SHU?!Discover YourselfThis Summer!

“My time in

5 PLACES TO GO FOR TEA

MARRIED AT

Jail”

17 Issue#1

May-June 2013

contentsDiscover Yourself......................... 2My Time in Jail........................... 8Leaving Home ............................. 10Internships 101 .......................... 12Married at Seventeen ..................... 14Heartbreaker ............................. 17Sisterhood of the Travelling Lands ....... 18Voodoo Child ............................. 24The Sleepover Takeover ................... 285 Places to go for Tea ................... 30This Month’s Reviews ..................... 34We’re Currently Loving ................... 38

Editor’s Letter

Richelle

Ahhh ... summer is finally here. Are you ready for the next adventure?

For some of us, it’s graduating high school or university. Some, looking for a new job or an internship. For others, this summer’s about taking a break - travelling to new places, new cultures, meet new people and for the rest, it’s trying out new things.

Whatever it is that you decide to do, SHU?! magazine is there to be the ultimate guide into becoming the woman you decide to be. After all, this is our very first ever issue and we’re excited to welcome you into our sisterhood.

Peace out,

discover yourself To travel, to see the world and to experience different cultures really can help change your perception of the world and being in the Middle East, you’re already almost to your goal destination. SHU?! Magazine tells you how to plan ahead and have the best trip you will ever have.

1) Plan where to go: There are so many different places that you can go, due to time and money restrictions, you can’t go everywhere so you have to narrow your choices down to where you really want to go. First of all, if you’re travelling alone, it’s best to go to places that you know people that can double as your tour guide. It is also advisable to have a travelling companion (or two) for a much more fun and safer trip.

2) Set up a budget:Travelling isn’t cheap, so you really need to set a proper budget and save up for it. Make sure you know how much you’re meant to spend and you should always prioritize (must you really sacrifice your food/lodging for the day for those souvenirs that you don’t really need?). You’re going to have to spend on your travel costs, your lodging, food, other expenses like those souvenirs and other emergencies.

3) Where to stay: “When in doubt, stay at the Ritz”, but sadly, the Ritz is probably beyond your travelling budget (unless you’re ridiculously rich and can afford it). For the rest of us mortals, we have to have to stick to cheaper, alternative options for lodging. First of all, if you know anyone in the country that you are travelling to find out if you can stay with them for a couple of days. If not, there’s actually a whole community who supports the idea of couch surfing and act as your host, your tour guide for a couple of days – for free! Check it out at www.couchsurfing.org.

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But if sharing a room is not your thing, then there are also apartments that are being rented out for a shorter stays. Sites like www.airbnb.com and www.vrbo.com are popular sites that list out available apartments worldwide and it’s easy as checking in a hotel.

4) Safety: First things first: don’t be naïve. You must always be alert with your surroundings. Always know where you’re going and how to get back to wherever you’re staying and know where to ask for help. It may all be fun but at the end of the day you’re in a foreign place and you probably are not used to how they do things. Not to rain on your parade, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

5) Packing: As girls, we usually over pack. We bring clothes we know that we’re never going to wear but the whole idea of “just in case” comes up, so we end bringing clothes that waste crucial space. God forbid the Queen of England invites us for and we have no choice but to wear our ugly travelling dungarees because that’s all we packed. If you’re travelling and exploring, you can’t have your bag weigh you down so you seriously need to pack the essentials.

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Model: Lisa Fray Stylist/Photographer: RIchelle Villar

“It’s all about the buzz. You take a hit, everything becomes better and life is okay”, Mary tells me.

For less than a 100 AED, you can buy a couple of grams of Spice, or Space to get your daily dose of high. It’s been available in the UAE for less than two years and grew popular amongst young adults because of its availability and cheaper prices. Usually smoked with Dokha (a legal tobacco), smoking Spice is unpredictable. Since it’s a synthetic drug made from unknown chemicals, you wouldn’t know your body will react. Sure, it can get you high and has a stronger effect than Cannabis; it can also alter perception, cause extreme paranoia, anxiety and extreme cases, death.

