text:
(based on 36 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Stars
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Best Uses
Feels too small
Feels true to size
94% (32 reviews)
(32 reviews)
Feels too large
Feels too short
Feels true to length
97% (33 reviews)
(33 reviews)
Feels too long
Most Liked Positive Review
Comfy Housecoat with Pockets and Snaps!
I ordered the M in the blue, (I've always ordered a Medium) being 5ft, 1 inch, barely 120 lbs so this was a tad bulky thru the body. Does fit well everywhere...Read complete review
I ordered the M in the blue, (I've always ordered a Medium) being 5ft, 1 inch, barely 120 lbs so this was a tad bulky thru the body. Does fit well everywhere else. Guess it can be altered?The housecoat is a good weight fabric, but yet not too heavy, being Chambray, so it would easily work in the Fall.I love the good size pockets in front and love the SNAPS!! They actually hold when you snap them too. The embroidery at the top is sharp and bright, nicely done. Makes me feel so pretty when I'm wearing it. For me, it will be practical for the Summer or Fall.REGRET not getting the Small, but S&H stops me from sending it back. Sad but true. All the other Mediums I've purchased always worked out well. So, check your sizes on this one...just a bit bulky thru the body.
Most Liked Negative Review
pretty, good fit, comfy . . . BUT . . .
Love the fit, color and comfort, BUT the snaps kept coming undone, even though it's slightly large on me. Not true to form as previous National lounge dresses have been. Fix the...Read complete review
Love the fit, color and comfort, BUT the snaps kept coming undone, even though it's slightly large on me. Not true to form as previous National lounge dresses have been. Fix the snaps or get safety pins. Only reason for 3 stars instead of 5.
Reviewed by 36 customers
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a wonderful color!
By MaDee
from Bronx, NY
About Me Practical
Comments about Chambray House Coat by National®:
Mom looks very nice in this color. She stays in or sits on her porch mostly these days and this garment is perfect for her.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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I will definitely buy this item again
By Mickey
from Cleveland Ohio
About Me Comfort-oriented
Will wear anywhere.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
I would buy this produst again.
By Susta
from Valdosta, Ga. UGA GO DAWGS!!
About Me Comfort-oriented, Practical, Stylish
I now own 4 of these dusters, 2 blue and 2 of the rose colored! I love these dusters because they are very comfortable and they wash and dry well. The material is very nice, too. I will own many more dusters if you offer more colors!
Great buy
By Coco
from Matthews, NC
Bought this for my 99 year old mother. She uses it on the days she does not want to get fully dressed and loves it!
I am very satisfied with this House Coat
By nehigh
from Lebanon,Missouri
About Me Conservative, Practical
Exactly what we were looking to buy
By Still Young at 90
from Lexington, North Carolina
Only good things to say. Love the product.
Great dress!
By Nina
from Athens, GA
About Me Comfort-oriented, Practical
I wear it all around the house. Love the weight of it.
Would buy this again.
By Denie
from NY
Looking for a new lounging robe and this one is just perfect.
(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Good choice
By Gramma Dotty
from Stuart, FL
This is my summer bathrobe I wear every morning with my coffee and newspaper and every evening when watching TV or on the computer.
I would buy this product again
By Faye
from Texas
great to slip into after a bath, before dressing
By Kat
from Ky, USA
About Me Comfort-oriented, Conservative, Practical
Comfort around-the-house
By Barby
from Hillsborough, NC
I have 3-4 "house-dresses" that were getting old.....tending toward shabby!! So, I liked the fresh look of your product. In the summer, a collar is not needed!!
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Very Pleased
By Maryooch
from Newfield NJ
About Me Comfort-oriented, Conservative, Practical, Stylish
Nice to find something that fits well however I wish you made more petite lengths.
quality at the right price
By Minnie
from NY state
I use this over my nightgown to lounge around the house. It is well-made, comfortable and good quality material.
Comfy and easy on/off
By Obecian
from Denver
Got this for my 90 year old mom. She likes it and its easy to wear. Looks great too !
comforable and convenient
By Deenie
from Orange, Ca
It's handy, comfortable, and convenient to put on to wear around the house. I wouldn't call it stylish, however.
House Coat Comfort
By ME on the move
from Avon Lake, OH
This housecoat is very comfortable. I was afraid it would look too old for me, but it does not, and use it a lot. Will be purchasing another soon. The ONLY small issue is that after several washes, it has started to show some wear.
By Mom Almighty
from Los Angeles, CA
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
I would buy this product again.
By Grandma Wan
from Keyser, WV
This product is comfortable, cool and easy to wear.
Okay value
By Sue
from Eagle, Idaho
I wish it were a little thicker as my mom will now have to wear another layer underneath it around the house. I was hoping it could be more of a lounge dress so she could wear it like a robe but look like she got dressed. It is too thin for that.


text:
Port Malaya can be reached by players who are level 100 and above in Ragnarok Online.
Views: 4,861 | Posted: 05/16/2012
By: wedge55
High quality version of the Fiesta trailer! If you like what you see, visit http://fiesta.outspark.com/
Views: 9,748 | Posted: 05/25/2011
merchant's skill
Views: 1,168 | Posted: 05/25/2011
By: Galatea
Matantei Loki Ragnarok (Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok) AMV. Song: Question! Artist: System Of A Down
Views: 948 | Posted: 02/07/2011
By: wedge55
Funny Fiesta fan video featuring Soulja Boy music and dancing. The game is fun, and you can download it from http://fiesta.outspark.com/
Views: 743 | Posted: 01/26/2011
By: Assassin1890
Amazing Video!
Views: 371 | Posted: 11/30/2010
By: minikun
Game:Ragnarok Battle Offline Song:Crimson Sky This is an unofficial trailer for Ragnarok Battle Offline, it is based off of Ragnarok Online (Go Figure =P)contains some possible combos possible in game *This Video was not made by me. it was made by user Wankelvin on youtube I thought this game was pretty fun and the video does a pretty good job of showing how the game play is which is why i put this on here. The game is fast paced but the stages are fairly long, each stage is divided into 8 sub sections so if ur trying to beat the all the stages in one sitting, good luck =) not to mention the later lvls are much more difficult compared to the earlier ones making u have to grind if u aren't able to beat it since usually u would die when u get to the boss for example when i was playing the first time with a charcater when i got to the third stage i was wiped out by the boss in several hits even with my two extra lives after i finished this with the swordsmans class i took a good ...
Views: 3,103 | Posted: 09/30/2010
By: tattevajoo
Playing a creator in Woe.
Views: 597 | Posted: 09/11/2010
By: wedge55
A remix of the Pokemon anime theme featuring the poyomon from Secret of the Solstic. Visit the official site at http://outspark.com/solstice
Views: 1,183 | Posted: 08/31/2010
By: psychohare
The first 10 minutes of Ragnarok Online for the Nintendo DS consists of continuously tapping the screen with the hope that by doing so, the characters would talk a little bit faster. Visit Nineoverten.com for more Nintendo DS related news, reviews, features, bargains and videos
Views: 1,050 | Posted: 08/02/2010
Week of
Oct. 11
PS4, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, 3DS
Release Date: 10/13/2015
The monsters of R.L. Stine's popular book series are back to haunt in game form.
Xbox One, PC, PS4
Release Date: 10/13/2015
PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: 10/13/2015

subset: commoncrawl


text: Washington state Attorney General to assist Obama Administration (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) [ Washington State Attorney General Sides with Obama Vs. Texas in Immigration Suit By John McKay January 12, 2015 Bob Ferguson has filed a "friend of the court brief" in the case of Texas suing the Obama Administration over violating federal laws pertaining to his use of power when it comes to immigration. Read More|Comment Category: News, Politics Tags: federal government, immigration, lawsuits Send to a friend! Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pin it! Reddit This! Share on Tumblr!


text:
This Day in History for April 22 – Blues Brothers Debut and More
Celebrity Birthdays for April 21 – Iggy Pop, Andie MacDowell and More
Here's a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:
Iggy Pop
Age: 65
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: Becoming a punk icon with his band the Stooges, his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics, a noted disdain for shirts, and well-known songs like 'Lust for Life,' 'Real Wild Child,' 'Candy' and 'The Passenger'
This Day in History for April 21 – Rome Founded and More
Rare 1792 Penny Sells for Staggering $1.15 Million at Auction
Canada recently announced it would be phasing out its version of the penny, and since producing a US penny actually costs more than one is worth, some have called for similar action stateside. But one particular penny has far exceeded its face value, selling for over $1 million at auction.
Virginia Teacher Arrested After Inexplicably Firing Blanks at Students
Teachers sometimes have trouble getting their students' attention, but a Virginia vocational instructor took the wrong approach — he lined up his charges, pulled out a realistic looking gun, and fired blanks at them.
Have Higher Cigarette Taxes Driven People to Smoke Pipes and Cigars? — Dollars and Sense
Three years ago, a federal act meant to help reduce the number of people who smoke greatly increased the tax rates for cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, and small cigars, counting on the fact that making smoking more expensive would prompt people to quit.
And while it may have caused some to do so, the move had an unintended effect: sales of pipe tobacco and large cigars, which aren't taxed quite as harshly, have boomed.
This Day in History for April 20 – Columbine Massacre and More
Celebrity Birthdays for April 20 – George Takei, Jessica Lange and More
Here's a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:
George Takei
Age: 75
Occupation: Actor
Known For: His role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise on the television series 'Star Trek,' his hilarious viral videos in support of gay rights, and having one of the best feeds on Twitter
Would You Go to a Museum All About Racism? [VIDEO]
Philosopher George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." That oft-repeated quote was perhaps the impetus behind a new museum in Michigan that showcases thousands of racist artifacts.


text:
Have 40 years old and you are single? This will please
If you came here is because you are single and want a second chance. There are websites where you can get together with singles your age without being judged. One of these sites is Forty Plus Singles which is available in 8 countries: States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
If you live in any of these countries, you just have to enter from here to start searching for singles.
