Dhaka Tribune
Living in a material world
Tuesday, July 15, 2014 Volume 2, Issue 12
Status of the week A weekly production of
DhakaTribune Editor Zafar Sobhan Executive Editor Shahriar Karim Managing Editor Jahangir Hyder Magazine Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Asst Magazine Editor Natasha Rahman TMAG Team Tahsin Momin Fuad M Hossain Saudia Afrin Baizid Haque Joarder Rad Sharar Raisa Rahim Contributors Imad Khan Alveera Mamoon ASM Foysal Zaki Adnan Isfar Imtiaz Baset Anika Jannat
With the right music, you either forget everything or you remember everything.
Editor’s note
Trending hashtag #icanteven
Dear Readers,
Brazil was such a mess! #icanteven
TMAG SAYS 2 Funk up your room Wallet friendly decor 2 FYI Confusing desires with needs 10 Playlist Right stuff 11 Gadget Hunt PhoneBloks
Look around you. We see fancy eat outs, gorgeous clothes, and a feast at iftar that could feed a population. Is that what this month is about? Look into our hot topic (pg6&7) to find out how materialistic we have become and how we can snap out of it. In your life (pg2) FYI, we have a snippet which will show you the difference between your needs and wants. We have some fun teasers for you on our Facebook page. Do let us know what you want to see in Tmag. Happy Ramadan again.
HOROSCOPES 5 Your forecast
With love, The TMAG Desk
More inside PICKS OF THE WEEK 2 Room of the week Rudaina Reaz 3 Doodle of the week Sheikh Mohammed Muzzammil 10 Spotlight Amid Hossain Chowdhury 10 The goodsheet Material Girl by Madonna 11 App of the week Greenify YOUR WORLD 5 Car God of War: Godzilla 9 Comic Lazarus 9 Book Allegiant by Veronica Roth 9 Fiction The price of happiness 11 Movie Tammy Real Life 3 Event Tweets 6 Hot topic Living in a material world
FASHION 4 Beauty check It’s Ramadan, not a fashion runway! 4 Wardrobe check Beat the heat
Gossip 12 Blush Much 12 Choose Loose 12 Listology
Graphics Tahsin Momin Mohammed Mahbub Alam Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com Website: www.dhakatribune.com
5 Car talk Nissan GT-R Track Edition
10 Spotlight
Like father like son
About the cover Living in a material world Model Meem Morshed Photo Kheya Mezba
3 TMAG’s Easel Sheikh Mohammed Muzzammil
4 Look of the week
Simply Summer
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Your Life
FYI
Confusing desires with needs In today’s world, most of us seem to be confusing desires with needs. This week TMAG discusses the differences between them It seems that we think that we “need” an iPhone, or a new PS4. Needs are basically the things that you should have to survive in this world, ie food, water, shelter, the Internet and cell phones. Obviously a phone is necessary, but it doesn’t really need to be an iPhone, and would be perfectly fine if it were a Nokia brick phone. Desires, on the other hand, are what you want, like, diamonds. But to be honest, a lot of things have become a
necessity, hence, a “need” because they are so readily and cheaply available. For example, ask anyone living in Dhaka, and they will say that you have to have an air-conditioner in their house. But then again we have to consider that there are people who don’t own ACs, and they are doing just fine. For them however, being able to buy an air-conditioner is a desire - a want. When asked if a PlayStation is absolutely necessary, Sheahan said that: “His life would be empty without it.” That
bigstock
is a perfect example of how for him, a PS4 has become a “need” and that he can no longer differentiate between his desires and his needs. It’s Ramadan, and you see all these people who are worrying about how they need to buy new clothes to wear at the many Iftar parties that they have to attend. It pushes you to a point that
you wonder how they have the time/the energy to do all that and you wonder how that is a need. Remember that if you have the basics, you are going to be fine and you will be able to live. Of course, we always want to spoil ourselves with expensive items, but we should know that these are not items that we need, but that we desire. Kyoko Bhuiyan
Funk up your room
Wallet friendly decor Decorating rooms with inexpensive items is not something for lazy people as it requires loads of hard work. However, if you are willing, then let your creativity boom out of your mind. To start you off here are some ideas to help you decorate your room while keeping money in your pocket Are you good at painting? If so, grab a paintbrush, a paint-bucket and start painting your wall. Make sure you use a variety of colours to make it look attractive. But if you feel you’re bad and are scared of ruining your wall, you can write words on them; for example, try painting one of the pillars in your room black and write “YOLO” with white or blue maybe? If you don’t own your house and your landlord gets a heart attack when you paint his/her wall then you can always opt for wallpapers. They look good and can be taken off at will. Moreover, your landlord will not object!
TMAG’s Room of the week!
“While everything stands still in the scenario, the candles, once lit, give a warm and lively feel to the room. The decorationpieces assembled on the elegant runner tells you about the materialistic, much shophisticated taste of the person.”
