TMAG, Volume 2, Issue 28

Dhaka Tribune

Thursday, November 20, 2014 Volume 2, Issue 28

Party Down!

Customise your TMAG experience!

Send us your short fiction, works of art, selfies, cool status messages, reviews and more to tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com

Status of the week A weekly production of

DhakaTribune Editor Zafar Sobhan Executive Editor Shahriar Karim Managing Editor Jahangir Hyder Magazine Editor Sabrina Fatma Ahmad Asst Magazine Editor Natasha Rahman TMAG Team Saudia Afrin Tahsin Momin Baizid Haque Joarder Fuad M Hossain Rad Sharar Raisa Rahim Shah Nahian Contributors Kyoko Bhuiyan Nasif Chowdhury Nusrat Naushin Qarshi Graphics Mohammed Mahbub Alam Tahsin Momin

Editor’s note

If you can post a status complaining about how injured you are, you are not as badly hurt as you want people to believe you are

Hashtag

Meme of the week

Dear Readers, Winter is here and so is the wedding season. That means there are pranks, dance rehearsals, dressing up and the works coming up to keep you on your toes. Check out our Hot Topic(pg6&7) as we dole out fun ways you can spice up the holuds and the weddings and poke some fun at the bride and groom. Tired of the mundane entries that the grooms go on with at weddings? Check out Car Talk(pg5) and bring an extravagent twist to the grand entry into the venue. We hope you are following our comic strip by Nasif Bhuiyan on You Write It(pg9). And to finish it off, we have a mind blowing list on Teenarama(pg12) on the kinds of interesting characters you are going to see at the wedding. Do let us know how we are doing and keep writing to us.

#MyFamilyIsWeird This trending hashtag came about as people started sharing funny and weird things their family does. “my parents bought me an Elsa barbie from frozen on my 21st birthday because they were afraid I was growing up too fast”

More inside Picks Of the week 2 Room of the week Rudaina Reaz 3 Doodle of the week Elhaam Hasan 10 Spotlight Step up!

10 The goodsheet All the small things Your world 5 Car Band, baaja and grand style entry!

9 Non-fiction River 9 Comic Strip Nasif Chowdhury 9 Fiction Crushing a wedding Real Life 3 Event Tweets 6 Hot topic This is war

12 Listology 10 Types of people you meet at a wedding Fashion 4 Beauty check Lets not overdo it 4 Look of the week Armin Khan

Cheers, From the TMAG desk

TMAG says 2 Your room Bridal lounge 2 FYI The gate brigade 10 Playlist And they were all yellow 11 Science 101 Flying Saucers!

Horoscopes 5 Your forecast

Colour Specialist Shekhar Mondal Production Masum Billah Advertising Shahidan Khurshed Circulation Masud Kabir Pavel

5 Car talk Band, baaja and grand style entry!

8 Written in the stars

Bijon Islam

Email: tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com Website: www.dhakatribune.com

About the cover Party down!

Model Misha, Priota Make-up & styling Farzana Shakil Photo Abu Naser

3 TMAG’s Easel Elhaam Hasan

4 Look of the week Armin Khan

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Your Life Tahsin Momin

TMAG’s Room of the week!

Earth Tones

The sudden burst of warm colours work beautifully with the modern, lines of the furniture. Spring green and mid autumn muted yellow complements the patterned graceful Walls. Along with the abstract painting these natural hues make a perfect outset for a warm get together, welcoming winter

Name

Rudaina Reaz Area

Gulshan Funk up your room

FYI

The gate brigade No matter which side you are on, let’s make your “gate dhora” skills as good as gold

Bridal lounge The fun parts of weddings are the “Gaye Holud” or “Mehendi.”

Translated into modern English, this term means Dance Party, not literally but it is traditional and pivotal to all Bangladeshi wedding extravaganzas. With its carefree, lighthearted mood, it sets the stage for the wedding celebrations to ensue

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Steal their pride This is a do or die situation. If you want the groom to pay up, there are better tricks other than wrestling with the “borpokkho” in your six-inch heels, embroidered sherwanis and stumbling upon one another. Instead of stealing his shoes, you can steal his turban.

Sometimes, grooms don’t care much about their shoes and dare to walk in without them, but the turban they will hold onto with dear life. So if you have gotten that under your belt, the groom has no other way besides jacking up the rate for you crazy folks. Milking a little extra dough cannot be a bad thing, right?

The subtle war of words When you are in the throes of protecting the gate, it is nearly impossible to get your words across unless you have a boom box for a voice. To save you the trouble, have a wireless mic arranged and you can easily negotiate loud and clear while the opponents are

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screeching and nagging. Once they see a mic in hand, they are going to go berserk. Gather your most off putting singers to sing a song requesting the other side to let the groom in. You could either pick a song that goes with the theme, or compose a cheeky song that also praises the bride’s family for being so kind hearted and letting the groom in without burning a hole in his pocket.

The broken vocal chords and off the scale tunes should be enough to let the enemies disperse.

When all else fails No matter which side you are on, steal those damn shoes from the groom’s feet. Keep some “raita”or “chutney” nearby, if the bickering gets out of control, threaten to destroy the shoes.

However, no matter how tempting it may get, never submerge their precious shoes in that moss green chutney. You never know, you may just have it your way.

