- Dhaka Tribune

Dhaka Tribune
Against
all odds
Tuesday, December 17, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 34
Status of the week
You won’t find many people who
enjoy agony as much as I do. My
headaches are constant, I don’t
know what I’d do if they went away.
A weekly production of
DhakaTribune
Quote of the week
I’ve got 99 problems, and 97 of
them are due by the end of the
week.
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
Lingo of the week
Hoborodh
Confused about the difference
between a hartal and an oborodh?
With the current situation it seems
that there is none. But if you are still
confused, term it as “hoborodh”
Example
Anita: Is it a hartal or an oborodh
tomorrow?
Natasha: Areh lalloo, chill! It’s a
hoborodh!
4 Look of the Week
Self expression through art
Contributors
Imtiaz Salim
Nabeela M
Rad Sharar
Irad Mustafa
Maisha Aniqa
Graphics
Sabiha Mahmud Sumi
Mohammed Mahbub Alam
Colour Specialist
Shekhar Mondal
Kazi Syras Al Mahmood
Production
Masum Billah
About the cover
Schools fighting back against
the hartals
Advertising
Shahidan Khurshed
Circulation
Wahid Murad
Email: tmag@dhakatribune.com,
Website: www.dhakatribune.com
Model
Shakil Sadat Hossain
Zayed Zubair
More inside
Editor’s note
GOSSIP
12Blush Much?
12He says, She says
Dear Readers,
We know the hartals have long
overstayed their welcome. While
there’s not much we can do that, we
can refuse to let that cramp our style.
Last week we talked about drowning
our sorrows in good food. In the spirit
of Victory Day, we want to take a
moment of pride in our schools for
finding ways around the closures and
strikes and putting education first.
(Hot Topic, Page 6-7)
We’ve also got something for the
sports lovers in a very special Written
in the Stars (Page 8), something for
the Fashionistas as always (Page
4), and some super hawt cars for
motorheads to drool over (Page 5)
while we wait for the streets to be
Photographer
Homayra Adiba
8 Written in the Stars
Futsol Fever
safe again.
As we count down to the end
of a very tumultuous year, we want
to put your stories in our pages. So
come, participate in our very first
Flash Fiction contest. The rules are
simple. Send us a 250 word postcard
story to tmag@dhakatribune.com by
noon, December 27, 2013. We’ll print
the very best entries in our New Year
issue. Best of luck!
For more gossip, news and
comments, check out our Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/
dhakatribunetmag
Love
from the TMAG desk
PICKS OF THE WEEK
2 Room of the week
Rohini Alamgir
3 Doodle of the week Riaz Mahmood
10Guitar tabs of the week
“Crazy” by Gnarles Barkley
11App of the week PushBullet
YOUR WORLD
5 Car Talk Pagani Huayra
5FFPB
9Fiction Happiness knows no bounds
9Non-fiction Animal World
9 Comic book “Qahera” the
superhero by Deena Mohamed
9Book “Sea of Poppies” by Amitav
Ghosh
10Music Sounds from the aquarium
10Instrument Dugdugi
10Spotlight Panic at the Disco
11Web critic
1,000 Awesome things blog
11Animation The Congress
11 Movie Guerilla
FASHION
4 Beauty check
Cut the grease
4 Wardrobe check Holud colours
Real Life
3Events
TMAG SAYS
2 Funk up your room Purely deshi
2FYI The winning bug
3 School Survival Five things Youtube
can teach you
6 Hot topic Schools hit back
10Playlist Top ten victory day tunes
12 Listology Sore losers
HOROSCOPES
5 Your forecast
TM AG TU E SDAY, DE C E MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
2
tmag
Your Life
Funk up your room
Purely Deshi
Why does a person want to renovate according to their passions?
Most would say, to display their affection. But, the truth of the
matter is much deeper that what it may seem. A person’s origin,
history, literature, custom, and culture are deeply rooted within their
personality. Since it’s December, the month of our victory, what can be
done to show our love or devotion for our country? Refurbishing your
entire room at very little cost, cultural artefacts, and lots of love would
be a wonderful idea. Discover the gorgeous, yet very classic Bangali
room decorating ideas from TMAG
Words in action
Be it a national leader’s quote or two
lines from a patriotic poem, it always
adds to the existing scene of the room.
It would be great if the letters are in the
red colour of our flag. Turn one wall into
your canvas and put your entire patriotic
imagination on it.
Clay passion
For ages, our culture has been enriched
with terracotta objects like dolls, vases,
whimchim and much more. Once you
place them in spaces beside the door or
on your reading table, it will bring a very
vintage look to your room. Also, create
drama by adding ornamental clay vases
and tiny green plants, as if the window
next to your bed or veranda exists just to
make you breathe safe.
courtesy
TMAG’s
Room
of the
week!
