Women & World

Lemon - A Miracle For Beautiful Hair And Skin

2006-04-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

by: Sharon Hopkins

Even though we go out in the market to get the most appropriate beauty products for ourselves, sometimes we just have to look in our own homes for a better solution. To our very own surprise we may find it too in our own backyard. We are talking about the tiny lemon.

For ages this lemon has been used as one of the foremost and most useful beauty product we can imagine. With its rich content of nutrients it helps you with your skin as well as your hair. Lemon by itself or with any other ingredient makes a very good amalgamation for skin or hair care.

It is so common that anyone or everyone can use it. One cannot say that only the rich and famous were able to make good use of it. It has good amount of Vitamin C which makes things easier if you want to have lovely and ravishing skin.

It is very good cleanser as the nutrients does wonder internally as well as externally. Due to the good work done for our digestive system it helps in giving a very clean and clear skin. If you mix lemon in a glass of warm water and drink it everyday, it will help in clearing the toxins from your body.

By cutting a lemon and rubbing it on your skin and keeping it for nearly an hour would help in removing the sun tan. It will also help in reducing your chances of wrinkles and treating the ever growing blemishes. It would work even better if you happen to rub olive oil before rinsing. It acts as a bleaching agent so avoid using this mixture before going in the sun.

Lemon is a good for your hair too, as it helps in removing dandruff. Rubbing or massaging lemon juice on your hair regulates the blood in your head helping in hair growth. The glands are regulated too which help in producing oil to have a beautiful and shiny hair.

As it helps in stimulation lemon has been used in many of the aromatherapy soaps and oil to rejuvenate you in every aspect. If you have brittle nails rubbing sliced lemon everyday would help you with a much stronger and sturdier nails. You can try one of the common treatments for the nails by soaking them in lemon juice for 10 minutes and then brushing them with equal parts of vinegar and warm for good shape.

It is also used to remove blackheads. If you rub lemon juice over blackheads, keep it overnight and rinse it in the morning it will help you tremendously. Continue doing this every night till the blackheads are gone. It can also be used as a breath mint. Squirt some lemon juice in your mouth and swirl it in your mouth for sometime and then drink it. This method would help in getting rid of your bad breath.

Lemon is acidic; one should use it in proper proportions. It acts as an astringent which may not be good in excess quantity. Before trying any of these remedies please see to it that you are not allergic to it.

Sharon Hopkins the webmaster of http://www.hair-n-skin-care.com can help you take care of your hair and skin problems. The benefits of different household items and how useful they turn out to be is what we get to learn. Lemon is useful for our skin, hair and any problems with our digestive system.

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Electrolysis - A Choice for Permanent Hair Removal

2006-04-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

by: Tamra Cantar

Electrolysis - A Choice for Permanent Hair Removal

First off, this isn’t that thing you studied in physics class relating to anodes and cathodes and some guy called Faraday. Here, electrolysis means one of the most popular and effective ways to permanently remove unwanted hair. Electrolysis has an outstanding track record of success and over a century of tested safety and effectiveness.

The reason that it’s so popular is that it’s fundamental. A hair-thin metal probe is inserted into the hair follicle and an electrical charge is delivered. This damages the follicle and inhibits its ability to produce hairs.

Supervised by a professional (the process is very tricky and there’s some pretty serious training involved) electrolysis is almost always successful, and the vast majority of consumers experience permanent results.

However (there’s always a however, right?), there are certain disadvantages, and a good deal of myth flying around when it comes to this kind of hair removal. First up, it’s not painless. Some customers manage without pain killers, others definitely do not. It’s no picnic for your bank balance, either. A simple session can cost $150, and for the more advanced processes, there could be a bill of between $2000 and $20000.

Regulations for electrologists vary by state, so it can be tricky tracking down the right one for the job. Be sure you’re confident, because poor application can result in partial-to-full re-growth, a spread of infection, even lasting skin damage. Done properly, electrolysis shouldn’t even puncture the skin.

Beyond this, the process can be mind-numbingly tedious, and in some cases, completely ineffective. A large area of hair is tough to treat, and since there are so many variables relating to your personal follicle characteristics and the amount of epilation (hair removal) you seek, accurate re-growth rates are almost impossible to determine. It’s true that the vast majority of consumers are happy with their results, but published studies show that around 8% are not satisfied. There’s nothing official to guarantee 0% re-growth, so don’t trust anyone who claims it.