Natasha Rahman

No one necessarily has to be a professional dancer, but throwing your hands out randomly is no good. This calls for a pre-wedding slumber party, where people can not only rehearse their performances but hold a loud and raucous celebration. Most slumber parties require minimal decorations.

However, adding a little extra doesn’t hurt to liven up the dance floor.

Genie’s bottle Host the sleepover in a large area of the house, like your living room. Transform your living room into the interior of a genie bottle. Cover the floor with over-stuffed pillows and cushions and toss in colourful blankets, which will make a comfortable base for guests’ sleeping bags. Lay down some airbeds or mattresses for your guests which they can use to lounge on before it’s time to sleep.

Disco fever Have a selection of music; sitting next

to a CD player, ready to play tracks that your guests can dance and lip sync to.

Gone are the days when the bride and groom would watch guests have fun as they settled in their heavy wedding ensembles. Thus, give those two the centre stage, so that they can have their say on the dance numbers and coordination. Put up strobe lights and a disco ball and play musical hits to hype it up.

Fun filled extravaganza After all the singing, coordinating and dancing; many want to relax after.

For those who want a bit of nostalgia, why not recreate and throw a slumber party with the gals. Have the movieladen laptop ready for a marathon or keep those photo albums for some late night reminiscing. One classy idea is to pamper yourself by creating your personal spa. Face mask packs, nail polish and hair clips are among the things you could provide for a party goodie bag. Nusrat Naushin

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Schoologistics

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School Survival

Party Pooper

Will your education survive the wedding?

Weddings can be a lot of fun, especially if it’s someone from your family that’s getting married. Sure there can be a lot of extra responsibilities, but the good food, dancing, guests coming over all day, etc, easily makes up for everything else. However, amid such a celebration, it can be extremely easy to forget about your regular responsibilities, especially when it comes to your school and studies.

Let’s be honest, no one wants to stay locked inside a room studying, or go to classes when you know everyone else but you is having a great time.

This scenario might be unavoidable if you have exams coming up, however, if you plan and prioritise, you won’t be missing out on anything.

Find time during the day - or if you’re already a night owl, sometime during the night- when you’re not too tired and the house isn’t buzzing with too many distractions. Take this time to get your work done and repeat this practice as many times as you might need. The sessions can either be long sitting where you get everything done at one go, or you can sit down with your books for a short while and finish up through bits and pieces throughout

the day. Find out what works best for you and stick to it.

It’s also a good idea to work smart rather than working hard. Try and absorb what you’re reading.

Understand the methods rather than memorising them. As long as you grasp the meaning of what you’re studying, you’re likely to remember it much better and won’t need to dwell on a single subject for too long. Also remember to keep the procrastinations to a bare minimum. The goal is to get the work done fast and efficiently.

Class timings are slightly tricky. It’s always a bad idea to skip a class for whatever reason. Bunking a single class is the first step into developing a very nasty habit. It’s extremely easy to get desensitised to the whole idea of bunking, and before you know it, you’re not attending a single class. However, on the flip side, while attending a class, if you’re paying attention properly, you’ll be saving the time you need to sit around with your books at home. Finish up on as much work as possible from class, spend a few minutes reviewing them once you get back and you’re good to go! Shah Nahian

Event Tweet

TMAG’s easel

Our Beautiful Universe-A Musical Performed by The Children of Jaago Foundation School November 22 6pm- 7:30pm Donation Tk1,500 per head (sponsors one child’s expenses for one month) Tickets available at Radius/Red Shift Venue Red Shift

Service Carnival 2014

“Alive and staring” Elhaam Hasan

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

The Marketing department of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) organised a day long “Service Carnival” on November 17, at the ground floor of the university campus. All the stalls in the carnival displayed an unique array of services. The participants in the fest

were all student from the MKT330 course. The fest featured services like, Taro card reading, fortune telling, fun photography, caricature, henna application, gaming and even the unique experience of seeing a one-off silent movie through the lenses of a bioscope.

Photos Kamran Ibne Abdul Qader

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FASHION FACE-OFF

Beauty Check

Look of the week

Lets not overdo it It’s the wedding season again and girls, there’s a lot of dressing-up to do. We all know how exciting this is for you but you don’t want people to mistake your face for a make-up kit now do you? Here are a few tips TMAG finds essential in doing your make-up

Fly like a Blue Jay

The trick is in the eyes and your weapon is the eye shadow palette.

Make sure you choose your shades carefully; go for an eye shadow that has a versatile formula and looks natural on your skin. In case you’re running late for the party, or you’ve just come back from work, you don’t even need to remove your eye makeup if you’re wearing any already from the day; you can easily build upon what you already have. Simply damp your applicator to avoid fallouts and apply a darker shade to intensify the shadow you already have. Just make sure you don’t end up using shocking colours like pink that may make you look like a flamingo. If you do use pink, tone it down with a bit of golden or silver.

A kohl pencil or any eyeliner is a

must beside mascara. They help you intensify and frame your eyes. Don’t worry about keeping your hand steady.

With a pencil liner you can draw tiny strokes until you get your desired look.

If however you end up with a wonky line, worry not! You can simply smudge it with a bit of black eyeshadow, and you’re done. The final result will be beautiful. Build up on the lashes with a final touch of mascara.

The secret to maintain a lasting lip colour is to apply some type of base so it stays on. Then take a wellsharpened lip pencil of a colour tad bit darker than the lip stain you’re using and define the lip shape. Exaggerate the lip lines if you prefer bigger lips.