However, at the height of its popularity last summer, the Government has passed a ban on Spice and anyone caught using or dealing can face heavy penalties. That was also when they started tracking down the source by starting from the younger users, and Mary, a Spice user was caught and retells us her story of going to jail.

“I remember it clearly; my boyfriend and I were sitting in a car, on the way to our friend’s house when we decided to take a hit before we go up. The thing is, we weren’t scared of taking one in public because we smoke it with Dokha which is legal anyways. Next thing we know, we’re in the

back of a police car and being taken to jail. Apparently, one of our friends snitched on us and undercover cops have been following us since.

In the police station, we had to take drug tests to confirm our Spice intake, and we had to sign papers we didn’t understand, it was all in Arabic. I was scared, I was in tears and I had no idea what was going on. We were sent to jail and it was just depressing. Even after it was refurbished, it was still empty. My God, it was horrible! I remember meeting an old friend there though who was in for drunk driving, but like most of the girls, they all come

and go and she only stayed there for a night. That made me hopeful, I thought I won’t stay there longer too and that I’d be next but when I left that police station, it was only to move to the Central Jail.

It was for longer termed inmates and this time, I was made to wear a uniform – a pink top with matching pink trousers. Some people were nice, some were intimidating, but mostly everybody has lost their hope and has forgotten how to act civilized. I tried to get to know as many people

MY TIME

“It’s all about the buzz. You take

a hit, everything becomes better

and life is okay”

as I can just so I don’t get lonely and the question “What were you in for?” was always asked. Murderers, drug dealers, prostitutes, all hardened by the circumstance that life threw at them.

“Avoid her as much as you can”, says one of my fellow inmates, pointing to a woman sitting by the corner by herself. Apparently, she used to be a maid for a family and killed off the other maid and tried to kill herself by slitting her neck. She was found just in time but I don’t think her mental state is stable anymore. I did see her walking about in the middle of the night staring at everybody while they sleep. I couldn’t get any sleep for a while after that.

The saddest place of the prison though, was the nursery where they kept newly born babies. Since it’s against the law to get pregnant before marriage, the women are sent to prison and are forced to give birth there.

Jail wasn’t too bad once you get used to it. It was just boring and the days were long. I made some friends with girls who were around my age too and were in for the same thing and

some other women who were there longer... like fifteen years longer! I also made friends with the supervisors and I actually was able to work in the kitchens for extra money. We were allowed to keep a few personal belongings, and I almost had a fight with someone because she borrowed one of my books that my brother gave me and she ruined it. I was so ready to start up a fight but if you were caught; your privileges would get taken away, so I didn’t. In there, the tension is always high no matter how calm you try to be.

It took a while to set up my court date, but it kept getting postponed. After three months in jail, I was pardoned along with the other Spice users. I was so happy to be out! I packed my things, and never looked back again.

My boyfriend is still in jail though with some other people and I still don’t know when he’ll be out, but his parents and I are hopeful. Being locked up in jail was something I’ll never forget, but it made me stronger and has taught me a very valuable lesson: a quick high is not worth going to jail for”.

MY TIME INJAIL“What were you in for?”

It only cost 100

AED to get high.

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“I was responsible

for everything and I was on

my own”

How did you feel when you first left home?

I was a little nervous in the beginning but to be honest I was also very excited at the same time.

Were you excited before you left home about the adventures that you will have?

I was pretty thrilled, I actually already had a bunch of places that I wanted to see and I could not wait to experience living outside Dubai on my own.

What was your first hardship that you faced?

I think the idea of being completely responsible for everything and that I was on my own. Even though I was happy to have a fresh start and move onto something new. I was pushed out of my comfort zone.

Did you experience culture shock?

Just a little. I don’t mean to sound spoiled but in Dubai I was sheltered and I think a lot of individuals that grew up there would probably say the same thing. Everything was done for you there, and the most amusing thing I had to do was fill up my own gas tank which was weird because I’ve never done that before.