It’s probably worth mentioning that home electrolysis kits, the ones that look like mechanical pencils with a 9-volt battery, are almost never recommended. Put simply, the chances of success are much less, while all the risks are increased. So, while you’re searching for a registered, state-licensed hair removal professional, how about a bit of science?

There are actually three types of energy used in electrolysis. Galvanic alters the salt and water in the skin around the probe to produce sodium hydroxide, or lye, which, if there’s enough, can damage the cells that cause re-growth. Thermolysis works by vibrating the water in your skin, and heating it until the cell is damaged. Blend is a kind of hybrid of these, which heats the lye to make it more caustic. This is probably the most effective method, and therefore the most deserving of the right professional application.

The bottom line? Electrolysis works, but you have to use your head. St. Louis ophthalmologist Charles Michel was practicing it back in 1875, so it shouldn’t be too scary. Take your time, do your research, and check out the big guys:

AEA (American Electrology Association)

IGPE (International Guild of Professional Electrologists)

SCME (Society of Clinical and Medical Electrologists)

ESNE (Electrolysis Society of the Northeast)

IBE (International Board of Electrologists)

COPE (Canadian Organization of Professional Electrologists)

Tamra Cantar is a freelance writer on topics of interest and has a website dedicated to providing the visitor with useful information and resources for hair removal. Visit http://electrolysis-hair-removal.GoHairRemoval.com for more information on electrolysis and other hair removal procedures.

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Day Spas - The Perfect Pampering Experience

2006-01-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

by: Daphne Succes

Around the world, day spas are attracting the attention of weary travelers, the overworked and anyone else in need of pampering. These getaway hot spots are usually nestled among mountainous, remote areas that are surrounded with rural serenity. Day spas often combine the luxurious spa experience with a full-service hotel and resort.

Spring-fed mineral baths, natural hot springs, a soothing Jacuzzi experience and mud baths are just a few of the amenities awaiting your arrival at day spas. For those who aren’t familiar with hot springs, these natural occurrences are often thought to have magical healing powers in their ability to sooth and comfort achy muscles, joints and provide an overall feeling of wellness.

For the day spa guest who wants to receive the full spa experience, a beauty and facial salon are available in most facilities. From manicures to pedicures and a complete line of skin treatments, both men and women can take advantage of these spectacular luxuries. Day spas aren’t just for adults, however, as there is always plenty for the children to enjoy. Among the activities include arcades, snacks and other fun activities that every youngster will like.

If you are thinking of paying a visit to a day spa, it’s a good idea to call ahead and make a reservation. If possible, call early so that there will still be space on the day that you choose to make the trip. Before visiting, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the spa’s hours of operation, availability of overnight accommodations, walk-in and cancellation policies, etc. All of this information can be obtained through a quick telephone call to the spa’s office or a visit to their website, if available.

As one may expect, the day spa experience comes with a price tag. The actual cost, however, will vary from one location to another and will largely depend on the amenities that you select. Price lists are often available verbally or online and payments are typically required in advance before your treatment(s) begin.

The majority of individuals choose to visit a day spa because they are looking for an escape from their otherwise hectic life, some time away from the job or just a vacation that includes some well-deserved pampering. No matter the exact reason, day spas are the perfect way to pamper your problems away. These luxurious treatments are continuing to gain in popularity, as is evident with the many resorts that have been built around their focus. In many areas, these resorts are a leading source of revenue for the community and the businesses around it.

About The Author

Daphne Succes, Writer, Business Owner, Motivator and Self-Starter Independent Consultant for Passion Parties http://www.daphnespassion.com.

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A Beach Wedding - It's Your Day - Have It Your Way!

2006-01-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

by: Cindy English

For years tradition has dictated what was 'acceptable' when planning a wedding. The long white gown, the programmed church ceremony, the rented reception hall with the arranged seating and the sky high wedding budget were all considered to be proper wedding etiquette.

Well it is the year 2006 and those traditions are fast falling by the wayside! Today your wedding can be anything you want it to be. Pastel wedding gowns are definitely "in". Your wedding ring does not have to be a diamond. Your reception doesn't have to be a stodgy sit-down affair and you guests don't need to be afraid to cough during the deafening quiet as you exchange vows.

Today, beach weddings are becoming very popular as more and more savvy couples opt for less traditional, more relaxed settings for their big day. Beach weddings can be much cheaper, less stressful, and just all around plain fun. They allow you to involve everyone in the activities. Guests are not restricted to sitting quietly in their seats. They can actually be a part of the celebration!

