M A N A A L A Y A
EVERY GROOMS BESTMAN
Page 01
Health Friday 21 August 2015
Be
mindful of sexual health
If you want to keep bringing
your A-game to the bedroom, sometimes you need more than just experience and
time on the “field.” When facing a “batting slump” or other problem that
prevents you from having intimacy, it’s time to call in an expert.
In addition to
damaging your ego, intimacy issues may signal more serious health conditions.
In most cases, these can be treated. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor
early on to determine the underlying cause, and develop a plan of action.
Erectile
dysfunction, also known as impotence, involves not being able to achieve or
maintain enough of an erection to have sex. To sustain an erection, the penis
needs good blood flow. Treatment for
erectile dysfunction involves first determining the underlying cause. This
includes dealing with obesity, smoking and other
risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Testosterone
deficiency syndrome, or hypogonadism, can affect not only your sexual
performance, but also your bone health, energy level, muscle strength and mood.
If you are having difficulty achieving or maintaining erections, your doctor
may also order a simple morning blood test to rule out low testosterone as the
underlying condition can be painful and may also prevent you from having
intimacy.
Deformation of
the penis is caused by scar tissue possibly the result of a previous injury that
appears as a hard lump, more frequently on the upper side of the penis. In most
cases, pain during erection goes away after one or two years, although the
curvature usually remains.
In the past,
surgery was one of the few treatment options available, with a risk of
significant side effects. New methods are currently being tested, though, such
as compounds that can be injected into the scar tissue. Men who experience an
erection lasting more than four hours should seek help in the emergency room.
Treatment needs to occur within eight hours of the start of an erection to
avoid permanent damage to the penis.
Treatment
options include draining excess blood from the penis with a needle, medication
to limit blood flow into the most common type of ejaculatory dysfunction is
premature ejaculation, one that occurs within two minutes of the start of
sexual stimulation. Around a third of men experience this at some point.
There are
currently few treatments for premature ejaculation. Antidepressant medication
is one option. Many sexual and performance issues can be “delayed, maybe even
prevented, by the usual things—diet and exercise, stopping smoking and keeping
weight down.
Even though
medication may still be needed, proper diet and exercise can boost both
testosterone levels and sexual function, as well as reduce the risk of other
conditions, such as prostate cancer.
Routine visits
to the doctor are also important, with regular screening for risk factors of
cardiovascular disease. As with many medical conditions, psychological issues
are part of male sexual issues no matter how physical it is. In this case, to
keep yourself in the game, you need to address not only the body, but also the
mind.
___________________________________________________________________________
Authored by Jai
Sunthush Abeyewardene – Advertising Copywriter + Art Director
Page 02 Finance Friday 21 August 2015
Buying Alcohol for Your Wedding
There are three basic types of wedding bars: beer and wine only,
full bar and the modified full bar. You don’t need every mixer under the sun or
every booze known to man and when picking alcohol to
stock your bar but knows your crowd.
If your family is definitely going to want to hit the tequila,
make sure you have tequila, plenty of limes and salt on hand. A serious crowd
of whiskey drinkers? Great, make sure to have more of it. And then, of course,
you’ll need beer and wine for both a modified full bar or for a beer and wine
only bar.
MODIFIED
FULL BAR
BOOZE: Whiskey, gin and vodka
OPTIONAL BOOZE: Rum and Tequila
MIXERS: Juice (usually orange or cranberry), soda (at least a cola), tonic water and club soda
GARNISHES: Lemons and Limes
OPTIONAL BOOZE: Rum and Tequila
MIXERS: Juice (usually orange or cranberry), soda (at least a cola), tonic water and club soda
GARNISHES: Lemons and Limes
BEER AND WINE
BAR (AND MODIFIED FULL BAR)
BEER: It’s nice to select at least two types of
beer (one dark or strong, one light) to provide options. You will also need to
consider bottles versus a keg. Bottles can be more expensive and some people
feel the beer doesn’t taste as fresh. However, kegs require a tap system
(either a pony keg or tap), which you’ll need to rent from the liquor store
where you bought the keg. Also, keg leftovers are much harder to deal with
and don’t keep for more than a day or two.
WINE: You’ll need at least one red wine and one
white, but you don’t need more than one varietal (or blend) of each, unless you
want to have them.