Finally, apply your desired lipstick and use your fingertip to blot and press on the colour. Kyoko Bhuiyan

Simplicity at its peak with different shades of blue, glorifying any event you’re off to.

Dolled up perfectly with light make-up and a little smile of sweetness is what you need to liven up the Bangali tradition

Model Armin Khan Photo Courtesy

Wardrobe Check

Dancing in style Bright colours, wedding lights, friendly holud dance-offs and the oh-so-amazing biriyani; hard to not like the wedding season. And if you are related to the bride or the groom, chances are you are already rehearsing for the holud. Now, what to wear? Fret not, TMAG gladly gives all the dancers a check on your wardrobe for this wedding season Holuds are colourful and fun in nature, so why not incorporate bright and solid colours into your wardrobe?

Especially for the dancers, each panjabi or kameez can be of a different colour.

If that is too much work, the entire crew can get a colour scheme of their own, differentiating them from the rest. But with bright colours, comes the possibility of over-doing it. Keep in mind, the top part of your outfit should contrast with the bottom. If you’re wondering where to buy the materials from, Gawsia market (opposite to New market) is the place to go. Prices start from Tk200 and onwards per yard.

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For the pretty dancing ladies, palazzos are the in-thing right now.

They are comfortable, cheap and if donned right, makes you look fashionable and beautiful. You can easily find them at places like New market and Bashundhara City.

Experimenting with stripes, linings, funky collars can turn out to be a good idea as well. That being said, the more you dare, the more careful you should be. Ask yourself whether you would be comfortable pulling it off. For example, not all guys would be willing to drape a dupatta around their necks all evening.

Nothing worse than hating your outfit

among a mass looking their best!

Moving onto your footwear, it must be something comfortable. Anything less than that, you can expect an evening making your chair, your best friend. Sandals, nagras and loafers might make it to your list and you can hit up the stores at Elephant road to get the best bargains.

All that being said, no matter how good you want to look, try not to overshadow the couple getting married.

After all, the day is all about them. Now get to rehearsing!

Baizid Haque Joarder

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Street Car Talk

Band, baaja and grand style entry!

Since the raaja badshas no longer exist, it is time to ditch that horse and that carriage, and enter the wedding venue in a unique style that would even make the extraordinary look bland

HOROSCOPE Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)

Surprise those who think you’re obstinate by acing important issues. Your calmness and flexibility will earn you a lot respect.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)

Success and fun go hand in hand right now; crossing things off your to-do list is astonishingly satisfying. The many, small upgrades you’re making will affect your life in big ways.

Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)

Thanks to someone who’s been discreetly helping you out from behind the scenes, you clearly have the upper hand. Find an equally low-key way to say thank you.

Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)

All set to play off-season Santa Claus to a loved one? Well, with financial luck so very much on your side, you won’t need to stress about being returned the favour.

Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)

There are numerous means to expand your horizons. Travel, classes and socialising with new people are a few. Choose one or many, if you have the time, and keep growing.

For too long the limelight was on the bride and all her fineries, but it is now time for the grooms to enjoy some of that limelight as well. Grooms, these days are willing to pull off a few stunts to get their share of attention on the big day. They are now no longer obsessed with just the bachelor’s party, but also keen about the entrance they make at their wedding. The grooms want as much attention as their brides do. So, if your friend or someone in your family is a soon-to-be groom who wants anything but to walk down plainly into the wedding venue, here are a few ideas from TMAG. The Dhoom-dhamaka entry Men love bikes and women love men on bikes. It’s a safe bet to use this idea to get the fair share of love and attention for the groom to make a grand entry into his new life. Get a bunch of groomsmen together and make them ride into the wedding venue on

motorcycles. Wear sleek and stylish leather jackets over the sherwani to get that wedding look a Dhoom twist.

Maintain that uniform look for the groomsmen too, and you will end up with an entry that might not set the world on fire but it would most certainly set the bride’s lehenga on fire.

The Bond entry If the groom is a classy type who treasures the good things in life without being overtly pretentious; and can afford to rent out (or buy) a BMW, Mercedes or any high end car, then he can use his resources to make a classic Bond style entry. If he wants, he can also make a royal entry. In this case, he would have to go for a vintage car and enter the wedding, looking like Prince Charming in the movies, coming in to steal his princess. Just let the groom drive into the wedding venue and his preferred choice of mean machine will take everyone else by surprise.

The chopper-drop entry If the groom has the stuff to shrug out, then there is no reason why he can’t land at his wedding like a hero straight out of an action movie. Hire a chopper, bearing in mind that the wedding venue should have a helipad and follow all safety norms. If he can pull this stunt off, be sure that this will become the talk of the town! But, what if the groom loves this idea and there is no helipad at the wedding venue? We have just the right idea that will make the groom’s craving for adventure go a few notches higher. Imagine what it would be like to make an entry by diving out of the sky. Yes, we meant, literally! If the groom has the money, style and most importantly the nerves to carry this off, then he should go for it. It will most certainly make the Ananta Jalil to his bride’s Borsha! Tahsin Momin

Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)

To say that you’ll be lucky is just the tip of the iceberg. You won’t just be in the right place at the right time, but you’ll have your besties to back you up.