A beach wedding allows you total creative freedom and there are so many ways to go.

You may choose and elegant sunset ceremony with a formal reception under a grand white tent illuminated by candle light and tiki torches. You may choose to just 'cut loose' with an afternoon 'fun-in-the-sun' beach party by exchanging your vows at the water's edge, spreading the beach towels and having a barbeque reception.

Your gown may be a beautiful Hawaiian "holoku", a beach wrap, sarong or a simple sundress.

Your wedding cake might be a tiered cake, a sheet cake, a sculpted cake, individual mini cakes, cupcakes or even cookies!

Your favors may be elegant chocolate shells or sand dollars tied in pretty tulle bags or just plain fun items such as sunglasses, mini beach pails and sunscreen.

Your music may be as simple as bringing a great sound system and playing your own favorites or you may choose to "limbo" to the sounds of an authentic steel drum band playing Calypso and Reggae music.

Your theme may have a Caribbean or Hawaiian flavor, or you may choose to incorporate your own favorites such as dolphins, mermaids, lighthouses or sea creatures. You could have a western beach wedding and leave on horseback. Have a nautical wedding and sail away into the sunset. Oh, there are just so many possibilities!

If you are lucky enough to live on or near a beach already, you are halfway there. If you don't, not to worry, there are endless locations that offer beautiful wedding packages to fit your budget.

By the way...don't rule out your beach wedding ideas because you don't live near an ocean or can't afford to go to one. The definition of a beach is - "the shore of a body of water, especially if sandy or pebbly". That includes lakes and rivers. For that matter, you may have a "beach" by your swimming pool. There are no rules. Be creative!

As with everything in life, there are pros and cons to having a beach wedding. They are nothing to worry about, just be aware of them and plan for them. Your wedding day will be a wonderful and joyous event!

Just remember...it is your beach wedding! It can be anything you want it to be - wherever you want it to be! Most of all...have fun!

Cindy English is the publisher of:
http://www.Beach-Wedding-Themes.com Beach wedding themes full of fun, fantasy and romance!
http://www.All-Florida-Beach-Weddings.com Plan your wedding celebration in Paradise!

© Copyright 2005-06 by Cindy English

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Brazilian Bikini Wax

2006-01-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

by: Tamra Cantar

The Brazilian Bikini Wax has a well-earned reputation for being jarring and intensely painful for the first-time experimenter. Just the name, Brazilian Bikini Wax, is evocative of pain and oddly animalistic nature in any hair removing social circle. But just what is a Brazilian Bikini Wax?

A Brazilian Bikini Wax is the process by which women remove all (READ: All) hair from the Bikini area of the body – other wise known as the area that standard underwear covers.

Here’s how Brazilian Bikini Waxing works:

The practitioner will invite you into the procedure room and have you lay on a table, just like in any doctors’ or gynecologists’ office. Make sure that the table has a paper drape on it to provide cleanliness for you from other patients.

Your practitioner will ask you to remove your clothes from the waist down. Remove ALL of your clothes, including your underwear. He or she will then ask you to lay on the table with your knees to your chest. Using a hot wax, she will remove all of the hair from the backside of your bikini area. (Never thought you had hair there? Don’t worry – everyone does.)

Once your practitioner has successfully removed all of the hair from the backside of your bikini area, he or she will then continue with the Brazilian Bikini Wax in the front. First, he or she will trim your pubic hair until it is about one quarter of an inch long. The wax needs only about one quarter of an inch of hair to cling to during the removal process.

Using the same hot wax he or she applied to your backside, your practitioner will apply the hot wax to the front region of your bikini area. Using a gauze or cotton strip, he or she will then rip the hair out of the skin by the root until all hair is removed. Most Brazilian Bikini Wax technicians will then remove any stray strands of hair with tweezers. It can feel odd to have a stranger plucking at your private region with tweezers, but remember, this is business.

The entire procedure will take only about 15 minutes. Once it’s over, you may still feel pain for up to an hour, as the sensitive region has just been yanked and pulled. As with any sort of waxing, the top layer of skin has also been removed, so you will feel an added tingle combined with a feeling of softness to the touch.

Follow the procedure with baby powder or mineral oil to help soothe the skin. Brazilian Bikini Waxes are popular because of the thorough job, but notorious for the pain and short-term discomfort.

