Dhaka Tribune
Thursday, December 25, 2014 Volume 2, Issue 33
A Year of awesomeness
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 Saudia Afrin Tahsin Momin Baizid Haque Joarder Rad Sharar Raisa Rahim Contributors Mahmood Hossain Rafid Ahnaf Kyoko Bhuiyan Mustafid Raiyan Khan Imad Khan
Editor’s note
Meme of the week
Dear Readers,
Life is too short to remove the USB safety.#just saying – Haren Rishi Thadhani
Dear Readers, And just like that, we conclude another year. It’s been a crazy one for sure, but let’s give it a good send off, why don’t we? If you plan to chillax indoors with friends, we’ve got the ingredients for a pajama party for you. Solo homebody? Never fear. We’ve got books, movies, and all other forms of distraction to keep you busy all through to the next year. If you do have plans for NYE, we would want you to look your best, so head to our fashion page for tips and tricks. And if you’re going to be a wallflower at said party, we have some quizzes and lists that’d make great icebreakers. Finally, if you really want a reason to celebrate, flip to our Hot Topic page to check out a year’s worth of teen awesomeness and know that the power to change the world lies in the hands of those who dare to dream. TMAG wishes all its readers a very happy new year.
Hashtag trendings #tbh This hashtag is used to share something honestly, like a fact or an opinion. “I don’t think Meghan Trainor is fat. She is rather cute and got all that bass #tbh”
More inside Picks Of the week 2 Room of the week Rayma Habib 3 Doodle of the week Nazia Afroze Your world 10 Film101 Alfonso Cuaron 11 Playroom At the movies: 2014 Round up Real Life 3 Event Tweets 6 Hot topic Greatest Teen Moments of 2014 12 Listology Party Personality
Fashion 4 Wardrobe check Stuff to do with your stuff 4 Beauty check End with a beauty bang TMAG says 2 Your room Be Fresh, Be Happy 2 FYI Are your resolutions worth keeping 3 School survival Party to the beat 13 News Mazecon
Love, From, The TMAG desk
Horoscopes 5 Your forecast
Graphics Mohammed Mahbub Alam Tahsin Momin Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Production Masum Billah Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel
5 Car talk Porshe 918
Email: tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com Website: www.dhakatribune.com
8 Written in the Stars
Calculating the fear
About the cover A Year of awesomeness Cover design: Mahbub Alam
2 Room of the week Rayma Habib
4 Look of the week
Marium Tasnim Tisa
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Your Life
courtesy
FYI
Are your resolutions worth keeping
TMAG’s Room of the week!
Can we all agree that every year we expect better grades, swear to lose a few pounds, or promise ourselves to make “better” decisions? These resolutions are often found scribbled on the back of one’s biology notebook or on their e-note mobile app. But let’s face it, not many of us turn back to those pages. Hence TMAG is here to help make your resolutions rather simple, fun, attainable and keep-worthy
Name
Rayma Habib Area
Dhanmondi
Cozy and Comfortable No room is a room unless it’s cozy like this one, or almost as cozy as this one. Coming back home from a long day, the colourful and warm-looking room is the one to throw yourself in.
Your room
Be fresh, be happy Be it cheerful or ruinous, it’s best to leave the past behind, and is a time to start the new year on a fresh note. There are so many things to celebrate; end of exams, making new year resolutions, etc. Although throwing a pajama party might not be a bad idea to kick start the new year, it is always good to spend some quality time with the loved ones. This week, TMAG will help you set up a pajama party
Head count It is always crucial to keep track of the number of guests you want to invite. Despite having proper planning, miscalculating the number of guests can turn the party into a disaster. Hence, before planning for anything else, get your guest list right. Tummy fillers Party and food are synonymous, which means there will be food for sure. Well, to many, food is a form of happiness. But, think about how you can make your eating experience different. Try cooking different food items with your pals. Your kitchen might get messed
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up in the process but it is worth it. Although you might want to get a few basic cooking tips from your parents to avoid the unwanted mishap.
their feelings toward each other, and pass it around. It is always fun to read old fashioned letters rather than the electronic ones.