Libra (Sep 23-Oct 22)

Keeping a secret will prove difficult. Don’t beat yourself up if you absolutely have to say something to someone. Just be careful.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)

When you’re with others, you tend to be who they expect you to be.

Every now and then, you need some alonetime to get to know yourself again.

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)

You can depend on your family or friends to deliver, no matter what you need or how abnormal your situation is. All you have to do is ask.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)

You’re aching to make some modifications and quiet eager to get going. Failing yesterday, you’ll settle for starting work on the project now; but it’s got to be right now.

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)

Go on, spit it out. Once you get it off your chest, you’ll feel much better. Communication’s favoured now, so your words may be well received.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)

Better use pencil when you’re filling in forms, because you never know what might happen. The only assurance is that almost nothing will go the way you’d planned.

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This is war Come winter, and the city lights up with an abundance of weddings. While the adults are busy bickering over the finance and logistics and all that grown up stuff, the teens bring in the fun. And sometimes it can get pretty competitive. This week we dress to the nines and head to the ring to watch the competition heat up

Dance off Natasha Rahman

All prepped up to attend a mehendi night or a holud, most of us could agree that we do expect to see some performances, be they synchronised dance numbers or skits. Can you imagine a holud ceremony without the choreography?

So many couples are opting for joint holuds right now, we thought we’d take the age-old choreography rivalry between the two parties and set it to music to bring you the idea for a danceoff.

one song that both parties must have in common. Give it your best shot, as the crowd will wait for one side to outdo the other.

The greet and meet The best way to go about with a dance off is to get both the groom and the bride’s side of dancers to plan this out together. This may sound like a lot of work, but not if you break it down and enjoy the ride (pun intended).

The entertainment number The next song should be the “laughter” song. Both sides get to pick out their choice of a really funny, crude, weird song that they need to not only dance to but also act out for the audience. The standing ovations, round of applause will decide who wins this round, so rock it.

Picking out the songs The easiest way to do this is to pick out three to four songs assigned to different purposes. For instance, there should be

Duet performance Next, you could also pick out a song that the two teams should perform together on stage. This will definitely

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require both sides to meet a couple of times to practice, which could be a royal pain. If that gets too cumbersome, set up one or two meetings, pick up the steps and record it on your phone so that both the sides know when the cue is. This would act as the perfect dance off song. Remember when two sides are performing to one song, you must give the other side a chance to show off those swanky moves. So decide early on and divide up the song; it doesn’t matter which part of the song you take; if you can shake a leg like no other, then it doesn’t matter what part of the song you get. However, if you have the option, then do pick the chorus and the first part of the song, that usually makes a lasting impression.

HOT TOPIC

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Man the gates!

Laugh lines

Baizid Haque Joarder

Planning on how to beat the other side with humour? Let us in on the strategy!

Parodies have always been a favourite way to poke fun at the future in-laws.

Bear in mind that this should be done in the spirit of some good, friendly fun, the type that breaks the ice among the two families and strengthens their relationship. The jokes made should not be disrespectful, and it would be best if the MC apologises in advance, to avoid the impending awkward moments among the two families.

Dancers can portray family members of the other side or friends and enact their roles in the story. This would allow you to grab your audience as they might want to see how each of the characters are portrayed. Dedicating cheesy songs to each member can also be fun.

Impersonating the bride or the groom is a crowd favourite, add a bit of spice to their actual story and voila!

Use good humour but prepare before-hand knowing the limits.

Rad Sharar Bin Kamal

The ultimate battle goes down during the “Gate Dhora,” which means the bride’s family not allowing the groom to enter the wedding premises without a “monetary gift” of sorts. Nuff said! Time to divide and bar the gates!

The strongest and biggest of the lot takes the front line. The side gate is taken by the bhabis and the aunties of the Watch. The kitchen entry blocked by the biggest and meanest of the invite list. The small holes and cracks around the premises glued by the kiddie minions; all strategies of interception prepared hours before the groom’s arrival, and ticked off by a spy within the enemy barracks.

When the groom arrives, naturally mistaking the Spartan formation as a welcoming part, he fidgets outside the halls till the haggling and handover of the “monetary gift” amount ends, which could even extend to hours straight till the bride starts barking in annoyance.

Usually that’s the point when you usually know the limits have been stepped on.

The “gate blocking” is an integral part of Bangladeshi wedding celebrations, but there are many who take it beyond amusement to simply greed. Hence, know your limitations keeping humour and entertainment the priority, otherwise, what’s really the point?

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written in the Stars

A Castle of Lights His name is Bijon Islam. He’s a jolly, not really muscly guy who prefers to work on his couch than a desk at his company LightCaslte Partners. It’s his home, his work, his child. For many who dream to start something of their own despite demotivation from their homes, he’s a perfect example of tackling the odds. Sitting on the chunky office couches, Rad Sharar Bin Kamal has a short chat with him about his endeavours

Let’s start with your creation. What exactly is LightCastle Partners and what do they do?

At LightCastle Partners, we simplify decision making by providing advisory services (data and analyses) and tools.

With advisory, we empower clients to make prudent decisions by providing market data, consumer research, investment analyses, business design, and impact investment consulting services. Additionally, we also develop crisp, digital dashboards and run predictive analysis to articulate major insights from a wide assortment of data, enabling clients to adopt strategic shifts to drive profitability.