After the Brazilian Bikini Wax, you can expect to be smooth and clean for about one to two weeks before the area starts to grow back with a five o’clock shadow. It’s important that between visits to the Brazilian Bikini Wax specialist, you do not mess with the hair in the area. Instead, let the hair grow out to about a quarter of an inch so that the process can be done again.

As always with any hair removal procedure: good luck and keep at it!

Tamra Cantar is a freelance writer on topics of interest and has a website dedicated to providing the visitor with useful information and resources for hair removal. Visit http://bikini-hair-removal.GoHairRemoval.com for for more information on waxing and other hair removal techniques.

How To Be Beautiful On A Budget

2006-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

by: Daphne Succes

Gone are the days that you actually have to earn a red carpet income just to look as dazzling. Everyday life doesn’t include glamorous dresses and million dollar diamond earrings, but women still want to feel that beautiful. With the exception of a haircut, you can do most things at home that can be done at expensive nail salons, tanning beds and beauty shops. Best of all, you can achieve the look you want on a budget that you can afford.

Every woman loves the look of perfectly manicured nails, but few have the time or budget to treat themselves to a regular salon visit. For less than $5.00, women can manicure their own nails at home and, with practice, they will look just as fantastic as any professional manicure. A bottle of pure white nail polish, which can cost as little as $2.00, along with a light or sheer basecoat color (usually sheer pink or other neutral shade) will do the trick. Apply the basecoat to the entire nail in 1-2 coats. If the first coat isn’t dark enough, apply a second and allow drying before adding the tip. When using the white nail polish for the tip, it is very important to follow the natural curve of the nail tip when painting. If your nails are short, it may be okay to add a very small tip with the white polish but don’t go overboard. The total cost of two bottles of nail polish may be under $5.00 if you shop carefully and, best of all, these will last long enough to do many at-home manicures. When someone asks where you have your nails done, you can say “at home” with a smile.

Have you ever had a blemish or other skin imperfection? Sure you have, along with everyone else. But, few people know that concealer is not the only way to hide those little flaws that seem to sneak up on us. If you use an all-in-one foundation/powder makeup, you can achieve a smooth and flawless application by dampening the makeup sponge. Before swiping it through the foundation, hold the sponge under running water and squeeze it gently. When the makeup is on the sponge, it will provide better coverage than a typical dry sponge will do. This procedure can flawlessly conceal redness, acne, light freckles, veins, pores, etc.

A lot of individuals suffer with dry, itchy skin. This is true during both the winter and summer months. It can be difficult to select a moisturizer that will also help to ease the pain of dry, cracked skin. Pacquin Plus Dry Skin Cream, which costs $6.00 per 8oz. container, provides instant relief to this problem.

Rather than spending a lot of money on a monthly gym membership, many fitness gurus finds that a daily 30-minute walk will help to burn calories and chase away the blues at the same time. Having always been known as a popular cardiovascular exercise, walking will also help individuals achieve a better overall fitness level without having to worry about other dangers associated with using some types of exercise equipment. Plus, walking is free so you can save the money that would otherwise be spent on a gym membership and buy a swimsuit to show off your new figure.

With a little planning and budget, every woman can look as though she is red carpet ready without spending a fortune. And as for the diamond earrings, go for cubic zirconia instead. They are much less expensive and have no inclusions.

Daphne Succes, Writer, Business Owner, Motivator and Self-Starter Independent Consultant for Passion Parties http://www.daphnespassion.com.

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The World of the Geisha

2006-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

by: Tom Takihi

Yasunari Kawabata's crystalline novel Snow Country relates a love affair between an aloof dilettante and what is known as an onsen, or "hot-spring", geisha; and much of the novel's relentless melancholy arises from the onsen geisha's low place on the geisha totem pole. The dilettante is slumming, in other words, and his girl, though adept at the typical and treasured art of shamisen-playing, drinks and talks too boldly for a woman of her station.

The phenomenal success of Arthur Golden's novel Memoirs of a Geisha and now the recent movie release- has rekindled the public's interest in these secretive and seductive creatures, just as their species seem destined to receive the coup de grace suffered by so many things traditionally Japanese. No ear is so trained as that hoping to hear dying words.

For their part, some Japanese are not so keen on being identified with their wobbly, porcelain quasi-prostitutes. They would prefer to stand for artistic virtuosity or technical mastery. Yet there is no reason for Japan to be ashamed of this unique contribution to international culture. Where would the world be without The Mikado or Madame Butterfly?

