Dhaka Tribune
Tuesday, May 7, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 4
Hot Topic
Tyger, TYger
Burning Bright
FYI
Lights out Beauty talk
Natural Mode: On Written in the stars
sabhanaz rashid diya Look of the week
Animal Instict
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CHECK IT OUT
Editor’s Note
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8 Written in the Stars Diya on the way to creating active youth citizens
Dear Readers,
A weekly production of
DhakaTribune Acting Editor Zafar Sobhan Magazine Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad TMAG Team Sabiha Mahmud Sumi Tashhid Abdullah Rubab Nayeem Khan Munira Ahmed Afshan Sattar Azfar Rahman Natasha Rahman Saudia Afrin Contributors Tabeen Siddiki Naveed Choudhury Sanyat Choudhury Tahsin Momin Fahad Zaman
Every time our cricket team hits the pitch, our Facebook feeds explode with Tigerthemed posts. Win or lose, the image of the graceful Bengal tigers is a powerful source of pride for any Bangalee, young or old. So when the real-life inspiration for that image finds itself in grave danger, it’s hard to sit by and let it happen. This week’s Hot Topic (pages 4-5) explores just that. Flip through this wild, wild issue for some fierce fashion tips (page 7) and room decor. We’ve got a feisty little multitasker in our Written in the Stars (page 8), and some beastly fantasy-themed reviews (page 10). We also decided to mix things up by debuting our first male cutie in Street Check. How did we do? Write in and tell us! Send your doodles, photos, flash fiction and letters to tmag@dhakatribune.com and be part of the TMAG experience!
With love, From the TMAG desk
The price of power
6 Wardrobe Check TMAG recommends dudes to boot up!
More inside GOSSIP 12 Teen Confessions picks OF THE WEEK 2 Room of the Week: Pragya Rahman 3 Doodle of the Week: Mayeesha Tasnuvah 6 Streek Check: Rashidul Hassan 10 Guitar Tabs of the Week: Watson Brothers’ Rong 11 App of the Week: Pixlr Express
Graphics Mohammed Mahbub Alam Asmaul Haque Mamun Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email:info@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com
4 Hot Topic
About the Cover We’re tapping into our animal instincts this week with a wild and fierce issue Model Tasneem Tarannum Misha Make up Wasifa Ahmad (Sifa’s Corner) Photo Homayra Adiba
Status of the week
Have you ever had a fly or small bug land on your computer screen and your first reaction is to try and scare it with the cursor?
Quote of the week
A girl’s love story always starts with: He’s different. Then ends with: He’s just like the rest.
Lingo of the week SYT: Making life easier for the text-junkies and adding up to the list alongside GTG and BRB comes SYT. It is the abbreviation for See You Tomorrow and is used by the party that wants the other party to shut up.
YOUR WORLD 9 Fiction: Treasure hunt 9 Comic Book: Dadu-Nadu 9 Book: Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why 10 Music: Buckethead’s I Come in Peace 10 Movie: Warm Bodies 10 TV: Beauty and the Beast 11 Car: 2010 Nissan Juke 11 Gadget: Nokia Lumia 620 11 Website: Pixable.com
7 Look of the Week Animal instict
HOROSCOPES 7 Your Forecast FASHION 6 Beauty Check: Natural Mode: On TMAG SAYS 2 Funk Up Your Room: The Grr Factor 2 FYI: Avoiding an “Ouchy-Bleedy” Situation 3 School Survival: Lights Out 10 Playlist: Top 10 Epic Rock Tunes 12 Choose/Lose Your Other Half Real Life 3 Event Tweets 9 Non Fiction: Two Dogs, Taylor Swift, and the Demise of Shoes 12 He Says, She Says: Commenting on Common Teenage Relationship Issues
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Your Life FYI
Funk up your room
The “Grr” Factor
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Bored of the same monochrome room with the sensible bed-linens and uninspiring decor? Does living in the city make you feel like you’ve been boxed in? Here are a few quick tips on how to bring a jungle adventure right into your room. Wall colour Splurging on a Berger Illusions accent wall might break your wallet, but if you’ve got a steady hand and some time in your hands (artsy friends willing to help are a bonus), you could pick out one of your walls as a focal point and stencil in an elephant mural, or make leaf fronds to add a nice wild feel to your room. The paints are available at any paint store. Wall decor You could go the Crepe au Lait route and hang some classy framed prints of animal photos. Zebras and giraffes photograph very well and look classy. If you want a more deshi feel, you could opt for nakshi animal-themed wall hangings instead; Aarong and Kumudini have plenty of those. A visit to Charukala would easily yield some fierce papier-mâché animal masks to hang on your walls.
Avoiding an
“Ouchy-Bleedy” Situation Pet owners have a habit of coddling their “babies.” To be more specific, you often forget that your four-legged “kids” are of a different species; hence you tend to over-do the love dosage and look past many things that should be done in order to avoid health hazards for you and your pets. Are you “aw-ing” when your dog has his claws pressed against your neck? You must have forgotten that your cherub of a canine has claws of fury, which means those nails need to be trimmed ASAP! Their claws get caught on furniture and curtains. Fuzzy may be having the time of his life clawing deeper and deeper on the living room rug, but it won’t be saving you from your mum’s wrath! Here’s a dog or cat owners guide to Pet Grooming 101 and it begins with nail clipping. Nail clippers This tool is essential, as soon as your pets begin their annual scratch-a-thon. Cats and dogs are hostile creatures, which make them hissy towards anything to do with grooming. Don’t rush into the activity, because it will scare your pet. You have to bribe her with a
little treat, so that she warms up to the idea of grooming. Eventually, Fluffy will understand she’s in safe hands. Start slowly Trim the white tips of the claw. Less is more; you should not clip off a lot because claws are sensitive, and declawing your pet more than necessary also serves as a problem, especially if your pet wanders outside. A pet without any claws whatsoever will not be able to fend for himself in the wild. Two can play this game better than one Ask a friend, maybe a fellow pet-friendly person, to hold your pet while you trim its nails. This will actually help you get the job done quicker, as you’ll be focused on trimming nails and not worried about your pet squirming out of your clutches. Find yourself a good nail clipper from HMBR Fix It, located at Gulshan Avenue. Also, be very careful while doing it, because it can split your pet’s nails. If you do it right, your mother probably won’t kick you and your fur baby out of the house. Rubab Nayeem Khan
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TMAG’s Room of the week!