What do you think of this story?
iReport welcomes a lively discussion, so comments on iReports are not pre-screened before they post. See the iReport community guidelines for details about content that is not welcome on iReport.


text:
For $69, dodge higher hotel prices and summer crowds in Chicago and retreat to a suite at a Starwood hotel with free parking just 30 minutes outside the city. This deal is available Thursday-Monday through August and knocks up to 45% off current rates at this hotel.
An $80 per night deal is also available that includes a $20 food and beverage credit to be used at the hotel (presented upon check-in).
The Sheraton Suites Chicago Elk Grove recently completed a total renovation of the guest rooms and lobby. Spacious suites -- ideal for families and groups -- accommodate four guests and feature separate living rooms with sleeper sofas. Hotel amenities include a spa, indoor and outdoor pools and on-site restaurant and lobby lounge.
It is ten minutes from the nearest Metra station -- an easy one hour commute to downtown Chicago. Nearby attractions include shows and concerts at Allstate Arena, Arlington Park Racetrack and shopping.
Not available on: Aug. 5-7
Please go to your email and confirm your subscription.


text:
May 27, 2014
Star News
UWI protest to continue this week
Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter
Following the dismissal of prominent, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Professor Brendan Bain, protests on sections of the campus are expected to continue throughout this week.
Scores of persons against the dismissal of Professor Bain as head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART) showed up yesterday garbed in black, many of which sported symbolic pieces of tape placed over their mouths, with the phrase 'freedom of speech' inscribed.
The series of protests this week, the first of which was held yesterday, is expected to continue on Wednesday and Friday.
Bain was sacked as head of CHART last Tuesday subsequent to growing concerns from several gay advocacy groups, following statements made in a high-profile Belize court case in which the criminalisation of buggery was challenged.
Meanwhile, the UWI's Marketing and Communications Office issued an official statement to staff addressing the concerns raised about academic freedom at the university.
The UWI denied bowing to pressure from gay advocacy groups, adding that the decision to dismiss Professor Bain was not based on allegations that the UWI stood to lose funding from various factions.
Home | Gleaner Blogs | Gleaner Online | Go-Jamaica | Go-Local | Feedback | Disclaimer | Advertisement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us


text:
Radicchio, Arugula, and Frisée Salad
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small head radicchio (3 oz), torn into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
- 4 oz arugula, tough stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (3 cups)
- 4 oz frisée (French curly endive), torn into bite-size pieces (3 cups)
Heat fennel seeds in oil in a small skillet over low heat, stirring, until seeds are a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes, then cool.
Whisk together lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then whisk in fennel oil until combined well. Just before serving, whisk vinaigrette and toss with greens.
Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
< back to Viktor's profile page
Agent Ratings for Viktor Spigulis
(46 reviews) Overall star rating: 4.9
Past 3 months: N/A
Closed clients: 4.9
Past 3 months: N/A
Closed clients: 4.9
Ratings Breakdown:
5 stars(43)
4 stars(2)
3 stars(1)
2 stars(0)
1 stars(0)
Showing All Reviews (46) Show only: 5 stars| 4 stars| 3 stars| 2 stars| 1 star| show all
Lara F.
Townhome buyer in Duxbury
So happy we met Viktor!! He's been extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. My husband and me are Italians, and we didn't know anything about how houses are built in USA. Viktor guided us trough the whole process with great professionality. He made us saving a lot of time starting from the selection process by telling us immediately which listings were more appropriate for us based on our criteria - and pointing out details we didn't noticed before. He's been also very patient, showing us lots of properties -some even after we made our decision already-, answering all our questions -always very quickly, and making researches when needed. Long story short: we felt like he was involved as much as we were! We are truly satisfied with our choice of house, so we are not thinking of moving soon, but we'll call him for sure next time. Strongly recommended!!
Lisa R.
Condo buyer in Dorchester
I started looking for a home 4 years ago with Viktor. We've looked at everything from multifamily homes in Quincy to condos in Southie. I was very indecisive, but Viktor never gave up on me. As a first-time home buyer, Viktor guided me and taught me what to look for--window issues, hot water tank concerns, etc. I highly recommend Viktor, especially for first-time home buyers!
Kathy W.
Home buyer in Carver
This was my husband's and myself first time purchasing a home. Viktor listened to what we were looking for in a home and made the appropriate choices for us to view. Viktor was very patient with us and our inumerable questions no matter how inconsiquential they may have been. He made himself very available to us through the whole process of buying our new home. I would recommend him highly to anyone in the market for purchasing/selling a home.
Weston H.
Home buyer in walpole
From the first showing Viktor was an asset in my search for a house. He was always fast in responding to questions or requests and provided insight and ideas on a wide variety of situations.
Home buyer in Hingham
Viktor was an amazing advisor throughout our entire real estate transaction. As first time home buyers, we had many questions and concerns. Viktor's knowledge of the real estate process as well as his expertise in helping us to evaluate each home was priceless. Also, Viktor's advice during negotiations was critical to the success of our transaction. We would definitely engage Viktor again and highly recommend his services.
Home buyer in norwood
Viktor was very helpful in filling me in on the things that I didn't know about the area and the home buying process
Home buyer in norwood
Viktor's knowledge and experience were a tremendous asset in assisting us with the purchase of our house. He was always willing to share his time and expertise. We always felt that our finding the right house was as important to him as it was to us. Thanks Viktor.
Mary M.
Home buyer in whitman
Viktor was very informative and helpful throughout our experience with Zip. He was knowledgeable and also prompt in all aspects of our experience with him.
Alicia R.
Home buyer in Taunton
Viktor was awesome throughout the whole process. He helped point out negative and positive things to look for in a house. He guided us through the whole buying process, and remained patient when things took longer than expected. I'd recommend anybody to him looking to buy a house in MA.
Lynn T.
Home buyer in norton
Viktor was the best realtor we have ever worked with. His knowledge about homes from A-Z was an enormous plus! I would never consider buying another home without seeking him out!
Condo buyer in Boston
Viktor was an absolute delight to work with. As first time homebuyers, we needed a little extra help navigating the process. Viktor asked the questions that we didn't know to ask, kept us fully informed, and was always quick to respond. If we could do it all over again, we would choose to work with Viktor and highly recommend him!
Gary D.
Townhome buyer in Easton
Viktor went above and beyond what one would expect of a realtor. Throughout the whole process, from first introduction through the loan application ordeal, to the final inspection and closing there could not be a more professional and friendlier person to work with. Gary Donato.
Townhome buyer in Weymouth
Viktor was excellent in the services he provided. I was a very difficult person to deal with, not knowing what type of property I desired, not knowing where I wanted to live, indecisive, afraid to take the plunge as this was my first property. Viktor never got discouraged and kept identifying new properties that may be of interest to me. He knew the areas intimately that I looked at and always knew the questions to ask the selling agent. He always was able to give me the pros and cons for each property. He was available any weekend I wanted to look and was never more than one or two hours getting back to me regarding any emails I sent. Viktor met me on snowy winter mornings, wet mornings and glorious spring days. He was instrumental in me finally buying the home I purchased and I would recommend him to anyone I know who may be purchasing a home.
Paul S. C.
Home buyer in Millis
Viktor was patient and very knowledgable in all areas of homes we viewed. I enjoyed talking and inspecting the various properties we looked at. I would certainly pass him on to others looking to buy or sell...
Roger W. W.
Home buyer in Braintree
Providing professional real estate service. Always have good suggestion and reminder. Made transaction went through seamless. Thank you so much for Ziprealty and their agent representative Viktor Spigulis help us to get our dream house.
Condo buyer in Brighton
Viktor was wonderful to work with. He was extremely knowledgeable, very professional, honest, and always prompt and organized. We would work with him again, and plan to refer him to other possible buyers.
Satvir T.
Home buyer in Attleboro
It was a pleasure to work with Viktor. He was very knowlegable and provide us great insides into what to look out for and asked the right questions. We really want to thank him for the great service he provided us.
Kathy L.
Home buyer in Rehoboth
Viktor is knowledgeable and considerate of his clients time and expectations.
Home seller in Woburn
Our agent Viktor Spiglus was wonderful. We couldn't have been happier or had a better agent. This was a new and overwhelming experience for me (selling a house). Viktor guided us and explained in detail everything we could expect.He and our lawyer worked very well together.Viktor was right there on the phone or at the house when things came up. We will miss having him in our lives and hope that he receives recognition for the hard and excellant work he does. With warmest regards, Robin & Jesse Knight & Wren Johnson
Adam J. H.
Home buyer in Norwood
Our experience with Viktor and Zip Realty has been spectacular! Viktor has made himself available to our inflexible schedule. Even last minute requests for showings have pretty much all been met. He was extremely courteous,knowledged, professional. The Zip website is a. convenient tool. It contains a wealth of knowledge. The offer evaluator was especially useful.
Trygve R.
Home buyer in Sudbury
Presented us with homes that fit our criterias, gave us good advise on pros and cons, very good knowledge of the area/towns we looked at, never missed an appointment, responded quickly on questions.
Jamal B.
Condo buyer in Quincy
Viktor was an excellent buyer's agent! He is very knowledgeable and very detail oriented which was great for a first-time buyer like me. If there was any kind of question I had, I had no problems asking Viktor, who answered most of them on the spot. Viktor was present at the very first showing I was at and at the closing table. I had an excellent experience and would highly recommend him.
Marlene R.
Home buyer in Boston
It was realy good haven youi as my agent thru this long process, but you and your experince was realy helpfull. Thank you one more time.
Anirudha R.
Home buyer in North Attleborough
Victor is one ofthe most knowledgable and professional agent that we ever met. He guided us very well sice we were fisrt time home buyers, he actually helped us even understanding the process and he even helped us in deciding the home and negotiating the price without forcing anything on us. I would say he is a perfect Realtor one could think of.
Home buyer in Natick
Viktor went above and beyond. I found the property by driving by, and when I was serious about potentially buying it, I promptly called Viktor to come and look at it and offer his expert advice; advise that went way beyond just the purchasing. He was a pleasure to work with and a godsend for me.