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It’s okay if you are not willing to take the risk of painting an entire wall, but you do eat Pringles right? What do you do after you are done eating the chips? Instead of throwing the tubes out, you can wrap the can with white paper and draw something on it. Put that in any corner of your room. Again, if you can’t draw then paint several cans with different colours and lay them out. Another easy and time-efficient way of decorating rooms is framing your bittersweet memories. Buy some good-looking frames and put some nice pictures in them. Lastly, you can always rearrange your furniture often to see what looks best. It requires 0% of your money but 100% of your efforts. Good Luck! Anika Jannat Name
Rudaina Reaz Area
Gulshan
Tahsin momin
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Schoologistics
TMAG’s easel
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EVENT Tweets Sheikh Mohammed Muzzammil “This week’s sketch is very symbolic, reminding us that faith is all we need to reach the light.”
elf Development Workshop
CRP Carnival
Venue EMK Center
ARV presentsEmporio Soccer Fest
July 15, 9am
Anglia Ruskin University - (Spot admissions) July 15, 11am
Venue MACES, Head Office (Uttara Branch) - House # 38, Road # 05, Sector # 03, Uttara. Gulshan Branch: Level 9, Suite 9B, Navana Tower, Gulshan-1
Coventry University, UK Spot Admission July 16, 11:30 am
Venue MIM Study Abroad, L 361, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel
‘Da Purples’ Mirror Fashion Show & Week
July 17,10am
Venue All Community Club, Road 35, Gulshan 2
Workhop on Basic Drawing (From 2D to 3D) July 17, 10:30am If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com and see it in our weekly!
Venue AIUB Animation-Classroom, Banani
July 17, 9am Venue CRP, Savar
July 18, 9am
Venue Government Laboratory High School & college
2 Day TOEFL workshop July 19,11am Venue EMK Center
Binary, Intra University Programming Contest July 19, 1pm
Venue BRAC University Computer Club
The Art of Cinema: Editing Workshop July 19, 2pm
Venue Asian Institute of Media and Communications
Advising on U.S. University Admissions July 20, 11:30am Venue EMK Center
English Club
July 20, 2pm Venue The American Center
School Survival
Night Owls and School Survival Staying up late is almost a rite of passage during your teenage years. While the city sleeps, you get to be the kings and queens of your domain
The exam or quiz in the morning is not going to ace itself; got to pull an allnighter for this one. And with the FIFA World Cup and the month of Ramadan already underway, it feels like a tedious chore breaking away from a premature slumber for that long anticipated game or sehri. Quick solution: Why not just stay up? Being sleep deprived in the morning might appear to be trivial, but in reality, it is a lot more serious than you might think. A study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, compared how
the different sleep habits of 2,700 teenagers, aged 13 to 18, affected their academic and emotional development. They discovered that teens who stayed up later than 11:30pm on school nights - which included 30% of the study subjects - suffered both academically and emotionally. Not getting enough sleep limits a person’s ability to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems. Furthermore, lack of sleep also makes you more prone to pimples and can contribute to acne and other skin problems. Other problems include weight
gain, aggression, and increased use of caffeine and nicotine, among many other issues. The consequences of declining grades and emotional distress can linger on for six to eight years - which means, you can carry on this unhealthy lifestyle even into your college life. For anyone who has their exit exams coming up, declining grades and a lack of concentration during class is not a luxury you can afford at the moment. Your parents and teachers aren’t joking when they tell you that these are the grades you’ll be carrying for the rest of your life. So, try to practise working more
efficiently during the day. Set goals for yourself and with enough drive, you’ll get the hang of it in no time. To remind yourself how precious sleep can be, maintain an honest journal reminding you what your last sleep deprived moment was like. It doesn’t have to have paragraphs, just a couple of lines to remind you how you felt. However, if you HAVE to stay up for the night for that exciting game, catch up on sleep during the day. If an all-nighter for an exam is absolutely unavoidable, take power naps during breaks. You’ll be surprised how it’ll improve your productivity level. Shah Nahian
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FASHION FACE-OFF
Beauty Check
It’s Ramadan, not a fashion runway! “Ramadan is finally here. Gee, I’ll finally fit into my five-year-old kameez without looking like a trampoline.” Fasting isn’t about counting your calories and stepping on the weighing scale right after Iftar. It’s about self-control, patience and moderation. If you are hopping on the weight-loss bandwagon, then that needs to be sorted, right now
What’s on your Iftar plate?
According to the Quran: “Eat of the good things we have provided for your sustenance but commit no excess therein.” (20:81) During Iftar, we either swear by the pakoras or the jalebis. As for the ones on a diet, they eat what’s considered to be cow food. Well, that’s not how your food should go down your belly. Salman ibn Amir Dhabi reminded us of the Prophet’s (PBUH) words. “Break your fast with dates, or else with water, for it is pure.” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi) Dates are the perfect little anecdotes that will calm the monstrous hunger in your belly, and also prepare your body to stomach the food after a long day of fasting.
Look of the week
Know your goals
If you eat and drink the way Islam prescribes, you are bound to shed some pounds anyway. Think about a regular day. You either rush out with your mom giving you a mouthful of Nocilla with bread, then you eat a lunch at school, or eat the regular daal bhaat at home for lunch and dinner. Come Ramadan and we expect the whole regular routine of eating to become topsy turvy. Try not to make weight loss your goal in Ramadan, because you will be losing a few pounds anyway if you eat the way you are supposed to. If you lose a few pounds as a by-product of fasting then hurray to that! Natasha Rahman bigstock
Wardrobe Check
BEAT THE HEAT This Ramadan it’s all about how to dress presentably decent without letting the scorching July heat get the better of us
Simply Summer “Summer calls for breezy blue. This powder blue kurti is contrasted with purple satin panel. To fancy up the subtleness, the look is accessorised with pearls.
