TMAG Volume 1 Issue 47

Dhaka Tribune

Tuesday, March 18, 2014 Volume 1, Issue 48

HOT TOPIC

NEW HORIZONS TO PURSUE

Status of the week Are those sunburns, or are you just happy to see me?

A weekly production of

DhakaTribune Editor Zafar Sobhan Magazine Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad TMAG Team Sabiha Mahmud Sumi Rubab Nayeem Khan Munira Fidai Natasha Rahman Saudia Afrin Tahsin Momin Baizid Haque Joarder Fuad M Hossain Rad Sharar

Dear Readers,

Quote of the week A moment of silence for all the kids who can’t wait to become a teenager because they think it’s fun.

Lingo of the week Tope “It’s a mixture of the words tight and dope, which both mean ‘cool.’”

Usage Person 1 Check out my new bag!

Person 2 Hey, that is TOPE!

More inside

Contributors Syed Azraf Zaman Khatidja Hussein Namira Shameem Shishir Hoque ASM Foysal

PICKS OF THE WEEK 2 Room of the week Xarif Rashid 3 Doodle of the week Imaan Khasru 10 Good Sheet of the week Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood 11 App of the week Quip

Real Life 3 Event Tweets 6 Hot topic New Horizons to Pursue 12 Listology Five People you Meet on the Bus 12 Adventure Fails 12 Blush Much

Graphics Sabiha Mahmud Sumi Tahsin Momin Mohammed Mahbub Alam

YOUR WORLD 5 Car The Raptor 5 FFPB 9 Fiction An Adventure aboard a Plane 9 Non-fiction Adventure 9 Comic book Formal Sweatpants 9 Book Over the Edge 11 Comic Strip Car Rides

TMAG SAYS 2 Funk up your room Safari Themed Room 2 FYI Let the Adventure Begin 3 School Survival Students’ Day Out 10 Spotlight Stuck in Your Head 10 Playlist Road Tripping Tunes 10 Music The Neighbourhood 11 Movie I, Frankenstein 11 Game RaiderZ

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Kazi Syras Al Mahmood Production Masum Billah

Editor’s note

FASHION 4 Beauty check Let it Shine 4 Wardrobe check Packing practically

Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Wahid Murad Email: tmag@dhakatribune.com, Website: www.dhakatribune.com

When was the last time you laced up your running shoes and made way for an awesome trip? This week we have packed for you all the nitty gritty you need before heading out on a trip. Do turn to our Hot Topic (Page 6 and 7) to get an insight into the know-hows before setting out on your trip. On another note, for action figure lovers, check out our Written in the Stars to discover the man behind Bdcollectors, Samiul Kabir. Also, we have for you a list of adventure fails (Page 12) that should help you gear up better, for your own expedition. Do let us know what you think of our Indiana Jones inspired cover, and of course, as always send us your room pictures, doodles, flash fiction, and confessions.

Comment on our Facebook page http://ww.facebook.com/ dhakatribunetmag and let us know how we are doing!

Love from the TMAG desk

HOROSCOPES 5 Your forecast

About the cover Get your Indie on, we’re going on an adventure Model SAKIB SARWAR Photograph by SYED LATIF HOSSAIN Art Direction NATASHA, SAUDIA, BAIZID

2 Funk up your room Anti snoopy

4 Look of the Week Asian Fusion Makeup by Shiri Farhana

6 Hot topic New Horizons to Pursue

8 Written in the Stars Samiul Kabir

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Your Life Funk up your room

FYI

Let the adventures begin

Love to mother earth

Adventures and road trips don’t just mean taking a harmless tour with friends. Road tripping can be more out of the box than we give it credit for. Below are two such activities that you can look into, to tickle those travel buds into a frenzy

Does the exotic jungle life appeal to you more than anything else? If so, then a safari themed room is where you should sail your thoughts to. Go for this unique and elegant decorating approach filled with bold colours and textures. And as usual TMAG is here with a bag full of secret techniques to make your work easier

Hash House Harriers

Hash House Harriers is an international running group. The event is usually organised by the Nordic Club or the American Club in Dhaka. The “hare” is usually the master of the “pack” (participants), who sets a trail which ends at a certain checkpoint, and the hashers need to spot quicker routes, dead ends, false routes that are set by the hare to confuse the group.

Sometimes the pack need to split in two to three teams to get to a certain checkpoint. It usually is done in the outskirts of the city, with two groups starting off together. One is the runners group and one is the walkers group.

By going on a hash run, you will have to deal with the mud, the grime, the dirt, figure out ways to move out of dead ends and make your way to the checkpoint. At no time can you lose your cool and your legs are all the transportation you are going to get. If a hare catches you cheating, you will be put inside a circle at the end of the hash run, and ridiculed, but that too, is all done in good humour. Groups of all ages can join the run. For more information, log onto http://www.bdhash.net/

Couch surfing

Ever wonder what it would be like to go hop-skipping from one couch to another every day? Sounds like something a homeless person would do...right? Well, as eccentric as it is, Couch Surfing is actually a practice where you have to move from one friend’s house to another, and crash in any corner of their homes, preferably a couch, as mentioned above.

The activity isn’t predominant in Dhaka city; however, it might serve those of you who are into random adventures just for the heck of it. On an international level, the practice has gained popularity and is referred to as a hospitality exchange that goes by the name of Couch Surfing International Inc. However, if you do want to start something similar here, narrow down the pros and cons. If you’re convinced that you can live off couches, then just go for it. Try to keep it within close circles; there may be risks involved in the activity, given that it’s not widespread in our country.

