northern New South Wales in 1990 gave me the chance to experience living in a small community. Perhaps it was the pressure of a new job, a new relationship, and raising a family that took their toll, but by 1993 the vision in my right eye had become more cloudy and blurry. The specialist asked me if I’d ever been to the Wheat Belt in America, as the scars in my retina were similar to a disease from that area. I hadn’t, and so we remained in the dark about what was causing my loss of vision. But I did notice that I was often tired and found it an effort to keep my head upright. I wanted to sleep all the time.
Time passed. In 1995 my new husband and I bought a small yacht and were preparing it to become our permanent home when I realised the vision in my left eye had changed.
I’d been cat sitting and the owner’s relatives were ophthalmologists who had recently been to a conference on the disease toxoplasmosis. They thought I could have it. A trip to a Brisbane eye specialist revealed that toxoplasmosis was almost a certainty and, moreover, that I had lost half the visual field in my left eye.
What did it all mean? I was asked if I’d had contact with cats, which, of course, I had – I always had a cat draped around my neck as a kid.
Cats, as it turns out, are one of the carriers of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which they spread through their faeces. When the parasite becomes active it causes inflammation in muscles or tissue. In my case, the parasite settled in the retina, where it was damaging cells and slowly eroding my vision. I digested this information and discovered there was little I could do while the toxoplasmosis was latent but keep healthy and strong.
I knew I wasn’t 100% fit as we cruised up the Queensland coast in 1995. I felt really low on energy, but I put this down to the emotional upheaval of leaving my teenage children and learning new life skills.
At the southern end of the Whitsundays lies the idyllic hideaway of Goldsmith Island. As we traversed the golden sandy bay, I bent down to pick up shells. Each time I thought I was about to clasp one it would disappear. With a sense of dread, I placed my palm over my right eye. I had no vision in my left eye. Panicking, I tried again and again to look at the yacht bobbing on anchor, but could only see black blobs through my left eye.
That day, we contacted my eye specialist in Brisbane by sea phone and made an appointment for me to see a specialist in Mackay a week later. The unstable weather delayed us, but finally we arrived at Airlie Beach, where it seemed the entire yachting community knew about my plight. As we walked down the street I kept bumping into letter boxes and phone booths, apologising profusely as I tripped and stumbled. Deep down, I knew that this was a really serious situation. Instead of colour, I was seeing everything in black-and-white; glare caused unbearable sharp pains in my eyes.
When the specialist informed me that I’d lost the central sight in my left eye and that it was unlikely to return, I burst into tears and returned to Airlie Beach traumatised. A friend had to crew for me on our journey back to Brisbane. I could still handle the head sail but had to relinquish cutting the vegetables, as my husband and our friend were convinced I would spear one of my fingers or take out their eyes.
A few months later, my husband and I built a house on an island in Moreton Bay, where I hoped to put my vision problems to rest forever. However, my disease became active again that year, and again in 2000, 2003 and 2004 – at which point my eye specialist firmly encouraged me to “sit under a palm tree and learn floral arrangement”.
I’ve taken his words seriously and have learnt not only to relax more, but also to monitor and manage my eye health. I regularly use the Amsler recording graph to monitor my areas of lost sight and to check on the good vision in each eye.
The damaged areas show up as black blobs on the graph; if these change shape, I know the disease is active and immediately visit my ophthalmic physician and surgeon. These recurring episodes can leave a sufferer feeling depleted for up to six weeks. I tend to recover by sleeping as much as possible, as the only available treatment is a prescription of triple antibiotics to minimise the damage.
These days, I occasionally suffer migraines, a result from straining my eyes when reading and writing, but I feel very lucky to still be able to read and drive. And, after all these years, I’ve realised my dream of living by the sea and writing.
I know now that it’s up to me to manage my eye disease. I’m the only one who puts pressure on myself and I’ve learnt that life is richer if I just take each day as it comes.