Play it right Playing games might be the best way to spend your time. Get a wide range of card or board games and make sure that the guests don’t get bored at all. Apart from that you can also engage the guests in a game of “secret sharing” or “truth or dare.” Better yet, you can play some old fashioned “message passing” game, where you take pieces of paper and tell your friends to write about any particular incident or about
Keep the reel rolling Since it is a stay over, the best time for watching a movie is on the later part of the night. Pick your movies wisely because boring ones might drop those sleepy heads left, right and centre. Keep in mind the movie choices of your guests. These are a few tips that can turn your party into a successful one. Saudia Afrin
Plank yourself Jotting down diet notes or watching “5 best killer abs moves” on YouTube will not turn your flabs to abs if you aren’t down there hitting it hard like the fitness gurus in the video. Take a fun detour and challenge yourself with a move. For instance, if you are targeting a lean and strong core, get your plank right. First and foremost, learn the form, master it and then hold for 10 seconds; keep adding 10 seconds to it every day till you reach five minutes. If you need to pick it up a notch, or are more on the advanced level, practise a handstand. The trick is to move up to the perfect form, by practising bit by bit, every single day. If nothing else makes an impression, a hand stand definitely will. Orator skills Sometimes it’s the introverts who want to be master public speakers. Self-help books and websites are a dime a dozen, and they may as well provide you with some solid theory like “you’ve got to go live!” Stand in front of the mirror (when there is no one around) and simply talk to yourself. Fix your posture, make eye contact with yourself, and talk about a different topic every day. If you are into sports, discuss yesterday’s football match. If you just read a book, explain in a gist what the story tried to convey to you. Always imagine talking to a crowd and you will learn to filter out generic information from your conversations. The more confident you are with yourself, the better you will be around people. Take it easy and go with the flow. Last stop No matter what your resolutions are, take baby steps to do it and do not worry too much about the results. Suppose, you planned to write a book or compose a tune, do not fret about how people are going to react when they read or hear it. Start on it, and keep improvising, and you shall be awesome! Natasha Rahman
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EVENTS
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School Survival
Party to the beat Who hasn’t heard the statement “work hard, party harder?” Everyone likes to put on their dancing shoes and groove to the beats of popular dance numbers. Besides, it is also believed that engaging in fun activities work as an incentive to study. Hence, most schools host class parties at the end of their academic sessions. Here’s a few ideas you can use to plan your class party Themes Students and teachers can start by setting a theme for the party. Teens will have fun discussing ideas, and feel more responsible. Let us remind you that there are plenty of ideas online. What to wear If the theme of the party demands a costume, then teachers can help their students make interesting ones. Teens will love this idea. Costumes are available at party shops, plus they can also look up YouTube to make their own. If costumes are not required, then teachers must monitor if the students are wearing proper dresses; something that’s not too stuffy and uncomfortable. Hors d’oeuvre Although students should be
refrained from relishing unhealthy edibles like junk food, they deserve to be exempted for one day. Teens are messy eaters, so the food should not be too oily or greasy. Do keep in mind that fried chicken, french fries and sandwiches are everyone’s favourite; avoid spicy food though. For class parties, cakes are a must. After all, what is a party without a good creamy treat, right? Activities Class parties are the perfect event to host a plethora of fun games and activities. Old School games such as pillow passing, musical chair are still a hit. Charades, bingo etc are games which will surely result in giggles and chuckles. Face painting, talent shows are great ideas as well.
Moreover, organising a magic show will definitely entertain the crowd. Meanwhile, decent songs can be played so that the party mood can diffuse in the air. A time slot for dancing should be fixed since there might be a little Michael Jackson among them, whose feet never stops!
And lastly, the students should be encouraged to do a bit of cleaning after the party is over. They should be asked to switch off the lights and fans in the room before they leave for home. Rafid Ahnaf
Event Tweet
TMAG’s easel
1st ASAUBian Get Together To strengthen the relationship between the former and current students, ASA University is going to organise their 1st ASAUBian Get Together on December 26. Venue: Shymoli Club Field, Dhaka. Bangladesh GameFest December 25-26, & January 2-3, 2015 Venue: Saad Musa City Center, Dhaka
If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com and see it in our weekly!
“Artist with an eye for an eye” Nazia Afroze
East West University Photography Exhibition organised by East West University Photography Club (EWUPC) December 27-29, Venue: Dhaka Art Center
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FASHION FACE-OFF Beauty Check
Look of the week
End with a beauty bang Wrapped in winter “Winter screams shawl! Deep colours like the one in the photo looks both comfy and stylish. Wearing different patterns of shawl with your outfit will most certainly make a statement this season.”