Home buyer in Weymouth
From the start we were very satisfied with working with Viktor. We always felt he was working for us and not just trying to sell us every house that we saw. He was very knowledgeable and always gave us ideas and alternative with home features and improvements. He was always available to view homes. Whatever we were looking for in our transaction he was always a great advocate for us. Overall we would definitely recommend him to anyone who asks in the future.
Melinda B.
Home buyer in Framingham
Viktor was great throughout the whole process. We had trouble finding our perfect house and he was informative, took the time and effort and really knew the ins and outs of the whole process. He made us look at things in the houses to make sure we were aware of everything. He was great!
Takahiro S.
Condo buyer in Cambridge
Viktor was very attentive, and was very good about keeping in touch. He addressed all concerns quickly and had good insights about each property we looked at.


text:
View All Available Formats & Editions
Meet Akhila: forty-five and single, an income-tax clerk, and a woman who has never been allowed to live her own life - always the daughter, the sister, the aunt, the provider - until the day she gets herself a one-way ticket to the seaside town of Kanyakumari. In the intimate atmosphere of the all-women sleeping car - the 'Ladies Coupe' - Akhila asks the five… See more details below
Meet Akhila: forty-five and single, an income-tax clerk, and a woman who has never been allowed to live her own life - always the daughter, the sister, the aunt, the provider - until the day she gets herself a one-way ticket to the seaside town of Kanyakumari. In the intimate atmosphere of the all-women sleeping car - the 'Ladies Coupe' - Akhila asks the five women the question that has been haunting her all her adult life: can a woman stay single and be happy, or does she need a man to feel complete?
This wonderfully atmospheric, deliciously warm novel takes the reader into the heart of women's lives in contemporary India, revealing how the dilemmas that women face in their relationships with hunsbands, mothers, friends, employers and children are the same world over.
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
- 9780312320874
- Publisher:
- St. Martin's Press
- Publication date:
- 06/01/2004
- Edition description:
- First Edition
- Pages:
- 320
- Product dimensions:
- 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.71(d)
Read an Excerpt
This is the way it has always been: the smell of a railway platform at night fills Akhila with a sense of escape.
The long concrete corridor that stretches into the night segmented by signboards and the light and shadow of station lights. The moving hands of a clock beating an urgent rhythm to the din of mounted TV screens and the creak of trolleys laden with baskets and sacks. The crackling of the public address system as it hisses into life, announcing arrivals and departures. Jasmine wound in the hair, sweat and hair-oil, talcum powder and stale food, moist gunny bags and the raw green-tinged reek of bamboo baskets. Akhila breathes it all in and thinks again of escape. A swell of people all escaping into aspects of richness of which she has no notion.
Akhila has often dreamt of this. Of being part of such a wave that pours into compartments and settles on seats, stowing baggage and clutching tickets. Of sitting with her back to her world, with her eyes looking ahead. Of leaving. Of running away. Of pulling out. Of a train that trundles, truckles and troops into a station. Akhila is seated by a window. Everything but the train is still. The moon hangs at her shoulder and rides with her. She travels through a gallery of nightscapes, each framed by the window. A light in a house. A family huddled around a fire. A howling dog. A distant town. Black oily waters of a river. A menacing hill. A curling road. A railway-crossing with the streetlight glinting on the glasses of a man on a static scooter, hands dangling at his side, heel on the ground, head cocked, watching, waiting for the train to hurtle past.
At the station, portraits replace impressions. Reunions. Farewells. A smile. Tears. Anger. Irritation. Anxiety. Boredom. Stillness. Akhila sees them all. The train begins to move.
Akhila dreams of being there. And not there. Of adding a memory by the moment.
But the truth is, Akhila has never bought an express train ticket until now. She has never climbed into an overnight train to a place she has never been before.
Akhila is that sort of a woman. She does what is expected of her; she dreams about the rest. Which is why she collects epithets of hope like children collect ticket stubs. To her, hope is enmeshed with unrequited desires.
Blue skies, silver linings, a break in the clouds. Akhila knows these to be mere illusions caused by putting on rose-coloured spectacles. She has long ago trodden to shards her rose-glassed spectacles and switched to metal-framed glasses that remain plain indoors and turn photo-chromatic outdoors. Even the sun ceases to shine when Akhila's glasses turn a dusky brown.
So this then is Akhila. Forty-five years old. Sans rose-coloured spectacles. Sans husband, children, home and family. Dreaming of escape and space. Hungry for life and experience. Aching to connect.
Akhila was not a creature of impulse. She took time over every decision. She pondered, deliberated, slept over it and, only when she had examined every single nuance and point of view, did she make up her mind.
Even the saris she wore revealed this. Starched cotton saris that demanded much planning and thinking ahead. Not like gauzy chiffons and ready-to-wear poly-silks. Those were for people who changed their minds at least six times every morning before they settled on what to wear. Those were for the fickle and feckless. Starched saris need orderly minds and Akhila prided herself on being an organized person.
But when she woke up that morning, stirred out of sleep by a tiny housefly with gauzy wings and a pert black body, hopelessly lost, vagrant and restless, humming and hovering above her face, Akhila felt within her a queer itinerant sensation. An aftermath of her dream the night before, she thought.
The fly settled on her brow for a fleeting second and rubbed its legs briskly. Flies did this all the time; loading and unloading disease and despair. But this one, new adult, had nothing to unburden but germs of disquiet. Akhila flicked the fly off with a sweep of her arm but the fly had accomplished what it had set out to do. A snarl of maggotlike notions swam through the redness of blood and thought till Akhila felt a great desire to board a train. To leave. To go somewhere that wasn't landlocked like this city of Bangalore. To the end of the world, perhaps. Her world, at least. Kanyakumari.
At Kanyakumari, the three seas meet. The Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. A quiet male ocean flanked by two restless female seas. Akhila had heard of how. it was at Kanyakumari, only then it was called Cape Comorin, that the headstrong and restless Narendra flung himself into the churning waters and the salts of the three seas and swam to a rock upon which he sat resolutely, waiting for answers that had eluded him all his life. So that when he left the rock, he became Vivekananda, the one who had found the joy of wisdom. The saint who taught the world to arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.
She had read that Kanyakumari had got its name from the goddess who, like her, had put her life on hold, condemned to an eternal waiting. And that the beach there was made up of multi-coloured sand; the fossilized remnants of a wedding feast that was never served or eaten.
Akhila lay on her bed staring out of the window and decided that she would go. Tonight.
Padma wouldn't like it, Akhila knew. These days her sister was suspicious of everything she did or said. Akhila felt her mouth draw into a line. Padma called it the spinster mouth, Akka's mouth: grim, determined and brooking no interference.
She rose and went to look at the calendar hanging on her wall. She skimmed the dates. December 19. The year would soon be over, Akhila thought, and then not knowing why, she searched the end of the calendar for the needle she kept pierced through the paper, threaded with a white thread. In readiness for an emergency – a loose hook, an unravelling hem … The needle was gone. One of the girls must have taken it and forgotten to put it back. They did it all the time, no matter how often she told them that it was to be put back. That and the mirror by the washbasin dotted with maroon circles of felt – stick-on bindis which they peeled from their grimy foreheads and stuck back on the mirror for another day – made up her mind for her. She would go. She had to, or she would go mad confined within the walls of the house and the life she was expected to live.
Akhila opened her cupboard and drew out a black and red Madurai chungdi sari. It was cotton and starched but the colours and gold zari made Padma look up in surprise. Akhila had long ago ceased to wear bright colours, choosing to hide herself in drab moth tones. Yet, this morning Akhila was a butterfly. With magical hues and gay abandon. Where is the moth? Why aren't your wings folded? Why aren't you trying to pretend that you and the wood are one? Why aren't you hiding yourself among the curtains, Padma's eyes asked.
Padma will know then that this day will be unlike any other, Akhila thought when she saw astonishment swim across her face. Let it not be said that I gave her no warning.
'But you've never had to travel on work before,' Padma said when Akhila told her about her trip at breakfast time. Akhila waited till she had eaten her breakfast – three idlies, a small bowl of sambar, and a piping hot cup of coffee – and only then did she mention the journey. Padma was certain to object; to fuss and even make a scene, all of which would make Akhila lose her appetite. Akhila knew that as well as she had known how Padma's eyes would narrow suspiciously.
When Akhila didn't reply, Padma persisted, 'Isn't this rather sudden?'
For a moment, a lie crept into Akhila's mouth: it's official work. I was informed only yesterday.
But why? she asked herself I owe her no explanations. 'Yes, it is sudden,' she said.
'How long will you be gone?' Padma's eyes glinted with doubts as she watched Akhila pack. Akhila knew what Padma was thinking. Is she travelling alone or is someone going with her? A man, perhaps. Padma's nostrils flared as if she could smell the stench of illicit liaisons.
'A few days,' she said. There was a certain pleasure in being ambiguous, Akhila decided when she saw the look on Padma's face.
All cargo offices smell alike. Akhila pursed her nostrils in readiness. In a moment she would allow herself to inhale slowly. After twenty years of travelling by suburban trains to work and back, she was used to what made everyone else's face screw up in disgust. She drew the line at fish, though. She waited as the cargo handlers dragged a basket of fish to the far end of the station. When they were gone, she walked towards the edge of the platform and stared down at the tracks. Long metal lines that ran into the horizon. She needn't have come into the station but she felt she had to see by daylight what was to be the beginning of her escape route. The platform was deserted. Yet, she felt a hollowness in the pit of her stomach as though any minute the train she was to board would pull into the station and it would be time for her to leave. Akhila smiled at her own foolishness. She walked to the reservation counter where Niloufer was waiting for her.
There was a long line at the far end of the counter. A long line of women mostly. Husbands, brothers and sometimes fathers stood guard, hovering in the periphery while their womenfolk stood, hands knotting the ends of their saree pallus, shifting their weight from one leg to the other, waiting their turn.