Soft furnishing While a complete room overhaul might be expensive and time -consuming, you can add one or two accent pieces to add to the theme. Zebra printed cushion covers and faux-grass throw rugs are just a couple of ideas. You can find these at Form Icon at Road 113, Gulshan. Other accessories Bamboo lamps, woven stools, and other small knick-knacks can add to an overall jungle adventure theme. If you’ve already got cane furniture, that’s a huge bonus. Aarong and Jatraa also have cute animal figurines, leaf bowls and other small decor/utility items you can use to bring the jungle alive. The final touch? An armload of animal plushies for your bed. If you can pick a theme, choose a central motif and throw in a few bits and bobs to fit around it, and you’ve got a room that’s tonnes of fun to hang out in. Sabrina F Ahmad
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Name
Pragya Rahman Area
Dhanmondi Who doesn’t love elaborate murals of their favourite rockstars all over their bedroom wall? TMAG absolutely loves the artwork. The colours and the lines that make the smoke come alive into Jimi Hendrix
is simply a stunning concept. If you want your wall to turn into a fantastic mural of your favourite rockstar, Sumi is your go-to-person. Get in touch now. Phone 01610312898 Email mahmud.sumi@gmail.com
kheya mezba
Send in a picture of your room to tmag@dhakatribune.com and you may be crowned TMAG’s room of the week!
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Schoologistics TMAG’s Doodle of the week!
This artwork was drawn and painted by Mayeesha Tasnubah, 17 during her Biology class.
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EVENT TweetS The 613th show (special show) of KANJUSH was held on May 3 at 7pm at National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Organised by Smile Foundation, the
Buriganga River Cleaning Project Part II has been postponed. For further updates, contact taifsadat@hotmail.com
6th solo painting exhibition of artist Zebun Naher Nayeem titled Konna’r Kane Dul Aar Khopaye Shada Phool is to be held at Zainul Gallery at Charukala from May 9-15.
Organised by Pran Mango Juice, the
7th BDF Debate Festival is to
be held on Thursday, May 9 from 8am onwards, at Bangladesh Shishu Academy.
If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag@dhakatribune.com and see it in our weekly!
School Survival
An ultimate soccer festival is to be held on Friday May 10, at Swat football Field, Banani. For more details, call 01676043045.
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Lights Out! Munira Ahmed
Load-shedding seems to be one persistent problem in our city and a major excuse to not get homework done. Since teachers have stopped sympathising, we are expected to work around this problem. Well, don’t sweat it! Incorporating the following simple habits into your routine can help you through this Be Aware
Make a mental note of the time of the power cut in your area and the intervals in between. This helps you anticipate power cuts easily and helps you make the most of the time you have in between to finish your work or prepare accordingly. Make a list of the work you need to get done that require electrical help, eg pc work.
Stock up on charge
Once you know what times you face power cuts, stock up on laptop charge, emergency light and fan charge, etc to help you continue your work in peace even when lights are out. If your internet does not run without electrical support, get adequate research done when there is electricity to avoid slowdowns.
Chill up
Have your air conditioner on 20 minutes before power cuts in order to cool your
room enough that you do not feel too hot and sweaty. Humidity is a prime cause for feeling lazy. Chill your water or drink and take it out of the fridge the minute there is a power cut. Keep cool and work on.
Have a modem handy
We told you to finish your research when there is still power. However, sometimes power cuts can be a bit too random. For those times, keep an internet modem handy to carry on uninterrupted work.
Scented candles
If you have followed all the above steps, you should by now have a very cool room, your favourite chiller at hand, and a perfectly charged laptop. Add some aromatherapy to it and you will actually enjoy those annoying power cuts! Choose scents that energise you, like orange and ginger, rather than those that have a relaxing effect, like lavender.
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hot topic
the price of
power A magnificent forest boasting a diverse wildlife, spotted deer and the infamous Bengal tigers, the Sundarbans undoubtedly is a little piece of heaven for the rare estuarine crocodiles, the marine turtles and the golden eagles Natasha rahman & azfar rahman On April 20, 2013, National Thermal Power Corporation of India and Power Development Board of Bangladesh officially signed the agreement for setting up a coal-fired power plant at Rampal, Bagerhaat, near the Sundarbans. The agreement was signed as a joint venture for both the nation’s benefits regarding a more stable and constant power supply.
When the establishment of a coal power plant in Rampal, about 14 kilometres away from the Sundarbans, threatens the loss of the world’s largest mangrove forest, should we be worried? Or could this be a blessing in disguise for the electricity-deprived Bangladesh?
what iqbal habib has to say ... 1. Why are you against the estab-
lishment of the coal power plant? Because the selected plant site is at the edge of the Sundarbans, which is not only this region's sole mangrove forest and a symbol of our national heritage, but a haven for this region's great biodiversity. Moreover, the commencement of this project precedes the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) finalisation, ie, it does not encompass the EMP (Environmental Management Programme) propositions.