Natasha Rahman & Rubab Nayeem Khan

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If you are fond of the African terrain, then all you need to do is paint your walls; deep orange for the sky, a rich brown oak tree in the middle, and beside that, a gigantic elephant holding its trunk up with pride. This will work best if you love the dawn in a jungle.

Painting a blue sky with white clouds and green trees beneath, behind your bed, is also a good idea. As each terrain has its own appeal and hue, choose the one you want to portray for your room.

Brown, black, deep orange, gold and green; the list of earth toned colours is a really long one. Feel free to choose from such tones to colour your space.

After you have done a fabulous job with your walls, you might want to let go of the heavy furniture and opt for

natural wood or bamboo furnishings.

A bamboo bed with a white bedspread and a canopy made out of white drapes can turn your room into a real blue lagoon. Hang several fabric tote bags loaded with books beside the bed and add some animal printed cushions to amp up the effect. The look can become even more precise if you fill the corners with plants and keep your electronics near them. This will further serve to blend the wild with the contemporary.

For the floor, you may either opt for animal print shag rugs or leafy rugs. To bring more variety, find visible spaces for different shaped vases. Now take a look around your room - if you feel good, then you’re done.

Saudia Afrin

TMAG’s Room of the week!

Name

Xarif rashid Area

Gulshan

A round of sound Whether you prefer grunge or metal, this corner screams music fan Courtesy

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Schoologistics

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School Survival

Students’ day out School is an adventure in itself, but not always. Even King Kong got bored of dwelling in the same jungle. As a solution, the factor breaking the monotony of school life is adventure, be it educational, charitable or purely enjoyable. This week, TMAG turned their attention to these little getaways arranged by schools and how the pupils feel about them When looking to the trips arranged by schools, we see a rather enlightening phenomenon- not all of these are educational. Some were also for social services and charitable purposes. For instance, in 2009, Aga Khan School has taken their students to Givency old home in Gazipur and in Mawna, Pushpodam in 2010.

The trips are based on the topic of particular subjects they studied and were arranged so that the students may have a clear idea about it. Numerous schools even take the pupils for a picnic every year.

TMAG’s Doodle of the week!

In a survey taken at Aga Khan School, 30% of the students feel that the trips are educational and they learned something new from it. 55% of the student claim to enjoy the trips a lot as they are able to spend it with their dear friends. 10% feel that the trips are not properly organised.

The other five percent think that the trips are a waste of time; time which they would rather have spent at home.

Shining our spotlight on Scholastica, we found that it also believes in the significance of arranging school trips for their students. They have arranged trips to a mill in Gazipur for students studying

in commerce and to a chemical plant for science students in 2009. Moreover, they have hosted class parties in Jamuna resort: simply for an adventure. A student quoted, “Basically our school trips are designed to help students to be more open minded, get to know other cultures and people’s way of living.” In our survey, 30% found the trips very educational.

70% found it simply enjoyable.

Some trips are truly amazing, and are a dream come true for many. For instance Delhi Public School had

planned out school trips for the students to NASA space station in the US in 2011 and to the SAARC conference in 2012. Although the trips are organised for everyone to take part in, it had to be paid for separately by the students. In the survey, it can be seen that 15% of the students found it very educational and learned a lot. 50% found it very enjoyable. 20% felt that the trips were disorganised and the rest wished to have stayed home instead of going on the trip.

Syed Azraf Zaman & Rad Sharar

Imaan Khasru drew this on the back of her lousy English notes on Animal Farm, in the middle of her Geography class that wasn’t quite interesting

If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag@dhakatribune.com and see it in our weekly!

EVENT Tweets Graduate Advising on U.S. University Admissions

1st SFX Greenherald-DFH National English Debate Championship Mar 20, 3pm

March 18, 3pm

Venue American Centre

Venue St Francis Xavier’s Greenherald International School, 24 Asad Avenue, Mohammadpur

“Soil and Spirit”

All LCLS(S) Debate 2014

Venue Dhaka Art Centre

Venue London College of Legal Studies

Get Organized for Peak Performance March 21, 10am

Venue LCBS Dhaka Training Solution, House-39/B, Road-14/A, Dhanmondi Arijit Singh Live March 21, 7pm

Venue Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel

March 19, 5:30pm

March 20, 5pm

Imagine Camps-2

Building Bridges through BDCyclists Premier League, Leadership Training - 11 March 22, 3pm Season 3 March 21, 7am Venue Bangladesh Youth Venue Jigatola Leadership Centre (BYLC)

March 20-22, 9am-5pm

Venue Microsoft Bangladesh, Laila Tower, 4th floor, 8 Gulshan Avenue Graduate Scholarship Opportunities

NSU Wireless Forum’s TechFiesta

Venue American Center

Venue North South University

March 20, 3pm

March 23-25

Scholastica playing Rabindranath Tagore’s “Dakghor” March 17-18, 7pm

Venue STM Hall, Scholastica, Uttara ICC T20 is running a flashmob video competition among local universities “The video with the most views will be played in the stadium at the tournament” Maria Nur MC at ABC Radio also working at Channel 9 has recently been O Sumatra for a story for Traveller’s Story Only for a shoot she did snorkelling and diving for like 4h.

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FASHION FACE-OFF

Beauty Check

Look of the week

Let it Shine With the mid of March behind us, the sun is beginning to turn on full heat. Come noon, it gets so sweltering, you can wring your kerchief out. Eww? Alright, let’s not go there then. Instead, let’s talk about something equally important - sun protection

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The sun gives us Vitamin D which is great for the skin, and some people like tanned skin, which is a personal preference. But keeping everything within limits is the best way to go, it seems. Soaking up the sun may feel good or make us look good in the short run, but this love affair is short lived.