Akhila read the board above the line. 'Ladies, Senior Citizens and Handicapped Persons.' She did not know if she should feel angry or venerated. There was a certain old-fashioned charm, a rare chivalry in this gesture by the Railway Board that pronounced a woman shouldn't be subject to the hustle and bustle, lecherous looks and groping hands, sweaty armpits and swear words that were part of the experience of standing in the General Queue. But why spoil it all by clubbing women with senior citizens and handicapped persons? Akhila stifled a sigh and looked for Niloufer.
In some previous birth, Niloufer must have been a bee. She was always in the middle of some project. For a while, it was Chinese cooking; then it was tufting; the last one was the Anchor Stitch-kit. All this meant that she was never out of topics for conversation. All one had to do was listen, and she would do the talking. But in spite of her garrulousness, she was one of the few people Akhila liked and respected. She didn't pry. She didn't gossip and she was very hardworking and efficient. She wasn't Katherine. But then, Akhila wasn't looking for another Katherine.
'Niloufer,' Akhila had said as soon as she walked into the income-tax office, 'can you get me a ticket on tonight's train to Kanyakumari?'
'Why? What's happening there?' Niloufer's kohl-rimmed eyes widened. Niloufer liked dressing up. She wore a lot of jewellery, made up her face and chose her saris to match her jewellery.
'Does anything have to happen there for me to want to go to a place?' Akhila retorted.
'It's going to be difficult. This is peak season with everyone wanting to go to Kerala on holiday, and there are hordes of devotees on their way to Sabarimala,' Niloufer said as she leafed through a sheaf of papers. 'But my friend at the reservation counter will help. Particularly when I tell her it is for you. I'll call her right away.'
A few minutes later, Niloufer had come to her table smiling. 'It's all arranged. I'll go there half an hour before the lunch break. You can come a little later.'
Akhila spotted Niloufer. She was standing alongside the reservation clerk, talking. They stood oblivious to the crowd and the furious looks darted at them. Akhila lifted her hand furtively. She didn't want to draw attention to herself, she thought, as she waved her hand. Niloufer's eyes met hers through the glass counter. Her face was beaming and she waved a ticket.
'She did her best but the train is full. There are no second AC sleeper or first-class tickets. What she has got you is a berth in a second-class compartment, but in the ladies coupé. Is that all right? You'll be stuck with five other women who will all want to know the story of your life.' The gold bells in her ears jangled.
Akhila smiled. 'That's exactly what I need,' she murmured, pulling out her chequebook from her bag.
Akhila was at the Bangalore Cantonment station by half past eight at night. It was only a few minutes away from where she lived. But she was in a hurry to leave. It was as if, once she had made up her mind, she wanted to shake the dust of home off her feet.
'How can you go by yourself to the railway station?' Padma had asked when Akhila reached home in the evening.
'I'm travelling alone, aren't I?'
'But it will be late when you go from here.'
Akhila reined in the irritation she felt and said, 'Don't worry. There are plenty of autorickshaws and they are very safe. Besides, the station is not all that far away.'
But Padma wouldn't give up and so the last words Akhila heard as she left home were veined with petulance. 'I don't know what Narayan Anna and Narsi Anna will say when they hear of your going away suddenly, and all by yourself too …'
But Akhila had already ceased to listen. 'Cantonment Railway Station,' she told the autorickshaw driver with a lilt in her voice.
Ten minutes later, she stood at the entrance of the railway station, skimming the faces in the crowd.
I am here, her heart galloped. A tiny foam-edged wave of pure emotion rushed through her. She felt her lips stretch into a smile. I am part of a ripple that will escape this city tonight. I will board a train and allow it to lead me into a horizon I will not recognize.
Akhila walked towards the stationmaster's office. Outside on the wall, she searched the noticeboard for the list of passengers. The sight of her name reassured her. Beneath her name were five others. Sheela Vasudevan, Prabha Devi, Janaki Prabhakar, Margaret Paulraj and Marikolanthu. They must be the other passengers in the coupé. Who were these women, Akhila wondered for a brief instant. Where were they going? What were their lives like?
Akhila moved away from the reservation chart to locate her compartment on the position chart. Eleventh from the engine. She shifted her suitcase to her other hand and began to walk towards the signboard marked eleven. All the benches on the platform were taken, so she went to stand by a dripping water faucet. She bit her lip uncertainly. Was this the right place? She turned towards an elderly couple who stood a little distance away and asked, 'Is this where the S7 compartment of the Kanyakumari Express stops?'
The man nodded. 'I think so. We are in the same compartment too.'
There was something about the elderly couple that made her eyes home in on them again and again. They radiated a particular calm; an island of unhurried waiting in that sea of fidgety humans. As though they knew that sooner or later the train would arrive and it would be their turn to climb the three steps into the compartment that would take them to their destination. That there was no point in craning their necks, shuffling their feet or manifesting other signs of dissatisfaction until then.
The pong of urine rose and settled with the breeze. Redshirted silver-armbanded porters stood alongside the piled suitcases. A beggar with maimed limbs thrust his tin cup this way and that. An urchin and a dog ran busily from one end of the platform to the other. A bored policeman stared at the TV screen.
The Udayan Express, scheduled to arrive before the Kanyakumari Express, was late. The platform was crowded with people. Alongside Akhila stood a whole family of uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents who had come to see a lone man off. He was headed for Bombay from where he would catch a plane to a Middle-Eastern country.
She wondered what it must be like to be the wife of a man who was away for many years and when he came home was claimed for their own by parents, siblings, cousins, relatives, friends … Akhila looked at the man who carried on his shoulders the burden of other people's dreams. That she knew all about. That she could understand.
She turned away from the man and watched the elderly couple. The woman wore a pale pink sari with a narrow gold border, a slim gold chain around her neck, and metal-rimmed spectacles. Her hair lay gathered in a little bun at the nape of her neck. A gold bracelet watch gleamed at her wrist. One hand held a water bottle while the other clutched a narrow leather purse. In a few years' time I will look like her, Akhila told herself Except that I won't have a man like him beside me.
He seemed nice enough. The well-tailored clothes, the horn-rimmed spectacles, the still muscular body, the pleasant features, the manner in which his hair had receded, the way he stood at his wife's side, they all seemed to suggest a non-aggressive confidence. The couple looked like they belonged together.
What is it about marriage that makes it possible for a man and a woman to mesh their lives, dreams and even their thoughts in such a complete fashion? Her parents used to be like that. They even resembled each other with broad high foreheads, a slight hook to their noses and a cleft in their chins. They liked their coffee sweetened with two spoons of sugar and their curds set just so. It had to taste almost milk-like.
Often her mother only had to think about something, and her father would voice exactly the same sentiment within the fraction of a second and her mother would say, 'I was about to say that.'
He would beam at her then and guffaw with pleasure, 'That's because we are so well suited. We are two bodies and one soul.' And her mother would smile back coyly.
When she was a teenager, Akhila remembered reading a novel about a couple who were passionately in love with each other even after many years of being married. Years later, she could recall neither the name of the book nor its plot. All she remembered was a line: The children of lovers are no better than orphans.
As a child, her parents' togetherness did not vex her. She was part of that enchanted circle as well. But as she grew up, their playfulness, their affection, the obvious pleasure they found in each other's presence made her feel excluded. Later, it embarrassed her. But they remained completely oblivious to her mortification. And even if they sensed it, nothing would deter or diminish what was practically a lifelong love affair.
When her father died, her parents had been married for almost twenty-two years. Every year thereafter, on the date of their wedding day, her mother wept. 'For our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, your father had promised to buy me a diamond nose-ring. A diamond for the queen of my heart, he said. He loved me so much,' she would moan. With every passing year, her mother's grief seemed only to increase.
She had lost more than a husband. He had been part of her life from the moment she was born. As her uncle, he had carried her in his arms, pointing out butterflies and crows, the moon and the rainbow, the wonders of nature. In many ways, it was only natural that he should be the one to show her the wonder of being a woman.
Akhila's mother married her father when she was fifteen years old. He was twenty-four. Akhila was born two years and eight months later.
'But Amma, how could you have agreed to marry your uncle?' Akhila asked her mother once. 'It's so unnatural.'
'What's unnatural about it?' she had demanded angrily. 'It is a perfectly accepted norm in our community. Who do you think you are to question it?'
Akhila was only fourteen. But even so, she heaved a sigh of relief that there was no uncle waiting in the wings for her to grow up.
Her mother threw her a dirty look and suggested that she go out and bring in the washing. 'An idle brain causes idle thoughts. Dangerous thoughts,' Amma said darkly.
'When you have finished folding and sorting the clothes, iron them. But leave your Appa's shirts for me. He is satisfied only if I do it,' she added.
Akhila grimaced because she knew that it wasn't so. Her father didn't care who ironed his shirts as long as they were done. But Amma liked to perpetuate this myth about a tyrant husband who was easily annoyed and could be placated only by her complete devotion. Unlike other men in the neighbourhood who let their wives rule them. Like Karpagam's father.
Karpagam's mother taught dancing. Every evening between four and six, she gave lessons to the children in the neighbourhood. At the end of a year of lessons, her students knew enough to participate in school dancing competitions and win a few prizes. So she had plenty of girls coming in for dance lessons. Besides, she only charged thirty-five rupees a month per student. She made enough money to be able to buy little trinkets for Karpagam and herself. Maybe that's why Amma kept her distance from Karpagam's mother. Amma didn't like anyone who was different from her.
One morning, when Akhila was about nine years old, Karpagam brought to school a foot-long pencil with a cunning little pink plastic hand attached to its end. Akhila immediately wanted one like it.
'Where did you get it?' she whispered when Karpagam showed her how she could scratch her back with it.
'My mother brought it for me,' she said, giving her back another long drawn out scratch.
'What does it cost?'
'Six rupees. But Mother bought it at Moore Market. She bargained with the shopkeepers and got it for three rupees. Its real value is six rupees,' Karpagam said, giving Akhila the pencil to hold and scratch her back with.
'Doesn't it feel lovely?' she asked, seeing the pleasure on Akhila's face.
'It's beautiful. Can I take it home with me for a day? I'll show it to my mother and ask her to buy me one as well,' Akhila said, caressing the lines of the pencil hand as if it were a real hand. To have and to hold.
