THE "IT" GIRL WHO ISN'T?

       Chitpas 'Tant' Bhirombhakdi combines her role as attache to the prime minister's secretariat with that of brand manager for FIJI water. She also recently became ambassador for "Women Build,"a division of Habitat for Humanity International.

       HOWDO YOU JUGGLE YOUR WORK?
       My schedule at Government House is not really fixed, as it depends on the schedule of the PM, such as whether he has a meeting to attend. On weekends, I often have to phone my business team. In the evenings or when I'm free, I have to try to come into the office whenever I can.
       WHAT DO YOU DO FOR WOMEN BUILD?
       Habitat for Humanity builds homes for the International.underprivileged, and Women Build focus on impoverished families with daughters. In commemoration of His Majesty the King's 82nd Birthday, former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will be presiding over our bid to topple a world record in November by building 82 houses in five days. We invite all of you to join us in Chiang Mai.
       WHAT DRAWS YOU TO CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS?
       I've always believed in the concept of social responsibility, so I seized on this project when they invited me. It's all about opportunity; plenty of people want to do something good and give back to society but rarely does an opportunity arise. It's easy to donate money but to volunteer, it really means much more.With Habitat you get the chance to actually perform the tasks, while those that were intended to benefit from your efforts really do benefit. It's also open for everyone to volunteer. You don't have to be rich, so long as you really want to help, to take part.
       WHAT'S YOUR LONG-TERM GOAL?
       My main goal is to become the first female prime minister of Thailand. The only thing that is certain in the future is uncertainty so I think it is right to aim high and be prepared to work hard in trying to reach your goals.
       CAN YOU SHARE SOME EXPERIENCES FROM WORKING CLOSELY WITH TWO PRIME MINISTERS?
       I've learnt that I have a very long way to go before I get there [laughs]. PM Abhisit is an excellent role model who represents a new breed of politicians. To be in that position you have to make immense personal sacrifices out of patriotism and love of the country.
       DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO YOUNG WOMENWHO
       BELIEVE THEY ARE NOT CUT OUT FOR POLITICS OR
       VOLUNTARY WORK?
       First of all, they should erase that frame of mind. If they think that this is a man's world, they will always be in the same spot and won't achieve any kind of fulfilling success. I want to
       encourage them that they too can make an impact on the world.For example, Women Build is an open organisation which offers the opportunity for every woman to actively perform charitable deeds.
       YOU ONCE DECLARED THAT IF YOU BECAME PM,
       YOU'D MAKE THE WHOLE OF THAILAND PINK.WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT COLOURFUL VISION?
       My friends made that up a long time ago [laughs]! It's just that I'm a girl and I was typically obsessed
       with the colour pink! Even so it's a lovely
       colour and represents love. Especially
       with all the division in the country, it
       would be nice to see Thai people
       loving each other again.

Prostitutes take to catwalk for one-night fashion show

       Prostitutes became models for a night in Rio as they paraded the latest collection of their Daspu brand,founded four years ago to fight discrimination against their profession in Brazil.
       The voluptuous mannequins cheerfully exhibited the colourful wear during a nighttime catwalk of sorts, showing off the summer 2010 collection -"Farofa (fried manioc flour) caviar!"- inspired by bar and nightclub culture.
       They swaggered, hips jutting forward,on a red carpet laid in the middle of Tiradentes Square, in the heart of a decaying historic neighbourhood where about 300 prostitutes still work.
       "When my hooker girlfriends parade pretty and proud, they are speaking about themselves and become revolutionaries,"said Gabriela Leite,57, after the show.
       The former prostitute launched the Daspu label - a play of words on das putas (for the whores) and the posh Daslu department store in Sao Paulo.She also heads Davida, a nongovernmental group for Aids prevention and the protection of prostitutes' rights.
       The new collection, created in collaboration with designers from the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte,sought to show that prostitutes feast on farofa - a dish popular among the poorer classes - but also caviar, champagne and cachaca, a sugar cane liquor.
       The clothes sported inscriptions like "Daspu a la carte","Whore serving" or "Puta libre", a reference to the Cuba libre rum cocktail.
       This year, the fashion show closed an event organised by the city to "celebrate health and citizenship" that was supported by artists and circus dancers.
       Daspu was launched in 2005 as a way for prostitutes to gain regular income while also fighting preconceptions of people affected with Aids. Sales revenues are reinvested into initiatives combating sexually transmitted diseases.