Excessive tanning can lead to serious consequences like age spots, early wrinkles, and even skin cancer.

The best way to curb this problem is to put on adequate sun protection.

Sun protection can come in the form of lotions, thick creams, moisturisers and make-up, and our favourite, spray-ons! The reason spray-on sun block has become so popular is because it is easier to apply every two

hours on hotter days (which tend to be mid April to early June) for our country.

Talking of adventures, it is all the more necessary to use sunscreen when engaging in activities, which can make you sweat and irritate your skin further. Remember, expired creams do nothing for you. Their formula for sun protection is essentially broken and hence they are not protecting your skin anymore. In fact, expired creams may even leave you with a skin infection. While on a road trip with friends, be sure to take a tube of sun block with you which is suited to your skin. You will have more things to worry about while on a trip, and you don’t need to add skin rash to the lot.

Asian Fusion Japan-based make-up artist Shiri Farhana sends us this Asian fusion make-up look.

If you’ve got an Outfit of the Day or cool hairdo or makeup you’d like to share with us, send them over to tmag@dhakatribune.com

munira fidai

Wardrobe Check

Packing practically Excited about a road trip? Fretting about what to pack? Well! Fret no more! TMAG is at your service, with tips on what to take with you on an adventurous road trip

Clothing

One cannot or rather should not, pack their Armani’s and Gucci’s for the trip.

Logically, your wardrobe for a road trip should be practical, of all things. It’s wise to pack your comfortable pair of jeans and cargo pants. Cargos may be out of fashion but the pockets do come in handy. Don’t worry too much about the tees and shirts; as long as they are comfortable, go with them.

Shoes

If the trip is all about a simple visit to the country side, a pair of sneakers will suffice. However, if you’re embarking on an adventurous trip, trekking shoes are a must!

Hats

Whether you like them or not, hats are an essential part of road trips. They protect you from the harsh sun, and

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with the right hat, you can also look amazing. A light-coloured fedora lends a fun, summery touch to your outfit.

Sunglasses

Can you think about a road trip without eyewear? Certainly not! Shades not only protect your eyes from the sun but also help you look awesome. Make sure the glasses have UV protection, and the lenses polarised, to ensure maximum comfort for the eyes.

Miscellaneous

Among other things, make sure you pack hand sanitisers, a bottle of sunscreen, and toiletries for, well you know! Pack light with only things that you need and are practical, or else you’ll spend half the time carrying heavy bags during the trip. Here’s to hoping that you have fun for the miles to come!

Baizid haque joarder

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Street

HOROSCOPE Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)

Someone’s actions may get on your last nerves this week.

Calculate your moves before executing them.

Car Talk

Raging rhino

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)

Judgments will be clouded at midweek. Investing on short term happiness will not serve you well in the long run.

Gemini (May 21-Jun20)

The week will come bearing numerous opportunities.

Question is, which one will you pick?

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)

You’re entitled to a little drifting and dreaming this week. Don’t let reality close in on you.

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)

“Living in the moment” should be your motto for this week.

Don’t let petty things get to you.

Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)

Your happy–go-lucky nature won’t be appreciated by the hot heads. Be a little discreet about your euphoria.

Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22)

Decision making is your game.

However, you’ll have to play it differently if you want the week to sail smoothly.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)

Try not to delay any initiative that you’ve taken at the start of this week. It will not serve you well.

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec

If you’re bursting with confidence this week, it’s essential that you put it to the test.

21)

Few things have captured the imagination of mankind, more than flight. It is common knowledge that in order to fly, you need wings. Ford’s special vehicle team, however, begs to differ The words ultra-performance usually conjures images of a 200mph Lamborghini or a track ready Pagani Zonda, but the F150 based Raptor is just as radical. It subscribes to a totally new definition of performance; one that is paved in dirt, measured in suspension travel, and punctuated by hang time.

It jumps, rather than flies, but 10 seconds of air time is close enough.

What’s jaw dropping about the Raptor isn’t that it can do 100mph on surfaces scarred as the moon, neither that it will cost you around $42,000; No! In fact, it stands out purely because it is just a plain old production car.

The Raptor is usually available with Ford’s new V8 - a 6.2-litre with 411hp and 432 lb.ft of torque. But this isn’t your ordinary Raptor, this is the Hennessey VelociRaptor 475. For an extra $7,000 the guys over at Hennessey will transform your 6.2-litre Raptor from an animal into a beast.

Hennessey is a Texas based tuning shop, famous for creating Texas size horsepower numbers and modifying supercars that will steal a Bugatti Veyron’s lunch money.

Hennessey managed to find another 64hp by replacing the air-intake, the exhaust systems, and retuning the engine computer. That’s like giving crack to a charging rhino.

As if the Raptor wasn’t visually disturbing enough, Hennessey decided to installed a button, which takes it to ear threatening decibels. Every second you spend driving in the Raptor, it sounds like 50 Harley-Davidson’s chasing you from the back. Anybody walking by can’t help but be absolutely pissed off. It’s like hell has broken down, it’s like Armageddon.

It is noteworthy that despite being an off-roading juggernaut, the Raptor has an unusually posh interior.The Raptor is certainly a press release car for Ford - probably the most dramatic and radical machine that Ford makes, a behemoth that is horrible on the road, but an absolute joy on four wheels, off the road.