Karpagam hesitated. 'I have to ask my mother …' she began.
'I promise to bring it back tomorrow. Look, if I get a pencil like this, then we can scratch our backs together,' Akhila said in earnest.
'You are quite silly,' Karpagam giggled, tickled by the thought of the two of them going at their backs with their pencils. Perhaps that was why she let Akhila take the pencil home.
Amma was annoyed and then furious. 'Karpagam's mother can buy her all kinds of things. Karpagam's mother has an income of her own. I can't afford to buy you such useless things. Do you realize that Appa works so hard and in spite of it, we find it difficult to make ends meet? And I do not want you bringing other people's things into our home. What if you break or lose the pencil? Where will I find the money to replace it?'
The next day Akhila returned the pencil to Karpagam. 'What happened?' she asked. 'When will your mother buy one for you?'
'She said she can't afford to buy me things like your mother does,' Akhila said.
But all day and later all night, Akhila thought about it. If Amma had a job, she too would have money of her own and she would be able to buy her the things she needed without troubling Appa about it. But what could Amma do to earn some money?
The next morning, Akhila heard her mother singing under her breath as she went about her chores. It was a holiday and so Akhila had all day to prepare herself before she approached her mother with what she considered was a master move.
'Amma,' Akhila said when she thought Amma seemed in a receptive enough mood. Amma was combing her hair and singing softly. 'Why don't you give music lessons?'
Amma looked up in surprise.
Akhila hastened to explain. 'You sing so well and Appa always says that you have one of the best singing voices he has ever heard. Why don't you teach music like Karpagam's mother teaches dance? Then you would have some money of your own …' she finished lamely, wondering if she had said too much.
'I don't approve of what Karpagam's mother is doing. All kinds of people come into their house. Brahmins and non-brahmins. Do you think your father would allow such comings and goings on here? Don't you know how strict he is? Anyway, do you think your father would let me? "If I wanted a working wife, then I would have married someone like that," he told me when we were first married. "I want my wife to take care of my children and me. I don't want her so caught up with her job that she has no time for the house or for taking care of my needs." And that's all I wanted to be as well. A good wife.'
Amma had her own theories on what a good wife ought to be like. First of all, no good wife could serve two masters – the masters being her father and her husband. A good wife learnt to put her husband's interests before anyone else's, even her father's. A good wife listened to her husband and did as he said. 'There is no such thing as an equal marriage,' Amma said. 'It is best to accept that the wife is inferior to her husband. That way, there can be no strife, no disharmony. It is when one wants to prove one's equality that there is warring and sparring all the time. It is so much easier and simpler to accept one's station in life and live accordingly. A woman is not meant to take on a man's role. Or the gods would have made her so. So what is all this about two equals in a marriage?'
Amma left all decisions to Appa. 'He knows best,' she said. 'We have never had to regret any decision that he has taken, even when it was on my behalf.'
Which is why, when they had been married a few years and Amma inherited a small piece of land in her village, she had watched her husband sell it without a word of dissent. Several years later a cousin had written to tell her that the same piece of land had been sold for ten times its original price. 'If we had kept it, we would have been able to buy a small house of our own,' Amma sighed.
When Akhila sighed along with her, she changed her expression and said, 'Mind you, I'm not saying that your father made a hasty decision. Who would have known that the land prices would soar so high and that too in a place like Mettupalayam?'
Amma's family was quite rich. But she was the daughter of a first wife who had died when she was eleven years old. Her mother had died trying to give birth to a baby boy who hadn't survived either. A year later, her father married again. He was too smitten by his second wife and the sons she produced easily and regularly at eighteen-month intervals to bother too much about a daughter. When Amma was of marriageable age, he arranged for her wedding. A very austere one with Appa. After all, it had been arranged and settled many years ago. In fact, the moment she was born.
There was enough of everything, so no one had any reason to find fault, but there wasn't too much money or jewellery or anything that was of any enduring value. The piece of land had been her only inheritance from a father who left everything else to his sons.
But Appa had been adamant that she have nothing more to do with her family that had treated her so shabbily and he decided to sell the land. 'From now on, I am all you have,' he had said. And Amma had accepted that happily. After her mother's death, no one, had loved her as much. And this was to her another declaration of how much she meant to him.
Many years later, Akhila mentioned to a colleague and perhaps her only real woman friend, Katherine, that her mother was also her father's niece. Katherine had stared in shock. 'But how can anyone marry their uncle? It is incest!' she had cried, her mouth a round 'O'.
'I suppose it is incest,' Akhila agreed. 'Maybe that's what made them so comfortable with each other.'
'I can't understand what your religion is all about.' Katherine shook her head. 'You consider eating an egg a sin. But it is perfectly acceptable to marry your uncle!'
Akhila could see Katherine's point of view but for some strange reason, she felt she had to defend her parents. Explain what their marriage had been like. 'They were very happy together. The happiest when they were together. Sometimes I think it was because they had always known each other. Imagine, my mother must have dribbled down my father's back when she was a baby. Perhaps even peed all over him. She must have heard his voice crack and seen the first hairs on his upper lip.'
'All that's fine. But you don't have to marry your uncle to be close to your husband,' Katherine had argued. 'In that case, you might as well marry your brother.'
'No, that's not what I mean. But you know what, a few years ago when I still wanted to be someone's wife, I would have agreed to marry anyone. Even an uncle,' Akhila had said, only half in jest.
Akhila glanced at her watch, impatient for the bell announcing the arrival of the train to ring. The Udayan Express had come and gone and now the platform was filled with passengers for the Kanyakumari Express. The elderly couple had moved a few paces ahead. She wondered how long they had been waiting there.
The man was beginning to look restless now. He asked the woman a question. She nodded her head. He edged out of the crowd and went up to the kiosk at the entrance of the station. He returned with a soft drink for her. She took a sip and offered it to him. He shook his head.
Why am I wasting my time watching them? Akhila pursed her lips. Here is proof of everything that my family has told me. A woman can't live alone. A woman can't cope alone. She was saved from further rumination when the signal changed. The headlight of the train moved towards the station and the PA system announced its arrival. Akhila picked up her suitcase and gripped its handle in readiness to board.
The swell of passengers surged forward as the train drew to a halt. Akhila felt fear propel her. The train halted here for just two or three minutes. How would all of them board the train at the same time? She elbowed her way through the crowd. When she got to the door, she discovered the elderly man there. He was helping his wife climb up the steps into the carriage. 'Go on, get into the train quickly,' he said, turning towards Akhila. He held the other passengers back while Akhila hefted her bag and found her way into the compartment.
The ladies coupé was at the beginning of the carriage. She entered it and looked for her seat number. There were six berths in the coupé. Three on either side. She had a lower berth. But, for now, all six passengers would sit on the lower berths till it was time to sleep. Then the middle berth would be raised from its place against the wall and fixed to the upper one. Akhila stowed her bag beneath her seat and looked around her. The elderly lady was opposite. Her husband had pushed a suitcase beneath the seat and was blowing into an air pillow. When it was puffed and plump, he patted it and put it beside her. He raised the window and adjusted the catch so that it wouldn't slam down on her hand. 'Do you want help with your window?' he asked, turning to Akhila.
She smiled and refused.
'You will be alright, won't you?' he asked, turning to his wife. 'When you are ready to sleep, pull down the wooden shutters. That way you'll get a good breeze and you don't have to worry about anyone snatching your chain or earrings. Don't forget to take your medicine. I am in the same compartment, so don't worry, I'll check on you often.'
When he was gone, the older woman gave Akhila a wry look and explained, 'We reserved our tickets only two days ago and this is all we could get. He doesn't even have a berth.'
'Looks like there is one empty berth,' Akhila said. 'The TTR might give it to him after all. They don't mind elderly men in the ladies coupé.'
'The berth is already taken. She is boarding at the next station or the one after that, they said.'
The train began to move and Akhila looked around her. She thought of what Niloufer had said and smiled to herself 'Five women, incessant chatter. Can you handle that?' Niloufer had teased.
A slim pretty woman with bobbed hair and eyes like shards of onyx sat next to the elderly woman. Was she a doctor, Akhila wondered. She seemed to be examining everything and everyone. The woman caught Akhila looking at her and smiled. A brief tight smile that took the edge away from the intensity of her gaze. Akhila smiled back and shifted her glance. Sitting next to Akhila was a good-looking woman with a light complexion and a trim figure, dressed in a manner that suggested money. There were gold bangles on her wrists and diamonds in her earlobes. Her fingernails were long and painted a dull pink. She looked like she hadn't done a scrap of work in her life. Akhila wondered what she was doing in a second-class compartment.
'Where are you going?' The woman asked her.
'I'm going to Kanyakumari. What about you?' Akhila asked.
'Kottayam. There is a wedding there. I was supposed to have driven down with my husband but he had to go on business to Bombay and he will be flying in from there to Kochi.' And this is all I could get at short notice, her expression said, even though the words remained unspoken.
'What about you?' the elderly lady asked the pretty woman next to her.
'I'll be getting off at Coimbatore,' she said. Her voice was as sweet as her face and yet something about her made Akhila feel uneasy. 'And you?'
'Ernakulam,' the elderly lady replied.
The woman at the farthest end of the coupé sat curled towards the door. She seemed completely oblivious to the rest of them in the enclosed space.
They stared at her. She wasn't one of them. She didn't look like one of them. It wasn't that she was dressed poorly or that there was about her the stink of poverty. It was simply the expression on her face. As if she had seen it all, human fickleness and fallibility, and there was very little that could happen that would take her by surprise. In contrast, their faces, though much older than hers, were unmarked by experience or suffering.
Besides, they were sure that she didn't speak English as they all did. That was enough to put a distance between them and her.
The woman next to Akhila opened a small basket and took out a few oranges. 'I didn't want to leave them behind at home to rot. Here, have one,' she said, holding out the fruit.
'My name is Prabha Devi. What is yours?' she asked no one in particular.
