FHM-Magazine

How’s this for an opening statement… “Australian workplaces have never been angrier or more disillusioned…” This came from an article in Australian magazine, BRW (July 22-28) by Leo D’Angelo Fisher, who was rightly pointing out that Australian workers are being pushed to their limits will little or no reward.

“Organisations are leaner and meaner,” he goes on to state. “More responsibilities are being shifted onto fewer shoulders; working hours are getting longer but salaries are not moving… And for all that there’s no thanks from the boss.” His argument, is that while employees were keen to pitch in and lend an extra hand during the tough times, now, companies are potentially “taking the piss”.

So isn’t it time you looked at the state of your staff? The signs of discontent are glaringly obvious. Excessive lateness, increased sick leave, increased absenteeism, excessive churn rates and the list goes on. I even heard a statistic quoted in the media that the average length of employment in one company by an individual is two to five years! Long term or lifetime positions are as dead as the Tasmanian Tiger!

Most employers scoff… I remember my boss once saying, “… if you walked out the door tomorrow there would be 10 blokes who could take your place in an instant.” But realistically, what is poor morale and the constant churn rate doing to your bottom line? It’s well documented that the cost of retraining and the loss of productivity in the first few months when replacing a staff member is huge… so why not do your best to eliminate it?

D’Angelo Fisher, further into the article does point out that there is “… no reason employers cannot make their workplace more fulfilling and envigorating,” he says. “Switched-on employers know that a satisfied workforce is more productive than disengaged one.” And that’s where a corporate wellness provider can help.

A good quality provider will come into your office and assess the health and well being levels of your staff. They will identify key areas where staff are really feeling the pinch (a recent survey by Corporate Wellness Australia revealed 53% of workers feel they are highly stressed most of the time!) and will provide a solution to suit.

Why not give it a go… I also just recalled a saying a mentor used to stress to me… “It’s always later than you think!” Don’t wait till your bottom line drops like a stone in a bucket!

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Finally, I’m home. The moment I stepped through the doors and put my luggage down, I was already thinking about work on Monday. It wasn’t an insane thought. Somehow, I knew that things were going to be different from this day on. After the pageant, I know I’m not the same person I used to be anymore.

It’s been a grueling month, but God has blessed me with great people who have supported me at work and the pageant. Thank you to my family, friends, and all my wonderful colleagues at Tune Group. Thank you for being a part of my life.

My pageant experience involved a lot of hard work, determination and a strong sense of self. There were 18 finalists. All of us met the qualifying criteria – height, beauty, intelligence, personality. The question is simple – who is better? You’d be surprised at the amount of fine detail the judges had to scrutinize to vet us through. It was a close call at my auditions. According to Andrea Fonseka, our national director, I messed up my audition because I was standing with stooped shoulders.

“You mean it wasn’t a weight issue?” I asked. Inwardly, I rejoiced. I’m not fat. I’m. not. fat. I’m not fat (I had to say it three times for emphasis)!

“No.” she answered. “You were standing like this-” Andrea leaned forward, imitating my slight slouch (I straightened my back immediately). “The other girl was standing like this.” Andrea drew herself up into a tall, perfect posture.

That point just hit me like a ton of bricks. I can be anal at times, but this called for the ultimate expression of perfection. It was then I realized how important the little things were. The art of presentation of feminine beauty in pageants involve poise, grace, class, elegance, and I can’t stress this enough: technique. The key word to mastering technique – practice. I learned my lesson well that day, and I did not take the tiniest of technical details in training during pageant week lightly.

There are the technicalities of pageantry we had to learn (which I stress again, is very important), protocols to observe; public appearances to make. None of us were exempted from the activities. We had to do everything we were told to do without having our own individuality drowned in detail. That was the only way we could stand out and demonstrate charisma in front of the judges.

We were primarily under Andrea’s tutelage in all pageant-related aspects, of which I’ve benefited greatly from. We were also privileged to have other esteemed industry veterans come in to train us as well. This is not an exhaustive list: for hair, we had Winnie Loo, founder and CEO of A Cut Above (she did my hair for gala night. thanks Winnie!). For our finals, we worked with Andrew, founder of Andrew’s Models (which is the top modeling agency in KL) together with high fashion models Tini and Sue. Andrew has little patience for slip ups, even minor ones. We had to pay close attention to him because he speaks so quickly and if you don’t keep up… For make up, we had industry veteran Taymie Chin. Then there was media training with Craig and Farrell of Orchan Consulting, Jahabar Sadiq, CEO of Malaysian Insider, Mr Wong Sai Man, Executive Editor of The Star, and Noorsila Majid of Daily Chili. I’ve been training under directors who are all perfectionists – and they pushed us because they want the best from us. Thank you for dedicating your time from your busy schedules to come in and train us.