Model Ani Alam Photo Courtesy
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Girls, wearing our traditional threepiece kameezes can become quite troublesome in this weather. But we certainly can’t go out in our regular jeans without having the aunties pick us as the target for their next malicious gossip session. Avoid the skinny pants, opt for palazzos. They’re stylish, they come in adorable prints, and they’re perfect for the summer. Team it up with loose cotton or linen tops. You could also check out long floral skirts at Anannya, which come at surprisingly cheap prices; Tk150-250. Another cute combination is loose/baggy shirts with harem pants. You can find them at Anna’s Kloset for Tk1,050. Wear a nice
pair of plain or gladiator sandals and you are good to go. As for the boys, well, it’s easier. Just avoid shorts. Wear capris and kneelength trousers. You could even choose to don cotton or linen trousers which are light and airy, hence great for the summer. Refrain from wearing sneakers; slides are fine if you are going to a class or to a friend’s house. For a more stylish look, wear loafers – basically, shoes that don’t require you to wear socks. For wider variety, check out the men’s summer footwear collection at Ecstasy for Tk3,480. Casual summer t-shirts can also be found for Tk1,050. Alveera Mamoon
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Street Car Talk
God of war:
Godzilla
If you want to drive fast through almost all terrains, then what better car to bring than a super car with the most sophisticated all-wheel drive system ever put on a street car; the Nissan GT-R. That’s right! It’s a Nissan and it’s a super car
HOROSCOPE Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)
You are currently involved in a dramatic concoction. Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)
You have become too relaxed and complacent in a potentially beneficial situation. Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)
Old friends are the best friends; an old friend has been around long enough to know your flaws.
This is the Nissan GT-R track edition and at $170,000, it is the most expensive GT-R that you can buy. It will do 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds, which makes it the quickest of the lot. The GT-R punches way above its weight class thanks to a twin turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 that spits out a whooping 545HP. But what makes this car remarkable is its revolutionary allwheel drive system called ATTESA. So, the ATTESA all-wheel drive system is unique and it can put 98% of the car’s torque just in the rear tires or just go completely 50-50. And it adjusts that almost instantaneously. You can thank video games like the Gran Turismo for bringing the GT-R to the public. A whole generation had been driving and falling in love with this car even before it hit the showrooms, at least digitally.
In fact, Polyphony Digital, the creator of Gran Turismo series was contracted to design the GT-R’s multi-functional display. The screen can be customised to view just about everything. You can check g-forces, then you’ve got boost gauge, and you can also see how much torque split is going from the rear to all-wheel drive, which is actually an awesome little gauge. So, there is no denying that the technical wizardry in the all-wheel drive system flat-out works. But is it fun? This car can be as smart as a car can be and it can only react as its driver anticipates. You know what’s three quarters ahead of you and where you want the car to be, but the car can never be that good at it. There is no doubt that on a race track, the GT-R is one of the quickest
demons money can buy at any price. On the track, the torque-splitting brain can turn it into a guessing game. However, if you put the Nissan on surfaces that would cripple most supercars, the GT-R shows that its technological gizmos are in fact for real and good lord, do they work! Nissan’s GT-R may be fugly to look at, but as an instrument of sheer speed, it’s most certainly a thing of beauty. Even though its six figure price is high for a Nissan, it is cheap among anything else so quick. Numerous improvements over the years have made it more refined and with 0-60 times dropping below three seconds, it’s definitely gotten faster. Mind you, that’s Bugatti Veyron territory. This car is not called Godzilla for nothing.
Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
If you start to doubt something you once trusted, it’s like knocking over a domino. Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
You may be somewhat concerned about whether a certain process will go well or not. Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)
You need to stop worrying about things and just keep going at it. Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22)
You may be torturing yourself over a difficult choice.
Tahsin Momin
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
A certain person or group of people is so excited and energised over a change that it would be hard to imagine them not being right about it. Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Do not doubt yourself at any cost, and you will succeed. Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19)
You may think a certain person doesn’t believe in you and that’s a safe assumption given how this person’s been behaving lately. Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)
You could be looking at a set of circumstances very different from someone else. Pisces (Feb 19-Mar20)
Someone does not want to hear what you have to say.
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The disconnect “
“
If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace. - John Lennon
Materialism. Some see it as a source of happiness but does it really make us happy? Or is it just another way to fill the “inner” void in us? The contradiction of Ramadan is that while it is a month of austerity, as a lead up to the Islamic calendar’s biggest celebration, it is also a month punctuated by frenzied shopping. We thought it a perfect time to talk about the stuff that makes us happy. By Baizid Haque Joarder, Alveera Mamoon and Isfar Imtiaz Baset For starters, let’s try a bit of introspection. Look around to find out the things which are absolutely vital for your survival. What would you really “need” if you are stranded on an island? Your smartphone, your TV or some freshly cooked food like what’s on your iftar table? The obvious answer would be the third option. And yet, we are much more
materialistic than we would like to believe. Consider a contemporary gettogether between friends. So much of the hangout session goes up in taking “selfies” on smartphones, and even better, DSLR cameras, “check-ins” at wherever the hangout is taking place, Whatsapp messages with those not immediately present that one wonders if an actual face-to-face conversation
So when I actually thought about it, it made I need both a new iPhone and a new iPod because,
sense. At first I thought I’d
only get a new iPhone, but then I realised that wouldn’t help because I use my phone a lot, like
I’m on Whatsapp and Facebook and basically on the Internet,
and that uses up a lot of battery and add listening to music on it,
that would kill my phone in an instant. So if I get an iPod as well, I can have my games and my music on there and be able to use one or the other when one dies. Perfect solution. Kyoko on how I am a materialistic girl
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even takes place anymore. The fact that we spend endless hours on Facebook but not on the dinner table with our families, only makes us more plastic every day. Like it or not but these small but “integral” things in our lives have altered our meaning of life in general. Restricting ourselves from buying the newest gadget in the market will
I
Am irritated. First of all fasting is personal and just because it’s Ramadan, you can’t impose it on someone else. Like even if you are non-Muslim, a Muslim who is sick and can’t fast,
or even an atheist, you can’t just not serve food to someone who wants to eat. They are violating my rights and imposing their opinions on me which is not cool.