Prabha Devi. The elderly lady was Janaki. The pretty one was Margaret. And she, Akhila, Akhilandeswari.
The woman by the door had waited for the ticket collector and then she had climbed to the top berth and gone off to sleep. For some reason, Akhila knew it made them all feel better that they didn't have to include her in their conversation. That they didn't have to pretend they had something in common with her. That because they were all women they had to group themselves with her.
The scent of oranges filled the coupé. And with it a quiet camaraderie sprung between them.
Akhila kicked her sandals off, curled her feet under her and leaned against the window. The breeze ruffled her hair. The moon hung by her shoulder.
'My grandchild gave me a bar of chocolate. To nibble at during the night,' the elderly lady said smiling. 'Would you like some?' She offered the bar around.
Akhila took a piece of the Kit Kat and tore off the silver foil. Margaret shook her head 'Not for me. I have to watch my weight.'
Janaki shook her head in disbelief. 'Why do you need to watch your weight? You are slim enough.'
'I used to be fat. Not plump, mind you. Really fat,' Margaret said. 'When I went on a diet, I had to give up a whole lot of things and now I think I have lost the taste for chocolate. I used to love it. Not anymore …'
'I don't eat chocolate either,' Prabha Devi said, passing the chocolate back to Janaki. 'My son is seventeen years old but he is still like a three-year-old when it comes to chocolate. Each time my husband goes abroad on business, he brings chocolate back for my son. My daughter stopped eating it when she discovered that it was chocolate that was causing her skin to erupt. Sometimes I think she spends all her time in front of the mirror checking her face for a pimple or a blemish. Now she demands that my husband bring her back make-up from a store called Body Shop.'
'What does he do?' Janaki asked.
'We have a jewellery business,' Prabha Devi said. 'I shouldn't be saying "we". He has a jewellery business. I am a housewife.'
'Nothing wrong with that. I'm a housewife too,' Janaki said. 'What about you?' she said, turning to Margaret.
'My husband is the principal of a school. I teach chemistry in the same school,' she said.
'Do you find yourself arguing about everything?' Prabha Devi giggled and then suddenly, as if conscious what she had said, covered her mouth with her hand and tried to explain, 'It's not just the house; you share a workplace too.'
'We had our problems at first but now we know enough to deflect tension when it occurs. To separate the school life from our home life. It took us a long time but we manage pretty well now. Guess what? My daughter studies in the same school too!' Margaret said with a chuckle.
'What does your husband do?' the elderly lady asked, cocking her head at Akhila.
'I am not married,' Akhila said.
'Oh.' Janaki lapsed into silence. Akhila could see Janaki thought she was offended. She took a deep breath.
'I am forty-five years old and I have always lived with my family,' she said.
Prabha Devi turned towards her. But it was Margaret who spoke first. 'Do you have a job?'
She nodded. 'I work for the income-tax department.'
'If you don't mind me asking you, why is it that you didn't marry?' Prabha Devi asked, leaning towards Akhila. 'Did you choose to remain unmarried?'
What am I going to tell her? Akhila wondered.
Suddenly it didn't matter. Akhila knew she could tell these women whatever she chose to. Her secrets, desires, and fears. In turn, she could ask them whatever she wanted. They would never see each other again.
'I didn't choose to remain single. It happened that way,' she said. When she saw the curiosity in their eyes, she elaborated, 'My father died and I had to look after the family. By the time they were all settled in their lives, I was much too old to marry.'
'You are not all that old,' Janaki said. 'You can still find yourself a good man. The matrimonial columns are full of advertisements by men in their mid- and late-forties seeking a suitable mature woman to spend their lives with.'
'If you ask me, those men are looking for a housekeeper – someone to cook, clean and fetch for them. If she is happy the way she is, why should she marry?' Margaret asked.
'Are you happy?' Prabha Devi asked.
'Is anyone happy?' Akhila retorted.
'It depends,' Prabha Devi said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 'It depends on what you define happiness to be.'
Akhila leaned toward her and said, 'As far as I am concerned, marriage is unimportant. Companionship, yes, I would like that. The problem is, I wish to live by myself but everyone tells me that no woman can live alone.'
'Why should a woman live by herself? There is always a man who is willing to be with her,' Janaki said, taking her glasses off and rubbing the bridge of her nose. 'Didn't you ever meet anyone you wanted to marry?'
'I did,' Akhila said and a faint shadow settled on her face. 'But it was not meant to be.'
'Why?' Prabha Devi asked. 'Why was it not meant to be?'
'We were not right for each other. Besides, these days, getting married is hardly on my mind. All I am trying to do is convince myself that a woman can live alone.'
'You should trust your instincts,' Margaret said. 'You have to find your own answers. No one can help you do that.'
Akhila paused for a moment, then began again. 'My family said that, if I talked to other people, they would tell me how stupid it was for me, a single woman, to want to live by myself. But I expected my family to say that. So I pretended to them that I would talk to a few people. I was certain that I wanted to live alone and I didn't need anybody to tell me that. But one night, I woke up with a start. My heart was hammering in my chest and I was paralysed by a nameless fear. How can I? I asked myself. How can I, who have never spent a week away from my family, survive a future alone? What do I know of running a household? What will I do when I fall ill? Who will I turn to? What do I know of life?
'And then, when I entered this coupé and saw all of you … I know you are all married … I thought that if I talked to you … it would somehow help me make up my mind.'
Prabha Devi and Margaret looked at each other in amusement. Then Margaret peered at her fingernails and said with a sly grin, 'What if I tell you that you should live alone, but she,' she gestured to Prabha Devi, 'tells you that you can't live alone. That you should continue to live with your family. What will you do then?'
'Don't mock her,' Janaki said. Janaki, who could very well have been her mother and theirs. How easily they slipped into familiar roles. Mother and three daughters. Two siblings ganging up against one.
'She is serious. Can't you two see that?'
Akhila shrugged. 'I don't know if you will be able to help me. But you must tell me what you really think. Can a woman cope alone?'
'Is it advice you are looking for?' Janaki asked.
'I don't want advice. I just want you to tell me if you think a woman can manage alone,' Akhila said in a low voice.
Janaki peered at her face, searching her eyes. Akhila sat there saying nothing. Janaki sighed. 'They,' she said gesturing to the other two, 'are closer in age to you. You should speak to them. Their opinion will mean much more than mine. I am the wrong person to talk to. My husband and I have been married for forty years. That's a long time for a couple to stay together. How can I tell you what it means for a woman to live alone?'
There was silence in the coupé. For a moment, Akhila had thought they had established a connection. Foetuses jostling within the walls of a womb, drawing sustenance from each other's lives, aided by the darkness outside and the fact that what was shared within the walls wouldn't go beyond this night or the contained space.
'I don't know enough about the world or you to offer advice. All I can do is tell you about myself, about my marriage and what it means to me,' Janaki began suddenly, slowly, as if every word had to be chosen with great care. 'I am a woman who has always been looked after. First there was my father and my brothers; then my husband. When my husband is gone, there will be my son. Waiting to take off from where his father left off. Women like me end up being fragile. Our men treat us like princesses. And because of that we look down upon women who are strong and who can cope by themselves. Do you understand what I am saying?
'Perhaps because of the way I was brought up, perhaps because of all that was instilled in me, I believed that a woman's duty was to get married. To be a good wife and mother. I believed in that tired old cliché that a home was a woman's kingdom. I worked very hard to preserve mine. And then suddenly, one day, it didn't matter any more. My home ceased to interest me; none of the beliefs I had built my life around had any meaning. I thought if I were to lose it all, I would cope. If I ever became alone, I would manage perfectly. I was quite confident about that. I think I was tired of being this fragile creature.'
Akhila searched Janaki's face. What did she mean by 'was'?
'But you have changed your mind now. Why?' Akhila asked.
Janaki patted the air pillow as if it were her husband's hand and said, 'Now I know that even if I can cope, it isn't the same if he isn't there with me.'
LADIES COUPÉ. Copyright © 2001 by Anita Nair. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, NewYork, N.Y. 10010.
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Mequon - The Mequon Common Council approved paying sharp shooters once again this year to curb the heavy deer population in the city, citing concern for driver safety due to wildlife on city roadways.
After a 5-2 vote, with Aldermen Dan Abendroth and Andrew Nerbun opposed, the city will pursue a contract with Urban Wildlife Specialists for deer culling, which charges $145 per deer killed.
In addition to vehicular concerns, the effort to cull deer was also started in the city to lessen the amount of damage to property and vegetation. The 2013 budget includes $9,000 set aside for deer culling.
Last year, according to Mequon Police Chief Steve Graff, 61 deer were taken out of the city.
It was Graff who called for an emergency Public Safety Committee meeting before the Common Council met Tuesday to ask permission to pursue the contract because of warm weather and increased vegetation. He said there was not a safety concern and UWS has a clean safety record. The Police Department also uses a surveyor to scan the land for safety issues before UWS culls deer in a specific area or if a resident calls them out to their land.
Common Council President John Wirth said an analysis was done in a previous year when deer culling was not undertaken by the city and there was a marked increase in traffic accidents.
Nerbun opposed this contract, disagreeing with removing deer from the city. Alderwoman Pam Adams said the people in her district like to see deer in their yard; however, curbing some of the deer population is necessary.
"It's not to get rid of the deer, it's to provide control," she said.
Abendroth does not oppose curbing the deer population; however, he wants to utilize the resources available in the community such as the local bow hunters club to do so.
"There are plenty of deer hunters in the city that bow hunt," he said. "We don't know how many deer we are harvesting," so the lack of information on why sharp shooters are needed is the reason he will continue to vote against this contract.
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History of Women's Underwear
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A woman's undergarments often say more about her and the times she lives in than they do the fabrics and frills she shows to the world. Whether dressing up or dressing down, cinching, shaping or stuffing her curves into the latest fashions, unmentionables are a critical component of good -- and proper -- dressing.
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Affluent Lifestyle Guide
You might like Best Runway Models >
Meet fashion's newest designer whose tailored silhouettes and subtle colors will always be in demand: Amanda Pastyrnak. Amanda Pastyrnak (below) explains her obsession with subtle sophisitication in her debut collection.