VINGhome

It’s a terrifying thought, living away from home. The comforts of being protected and being cared for by your parents is stripped away once you are in a different country and starting your adventure into adulthood. For some, it starts when they leave for their education while other leave home because, hey we can’t stay with our parents forever can we?

Sarah has been leaving away from home for the past two years. She’s experienced taking care and supporting herself while balancing her studies away from the home that she grew up in. SHU?! Magazine caught up with her when she came down to visit her hometown.

“I was responsible for

everything and I

was completely on my own”.

LEA

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What was the best experience you’ve had so far?

Working at this organization called ‘Give kids the world’. I think it is one of the best decisions I have made while living here. It really gave me a whole new perspective about treasuring life and how short it is. I met so many people and I truly felt like I made a change in someone’s life.

And the worst?

I wouldn’t call it the worst as yet because thankfully, I’ve been really fortunate so far. But I would have to say it when I got into an accident during one of the snowstorms here.

How did you handle your finances?

My parents did send me an allowance every month and I did get a job as a junior stylist to earn some extra money. It’s all a matter of knowing how to set a budget. Sometimes I’d overspend and I’d be broke, but it’s not so bad. My parents send me money when I need it.

How did it feel to be separated from everyone you were close to?

There were times where I was homesick but I was lucky enough to have other familymembers who lived here too and they lived close by so it helped being surrounded by them. Plus, I would keep in touch with my close friends and family through Skype and Facebook. I still talk to my best friends every day through WhatsApp so it’s like we’re not really so far away.

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INTERNSHIPS 101As a student, it is crucial to get an internship. Why? So you can have something to write on your CV, of course!

Everyone’s got this idea that interns are someone who runs around and gets the coffee or files the papers, but take it from someone who’s gotten their dream internships, you can totally score one that will teach you more things than you learn in class.

First of all, be fearless. Want an internship with this company you’ve been following for a while? Write them a cover letter and send in your resume! Don’t wait for job openings; don’t wait for connections to get you in, just go for it. Most companies don’t even know they want an intern so give them a little reminder that there’s someone out there is willing to work for them for experience (and for free). I remember sending in my CV to a company asking them if they have any internships available and even though they weren’t really looking for one, they were still pleased to have me on board.

Start small. You don’t necessarily have to aim for the bigger companies just to have an impressive CV. What you’re looking for is experience and it’s usually the smaller ones that offers that. You get to

Make the first move.Start Small. Speak up!Be friendly. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

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INTERNSHIPS 101do more tasks and interact with more people, because

compared to bigger companies smaller ones has a much more laid back environment.

Put in your input. Don’t be shy about sharing your opinions. Companies usually take in interns because they want a fresh, younger approach to how they do things. They want new ideas so if you’ve got them, share them! It’s also a great way to get noticed and if they like you, they might keep you.

Make friends with your colleagues. Just because your internship only lasts a few months and you might be a little younger than everyone else, that doesn’t mean you can’t make good friends with your colleagues. Internships aren’t meant to be just work, so have fun while you’re at it! It’s also a great way to make professional contacts.

Keep learning. Take your feedbacks positively and remember that you’re learning from professionals who have experience within the industry. They’re not trying to belittle you or your skills, they’re just teaching you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and remind yourself that you’re still new to this.

Make the first move.Start Small. Speak up!Be friendly. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

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married at seventeenMost of us have probably heard it from our aunts and our grandmothers, “You’re getting

older, when are you getting married?” We end up laughing awkwardly, silently wishing the conversation moves on to something else. But really, what is wrong with getting married

earlier? A lot of things - the marriage might not last; you miss out on life, career and youth. Especially for women where we’re still on the process of fighting for equal rights, marriage has a stigma of the extremes of slavery and prison. Once she’s married, she’ll be chained to

her husband, depending on him for all her needs, churning out babies and serving her husband. Although, that’s not always the case and there has been a lot of circumstances

where it works out. So the question is, is it okay to marry young?

