Wednesday 7 September 2016

A glimpse of my favourite person - Audrey Hepburn


FROM THE DESK  OF THE IMAGE CONSULTANT FEEXA NICOLL
#theimageconsultantfeexanicoll
#thisismysay
#lifestyleguru

Have I told you, apart of being an Image Consultant , I am also a Numerologist - not just a bit of knowledge, I am actually able to guess many things just by putting two and two together from the birthdate. Nope you don't have to believe me.

Audrey Hepburn was born on 4th May 1929 - exactly 39 years later I was born on the 4th May too - go figure how old I really am - Nowadays I don't care about who gives a damn because I do exactly how and what  I feel - If anyone is offering me to give back my 25 years of age, I would decline - no way, not again, my body may be able to do a 2 days straight of clubbing at that time but my brain wouldn't be able to withstand any mental tortures the way I could now.



Being born on the 4th May has given us a similar personality (fefeeling perasaan) - but true that ..... (if I was born in the USA, I would have become an actress but to be one over here in Malaysia?  years ago? you've got to be kidding me)  - so back to Audrey Hepburn, a fashion icon and a Humanitarian,  with grace and talents - Unfortunately I would need to go to Ethiopia and join the hunger game to have
her weight  (nope nothing funny about this) - Aren't we similar?  Confident is an art too that I have mastered over the years - either you have it or you don't. I have aplenty. hikhik!

My birthdate pointed out I took a lot of risks - I did it long before I knew it for sure! I did it all! The very things that people told me not to do !  And after all that,  I am still sane   hmmm maybe not !


From an Image Consultant perspective let me analysed this iconic icon whose birthdate I shared and some of the reasons why we still love Audrey Hepburn. The answer to this question is only obvious in hindsight, the actress achieved not only worldwide fame, but also an iconic status as the symbol of classic-beauty-feminity. 




Millions of actresses aspire to this level of success and a few attain it. So why and how did Audrey Hepburn achieve what others only dream about? My answer is that she truly had it all: a unique, yet extraordinary beauty, charm. brains. talent, luck, compassion and character. 

There's nothing hocus focus about being a Numerologist, if you know me , and I hope you have the privilege to know all of me... The truth is I could be a bitch at times but my intention has always been clear and kind so you do not want to mess with the real deal.  After all your personality is in your birthdate if you are able to find yourself ...



Footnote: Feexa Nicoll is a certified Image Consultant and can be reached at hijabnthecity@gmail.com





Sunday 20 December 2015

TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE

Life has taught me a lesson or two. It  has saved me from myself. It has seen me stupid. It has seen me naïve. It has probed me to think mercilessly and lately it has seen me wiser.  Lately I am thinking in two dimension. Putting things into perspective and the truth is no one has ever been more wrong or right but ourselves. You will see what you allow yourself to see. You will be what you allow yourself to be. Even if you were so wrong where everybody else could easily see (krik krik) but  if Allah didn’t grant the privilege for you to see and right the wrongs, you could only  be who you allowed  yourself to be.  A jerk ! Got it? (Never mind  if you don’t understand what I am saying)

What is giving?  To give? To sadaqah? To part with what you own? To share? To handover? To commit?  To part with?  To cause or allow someone to have something.  All the synonyms of giving that you can find through Mr Google,  ahh my good friend (who never shouted Stupid ! Itu pun tak tau ke? Eheh?)




This is what my faith taught me because I know my blog is read by non Muslims too (I know about some bogus Quran translations that have been circulated to tarnish the image of Islam which claimed that the muslims are trained to be terrorists)  - seriously? Oh Please! The least you could do is to consult Mr Google, you are not that stupid are you?

Sadaqah (voluntary charity) is a virtuous deed in Islam.   In fact, it is considered as a proof of one’s eeman (faith).  The Prophet (s.a.w) sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said in the following authentic hadeeth:
  Abu Malik al-Ashari (r.a.) (radhi Allahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w)  said:  “Cleanliness is half of faith.  Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale. SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah) and Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) fill up what is between the heavens and the earth.  Prayer is a light. Charity is proof (of one’s faith).   Endurance is a brightness and the Qur‘an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves.”  (Muslim, 432)

BUT.
Sadaqah does not just mean to give because you have extras. Especially so - not because you have plenty of money (why so? Because then,  only the rich can give - which is not normally the case)

Sadaqah is not restricted to giving part of your wealth or material possessions or any special deed of righteousness.  Islam considers all good deeds as sadaqah that increase our eeman:

