Sophia Abella on the cover of Glamcob ‘Living A Healthy Lifestyle’ May Issue

Featuring Sophia Abella on the cover page, a transgender and a model, ’60s mod look, find perfect sunglasses for you, celebs swimsuit trends, tangy foods, bikini ready fitness tips, Saurabh Kushwaha as a hottie, designs of Alex Vinash a German fashion designer and all about Skoda superb.

Glamcob India, making it stylish.

1. How do most people react when learning about your lifestyle?
– I’d say that people sometimes could not believe that I am living a
healthy lifestyle. People who are in the lime light do a lot of insane
things. I, on the contrary, have my daily routines that I diligently
follow. For instance, I exercise regularly; I maintain a balanced-diet; I am vice-free and my spirituality is
fulfilled. When people learn my way of living, they get inspired and motivated to do something similar to change their life.

2.Has anyone given you some really good advice to deal with any
negativity, if so what?
– A wise man once told me, ‘happiness lies within your soul,”. One can have a blissful life if you really want it. In other words, real joy emanates within you. As Vickie L. Milazzo has quoted, “Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman”. Today, I
convert negativity as fuel to get to my destination ahead of the curve.
Negativity only pulls you down. When someone drags you by being
cynical, I just shrug it off. I deem to stay positive at all times
because I believe in mantra that ‘positivity begets positivity’.

3.What have you found to be the most positive thing in living an
alternative lifestyle?
– By being an inspiration to other people. I have inspired many people and they
have changed their lives because of what they have seen in me. I
compose my own quotes which I use to deal my life everyday. I prefer to be level-headed and rational. I choose to be realistic instead of being nice. This has, often than not, fills the gap in between. The need to know
yourself before others. I do however concede that sometimes drifting into cynicism or being a little
too inwards is inevitable. Maybe engaging with other people has to be done at certain
stages of your ‘self-understanding’ to give some kind of frame of
reference (that’s unavoidable, anyway).

4.At what time in your life did you know that you wanted to be a woman?
– Every little girl has a dream. Mine was to be a beautiful sultry and
devilish Maggie Q in a black weather peering out magic weapon. Other
than that, I longed to be Angelina Jolie – pouting sexily at the
camera, candidly and flawlessly. I was born a bloke! I knew it ever since I
started feeling differently towards other boys in our class. They liked
dribbling balls in the basket ball court while I just sat and watched
them from the side court, desperate to go home to play Barbie dolls
with my sister. Unfortunately, I was not born perfect and this
imperfection has worried and disturbed me. Yet I was (and still am)
kind to my family and friends, worked hard, gained many friends and
eventually accepted that my physical imperfection is inconsequential.
This may sound condescending but I was endowed with physical attractiveness and although I
have an advantage over other transgender because of this, I felt I
needed to “change”. I felt the need to change to find what I really
yearned for – True Happiness. What I did not realize, was that every
change comes with a cost.

5.You turned into a model, is it the thing that you wanted in the life?
– Absolutely, definitely and positively a showstopper. A super model.
Today I value excellence, and wrap my affairs with dignity. I have
sizeable energy and vibes in everything that I do along with the fact
that I’m very outspoken when in comes to my views on society and sexuality. To have a dream
role, a Bollywood version. I think the one Maggie Q played in ‘Naked
Weapon’.

6. What is a common misconception about transgendered people that you
think other people should know the truth about?
– It has been difficult. I always believe that if you are scrupulously
honest, you stand your ground and you have dignity, then people will respect you. If people choose to despise you because of your sexual choices and you get offended then you let other people to cripple and torment you. You allow them to hurt you. You feel distressed not because it is the truth but because you could not let go of their misinterpretations, lies and gossip against you.

7.Were you afraid of going through transition?
– No doubt; it was never easy! Physically, if you want to be beautiful, take the pain. After a few hours
you live the way you want it. The need to change became so eminent to
me, it was so strong that I became very impatient before, and I have made a decision
to stop working and tried to do something completely different. I had
heard that there were certain paths through the City of Life, which I
looked incredibly interesting and absolutely wonderful. I had heard
that some of these paths were full of mystery and danger, but also held
the chance of great opportunity. I plan for the next six years, to complete this so-called
journey, The Central Path.

8.What did you have to go through before your doctor approved of
putting you on hormones/ gender reassignment surgery?
– I made appointments with a reputable, celebrity surgeon and made several general
queries at first, right after extensive research, and real-life
testimonies. I then started oral hormone replacement therapy, deep derma
penetration. I also underwent cosmetic surgery and reconstructive plastic
surgery. I still have procedures on my check list: facial bone
reconstruction (facial feminization), vocal chord surgery and Gore-tex
Rhinoplasty.

10. How did your family/friends react when you came out?
– Although they were shocked, they showed support and encouragement.
They did not see me less of a person. On a positive note, ‘Let go of
that ego and insecurity. Realizing it and trying to articulate it stops
it in its tracks. A daily battle for everyone I think.

11.Do you want to have a family some day?
– (Giggling) Yes by starting to have a baby cat. It is better to adopt
than to buy. I named her Candice. I lathered her with Bvlgari and
L’occitane today!

12.What is the hardest part in dating someone who is not transgendered?
– The expectations are different. The chances of being misconstrued in
so many different things, in so many levels, are high simply because
we have different perceptions.

13. Are you 100% sure of your sexuality?
– Proud to be a transgender woman, the best of both worlds. I am
extremely sure of my sexuality and what I want out of life with regard
to love: It has to be a man, and an open-minded one at that
because if I am with a man a serious with humor and for the sexual
intimacy that has become a primal part of my psyche. I cannot get
aroused by female genitalia. Doesn’t mean promoting gay porn star or
Playboy model makes me a homosexual. Homosexuality can be overt,
overt, situational, exploratory and bisexual. Transgender/Transsexual
is different from Homosexual, we go by transition, change of passport
and we believe that we are woman trapped in a man’s body. This is to
say that I don’t like women; I adore women because I am one, if
anything it has freed me to love them for the wonderful gender they
are, and to truly appreciate them untainted by being one. The
interesting thing is because I am so much more appreciative of them,
they in turn find me far more attractive than ever, and cannot
understand why I can’t I be one of them. But I think you understand why
I chose to act more far better, it’s a personal branding.

14. Do you have more of a preference for men or for women?
– MEN of course! Do I need to think about it? I eschew women, even if someone offers me a billion dollar-prize.

15. What improvements would you like to see happen for the LGBT
community in the future?
– My words are active, alive and powerful. My soul belongs to India.
Read the annual Festival in Koovagam, Tamil Nadu, stories of
Transgendered people being grope and rape outside the temple. Really
sick, and totally breaks my heart into pieces. I give my full support
to MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination) and to the LGBT community
across the globe in any way possible. There is no ‘law’ that someone
ought to have a relationship or marry one. Respect their preferences and
sexuality, as long they don’t harm other people, in any form or object.

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