Shaoli - on not getting food during Ramadan
not make us less materialistic but setting our priorities straight might. Understanding the fine but visible line between our wants and our needs might too. Let us be more conscious and reap the benefits and only the benefits of being materialistic. Maybe then we can fulfil the “inner” void within us.
Baby steps In today’s age, what with the widespread use of Internet and social interactions, it’s common for individuals to attach values to physical objects and possession that supposedly yield happiness. Yes, it cannot be denied that a large portion of the teen population is materialistic. Materialism is based completely on subjective well-being. Try to escape materialism and you will find happiness automatically. That new dress that you’ve been wanting? Buy a used one – it’s more economic and will provide you about the same utility. Don’t make shopping a habit but consider it an occasional recreational activity. Think wisely before spending, and spend surpluses on what you really need. Do not allow yourself to succumb to the ultimate sources of material ideology that is advertisement. Also, try to limit Web browsing. Spend more time with your family, friends and loved ones. Relinquish the materialism within yourself starting this Eid by donating some of your Salami!
HOT TOPIC
7
Inside a teen’s “survival kit” Smartphone
Nokia 1100 is also perfectly adequate as a phone but obviously it’s not usable for you because, well, it’s not a smartphone and it does not have Whatsapp!
Car
Seems like travelling to places without one’s personal airconditioned car with some groovy music on isn’t much of an option nowadays.
Internet
Laptop/PC
Television
Gaming consoles
Internet has become a primary need. The sudden load shedding becomes frustrating as Internet can’t be used. Several refuse to take some time off the web and see what reality feels like.
Checking up on Facebook or doing homework on this oh-so-essential device comes in handy and thus some consider it to be an absolutely vital tool in everyday life.
Some teenagers can even spend an entire day sitting in front of the TV. Eventually, in some cases, keeping up with the lives of fictional characters tends to become more interesting.
We often see teenagers glued to their Xbox or Playstation to play the latest GTA, FIFA or Minecraft. And whenever a new version of a gaming console comes out, it just has to be bought.
Air Conditioner
DSLR camera
Branded accessories
Fast food
The luxury of an air conditioner has become something that many just can’t live without.
With social sites like Instagram and Facebook taking high quality photos has become a rising trend.
Whether it’s the new pair of All Star converse or the Gucci bag, teenagers often claim that they feel classy or sophisticated by owning this stuff.
Some simply can’t do without breakfast at Crepe au Lait, lunch at Nando’s and dinner at Westin.
The list above contains what most teens consider as utterly essential items in their lives. It might be hard to believe but it’s actually possible to live without these. After all, these things are only your desires but not your needs.
“There’s no such thing as materialism. Some people just become overly dependent on things they don’t need to depend on. But what they need to realise is this: the more you think you need something, the more you lose out on your own freedom.’’ - Mashiyat Rahman
TMAG %
TMAG has surveyed 100 people so as to get an idea about how materialistic the teen population really is. The results might actually shock you.
61% teenagers said they can’t live without air-conditioning 64% teenagers cannot get by without cars 58% teenagers can’t survive without WiFi and even perfumes!
A shocking
73% of teenagers said they absolutely cannot live without Facebook/Whatsapp/Viber 65% teenagers need smartphones to live
50% teenagers said they cannot imagine life without branded clothes, video games and Coke! 52% teenagers said they would not be able to live life without a television ‘’People should think less about what other people think, because that is what materialism spurs out of, really. We want to do things that make us look good to other people. If we can stop caring so much, I think it would help.’’ - Mustafid Raiyan Khan
48% of teenagers own up to 3 bottles of perfume 22% teenagers own four to seven bottles 18% owns 10 bottles!
12% teenagers said they buy perfumes regularly and so own more than 10 bottles 72% teenagers are spending up to Tk 10,000 for Eid
23% of the teen population said they are willing to spend Tk 25,000 for Eid 5% teenagers will be spending above Tk 25,000 this Eid
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written in the Stars
Author of a new road Indira Rahman started her journey with BYLC’s signature leadership training programme BBLT 9 (the ninth run of Building Bridges through Leadership Training) two years back. Along with some graduates from the programme, Indira initiated Youth Walk Bangladesh (YWBD) to make a better society. Look closely at Indira and her views on YWBD’s special project Road to School with Saudia Afrin
What aspect of BYLC interested you to join the organisation?
Tell us about how you started YWBD and Road to School?