On the private sector side we have worked with global clients like Mitsubishi (Japan), Generac (USA), Telenor (Norway) and International Investment Funds (like Asian Capital Advisors) and local business conglomerates (Alliance, Mostafa, A K Khan, Gazi). In impact investments, we have worked in multiple projects with top tier firms like CARE Bangladesh, Swisscontact Katalyst, Traidcraft (UK), Habitat for Humanity (Philippines) and Hivos (Indonesia).

How exactly did you start up? (refer to partners, funding, and first offices) After spending four plus years in investment and corporate banking, audit and advisory with firms like Citi, HSBC, StanC, Alif, and KPMG – we (my business partners and I) decided to co-found LightCastle in 2013. The goal was to provide organisations with the linkage between “data” and “good decisions” and instill a culture of “data driven decisions.”

Initially, we started business out of our bedrooms but quickly moved to take TM AG th u rsDAY, Nove m b e r 20, 201 4

our first office on Elephant Road. At the beginning of 2014 we moved to our current office premises in Banani, after raising angel investments. Currently we have 25+ clients and have worked with 40+ projects over18 months.

What is the greatest difficulty you faced in starting your own business?

When I first decided to leave Citi and start my own business – the initial pressure from society and my family was substantial. Very few people, even my colleagues and relatives, supported the idea of entrepreneurship.

I was talking with one of my supervisors before I left my job in an investment bank. He told me: “Look Bijon, if I calculate the life time income of my current job and compare that with the return if I move to entrepreneurship – the risk doesn’t make any sense.”

Additionally, the pay forward culture is still missing in Bangladesh where existing businesses support start-ups to reach new heights and overall grow the economy together.

How supportive were your family and friends? Who motivated you the most to move forward?

The most important support comes from your family and friends.

When I first left my job, my aunt asked me: “What are you going to do? Sell cabbages?”

But what has pulled me through was the support from my mom and dad. My close friends didn’t tell me that I was wasting my life; they joined me as business partners. Having cool and well established co-founders like Ivdad, Zahed and Saif (who are also my business school batch mates) really made things happen. Additionally, we found great team

members like Sazzad, Kashif and Tanzina to join us and that gave some momentum.

We also had strategic investors – Fayaz bhai, Samad bhai and Mustafiz bhai who believed in us and provided the support to go into the market. Lastly, lot of high profile clients like Telenor (Norway), Care, Katalyst, Habitat for Humanity liked our work and gave us the stability to build the business.

From when did you plan to be an entrepreneur?

Since my background was in business (both my undergraduate and postgraduate was from IBA, DU), I have always wanted to build something on my own. However, after graduating, the glamour of a corporate life is often difficult to let go.

A line from the Bollywood movie “3 Idiots” helped me at that point and made sense: “After a few decades when you are sitting on a hospital bed, you are not going to regret the things you did, but the things that you didn’t do.”

Where do you see LightCastle 10 years from now? What are your plans for your business?

We want to make LightCastle Partners a global name in the “business data” industry. While our first priority is working with Bangladeshi corporates and partners, to develop solid data based decision making structures, we also intend to represent Bangladesh in the worldwide knowledge management industry. This would entail in making a significant dent in the world data industry as well. With Bangladesh’s repertoire of sophisticated programmers (even Google glass apps are made here) this is a very plausible goal.

We want Bangladesh based firms to become truly global companies leading

the nation’s way into an advanced economy. As LightCastle, we plan to bring in the best in class knowledge, practices and analytics culture to Bangladesh. This in turn allows us to partner with the local corporates and ride the growth wave together towards achieving a middle income country status at an accelerated pace.

What advice would you give to the younger generation, given that it took you a long time to learn the ins and outs of businesses?

One of the core things I learned was that “focus” is extremely important.

It’s good to have a diversified set of experiences. To grow in a particular specialisation, one needs to invest time and maintain focus to explore its depths. This applies to whether you are studying, doing a job or running your own business. The important thing is to “focus and build” and then move on to the next venture. n

Some other info: • Favourite food: Soup and sandwiches • Hangout places in Dhaka: LightCastle Office • Favourite song or band: “Hallelujah” by AS • Hobby/Hobbies: Reading, anime, music • Favourite motivational quote of all time: “Do things that people say can’t be done”

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YOU WRITE IT

fiction

non-fiction

Crushing a Wedding I never liked winter; cold, grey and inanimate. I never enjoyed weddings either. But there I was, sitting in a corner counting the number of guests at the event. I took another

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sip of the horrible concoction, which they call “coffee.”

I felt like I was a prisoner here.

Waiting to be set free. Waiting to go home, to the solace of my warm bed.

And then it happened. I saw her. My pupils dilated. The way they do when they see somebody they are used to seeing, perhaps in my dream. Funny!

I was seeing her for the first time.

The muscles around my lips started contracting, creating a silly smile. My eyes followed her everywhere. I was short of breath the moment she swung her beautiful lock of curls around her shoulders. When she laughed, I felt my heart falling off of a cliff, and jumping up towards the moon, all at the same time. I liked it. My feet grew numb; my knees grew old and weak. The coffee suddenly tasted heavenly. Her eyes were radiating magic all around me. The place seemed more illuminated all of a sudden. Barely 10 seconds have I seen her, and I already wanted to stare at her sculpted face for hours. I never thought I could feel this elated, of all places, at a wedding!