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Monday, October 21, 2013
Top 10 Interesting Abandoned Places
The Ghost City – an apocalyptic inspiration for filmmakers for as long as I can remember. There is nothing more surreal than witnessing an abandoned city, and writers through the ages have grabbed hold of this fact with both hands. Introducing us to all forms of abandonment. From the 1948 Ghost-Town-Western ‘Yellow Sky’ starring Gregory Peck, to the deserted London streets of Danny Boyle’s ’28 Days Later’. The frightful tension associated with popular 90′s video game ‘Silent Hill’, to the post-apocalyptic nothingness of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer- winning novel ‘The Road’. The theme is well- trodden, everywhere you may choose to glance. An excellent backdrop to any form of entertainment, whether it be film, literature or anything else for that matter.
There is however some degree of foundation to this surreality. The ghost town is common among the Americas, especially in the Central and Southern states. Surveys suggest that there are around 6,000 abandoned sites of settlement in Kansas alone. But what can cause such large- scale loss of population? One of the main factors is depleting natural resources, linking to roads and railways bypassing certain places. Another more sinister cause can be disaster, whether natural or man-made. Such was the case with Patton, Missouri. After being flooded over 30 times since their town was founded in 1845, residents tired after two floods in 1993. With government help, the whole town was rebuilt three miles away, now known as New Pattonsburg, leaving the old behind as a ghost town.
However it happens, the topic interests me greatly. Here I list my top ten most interesting abandoned places on the planet, complete with description and pictures. Hoping to bring some essence of real life to what many consider an extremely fictional occurrence. Making film sets out of real life locations along the way. Enjoy!
10. Bodie, California
Founded in 1876, Bodie is the authentic American ghost town. It started life as a small mining settlement, though found even more fortune from nearby mines that attracted thousands. By 1880 Bodie boasted a population of almost 10,000 – such was the boom. At its peak, 65 saloons lined the town’s main street, and there was even a Chinatown with several hundred Chinese residents.
Dwindling resources proved fatal however, and although greatly reduced in prominence, Bodie held a permanent residency through most of the 20th century. Even after a fire ravaged much of the downtown business district in 1932. Bodie is now unpopulated. The town was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and in 1962 it became Bodie State Historic Park as the few residents left moved on.
Today, Bodie is preserved in a state of arrested decay. Only a small part of the town survives. Visitors can walk the deserted streets of a town and interiors remain as they were left and stocked with goods. Bodie is open all year, but the long road that leads to it is usually closed in the winter due to heavy snowfall, so the most comfortable time to visit is during the summer months.
9. San Zhi, Taiwan
After this the whole thing received the cover-up treatment. And the Government, who commissioned the site in the first place was keen to distance itself from the bizarre happenings. Thanks to this, there are no named architects. The project may never be restarted thanks to the growing legend, and there would be no value in re-developing the area for other purpose. Maybe simply because destroying homes of lonely spirits is a bad thing to do.
8. Varosha, Cyprus
The Annan Plan had provided for the return of Varosha to Greek Cypriot control, but after the rejection of the proposal by Greek Cypriot voters this hand-over to Greek-Cypriots has not materialised. That is not the end of the story, as the Governments are working together to plan a complete revival of Varosha to its former beauty.
Currently, three concept hotel complexes have been designed by Laxia Inc. We hope the de facto “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” will apparently open Varosha to tourism once again.
7. Gunkanjima, Japan
Hashima Island (meaning Border Island) is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture of Japan about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. It is also known as “Gunkan-Jima” or Battleship Island thanks to its high sea walls. It began in 1890 when a company called Mitsubishi bought the island and began a project to retrieve coal from the bottom of the sea. This attracted much attention, and in 1916 they were forced to build Japan’s first large concrete building on the island. A block of apartments that would both accommodate the seas of workers and protect them from hurricanes.
In 1959, population had swelled, and boasted a density of 835 people per hectare for the whole island (1,391 per hectare for the residential district) – one of the highest population densities ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960′s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima’s mines were no exception. In 1974 Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine, and today it is empty and bare, with travel currently prohibited. The island was the location for the 2003 film ‘Battle Royale II’ and inspired the final level of popular Asian videogame ‘Killer7′
6. Balestrino, Italy
Balestrino is quite a strange case in that it was extremely difficult to find any decent information on it. At least on the abandonment itself. No one is quite sure when the town was established, though records date back to before the eleventh century – when Balestrino was owned by the Benedictine abbey of San Pietro dei Monti. As you can see from the pictures, the upper part of the town consists of a Castle (of Marquis) and the lower part a parish church (of Sant’Andrea). Records of population go back to around 1860, when around 800-850 people lived there. Mainly famers who took advantage of the landscape to farm olive trees.