A lot of people think it is absolutely

crazy to spit out a gas guzzling ginormous truck in these times, but it’s actually pretty smart. It is a concept car that you can buy and own. Not many people would buy it but it will most certainly make a big impact on the image of Ford. Tahsin Momin

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19)

You’ve had your eye on a certain someone for quite some time now. Just go up to them and talk.

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)

Take the week to curb that attitude problem of yours.

Don’t force someone to like you.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar20)

You won’t be remembered for falling; lifting yourself up from that mess will give you a bigger audience.

FFPB Fantasy Football Players of Bangladesh (FFPB)

Fantasy League Top 10 after Gameweek 29 Rank Team 1 Da_Dreamers 2 Dream United FC 3 Underdog FC 4 mclovin..

5 Firehouse 6 Tomahawk Galacticos 7 EBeastmode 8 Abid’s XI 9 Noob FC 10 Beamers

Manager Fazle Rabbi Fahim Al Ifran Rahim Shazzadur Rahman Asif Khan Quamrul Hassan_FFPB Rax Rahman Ibrahim Mohammad Abidur Rahman Fathin Shadman Priyo Altamash Rahman

GW 46 34 41 56 38 33 49 74 43 63

TOT 1,895 1,835 1,831 1,821 1,811 1,806 1,797 1,789 1,787 1,786

The code to join FFPB fantasy league is 975-707

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HOT TOPIC

New Horizons to Late March – early April is that sweet spot between major exams, when the weather is warm, but not too hot, and even if you can’t get enough time off from school for a vacation, a road trip is perfectly doable.

Buckle up as TMAG takes you for a joyride. story By Baizid Haque Joarder, Munira Fidai, Tahsin Momin, Rubab Nayeem khan

Photo

Bigstock

What Road Trips Teach You Teamwork

Be it pitching a tent, hunting for food, cooking or making a fire - road trips are all about teamwork. If you’re going with friends, you already have that chemistry and understanding of each others’ strengths and weaknesses. If you’re going with your tour group aka gang of strangers, that chemistry needs to be built. Imagine, joining hands with a bunch of strangers, as if mosquitoes and canned food wasn’t enough-right?

Maybe not! Sharing a life experience with a complete stranger can actually give you a friend for life.

Compromise

Tempers will run high, emotions will fray and your moods will swing right out of the tent. But where a compromise needs to be made, a compromise should be made. Friends or strangers, everyone remembers favours - and they’ll play the role of karma when it is your time of need.

Roughing it

Road tripping is all about moving out of your comfort zone into a place that will challenge your habits and way of life. Can’t stand fruits? You may surprise yourself, especially if you’re out of money and those sundried tomatoes are all you’ve got. You may even become a regular fan of them, if you’re starved enough! Can’t go without make-up? In a place where loos are a rare luxury, face gunk will be way down on your list of priorities.

Fun

Fun nowadays is a synonym for social media or gadgets. The more materialistic stuff you own, the “happier” you are. Imagine a place without WiFi, without network coverag - bored already? Think campfires, ghost story nights, water tag, parody nights, and more. If nothing else, it will teach

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you how to carry out a conversation without emoticons - expressions will suffice.

Learn through adventure

“Real Adventure Work” (RAW), is an academy that aims to train people through an adventure trip in order to school them in the necessary skills for survival. The initiative was taken by adventure enthusiasts, Tawhid Hossain, Sk Badruddin Omar, and Sahad Siddique.

Siddique said: “Survival is more psychological rather than going into the jungle or going trekking or building camp fires.”

Helping people focus on their work is one of RAW’s prime objectives. It considers teaching individuals how to make shelters or create fires in about eight to ten different ways. Also, they teach people how to keep calm during moments of crises. Siddique says: “People confer their full concentration when a known thing is done a little differently. Hence, we try to make them focus on one particular entity without them getting easily distracted.”

In a similar tone to Siddique, Omar shares an important note about the survival science that RAW pursues.

“Flight or Fight” is a motto we believe in.

You fight it out or take flight and leave.

Check out RAW’s standard course subjects

·Psychology of survival · Knots and their uses · Technical survival skills · Trekking and mountaineering skills For more details please visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook. com/real.adventure.work/info - See more at: http://www.dhakatribune. com/tmag/2013/nov/11/raws-guidesurvival#sthash.uUN8xgTw.Eb26wTcV. dpuf Munira Fidai

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HOT TOPIC

7

o Pursue Two wheels on a role If you absolutely adore the companionship of cyclists, the talk, the last minute pumps of air, the clicking in, and the easy drifting out as a pack, ever so often, you’ll want to ride a recreational group ride. “I want to go out on a group riding trip,” you’ll think to yourself.

Well, in that case you won’t be disappointed. BDCyclist, a bike riding community for the mass, has come up with an ingenious plan to bring adventure and thrill into bike riding.

They offer group riding plans such as:

Bike Friday

Each Friday, around six in the morning, they will go out on a three hour group ride. Every week the trip starts from different locations around the capital and usually consists of roaming around the city and sometimes in the outskirts of Dhaka. This plan is targeted towards amateur riders and it will help them gain confidence on the roads of Dhaka.

Joshila Saturday

Unlike Bike Friday, Joshila Saturday rides are focused towards pro riders.

This ride is planned to polish up one’s endurance and stamina, and to improve biking skills. However, it is not recommended for those who cannot fix their bikes themselves and cannot navigate on their own. This series comprises of high speed rides without any breaks over relatively harsh terrains, unpaved tracks and busy city streets.