Model Mariam Tasnim Tisa Photo Anup Munir
2015 is quickly approaching and it’s time to revamp our closets and update our looks! So let’s begin with the perfect makeup look for the New Year One makeup trend that never ends is the soft and sweet “girl next door” look. To achieve such a look, you have to ditch the dark lipsticks and reach for a pinkish-nude shade. It’s time to put the smokey shadows aside and embrace a more metallic and shimmery eyeshadow to bring light and life to your eyes. Let’s not forget that nothing is sweeter than a beautiful, radiant glow. You can achieve this with a liquid illuminator, which you can mix with
year! Embrace the shimmer and shine this New Year, because this trend is here to stay! To finish off this look, pile on the mascara but keep the eyeliner fairly
simple. A clean, classic cat-eye is the way to go! To amplify the romantic vibe,
your liquid foundation. If you use face powder, try using a metallic eyeshadow or powder highlighter such as MAC Soft & Gentle highlighter, to achieve that luminous glow. Don’t forget to highlight your face by using a concealer colour a few shades lighter than your natural skin-tone. Apply it under your eyes, down the bridge of your nose and above and below your lips. This will naturally lift your features as well as brighten your face. Instead of wearing the typical pink
Wardrobe Check
Stuff to do with your stuff
I suggest using a large barrel curling iron to add luscious waves to your hair.
With this beautiful face, you will be sure to start the New Year with a beauty bang! Be sure to check out my You Tube channel for more makeup tutorials and beauty tricks! youtube.com/NabelaNoor Nabela Noor
Fed up of your old clothes? Do you feel like maybe some of your stuff is too old or out of fashion? Well, TMAG has some pretty cool and simple ideas for you to revamp your old things Killing two birds with one stone If you own a bag that’s kind of plain or old; and a t-shirt, which is faded and discoloured, but has a cool phrase on it (or a batman logo), don’t throw them out. You can easily combine the two and create something great and useable. You can make it look new and personalised only following a few steps. It usually works better with shoulder bags but if you think you can manage to work with a backpack, by all means go ahead! So basically all you need is some tape, paint, glue and a cloth (your old shirt or any other cloth with a nice print or a logo on it). Just paint whichever side of your bag you want to paint, let it dry, cut out the part you like best from the cloth, and just slap the piece onto your bag. Smoothen it
out and voila, you’ll have a whole new bag! Shirt fun No outfit is complete without bracelets. So why not show off a little creativity. This will help you get rid of all the old clothes taking up space in your wardrobe. First, take some old t-shirts and cut them into strips, three to four strips is usually a good number for one bracelet. Attach the strips with a safety pin or use a clipboard for added support. Then, braid the strips, just how you would braid your hair. Once your braid is long enough, sew the ends together. And there you have it! Your very own t-shirt bracelet! You can wear one on each hand or a few altogether to show off your creative flair. Kyoko Bhuiyan
blush, try adding a bit of sun-kissed warmth to your face with a brownishpink blush. Matte blushes are so last
Photos: courtesy
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Street Car Talk
HOROSCOPE
Bug of the future
Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Start expressing and impress your superiors at work if you want to get promoted. Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)
You always want more out of life, so don’t wait. Go for it. Spend more time with your beloved one. Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)
There’s no time for selfcriticism, let your instincts guide you. Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
On the face of it, it’s Porsche’s answer to the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari, but the boffins from Germany clearly believe it’s a much more complete car than its rivals And here it is, the much awaited replacement for the Carrera GT supercar. It is Porsche’s counter to the likes of the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari. Merely, it’s more of a challenge to them instead, because the Porsche arrived first and wasted no time fooling around. Underneath that striking body is a carbon-fibre tub into which Porsche has crammed a 608HP, all new 4.6-litre naturally aspirated V8 and a pair of electric motors. The upshot is a combined power output of 887HP. And yes, the 918 is 4WD! If we’re brutally honest, the P1 is rather untamed but it is much more exciting to drive and feels more like a hyper car should feel. Nevertheless, the 918 is completely different; it adapts to the environment it’s in. On road, it is cool, quiet, smooth, manageable, comfy, and most importantly, massively
confidence-inspiring. However, take it to a racetrack and it shows its pedigree; razor sharp and suffers no fools. The 918 is an exhilarating package, and yet so pleasing and fascinating to spend time with. It’s all put together with the kind of engineering brilliance that Porsche is second to none at. Oh, and we almost forgot to mention that it is a convertible; those roof panels does flip out. Wow, just wow! It’s incredible! And then there’s the engine. Engage it in a high gear at low speed and shove throttle as far as you dare! What you get in return for your bravery is this wonderful instant thrust from the electric motors, and as the revs rise, there’s this luscious handover to the V8, which is completely savage at the top end. On the inside, the 918 is
breathtakingly gorgeous. The onepiece moulded seats are rather firm and upright. While you are in it, you wouldn’t even bother checking your mobile phone, since there are so many gadgets to fool around with. The entire centre console is curved from a single piece of glass, which is made by the same people who design Samsung’s phones. Thus, you can swipe, pinch, and tap your way through the menus and navigation as you wish. It’s genius! The whole experience unquestionably proves that hybrid is the future for super cars. Kick-start that V8 though, and the 918 transcends everything you thought you knew about hyper cars. Truly, the experience is nothing like you have ever experienced; there has never been anything quite like it. It just happens to be a Porsche of the future, available today. Tahsin Momin
Catch up with your partners and discuss about your plans with them. Conflicts of opinions may arise but use your charm and be diplomatic to get them on your side. Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
Need help? Don’t be too proud to ask. Ignore that jealous colleague at work because he or she doesn’t deserve your attention. Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)
Your best friend should be your top priority but homework or a special project takes up most of your focus. Pay attention to your daydreams at leisure. Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)
plans!
