Author | Jillian Lauren |
---|---|
Language | English |
Subject | Harem |
Genre | Autobiography |
Set in | 1992–1995 in Brunei |
Publisher | Plume |
Publication date | April 27, 2010 |
Media type | Paperback |
Pages | 368 |
ISBN | 978-0452296312 |
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, a book published in 2010 [1] [2] and written by Jillian Lauren, is an autobiographical account of her experiences as one of the paid young female "guests" of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother of the Sultan of Brunei, between 1992 and 1995.
The book focuses on Lauren's personal experiences, and includes a description of the arrangements she says were an established practice for young female guests of the prince during part of the 1990s.
According to the book, Lauren became Jefri's number two girlfriend, leading her to meet the Sultan in person, as well as to travel abroad with Jefri's entourage. She said her total income between 1992 and 1995, from about two years presence in Brunei, was about US$300,000.
People other than the royalty of Brunei are primarily mentioned in the book by first name only. One of the guests, Sheila, was a former Penthouse "Pet of the Year", who had lived with the family of Bob Guccione before joining the harem. One of the long-term guests, Fiona, was a former TV actress from the Philippines, whom Jefri had first seen on television. After a long presence as the number one girlfriend, Fiona was awarded one million dollars and an engagement ring, as a part of an offer for her to join the ranks of Jefri's multiple wives, but Fiona rejected the offer and left Brunei.
Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party at some Western traditional wedding ceremonies. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often the bride's close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Traditionally, bridesmaids were chosen from unwed young women of marriageable age.
A call girl or female escort is a prostitute who does not display her profession to the general public, nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency. The client must make an appointment, usually by calling a telephone number. Call girls often advertise their services in small ads in magazines and via the Internet, although an intermediary advertiser, such as an escort agency, may be involved in promoting escorts, while, less often, some may be handled by a pimp. Call girls may work either incall, where the client comes to them, or outcall, where they go to the client. Some porn stars are known to escort as well.
Harem refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A harem may house a man's wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic servants, and other unmarried female relatives. In the past, harems also housed enslaved concubines. In former times, some harems were guarded by eunuchs who were allowed inside. The structure of the harem and the extent of monogamy or polygyny have varied depending on the family's personalities, socio-economic status, and local customs. Similar institutions have been common in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern civilizations, especially among royal and upper-class families, and the term is sometimes used in other contexts. In traditional Persian residential architecture, the women's quarters were known as andaruni, and in the Indian subcontinent as zenana.
Shannon LaRhea Marketic is an American model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss California USA 1992 and Miss USA 1992.
Jefri Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III is a member of the Bruneian royal family. His elder brother is the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. Prince Jefri was the finance minister of his oil-rich country from 1986 to 1997. He also served as chairman of the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) which invests much of the country's wealth and was responsible for overseas investments. Additionally, he is the Deputy Chairman 3 of the Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara (JAIN).
The Imperial Harem of the Ottoman Empire was the Ottoman sultan's harem – composed of the wives, servants, female relatives and the sultan's concubines – occupying a secluded portion (seraglio) of the Ottoman imperial household. This institution played an important social function within the Ottoman court, and wielded considerable political authority in Ottoman affairs, especially during the long period known as the Sultanate of Women.
The Hotel Bel-Air is a boutique hotel located in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California. The hotel is one of the nine luxury hotels operated by the Dorchester Collection, which is owned by the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA). The hotel has a total of 103 rooms, 45 of which are suites. The Bel-Air hotel has an overall old Hollywood style and is surrounded by 12 acres (4.9 ha) of gardens in the Bel-Air Estates neighborhood.
Ottoman court was the culture that evolved around the court of the Ottoman Empire.
In the Ottoman Empire, women enjoyed a diverse range of rights and were limited in diverse ways depending on the time period, as well as their religion and class. The empire, first as a Turkoman beylik, and then a multi-ethnic, multi-religious empire, was ruled in accordance to the qanun, the semi-secular body of law enacted by Ottoman sultans. Furthermore, the relevant religious scriptures of its many confessional communities played a major role in the legal system, for the majority of Ottoman women, these were the Quran and Hadith as interpreted by Islamic jurists, often termed sharia. Most Ottoman women were permitted to participate in the legal system, purchase and sell property, inherit and bequeath wealth, and participate in other financial activities, rights which were unusual in the rest of Europe until the 19th century.
Slavery was a major institution and a significant part of the Ottoman Empire's economy and traditional society.
Prostitution in Brunei is illegal and can incur a punishment of imprisonment for 1 year and a fine of BN$ 5,000 for a first offence, or 3 years and BN$ 10,000 on a second or subsequent conviction.
Jillian Lauren is an American writer, performer, adoption advocate, and former call girl for Jefri Bolkiah, Prince of Brunei; about whom she wrote her first memoir, Some Girls: My Life in a Harem.
The Whitney - Brunei: The Royal Wedding Celebration was a notable concert performance by American singer Whitney Houston in August of 1996.
Abdul Hakeem ibni Jefri Bolkiah is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is a sport shooter from Brunei.
The Sultanate of Women was a period when some consorts, mothers, sisters and grandmother of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire exerted extraordinary political influence.
Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah is Sultan of Brunei since 1967, and prime minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the world.
The car collection of the 29th Sultan of Brunei is the largest private car collection in the world, consisting of approximately 7,000 cars, which have an estimated combined value over US$5 billion. Within his collection of cars, the Sultan's collection of Ferrari F40s, McLaren F1s, and Rolls-Royce vehicles are particularly notable due to the rarity of the vehicles and their value. Brunei holds the Guinness World Record for the largest private Rolls-Royce collection, with around 150 cars, while the Sultan and his brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, are said to own an additional 1,998 luxury vehicles.
The Jerudong Park Amphitheater is an amphitheater at Jerudong Park in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. The amphitheater was built for a free Michael Jackson concert for the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's fiftieth birthday in 1996. The theater is located in Jerudong Park's Garden, designed with only a roof and its capacity is over 60,000. The stage is removable and can be replaced with another stage.
Bahar ibni Jefri Bolkiah is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is the second son and third child of Prince Jefri Bolkiah by his first wife, Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Norhayati, thus making him a prince of Brunei. He is regarded as one of Southeast Asia's top polo players.
Pengiran Anak Hamidah Jamalul Bulqiah, also referred to as Hamidah Jamalul Bolqiah, is a member of the royal family of Brunei as eldest daughter of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, fourth son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III.