2. Do the advantages of this venture outweigh the negative effects on the Sundarbans? No. While ideally, this project promises the possibility of cheaper coal-based electricity, we have failed to acknowledge that the current management plan by the project execution authorities does not include all the required environmental mitigation programmes. When taken into account, these would cause the production costs to skyrocket. Thus, what we have in our hands is nothing but a gross underestimate of the actual cost this project would incur. The financial aspect in itself defeats the feasibility of this project, not even considering the vast environmental repercussions it will cause.
Iqbal Habib Joint Secretary Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA)
Let’s ponder over it ...
syed zakir hossain
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tmag
hot topic
What others have to say ... “Not many people are aware of this fact, but the specific area on which the power plant is being built was originally the Sundarbans. The area, due to farming and urbanisation, is now a locality. So technically, the power plant is being built in the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans has saved many lives during natural disasters like Aila and Sidr. It’s ecosystem prevents Bangladesh from the severity of natural disasters. Whenever a power plant needs to be built, an EIA has to be carried out on that area. Unfortunately, in this case, before the assessment was completed, the government forcefully acquired the land from the people. These things indicate towards the non-transparency of the project. It’s an unequal contract. Indian National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will gain more profit even though Bangladesh made the most capital investment. Plus, according to the contract, the Bangladeshi authorities will not be able to charge taxes on the profit made by the Indian company. Hence, our costing surpasses the benefits we derive from this power plant.” Anu Muhammad Member Secretary Bangladesh Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation
“Bangladesh is known to be one of the top energy-starved countries in the world, with about 53% of the population having access to energy. Although the country is rich with natural resources, it is important to explore alternatives that are environment-friendly. Setting up a coal-fired plant in the Sundarbans is not an environment-friendly option. Conducting an EIA would show the pros and cons of the government's plan of setting up the plant and help take a decision. The Sundarbans being a world heritage site needs to be protected and conserved. It is not only the home of the endangered Bengal tigers, but also have been the habitat for many rare species of flora and fauna. By going ahead with this coalfired plant, major disruption of the ecosystem will occur and also make the environment more vulnerable to natural calamities. A large number of the country’s population are dependent on the Sundarban’s resources. Therefore, it is absolutely vital that the government protect one of its remaining resources that is already fragile, and instead of setting up a coal-fired plant, other alternatives are used to meet the energy demands, which will ensure sustainable development.” Mohima Kader Graduate Department of Environmental Management, IUB
“From a personal viewpoint, I would definitely say that the issue concerning the Sundarbans is a horrible one. Not only is it a matter of murdering a completely functional ecosystem, but it’s also about destroying one of the most prestigious heritages that our nation take pride in. I find it hard to understand why the current government has agreed to move forward with the decision of building a power plant there since they were trying to make resolutions regarding preserving the natural habitats and the environment of the Sundarbans earlier. This current plan is contradicting what they had planned before. It’s understandable that our country lacks in terms of providing proper power supply, but it still doesn’t justify the destruction of nature’s gift to us. If this power plant is built, it will cause harm to the people living near the Sundarbans and Bagherhaat as it will push the animals out of their habitats and cause grave danger to society and vice versa. I strongly believe that the government should reconsider moving forward with this plan. Even though this may generate profit and power for the nation, it will destroy one of our nation’s greatest heritage and identity.” Rubaiya Ahmad Chairman Obhoyaronno Bangladesh Animal Welfare Society
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The fact of the matter is, no matter how much our country suffers from the lack of proper power supply, it still doesn’t justify the destruction of the world’s largest mangrove forest home and habitat for so much biodiversity and endangered species. The Sundarbans, ecosystem is one of the primary reasons why the coastal parts our country are still stable enough for natural
habitats to grow and flourish. Putting up a coal-fired power plant right at the edge of this majestic forest is not only going to be the downfall of mother nature’s process of balancing the environment, but it’s also going to take away a national inheritance that Bangladeshis take pride in. We live in a nation with an emerging economy and yes, we do need better resources for power management. But at what cost? We were born in a nation that thrives on agriculture, and building this power plant in Rampal will bring an end to the livelihood of thousands of farmers. Apart from that, we are a nation that proudly call themselves the Tigers in the sporting arena. Building this power plant also means bringing closer the extinction of the Bengal tigers. Aside from the Bengal tigers, we’re also talking about deer, birds, and countless other species of
flora and fauna. The building of a coal-fired power plant may give jobs to thousands of people who need to put food on the table for their families, but it also means that we will be wiping out a natural and stable ecosystem, as well as the world’s largest mangrove forest. As of now, it’s all just a matter of how soon we have to say goodbye to such a wonderful gift that nature presented us with; a gift that we humans took for granted. In the end, will the Sundarbans only be just something that history reminds us of? Or will we realise how much we took natu re for granted? Will we only give an existence to the bengal tigers through our cricket team and Banglalink’s logo? Will we someday look back and regret not taking a stand against this?
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10 Things you may have not known about the sundarbans l The Sundarbans is the
largest mangrove forest on earth, and is a part of both Bangladesh and India. Its name was derived from the Sundari trees.
l It covers almost 10,000
square kilometres, of which 6,000 belongs to Bangladesh and 4,000 is situated in India. l It was declared a herit-
age site of the world by UNESCO in 1997.
l The Sundarbans is home to more than 400 tigers. Apart from Bengal tigers, wild boars, Indian grey mongoose, pangolin, chital and many more rare species of animals are found there. l Its mangrove vegetation
consists of 64 species of plants which have the capacity to endure estuarine conditions and saline inundations during tidal storms. l The acclaimed BBC doc-
umentary Ganges depicts the lives of villagers, particularly the honey-collectors of the Sundarbans. l Scottish botanist David Prain recorded a total of 245 genera and 334 plant species in the Sundarbans. l Aqua fauna consists of
fish and amphibians such as saw fish, butter fish, silver carp, barb, hermit crabs and Gangetic dolphins. l Animals like hog deer,
single-horned rhinos, mugger crocodiles or marsh crocodiles, and swamp deer were commonly poached during the British period. l In 1993, a new Khulna
Forest Circle was created by Bangladesh to preserve the Sundarbans.