Your vision of the future is right. Perfect time to make big Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
Exciting days are coming your way. If you are crushing on someone. Don’t be scared, initiate the first move. Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)
Pay attention to the details. Ask for favours from friends. Although make sure you’re ready to offer more if they ask for favours. Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)
Step outside the box and do something different but retreat back into your comfort zone soon. Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)
Travelling could be an option, so be sure you have your documents ready just in case you need them. Emotions might get the best of you. Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)
Put aside your personal plans in order to get the job done. There are some interesting surprises waiting for you in the next few days.
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Team Titans Another year spent and a thousand moments past and gone. Some flickered brightly in our eyes before disappearing and some evoked outright outrage, some moved us beyond words and some made us happy beyond our wildest dreams. But while most of these are forgotten, a few live on infinite in the history books. This week TMAG brings to you some of the greatest teen achievers of 2014, and their moment in the sun.
Oh Lorde E
lla Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor – better known a Lorde, 17, is a New Zealand singer who, as we all know, is famous for being the youngest ever to achieve a number one single in the US with her song, ‘Royals,’ which, unlike the songs of most other teenage pop stars we know from this generation, quite deserves the spot. Amongst all the teen musical stars we know, Lorde must be one of the most talented and is also most likely the most epitomised star by teenagers across the world. Lorde started young doing covers or collaborations with other artists. Her father, having noticed her talent, sent
Joshua Wong IT
D
o you dream of change, think of reforming a system you don’t believe in? Well, meet Joshua Wong, just 18 years of age and nominated for TIME’s Person of the Year 2014 for his outstanding contributions to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Leader of the student based pro-democracy group Scholarism, Joshua is the face of the Hong Kong protests, an activist campaigning for universal suffrage: the right to vote not limited by
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gender, race, faith, affluence or social status Joshua started a huge civil disobedience campaign among Hong Kong’s students in 2014, demanding from China unfettered elections for Hong Kong’s top political position. Though mainland China often dubs him extremist, a symbol against the national order China created, he is also a symbol of hope to some—a young man who inspired his fellow young countrymen to fight for a worthy cause.
audios and videos of her performance to Universal Music Group and thus her career started. The two traits that really define her are her vocals and her song-writing skills. Although she’s a prodigy with a gifted voice, her song-writing skills actually come from lyrical influences the books she reads has on her – and she reads a lot. One’s music embodies his or her personality, and Lorde’s songs have profundity that actually appeals to the sensible and to mature teenagers who are less keen on the things other popular songs usually promote.
Salma Kakar: The desert rider
HOT TOPIC
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The Wizard of Stocks N
owadays, most teenagers dream of earning top-dollar, but how many of those actually go and try to earn it? Meet Connor Bruggemann, a 17 year old high school kid who turned his 2-yearsworth of accrued $10,000 into $300,000 in just four months, using nothing but his phone and trading skills. Bruggemann always had acuity when it came to making money. His father was once in the business of
stock broking, and that too in Wall Street, a place where the big trading game happens. Perhaps his father rubbed off on him, but his interest in making money was his own. His fortune first struck when he listened into a conference call where the CEO of ACYD announced that it will buy back shares to try and increase the price to 1 penny a share. Bruggemann would buy six figures of the shares at one-third of the
price, and just as he had predicted, the company officially announced its share buyback programme, and the price began to rise and then peaked to nearly 800 times that of the original price. He would buy six figures from the bathroom, during school, while at home playing sick, etc. What he did is basically called “penny stock trading” and like all stock trading, it’s rife with risks.