 Abu Musa narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)  said, “Every Muslim has to give in sadaqah (charity).” The people asked, “O Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w)! If someone has nothing to give, what will he do?” He said, “He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he earns).” The people further asked, “If he cannot do even that?” He replied, “Then he should help the needy who appeal for help.” Then the people asked, “If he cannot do that?” He replied, “Then he should perform all that is good and keep away from all that is evil and this will be regarded as charitable deeds.” (Bukhari Vol.  2, Hadith 524)

 The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: “To smile in the company of your brother is charity.  To command to do good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity.  To guide a person in a place where he can not get  astray is charity.  To remove troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity.  To pour water from your jug into the jug of your brother is charity.  To guide a person with defective vision is charity for you.” (Bukhari)



Don’t you see? Kindness is a form of charity too. It counts! To live with good values. It is charity ! Perhaps the best one that is! Do not be trapped into thinking that Allah’s promise that 1 (one) sadaqah in the form of money will be multiplied to 10 times of  the value of money you  have given  away .

In fact, Insyaallah, Allah may reward you in  the other aspects of your life too (not just  money) :
Good health, good friends who will guide you to Jannah, wisdom, intelligence, love and more love, positive energies, talents you don’t think you possessed before,  unexpected windfall etc etc to name a few. (So money shouldnt be the only thing you consider as the reward you should be getting.

In fact you may claim to be righteous and felt smug because you gave lotsa money to charity and dressed long and covered so visible to differentiate yourself as the most pious one (but that’s what you want -  for your deeds to be visible for others to see )  - unfortunately, that  doesn’t make you be to be  the best sadaqah giver, ever !  And only Allah will be the judged of your intention .Wallahuaklam.

Just before  I picked up Reach Out Malaysia from pieces in 2011, I was robbed off from  most of my possession. I lost a business, a car,  a house, my dignity.  I got cheated, stepped on etc etc. So much so I promised myself this. If I want to give away my possessions  I might as well do it so willingly to those people who deserved it. Not to crooks, liars, cheaters and of course bank loans (errrr ).

And that was how Reach Out Malaysia the 2nd generation was born. From kindness. Not money.   Allah the all knowing has allowed it to happen. For I am only his slave. He owns everything and will take whatever he feels like taking and will give whatever he feels like giving.


Disclaimer : I am not an Islamic scholar but rather I am practicing a common sense which is to be kind is the way to be ….

Wednesday 16 December 2015

REACH OUT MALAYSIA AND ME




Feexa Nicoll with volunteers  during one of the many midnight runs to feed the homeless on the street of Kuala Lumpur
So many questions that people have of me pertaining to Reach Out Malaysia !  If they know me personally, bole tanya la takde masalah….yang tak kenal pulak buat andaian.  Macam-macam cerita la itu ini but it didn’t bother me because people being people – at the end of the day.  people who loved to assume, would end up looking like an idiot (sorry not able to tone this word down, an idiot is an idiot or orang Melayu panggil bodoh sombong tahap dewata …) so there!  Have coffee with me and asked what you want to know. 

First thing first, me and Pete do not do this full time.   We have a  life apart from Reach Out Malaysia . Reach Out is a part of our lives. I am not the emotional kind to write on  FB status with tears in my eyes of the stories that I have heard or experienced with the street people. Nor will I   exaggerate things to have a more  sympathetic vote  to collect more  fund or popularity. I say things as they are. Straight to the point. Needing to get the job done. Detached is the word. I consider myself like a doctor.  Emotion aside and used it only when necessary.  (Sound like a Gestapo pulak) . But I am not in this because I am answering ‘the calling’ kunun but because of the realization that somebody needs to do it and some things need to be done. Rarely do I talked about it to give a sensational stories unless I was being asked personally to give a talk or something (even then I declined many times)  because of a job or a family commitment.

So much so it is not for the public to know and to own. I would make it sensational in my private moments while sharing it with good friends or my students(in my yoga class). Much to your surprise, I am not doing this as a favor to the homeless people but rather as  a favor to myself . To remind me that I have a responsibility to carry, to remind me to count my blessings, to remind me that regardless how  bad or how hard our lives are, there are worse things that have happened to others.  So if  ever wonder  why  I hardly whined nor cried  and errr  emotionless even, it is because I do it privately in a limited time. I did what I could. If I couldn’t, I moved on.  Redha dengan ketetapannya. Bila sudah berusaha , bertawakkal . If tak kesampaian, tak mengapa mungkin masanya belum tiba….

