The face of "Audi Fashion Festival" 2009 Charmaine Harn

"Of all the beauty's I have experienced in my career, few can hold a candle to Charmaine. Her grace, elegance, and timeless beauty are only second to her light. That, for me, is what puts her, and keeps her, right at the top". -Maggie Q

While her modeling career began ordinarily enough, having being discovered by a talent scout on the street at 14, it's how Charmaine's career has maintained momentum that is of greatest note. From her beginning with Singapore's Faces & Places agency to becoming the face of Singapore for well over a decade, Charmaine's climb to the top has yet to plateau.

Personally selected by Eileen and Bill Ford in the "Ford Supermodel of the World" competition in 1996 as Singapore's sole representative, Charmaine went on to Miami to represent Singapore in the international competition for the event which manifested into an offer to work in Paris under Ford's representation. After a few months in Paris and Miami, she then spent the next few years shuttling between Shanghai, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Jakarta and Hong Kong for fashion shoots, print ads, TV commercials, editorials and big brand fashion shows. In 2004, Charmaine based herself in Milan and got acquainted with the Italian scene. Well enough to be chosen to open the Costume Nationale show that very same year.

Today, established and recognized, she has appeared on the cover of several magazines from Elle to Sports Illustrated, in print ads for Sony, TV spots for Osim and in Asia and South East Asia shows for Chanel, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton, among many others under the aegis of Ave Model Management (Singapore) and Starz People (Hong Kong). Charmaine was also the host of Channel News Asia's luxury lifestyle program, "Diary of Indulgence" program and was hailed by Harper's Bazaar Singapore as one of the most fashionable women in Asia.

With no signs of slowing down, Charmaine's impressive list of accolades and features continues to build as she represents a uniquely Singaporean beauty to the world.
-Stevie G

मेदिताते.

And yet we have to deal with it again.
The ignorance, the lack of drive, the unawareness of the need for personal growth.
We encounter situations like these time and time again.
Some days, we are careful enough not to put ourselves in that energy and some days, you are just soaked in it.
Ideally, we remember our purpose, maintain our positivity and share some of that fruitful knowledge that we have been blessed with.
But it is hard not to question if we have the strength to deal with it unnecessarily, too often.
Creative souls need solitude. Every once in awhile, space and silence is critical to ease their noisy minds. And this time is sacred yet vital to staying productive and centered.
I'm not sure if it's just because I am a Libra but I've always believed that every challenging deed deserves a reward. Whether big or small. We are all entitled to live a little, as they say.
One of my theories in life is you make a life, not a living.
And a lifestyle you live, you will make enough money to keep. If you think poor, stinge a lot and calculate every penny, then you will earn just enough to upkeep that lifestyle.
If you share and radiate generously and live your life like it's golden..
it shall be.
Stick to what you know... and dedicate yourself to it.
Learn focus... we could ALL always do with more focus.
Find ways to improve your know-how. Research.
If you're tired of looking... Read.
Take the time to SEE and absorb. And accept.
Meditate,
Namaste.

इ रेस्ट माय केस.

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Published: April 20, 2009

In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self-help books or
herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them
fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life:
their friends.

Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of
friendship and social networks in overall health. A 10-year Australian study
found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less
likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large
2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity
among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers
reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age.

“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well
appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University
of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and
marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger
impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”

In a new book, “The Girls From Ames: A Story of Women and a 40-Year Friendship”
(Gotham), Jeffrey Zaslow tells the story of 11 childhood friends who scattered
from Iowa to eight different states. Despite the distance, their friendships
endured through college and marriage, divorce and other crises, including the
death of one of the women in her 20s.

Using scrapbooks, photo albums and the women’s own memories, Mr. Zaslow
chronicles how their close friendships have shaped their lives and continue to
sustain them. The role of friendship in their health and well-being is evident
in almost every chapter.

Two of the friends have recently learned they have breast cancer. Kelly
Zwagerman, now a high school teacher who lives in Northfield, Minn., said that
when she got her diagnosis in September 2007, her doctor told her to surround
herself with loved ones. Instead, she reached out to her childhood friends,
even though they lived far away.

“The first people I told were the women from Ames,” she said in an interview. “I
e-mailed them. I immediately had e-mails and phone calls and messages of
support. It was instant that the love poured in from all of them.”