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Sally got married at the young age of seventeen and believe it or not, it was a love marriage. Although her husband’s mom was extremely keen on them getting married way before they even started to like each other so in a way, it was sort of an arranged marriage. Either way, it’s been ten years and she says she’s been lucky. She met the right man and cannot imagine

her life without him.

It’s been a blissful ride but Sally doesn’t recommend young teenagers to commit to something so sacred at such an early age. After all, it is a huge responsibility and being seventeen is the usually the beginning of a teenager’s life. It’s when you just finished high school and entering

university. Why should a girl miss out on her education, the time she can spend with her family, the time she can figure herself and experience life?

Looking back, when Sally was sixteen, she was still pretty clueless about the harsh realities of life. When she chose to get married, she was under a lot of pressure from her in-laws. They meant well, but at such a young age, she has limited ability to foresee consequences. She lived

in her own bubble – she was naive, careless and oblivious to how things work. In her case, she’s been grateful and she’s happy... very happy with how things turned out.

There were obvious issues that they faced within the family and society, considering that they were a young Indian couple who decided to not have a child soon after marriage because Sally

wanted to continue with her education. Her husband, Raf understood because he’s a highly educated individual himself, and hasn’t stopped learning even to this day.He is a solicitor and a partner at the largest Middle Eastern law firm, yet he still continues to pursue his studies in the field of banking and business. Therefore his attitude has helped her not get under any

social pressure. She’s already completed her first Bachelors Degree in Sociology and almost on the verge of completing her second degree in Journalism Studies.

Sally says that her marrying young isn’t just an advantage, it’s more than that. Raf’s been her best friend and she wouldn’t want to spend the rest of her life with anybody else. They’ve known each other from the time they created a library for children at the community center

when they were just colleagues. There’s no story about each other that they don’t know. They’ve evolved together and as for what the rest of the world thinks, it really doesn’t matter

to her.

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HEART HEART

HEART BREAKERBREAKER

HEARTGirl meets boy. Girl falls in love. Girl gets her heart broken by boy. It’s an old story that most of us are used to hearing, and it’s true. In most cases, boys can and have been getting away with playing with girls’ emotions and treating them like garbage. But let’s face it – girls can break hearts too. So SHU?! asked around a couple of girls about the worse things they’ve done to guys.

“I stood

him up at a

dinner date because he

pissed me off.

So I told him I was going

to show up.

I didn’t go

but he did”.

“Waking him up after one am when he was asleep because I wanted

ice cream, getting half way there and deciding I was too tired now and asking

to be dropped back home. He had a job interview the

next day.”

“I dumped him on facebook and to my surprise took him 2 weeks to notice”

“Well the

worst thing I’ve done

to a guy is rejected his

marriage proposal

bluntly which then

made him cry.”

“Pulled my friend’s pants down, in a mall. I really didn’t expect it to fall off, quite literally”

“I guess one

of the worst things I’ve

done, is play with 5 guys

hearts at the same time.

Like all of them thought

they liked me and were

‘dating’ me.”

“Give him high hopes that I would meet him, when in reality i kept making excuses.”

“Dumped my

ex-boyfriend who loved

me a lot, just a day before

Valentine’s Day, because I

didn’t want his Valentine’s

Day to get spoiled, in the

coming years”.

“Broke up on the day, when

he actually wanted to propose.”

“Tweeted

something

vulgar about my ex

on Twitter. It was

quite embrassing and

really mean. “

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sisterhood of the travelling lands

sisterhood of the travelling lands

Models: Sarah Saeed, Jessica Cox, Joanna Pereira, Richelle Villar Stylist/Photographer/Makeup: Richelle Villar,Zahra Mukri

v O O D O O C H I L DGET THE CLASSIC ROCKER CHIC LOOK

v O O D O O C H I L DGET THE CLASSIC ROCKER CHIC LOOK

Model: Madhuri Kumar Makeup/stylist/photographer: Richelle villar

THE LIZARD QUEEN

Channel Jim Morrison’s ‘Lizard King’ title through these snake print trousers. Pair up the band tee with a faux fur coat to get that glam rock look and finish it off a pair of Jeffrey Campbell’s Litas and silver or turquoise jewellery to add a splash of colour!

eleanor rigby

Looks like Adele, but it has the classic rock chic edge. The lady like look is paired with pearl necklace with a twist! (Studs anyone?) The flatform shoes gives you that edge and extra height. Of course, what Beatles inspired look isn’t complete with the Lennnon inspired sunglasses?

