Too many people had asked me the following questions already, so I shall
reply them here.

About the Phoenix pill incidence?

If you look closer at manga 5 and 6, you would have realized that the
Phoenix Pill incident was a bait for Ranma to learn Cologne's chestnut fist.
As Ranma got desperate with being stuck in his girl's body, Cologne
demostrated the technique to him, and says that only by learning that can he
beat her and regain his manhood.  If she REALLY wanted to nail him as
Shampoo's husband, she would have waited AFTER Ranma agreed to marry Shampoo
before showing him ANY of her techniques.  She did what she did to test the
potential of Shampoo's love.

As for the common conception that Cologne THREW Shampoo into the pool to
punish her?  

She was only sparring with her to make her stronger so that the villagers
won't talk about how Shampoo had let one who had SO RUDELY challeged the
status of the village get away with her/his crime.  Taking the prize from
the rightful winner of the clan, then challengeing her later without
APOLOGIZING FOR HER MISTAKES; whether Ranma knew it or not, was the LOWEST,
most HORRIBLE insult to any Chinese Martial arts clan.  When Shampoo spare
Ranma-chan without even hurting her, she was REALLY doing her a favor, thus
placing herself in an unfavorable position in her clan.  Cologne was simply
doing what she did to help Shampoo regain her status among her people.  That
she accidentally pushed Shampoo too far and dropped her into the pool was by
no means an act of maliace.  Otherwise, the atmosphere between Cologne and
Shampoo wouldn't have been so relaxed all throught the manga and the anime.

                                                        Adrian Wong