BUBBLES
(OPTIONAL): Cava from Spain, Prosecco from
Italy and sparkling wine from other non-Champagne regions are delicious
and they are almost always a better deal than French Champagne.
If you’re going to serve bubbles as a toasting-only option, you would
want about 4–5 ounces per person, per toast. Also, you don’t have to do a
bubbly toast, if you don’t want to. People can cheers with anything and
your marriage will still be official.
DAYTIME
WEDDINGS, SUNDAY WEDDINGS, WEEKDAY WEDDINGS
Generally, people will probably drink a little less at these
weddings, so round down your numbers. Get one case less than the calculations
say to.
SELF-SERVE BARS
If your bar is self-serve, be prepared for people to pour large
servings. Ditto if your bartender isn’t a pro. Wine glasses can run anywhere
from eight to thirteen ounces on average (the estimate of four
glasses per bottle in the infographic equals about six ounces per
serving). Drinking out of Mason jars? They’re huge and will definitely
encourage larger servings.
TIME AND LOCATION
Think about where you’ll be, when, and what the weather will be
like when you are figuring out how much to get of each kind of alcohol. Think
about what you would like to drink and remember to consider your
audience. During a hot spell, people will drink more white wine and bubbly, but
in cold weather, more red.
Authored by Jai Sunthush
Abeyewardene – Advertising Copywriter + Art Director
PPage 03 Fashion Friday 21 August 2015
Allowing you to look sleek and
commanding with a
touch of class
Whether you want to look sleek, commanding, prudent, with a touch of
class - in a designer Italian suit or show off your wild side with the most
unique, fashionable colors and styles, here you will find something at
MANAALAYA that will elevate you above the ordinary and allow you to express
your individuality.
If you are tired of the same old boring suits and footwear you find at
the malls and need a trend-setting hook up that will turn heads, then you are
at the right place!
At MANAALAYA you’ll find a unique and stylish clothing line that includes
the finest Italian suits sure
to make the right impression.
The unique suit selections are made from the finest wools, silks and
cashmeres for Quality, Style,
Satisfaction and Unbeatable Prices considered ... A Class Above The Best.
Authored by Jai Sunthush
Abeyewardene – Advertising Copywriter + Art Director
Page 04 Grooming Friday 21
August 2015
Grooming the Groom
Choosing the Correct Attire
Conventional wisdom has
always put forth that the wedding day is all about the bride. She has been
dreaming about this day for a long time, imagining all the details from shoes
to veil, vows to venue and everything in between.
The groom is usually in
charge of proposing, getting the ring, renting the tux and showing up. Suffice
it to say that there was a lot more work for the bride who had to do it all and
still look incredible on that day! But as perception changes, the grooms of the
world are sharing in the planning of the big day and want to look their very
best when saying “I do” in front of friends, family and the one they love.
Now that you have
proposed and set the date the next thing is to hit the gym! You have a window
of 6 months to a year to tone up and look your best. You may or may not know
your way around a gym but even a simple hour walk on the treadmill or riding
the stationary bike three times a week will help shape you up.
It may even be a couples
date night replacing an expensive meal of calorie laden appetizers and drinks.
You can put that money toward the wedding and honeymoon. This is not to say the
expectation is to transform from Clark Kent to a guy who looks good in a
superhero costume.
She has already said yes
to you! Just be the best version of you for her! Start with small steps and
keep at it. Also remember the mantra “It is all about the photos”. Years from
now you are going to revisit this day and hopefully what you will see is two
people very much in love and looking great! And you can brag about it to your
kids when asked to see the wedding album.
Now you may be feeling
good and looking good so step two is picking the suit or tux. A bride labors
over the perfect dress so the groom should also make an effort to pick the
perfect fitting suit or tux. Nothing transforms a man like a well tailored suit
or tux, especially if that is something you don’t wear every day. But the
emphasis is on “well tailored”.
No matter what your body
type, the suit must fit you comfortably and stylishly. You can go formal,
semi-formal, casual or modern. Your venue choice will dictate what look you are
expected to wear.
When you come across a
wedding magazine, and there are sure to be one or two dozen lying around during
this time, take a look at the men in the suits. Yes they are models but the cut
and tailoring of the suit can make you look great as well!