Although pageant training emphasizes on our grooming, appearance, and public speaking skills, it is important to put our training in context. It’s also not just about glamorous parties and wearing gowns and jewelery that cost 10 times my annual salary. Our charisma, personality and intelligence, is equally, if not more important than our looks. Charisma is key in delivering stellar performances on stage – and Hans Isaac was right – half of us looked nervous during finals, and that lack of confidence can clearly be seen, ruining chances of victory, even though it’s just a split second flash of uncertainty across one’s face. It was the women who felt completely at home, in front of the flashing cameras and lights and the hundreds of people – it was them who owned the stage and they knew it. It shows in their smiles and their walk, and it is a beautiful thing to watch. Needless to say, it was a close call for the selection of the final 5 during the gala night as well.

I’ve learnt something about myself that night as I walked on stage. I realized for once, I was nervous. And it was at that moment I knew that I could not win, even though I may have scored in my pre-judging interview. I also realized I did not feel as much passion for modeling as compared to dance. Dance is, and always will be my first love till the day I die.

One thing I envy about our winner Nadine is she gets to have a personal trainer from True Fitness and she has to workout EVERY DAY to train for Miss Universe. I wish I had such a luxury (God willing, I will have my own PT one day). As Andrea mentioned, Miss Universe finalists are not beautiful waify models. They are beautiful athletes. Their bodies are lean and well-toned in demigod-like proportions with glowing skin that is to die for.

Now it’s back to the real world (or is the pageant actually real, and my life stuck in the Matrix?), where everyone isn’t constantly dressed to the nines in 6 inch killer heels, white teeth, perfect hair and make up, and maintaining gorgeous bodies. I know I have discovered so much more about myself and what I am capable of. Being a Miss Universe Malaysia finalist is an experience I will always cherish (notwithstanding the feet blisters, running on 3-4 hours sleep for a month, managing work expectations, and the constant pressure of competing with 17 other ambitious, beautiful girls). I am better person now from my pageant experience, and that new-found confidence and belief in myself is something that cannot be taken away from me.

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All over the world sports figures are celebrated, cheered and revered. It is no surprise then that some of the most popular publications, both local and international, are sports magazines. In this article we’re going to take a look down under and discuss some of the most popular sports magazines in Australia.

As you might expect, the topic or theme of a national sports magazine will naturally depend on which sports are popular in that nation. So, what are the most popular sports in Australia?

The two most popular organized sports for Aussies are football (Australian Rules) and Cricket. Both have multiple leagues and divisions for amateurs and pros and important matches are often televised. With several world ranked courses and clubs, Golf is also an extremely popular sport in Australia. While soccer, the world’s most popular sport, has always taken a back seat to Australian rules football. Other popular organized sports include: rowing, netball, volleyball, and basketball. As for nautical sports, swimming and surfing are obviously very popular in Australia. There is also, as we mentioned, rowing, sailing, and sport fishing.

Now that we know what sports Aussies like to play, we will take a look at what sports they like to read about.

Inside Sport is the country’s number one sports magazine. The publication is not sport specific, but rather focuses on all of Australia’s top sports from surfing to golf to football to rugby. The popular magazine features in depth profiles and interviews with both national and international sports stars. It also devotes a portion of its content to international sports stories. Readers of Inside Sport have come to expect the very best in sports photography and journalism and they are seldom disappointed.

Australian Golf Digest is the nation’s most popular golf magazine and has been for over 35 years. In the pages of this quality periodical you will find interviews with golfing stars and legends as well as profiles of highly-toted prospects.

Australian Rugby News & Review is the country’s most popular rugby magazine. It has won several awards for its stories on both domestic and international rugby coverage.

Rugby League Player is a national magazine that focuses on Australia’s three Rugby leagues. It provides league and player stats and full coverage of important match up, as well as occasional interviews with top league players.

Australian Triathlete is the official magazine of the Ironman Australian Triathlon. It is published eight times a year and covers of all of the top local, national, and international races. The magazine also offers training tips and advice for both amateur and competitive triathletes.

Tracks is Australia’s most popular surfing magazine and has been on the stands for over 30 year now. Each issue transports readers to some of the most exciting and exotic surfing locales both at home and abroad. It also let’s them know what’s happening on the pro-circuit.

FourFourTwo is the country’s number one soccer magazine, though it is not published in Australia. The magazine focuses on soccer (football) around the world, especially on the pro leagues in Europe.

There are dozens of Australian magazines dedicated to sport, but the ones mentioned above are just some of the more popular ones.

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Here are the biggest news, sport and entertainment stories of 1994…

English and Welsh people welcomed a change in the law meant that meant they could go shopping on Sundays. Since 1950 they had not been able to do so due to a law prohibiting shops opening at all on the traditionally holy day. Church groups opposed the move but both the people and the Government agreed that it was an outdated concept.

Britain’s first ever national lottery was launched to mixed reactions; some feeling that it was wrong to promote gambling and others simply loving the chance to win some easy money. The fact that a sizeable amount of money each week would be going to charities was enough to sweeten enough of the doubters though and, having got the go-ahead, the first draw was a massive success; the jackpot reaching over £7m.