In the late nineteenth century, the North-West coast of Italy was struck by numerous earthquakes. One of these in 1887 (magnitude 6.7) destroyed some villages in the area of Savona, and although no official records show Balestrino was affected it coincides with much repair work and a dip in population. Finally in 1953 the town was abandoned due to ‘geological instability’, and the remaining inhabitants (around 400) were moved to safer ground to the west. The derelict part of Balestrino that has stood untouched and inaccessible for fifty plus years is currently undergoing planning for redevelopment. Today around 500 people remain in the town’s newer area which is a good kilometre down the road.
5. Katoli World, Taiwan
I thought I would break out of the abandoned residential mould and look at something inspired by Miyazaki’s Oscar winning ‘Spirited Away’. Those who have seen it will know that the family stumbles across an old theme park at the start of the movie, one that was built in the eighties but has since lost popularity and been abandoned. Well this is a usual occurence in Asia, one can find many amusement parks that have been left to rust. Here is just one of them, though one that was forced to close for something other than financial loss.
Katoli World is situated in the Dakeng Scenic area just outside of Taichung, Taiwan. Opened in the mid eighties, it enjoyed moderate success as one of the few theme parks on the island of Taiwan to host a roller-coaster (two). The park was closed after a massive earthquake on September 21st, 1999. Thousands of people were killed during the quake but nobody inside the park as it struck after opening hours. Large areas of the park were destroyed and it was forced to close. A place once vivid with young laughter is now slowly turning to rust.
4. Centralia, Pennsylvania
Johnathan Faust opened Bull’s Head Tavern in Centralia in 1841, and Centralia was incorporated as a borough in 1866. The anthracite coal industry was the principal employer in the community until the 1960s, when most of the companies went out of business. An exposed vein of coal ignited in 1962 thanks to weekly garbage burning, and as a result a huge underground coal fire commenced. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and it continued to burn throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Adverse health effects were reported by several people due to the carbon monoxide produced.
In 1979, locals became aware of the scale of the problem when a gas station reported a fuel temperature of 172 degrees Fahrenheit (77.8°C). This provoked widespread attention, boosted in 1981 when a 12-year-old almost plunged to his death as a 4 foot wide, 150 foot deep sinkhole suddenly opened beneath his feet. In 1984, $42 million was spent on relocation, with most residents moving to the nearby Mount Carmel and Ashland. In 1992, Pennsylvania condemned all houses within the borough, meaning that of the 1,000+ residents in 1981 – only a handful now remain – mainly priests. The fire still rages on, and according to experts could do so for another 250 years.
3. Yashima, Japan
Yashima is an imposing plateau to the northeast of Takamatsu, the second largest city on Shikoku – which is one of Japan’s major islands. This plateau stretches out to sea, and can be seen in the fifth photo below. It is the site of a famous battle that took place on 22nd March 1185 during the Genpei War. The top of Yashima hosts the Yeshima Temple, which is a well-known Shikoku pilgrimage. This is about the only thing that does draw crowds to this strangely neglected geographical anomaly, but it wasn’t always so.
During an upsurge in mid-eighties’ Japanese economy, the people of Takamatsu decided that the plateau was an excellent place to encourage tourism, so took to pouring money into developing this sacred land. Six hotels were built, along with many parks and trails – even an aquarium. Though somewhere along the line people realized that Yashima plateau wasn’t so such an attractive opportunity, especially with views of the nearby rock quarry. Visitor numbers then dropped as millions of Yen were lost on inflated real-estate deals. All the hotels and shops were forced to shut down, as was the cable car that at one point transported many to Yashima’s heights.