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FASHION FACE-OFF
Wardrobe Check
Beauty Check
Natural Mode: On Munira Ahmed
Tired of all the empty promises to make your skin fairer, nails prettier, hair sleeker, and teeth whiter? Of all the wasted trips to the parlour, dentist, etc? Well, take a deep breath. All this can be achieved in the comfort of your home, using natural, skin-friendly products all from your kitchen!
Dress shoes
Dude, Boot Up! Own too many pairs of shoes but always end up wearing sandals? Dress shoes go with just about everything? Not the cool way to boot up, buddy! Your shoes don’t just cover your feet, they take you places! Learn how and where to wear the right pair of shoes
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Penny loafers
Sandals
Athletic shoes
Got a big game? Choose from runners, walkers, cross-trainers, hikers, and tennis shoes. No points for guessing what each is used for and you should be careful to use it for that purpose only. Walkers and hikers look great with casual clothes, but make sure that you keep them clean.
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Athletic shoes
photos: Big stock
Penny loafers
Wear them with the same things you might wear dress shoes with: suits, khakis, denim. Do not wear them without socks or with shorts; it just doesn’t sit right. Shine them with care.
On blackheads Crush some fenugreek leaves and mix water to form a paste. Apply on your face for 15 minutes, then wash off. Doing this daily will keep your face blackhead-free.
3 In a hurry? Too many guys throw on their sandals and some clothes and head out the door. Nothing could be less appropriate. Make sure you keep your sandals properly matched with your outfit. Sandals should be wiped with a cloth each time you wear them. Keep them clean and polished.
On facials Sugar is one of nature’s great skin-friendly agents. Applying a sugar scrub in gentle circular motions,
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Munira Ahmed
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followed by a lukewarm wash can do wonders for your skin. Follow with a light steam by standing over a pot of boiling water for even better results. On scrubs Faces often get preferential scrub treatment, while the body is ignored. Mix coconut oil, salt or sugar, and some minced basil into a paste, and scrub away. Again, steam helps. Doing this regularly helps even more.
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On feet Even a pumice stone can’t cure all the dry, gnarly foot blues from a full day on your feet. Try rubbing petroleum jelly on your feet and wrap them in cellophane. Leave it on for 15 minutes for baby soft toes.
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On hair Warm up some olive/coconut oil and massage gently on your scalp. Wet a long towel in lukewarm water and wrap your hair in it. Do this three times a week, 30 minutes before you shampoo for sleeker more manageable hair.
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Dress shoes
Prom night? Make it dress shoes. Wear them with your suit but choose the right colour to go with your clothes. Black goes with everything except brown. Brown goes with everything except black, and cordovan goes with everything (including black). Keep the right colour palette in mind and the right polish on your shoes, and dance your way through the big night!
On teeth Using teeth whitening procedures too often will weaken the enamel of your teeth and make them more prone to cavities. Mix a small amount of water with baking soda to make a paste. Dip your toothbrush or finger in the paste and rub it on your teeth. This abrasive can whiten your teeth by brushing away stains.
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Sandals
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nails 1 On Fill a bowl with enough lemon juice to cover clean, polish-free fingernails and soak your fingers in it for two minutes. Your nails will become noticeably whiter!
kheya mezba
Street Check Rashidul Hassan Age: 21 yrs Email your street style photo in to tmag@dhakatribune.com and be crowned TMAG’s street check of the week!
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FASHION FACE-OFF Look of the Week
Animal Instinct Amp up your fierce factor with some wild prints. Straight up animal prints, particularly leopard, tiger and zebra, work best. You can also go for abstract prints that emulate your inner wild child
Aries: Your spidey senses are tingling something might just go awry this week. Whatever it is, deal with it; send it back to where it came from. You’ve been itching to go on a trip. Can’t plan one? Check out the events in Dhaka city for this month. Taurus: You have earned the title of jester for making people laugh. Good job on making that sad friend laugh his heart out. This week has got you feeling all lazy, but you’ll snap out of this soon. Gemini: Learn to say NO to that friend who wants something from you that isn’t yours to begin with. Pitch in those ideas that have been buzzing in your head in the upcoming days, and it wouldn’t hurt if you could brainstorm with a few more heads. You can cut back on maturity and get loony with a friend on the weekends.
Cancer: You might get to see something out of the ordinary this week. Look out for communication errors. Get out of your human bubble and socialise with people. Leo: Pamper yourself a little, but don’t get carried away. If you keep all those feelings to yourself, you can’t expect that certain someone to know how you feel about them. Be a little cautious when you throw around sarcasm; you can’t expect everyone to get your drift! Virgo: You don’t have to brood over your losses. Hold your head up high and say “It’s all good!” The following days invite you to take risks, but your sharp instincts will remind you that the consequences might just not be worth it.
HOROSCOPE Libra: While you indulge your newfound wisdom, your friends might want you to shut your trap! Mesh with people of various ages; see if they dig your ideas. Scorpio: If you’ve got something to say to a certain someone, just spill the beans. Sitting on an issue like a chicken for hours and waiting for a bigger problem to hatch is going to put a damper on your entire week. Don’t depend on one crowd; mingle with people from other circles with whom you share common interests.