A six-person group, Team Shopnochura, had established as part of the BBLT 9 programme’s community service / leadership in action requirement in November 2012. For me, leadership is fundamentallty about courage, and the real test of courage came in January 2013, and challenges always inspire me. Did we continue the R2S project? Or did we abandon it, since we were no longer obligated to continue after BBLT finished and were technically no longer endorsed by BYLC? It would have been a long, arduous journey, but I took the shorter road and so did the rest of the team. But we had chosen to continue Road to School independently, and the project has flourished beyond our imagination over the previous year and a half. Eventually, some of us got together and
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The story behind of Road to School (R2S)
courtesy
Indira says “R2S also maintains active cooperation with Quarter Guard School, the local government school, and engages the locals through ‘Zero Dropout,’ an educational awareness drive that encourages parents to take an active interest in their children’s education.” She also says “Continuing Road to School was a challenge, but also a dream – a dream for paving the path to a brighter future through sustainable development. Now the entire team is looking forward to make this project even bigger because we believe that there is value here, and lots of scope for the youth to bring positive changes into effect.”
Indira’s belief “Too often, we wait for ‘someone else’ to provide all the solutions. But at one point, you realise that there is no ‘someone else’ in society. There is only one ‘someone:’ you. Leadership starts with you.”
“
The best thing that the youth can do to create a more just, tolerant, and inclusive society is to recognise that, whether you are a student from the English, Bangla or Madrasa mediums, whether you’re uppermiddle class or low income class, firstgeneration or second, there is strength in diversity, and there is strength in unity.
“
The idea of “teaching leadership” intrigued me. I wondered about what leadership was and if it could be taught. I was encouraged by the unificiation of BBLT 9’s applicants, who hailed from the three main educational stratas in Bangladesh: English, Bangla, and Madrasa. Also, the chance to interact with people outside my English-medium background, especially people from diverse socioeconomic and religious backgrounds whose views might be quite different from mine, was new and exciting. I couldn’t afford to pass up this opportunity, so I decided to apply to BBLT 9 and find out. This ultimately drove me to continue my involvement with BYLC. I wouldn’t have traded this experience for the world – it taught me punctuality, dedication, the importance of teamwork, invaluable leadership theories and project implementation skills that led me to start my own youth organisation YWBD.
formed YWBD, to serve as an umbrella organisation for these on-going BBLT initiatives. We took up the challenge because challenges, obstacles, and roadblocks are what drive us to do better, to be good enough so that we rise above them.
Road to School an education-centred project originated as a community service project of BBLT9 in November 2012. It was aimed at combating the low literacy rates and lack of educational awareness within the highly impoverished slum communities of Dhaka. Indira shares that the initiators of R2S believe in holistic education and seek to instill in them a love of learning beyond the classroom. To open numerous doors in several arenas for their students, R2S has partnered with some other organisation. At the beginning of this year the team’s hard work paid off when R2S won a $1,000 grant from a mini-project competition organised by Meridian International Center and sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Now R2S has funds for its signature annual programme, Pre-Primary Admission Prep (PPAP) which is an intensive three month long education programme to gather underprivileged students from the slums in Tejgaon Industrial Area. Not only do they provide primary education to these students but they also provide the necessary materials for admission tests in local government schools. Indira believes that due to this initiative, enrollment in schools have increased while the dropout rates have fallen. Also, R2S has enabled students and parents to regard education a feasible long-term investment with returns, instead of a daily short-term financial liability. n
tmag 9
non fiction
fiction
Comic book
book
YOU WRITE IT
The last of the trilogy Very few people in Dhaka have seen the blockbuster film “Divergent.” The movie is based on Veronica Roth’s bestselling book, “Divergent” which is the first book of her breathtaking trilogy. The movie simulates very little from the book; however, it seems to have pleased the masses anyway. Allegiant is the third and final book in the “Divergent” sequel. The cover of this book says: “One choice can define you.” Beatrice Prior, who finds out she is a divergent in the first book, struggles to survive in the second book and discovers
the truths in the third book, makes some harsh choices which define her at the end. With touches of betrayal, loyalty, love and hatred, this book can make it really hard for the reader to put down. Veronica’s second book, “Insurgent” might seem a little bit arid but she succeeds in making “Allegiant” as astonishing as “Divergent.” Despite Divergent being a dystopian novel, “Allegiant” is based on scientific notions. Veronica makes this transformation interesting, then erratic. However, most readers say that
the conclusion of this sequel is quite disappointing and shows lazy writing but Veronica, in an interview with MTV, defends herself by saying that it was actually set up that way from the beginning. The book might not have the kind of ending you expected and after finishing it you might say: “What a waste of time!” But the trilogy as a whole shows how talented author Veronica Roth is. Give this book a try, since, you did fall in love with Beatrice Prior in the first book! Anika Jannat
Back from the dead If you are craving for a bit of actionpacked comic-book-time then Greg Rucka and Michael Lark’s “Lazarus” might be the best thing for you. Set in a dark near-future world, the story revolves around a dystopian society, where economic division has outdated geopolitical and political boundaries. In this world, all the wealth and power is in the hands of just a few families. People employed under these aristocrats are called “Serfs” while those