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eleanor rigby

hell’s belle

sweet child o’ yours

Pencil skirt, strapped sandal heels, minimalistic gold braceelet and a rock band tee? Did someone say Hell’s Belle? This outfit is the epitome of clashing styles. Pair it up with aviators and don’t forget your “I don’t care attitude” to complete the look!

Monochrome with an edge. Pair up this black and white striped pants with your Guns n Roses tee, studded loafers to make a statement. Keep your accesories minimalistic because of the strong pattern of the pants. Keeping with the monochrome look, complete it with a black and white cat sunnies for that rock chic look.

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Every now and then, you get those nights when you don’t want go out, but still want to have fun. So why not host a sleepover instead? SHU?! lists out the fun ways to go about it. Who says sleepovers are for kids only?

1) Build a blanket fort.

You probably remember the days when you built them when you were younger and if you didn’t, who says it’s too late to do them now? All you need is a lot of blankets and pillows. You can either hang up ropes around your room to hang the blankets if you have hooks around or have a tall object as a foundation (it can be a tripod, shelf or your even your bed). It’s fun building this together. Include fairy lights or a lamp shade - it makes it more magical!

2) Forget the diet. Make sure you get a lot of food, that’s usually the best part of sleepovers. It’s up to you if you want it to be healthy or not but we suggest that you stock up on all kinds of food.

If you’re making ice cream sundaes,

get a cupcake tray and add a topping of

your choice. Less mess, more variety

and it’s a lot of fun.

3) Get comfy

Noone’s gonna see you except your friends so why bother dressing up right? So put on your comfiest big tees and pajamas and just enjoy yourself.

SHU TIP?!

the sleepover takeover

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4) Take pictures

It’s not a sleepover unless you have an impromptu dressup with the random outfits you can put together. The best part is, you can be as wild and crazy with however you dress up, it’s all up to you.

5) Pillow fights

Every cliche sleepover has to include a pillowfight, that’s just how it is.

And when pillow fights, we don’t mean cute, every guy’s fantasy pillow fights, but an all out battle round. Why? Just because we can and we’re not sissies. Also, studies claim that pillow fights encourage bonding and help build healthy relationships since it sorts out unresolved issues. In other words, if you’re upset with anyone about anything, just let hit them with a pillow. You can knock them down without really hurting them and then let out how you feel over a tub of ice cream.

6) Truth or Dare

Yes we know it’s so high school or can date back to the elementary school days, but your ‘truth’ questions can be different now and even dares can be changed. You don’t have to dare your friends to pretend to act like a chicken for a minute or something, but it’s still interesting to find out who your friends are secretly crushing on but will never dare admit.

SHUTIP?!

If a friend loses the dare, draw on their face as punishment. We suggest lipstick or eyeliner or anything that isn’t permanent.

7) To sleep or not?

They always say that noone sleeps at a sleepover,

but who are we kidding? Everyone’s bound to pass

out of exhaustion so make sure everyone has their little corner to crash in.

the sleepover takeover

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5placesto go for

TEAStepping into Bloomsbury’s, we were met with an Alice in Wonderland themed decor. Black walls, white Victorian style furniture, chandeliers... you name it! This place screamed chic elegance so we were pleasantly surprised when the prices weren’t as expensive as we thought it would be. For an afternoon tea that costs 50 AED, that includes scones, sandwiches, meringues, fudge brownie, your choice of a Bloomsbury cupcake and your choice of pot of tea.

You can find it on the Star Atrium of Dubai Mall. Go with your mom, aunt or your friends for an afternoon tea or for their extensive range of cupcakes and drinks!