If you are not a
fashionista, then take someone with you to the fitting that is. Ask the person
fitting you for their honest opinion. It is their job to make you look great.
Websites abound on how to pick a tux or suit that best fits your body type. If
you go into a fitting with a sense of what details to be aware of, your chances
of looking great grow exponentially!
When choosing your pant
length, it should crease nicely around your shoe and not look like a curtain that
has fallen on your foot. Jackets should hit your shoulders, give you a v-shape
and cover your gluteus-maximus nicely. They should also be able to button
comfortably and not pull too much. Open or closed the jacket should look smart.
Lapel width is slim this
year so avoid wide lapels. Suspenders keep the pants where they are supposed to
be and can be used with most suits if needed. With all the moving on the dance
floor, attention should be paid to keeping your pants from shimmying south
while “busting a move”.
But here is where most
grooms forget to follow through: the fitting of the vest. A wedding is an event
that goes all day and into the night. You will naturally remove your jacket at
some point so looking good in just your vest is paramount.
Vests, or waistcoats,
should cover the waist at the front and shirts should not balloon out on the
sides or the back. Color and pattern should not be too jarring or obtrusive as
to distract from the finished look of the formal or semi-formal suit.
So are you getting the
importance of looking your best on that incredible day? This may be really new
to some grooms to be but it should not be overwhelming.
_______________________________________________________________________
Authored by Jai Sunthush Abeyewardene
– Advertising Copywriter + Art Director
Page 06 Travel Friday 21 August 2015
MANAALAYA is
going to take you, places
MANAALAYA is going to take you, places that hardly any people
know about and names that you won’t hear tossed around your honeymoon dinner
table. These are favorite places where nobody else goes and they’re all a
secret.
Sumatra in Indonesia
really is an untouched paradise. It
boasts some of the most amazing sights in the entire region. Lake Toba and Lake
Meninjau have crystal clear fresh water smack dab in the middle of a volcano
crater.
If you stay here you will probably have an entire guesthouse to
yourself (depending on what side of the lake you stay on). Definitely
don’t miss Sumatra if you’re trying to avoid crowds, it’s one of the best
places to be.
Kuta,
Lombok, Indonesia: It’s a laid back surfing village
with just enough to do to keep you entertained for a week.
Koh Kood Thailand: is absolutely breathtaking. Its jungle-clad interior
boasts stunning waterfalls and tourist-free monasteries where you’ll actually
meet Thai people who are surprised to see a tourist.
A treat you may never find
anywhere else in Thailand. The beaches are powdery white perfection and huts
are actually very comfortable.
______________________________________________________________________
Authored by Jai Sunthush Abeyewardene – Advertising Copywriter + Art
Director
Page 07 Romance Friday 21 August 2015
Wedding
Day Tips for Grooms
So you’ve bought the
ring, popped the question and planned the wedding down to every detail. Your
suit fits perfectly, the guests are checked in and everything is ready to go.
Or is it? Here are our wedding day tips for grooms, to help marrying men be
absolutely sure that the wedding day goes without a hitch from start to finish.
Use a Checklist
By preparing a
checklist of everything you’ll need to remember beforehand, you’ll feel much
more secure that you haven’t missed anything. This kind of preparation will
really help you on the big day, and also shows your bride-to-be that you’re not
afraid to jump in and help the process along.
Start Early
Since everything has to
be perfect, start the day as early as possible so that any issues that come up
can be dealt with before it’s too late. You don’t want to put your suit on at
the last minute, only to have a button pop off or a cuff link fall into the
toilet! Giving yourself the extra time can only increase your chances of having
everything go exactly as planned.
Pack an Emergency Kit
This one might not be
obvious to grooms, but can be an absolute lifesaver. One would hope you
wouldn’t need to use it, but it’s better to be over-prepared than to have a
problem pop up that you aren’t ready to deal with.
An emergency kit is
full of items you hope you won’t have to use: Things like extra buttons for
your coat, a list of important phone numbers, mouthwash, a lint roller and
anti-diarrhea medication. If you end up needing any of these things you’ll thank
your past self for looking out for number one and if you don’t need them, you
won’t regret being ready for anything to go wrong!