that aren’t are called “Waste.” They also employ superhuman warriors as servants who are called Lazarus. These servants are trained by, and sworn to protect these families. The protagonist, “Forever ‘Eve’ Carlyle” is the Lazarus to the Carlyle family. The comic follows her story, amid all the corruption, power struggle and treachery. Rucka is truly a master at twisting plots and Lark’s artwork is quite impressive too. Originally, Rucka and
Lark’s motivation came from the idea, or rather the fact that most of the world’s total wealth is owned by a handful of the top most echelons of society. Whereas, the rest have to live sharing and at times fighting over the outrageously discriminating fractions of wealth. Lazarus got 9.3 out of 10 in IGN’s rating and gained 3.93(Four out of Five Stars) in Goodreads user’s rating, so it’s definitely worth a read. Muhammad Mustafa Monowar
The Price of Happiness Happiness. Such a small word and yet at seventeen years of age, Ehaan felt he didn’t know the true essence of it. Distracted, playing with his Xbox controller, there was a knock on his door. “Ehaan what do you want for Iftar today? I will send it with the driver. I am going to have Iftar with your aunts, so don’t wait for me,” shouted his mother from the living room, leaving his bedroom door ajar. “Nothing mum, I will have whatever is being made, no worries.” After uttering his last word, he could hear the front door close, forcing his train of
thoughts to return to his friend’s words. Ehaan couldn’t help but feel sorry for himself. Aryan, his friend told him how his family have Iftar and pray together . The knowledge of his friend’s family dining and chatting together made his heart pang in jealousy. He realised that he had never experienced that intimacy within his family, having never prayed and dined together except at social gatherings. Slowly standing up, Ehaan looked out at the grim golden sky through the pale glass. He thought of all the chats their family had had over the years, his mother and sister talking about the
latest Burberry bags to buy, his father informing them about their forthcoming trips and whatnot. Realisation dawned on him that his family just revolved around money and social responsibilities. They never sat together to enjoy the small happenings of life, never stopped discussing monetary possibilities and the latest buys. Looking around, his eyes noticed all the classy items lying around, bought with the intention of making him happy. And yet, all these just made him gloomier and the thought of dining all alone when the sky turned grey made his eyes flood. Lameya Alma Amin
When am I priority? I was 18 when I got married and I’d married my husband against all odds. My husband was studying to become an architect at the time. I thought it’d be best if I’d taken up a job to support my husband’s education after all that’s what you do for the people you love. Soon enough I realised that I’d have to take up two more jobs to support my husband through his studies; it never felt like a burden to me. I loved my husband, so loving him meant working seven days a week at three different places. By the time he was in his second year, I was pregnant, I was overjoyed at the thought of being a mother. But when I had realised what my reality was
I had learnt to erase the look of sheer delight on my face and tell him. He immediately freaked out and explained to me that this was no time to be a parent. I succumbed to his needs of becoming a successful architect before my dreams of completing my education or a chance at letting my happiness matter at all because I knew that when he’d be done with it all I’d be his only priority. It was finally is time for him to shine. He was finally an architect. He was soon hired as a big shot architect at a firm in the city, yet I was still working three menial jobs that paid the bare minimum wage. Somehow as time passed, I began to feel that I was not
as important to him as I once was. Six months later he took me out for dinner to a fancy restaurant in the city; I knew something wasn’t right. He told me that he was thankful to me for everything in his life, but he could no longer remain married to me. This is because he had fallen in love with someone else and that he had been with this person for the past three years and only had the courage to tell me this now because of his financial stability. Just like that he threw me out into the trash, I too was resilient; it didn’t matter to me anymore that my sacrifice for him didn’t matter. Some people are just not worth your love, time or hard work. Pragya Rahman
TM AG TU E SDAY, J u ly 1 5, 20 1 4
10 tmag
stereo
The goodsheet Material Girl - Madonna INTRO: G F G F (repeat several times)
spotlight
Like Father Like Son
VERSE 1: G Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me F G I think they’re O.K. G If they don’t give me proper credit F G I just walk away G They can beg and they can plead F G But they can’t see the light, that’s right G Cause the boy with the cold hard cash F G Is always Mister Right, ‘cause we are CHORUS: C D D Em Living in a material world C D G And I am a material girl G You know that we are C D D Em Living in a material world C D G And I am a material girl
TOP
10
Right Stuff
1. Material Girl Walk off the Earth 2. Aisa Kaisa Paisa Paisa OST Apna Sapna Money Money 3. Price Tag Jessie J 4. Lift kara de Adnan Sami 5. Millionaire Bruno Mars 6. Bakshe bakshe Arnob 7. Royals Lorde 8. Pour it up Rihanna 9. Forget you Cee Lo Green 10. Money money money O jays
TM AG TU ESDAY, J u ly 1 5, 2014
When was the last time you heard something like Ronan Keating and Yusuf Islam’s, “Father and Son” in Bangladesh? Well, wait till you hear about the musical heritage of the Hossain Chowdhurys Trained by Babu Pranbandhu Saha, Selim Majumdar and later by Ustad Nitai Rai from Hindustani classical vocal music, the renowned Rabindra Sangeet musician, Fahim Hossain Chowdhury has been sailing through four decades of being a music practitioner. With two released albums, he has been a regular performer on Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and many other platforms. An active live performer to this date, Fahim Hossain has represented Bangladesh in New Delhi and Calcutta during the historic celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore by India and Bangladesh. Having done his fair share of performing in iconic concerts in Bangladesh and many countries abroad, he was also one of the prominent performers in the nine-day-long music festival,