You can't stop Malala M
alala Yousafzai, 17 – the youngest person to win the Nobel Prize - is deemed by many, especially the New York Times, to be one of the most influential teens of today. Even under the fear of being shot by the Talibans, which happened later, she stood up to advocate for the woman’s right to speak and be educated. Her gutsy action and the assassination attempt that followed inspired many to support her campaign. Starting from 2009, she wrote a blog under a pseudonym for the
R
emember the days you’d ride your bike all day, racing your friends, exploring new places or simply to feel a soothing breeze flutter across your face and through your hair? Now imagine trying to do all this with the risk of getting killed. That’s exactly what Salma Kakar, a 17 year old girl and bike riding prodigy from Afghanistan has to do every day in her endeavors to one day wave the flag of Afghanistan at the Olympics. Afghanistan is a conservative, male
dominated society where females are rarely even allowed to drive cars, let alone ride bikes. But as the lead rider of the new co-ed Afghan National Cycling team, nothing’s going to slow her down. Salma and her teammates face countless problems for the team. They have to train in secrecy, and continuously change their locations. Despite following all the cultural norms of the Afghan society, they encounter death threats, harassment,
BBC about the details of her life in Swat Valley under the Taliban occupation in which she expressed her desire for girls to be educated in her hometown, where it was banned by the Taliban. In the following summer, a journalist made a New York Times documentary about her life which brought her to public attention. She began giving interviews in newspapers and television, rising to eminence and speaking out against the injustice towards girls in Pakistan and supporting their right to education.
verbal abuse and humiliation on a daily basis. However, the girls receive an incredible amount of support too. Her bicycle stunt is revolutionizing a generation of female bike riders, and this is symbol of oncoming change. With a pediatrician for a mother and a sister who published the first Afghan feminist magazine “Riudad”, Salma is the face of women empowerment in this war-torn country.
This later led to her to be shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012. Following the attack, she was in critical condition and later had to undergo intensive rehabilitation in the UK. The attack didn’t make her lose fight at all. Instead, she went on to achieving many accomplishments and even the release of her own autobiography ‘I Am Malala’. Malala is now running a worldwide campaign and is the voice of millions of kids deprived of education.
And so 2014 was a great year for teens where ordinary people like you and me managed to do something really extraordinary. Just goes to show you that all of us have the power to change, to challenge, to excel, to shine and to make a difference. Let’s make 2015 OUR year!
By Mustafid Raiyan Khan, Imad Khan and Alvira Farhin Ria TM AG Th u rsDAY, De c e mb e r 25, 20 1 4
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Written in the stars
Calculating the fear
Photos Mahmud Hossain Opu
Winners of National Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad share their views and fun facts about mathematics with Saudia Afrin A study by Raytheon Corporation shows that a majority portion of 1000 middle school students prefer to eat broccoli, instead of solving a math problem. The question as to why some people find mathematics boring or difficult is a rarely asked one. This competitive world desires a generation expert in Mathematics, Science and Technology. However, financial developments report by World Economic Forum confirms that Bangladesh scored 3.18 out of 7 in terms of providing quality education in math and science. Likewise, to encourage the students in the field of study, our country hosts many Mathematic competitions with National Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad being one of the biggest one amongst them. AF Mujibur Rahman Foundation funded the event and it was initiated by Bangladesh Mathematical Society. This year there were 10 winners from all over Bangladesh. A few of them shared their experiences of participating in this competition and talked about why they rather find math fun. 1st Place Saiful Islam Department of Mathematics University of Dhaka I was deeply fascinated by the diversity in the field of Mathematics. It is said that mathematics is the language of Science, Arts and Technology. I think it is a language of life. Everyone uses mathematics in every step of his or her lives; some can utilise it, while others cannot. I am trying to understand the language of mathematics from the depth of my heart. It helps to recognise patterns and understand the world around us. In
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today’s highly scientific-technological world mathematics plays a vital, often unseen, role in many aspects of modern life, for example, space travel, safeguarding credit card details on the internet, predicting stock market price, business decision making etc. Hence, in order to change the world, we first need to know and understand mathematics.
solving any type of brain-engaging activities such as programming, sudoku, chess, football, etc. And all these things are somewhat related to math and are based on logical thinking. The trickier the problem, the more interesting it gets. People need math not only in their day-to-day basic calculations, but also to sharpen and structure their logical sense. Being rigorous and logical in every aspect of life is a healthy way to live.