2. Pripyat, Ukraine
Pripyat is an abandoned city in the Zone of alienation in northern Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city population had been around 50,000 – and had been home to most of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. Then the Chernobyl disaster struck in 1986 and the place was abandoned due to threat of radiation. Afterwards Pripyat acted like a museum for a long time, perfectly showing a slice of Soviet life. However at some time at the beginning of the 21st century the place was looted heavily, nothing was left behind – even toilet seats were stolen.
The city will not be safe for human habitation for several years to come, and even then it will be a long time before people consider it healthy to develop once again. Before the power plant was built, concerns were voiced at its planned closeness to the city of Kiev. They had planned to build it only 25 km away, placing the capital at risk from pollution amongst other things. However after a long debate they decided to build Chernobyl along with Pripyat 100 km away from Kiev. A choice that would in the end prove to be a wise one.
1. Craco, Italy
Craco is located in the Region of Basilicata and the Province of Matera. About 25 miles inland from the Gulf of Taranto at the instep of the “boot” of Italy. This medieval town is typical of those in the area, built up with long undulating hills all around that allow for the farming of wheat and other crops. Craco can be dated back to 1060 when the land was in the ownership of Archbishop Arnaldo, Bishop of Tricarico. This long-standing relationship with the Church had much influence over the inhabitants throughout the ages.
In 1891, the population of Craco stood at well over 2,000 people. Though there had been many problems, with poor agricultural conditions creating desperate times. Between 1892 and 1922 over 1,300 people moved from the town to North America. Poor farming was added to by earthquakes, landslides, and War – all of which contributed to this mass migration. Between 1959 and 1972 Craco was plagued by these landslides and quakes. In 1963 the remaining 1,800 inhabitants were transferred to a nearby valley called Craco Peschiera, and the original Craco remains in a state of crumbling decay to this day.
Oouphs... I think I have done a great write up today... I deserve my hot coffee in this cold chilly night... Hope you all find it interesting and educative!
Comments and Observation: info.posche@gmail.com
10 AMAZING USES OF SALT FOR BEAUTY
Salt is one of the most essential ingredients for any dish. But did you also that this kitchen staple holds a treasure of hidden beauty properties? I bring to you the uncommon and incredibly effective uses of salt.
BATH SOAK: Mix a cup of sea salt with a few drops of almond, coconut oil, or another essential oil and pour into running water. Adding salt to a bath permits less water to be absorbed by the body, reducing skin’s ‘pruning’ effect on fingers and toes.
DANDRUFF TREATMENT: Next time you are washing your hair, work crushed sea salt into the scalp before wetting the hair to loosen flakes and better enable it penetrate into the scalp. Then wet the hair and wash normally.
FACIAL TONER: To reduce oiliness, fill a small spray bottle with tepid water, add 1 teaspoon salt, and mist on your face, making sure your eyes are closed. Then pat dry.
SALT SCRUB: After you take a shower or bath, and while your skin is still wet, pour salt onto your hands and rub it gently on arms and legs. A salt massage will exfoliate dead skin cells.
SKIN STEAMER: To open up pores before exfoliating skin, bring 1/3 cup sea salt to a boil in a small pan of water. Transfer to a bowl, take a seat, and hold your face over the steam for 10 minutes.
FACIAL EXFOLIATOR: Mix 1 teaspoon fine-grain salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small bowl. Gently massage the mixture into your face and throat. Rinse off by washing skin as usual.
TOOTHPASTE: Crushing sea salt and combine 1 part crushed salt and 2 parts baking soda. Dip a dampened toothbrush into the mixture and brush your teeth. Your teeth will appear whiter and breath fresher.
MOUTHWASH: To facilitate even fresher breath,rinse mouth with a solution of 1/2 teaspoon saltand 1/2 teaspoon baking soda mixed into a 4- ounce glass of water.
WAVES SPRAY FOR HAIR: To create perfectly textured waves, dissolve a teaspoon of sea salt into an 8-oz. spray bottle of warm water. Add 1/2teaspoon of liquid coconut oil and a dab of hair gel. Then just shake and mist and your hair spray isready to use.
EYE DE-PUFFER: Mix one teaspoon of salt into a pint of hot water. Lie comfortably on your back and apply pads soaked in the solution. it works wonders.
For comments and observation email: info.posche@gmail.com