When she complained that her treatment led to painful sores in her throat, an
Ames girl sent a smoothie maker and recipes. Another, who had lost a daughter
to leukemia, sent Ms. Zwagerman a hand-knitted hat, knowing her head would be
cold without hair; still another sent pajamas made of special fabric to help
cope with night sweats.

Ms. Zwagerman said she was often more comfortable discussing her illness with
her girlfriends than with her doctor. “We go so far back that these women will
talk about anything,” she said.
Ms. Zwagerman says her friends from Ames have been an essential factor in her
treatment and recovery, and research bears her out. In 2006, a study of nearly
3,000 nurses with breast cancer found that women without close friends were
four times as likely to die from the disease as women with 10 or more friends.
And notably, proximity and the amount of contact with a friend wasn’t
associated with survival. Just having friends was protective.

Bella DePaulo, a visiting psychology professor at the University of California,
Santa Barbara, whose work focuses on single people and friendships, notes that
in many studies, friendship has an even greater effect on health than a spouse
or family member. In the study of nurses with breast cancer, having a spouse
wasn’t associated with survival.
While many friendship studies focus on the intense relationships of women, some
research shows that men can benefit, too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-age
Swedish men, attachment to a single person didn’t appear to affect the risk of
heart attack and fatal coronary heart disease, but having friendships did. Only
smoking was as important a risk factor as lack of social support.

Exactly why friendship has such a big effect isn’t entirely clear. While friends
can run errands and pick up medicine for a sick person, the benefits go well
beyond physical assistance; indeed, proximity does not seem to be a factor.

It may be that people with strong social ties also have better access to health
services and care. Beyond that, however, friendship clearly has a profound
psychological effect. People with strong friendships are less likely than
others to get colds, perhaps because they have lower stress levels.

Last year, researchers studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking
them to the base of a steep hill and fitting them with a weighted backpack.
They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants
stood next to friends during the exercise, while others were alone.
The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the
hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill
appeared.

“People with stronger friendship networks feel like there is someone they can
turn to,” said Karen A. Roberto, director of the center for gerontology at
Virginia Tech. “Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message
of these studies is that friends make your life better.”

:)

I am in a current state of bliss.
I feel loved, I feel happy, money doesn't matter to me and I am not afraid.
I am present. I am aware that I reap what I sow so I am planting positivity and joy.
I know I could always develop more patience but I am proud of myself lately and my peaceful state of mind.
I know the things and people who are important to me and I feel understood by them.
I feel no need to prove myself unnecessarily and I am not in defense mode.
I am appreciated and I appreciate myself.
I feel purposeful.

Bali as Home

Now I can understand how living in Bali in 2007 turned my life around.
In every aspect. Love. Career. Life lessons. Sorrow. Independence.
I still do not know now, if I made the right decision to live there so soon in my life.
Bali is Balance. And power. and Karma. Living there has it's price.
To have a lifestyle so filled with freedom, tests the soul respectively.
Bali is the core of ying and yang.
There is such a magic that marries the mystical and rawness of the island.
And Bali never fails to lure you into it's wondrous spell of bliss and abandonment.
It is a secret love affair.
It is one I care not to discuss casually and I find myself often making excuses to justify my coyness on the subject.
It is my time out and an awakening all wrapped up in padi fields, impulsive bike rides with the wind in my hair, visiting sacred lands, making magical friendships and feeling exhilaration like you've never felt before.
As I deepened myself in that cocoon.
Living the life like I dreamed, the rest of the world faded from my memory.
Nothing else mattered and all I knew was Bali.
Day after day, sunset walks ,mountain trails and the long drives through the countryside as well as, a few drunken nights I would crawled into bed trashed.
Those lovely beach walks calmed my mind everyday and I developed an inner peace which I still use in much needed situations today.
Bali makes one take the time to understand people. You do things that make you or whoever you are in Bali with, happy. You share everything. You steal nothing.