Like many Asian countries, Japan has imported two extraordinarily unsuccessful ideas from the West. First, that marriage should be based on romantic love. Second, that marital infidelity is grounds for divorce if not damnation. Marriage, when it was not purely an economic contract between families, was based upon the necessity of producing and supporting children. The husband won the bread that the wife then distributed; and the husband was expected and even encouraged to seek amour and more elsewhere. According to the system's logic, no one woman can be an angel with the children, a maid in the kitchen, a whore in the bedroom, and a wit in the salon.

No doubt the system has its faults as a solution to the problem of the sexes. It scoffs at gender equality and tends to fester with ugly jealousies. But it also has its virtues. It accounts for the fact that men and women, for the time being anyway, are endowed with markedly different equipment and instructions for its proper use. And Asia has a far lower rate of divorce than the West.

The function of the geisha is to provide men with learned but carefree conversation, song and dance, and cup after cup of sake. Unlike the common lot of prostitutes, they are expected to receive rigorous training in their gei, or "art". Their dress is elaborate and expensive, and thus their services do not come cheap. And sex is not a service, or at any rate not the foremost service, that they offer. Though Western civilization has occasionally seen figures similar to the geisha - the Greek hetaerae and the French femmes savantes -- there is no modern Western equivalent.

It would be easy to see the geisha as a potent symbol of the patriarchal or depraved nature of Asian societies. But two Western women, Liza Dalby and Lesley Downer, both authors of books titled Geisha, succeed in transcending such a simple condemnation. Both women take pains to anticipate the objections of feminists as well as puritans. Downer, a Briton with an unfortunate surname, often admits that Anglo-Saxon sensibilities are an austere deviation from the groovy global norm, while the American Dalby uses her own straitlaced homeland for contrast. Still, Downer bristles a little. One of her favorite words is "louche", a rather pretentious synonym for disreputable or indecent; she is frequently "aghast." When a plucky band of geisha torture her with their second-hand cigarette smoke, she worries as every good immortal should. Dalby smokes, or smoked (her book was originally published in 1983, and was apparently reissued to meet the demand created by Golden's novel); and she has the added advantage of having been the only non-Japanese geisha, ever. Her work is part anthropology, part autobiography; Downer's is a mix of history and journalism.

The Japanese have earned a reputation as sober, hard-working people. But they play equally hard, and some of them are far from sober. Geisha are expected to hold their drink with the fortitude of Hemingway while their clients drink themselves under prohibitively low tables -- and the quicker, the better. Dalby describes a drinking game involving rounds of rock-scissors-paper, in which the loser must gulp a cup of sake (which is usually about 30 proof.) But don't call your travel agent yet! There are proprieties to be observed. Solitary drinkers are aberrant. So are the abstemious among the already drunk. And a drunk geisha is just as gauche as a sober one: witness Kawabata's lush in Snow Country.

Japanese sexual attitudes are, or were, marked by a similar mixture of abandon and restraint. Before the advent of stodgy God-fearing foreigners, the Japanese condoned prostitution, naked communal bathing, and, at least as Downer has it, homosexuality. Nor did they regard one's sexual habits as a matter for public scrutiny. Downer cites the saying "There's no personality below the navel": what a person does with his nether parts should not decide whether he is a person of parts.

A great deal of this liberality has been eroded by Japan's misguided efforts to appear civilized to the "hairy barbarians" of the West. Modern obscenity laws, for example, require that pubic hair appearing in pornographic magazines be blacked out. And more than one recent politician has been toppled by the disclosure of his sexual indiscretions. But in some ways the Japanese were more prudish to begin with. Kissing, for instance, was seen as an intimate, strictly private act.

Legal prostitution was officially abolished in 1957, although of course it continues to be practiced. Recently Time Asia dedicated an article to Japan's seeming rise in schoolgirl prostitution, although the schoolgirls in question were rather complacent about it. According to Dalby, from 1600 to 1867 "prostitution was legal, but only if properly licensed and controlled." Ironically some European countries are now reverting to this policy in the interest of public health.

The first geisha were men and appeared as early as the 1600s. When the first female geisha appeared in 1750, they constituted a threat to the established purveyors of men's entertainment, like the yujo, or "women of pleasure." For this reason the geisha were banned from having sexual relations with their customers. But the ban was bent, as Dalby here explains:

"shiro (white) geisha were purely entertainers, as opposed to korobi geisha, who 'tumbled' for guests; kido (gate) geisha stood at the entrances to carnivals, playing their shamisens to attract business, whereas joro (whore) geisha were probably not hired for their musical skills. Around 1770, the former dancing girls (odoriko) of the feudal towns began to be called machi geisha...[who] in turn had other nicknames, such as neko, 'cat,' a word that could be written with characters implying the possibility of pussy...."

