The life and mind of Adeline Ong

From an article in a local newspaper not too long ago, I have found out that professional men have sorted to buying brides from other countries. Why buy brides when the local population is bursting with the female species? In fact, it is said that women have outnumbered men, 4 to 1.

However, men of today are intimidated by their local female counterparts. Most women of today are very career minded and prefer not to become the perfect wife, who cooks, cleans and be the baby-making machine. Women want to achieve more in life and they only a lifetime to do it. It is not that these women chose not to have families; they only chose to postpone the process. Men on the other hand wants to be the dominant one in the family, being outshined by their wives is seen as a symbol of weakness.

In desperation for a family maker, men have turned to buying brides from less developed countries. A few match making companies have been set up with the sole purpose of finding brides for these men. After having a certain number of eager suitors, the company will arrange a trip for them to choose their brides to be.

The women being ‘bought’ are usually come from poor families and are more than happy to marry a rich foreigner. However, they would have to go through a lot of classes and medical check ups to qualify. It is sad to say that men are very picky even when they are desperate. They want their brides to be virgins, something that is rare in modernized women and healthy enough to bare children. Secondly, they do not want their wives to be look down upon in the society they mingle with.

After meeting their future spouses for hardly two weeks, the couple are married off. The bride will soon have to adapt to a new environment, a new culture and a new language. The element of love is not applied in such a union; it is just the process of supply and demand.

At least, such unions are legal, as both have agreed on the matter. In some rural parts of China, young women are being abducted from villages and sold as brides to wanting men. The police have a hard time tracking and rescuing these women from their miseries.

It is really sad to see people of the millennium turning to such cavemen like tactics just to get married. Where is the element of love? Don’t feelings count anymore? Are we that desperate to fulfill that need as to use money? Life is full of questions but very little answers.

Year by year, I am disappointed by the list of 50 most beautiful/eligible/gorgeous people for magazines. The last time I went to an event of such is when Ramon and Peter did the CLEO 50 most eligible bachelor thing. I believe it was three years ago. So I decided to do my own. The current installation will be 50 of the hottest and coolest guy friends a girl like myself can have.

Please note that this is not based on looks. (Though it is refreshing for the viewers) I have my personal picks because of the friendship we have and also upon approval.

At the moment, I am getting approval from the guys and their other half (if they have any). That is why, this is not a 50 most eligible bachelor list. On a brighter note, so far, many think it is a blast and quiet fun to do. Plus I will be uploading pictures, by batches according to how long and when I have known them.

Hi all. If you are those people who frequents the Internet and want to make a buck or two, you can try filling up surveys. It is quite fun actually.

I’m writing this you to let you know about an exciting community on the Internet – SurveySavvy, which I am member and it offers you a great opportunity to make a difference and earn money at the same time by taking research surveys online. It costs you nothing and if they have a survey that fits you, they will e-mail it to you. I will have to admit that doing this won’t make you a millionaire but for me, I believe every bit of cash counts. It will only take about 5 minute of your time. So why not? Have fun!!!

To sign up, click on the following link:
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If that doesn’t work, copy and paste the link into your browser.

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Love you all.

A – Ask questions. Don’t be afraid or shy to ask your teachers, parents or friends if you have a question concerning your studies or subject. Once you solved those problems, you would not worry about them anymore.

B – Baths and showers. Have a long relaxing warm bath or a refreshing shower after a hard day of studying. Add aromatherapy oils in your bath to help you relax or aromatherapy shower gels in the shower. Try lavender scented oil to help you clear your head and relax.

C – Checklist. Have two separate checklists, one to check the syllabus and subjects that you have gone through. Another to make sure you have enough stationery in your pencil case, required for the exam.

D – Daily diet. Eating the right food will help motivate your brain to concentrate longer and more efficiently. To keep your brain alert, eat carbohydrate-rich food because they release energy more slowly. Stock up on fruits and vegetables as well. Avoid fried and oily food because it causes sleepiness.

E – Embellish your revision books and notes with color ink and pictures. Black and white is very boring and makes you confused. Highlight important facts with color pens and highlighters. Draw pictures and mind maps relevant to the subjects you are studying to help you remember better.