NightRider’s Tuesday

The night rides usually takes place on the third Tuesday of each month. Night rides are always full of life. The riders embrace the darkness of the night by riding to the countryside and bond over small chit-chats and food, and enjoy the night with the headlights and the tail lights set to full blaze.

Apart from these rides the BDCyclist community has other special rides on offer. They carry out separate rides for marking special occasions like Eid, Victory Day and Independence Day. Over 33,000 people have already joined the community and if you are still not convinced yet, then check them out at bdcyclists.com

Gear up Roughing it in the great outdoors for a while is without a doubt a fun way to blow off steam and gain some necessary survival skills. You’ve got the basics - transportation, people, location ... but wait, where’s your survival kit?

Your trip might go awry if you don’t take with you a few essentials to survive in the wild. When planning a trip out of town, take the following things into account: • Mosquito repellent: Unless you want to go slap and clap in the dark, make sure you carry one of these. You can’t really gun down mosquitoes in open air; might as well grease up using Odomos.

• Sun block: The harsh rays of sun manage to suck the life out of our skin. Choose a sun block, with SPF (Sun Protection Factor) that best suits your skin. Remember to slap some on when you’re travelling.

•

money with you to fund the fuel costs that will be incurred and the designated driver is someone who is experienced and can drive for long hours.

Toilets

• • •

•

First aid supplies: Stock up on sterile gauze, bandages, pocket knife, scissors, antiseptic ointments, painkillers, alcohol swab/hexisol, lozenges (in case someone’s sugar level comes crashing down), and iodine solution just to be on the safe side.

Food and water: Carry enough sealed water and canned food, based on the length of your trip.

Flashlight: Wandering into secluded areas? This should come in handy.

Disposal utensils: You can’t really stop to do the dishes, since you’re on the go. Carry some disposable plastic cups and plates (Tk4/5 per piece, available at Gulshan DCC Market.)

Whistle: In case you can’t find your crew. rubab nayeem khan

Tahsin Momin

Roadtrip!

What do you picture when you think about a road trip? Clear blue skies, smooth roads, endless greenery and your loved ones humming to your favourite tunes with no problems what-so-ever. Quite the scene from a Hollywood flick, eh? Sadly, road tripping in Bangladesh may have a few problems attached to it

The big yes

Very few teens have enough independence that their parents would allow them to go on a road trip let alone on one with no adult supervision. So, it is wise to make a plan that is well thought out and one with someone who is mature enough to supervise the trip.

Make sure your parents get to decide whether that person is worthy enough to do so.

Wheels

Most of us aren’t so lucky that our dads would hand over the keys to the family SUV, so plan on using the public transportation. Who knows, the trip might turn out to be even more interesting with memories like how the kid in the bus had to puke out from your window or how the guy in front of you snored the entire trip.

If you take a car, check up on all the components before you start the journey.

Best if you take the car after its regular servicing. Make sure you have enough

Roadside food

If you are travelling by car, you have the freedom of stopping wherever and whenever you want. It’s nice to stop at a tea-stall by the road for a steaming hot cup of tea with friends. Such stops tend to be memorable as locals tend to talk with people travelling from the urban scene. One gets to learn a lot about their lives just by talking with them.

When you are stopping for a bite, be sure to go easy on the curry, they tend to be very spicy!

Ughh, truth be told, it is the probably the hardest, saddest part of tripping in Bangladesh. Finding a descent loo is next to impossible.

Pictures

On a more fun note, do not forget to take a camera with you to capture those brilliant moments with your close ones.

Road trips are only fun if you go as a group, furthermore, it makes the trip much safer. So go ahead, call up your “wolf pack” and go tripping!

Baizid Haque Joarder

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written in the Stars

A man of passion There are people who conform to the expectations of their parents and teachers, people who are afraid to follow their passion because of what society might think of them. And then there are the ones who act out of the box. This week, Azraf Zaman interviews Samiul Kabir who is the founder of BDcollectors, an online community for people to buy and exchange action figures, blu-ray movies, video games, consoles, electronics and merchandisers Photos: Courtesy

How did you come with the idea of opening up an online store?

When I was living in the US, I got to know about online stores such as eBay and Amazon, which, along with other products, were also selling action figures. There were collectors online who were buying, selling and exchanging their action figures. At that time, I had a fair collection of action figures as well. So that got me thinking as to why I couldn’t also set up such an online store in Bangladesh. So I took a leap of faith and with the help of my friend Saadi, opened up BDcollectors.

At first, I opened up a Facebook page and auctioned off my products

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through home delivery. As demand for collectibles surged, I took a chance and opened up a shop as well. After some time, I even started selling original T- shirts of our favorite superheroes, Original Blu-Ray movies, consoles and electronics.

Do you have a dream or passion for the future?

Well I have a dream that one day I will have my very own toy workshop where I will build my own custom made toys and beside that there will be a big museum where all my work will be displayed for show.

What sort of difficulties did you face while setting up and running your business?

It is very natural that you will face problems when you start a business.

The everlasting trend of action figures has always been popular all over the world. Unfortunately, in our country there is a huge knowledge gap for authentic collectibles. People, especially living in the US, take pride in collecting original versions of an action figure.

Such an ideology is not followed in our country. In our country, there are the original action figures and then there are the replicas made in China.

So a person thinks, “Why would I buy

an action figure for such a high price when I can buy a replica for one-third the price?” The products created by the Chinese are of lower quality and lower price. So creating awareness for my original products became my biggest challenge, a challenge in which I have progressed.