I never liked winter. But for a change, everything about that moment seemed perfect. As I was setting off towards my abode, with her face painted in my memory, I thought to myself: “Maybe Bangali weddings are not that bad after all.” Rafid Ahnaf

River

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Rudely daubed on to an unwilling surface with a brush of dirty green and brown, the weeds floated in the wrong direction, current brushing against unsuspecting eels. If she followed them, she would hit the bottom of a low stone bridge in three minutes. Three minutes was a lifetime that she didn’t have. Errant words hit her ears breaking her desperation into pieces. Baptism.

How could anything be purified in this mud?

Dunking chair. Yes, let’s dunk the talkative little blue shirt until

he confesses to being a woman.

Secret agent. Dead to the world but alive in theatres near you. History.

Geography. Diplomacy. Does this free lesson never end? The plastic couple taking a selfie. Expensive aviators on deliberately tanned noses. Dunk them too. The chatty old man who once did everything under the sun and once spoke to every man on earth, and once realized he could speak the ears off unsuspecting passersby was once again not even stopping for breath.

Dunk, dunk, dunk. Qarshi

Comic strip

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10 tmag Goodsheet

stereo

spotlight

All the small things Band: Blink 182 INTRO: C F C G All the small things F G True care, truth blinks C G I’ll take one left F G You’re right, best trip C G Always I know F G You’ll be at my show C G Watching, waiting F G Come misery-teen C G Saying aint so I will not go F C Turn the lights of, carrying me home C Nana nana nana nana na na G F Nana nana nana nana na na

TOP

10

And they were all yellow

1. Tikatolir more Motin chowdhury 2. Sadi Gali Tannu weds Mannu 3. Amar gorur garite Bioscope 4. Jaadoo Habib 5. Baby doll Ragini MMS 6. Thug le Ladies vs Ricky Bahl 7. Besharam Besharam OST 8. Balam Pichkari Yeh Jawaani Hain Deewani 9. Lat lag gayi Race 2 10. Feel Bombay Bicycle Club

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Step up!

Successfully organising dance rehearsals before “holud” Dancing for an occasion like “holud” can be an extremely fun experience.

However, organising one can become a complete nightmare if you’re not sure of what you’re doing. Here’s TMAG’s step by step guide into organising a successful dance rehearsal.

Putting together a crew Needless to say, the main crew should consist of close family members and friends. Try not to stress out on finding the best dancers. Just put together a fun crowd to have a good energy going. It’s the cutest thing when the youngest members get enthusiastic about taking part in the dance, so don’t forget to include their names on the list. It’s not about putting up the best show possible, but having a fun journey along the way.

Finding a venue Find a fixed place for everyone to rehearse. It might get difficult to coordinate with everyone if the venue keeps changing. However, if it’s just the one place, people can start getting more comfortable and rehearse in peace. It’s also a good idea as it might get uncomfortable for someone, who’s a bit shy, to dance in front of everyone.

Song selection If you’re not too familiar with the whole Bollywood scene, it’s probably best to ask for some recommendation.

However, the songs don’t always have to be trending hindi numbers. The whole point is to have fun and pick out whatever track you think satisfies that, as long as the bride/groom is okay with it. Just make sure you’re not picking out the same songs as the other party.

Choreography Don’t be scared if you’ve never choreographed a dance before. Use music videos as guidelines. For steps that might be too difficult for some dancers, feel free to dumb it down or replace it with something fun and easy.

Remember to also check out the actual venue where you’ll be performing and rehearse there at least once. Lock down the limitations and plan accordingly.

You don’t want to find out on the day of “holud” that there just isn’t enough space for the dance routine you’ve been working so hard for.

It’s also a good idea not to have overly complicated steps. As long as the dance routine is fun, your hard work will start to show. Plus the easier the whole routine is, the lesser the

chances are for someone to mess up.

Practice makes perfect!

In order to put up a good show, it’s best to have a routine where the dancers can sync with each other easily than to have an extremely complicated routine that’s not in sync.

Don’t expect everything to go too smoothly on the first go. However, don’t let your crew get distracted and deviated with other things during rehearsals. Always remember, you all met up for a purpose. Take the deadline seriously (but not too seriously), and practice till all of you get it right.

Props An easy way to make dancers break out of their self-conscious selves and make the dance routine more fun is to include a lot of props.

Plan ahead During rehearsals, if people are messing up a certain step, teach them back-up moves they can do in case they do mess up. Once they learn how to improvise, it will help create the illusion that it was all part of the show.

Shah Nahian

tmag 11

PLAYROOM

Science 101

Flying Saucers!

Are we alone in this universe?

“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying,” said Arthur C Clarke, writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host.

During 1947, Pentagon officials were alarmed by flying disk reports. On June 24, 1947, Kenneth Arnold, a businessman widely considered as a sincere and credible witness, reported of having witnessed nine disc/saucer like aircrafts, while flying his small aeroplane near Mt Rainer in Washington. Arnold initially concluded he’d witnessed either the test flight of a new military remote-controlled weapon or that the objects were from another world.

In this vast cosmic arena, Earth is the only planet known to sustain life.

But could there be aliens out there; much older than our species, much more advanced in technology, capable of travelling through light years to our planet?

It is probable that if our planet can

sustain life, there should be more like it out there. Nevertheless, whenever one asks such questions, it is difficult not to be bombarded with conspiring theories and government cover-up stories by numerous crackpots, charlatans and cultists.