Model: Sumaiya Reza Wardrobe: Rainbow Collection (online fashion house) Photographer: Homayra Adiba
Sagittarius: Look at past issues for one last time, wave good-bye and start looking ahead, because this week has a lot to offer. Did it ever occur to you that something as mundane as cleaning can actually cheer you up? Try it sometime!
Capricorn: Romance is making a comeback in your life - ecstatic or terrified? Take your pick! If you’re squinting at that person who’s been annoying, just let them know you feel otherwise. If you’re already in something confusing, then this is probably the best time to get out of it. Aquarius: You’re income is a lot less that than your expenditure, which leaves you hand-to-mouth at the beginning of the week. If you have got issues that haven’t been solved, now is the best time to diminish them. Pisces: This week for you begins with an urge to embrace something new! However, it would be wise to think before leaping into unknown territories. Whatever you do, don’t get in touch with someone with whom you have a complex history.
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written in the Stars
On the way to creating active youth citizens abedin T Rafique
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enerally, young people are often disregarded when it comes to making socioeconomic decisions of the country. What is immediately striking about Sabhanaz Rashid Diya is her enthusiasm for changing this line of thinking and engaging the youth in social affairs. In this way, the story of creating active youth citizens began. The chronicle of One Degree Initiative foundation started while Sabhanaz was in the 11th grade, sitting in class and sharing her dreams with her friends back in 2006. Without squandering too much time on dreaming and sharing, she began planning her steps to actualisation. It was only her passion that helped her dreams take wing so fast. The main focus of her project was the creation of the next generation of leaders and change makers. One Degree Initiative provided them with the right tools and opportunities to drive them towards making positive changes in communities. The foundation has recently completed its sixth year, and has to show for it over 5,000 volunteers, 80 projects and 27,000 indirect beneficiaries worldwide. Former founder and current adviser, Sabhanaz, has a long way to go with a huge list of future activities. The whole team of One Degree Initiative is currently working to establish 80 community clubs in different secondary schools across Bangladesh, supported by the US Department of State. To reduce unemployment, targeting university students, the team has also started social entrepreneurship mentoring programme
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“Hyperactive on roller blades, I’m a tiny person with too many hands. My greatest desire in life is to sleep peacefully for a night without dreaming about to-do lists. Because each step, each attempt, each story matters.” Sabhanaz Rashid Diya that incubate start-up ideas. Every year, Sabhanaz makes a resolution to do her work on time. She duels against procrastination and it always wins. Apart from being an organisation’s founder and adviser, she is a feature writer, freelance photographer, activist and much, much more. Here a question arises: How does she do it all? In her own words: “I think if you are passionate about what you do, time management comes naturally. I don’t preach differently from what I practise; hence, my activities with One Degree Initiative easily resonates the same philosophy in my writings. The roles are almost interchangeable and doing what I love is the way to go about it.” Besides her energetic professional life, she loves cycling, music and food, especially when it’s free.
With the dream of creating a platform for young people that bridges the gaps and transform ideas to actions, Sabhanaz Rashid Diya took only two months to confer an authentic identity to her vision of One Degree Initiative with a group of friends. Saudia Afrin tells you more shihab rashid
tmag 9 The Mysterious Island Created by Mehedi Haque, Shameem Ahmed Published by Dhaka Comics Language Bangla
radar in his secret lab picks up strong signals coming from a distant island. It’s off on a quest for our two protagonists. Lying in wait for them, however, is Dadu’s arch-nemesis Durjhoti and his army of evil mutant chickens.
Since they banded together for the underwater extraction of the Dipocus egg discovered in La Plata, Rio De Janeiro, Dadu and his grandson Nadu have become a team of fearless adventurers.
Why you’d want to read it This comic bok is filled with beautiful illustrations, top-notch composition, engaging dialogue, and crazy zany adventures involving laser guns and creepy marine monsters with a penchant for lollipops and loads more. At Tk120, it’s quite a steal, considering this is good enough to be a collectors’ item. Tashhid Abdullah
NON-Fiction
Fiction
The skinny Dadu’s search for a magnetic energy source seems to be at an end when the
Treasure Hunt “But we haven’t found the treasure yet! How much longer can we go like this?” Amir said to Tasin. “I know we have suffered for a long time, but trust me it is somewhere nearby,” Tasin said. “But I’m so thirsty and so hungry. I’m sweating and I’m tired …” Amir trailed off at the sight of Tasin’s stern expression. “I know it is difficult but please keep your patience. We are the only two people here and if we are not patient we will never reach the goal,” Tasin said. “You do remember what we’ll get when we’re there, right?” At the mention of the “goal,” Amir’s thoughts of dehydration and starvation stopped. The goal was all that mattered. So they picked up their pace in the barren desert under the scorching sun. The vision of all the glimmering jewels was all that mattered. They had envisioned so many things to do with that money. So many
glorious prizes would just be theirs for the taking. And when they could show everyone that all along they had been right, there would be no more scorn and no more pity. The desert was just as dangerous and life-threatening as they had imagined it to be. It was as if God had taken all the images from their heads and created a place to suit their expected miseries and hardships so that they could actually reach their expected goal. But if they had expected it, how come they were in such dire situations? The roughness of the sand was only challenged by the roughness of their parched throats. Their stomachs were just as empty as their water bottles. They had missed the specific route and now the barren desert taunted them as if to show what idiots they had always been. Sometimes, Tasin felt violent and would take it out on Amir, but Amir, being the meek submissive person he was, would not retaliate. What clawed at Tasin’s insides right now was the fact