4th Place D M Zunayed Kamal Nibir University of Dhaka I do math for pleasure. Since 6th Place my childhood, Ahmed Nazim one of the best Uddin feelings I had Bangladesh was from solving University of various problems, Engineering and not particularly Technology mathematics The most amazing though. Gradually, thing about I figured mathematics is that solving that it is the only mathematical science that is problems seem Saiful Islam, Winner of National based on pure to be a better Undergraduate Mathematics Olympiad logic. It does recreation for me not only depend on mere observation than anything else. The fun part lies in or other natural phenomenon. For doing trial and error followed by more example, there were no imaginary practice before you finally crack the numbers in reality until a group of code of math. It’s like gaming to me. I mathematician developed complex find problems appealing and that’s why numbers only for fun. But these days, I find mathematics so interesting. there isn’t a single engineering course without complex algebra in it. Practicing 5th Place and developing mathematics not only Mir Imtiaz Mostafiz helps us understand current technology, Bangladesh University of but it also gives us the key to future Engineering and Technology science. Not just mathematical, but I also like
Well, when I was in seventh grade, I found a book in our school library called “Neurone Onuronon” by Mohammed Zafor Iqbal and Dr M Kaykobad. The book contained some interesting mathematical concepts and biography of world-famous mathematician. And at the end of the book there were 200 unsolved problems. All the problems were so mysterious and amazing that I fell in love with math by the time I finished reading the book. I realised how beautiful this subject is and why it is called the queen of all sciences. 8th Place Jahangir Hossain M M College Math is very essential since most professional tasks involve math in one way or another. Our lives without math would be impossible. It enhances the creative power of our brain. So if you have any fear regarding math, remember, practice will make you perfect. It became a passion for me from sixth grade. Let me share my secret story. I never got desirable marks in mathematics in fifth grade. I was so upset. However, instead of quitting, I practised more and more which eventually developed my skills enormously. 10th Place Md Lalin Chowdhury Shujon Begum Rokeya University The reason I love mathematics so much is because it doesn’t contain any theory. Also, I believe that mathematics is essential in different aspects of your living, whether you’re the Prime Minister or a farmer who needs math to compute your earning at the end of the day. n
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YOU WRITE IT
book
Winter Reading List If your plans for New Year’s Eve involve snuggling under the covers with a good book, we’ve got a bunch of recommendations for you. Sabrina Fatma Ahmad The strange and beautiful sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslyle Walton Genre: Paranormal In all other ways just another girl, except the part where she has wings like a bird, Ava Lavender has more than her share of adolescent angst. All she wants to do is fit in, but no one has prepared her for the twisted outside world that waits for her when she ventures outside. Even though wings on a human won’t probably be a reality for some time, anyone who has had to deal with being “different” can probably relate to this beautiful novel. Definitely a must read for those who enjoyed movies like The Odd Life of Timothy Green.
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew A Smith Genre: Sci-fi What starts out as the story of a typical teenager dealing with love triangles and racism and bullying, quickly becomes a sci-fi romp featuring mutants and supersoldiers, and culminates into Planet of the Apes territory, except with giant bugs. The story is a great coming of age story, albeit with a bizarre twist, which makes it all the more interesting. If you liked the Planet of the Apes prequels, and movies like Snowpiercer, this will be a riveting read.
Avalon High by Meg Cabot Genre: Fantasy/Romance With so many old fairytales and legends being given a modern twist, it was only a matter of time before Camelot was thrown into the mix. Already a Disney Channel TV movie, this features young Elaine Harrison who has to move into a new school called Avalon High after her parents, both professors, take a sabbatical to pursue their research in medieval studies, focusing mostly on King Arthur and the Knights of Camelot. Sick of the subject of knights and castles, Elaine looks for distraction, and finds it in the handsome and enigmatic Will Wagner. Imagine her dismay when she finds herself in the middle of a modern day re-enactment of all that Camelot drama. As is characteristic of Meg Cabot, particularly if you’re familiar with the Princess Diaries movies, the stories are a bit heavy on the cheese, but definitely a fun, escapist read.
The Tyrant’s Daughter by JC Carleson Genre: Drama 15 year old Laila has to flee to America with her mother and sibs from her cushy life in a fictional Middle Eastern country, when her father, the dictator of that country, is deposed. The story follows Laila as she learns to adjust to a life of comparative poverty, and navigates her way around culture shock and gradually begins to discover who her father really is. The thrust of the story is really about the impact of 9/11 on the lives of young people both in America and in the Muslim world. The fact that this was written by a former CIA agent means there’s definitely a lot of gritty realism to look forward to. While certainly a little sugar-coated, this is an interesting read and an important dialogue to open up. Fans of shows like Homeland and 24 are sure to enjoy this.