But what about the times when sighting reports came from highly reliable sources?

Well, this is what led the United States Air Force to conduct systematic studies of unidentified flying objects, commonly known as UFOs. Project Sign, the first study of its kind (active during 1947), initially argued that the UFOs came likely from an extraterrestrial origin.

However, on the final report it stated that, even though some UFOs appeared to represent actual aircraft, there was not enough data to determine their origin.

Initially, Project Sign’s extraterrestrial hypothesis was rejected by high ranking officers. Ultimately it was replaced by Project Grudge in 1949, which was later replaced by Project Blue Book in 1952, that tried to determine if the UFOs were a threat to national security and to scientific analysis of UFO related data.

Case study Retired Air Force Col Bill Coleman, the former chief spokesman for Project Blue Book between 1961 and 1963, once had his own personal encounter with a UFO while piloting a B-25 bomber in 1955. The unknown circular object descended from an estimated height of 20,000 feet, heading towards the ground, when Coleman attempted to pursue it.

“We were moving at maximum continuous power for the B-25, about 300 miles an hour, and we got right down to the treetops and I closed in on it very rapidly.

I said I was going to overtake

it - ‘Hang on and put your seat belts on’ - and I made a hard 90-degree bank to try and pull up alongside of the UFO and it wasn’t there. I zoomed up about 1,500 feet, and then I could see the object right on the deck over a freshly ploughed field moving at a pretty good speed, and it was trailing two vortexes.” When Coleman dove behind the trees to try and it him off at the pass, the UFO was gone.

This is the end, my friend Project Bluebook concluded that no UFO reported, investigated and evaluated by the Air Force was ever an indication of threat to our national security. There was no evidence submitted to or discovered by the Air Force that sightings categorised as “unidentified” represented technological developments or principles beyond the range of modern scientific knowledge, and there was no evidence indicating that sightings categorised as “unidentified” were extraterrestrial vehicles, before it was finally shut down in December 1969.

Not without a fight However, the director of the Project Blue Book, Col Bob Friend, disagreed with the Air Force’s negative conclusions about UFOs in 1969. “My primary explanation for these things is that, yes, they’re real, and I think it would be much better if the government or some other agency was to take on these things and to pursue the scientific aspects of it.” He added, “Do I believe

that we have been visited? No, I don’t believe that. And the reason I don’t believe it is because I can’t conceive of any of the ways in which we could overcome some of these things: How much food would you have to take with you on a trip for 22 years through space? How much fuel would you need?

How much oxygen or other things to sustain life do you have to have? But would those same issues apply equally to an advanced civilisation that may have already overcome the hazards of travelling through interstellar space?”

A conspiracy Former Air Force Col Charles Halt on the other hand accused the federal government of a UFO cover-up that involves a secret agency to deal with what might be extraterrestrial visitations. “I’ve heard many people say that it’s time for the government to appoint an agency to investigate.” Halt added,”Folks, there is an agency, a very close-held, compartmentalised agency that’s been investigating this for years, and there’s a very active role played by many of our intelligence agencies that probably don’t even know the details of what happens once they collect the data and forward it. It’s kind of scary, isn’t it?”

What do you think is really going on?

Could there be other intelligent beings out there? Has Earth been visited by extraterrestrial beings already? Mail us your theories at tmag.dt@dhakatribune. com Shah Nahian

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12 tmag

Listology

TEENARAMA

10 Types of people you meet at a wedding You may be one of them, you may not, but it is an absolute fact that winter weddings are tedious without them Rad Sharar Bin Kamal

#crashedaweddingyay!

Bhabis of perfection “Oh my! What is she wearing? Too fast, this girl!” Recognise them by their relatively younger attires and enough gold on them to give a bride a run for her money. The bhabis will gossip, it can’t be helped, for naturally every wedding that follows steals a part of their diminishing thunder.

No they weren’t invited. If they’re lucky, they are related through the air conditioned air in the homes of the newly married families. All they want is food, primarily, and a good time.

Usually never a problem, the crashers are the first bookers of the first wave of food, and may last till the third. It’s becoming more of a trend nowadays to post it on social media as well!

Gossip aunties

Lost

I’m sure you have heard of the bride’s A-level results being poor, or the groom’s family buying a mere three cows last Eid. Are you kidding? No way! Let us present the source of these juicy nibbles of news, the dear aunties. Their speculation powers somehow amplify beyond those of Sherlock during wedding season, and no secret escapes their bat ears. One can identify them by their bling sarees and mature age, if not the tight knit group they gossip in.

Being a victim and a witness, these people are those who are being manhandled by their families to attend tedious wedding celebrations.

On the flip side of the celebratory mood, these common facebookers and pretend texters sit in the corner trying to act cool and indifferent to the commotion.

Boogie woogies Selfie queens A selfieless occasion is an occasion wasted in their opinion, and they will not waste a single click. In the limest of lights, they’ll flash out their good sides and present the best of themselves.

But it does provide a golden opportunity for our sneaky photo bombers to act!

Just like the popular jocks of school, these show runners come second in the power list after the newlyweds. They rule the show below the stage and the main entertainment segment of the night. Easy to spot in their matching colours, the holud lords are impossible to miss.