1)...Go to Story
I had the opportunity to catch up with Australia's leading celebrity chef and international bestselling author, Teresa Cutter. Here's what she had to say about how we can all achieve wellness and live a balanced life.
1). Can you ...Go to Story
In its 25th season, the fashion industry's leading multi-cultural event, Vancouver Fashion Week gets ready to present an exceptional array of fashion talent beginning on March 16, 2015.
Beginning on March 16, 2015, the leading international ...Go to Story
According to recent statistics, women spend an average of 55 minutes getting ready everyday and even more in the evenings. This equals 14 full days of primping and pampering in any given year. Do todays busy, on-the-go women really have that kind o...Go to Story
Socially-conscious and eco-friendly hair care brand, Cadiveu Professional is now available to consumers in the United States at CadiveuAmerica.com.
Founded by Brazilian beauty expert and cosmetologist Claudia Alacantara, Cadiveu is changing how c...Go to Story
On September 15, 2014, Vancouver Fashion Week ("VFW") will host its semi-annual week-long celebration of fashion, creativity, and multiculturalism. This spring/summer 2015 collection, 60 designers from around the world will display...Go to Story
In today's Q&A, I had the chance to catch up with Nathan Cuneen, founder of Cherry Blow Dry Bar for an exclusive interview. Continue reading to see what his plans are for this national franchise brand.
1.) Can you tell us how you came up with the ...Go to Story
I had the chance to catch up with Stephanie Erbilgin, co-founder of TheCollecte.com. Here's what she had to say about online shopping and what makes TheCollecte.com stand apart from the rest of the competition.
Tell us about your inspiration for...Go to Story
On March 18, Vancouver Fashion Week ("VFW") will host its semi-annual week-long celebration of fashion, creativity, and multiculturalism. This fall/winter 2014 season, 80 designers from 30 countries will display their collections to...Go to Story
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Wednesday, May 9, 2012
© Copyright 2015 Gwinnett Daily Post
CHICAGO -- Paul Maholm outpitched Tim Hudson to win his fourth straight start, Bryan LaHair hit a go-ahead single in the seventh inning and the Chicago Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves 1-0 Wednesday.
Maholm (4-2) allowed three hits in seven innings and combined with James Russell and Rafael Dolis on a four-hitter.
Maholm walked three and struck out three as Chicago took two of three from Atlanta after doing the same in the previous series against the Dodgers.
After Maholm came out to warm up for the eighth, Russell replaced him and gave up a two-out double to Martin Prado and a walk to Freddie Freeman, then retired Dan Uggla on a flyout. Dolis worked the ninth for his third save in four chances.
Hudson (1-1), in his third start this season, allowed one run and five hits in seven innings. He gave up only three hits through the first six innings and -- thanks to a pair of double plays -- faced the minimum 18 batters.
David DeJesus hit a leadoff single in the seventh, and Tony Campana bunted him to second and he reached third on Starlin Castro's grounder to first. LaHair then hit a hard grounder under shortstop Jack Wilson's glove to give the Cubs the lead.
Castro was tagged out near the plate on an inside-the-park homer attempt that ended the fourth inning.
Castro hit a ball near the right field line that a diving Jason Heyward couldn't reach and it rolled all the way to the wall. Castro kept running and third-base coach Pat Listach waved him home, but Castro was tagged out easily by catcher David Ross on second baseman Dan Uggla's relay.
Atlanta threatened with one out in the fifth when Heyward walked and Ross reached on a single when Campana lost his high fly to center on an overcast day at Wrigley Field and it dropped in. Maholm retired the next two batters.
Prado doubled and reached third in the sixth and after Uggla walked with two outs, Chipper Jones lined out to second baseman Darwin Barney, who was positioned behind the bag at second in a defensive shift.
Notes: Atlanta's Jones, who is retiring at the end of the season, was presented with a Braves flag before the game by Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster. ... LaHair has reached base in 27 straight games dating to April 8. He also singled in the second.
... Cubs manager Dale Sveum said he didn't see Kerry Wood toss his glove and cap into the stands Tuesday night after issuing two walks and giving up a go-ahead single in the eighth. Sveum said he didn't condone it but said "there are frustrations that happen" and people sometimes do things they regret because they aren't perfect. Wood has allowed two runs in both of his appearances since coming off the DL with a tired shoulder. ... Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano was out of the lineup for the second time in three games to rest a sore knee.
More like this story
- Cubs, Samardzija defeat Braves ( May 7, 2012 )
- Uggla extends streak, but Braves fall to Cubs 8-4 ( August 14, 2011 )
- Cubs hit 3 homers, beat Braves ( July 4, 2012 )
- Jones has 5 hits, 4 RBIs as Braves beat Cubs 10-3 ( July 4, 2012 )
- Seventh inning dooms Braves in loss to Cubs ( July 2, 2012 )
kevin 3 years, 5 months ago
Zero is unbelievable. Can't believe no one could hit and score. I;d like to get such a nice salary for only being good .235 % of the time.


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Impact of Anti-static Chamber/Mask
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
To compare lung delivery of fluticasone propionate delivered by HFA-pMDI, using a conventional polycarbonate of anti-static chamber/mask in a randomized crossover design in 1-6 year old children.
Hypothesis: Anti-static chamber/mask would increase the amount of inhaled corticosteroid delivered to young children who passively inhale and cannot breath hold.
Drug: HFA FP MDI
Device: conventional chamber/mask; anti-static chamber/mask
Phase 4
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Pharmacokinetics Study
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|The Impact of an Anti-static Valved-holding Chamber on Bioavailability of Inhaled Fluticasone Propionate in Young Children With Asthma
- one-hour steady-state plasma concentration of fluticasone after each device
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|April 2003
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|September 2003
Objective -- to determine whether an anti-static chamber increases the one-hour steady-state fluticasone plasma concentration, which is an indirect measure of airway delivery and direct measure of systemic exposure. Twelve children 1-6 yrs with well-controlled persistent asthma were treated with HFA-FP pMDI, 2 actuations of 110 µg twice daily. The drug was administered by conventional polycarbonate or anti-static valved-holding chambers with masks in an unblinded, randomized, crossover manner each for at least three days. A blood sample was collected one hour after the last dose when adherence documented by electronic monitor was 100%. FP plasma concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry assay. Results evaluated using regression analysis.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|1 Year to 6 Years
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- children 1-6 years old; adequately controlled persistent asthma; currently receiving FP delivered by CFC MDI attached to valved-holding chamber/mask; ability to use chamber with mask effectively
Exclusion Criteria:
- inadequately controlled asthma: nocturnal awakening > 2 nights/month, prn albuterol use > 2x/week, more than 2 short courses of oral corticosteroids in previous 3 months, missing a dose on more than one occasion, increase in asthma symptoms during study, inability to discontinue intranasal or dermal fluticasone for 3 days
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00307970
|United States, Florida
|University of Florida Asthma Research Lab
|Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32610-0486
|Principal Investigator:
|Leslie Hendeles, PharmD
|University of Florida
No publications provided
|Responsible Party:
|University of Florida
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00307970 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|March 24, 2006
|Last Updated:
|September 16, 2011
|Health Authority:
|United States: Food and Drug Administration
Keywords provided by University of Florida:
asthma therapy
spacer inhaler
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on October 13, 2015


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Bennett, Ruth F., 88, passed away on January 9, 2013 at West View Health Care Center in West Warwick. Born in North Scituate, she was the daughter of the late Charles W. and Estella R. (Bonneau) Bennett.
Miss Bennett worked at Kent Hospital in the dietary department for many years before retiring and prior to that had worked as a winder at Royal Mills.
She is survived by her sister Estella R. Bennett of Coventry; niece Robin L. Bennett, nephew Allen A. Vanleeuwen of Coventry, and the late Steven R. Bennett (nephew), niece Susan J. Lyttle and her husband Birt of West Warwick, niece Carol L. Bennett of West Warwick; great nieces: Ashley Bennett of Coventry and Kailley Marillo and her husband Fred of NC, great-niece Joy E. Thomas and her husband Michael of West Warwick, great nephews: Benjamin A. Lyttle of MA, Jonathan W. Lyttle of PA and his wife Amy, Timothy B. Lyttle of NY and his wife Stephanie and Daniel P. Lyttle of West Warwick; great-grandnieces and nephews: Isabella Marillo, Evan Lyttle, Jayden Lyttle, Levi Lyttle, the late Janessa Lyttle, Aiden Lyttle, and Jade Thomas. She was predeceased by two brothers Walter C. Bennett and Ernest E. Bennett.
A funeral service will be held at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home & Crematory, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick on Monday, January 14 at 11 AM followed with interment at Woodland Cemetery in Coventry. Calling hours will be from 2-4 PM on Sunday. Information and condolences at carpenterjenks.com.
Reported: 01/09/13 (Show all obituaries for this day)
By: Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home and White Dove Crematory (Show all obituaries and information about this funeral home)


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NFS Happenings
NFS Establishes Summer Camp
Summer Nutrition Culinary Camp (SNCC) kicks off the first day with excited camp councelors. See the day-by-day adventures!
NFS Among 2015 Who's Who
From left to right: Gabriella Pena, Sarah Dossou, Jazmin Vazquez. Anna (McKenzie) Geery, and Cassandra Tilley. Congratulations to NFS student McKenzie Geery for being one of the 2015 Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
MS Capstone Seminar Course
Students in the Master of Science coursework only option programs in Nutrition, Food Systems Administration, and Food Science admitted before fall semester 2014 may choose to take the exit exam or complete the capstone seminar course for degree completion. Students admitted for or after fall semester 2014 must complete the capstone seminar course for degree completion.
page last updated 9/21/2015 9:36 AM


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PHOTOS: Beatlemania hallmark of inaugural 'British Invasion' gala
NAPLES - Leaving inhibitions at ground level, 325 Anglophiles rose to the pinnacle of hippiedom as they took possession of the Mercato parking garage roof on May 22.