The status quo was abolished well before prostitution. In 1947, the United States drafted Japan's new constitution. To a degree that may surprise exhausted American advocates of ERA, the Japanese constitution stressed equality of the sexes. Japanese women were given the vote and arranged marriages were given the boot. Of course, women had always exercised indirect political power by whispering into the ears of their sake-soaked samurai. "The essence of the feminine ideal," Downer writes mischievously, "is to make a man think that he is the one who has the brilliant ideas." The red-light districts were the clandestine headquarters of many of Japan's revolutionary movements, and geisha, renowned for their secrecy, often served as their guardians and confidantes. "The notion of a geisha as simpering slave to male whim," writes Dalby, "is an absurd stereotype found outside Japan."

Despite legal equality, the Japanese genders maintain widely disparate roles. The geisha perseveres, and for good reason: the lifestyle has its charms. For one, being a geisha seems to be more fun than being a wife. "I'd rather be here than be an old lady whose children have gone off and married," declares a geisha in Dalby's book, "and be stuck at home now with a crotchety old husband." Many women choose the lifestyle because they can thereby pursue an interest in a traditional art. "They are among the few Japanese women," writes Dalby, "who have managed to attain economic self-sufficiency and positions of authority and influence on their own merits."

Dalby stops short of calling them feminists, but if a feminist is simply a woman who, rather than attempting to imitate men, derives a certain power from her essential femininity, then the label may be an apt one. (Forget for the moment that certain academics have said femininity is not essential but "constructed"; and that were it not for our machinations, little girls everywhere would lift weights and fly fighter planes, and little boys would replenish empty ice trays and learn how to listen.)

Feminists or not, the geisha aim at a cultivation of harmony and pleasure. They are social lubricants made flesh. And central to their ethic is the notion of ukiyo, originally a Buddhist term connoting the transitory nature of existence. But ukiyo evolved into the idea that, as Dalby writes, "life may be disagreeable and impermanent, but as we have to live it anyway, we might as well enjoy it and indulge in what worldly pleasures there are." It is a sophisticated hedonism born of pessimism, but with a very Eastern metaphysical basis: ukiyo may be translated as "floating world."

Both geisha books are comprehensive accounts of a world that Downer thinks is vanishing and that Dalby thinks is merely at ebb. Both books also offer a picture of Japanese culture as a whole. From Dalby we learn that sake is an essential part of the Japanese marriage ceremony; that 'boyfriend' in Japanese is boifurendo; that Japanese humor relies greatly on punning; and that the Japanese may have multiple names, one for each of their social roles. As a woman, Dalby is known as Kikuko; but as a geisha she goes by Ichigiku.

Downer discusses gaman, the Japanese ideal of enduring present circumstances rather than modifying or complaining about them. And she provides an explanation for why so many of Kawabata's characters are endlessly coughing blood: around his time, tuberculosis "caused 50 percent of deaths from illness in Japan".

"No one forces a geisha to do what she doesn't want to," announces Kawabata's onsen geisha. "It's entirely up to the geisha herself." This would be inspiring if it were true. But one thing that geisha are, or were, forced to do is undergo mizu age, or "ritual deflowering." And stealing their chrysanthemums is not what is meant. In mizu age, a trusted man is enlisted to break the maidenhead of a maiko, or apprentice geisha. Dalby again rushes to defend the practice: after all, she says, is this any worse than losing your virginity to some horny, clumsy adolescent in the back seat of a Chevy? Ladies?

It is an object of infinite wonder that human beings, so very similar in so many ways, have devised so many different ways of making life more than what it is at bottom, which according to T.S. Eliot is "Birth, and copulation, and death. / That's all, that's all, that's all, that's all." When future civilizations dig through the ugly rubble we have left behind, it is to be hoped that they will discover one of the famous geisha woodcuts. For then they will have to admit that some of us knew briefly what was meant by elegance or - do I dare to utter a double entendre? - class.

About The Author

Tom Takihi started http://www.GeishaBlog.com in order to engage Westerners in the discovery of authentic Japanese culture, as it is today.

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