F – Fun. You must know how to divide your time for work and play. Around the clock work and no break will make you go crazy. So if you have been really diligent, reward yourself with a short study break and go play.

G – Good study plan. It is important to have a good study plan. It helps you to keep track of the syllabus you need to cover in a ranged time span.

H – H2O. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water cleanses your system, keeps you alert and healthy. Avoid carbonated drinks and drinks containing caffeine especially coffee and tea. Though caffeine is an instant boost, in the long run, it will leave you tired. Alternate water with freshly squeezed fruit juices or fresh soy bean milk.

I – Inhale and exhale properly. Proper breathing allows sufficient intake of oxygen. Lying down does not allow you to breathe properly so do sit up right when you are studying.

J – Jokes. Try reading a short joke or listen to a silly song every 2 hours interval. Laughter helps your brain to release endorphins. Endorphins help to lighten up your mood and make you feel much better.

K – Know what you study. You must know and understand what you have studied and not just memorize it. Memorizing is not going to help you much because questions come in various forms.

L – Lively colors. Use color therapy to assist you while revising. Colours have different effects. Bright, cheerful and warm colors like yellow, orange and red can lift your spirits and encourage happiness. Shades of light blue have calming effect. You can try having colorful attires when you are studying.

M- Mini notes. Make short and compact notes that you can take along with you for a quickie revision on the way to school or during recess.

N – No noise. A noisy area can increase stress while studying. Avoid studying with the television or radio on. Pick a quiet place like your local library to study.

O – Oil burners and scented candles. Aromatherapy scents help to kick start your brain into studying mode. Plus it gets rid of the musty smells in your room. Lemon oil will help you concentrate. Peppermint will help keep you alert and focused.

P – Positive thoughts and visualization. Have a mental picture of yourself doing the exam with full confidence. Imagine that you are writing all the answers and knowing that all of them are correct. If you can visualize positively, you can do it.

Q – Quiz yourself. After revisions, always quiz yourself with simple questions. This will help boost your confidence before the actual exam.

R- Rearrange your study table. If you have a messy, disorganized table, clean it up. A well organized study space will keep you calm and help you concentrate better. You will definitely be in the studying mood when all your books and stationeries are easily accessible.

S – Share. Have a study group where you can share and exchange information with your friends. The best way to remember something is to teach another person. Plus the workload is divided between group members making it easier to study.

T – Talk to yourself. You know how the coach always psyched the team before a big game? Give yourself a 5-minute pep talk before you start revising by looking in the mirror and say positive things like, “You are the best!” and “You can score!”.

U – Unwind with a short massage. Japanese Shiatsu style massages are simple and quick. Release tensed facial muscles by running your fingers along your eyebrows and then run them upwards through your hair, down the back of your head to your nape.

V- Vitamins and nourishments. During exam times, your health should be top priority. You should eat and rest well. If you are sick, you will be worn out easily by fatigue and lose focus on your studies and exam.

W- Workout. Exercising encourages blood flow to your brains. This help to keep you alert. Do some light stretching or jog on the spot for 5 minutes, every half an hour.

X – X it out. To help you concentrate on important syllabuses, cross out the syllabuses that are not relevant to your exams.

Y – Yoga. Yoga teaches you to breathe deeply, promoting the intake of oxygen. It also teaches you to concentrate and focus. Yoga can be used before or in between studying time to improve blood circulation to the brain and helps to relax muscles.

Z – Zzzz. Sleep is essential to your body. When you are plagued by fatigue and tiredness, you cannot concentrate well. Your immune system will be at its lowest when you do not get enough rest. Sleep early on the night before the exam.

I allow reprint of this article as long as this paragraph is printed and acknowledgement is given.

Adeline Ong is a university student in her senior year. She is very avid with charity work. She is a trained public speaker and youth counselor as well as budding entrepreneur. She believes that it takes a youth to understand a youth. She writes articles aimed at youth development. Education is the key to a successful life and it is best that children learns this when they are young. Visit her site http://www.adelineong.com for more articles like this.

If you find this article helpful, please donate so I can continue to write more articles.

Adeline Ong © 2006