The thing is, I look at my pictures from back then... and I can see the change in my gaze, and the warming of my skin tone. It's the Bali blessing I guess.
I think it was because Bali helped me develop spiritually, I spent my 30th bday there and I still believe up to this day.. that something shifted in me that day.
It was an extremely intense and confronting time for me and Bali seemed to cushion my fall and was the rock I so needed at that point in time.
I know that I will always be bonded to Bali by some magical silver cord because when I think of Bali today,
my heart still flutters. I am still curious. I still want a little bit more.
Like a love affair, like a drug.
I crave it. And when it stings, it scars me.
But every time I leave it, it burns a wee bit more.

So Bali... I love our love affair.
Til we meet again....

Love Thyself.

Steer clear of negativity and nourish the mind with only good wholesome thoughts and intentions.
Practice kind speech and habituate patience since compassion is the key to inner peace.
When we feel tired or unappreciated, rely on solitude and quiet time to reflect and rejuvenate.
When we feel challenged, act only with love.
When we are lonely, seek refuge in friends or family and turn to inward contemplation to deliberate the root of your detachment.
I know this all sounds a lot easier preached than performed but affirmations rarely fail and reminding yourself of all you have, reassures the mind and spirit of positive realizations.

Surrounding yourself with people who bring out the best in you is critical.
Be it your best friend, partner, family members or colleagues, do not feel guilty for overlooking acquaintances and 'energy sappers' simply because 'charity' friendships often leave you regretful and resentful.
Every person holds different energy fields and there is nothing wrong with only wanting to be around those on the same wavelength as you are. But do not misunderstand me...and start cutting off old friends or start being mean to anyone who knows less than you do.... as everyone evolves and learns in their own time and your positivity is what will inspire them.

When a loved one is disheartened, offer support and sanctuary and try to lift their spirits.
Remember a sad heart feels fear and all you need to give to help is nonjudgmental consideration and a fresh perception. So listen up and hug. And promise to be around when needed and make the effort. Being the light in someone else's darkness tenders enlightenment.

Alert yourself every morning with affirmations and meditation and train your mind to maintain child-like enthusiasm in all you do. Be kind to animals for their souls are pure and a great judge of character. React respectfully, with clarity and piety as life is a mirror and we get what we give.
Love yourself enough to see the beauty in everyday blessings.

To inspire is to nurture the heart which blossoms the soul.

Have a shining week.
Namaste

The beauty of this piece is I wrote it almost exactly a year ago. 3rd March 2008 to be exact.
But reading it again now and sharing it has lifted me. Hope you like it. x C

Love vs. Distance

In this day and age, with such available accessibility...
Love has yet another obstacle to tackle.
These days, you hear of 'German mixed Koreans' in relationships with 'Pakistani mixed South Americans'. Multi-racial relationships are common.
Love seems to transcend race, oceans, continents, even dimensions.
Long distant relationships are common and partners now are use to being separated for months at a time, often due to individual career paths.
I use to think it impossible to survive and cope in a long distance relationship, believing it was inconceivable to 'be with someone' and yet feel lonely most of the time.
I like to share thoughts, events of the day and cuddles in front of the TV most nights.
But lately, I see the benefits of personal time and lesser distractions, especially if the relationship inspires each other to pursue their goals.
I remember a friend asking me once, "Charm, most of the things you do in a day, do you find the need to tell someone about it? I mean do u think if only u knew, it would mean less?"
Strange question I know, but it did get me thinking...
Some couples get that way, they share every little single detail of the day, relying on the reaction of their partner to justify or rate their doings.
Almost as if they didn't know why or how or when for themselves.
Distance eliminates all those daily nitty gritty...
Be it on the phone or through emails...Lovers talk about caressing each other, looking into one another's eyes, kissing, hugging, planning when to see each other again.
I heard a saying once...
"Being in love is giving someone your heart and trusting they won't break it."
Distance gives that trust a whole new dimension.
It's almost like sharing a beautiful secret, across borders, over mountains.
Believing that even though each of you are experiencing something extremely different, be it culture or time zones, you are both still working together on a connection you two believe links your hearts.
And eventually, when both your paths cross again, there is much more appreciation of the presence of being.
Being able to feel each other's skin, touch each other again, make breath-taking love.
And the wonderful shift in knowing that trust and love was well worth it simply because wherever we were,when you weren't together and whoever we were with....
both parties just wanted to be with each other instead and patiently willed it so.
That shared vision leads down the sweet path of manifestation
and what we focus on, we will eventually become....

So maintain focus... and follow your Heart.
Love manifests in strange ways.