Which items sell out the fastest?

Well that is a hard question. From what I observe, the characters from movies that have recently been released, sell out the fastest. n

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YOU WRITE IT

Comic

non fiction

Dilemmas of the dark Josh Mecouch’s comic strip, Formal Sweatpants, brings to you his nonsensical humour every Monday. Unfortunately, there isn’t a permanent storyline to this comic. The highlight of the comic is the artwork (cutesy yet haunting in many ways; check out Dream

Team, Wolfman Puberty and Happy Holidays) and Mecouch’s use of racist and blasphemous jokes. One would find themselves both liking and hating his guts for delving into such offensive humour. Regardless Formal Sweatpants has made quite an impression among web-comic readers, alongside popular

comics like The Oatmeal, Cyanide and Happiness, Nedroid and Sebastien Millon. Formal Sweatpants is available for reading at www.formalsweatpants. com. You can also find them at https:// www.facebook.com/FormalSweatpants to follow their Facebook page. Rubab Nayeem Khan

book

The road less travelled If you’re tired of city life, but cannot find the motivation to get up and do something new, here’s a book that might change your mind.

Michael Bane was a self-professed couch potato, who loved his sports on the television. One day, he made a list of thirteen extreme sports on a cocktail napkin. The next day, on a whim, he decided to go try them all, for real.

His quixotic quest lost him some $30,000 and a girlfriend. His friends thought he was crazy. He came very close to death more than once. And yet he persevered, and came out of it with amazing stories to share. ‘Over the edge’ tells all those stories in one neat book.

Aside from the sheer insanity of his feats, there’s more to this novel that would appeal to even non sports-fans.

Bane is frank, and his self-deprecating humour is a refreshing read. He is also candid about the risks involved in each of his undertakings, taking time to explain, in a manner clear to the layman (among whom he counts himself, as each experience is a new lesson for him) why each of these sports is dangerous, which makes this an informative read as well.

The question of why he goes through all these exercises is raised at every point in this book. The answers evolve even as Bane evolves, and is ultimately more complex than simply testing himself, or searching for the adrenaline rush. The List, as he calls it, is his search for The Edge. Curious as to what it is?

Read the book to find out.

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

fiction

An Adventure Aboard A Plane

bigstock

The August sky was overcast with clouds and water pelted on the wings.

Below us, the sea rumbled with unease and belched deafeningly. Icy winds swirled around, whistling and howling.

But aboard the aircraft, the sound was cut off. An enormously tall pirouetting dancer dressed in black towered up and crept inwards, gaining momentum with every nanosecond.

“Many of you may have noticedwe are flying in circles.“ A calm voice announced over the intercom. Fear and apprehension pervaded the air among the crew members and the passengers.

Most of the people were either in shock or hysterical with anxiety. The rest were trying to lighten the situation. I rushed to the cockpit, murmuring prayers.

The pilot was struggling. The plane, no longer in his control, now thrust forward on its own with a tumultuous jerk, straight into the eye of the hurricane. The wind speed display read zero and the rain ceased abruptly.

Suddenly it seemed as if we were

floating peacefully in a chimney of grey clouds. Below, we could see huge waves frosted with white foam.

A chaos ensued among the passengers. As the plane circled low over the Pacific Ocean, burning off excess fuel, the flight attendants tried to reassure the passengers, and provided instructions in case we crashed. The luggage was being evenly distributed over the plane and we were advised to keep emergency supplies at hand.

We braced ourselves during the descent, chanting prayers aloud, which eventually drowned out the engines.

The last thing I remembered was shouting, “Pull up!” to the pilot before the plane crashed into a low mountain.

One look at him said the pilot was dead. I glanced back. I could not see or hear my two children, Sarah eight, and Sandra, ten. My pregnant wife lay motionless in her seat. My mind was bursting with a single, terrifying thought: Everybody was gone. namira shameem

Adventure Adventure is defined as an unusual or exciting experience. We all love adventures, don’t we? But are you a dare-devil who is a fan of hard adventure? Or are you the type of person who plays it safe and likes to go on soft adventures? Let’s find out!

Hard adventure

Hard adventures involve taking huge amounts of risk. These adventures comprise of dangerous activities that require a certain amount of courage. However, bravery is not enough as you also need to have the determination to carry out these breath-taking activities. If you are a hard adventure lover then you will probably have an inviting attitude towards extreme activities like paragliding, surfing, scuba diving, trekking, spelunking, mountainclimbing, etc. Hard activities are usually situated at exotic locations, which of course come with their own ittle package of surprises.

Soft adventure

Soft adventures however, are more secured and require comparatively less courage. These adventures do not necessarily involve energetic or physically demanding activities, widening the range of varieties.

These activities can be carried out by a larger audience as they have fewer requirements. However, it does not mean that soft adventures are less exciting. Soft adventures include culinary experiences, bird watching, snorkeling, camping, skiing, going on safaris, etc. Volunteering in humanitarian events can also be counted as soft adventure.

At the end of the day, a person’s personality plays a very important role in selecting their kind of adventure. Khatidja Hussein

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stereo

The goodsheet Neighbourhood Sweater Weather CAPO: 3 C

Am

All I am is a man

Em

G

I want the world in my hands

C I hate the beach

Am

Em

But I stand in California

G with my toes in the sand

C Use the sleeves on my sweater

Am Let’s have an adventure

Em

G

Head in the clouds but my gravity’s centered

C

Am

Touch my neck and I’ll touch yours

Em

G

You in those little high waisted shorts Oh

C She knows what I think about

Am And what I think about

Em One love, two mouths

G One love, one house

C No shirt, no blouse

Am Just us, you find out

Em

G

Nothing I really wanna tell you about, no

C

Am

Tunes and tones music news

In the Vicinity The American alt rock band, The Neighbourhood (also known as NBHD) has gained much popularity after their debut album “I Love You.” One might think it would be difficult for them to compete with the array of famous bands that have made their mark in the alt rock scene; however, they have taken up the challenge and strive to make it among the big boys.