Someone who won a personal lottery was the man to be given a ‘bionic’ heart. The media taking a keen interest in the pioneering operation, led by UK doctors in Cambridgeshire, which saw the world’s first battery-operated heart being implanted.

In the political world, people finally dared to hope for peace in Northern Ireland following ceasefire announcements by both the IRA and the Loyalists; the Conservatives negotiating at last seeming to have paid off. Despite that, it wasn’t a great year for John Major and company, though maybe they didn’t realize it at the time, as the little known, fresh-faced Tony Blair was brought in as the new leader of the opposing Labour Party; bringing with him talk of ‘change’ and a modernising agenda.

Sports wise in 1994, Britain missed out on the World Cup fun in the USA; the first time since 1938 that no British representatives had been at the event. Brazil won that competition, eventually overcoming Italy in the final on penalties, but much attention was still focused on Argentina’s Diego Maradona who had been banned mid-tournament after being caught taking illegal, performance-enhancing drugs. With no home-countries football matches having any importance, it was an ideal opportunity for rugby union’s 5 nations to take centre stage. Wales dominated the tournament but were prevented from sealing a ‘grandslam’ by defeat to England in their final game.

Britain’s TV screens were lit up in ’94 by two familiar faces in new guises on BBC 2. Steve Coogan’s creation of the socially-inappropriate Alan Partridge being a big hit, viewers cringing as Partridge humiliated and vilified his guests on the fictional chat show program ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’. The second BBC triumph being ‘The Fast Show’; created by Harry Enfield regular Paul Whitehouse, the program revitalised the tired sketch show format and launched a variety of catchphrases.

On the big screen, this was the year that saw Hugh Grant become a household name as a result of his starring role in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’; the same film also responsible for promoting the much loved / hated ‘Wet Wet Wet’ song ‘Love Is All Around’. The hippest movie of 1994 was Quentin Tarrantino’s gangster flick ‘Pulp Fiction’. Telling the intertwining tales of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster’s wife, and a pair of diner bandits, this was all about violence and redemption.

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When the WHI’s study on HRT (Hormone Replacement

Therapy) was halted prematurely due to health concerns for

its participants, the United States’ 45 million menopausal

women were left to fend for themselves. Some kicked HRT

cold-turkey, suffering the immediate and ferocious

onslaught of hot flashes, night sweats and heart

palpitations. Others remained on HRT choosing the threat

of increased risks of many fatal diseases over the

unpleasantness of menopausal symptoms. Still others

sought alternative treatments and remedies to help cope

with the hormonal changes.

In a culture that celebrates youth more than any other

society in the world, millions of women have been forced to

look aging square in the crow’s footed eye. Ever since the

menopause cure was yanked from women’s grasps how

are they coping? As Marilyn Kentz and Nancy Alspaugh say

in their book Not Your Mother’s Midlife, “All you need is a

sense of perspective and a sense of humor…”

With that philosophy in mind, a growing trend of

menopausal entertainment and community highlights one

very important medical fact: FUN is the safest prescription

for menopause. A slew of clubs, websites, theatrical

productions and even a pop–up book, all dedicated to

menopause and aging, have cropped up; proving that when

all else fails, a menopausal woman can always feel better

by having a good time.

In the Red Hat Society, a country-wide community

organization, gangs of 50+ women clad in red hats descend

on malls, coffee shops, restaurants and even national

talk-shows, and act the way they wish they had when they

were younger. The message is clear: aging women are not

ready to shrivel up and die just yet.

MenOpop is the world’s first menopause pop-up and activity

book that with its 3-D pop-up uterus, The Menopause Fairy

and MenOland –The Board Game, lets menopausal women

and their friends and family laugh and play through

understanding menopause.

Keep your eye on the theatre, and you’ll see the national tour

of “Menopause the Musical.” Menopause is even infiltrating

your computer through entertainment websites devoted to

hot flashing and mood swinging. Currently online there is

[http://www.minnipauz.com], which features humorous cartoons

and http://www.menopop.com, an entertainment website where

it’s “cool to be hot.” A companion to the pop-up book, it

features online video games, virtual paper dolls, a

print-and-make-your-own pop-up bookmark, and community

tip-swapping.

So, join the fun and try this new approach for yourself with

the MenO “Pop-Quiz”:

1. How many women are going through menopause right

now?

A. Just you.

B. You and a guest.

C. Millions, and millions, and millions, and you.

2. What happens after menopause?

A. There’s something after menopause?

B. People no longer cower when you enter the room.

C. You find yourself making finger puppets out of your

unused tampons.

3. What are the warning signs that you are menopausal?

A. You are surrounded by idiots.

B. You’re looking forward to the next Ice Age

C. What was the question, again?

Answers: (there are no answers, just many many more

questions…)

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