BLOOMSBURY’SAFTERTEA CHINESE FUSION

PINGPONGDIMSUM

NOON

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placesto go for

TEAIt took us a while to find this Tea House, but boy were we glad to have found it – it was like tea haven! Inside, you can expect to find a wide variety of tea leaves that you can buy or you can order and they’ll be more than happy to serve you their homemade teas. Personal favourite would be their blossoming Jasmine tea (22 AED for a pot). What’s that you ask? It’s a type of tea made out of flowers and tea leaves and would fully blossom once it’s ready to drink. They do serve other drinks like coffee, juices and milkshakes (which is far from bad considering it’s a tea place).

You can find it in 6 Thuraya Telecommunications Building in Tecom.

BLOOMSBURY’S

ARABIAN HOUSE

The first thought that crossed our minds were, “is this a dim sum restaurant or a bar/lounge?”

Lounge music, black walls, dim lights, the place was a bit misleading. They mainly serve dim sum, but since tea goes perfectly with it, they have a wide range of tea to choose from.

To be honest, the food and the tea weren’t that great, especially if you were looking for traditional Chinese dim sum and tea. My oolong tea was served in a tall glass, while the portion for our dim sum was small. Despite all that, we concluded that Ping Pong Dim Sum would be a great place before a girls’ night out. Check it out in the Star Atrium in Dubai Mall.

THE TEAHAVEN TEA

CHINESE FUSIONPINGPONGDIMSUM

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TEA

TRADITIONALEMIRATEA

Mamatani means our grandmother, a fitting name for a Traditional Arabic tea place that serves

traditional tea, coffee and juices.

Their specialties would include their Khameer bread, a saffron-flavoured flat bread cooked

inside an oven brushed with eggs. You can either have it plain or with different toppings. We

recommend the Kadak Chai or their Mamatani speciality; it goes perfectly with the Khameer

bread.

MAMATANI

TEA FiLLi CAFETHEO N GO

Imagine your typical local cafes found in Dubai except it’s more stylish and fun. It has the best Indian chai in town and that would proven by the large Indian community that constantly goes there. For just 5 AED, you can order yourself a Double Zafrani Chai, which is a milky tea drink traditionally made with saffron, cardamom and other spices, brewed with black tea, topped with more Saffron. If you’re one to nibble on things while drinking chai, they also serve sandwiches amongst other things. It’s a perfect place to hang out, grab a cup (or two) of tea, whilst having a great noisy conversation with your friends.

Located in Mankhool, next to the EPPCO Petrol Station.

Located in Jumeirah Town Centre.

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““Oh my god, you look just like Shakira! No no, you’re Catherine Zeta” Actually, my name’s Marina”, as the lyrics from “Hollywood”, from

Marina and the Diamonds’ previous album, Family Jewels. The thing is, she does look like Shakira and Catherine Zeta Jones but she’s better known for her upbeat, indie pop music, rather than her

looks.

Coming back with sophomore album, “Electra Hearts”, she’s completely changed her music and look. If Family Jewels involved mainly her vocals and a piano, Electra Hearts has included more musical variety – it’s more pop.

“Electra Hearts” is inspired by the different character types a woman has: the Su-Barbie-A, Homewrecker, Teen Idles and Primadonna. All of which are inspired by her recent heartbreak, the classic suburban housewife, high school cheerleaders or rather, anti-high school cheerleaders and well, Madonna.

The songs where she sings about her heartbreak (Hypocrates, Lies, Buy the Stars) aren’t sad, whiny, ‘oh-my-heart-is-broken’ kind of songs but instead, it’s a bittersweet realization that has one message: “You’re the one that left me and I can find someone better who will treat me better.”

While her other songs are something you’d have to listen if you’ve ever been heartbroken or whenever you’re low on confidence because it’s sure to boost your ego (How to be a heartbreaker, Homewrecker and Primadonna Girl). Even the songs that are about loneliness (Lonely Hearts Club, Living Dead, Teen Idle and The State of Dreaming) aren’t sad, rather a very satirical style of lyrical pieces, mocking those feelings because ‘you’re better than feeling sorry for yourself’.