Why should you tune into NBHD, when you could still play all the golden tracks by Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, U2, Depeche Mode, and Cold Play? Well, for starters, their songs are promising enough to make you click “next” on Youtube or soundcloud. The albums most popular track, Sweater Weather takes the cake for its upbeat and catchy intro; the beats are lowered and the song ends with a mellow tune. “Let it Go” is another brilliant track that shows the bands versatility as a whole.

Jesse Rutherfords smoky voice goes well with the changing of beats, thus making it a song you could listen to over and over again. Other notable songs include “Female Robbery,” and “Flawless.” Be sure to tune in to songs

by NBHD. You won’t regret it.

Rubab Nayeem Khan

TOP Road

10

Tripping Tunes

1. Amar pothchola Artcell 2. Tanha Dil Shaan 3. Holiday Bee Gees 4. Cholo na ghure ashi Happy Akand

spotlight

Stuck in your head All this time we’ve talked about popular bands and albums. But let’s talk a little about some of those songs that kept playing in our heads no matter what we listened to. To sum it up, we loved it to bits. The following five songs can be deemed as playlist must-haves.

All of Me by John Legend

5. Rahe malang si Ost Rockstar 6. Wonderwall Boulevard Oasis vs. Greenday 7. Kabhi Aisi Lagta Hai Lucky Ali

10.Fast Car Tracy Chapman

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“Breathe Me” was without a doubt a good track and so was “She Wolf”(featuring David Guetta). But “Elastic Heart” came as a cherry on top because of its trippy tunes and varying beats. Overall this song is a happy track, that is, if you don’t take the lyrics into account. This track was the Original Sound Track (OST) for Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Fireside by Arctic Monkeys

8. All in Lifehouse 9. Home Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

Elastic Heart by Sia (featuring The Weeknd and Diplo)

This should charm you right after the very first listen. You’ll be hooked to Legend’s powerful voice and his beautiful piano composition. The lyrics are without a doubt, very touchy.

Brilliant composition; highlights are its drum beats which remains audible from the beginning of the song to the very end. This song should lift your spirits in no time.

Let Her Go by Passenger (Boyce Avenue Cover)

You’ve heard Passengers vocalist Andrew Phillips sing it with his shaky voice. But once you tune into Boyce Avenues cover of the song, you’ll be smitten instantly!

Alejandro Manzano and Hannah Trigwell’s voice gave birth to a rather soulfulrendition of “Let Her Go.”

Over the Love by Florence+the Machine

This is a slow song that eventually gets louder after it’s first half. It has a rather sad tone to it, particularly because it delves into the separation of two lovers.

Florence Welch’s high pitched voice captures the emotion with perfection. This track was the OST for The Great Gatsby (2013).

Rubab Nayeem Khan

tmag 11

playroom

WE RECOMMEND game

Join the hunt This week TMAG looks at a new, fantasy themed, free-to-play, actionoriented MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). Enter RaiderZ, a product from the developers at Perfect World Entertainment.

Based on first look, when you log in, the game may not look like much but once you are in the world, past character creation, the game looks very nice especially with its anime-ish art style. Something that stands out really well is the simplistic UI (User Interface), which makes navigation as easy as butter.

Featuring five character classes, Assassin class being a very recent addition, the game’s controls are also very simple. If you are familiar with playing FPS’s (First Person Shooters), the game shouldn’t be a problem for you. Despite the class system you are in no way restricted when it comes to skill builds, in other words, your character

app of the week

Size Varies from device to device Price Free Platform Android/iOS/ Windows

comic strip

MOVIE

can be built as an “Assassin Mage” or in any way that you please. That’s definitely a plus.

Moving on, what is it that you need to do? Well, your character’s role is to fight colossal monsters in a bid to become the best monster hunter out there. Moreover, what makes this game appealing is that it throws you into combat immediately, living up to its action-oriented claims. Another interesting feature in this game, is how it allows you to craft your own weapons using materials you find in the world.

Although the game has already been released, there are still a few bugs and kinks that need sorting out. In addition, they also need to work on their advertisement, since the in-game world has been reported to be empty at times.

All that said though, being free-to-play and all, the game is a boat load of fun and we suggest you give it a go. Happy hunting! Fuad M Hossain

Work smarter Ever wonder what your world would be like if the “office” software suite didn’t exist? The app this week is like the word processing software in office but pumped up to be livelier, interactive, and a little more useful.

Here is an all purpose word processing software combined with a messaging system; yes, you read that right! It’s got a built in messaging system to send your thoughts and ideas to yourself and your friends.

Working on a speech? Looking to improve your quality of writing on a term paper? Get real time opinion from your friends, co-workers or anyone with a greater grasp of the material.

You won’t have to constantly switch between your conversation and an email, you can all collaborate and make

changes to one document and the content changed would be highlighted.

You could easily know who has read the most recently updated document, and once everyone is up to date, the app will let you know.

Wondering if your friend picked up the things from the shopping list? With the interactive checklist in the app, you could simply check out the things crossed out in the list and make sure you get the rest. You could even use it to make your personal “to-do” list.