Interview uncles Munchers Their first thought, “Where’s the food?” These opportunists are invited, mind you and will be present mere seconds before and after the food is served. Usually compared to the infamous “Noakhali” people, a wedding to them is a free ticket to a biriyani fest, even if they are related to close family.

“Baba, where do you study? Oh okay okay (looking away in a disappointed sneer).”

Yes, you have faced these jolly folks and their awkward questions, and it’s not as if it becomes easier to say you weren’t in the top five in the merit list. Locate and steer clear, unless you actually were in the top five.

VIPs Hot toddlers Ouch! Eeee! Oooh! What the …? Yes, you know them; those little kids seemingly attached on rocket jets. They will blast through under the panjabis and sarees like the Dukes of Hazzard playing “chor police” in bliss. They’re fun to watch wrecking havoc all over, but a problem if you’re in charge of any of them.

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The other star of the show, ladies and gentlemen, the celebrity him/herself, is a common catch nowadays in wedding season.

A pure myth during the tiring preparation period, simply their presence is enough to gain them a highprofile seat at the main wedding table. The annoying part is, they pay no heed to dressing a tad less grand than the bride or groom themselves, and are commonly given more attention by the crowd.

tmag 13

tid bits

Double Whammy Shabash returns with a two-part adventure

Remember Shabash, the mangopowered superhero who protects Dhaka from its creepy criminals?

Mighty Punch Studios debuted this crazy comic this time last year, and as November hits its stride, the adventures continue in not one, but TWO actionpacked episodes.

“Why does it always have to be insects?” Shabash laments in the first issue. Looks like that’s not about to change. In “Keramoti’s Experiment: Part 1” we’re introduced to a scenario we’re familiar with every winter: the rise of the mosquito menace. It starts off with your usual pesky, bloodsucking insects descending in a swarm during

the evenings, and everyone reacts in a unique way. Some cower under blankets, others get slap happy. Still others reach for the electic mosquito bats to make a tournament of it.

Shabash battens down the mosquito net and gasses his apartment with repellant to protect his night’s sleep.

Deep in his layer, mad scientist Keramoti has the crazy idea of playing with the genetic makeup of a mosquito he captured, to make a mosquito repellant that’s actually a mutant mosquito. Needless to say, this doesn’t go as planned, and the city has a new super villain Part 2 faces Shabash off against this villain, and things are not going well for our atomic mango super hero. The perspective swings, until we can now follow the story from the point of view of the super-skeeter herself, and that’s when things get really interesting.

The stories have a very Powerpuff Girls feel to them, although the humour is something unique to Dhaka, chock full of local references. Reading the comics is an experience that can be enjoyed by all ages and both sexes. The plot feels like a good margherita pizza: cheesy and spicy in all the right ways.

The art team backs it up with dazzling

and colourful illustrations, peopled with cute, iconic characters. In short, Shabash doesn’t disappoint To find out how the fight goes down, grab both the books.

Issue 2 has been out at KFC, Pizza Hut and Pizza Hut Delivery outlets; Meena Bazar (Dhanmondi, Gulshan,

You’re Math-etic!

This writer personally hated math during his academic years. However, little did the writer know that there is something called Math Anxiety.

What is it? Simply put, it is a fear of math. But fear not (the irony), there are ways to overcome this dreadful feeling. So, how can you not be afraid of math?

Well, it's easier said than done but knowing a little more about it can help one deal better with things.

It could be genetic

According to a report published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, math anxiety can be caused by genetic factors. Professor Stephen Petrill, department of psychology at OSU and principal investigator of this study says: “Genetic factors may exacerbate or

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad

“I feel a tad bit flushed when I think about doing my math homework. I don’t think I am really good at it either. I just don’t like math and hate it even more when I have tests”

reduce the risk of doing poorly at math. If you have these genetic risk factors for math anxiety and then you have negative experiences in math classes, it may make learning that much harder. It is something we need to account for when we’re considering interventions for those who need help in math.”

but a stereotype that can make one believe that they are less capable in contrast to others. Bottom line is, don't accept any stereotypes – be it about you or math. Also, research has shown that positive thinking can help you get better at math. Put both together and you would probably become invincible at math.

Lack of confidence

Weak basics

A familiar phrase heard from most Bangladeshi parents is: “He/she is such a 'brainy' student.” Well rest assured, there is no solid proof backing this. There is no such thing as a brain type that allows any one person to excel at math than another.

This goes to show that confidence plays a very important role in one's ability to do math. Think about it for a second, not being “brainy” is nothing

Banani, Uttara Sector 6, Maghbazar and Shantinagar); and Jamil’s Comics for a while now, and the sequel debuted at the JCC-Unmad Comicon earlier this month, and should be available at the aforementioned locations, and at Hay.

If you have ever bunked a math class or never paid attention during those classes, it is possible that you are worried your basics are weak.

Fret not, as this conundrum is easily solved by simply skimming through textbooks that are from a few classes lower than your present one. Also, you will be surprised at how much you do know, once you go through these textbooks. As a result, you will

only need practice a few skills before you catch up and these skills will come easy.

It's so complicated

It is true that math can be very complex at times but remember, like any other skill, it takes time and practice to get good at it. The best way to deal with complex formulas is to break them down into their constituent parts. Breaking it down to “little parts” will help you understand and absorb things at your own pace. On the other hand, if you feel that you are weak on some of the concepts that make up a larger formula, then just go back to working on your basics.

Fuad M Hossain