Eat Breakfast
Without a breakfast rich
in protein, vitamins and carbohydrates, you may find your stomach grumbling at
a point where you no longer have the time to eat a full meal. Awaking early and
having a balanced, hearty breakfast will give you the energy you need to last
the day. Even better, pack a couple of energy bars just in case you need a
quick pick-me-up before the ceremony starts.
Keep Your Boys in Line
Do all your groomsmen
have the right clothes and do they know what their role in the wedding is? Is
your best man going to show up hung over? Make sure that all your friends know
the what, where, when, why and how of the wedding and that nothing is unclear
about the parts they’ll play.
Making sure that your
boys are in line will ensure nothing embarrassing happens or else your new wife
(and in-laws) might never let you forget it and rightfully so! Keep your fiancé
looped in, so she knows you’re on top of it and she can feel just a little less
stress on the big day.
Stay Sweet
Arrange ahead of time
to have flowers, her favorite candies or a sentimental postcard sent to your
lady love while she’s getting ready. It’s the kind of detail she won’t forget
and the warm feeling she’ll get when she receives it will help color the entire
occasion and even the start of your newlywed lives together.
Some men are better at
this stuff than others, but grooms should tap their creative side and write her
a wedding song for the band to play at the reception, a poem to recite at
dinner or a sweet video message for her to discover later. Details count and
she’ll remember the gesture.
Gussy Up
Your fiancé is spending
tons of time and money on hair, makeup, nails and every other aspect of her
appearance so that she looks her absolute best. The least you can do is get a
professional shave and hair stylist, but a facial and manicure would really
make you shine and show how you want to look as good for her as she does for
you.
For beach weddings, a
pedicure would also help so you don’t stroll down the aisle with ogre feet. It
all comes back to the same point we can’t stress enough: Women notice this
stuff and they will remember the effort you took.
Stay Comfy
Make sure your shoes
are already broken in so you don’t get blisters, your undershirt is thick
enough to keep sweat from showing and your outfit is weather-appropriate for
the destination. Making sure that everything fits and you’re staying cool and
comfortable will help you enjoy the day and not have to worry about wardrobe
malfunctions or unpleasant style surprises.
Keep It Real
Is your mother calling
every five minutes to check how things are going? There are lots of potential
distractions to delay your preparations, so if you need Mom to back off,
explain to her gently that you really need the time to get ready, everything is
under control and you can’t wait to see her at the wedding. Also, by having as
many elements as possible ready ahead of time and by using a checklist, you’ll
be keeping things moving along at the pace you need.
Love It
Doing your job as a
groom means you’ve helped prepare, you’ve made your fiancé feel like a queen,
everyone knows their role and you’re looking your absolute best. Having
everything ready and knowing what needs to be done will make it much easier to
enjoy the occasion, even in the wedding day prep phase.
Having less stress will
rub off on your bride and that can only increase your chances of making the day
go perfectly. You’ve found the woman of your dreams and done everything you can
to prepare, so set the tone for the rest of your lives together by loving every
waking moment! And now, you may kiss the bride
_______________________________________________________________________
Authored by Jai Sunthush Abeyewardene – Advertising Copywriter + Art
Director
Page 08 Honeymoon Friday 21 August 2015
Honeymoon Intimacy
If you're
going to be having sex for the
first time on your honeymoon, take it slowly, because good sex requires lots of knowledge about each other's arousal
patterns, a good anatomy map, her self-acquaintance with her body's
responsiveness, shared expectations, freedom from inhibition and low anxiety.
Order
strawberries and Champagne before dinner and make love tipsy before going out,
or show off your exhibitionism on the dance floor and grind on each other. You
should give each other permission to just relax on your
honeymoon and make the time away a "pressure-free zone"
When
it comes to sex, only do what makes you both feel good. Hopefully that will
include warm baths, long walks, cat naps and lots of foreplay then go back to
the hotel room and rip your clothes off.
Practice,
practice, practice, things rather are
hard to come by for inexperienced lovers. So, drink a little Champagne
first, use some lube and remember that there's going to be a learning curve
here. No one gets it right the first time.
_______________________________________________________________________
Authored by Jai Sunthush
Abeyewardene – Advertising Copywriter + Art Director