that he might have been wrong and that the treasure really could be just a figment of his imagination. Deep down, it scared him. He did not like being scared because that meant that he was weak, making him angry. But there was nothing he could do to release his anger. No one he could express it to. Well, there was one person. His gaze slowly shifted to Amir. His lips curled up into a smile. The nurse rushed out from the office when she had heard the emergency alarm. “What happened?” she screamed, when she saw two patients locked in a death grip. “Tasin started the fight out of nowhere,” screamed back another nurse. “He started shouting about some treasure and how it was Amir’s fault that they were lost,” shouted another. “What?” said the first nurse. “That makes no sense.” “Honey if you’re looking for sense in a mental hospital, I suggest you go elsewhere,” replied the second nurse. Tabeen siddiki
two dogs, taylor Swift and the demise of the shoes So I’m sitting in my car waiting for my mother to come out of a building. It’s about 10pm, and the street is poorly lit. I move to the back seat so I can lounge like a badass. While I’m secretly jamming to Taylor Swift belting out on the radio, I notice a pair of dogs trotting towards one end of the street from the other end. These dogs are medium sized, and not very threatening in appearance. But I’d previously had some mildly dangerous encounters of the canine kind, so I decide to keep an eye on them, just in case I have to warn my
mother when she comes out. They seem to be socialising in their own doggy ways, smelling each other, checking for fleas. All of a sudden, the smaller one of the two breaks away and trots even closer to the car, almost out of my line of sight, until all I can see are the tips of its ears. The other one stays back, casually scratching itself, untroubled. Any curiosity I may have had about the smaller one’s intentions soon goes flying out when I crack open the window and the smell hits me. Taylor Swift isn’t helping by yelling TROUBLE over what I
now realise is very bad dubstep. I sit paralysed for about 10 seconds before I finally reach out and honk my horn. The dogs disperse, and I’m trying to drive the stink away from the car, when I notice my mother walking up. The expression on her face tells me I’m too late to warn her about the trap. What can I do but open the door, ask her to sit on the driver’s seat with her feet out before I come out and chuck those shoes away? These days, I’m extra careful to park in well-lit areas.
book
comic
YOU WRITE IT
the sharp knife of a short life A novel that is heart-breaking and tragic, but somehow hopeful and inspiring at the same time, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is a book that will leave readers wondering what kind of effect an individual’s choice and behaviour has on the people around him/her. The story begins with Clay Jenson as he receives a mysterious package in the mail. In it, there are several cassette tapes narrating the 13 reasons why Hanna Baker committed suicide. Hannah had mailed her cassette tapes to one person with explicit instructions that after listening to the tapes, that person mails them to the next person on the list. Clay listens to the voice of the girl he went to school with, the girl he had a crush on, as she describes the 13 reasons, or more specifically the 13 people, whose actions created the snowball effect that led to her death. Thirteen Reasons Why braves to explore one of the grim truths of the world: suicide. But while it centres on suicide, the book tells us a lot more than just that incident, going into stalking, peer pressure, bullying and so on. A book that is all in all not the easiest of reads, Thirteen Reasons Why is filled with sad stories and emotional trauma. But it is still definitely one that should be read. The narrative flow of the story exceptionally takes us through Hanna Baker’s life and her moments of ups and downs. “I guess that’s the point of it all. No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Often we have no clue.” – Hanna Baker This book is available at Nilkhet book stores for Tk250-300. Afshan Sattar
Naveed Choudhury
TM AG TU E SDAY, M AY 7, 20 1 3
10 tmag
BUZZIN’
Guitar Tabs Watson Brothers Rong Tuning: Standard (EADGBe) Note: Capo on first fret
This week’s best TV
INTRO:
fairy tales and crime thrills This week, we look at a loosely fairytale inspired crime thriller, of all things, based on our dear old Belle and her furry love interest.
the everyday procedural formulae is the threat of Muirfield, the government organisation hunting Vincent in order to keep their mistake a secret.
The skinny The “Beauty” is Detective Catherine “Cat” Chandler (Kreuk), who turned to the law after witnessing her mother get shot in front of her eyes. The “Beast” is Vincent Keller, former US Marine, who was part of a secret government experiment gone wrong. Now he hides out in the outskirts of New York, using his superhuman skills to hunt bad guys and protect Cat, whose mother was, incidentally, the researcher responsible for the serum that turned him into a mutant. Adding an extra element to
The good Plenty of eye-candy. The show is populated by some good-looking, sharply dressed people. The soundtrack is also great. Vincent and Cat have some sizzling on-screen chemistry.
Start playing from the third round e |---0-2-2-0-2-2-0-2-2-0-2-2-0-2-2-2--| B |---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--| G |---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--| D |----------------------------------------| A |----------------------------------------| E |----------------------------------------| e |---2-3-3-2-3-3-2-3-3-2-3-3-2-3-3-3--| B |---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--| G |---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--| e |---3-5-5-3-5-5-3-5-5-3-5-5-3-5-5-5--| B |---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--| G |---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--| e |---2-3-3-2-3-3-2-3-3-2-3-3-2-3-3-3--| B |---3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3--| G |---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--|
VERSE & CHORUS:
MOVIE
BRIDGE: G, A, B, A G, A
TOP
10
Epic Rock Tunes
1. Bohemian Rhapsody Queen 2. Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin 3. Child In Time Deep Purple 4. Desolation Row Bob Dylan 5. A Day In The Life The Beatles 6. Shine On You Crazy Diamond Pink Floyd 7. Hotel California Eagles 8. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida Iron Butterfly 9. The End The Doors 10. Layla Derek and the Dominos
TM AG TU ESDAY, M AY 7, 201 3
music
Sabrina F Ahmad
Zombies and more After the myriad of zombie apocalypse and the brilliance that is The Walking Dead, you can never expect a new movie based on the same concept to be of any entertainment value. So when yours truly got wind of one such film, his immediate reaction was to put it somewhere at the bottom of his must-watch list. Furthermore, the fact that it was based on a novel described as a “zombie romance” induced even greater scepticism. Hence, imagine this reviewer’s utter surprise when, after watching it on an impulse, the film actually turned out to be a good one. Warm Bodies is narrated by R, a zombie, who spends his time wandering around a dilapidated airport with many others of his kind. He constantly craves to be human, and hence hordes different items that he collects from his excavations for food (brains, no surprises there).