If you have Tk1 and you exchange it with someone for another buck, you still have Tk1; but if you have an idea and you exchange it with another person, both of you have two ideas. Download this app, and get your ideas flowing!

ASM fOYSAL

Gargoyles, Demons, and the It In the past, there have been a lot of movies based on the novel Frankenstein. You might even remember seeing them on your granddad’s black and white tele; all sharing one thing in common, cheap and poor production. But “I, Frankenstein,” for one, is certainly not cheap. This latest retake on the classic novel by Mary Shelley is well directed, well performed by the actors, and its special effects department spared no penny. But the whole movie faced a similar dilemma like its character, based on Doctor Frankenstein’s monster, Adam who was played by Aaron Eckhart; a newly articulate and hunky creature, stalking a troubled city as a demon hunter. And what’s more, he was forcefully pulled into an unseen war raging for thousands of years between the agents of the archangels, the gargoyles, and the demons. Why is that? Well, keep thinking.

When Frankenstein’s monster was created, he had no purpose and just lived on for a certain promise made by the doctor. But that, unfortunately, doesn’t get fulfilled and the whole movie as a result continues till Adam finally finds his answer. And in between, it is desperately filled with a lot of “glass shattering” and “fiery” twists and turns which will certainly score good points under the action category; especially due to the fierce fights between the gargoyles and the demons.

But like Adam himself, the movie lacks the soul of the classic. It tries to add drama when there is no need for it; aimlessly plotting the storyline from what it seems. It is certainly a disappointment for the people with a passion for literature. But if it’s your first time hearing such a name, Frankenstein, then you just might end up liking it. It is actually a good movie if you ignore its relation with the origin. But needless to say, it is still based on Frankenstein. So now you be the judge, to relate or not.

Khandokar Ashif uz Zaman

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TEENARAMA

Adventure

1

Listology

Five kinds of people on a bus Unless you’ve got a Rolls-Royce reserved for you to take you to the salon on a Friday morning, you have definitely ridden a local bus in the city at least once. The experience is bittersweet, yet it makes us appreciate the mythical value of a car. Even if you haven’t had the experience, here’s a heads up of the five types of people you will probably encounter on a bus Rad Sharar

The overly attached The term “pervert” may be too subtle for these types of people. For all intents and purposes, they are the superglue who stick like posters on a back alley wall, never to let you feel clean for the rest of the day, even once you’re off the bus. More often than not, these are the folks who want to take your wallet more than your integrity. So be strong, be proactive and voice your opinions, or they won’t back off.

On a plan to spend Eid in our home town in Feni, I was a bit late in starting the journey. But all pumped up and ready to go, I got on a bus, the afternoon before Eid from Dhaka. It was truly an unforgettable experience, for I spent my Eid on that same bus as the journey dragged on for the next 23 hours.

2

It was the second day of my road trip and nature called. With no decent toilets in the vicinity, I had to answer the call in the middle of a paddy field. My friends still give me a hard time about it.

3

On a school trip to Comilla, the bus for boys stopped in the middle of a highway as the one carrying the girls fell behind. I took this opportunity to “relieve” myself.

Sure enough, the girls’ bus found its way and stopped behind our bus right then.

4

At a camp in the Sundarbans, we had a map that was supposed to help us locate different parts of the forest.

I lost it on the way and was stranded with two of my friends near the Bengal Tiger zone. We zipped up our tents, and kept a fire burning nearby. We barely moved from the tent, and the fear made us nervous, disoriented and hungry. We saw silhouettes of tigers every now and then, but we weren’t sure whether they were real or our minds playing games on us.

Share your experience of an adventure gone horribly wrong.

Email your story today to tmag@dhakatribune.com

Cheapos They may use smart phones more expensive than the bus itself, but a small matter of two taka is a huge deal to them. Usually the quietest and most reserved people until asked for the fare, these people will scream their lungs out about the inequality, unfairness and why two takas less shall lead to the betterment of the nation. Very annoying and disturbing, it would be unfortunate if your seat falls beside them.

Supercools

Blush Much?

1

For the millionth time, I undressed in front of the windows while the curtains were open.

2

I accidentally inhaled chilli flakes while having pizza.

Dictator

3

If you think the ear splitting, jaw crunching noises of the traffic gets to you; you clearly have not sat beside one of these people on a local bus.

Louder than a karaoke studio, they talk enough on the phone to make your ears numb, and they do not stop. They may teach you new words that your parents may not be so proud of, hence it is advised to steer clear of them.

My mother’s flip-flops got mixed up with mine; hence I ended up wearing two different sized sandals on each foot.

4

I accidentally sent a very mushy Whatsapp message to my teacher instead of my girlfriend.

5

I have a terrible bird phobia, which once caused me to start foaming after seeing a chicken.

Intoxicating perfumes, watches and belts to blind the sun, these people can awe the fashion capital of the world. iPads and Samsung tabs are nothing in front of their table-sized devices. Their ear-bud jacks may be dangling out of their pockets, but the head bangs to the music won’t stop until they’re off. Luckily enough, they’re the sitting ducks the overly attached pickpockets dream of to make their day.

Self victim No Oscar winner could pull off more disgusted or annoyed faces than these fellows, for their grimaces can make anyone feel like an off-time serial killer. They look constantly annoyed, probably to fend off people who want to sit beside them, and miss no opportunity to display it through their expressions. Usually the women, rest assured they mean no harm.

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Email your confession today to tmag@dhakatribune.com