“Bangla Gaaner Utshob” organised by Bengal Foundation and India’s ITC-SRA (Sangeet Research Academy). Fahim Hossain is an earner of numerous accolades, including being a life member of the BRSSS (Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha) and the president of the celebrated cultural organisation “Dakshini.” Having often being termed a Rabindra Sangeet maestro, Fahim Hossain Chowdhury is living every man’s dream, watching his son, Amid Hossain Chowdhury following in his footsteps. But, before he is labelled the rightful heir to the throne, it must be noted that Amid Hossain sprouted his own wings in a completely different musical journey. Since his crawling years, he used to be drawn by his father’s musical instruments and super musician friends. Over the years, he realised that the biggest influence his father had on him was the ritual of vocal exercises every morning and the art of taking great care of musical instruments. Being mostly self-taught in the earlier years, Amid Hossain’s first proper musical training took place at Bangladeshi Idol. Making the best use of the opportunity of being musically groomed by Ritu Raj Sen, a vocal trainer at A R Rahman’s Musical Institute, Amid Hossain has been actively performing in live shows, various television and radio shows. He has performed with the likes of Fuad Nasser Babu, Ripon Khan, Shihab Ripon and also gained experience in the international arena, when he performed with renowned Coke Studio artists, namely Bilal Khan in Malaysia. Currently, Amid Hossain has his hands full with a number of interesting projects. He promises to offer a lot with “1st Semester,” a band with his school friend Junaid Ashraf, and an
album with the band “Six” – winners of Nescafe Get Set Rock. Amid Hossain is also composing the title track for a telefilm. Like father, like son, the musical heritage of the Hossain Chowdhurys seems to be growing by the day. Be on the lookout for exciting new projects from both Fahim Hossain Chowdhury and Amid Hossain Chowdhury. Zaki Adnan
tmag 11
playroom
WE RECOMMEND App of the week
Go green Size Varies from device to device Price Free Platform Android
Gadget hunt
Blocks for the Future Technological advancement is exponential which means the future will be here sooner than we think. The incessant development of electronics means that they are improving rapidly but unfortunately durability is not their forte. More often than not, it’s one of the components that causes a problem but this results in the whole device being thrown away. This makes electronic waste one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. To overcome this problem
If you are an Android user, there is a definite possibility that you have come across apps that won’t shut down after you close them. As you keep installing new apps, they start to hog your device’s resources and slow it down. Is there a way around it? Well, it seems that the developers at “Oasis Feng” have figured out a way to make you fall back in love with your device. Meet “Greenify,” the no nonsense proctor that puts your misbehaving apps back in line. It prevents your device from slowing down, draining out and you can expect performance that you have seen the day you bought it. Greenify aids you in identifying and shutting down apps that keep running in the background so they don’t leach
PhoneBloks has come up with the brilliant scheme of making modular electronic devices, starting with your phone. You may ask: “What difference does that make?” Well, being modular means components can easily be removed and replaced without altering the rest of the device. Imagine the camera in your phone suddenly stops working, or the Wi-Fi won’t function properly, do you throw your phone away? With the ideology of PhoneBloks the answer is a solid “NO.” As the name might suggest, it’s made from detachable blocks. Different blocks carry out different functions. If you feel like your phone is slowing down, you can just change the block that affects the speed. Malfunctioning speaker? just replace the block and you are good to go. You can easily replace a broken component or swap it out for the latest model. With a little more work and support,
tv precious battery or take up valuable system resources. It’s like putting duct tape over a room-mate’s mouth, who is very persistent on keeping you awake by talking. The closed app will operate perfectly when you decide run it on the foreground again. You get to decide which apps you want “greenified,” or you can make a white list of apps that will be completely ignored by the “Greenify” app. Be careful about putting alarm clock or messaging applications in the “Greenify” list though, because once the apps are shut down, you will not receive any wakeup calls nor will you receive instant messages. It’s time to revitalise your device, stay clean with green. ASM FOYSAL
Not dreadful at all
PhoneBloks could be the next best thing. The blocks are all made out of recycled materials so there is hardly any waste and upgrading the device will definitely be lighter on your pocket instead of replacing it entirely. With PhoneBloks you don’t just buy a phone, you make it. ASM FOYSAL
movie
From Molly to Tammy Do you remember the TV sitcom “Mike and Molly?” An Emmy winner Melissa McCarthy portrays the role of Molly who makes everyone laugh hard, with her sweet-hearted, moralistic personality, and a support cast of insane people. “Tammy,” directed by Melissa’s husband, Ben Falcone and starring Melissa herself, was released this July. This movie is supposedly a comedy but lacks a proper story and the genre deviates from the comedic to adventurous to dramatic. As TV guide’s review says: “Tammy is the work of star
temporarily bereft of inspiration or ambition.” The movie begins with a combination of drama and comedy but as it continues, the story completely loses its track. It heads nowhere and randomly changes from funny to sentimental. Besides, the number of times Melissa swears in this movie is way too much. So if you are planning to watch this movie with your family thinking there won’t be any obscenities at all since it’s a comedy movie, you
better choose a different one. Despite lacking an organised plot, Melissa doesn’t forget to make her audiences laugh. She makes her sad life appear humorous through her skillful acting. Melissa, with Susan Sarandon who acts as Melissa’s grandma, try their best to make this movie a success but due to a poor plot, it becomes a mediocre comedy film. Melissa McCarthy has the potential to do better than “Tammy.” Anika Jannat