We are just like any other volunteers, me and Pete donating our expertise to contribute to this NGO . My overused method is infecting others with kindness, everybody is encouraged to do what they could. The smallest deeds count too. Very rarely money is involved unless it has been determined for it to be used to buy food or goods for the homeless. Otherwise no one would get paid or claimed on the things they have done. It is a simple concept. One that doesn’t need a business plan nor a long forecast. One that doesn’t need a group of staff to get things done.

The truth is, we are doing Allah’s work. A simple concept of Tawakkal that everything would only materialized with his commands or with his will (dengan kehendaknya dan keizinannya). Rezeki fakir miskin pun telah ditetapkan olehnya, kita hanyalah penyebabnya.  I am just lucky to be the middle person in between his will and his subjects. You really thought  this could be planned, seriously? You really thought we would know where the rezeki (in this context, food and goodies) would come from - day in and day out for 8 years for the thousands of homeless we served ?? There were many times I didn’t know but one thing I knew for sure, he has  made it possible. The food would  be directed to us without fail Insyaallah. And if it so happened, it wasn’t to be,  so be it.  Then ‘Redha’ took place. Simple.

What do you want to see? Me dramatizing things  as the unsung heroin and crying while telling the stories of the unfortunate ones for you to be sympathetic?  No you would  only be disappointed. Pete and me have gone through the ups and downs of life. We have struggled, we have balanced and they were many times, we felt like giving it all up because of the pressure we needed to carry. While it is so easy for people to say or to bitch about things, no one in their  right mind would carry the  unnecessary responsibilities for us . (Because then they will lose the right to point out when things go wrong) . Easier said than done.
So  you may not have the privilege  to hear the complete story on the things the things that  I have done for Reach Out because I do not have to report to anyone. My conscience is to  Allah. After all, I did it for all his mercies  that he has shown to me throughout my imperfect life. I owe it to him for being born to the life I have  now (and then) -  (Not that it is the best one but nevertheless it is still a life that  I should be thankful fo, r rather than wasting my energy  wanting more)

So nope, my husband Pete does not do this full time. He has a job.  We did this after our working hours. Reach Out has got  not much money in our bank account pun.  We have to use most or  all the money to buy food or whatever necessary for the homeless.  Our  Run Leaders are not paid as well. They too raised food in their own circle of friends and people who support the good things they do.

We don’t own Reach Out. It belongs to the homeless people of  the streets of KL and Klang. We are not owned by the Government or Corporations. We are on our own. We just do it. Because we can.

Operating every day, 365, Reach Out volunteers walk the streets of Malaysia seeking out those who need assistance to make it through another day. 

Feexa Nicoll
Co Founder of Reach Out Malaysia

Footnote : REACH OUT MALAYSIA – AN NGO BASED IN MALAYSIA ( We are operated mainly by the words of mouth and from a private FB Group account)

“ASSISTING THOSE IN NEED SINCE 2008”.

“To implement programmes to deliver relief from hunger, pain, or abuse, dealing with not only the symptoms but the causes of such, through physical On Street Programmes, Awareness Campaigns, Educational Programmes, and relationships with other likeminded organizations, to provide nurture and training to the urban and rural poor and those that are in fear or in need, regardless of race, gender, religion, or culture”.

Friday 11 July 2014

THE FASHIONABLE ACTIVIST

I work in a fashion,  beauty and health industry . I don't blame it  if people sometimes think most of those who work in this industry are just vain and full with hot  air . They think they are so bagus just because they look good or know this people and that people ... Yup these bunch are just so  insecure and all they did is comparing themselves with others... even I cannot stand them!! Well not all Fashionistas like this la... some are nice like me ...(ehehe)

Reach Out Malaysia's volunteers-at-work
Feexa Nicoll feeding cats during one of the
Reach Out 's food distribution -
we also feed the street cats apart from the homeless.
She is also the Co-Founder of Reach Out Malaysia

President Reach Out Malaysia - Pete Nicoll with Iskandar from Hope Box




Me loves catties !!

Catty ! Catty! Meow! Grrrr ! Ngeowwwwww !!!!

Moral of the story is that some people think there are better than the others. They acted high and mighty with their expensive stuff and coiffed hair or coiffed high -tudung with rambu ramba macam langsir and walked the earth like as if it belongs to them .... who called our homeless friends pemalas, drug addicts and busuk  yadda yadda ... who are so sure that they are the chosen ones to live the way they are kaya with many pairs of shoes...
I have one word for you kesiannnnn ......Because they lack compassion, empathy and passion... they need to be  fake individuals throughout  their life. One word for them ....kesiannnnn......