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Film 101
Film 101
Alfon-so? “So what do you like about being up here?” “The silence” “When you’re beyond the boundaries of Earth and all you can see is the vast darkness, the only thing you can appreciate is the silence.” The above quote was taken from Alsonso Cuaron’s Oscar-winning film “Gravity” (2013). Alfonso Cuaron is a Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer and editor; quite the all-rounder. We know for a fact the boring details about Alfonso Cuaron’s birthplace or what he studied will never register in your minds. Then, what’s so great about him? What makes him worthy of your precious time? Let’s stroll down memory lane, shall we? Remember your undying love for Harry Potter? Remember how you knew (and might still know) every line from every movie? Remember that one line, “I solemnly swear I’m up to no good?” Well, this mischief was managed by none other than Alfonso Cuaron himself. You guessed it right; he directed and beautifully depicted the book, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” When he was first signed for this movie, he asked Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint to write a short essay on their respective characters. True to their characters, Emma turned in a 16-page essay, Daniel a one-page essay, and Rupert never even turned his in! This proves his potentials in the field of work. Not only did he bring a phenomenal book to life, he also brought out an Academy Award-winning film, Gravity. Alfonso’s life story is all very cliched with him wanting to be in the film industry since childhood until the point when he wanted to be an astronaut. This dream of his was actualised when he directed the aforementioned mindboggling film for which he won an Oscar for best director. Following this, he also won several awards such as the Golden Globe Awards, British Academy Film Awards, etc, again, best director. The bottom line is: Alfonso Cuaron is brilliant at what he does. Another notable work of Alfonso’s is a blast from the past, “A Little Princess” (1995). The story, based on a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, follows a young girl whose royal identity is hidden from her during World War I. “All women are princesses; it is our right,” a line that beautifully captures the essence of this movie. As you can see, Alfonso is not totally boring; he has made history, remarkably and brilliantly. He has done so by intriguing billions of individuals,
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both young and old, all around the world! Guess now you could call him Al-fun-so! (We apologise for the bad pun) Zubaida Rana Rahman
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playroom
We Recommend Movie
At the movies: 2014 roundup 2014 has brought plenty of hits from big studios and little surprising projects alike. Here’s a look at the top movies of the year
revolution against President Snow and the Capital. While it’s still running in theatres, it’ll surely pass Captain America: The Winter Soldier in sales soon enough to take the number two spot. All thanks to the fans out there.
tear-jerker was one of them. Whether you liked reading the book better than watching, this film will lure you into its crying fest performance by Shailene Woodley anyway.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Guardians of the Galaxy Starring Chris Pratt, this movie exceeded all expectations from the producers to the fans. Raking up way past $332,000,000 in worldwide total gross, this film has gone down as the most successful Marvel movie to date. The highest grossing film of the year is the perfect blend of comedy and adventure for all ages. It’s left us wanting more, and more we shall get. Stay tuned as there is an impressive line-up from Marvel in the coming years, including the sequel to this wonderful hit!
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 The most anticipated sequel of the year hit it big, as the last chapter begins with Katniss leading the
Interstellar A gut-wrenching, heart breaking, leaving us with hope of a ride left us in awe. Another magnificent film by Christopher Nolan takes audiences into outer space, an original perspective we’ve all come to love. It’s one of those films you wouldn’t mind paying to watch over and over again. Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain put on brilliant performances, giving justice to the well-written script by the Nolan brothers.
The Fault in our Stars There were 28 films this year that past the $100,000,000 mark, and this little
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies You can take a long and sad sigh, as this is the final chapter of Middle-Earth films. The final film has just released, but you can bet it’ll cross into the top 10 grossing films around, going well into 2015. We don’t need to tell you why you should watch the end to this epic series.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Maleficent
22 Jump Street
Mahmood Hossain
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12 tmag Take TMAG’s PERSONALITY QUIZ Now!
teenarama
Which 2014 song are you?
Finding your heartbreak melody
Listology
Party Personalities Social bugs you’ll meet at a party
Question 1 1. How do you typically spend Winter? A. Huddled under a blanket all day- it’s too cold outside. 1p B. Going on dates- no cold shall keep me from my bae! 3p C. Distributing sweaters to all those poor cold people on the streets!2p D. Going out just to wear all your nice winter clothes. 4p E. Twerking to stay warm. 5p Question 2 It’s valentine’s day, what do you do? A. I don’t need a date- I’m cool like that. 2p B. Go out on a date, take a lot of selfies and post them Instagram. 4p C. Buy all of bae’s favourite chocolates and flowers. 3p D. Asking random people to be his/her valentine, even mom. 1p E. Go out to a party with all the single folks. 5p
Pragya Rahman
The Social Butterfly This particular person is all about networking. They will have a conversation with almost everyone at the party, take pictures with them, take their numbers, their social media details and befriend them immediately. They will actually be kind enough to remember you the next time they see you; they live by one rule in life: “Get to know as many people as possible in life, you never know who might become useful at some point.”