D, B, G, A
The bad Where do we start? Cheesy plots, unconvincing dialogue, the special effects don’t match up to the otherwise high production values of the series. TMAG rating: 2/5
During one such excavation, he suddenly develops feelings for a human girl, Julie Grigio, after eating her boyfriend’s brains (yup, you heard that right!) He saves her from other zombies, and thus begins a love story like no other. The movie is well-paced and wellthought out, with a plot as fresh as it can get, making it stand out from the rest of the crowd. The soundtrack and score is brilliant – Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Scorpions being just a few whose songs are incorporated almost perfectly into the plot. It is now a must-watch for everyone this season. Besides, a movie with a scene where zombies walk in slo-mo with Rock You Like a Hurricane in the background, can never be that bad, aye? TMAG rating: 4/5 Sanyat choudhury
buckethead special This just in. We have an unconfirmed report that we are under attack by a 50-foot man with a white face, a chicken bucket on his head, carrying an enormous guitar. Whenever he plays a note, the sonic waves cause whole buildings to explode, streets to buckle and split and vehicles to fly about like toys. Wait! We have visual contact. Look at the size of those shoes! Who is this giant? Where did he come from? Where is he going? What’s he playing? What’s he saying? Run for your lives! This enormous figure of epic monstrosity is Buckethead, whose original identity is yet to be discovered. Wiki cites him as Brian Patrick Carroll ,but then many confuse him with Paul Gilbert, a speed guitarist who mentored him. With 46 studio albums,
four special releases along with over 50 more by various musicians, he likes to keep himself busy, playing progressive metal, funk, blues tracks like Nottingham Lace and then ambient, avant-garde pieces like For Mom, and then out of the blue, psychedelic rock, Xenochrony. Buckethead performed with artistes like Bootsy Collins, Iggy Pop, Serj Tankian, and Guns N’ Roses. He played his part, writing music for mainstream movies like Saw II, Ghosts of Mars, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Buckethead expresses freedom and love for humanity through his art of music, shreds, nunchucks, nightmare tunnels, laughing zombies, space aliens. Well, you get the picture. Tashhid Abdullah
tmag 11
TECHSTER
WE RECOMMEND Game
Point. Click. Fall in love The hovercraft flies out of Machinarium city, over miles and miles of industrial wasteland, and then dumps a load of odds and ends onto a scrap heap. An arrow appears on the screen, pointing to a tub. You click it, and a headless body tumbles down. You keep clicking till you assemble a cute little robot. And this is how Machinarium opens. The award-winning creators of Samarost and Samarost 2 grip you, yet again, with what they refer to as a “point and click adventure.”
System requirements: Operating system: Microsoft® Windows® XP/Vista/7Processor: 1.8 Ghz Memory: 1GB Hard disk space: 380MB
app of the week
Gameplay This adventure requires you, as the robot, to re-enter Machinarium, solve puzzles, defeat the baddies, rescue your girlfriend, and save the city.
Hashtag Killers: Pixlr Express Price: Free Platform: Android/iOS
There is no death in the game, so it’s just a matter of solving one problem before you go on to the next. Pros Visually arresting in a Tim Burtonesque, 2D dieselpunk style. Immersive soundtrack. Engaging storyline. Cons This is not a game for the casual player. The mini-puzzles are fairly uncomplicated but require concentration. The main storyline, however, is a brain-jog and a half. You will need to bring your mental A-game to crack this one. TMAG rating: 4/5
This app lets you tweak your photo to its limit. Pixlr Express comes with basic colour correction, focus blur, brightness/contrast control and autofix. The Auto-fix feature automatically fixes the colours and adjusts the contrast for your photos.The app also comes with a huge number of filters and overlays to choose from, which a lot of other photography apps lack. Fahad Zaman
Sabrina F Ahmad
Car Talk 2010 NISSAN JUKE
Gadget hunt
NOKIA LUMIA 620 The Lumia 620 is one funky smartphone. It’s small, colourful and lightweight. It’s got a lot going on for it, including a very reasonable price of Tk20,800. Considering Android also has this price bracket covered with some pretty impressive devices, the question is: Does the 620 stand a chance? The colour options and interchangeable rear panels on the Lumia 620 make us nostalgic for a time when mobile bodies could simply be replaced, instead of bulking up your device with tack-on options. The 620 has a great build quality. Thanks to its smaller size, it’s easy to handle, and Nokia has got the button placements spot on. The 620 features a 3.8-inch touch-screen display with Nokia’s ClearBlack technology that makes it comfortable to read
in bright outdoor conditions. It also features a 5MP camera with LED flash and a VGA camera in front for video calling. Thanks to Dolby’s Headphone Sound Enhancement technology, the handset provided well-balanced tones with rich bass and well-managed higher tones. The operating system itself offers the same typical user experience as you’d find in the higher-end models. Obviously, there are better, more powerful, smartphones out there, but if you’re in the market for an entrylevel smartphone, we recommend you check the 620 out. In its category, it’s a winner and an absolute bargain for what you get. Available at Nokia outlets all over Bangladesh. Tahsin Momin
web critic
What more do you need? Admit it. The most fun part of social networking is browsing through your friends’ photos. But with Flickr, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, that’s a lot of photos to click through, and it is a little inconvenient to have to go through so many sites to get your photo fix. Enter Pixable, a site that conveniently snatches all your friends’ pictures from all their different sites,