Gathered in support of Youth Haven and its front-line child-support programs, the usually black tie annual fundraiser turned into a throwback to the 60s. Decked out in tie-dye, peace symbols, tinted wire rims a la John Lennon, sweat bands and frizzed hairdos, they queued for draughts drawn from kegs and special Beatles-themed cocktails, including the popular "Strawberry Fields." The attendees started out ahead: One drink ticket was included in the $75 per person ticket price.
In an area seemingly vast enough to accommodate a Woodstock-size gathering, party perimeters were marked by two busy bars, one extended buffet spread, the white-topped band marquee and minimal seating along one side. Within the quadrant: high, round-topped dining tables and the all-important dance floor. Simple decor included British flags festooned everywhere, including some adorning the "uniforms" of a cadre of five sleekly attired, white-booted Youth Haven volunteers.
Noshes ranged from chips, chips and more chips served up from the kitchens of the downstairs Pub at Mercato with dips and mini-burgers and wings and cottage pie filling out the menu. Multi-colored cupcakes from Sassy Cakes drew Carnaby Street wannabes with a sweet tooth.
The center of attraction for the evening was Florida's premiere Beatles Tribute Band, Let it Be. Headquartered in Tampa — several other similarly named bands hail from Lauderdale and Fort Myers — the band wowed the crowd with in-character performances. The foursome includes New Yorker Jeff Black, as Paul McCartney; Florida native Russ Perraud who assumes the role of George Harrison; Mark Jones from Omaha, a ringer for Ringo Starr; and John Santarone as John Lennon, whom he actually met.
Costume changes from white tails to a colorful Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band look added authenticity to their concert.
Guest winners for best dressed were Diane Loveless, a knockout in black and white, and best-dressed couple Blase and Dayanna Ciabaton in high '60s style.
Presented by Sandi and Tom Moran of Moran Asset Management, the gala netted $30,000 as announced by Ron McSwiney, Youth Haven executive director. McSwiney also explained that sponsorships covered all expenses in advance of the function.
Funds raised included income from the raffle of a Las Vegas trip to see "LOVE," the Cirque du Soleil tribute to the Beatles, a number of Beatles-themed prizes, and several jewelry items donated by Naples' "perennial hippie," Barry Nicholls, owner of Paradise Jewelry.
The event was organized by Jamie Gregor, Youth Haven director of development and marketing. Youth Haven offers children emotional and physical shelter; it has been providing care to abused children since 1972.
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- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
UN's Ban Recommends Putting 11,200 Peacekeepers in Mali
Posted By kurtnimmoadmin On March 27, 2013 @ 3:12 pm In Old Infowars Posts Style,Tile,War on Terror | Comments Disabled
Flavia Krause-Jackson
March 27, 2013
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon recommended that as many as 11,200 United Nations peacekeepers and a special counterterrorist unit be deployed to Mali to take over the fight against Islamic insurgents in the land-locked African nation, relieving France.
Ban laid out the options for Mali in a 26-page report obtained by Bloomberg News, as France seeks to pull back 4,000 troops following its January intervention to rid the north of Islamist militants. About 7,000 African troops helping France should become a UN peacekeeping force, according to the report.
As a former colonial power with the most at stake in Mali, the French still are set to play an important if diminished role alongside a UN force of seven mobile infantry battalions, one reserve battalion and about 1,440 police operating in the north.
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SEMA eNews Essentials
Top 10 Stories From Our Archives
Home › Press › Other Resources › SEMA eNews ›
SEMA eNews Vol. 14, No. 48, December 1, 2011
Which International Vehicles Would Help Your Business Most? Vote Here
|Jeep Wrangler Diesel
|Toyota Hilux
|Ford Ranger Double Cab
Through a partnership between SEMA and the U.S. Department of Commerce, SEMA members have the unique opportunity to measure "accessory-friendly" international models in order to create product. All the vehicles that will be made available through the new initiative are popular overseas but not available in the U.S. market.
SEMA members are being called upon to help the association prioritize. Members are encouraged to participate in the brief survey to weigh in on the vehicles they most want to see included as part of this program.
Contact Linda Spencer at email@example.com for additional information.


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Sunday, March 18, 2012
Dior 5 Couleurs Palette Garden Edition 441 Garden Pastels Review, Pictures & Swatches
I got this actually a while ago. I couldn't decide if I should get this one or the pink one. I didn't want to get both because I knew I wouldn't use this kind of color(I mean... shimmery but washed off colors) too much. This set contains a shimmery white, shimmery light yellow, shimmery light pink, and two greens. I especially love the two greens. To me, one is like a grass green and another one is more like...seaweed green? LOL.
The colors are soft. Almost too soft and shimmery to me. I think it is really depends on what you are looking for. I like pigmented, rich colors. They last really long on my lids.
yellow at he inner corner
white for highlight
I didn't use the pink color (I tried the pink as a base color. It looks like someone punched me from far away.)
Eyebrow: Anastasia (I know it looks really light, but not in really life)
Eyeliner: Physicians Formula Brown Eyes(Love it!)
Mascara: Blinc
Thanks for looking!
Posted by Katherine L at 5:34 PM Labels: all about makeup, Dior, eye shadow, make up review Links to this post
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Wet n Wild Flora & Fauna Collection Swatches & Pictures
I found them @CVS today :)
The display only has 3 sets for each collection. I am glad I got them!(each set is for $4.99)
Fauna Collection
Lip Gel: Glass Confusion
Nail: Teal or No Teal
Blusher: Mellow Wine
Flora Collection
Lip Gel: Mow the Glass
Nail: Twining Vines
Blusher: Pearlescent Pink
The display only has 3 sets for each collection. I am glad I got them!(each set is for $4.99)
Fauna Collection
Lip Gel: Glass Confusion
Nail: Teal or No Teal
Blusher: Mellow Wine
Flora Collection
Lip Gel: Mow the Glass
Nail: Twining Vines
Blusher: Pearlescent Pink
The eyeshadows are really shimmery. The blue color has a little bit glitter in it.
The blush is almost matte when I apply.
I love that orange color! It is matte but isn't chalky at all. The only thing is I accident broke this color after I swatched it... because it is so soft. When I tried to close the lid, the shadow just cracked!
I got some other stuff, too :)
Thanks for looking!
Posted by Katherine L at 8:13 PM Labels: Make up pictures, Make up Swatches, WET N WILD Links to this post
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Sonia Kashuk Eye Palette Perfectly Neutral - 10 Review, Swatches, & Pictures
I don't see many people talk about Sonia Kashuk's eyeshadow on the internet. Since I got the eyeshadow quad Paris at night(Review. EOTD.), I am in love with there eyeshadows! They are really pigmented and good quality. I know compare to other drugstore brands, they are a little bit pricy, but I think they worth the price.
Sonia Kashuk Eye Palette Perfectly Neutral contains six eye shadow shades, eye shadow base and a sponge applicator(WT 0.31oz./8.8g).
I like the packaging. Simple and easy to carry it with you. The eye shadow base is not just a cream color base, it is really silky and almost invisible when I apply on my eyelids. The colors are not too cool or too warm, which I think it's good for everyone.
matte - shimmer - satin-
satin - matte - matte
The first color is a base color :)
Thanks for looking!
Posted by Katherine L at 9:23 PM Labels: all about makeup, eye shadow, Make up Swatches, Sonia Kashuk Links to this post
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Well for starters I am a fun adventurous white boy with a sense of humor, or so I've been told! I spend most of my free time either, at the gym, hiking during the spring, wakeboarding during the summer, or four wheeling during the winter. I also enjoy the finer things in life, like relaxing in a hammock on a warm summer evening or just getting in the truck and taking a road trip to nowhere.
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26 • Walla Walla, WA • Man
I'm looking for
- Women
- Ages 21–25
- Near me
- Who are single
- For new friends, long-term dating, short-term dating
My details
- Last online
- May 18, 2014
- Orientation
- Straight
- Ethnicity
- White
- Height
- 5′ 5″ (1.65m)
- Body Type
- Fit
- Diet
- Mostly other
- Smokes
- No
- Drinks
- Socially
- Drugs
- Never
- Sign
- Leo, but it doesn't matter
- Education
- Graduated from two-year college
- Job
- Transportation
- Income
- $40,000–$50,000
- Status
- Single
- Offspring
- Doesn't have kids
- Speaks
- English
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What I'm doing with my life
Don't overthink this one; tell us what you're doing day-to-day.
So far I have graduated college and am now a successful automotive tech. I'm in Seattle often and may move there one of these days. I hate sitting around doing nothing so I'm always looking for something new. I would eventually like to start my own business, which I'm currently starting to plan.
I'm really good at
Go on, brag a little (or a lot). We won't judge.
Solving problems. Give me a puzzle, I'll solve that damn thing!!
The first things people usually notice about me
I'm an empty essay… fill me out!
Well probably that I'm quite but that just means I'm listening. And also my height, they seem to think I have a hard time seeing over the steering wheel...
Favorite books, movies, shows, music, and food
Help your potential matches find common interests.
Books: Don't have any "favorites" mainly I read about things that interest me, science, automotive...
Movies: Same as books, but I really like movies that make me think.
Shows: Family Guy for sure!
Music: Everything, mainly Alternative rock though
Food: I'll try almost anything once
Movies: Same as books, but I really like movies that make me think.
Shows: Family Guy for sure!
Music: Everything, mainly Alternative rock though
Food: I'll try almost anything once
The six things I could never do without
Think outside the box. Sometimes the little things can say a lot.
My Nissan
A roof over my head
Good health
The Gym
A roof over my head
Good health
The Gym
I spend a lot of time thinking about
Global warming, lunch, or your next vacation… it's all fair game.
Anything and everything.
The most private thing I'm willing to admit
I'm an empty essay… fill me out!
Well it wouldn't be private anymore now would it?
And my phone app says I'm online constantly...I'm not just an FYI.
And my phone app says I'm online constantly...I'm not just an FYI.
You should message me if
Offer a few tips to help matches win you over.
There is alot more to me then this profile, I'd love to meet ya.
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