2004 All Woman

It’s still the beginning of a new year, and so technically you’re still allowed to produce fantasy lists (resolutions) about the changes you want to make in your lives! Those things you know you should do, things you really want to do to substantially improve your quality of living but just can’t seem to put your fingers on? Not to worry, All Woman has your back! We’ve come up with a little sampling of 15 things to do for a change in 2004.

READ IT

Put down those predictable, trashy romances for a minute: this year feast your mind on some quality reading. Some of these books aren’t available here so you might have to buy them online or get them from abroad.

The Unprofessionals: A Novel (Random House)

Julie Hecht’s powerful chronicle of the strange friendship, conducted primarily by phone conversations, between an unnamed neurotic narrator and her best friend, an equally neurotic 21 year-old heroin-addicted boy, is storytelling turned on its ear.

Songs of Silence (Heinemann)

Local author Curdella Forbes’ well-written collection of linked stories about observations of life in 1960s rural Jamaica, seen through the eyes of a young girl it will fill every Jamaican with nostalgia whether you’re from town or the country.

The five people you meet in heaven (Hyperion)

Perfect for a book club discussion, Mitch Albom’s novel takes everything we’ve been taught about heaven and the afterlife and turns it upside down in this uniquely original tale about life and our interconnectedness with each other.

The Sensuous Woman – (Dell)

Think you know everything there is to know about freeing your body and pleasing a man in bed? This somewhat dated book by ‘J’ is timeless in its insights and advice for letting loose the inner “bad girl” trapped in the best of all “good girls.”

SEE IT

Soaps are fun and so, too, are fluff movies and those Moment of Truth melodramas on Lifetime. But for 2004, change your viewing choices.

Sex and the City – DVDs of all five seasons. If you’re not already a diehard fan of the show, it’s time to catch up with the Fab Four sinning and winning in the sexiest city in the world before the season ends this year.

Art exhibitions. Enrich your life by supporting the works of local artists at their exhibitions. There are a wide variety of galleries here, including Grosvenor, The Bolivar, Mutual, The Art Centre. Take time to discover them. You can keep abreast of shows by checking the Do Go See supplement and the SunDay magazine of The Observer.

HEAR IT

Take the listening experience to another level this year with the following CDs.

Surrender to Love – Kindred. Fantastic new group consists of husband and wife duo, Aquil Diya and Aja Fatin with incredible vocals about love, trust and spirituality and blow-you-out-the-water instrumentation. Far Away and I am, alone are worth the price.

Ask a woman who knows – Natalie Cole is back with an elegant jazzy-blues set and mature sound that will go well in the CD player in your car coming home from a hard day at the office. Tell me about it is one of the sexiest songs ever sung.

Dangerously in love – The hype surrounding Beyonce’s solo effort is founded. The girl has a ‘dangerous’ set of pipes; the sister can sing. The album is worth buying if only to appreciate the chronicling of the life of a girl transitioning to a young woman. Me, myself and I has to be the woman’s anthem of the 2000s.

BUY IT

Invest in at least one of the following: a good piece of jewellery, sexy underwear or lingerie, foundation garments, a killer pair of Do-Me-Now shoes, new crockery, a bottle of expensive liquor, a painting.

DO IT

Massage – Body, as well as hand massages are relaxing and good for the soul.

Baths – Take less showers. Throw in bubbles, oils and scented candles and take ‘me’ time to DE-STRESS.

Give yourself a boost – Do something you’ve never done before, like a makeover, colour your hair, sing at a karaoke evening, plan a sit-down dinner party or a picnic to Hope Gardens with friends.

Pay attention to your health – It’s easy to overlook basic appointments every woman should keep. Write down in your diary dates for your visits to the doctor, dentist and gynecologist.

Have bigger, better orgasms – Make it a goal to improve your sex life, which can often get neglected if you’re in a steady, longtime relationship. Plan creative seductions for you and him and spend time thinking not only about how good it can be for you, but also how much better you can make it for him!