A thrilling horror series involving a lot of drama, violence and an extremely intriguing story, Penny Dreadful has a lot of potential. The series progresses rather slowly during the first episode but everything falls into place by the end of the second one. This show is extremely creative and unpredictable. The main actors Josh Harnett, Eva Green and Timothy Dalton have shown extraordinary performances so far. Fictional characters from 19th century literature are reintroduced, for instance, we get to meet Dorian Gray from Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Besides Dorian the roster includes interesting characters such as Mina Harker, Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” Victor Frankenstein and his monster from Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” etc. Various monsters and villains are included in this series and it will be interesting to see their characters grow in the next seasons. Some will agree that John Logan has created one of the greatest Gothic horror series. The special effects are of high quality and guaranteed to give you a good scare. The Victorian melodrama is captured brilliantly. The story of combating supernatural threats in Victorian London seems like promising entertainment this summer. The fact that former James Bond, Timothy Dalton and former Bond girl Eva Green have the lead roles work as a huge motivation to start watching the show. And well, their performances are commendable. The show can be summarised as creepy, seductive, unanticipated, and smart. The first season should leave you eagerly waiting for the second one. Isfar Imtiaz Baset
TM AG TU E SDAY, J u ly 1 5, 20 1 4
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TEENARAMA
TMAG tells you to
Choose or Lose
Listology
My sudden mood swings cause my boyfriend and I to have petty arguments. Nowadays, these arguments happen a lot and he often expresses his anger by physically abusing me. But after a few hours or the next day, he apologises in the sweetest manner. He also buys me gifts to make up for it, and takes me shopping. After a few days I find myself bruised again. I find it difficult to break up as we’ve been dating for almost a year and there’s a great deal of emotional attachment involved. What should I do?
Lose
No matter what the argument is about, no one has the right to hurt you like that. A guy should have respect for women and seriously, don’t be involved with someone who thinks it’s okay to wound you. You have to be strong and not fall for his charming words when he’s trying to make it up to you. A boyfriend should protect his girlfriend; in your case he seems to be the one you need to be protected from. That’s not how relationships work. Haven’t you had enough of his bipolar behaviour?
Five kinds of people at the Iftar table Hunger, more than anything, brings out a more accurate shade of people. Many tend to snap quicker than Miley Cyrus, after a negative comment and their patience turns thinner than the burger patties in Dhanmondi food carts, when on an empty stomach. They generally come in five categories, and their final forms are seen at the Iftar table right before the Adhan rad sharar
Recently, a girl from my Physics class added me on Facebook and started sending me messages. This really bothers my girlfriend. I find it trivial that she has a problem with me talking to a new girl. It’s not like I’m gonna fall in love with her. I think it’s rude to not reply to someone’s messages but on the other hand, it creates problems with my girlfriend.
Choose
The platter-fillers
You only met that other girl at a class so it shouldn’t be too hard for you to avoid talking to her, if it helps make your girlfriend happy. It’s more important that you take into account the feelings of the person who matters more to you - in this case, your girlfriend. Moreover, it gives you a chance to show your girlfriend that she matters.
Right on cue, these folks shall be present in front of the food with a plate ready in their hands. Their objective is to eat the world and would fill that plate modestly till every inch is buried. That’s never really the problem, but the annoyance begins when they waste half their food in the process.
Got a sticky relationship ish? Let us help you make up your mind. Email your story today to tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com
The time-keepers “40 minutes left! Noo! How much longer? No wait, 39 minutes!” The timekeepers get on your nerves, second by second, and never fail to make the last hour feel like a full day with their impossible-tounsubscribe alerts.
The groaners Of all the words that hit you like a hammer during Ramadan, none is more potent than the combination of these two words - “I’m hungry!” Yes, we know, we all are. But patience runs thin when they go on moaning about how much effort they put into passing the whole day without having Sehri. No one told them not to, but hopes that they would understand the fact; its not easy for anyone else either, would help.
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The Jaagos Iftar as a whole is an enjoyment for them, and that sentiment literally resonates to their surroundings. Without being selfish, they shall help with the preparation of the whole meal, even if they are guests. Their plates are filled last, and they constantly aim to help others voluntarily. They deserve our gratitude, for it’s not as though they were any less ravenous than us.
The Houdinis As if Houdini’s disciples themselves, these folk shall disappear before the Iftar silently and unnoticed. But once the munching starts, they transform from their short-veined, snappy vampire states into the super-jolly, humorous people they really are. Energy proportionate to their stomach gauge, the Houdinis are dull to have around during the ending stages of daylight.
Once in a school play I had the line, “I have your nuts.” After I said it the whole class broke out in a fit of laughter.
Blush Much?
It was a nice day and I decided to go out cycling. Suddenly a car rushed past me and I fell, along with my cycle, right into the drain on the side. The day was not so nice after that.
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I was talking to my friend about my new crush. Five minutes into the conversation, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around only to find that it was my English teacher and she was there the whole time.
4
During lunch time, I was sitting in the cafeteria with my friends. Out of the blue, my chair broke and I fell.
5
I had been waiting a long time to talk to this girl whom I found very pretty. When I finally got the chance, someone pushed me from behind and I spilled the drink in my hand all over her dress. Email your confession today to tmag@dhakatribune.com
TM AG TU ESDAY, J u ly 1 5, 2014