At night, after I threw my high heels away and put on my jeans, a Reach Out Malaysia T shirt and a pair of sneakers - I learnt how to count my blessings for  having the life I have (regardless how imperfect it is but it is a life I kinda like) - that I am still luckier than those who sleep on the streets. Right now in the country in this month of Ramadhan,  some people up there  thinks we shouldn't help or feed the poor on the streets of KL because we made the city dirty? huh?? You will ask why? Same way I did ....hmmph!

what's wrong with helping the poor? What's wrong to  get-together with your  friends and likeminded people to do what we can to help?

You know why?? People are more used to see bad things being done to each other such as bribery, abused, war, insecurity against kindness etc. They don't believe in compassion  anymore because their inner parts are already infected with  rotten eggs so stinky that they become stinky people... So much so when people do good, they questioned and disbelieved because those are the things they know nothing about....to them everything they do is with agendas behind it ...

I am not implying on anything....Im just saying ...really ...



For a week I have been fighting for Reach Out Malaysia to let us the volunteers to carry on in doing what we have been doing for the past 8 years  in helping the homeless and the poor.... and in the spirit of Ramadhan ... please let me be patience God, I know I wasn't that good lately, been growling and scratching and almost swearing. But I just say nice things  like 'Duck You!' and 'What the Duck'! Sound nicer ....

Okay Im calm, Im calm.... Breath Inhale, exhale ... hey Im a Yoga Teacher so I know how to calm myself down.

Have a great buka today peeps!

Footnote:  https://www.facebook.com/ReachOutMalaysia

Sunday 3 November 2013

FROM HIJALYSTA FEEXA NICOLL'S VIEW : IN SUPPORT OF SHEIKHA HUB

I am guilty as hell. Have been promising myself to blog. To be a consistent Fashion Blogger but I am the great Procrastinator !!  I first came across Sheikha Hub a  few months back in May I think! I was invited to the launching of the Sheikha Hub Brand and the 'Pemilihan Gadis Sheikha Hub' - The Final. On that day I have another function in Mary Kay - Party of the Year.  But I was greedy, I wanted to attend both.  So half way of Mary Kay Party of the Year I changed my clothes from the Rock and Roll  chic (which was the theme)   to being a  Hijabista and dragged my good friend Airul with me to the function at PUBLIKA.

Of course I was late (which is the normal occurrence)  but  we were on time for the Official Launching and the glam walk from the Finalists. They all wore Jovian Mandagie clothes which were simple and nice from the usual bling bling which what I was expecting ....

I admit that I was in the beginning a bit skeptical about the crowd.  Most of my other Hijab Fashionista's fashion function that I have attended much earlier were full of snobbish youngsters and  fashion bloggers who thought that they have made it happen because they had it easy! (They started fashion followers when there were fewer fashionistas so they had the upper hand  in creating their fan base etc etc) . But this Sheikha Hub function was different . Yes I saw the who's who etc but they were  from a mix crowd who have 'been there, done that' - so yup I felt instantaneously at home ....  no snobbish youngsters to snub their noses at me.... ( errr I am young but not that young ...well ok young at heart) .

Well, what was more refreshing,  the Sheikha Hub's crowned girl was an all rounder, intelligent , able to speak in English and not the typical under nourish thin girls YES !! finally the world has changed!!  Being real is more important than being 'in'.

So I did my job interviewing the girls yaddi yadda ....bla bla bla and off I whisked Airul to the nearest cafe for a cuppa coffee and to rest my feet after walking in my 5 inches leopard print high heels ...

With Suzie - The Hijabista Editor

With Nur Farahin Jamsari - one of the Judges 

The pretty Winners!

With Natasha Hudson - Sheikhahub Ambassador 

With  Sheikha's Model Search Winner Syira i

Me and the Finalists !!

A bit about Sheikha Hub:

Sheikha Hub aims to assist entrepreneurs to promote their businesses in Islamic Fashion - via online, on-ground events and educational assistance.

Mission
To provide a platform for Islamic fashion Entrepreneurs via offline(fashion shows, bazaar) and online.
To collaborate and gather the websites offering Islamic retail, trade and consultancy under one roof.
To identify upcoming designers of Islamic fashion.
To provide opportunities for regional and global exposure to the designers and Entrepreneurs.
To help and inspire small and new online start ups to flourish, through our “Give Back” programme (mentor-mentee sessions, forums)
To inspire these Enterpreneurs to be involved in charitable and community work.

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