and delivers them to you in one Pinterest-like layout. Named after “Miss Pixable,” the title given to the most photogenic Miss USA contestants of the 60s, this handy site also has apps for Android and iPhone, and a mid-day update (which you can opt out of). Sign up for it at www.pixable.com. Sabrina F Ahmad
The Nissan Juke was one of the most exciting and highly-anticipated cars of 2010, and it’s easy to see why. The Juke not only looks great, it’s also comfortable inside, good to drive and reasonably practical. Nissan describes the Juke as a cross between a compact SUV and a sports car. It is guaranteed to attract attention. The Juke continues Nissan’s approach of doing things differently. It has a sporty and unique interior that’s different from other Nissan models. Features such as keyless entry, power mirrors, audio and alloy rims come as standard. Prices start from Tk2.6m and onwards at automobile showrooms such as Dacca Trading Corporation, Anwar Car Company and Bismillah Motors. It might not be love at first sight, but a drive in the 2010 Nissan Juke will have you seeing the inner beauty of this feisty little crossover. Pros Lively performance, sporty handling, comfortable front seats, available all-wheel drive. Cons Polarised styling, limited headroom in rear seat, too much hard plastic in cabin. Tahsin Momin
TM AG TU E SDAY, M AY 7, 20 1 3
12 tmag
2
3
4
5
A senior apu came back after graduation to teach my grade at school. I never noticed her when she was in uniform because she was always in the library reading, and now she smiles a lot more and looks really pretty and I have the biggest crush on her.
Blush Much?
The problem of socialising with random people you have known through Facebook, while being in a relationship.
I started reading Unmad when I was in third grade. I read all kinds of stuff now but Unmad is always going to be in the top ten. But the thing is my friends don’t get it and now I read it in secret. It’s really unfair but I keep my mouth shut.
“I don’t think it really matters. Internet has been made available to people for so long and if people can connect with someone through the web for business and other purposes, then why not for friendship? I think the primary concept of social networking sites is to make friends, and I don’t see any reason for this to come off as a threat to those who are in a relationship.”
I once saw a guy and girl fighting outside my university. Not arguing, physically fighting. The girl slapped the guy and tried to get away but the guy dragged her back to where their friends were sitting. Then he bought her some jhal muri while holding firmly on to her hand. She glared at him while he held out the paper bag to her, but then she took it and started eating. I was mortified. A couple in my math class came in arguing and sat next to me. The guy took out a sharp pencil and began to poke holes in the seat in front of him. When the girl tried to stop him he began to poke her hand with the pencil. When he calmed down, the guy kept trying to grab the girl’s hand but she kept snatching it away. He finally caught hold of it and started petting the places where he hurt her. Made me realize Twilight might still be alive in some of us. I am fifteen and it takes me four tries to get up from bed because of my depression. I can’t even explain where it’s coming from because my grades are fine, I have friends and I have everything I need.
The dilemma of talking on the phone throughout the night.
Email your confession today to tmag@dhakatribune.com
“It’s not entirely a bad idea, but talking till 6am about how much we adore each other gets kind of lame at one point. I think two hours of phone conversation pretty much covers all the things two people need to know about each other’s day-to-day activities. Why do we have to justify our obligations, even our level of affection by talking till dawn, especially on weekdays when we have to wake up for classes at 8am? What’s worse? Being forced to stay up late so that your girlfriend can scream about how you forgot to call her at night or being late to classes and fail your exam in the process?”
TMAG tells you to
Choose or Lose My boyfriend went on a vacation and ever since he has gotten back, he has been acting different towards me in a way. He has been back for a few days and he has gone and seen his friends but he hasn’t made an effort to even see me yet. Also last night, when he had to get off of the phone, he was about to hang up without saying I love you, which he always says to me. So I had to stop him from hanging up and tell him I love you first. Should I keep him or dump him?
Choose! Let us be the judge of your situation. Email your story today to tmag@dhakatribune.com
TM AG TU ESDAY, M AY 7, 201 3
he says
Lose! We are both 17 years old and have been dating for over two years. We both love each other very much and know we have been drifting apart over the last couple months mainly because I moved to a different town and weave not been seeing each other but once or twice a week when it used to be every single day. Should I dump him or keep him?
“I think it’s a really lame way to make friends, especially when we have schools and other co-cultures that encourage interpersonal relationships. And you don’t really know the person on the other end well enough to consider them as friends. Internet is an artificial means of communication, where people cannot see each other. Even if they do, with the help of video chat or Skype, their intentions cannot be identified. However, online attachments with unknown people do take place, while people are dating.”
“Well, there are lot of factors to be considered. If you are in a long-distance relationship, the need for communication increases naturally. Time differences act as a barrier no matter how stablea-relationship you are in. The widening gap creates insecurities and creates an avenue for doubts and other complications. Normal relationships also face such problems. When you have classes, hang out with friends and your significant other isn’t a part of that circle and they haven’t called you the entire day, you’ll obviously want to know how their day was, and you would also expect the same thing out of them. Is that too much to ask out of someone?”
sHe says
1
TEENARAMA