Question 3 Which of the following can you relate to most? A. Instagraming pictures of your new shoes. 4p B. Taking out bae to great restaurants- she deserves it. 3p C. Rocking it out in front of the mirror. 5p D. Making New Year’s resolutions to finally commit to a relationship. 1p E. None of the above. 2p Question 4 What kind of guy/girl would you go for? A. ANYONE. 1p B. Someone who can treat me like the king/queen I am. 4p C. He/she gotta be dope. 5 D. I don’t need anyone. 2p E. I already have my perfect person, okay? 3p Question 5 What would you do at a party? A. TWERK TWERK TWERK TWERK. 5p B. Dance to those romantic slow songs with my bae. 3p C. Sit in a corner with a drink, and just listen to the tunes. 1p D. Socialise and enjoy myself- but with limits. 2p E. Out-dress, out-dance and outrage! 4P
The Phone Gazer The music may be as loud as thunder and wilder than dogs, but the phone gazer will not move an inch away to look away from their gadgets to leer at the gorgeous men or women around them.
The Bragger As discreet as they’d like to be about their wealth or about how cool they really are, they really aren’t that modest. Every now and then they’ll talk about their enormous business empire and how much money they make a month and how many employees they have on their pay roll. Well guess what mate? Nobody really cares!
The Whiner Calculate your total score! If your score is between 5-8, you’re SAM SMITH’s Stay With Me If your score is between 9-13, you’re SIA’s Chandelier If your score is between 14-17, you’re COLDPLAY’s Magic
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If your score is between 18-21, you’re IGGY AZALEA’s Fancy If your score is between 22-25, you’re NICKI MINAJ’s Anaconda Mustafid Raiyan Khan and Imad Khan
Try to steer clear of this one cause once they find you, you’re trapped. It’s like quicksand, once you’re in you can’t get out. The conversation will start off with the usual details; your name, what you do, and then you will not be allowed to say anything at all. That’s when their story starts, and much like a crusader, this is where your fight begins. But, feel free to be defeated by stories of exes, problems at work, a life changing experience that couldn’t be more mundane, or someone who offended them recently. Your best bet is to pray to God that someone rescues you from this conversation as soon as possible.
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tidbits
Maze Con The biggest anime community in Bangladesh is going to celebrate it’s third edition of MazeCon on December 25. The event will start at 11:00 am and continue till 8:00 pm at Mazecity, Matbor Tower 62/63, Jigatola, Dhanmondi. Anime is a Japanese term for animation and MazeCity currently has over 49,025 avid members in the community. Formerly known as “teamOtaku” meaning “the team of nuts for anime,” Mazecity, has a wide range of Bangladeshi fan base which consists of people of all ages who are either into anime for its sheer originality or they are comic artists or animators. Mohammad Moinul Islam Monty, NurE-Elahi Shonchoy and Mahmud Shuvra founded this community in 2006 and
were later joined by Akib Jonayeed and Shahidul Islam Wasio. The first convention hosted by Mazecity was in 2011. Mazecon caught the attention of the crowd almost instantly, as it was the first event that introduced cosplay (costume play) in Bangladesh, and people actually took the time to dress up as their favourite anime characters. Honorary guests present at the previous events included Ahsan Habib (Editor/Publisher Unmad), Sharier Khan (Creator of Basic Ali and Babu cartoon strips) along with Mr.Arnaud (former Loizeau Attache for Culture and Cooperation of the Embassy of France in Bangladesh). For the third time, Mazecon is forming an exciting panel of anime aficionados like Ahsan
Habib, Sharier Khan, Mehedi Haque, Nasrin Sultana Mitu, Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy et al. Partners participating in this daylong event are: Jamil’s Comics & Collectibles (JCC); AniFinity, DHAKA Comics; Combeshi General Store; and We Draw Stuff. Their print partner is Vernal Services. The daylong event will also include various fun filled activities, exhibitions, games such as KingyoSukui (goldfish scooping) and karaoke. So go ahead, dress up a little as your
favourite anime character, be it Naruto or Vegeta, have some fun and scoop those goldfish like there’s no tomorrow! Pragya Rahman
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