All in all, I have nothing but praise for Electra Hearts and it certainly hits the spot about the archetypes she’s based her songs on. If you’re down and need an ego boost, listen to it and feel empowered. If someone has broken your heart, listen to it and not feel bad for yourself, but feel bad for the person who left you.

Marina and the Diamonds is a lyrical, satirical genius with vocal range like Gwen Stefani and Florence Welch, with an attitude that can only be compared with Madonna and Marilyn Monroe.

Month’sreviews

album review

This

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album review

In search for his ‘Great Perhaps’, Miles ‘Pudger’ Halter decided to leave his family home in Florida and move to his dad’s

alma mater, Culver Creek’s boarding school. In which he meets a group of characters that will inevitably change his character and life,

especially Alaska Young.

She’s ridiculously smart, spontaneous and attractive, but she does come with her very own baggage - she’s emotionally unstable and have suicide tendencies.

Let’s not forget that she really has a high disregard for rules.

So as Miles is finally settling in with his new life at Culver Creek - he finally fit in with his cool rebellious yet smart friends, got himself a girlfriend,

enjoying his classes and finally getting close with the girl of his dreams, Alaska that’s when things go wrong.

What is the Great Perhaps and how do we get out of the labyrinth? That’s the question Miles and his friends try to figure out as they cope the biggest loss

they have ever encountered in their lives.

Although I was torn between my love for John Green’s works and but this particular book was rather anticlimactic and predictable. The characters were well developed though and

my personal favorites were Miles’ narration and the dialogues between the characters.

Looking for Alaska is a story about coming of age, first loves, friendship and death. It’s the type of story in which you either love or don’t and this particularly reader didn’t.

book review

LookingforAlaska

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movie review

BRAVE What would you do if an old tradition requires you to be betrothed to another? Try to change your fate through magic, perhaps? Or at least that’s what Meredith did.

Set in Celtic Scotland, Meredith is a 16 year old princess that is a wild lass at heart living under the strict tutelage of her mother, which every girl could relate. I mean, all mothers want their daughters to strive for perfection right? Except, Meredith is a princess and like all royalty, she has to go through princess lessons and lack of freedom which she tolerates but draws the line at the topic of marriage.

Pixar has outdone itself with the animation in Brave. The details in every scene were mesmerizing – the Scottish highlands and Meredith’s wild, fiery hair leaves a lasting impression.

Although the storyline was cute and enjoyable, it lacked progression throughout the movie and the ending was rather anti climactic. The beginning of the movie promised an epic adventure of a princess, considering it started with a curse, archery and magic.

All in all, Brave is an inspiring coming of age movie that reflects a mother – daughter relationship that we’d recommend you to watch with your mothers. Afterall, it didn’t win an Academy Award for naught. Meredith’s also the first Disney princess without a Prince Charming. And as Meredith says, “There are those who say that fate is something beyond our command.

That our destinies are not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it.”

movie review

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we’re currently loving

The Middle East Film and Comic Con:

We’re loving the growing nerd and pop culture population in the Middle East

and we’re so glad that’s in our very own city. Tell us, are you planning to join in on the fun and mayhem next

year? Better yet, are you going to Cosplay?

Dumb Ways to Die:It’s a bit morbid, but it’s too cute of a song to pass on. Can’t stop listening to it! Check out the video on Youtube.

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Maybelline’s latest mascara product: One by One Volume Express. For a drugstore makeup product, there’s no denying that it’s one of the best mascaras in the market so far.

C.O. Bigelow’s SalveIt comes in two flavours, Rose

and Lavender A multi purpose salve that keeps any part of skin moisturised. Great for dry

lips, especially during the summer! We’re really loving the vintage

apothecary style kind of packaging too!You can get from Bath and Body

Works.

Wedge SneakersYou either love it or hate it. And here at SHU?! we’re loving this sporty, versatile look that can spice up any outfit. Did we mention they’re really comfy too? You can wear it all day!

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