Cotton love
The almost lost heritage of Chandowa,
the very deshi way to embellish the
top part of your room can be saved. By
characteristic, it looks soft, colourful,
dazzling, and adorable and can cover the
entire ceiling or just the upper portion of
your bed. Flowers, village scenes or any
historical moment can be illustrated by
stitching it on to this canopy.
Furnishings
Anything low with simple designs goes
well with this sort of a room. Opt for
bamboo or cane over wood, since they
are light and cheap. Also, don’t forget to
hang a cane cradle at your veranda or
inside the room. Remember, before you
start revamping, think again why you
are doing so. Love your country and be
happy. Saudia Afrin
Name
Rohini Alamgir
Area
Dhanmondi
Plushies, puppets, and Pon and Zi. This corner
is overflowing with cuteness.
bigstock
FYI
The winning bug
Encores and bravos are music to simply anybody’s ears! However, real victory doesn’t come as easily as
fake compliments do. Whether you want to kill your inner demons or prove to the world that you’re a
go-getter, in order to achieve your goals, you need to have some traits in you that would take you one step
ahead of the others. Fortunately, all these traits can be cultivated
Sheer perseverance
The only hurdle in your path of success,
is surprisingly, yourself. If you can let go
of your ego, your fears, and your doubts,
to simply face your problems head on,
with a vow to not letting go until you’re
on top of it, you will be on top of it.
Giving up after a mild rejection will not
win you any points for grit. Having a
never say die attitude is gold.
Actions louder than words
Winners are the doers. A work in
progress is something that inspires
confidence. It tells you how far you
have come and how much further you
can go. It also hooks you onto the job
at hand, until you’ve covered enough.
Procrastinating is not a winner’s
favourite characteristic.
Yes, we can
If Bob the Builder’s tractors and trucks
can say this, so can you. And believe
it or not, this attitude can inspire
confidence like anything. Even if you
initially feel you aren’t cut out for the job
you’re dealt, if you so much as think you
can do it, you emerge stronger in your
ability to actually fulfil the task at hand.
Being your biggest fan has its payoffs.
Seek knowledge
Winners never stop learning, they are
above inertia and constantly seek out
advice from anyone they can learn
from. Being a perpetual student is
key to keeping your mind teachable
throughout. Munira Fidai
bigstock
TM AG TU ESDAY, DEC EM B E R 1 7, 2013
tmag
Schoologistics
3
School Survival
Five things YouTube
can teach you
TMAG’s
Doodle
of the
week!
With the wedding season prevailing, there are times when you need
the help of someone while getting ready but if there’s no one around
to help you, just go on to YouTube and make your life easy. Apart
from teaching how to wear pants and be a ninja, YouTube has many
things to offer. Things that we wouldn’t be so fortunate to learn so
easily otherwise. So without further ado, here are five valuable things
YouTube can teach you in minutes
How to tie a tie
It’s been too many times standing in front
of a mirror feeling like a fool and trying to
figure out the perfect knot. YouTube has
numerous videos on how to tie a tie easily
and also on different forms of knots. Take
your pick.
How to wear a sari
Agreed, it’s a real head scratcher unless
of course you wear saris regularly.
Keeping aside occasions like Eid, Puja,
Pohela Baishakh and so on, very few
teenagers drape themselves with saris.
Hence, it is likely that you may not have
much practice. There are different types
of saris and different ways to drape them,
and naturally, YouTube covers most of
them. If you’re a first timer, the tutorials
are quick and simple to follow.
Ways to wear a scarf
Riaz Mahmood painted “The Intimidation”
as a tribute to what he calls “one of the
greatest artists that Hollywood ever had,
Heath Ledger”
Few simply wrap a scarf around for
warmth like in the old days. However,
nowadays there are many ways to wear
them in style while fulfilling its purpose.
Take a peek, it’ll come in handy with
winter creeping in.
How to wear a hijab
If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to
tmag@dhakatribune.com and see it in our weekly!
EVENT Tweets
Pet Animal Photo Exhibition
and Pet Care Mela
December 25, 3pm
Venue Drik Gallery
Performance arts “A piece for
you, Dhaka”
December 18, 4pm
Venue Goethe-Institut Bangladesh,
House 10, Road No. 9 (new),
Dhanmondi
Miss Gorgeous Shopping
Exhibition
If you are new to this, YouTube can
bigstock
definitely provide you with many handy
tutorials from which you can learn how
to wear a hijab properly and learn more
about the different styles you can adopt
when wearing a hijab. All you need is an
internet connection and a few minutes.
How to tie shoelaces
With all the lace less shoes trending in,
people are starting to forget the sacred
art of tying a shoelace. This is a life lesson
worth knowing, for you’ll need it sooner
or later. YouTube can teach you how,
within a very short time.
Rad Sharar & Baizid Haque Joarder
EVENTs
Confluence 13
World’s largest human flag
Hour of Code
“Confluenece 13 - the World Unity and
World Peace Festival” at Lucknow was
attended by a 12 member team from
Scholastica, led by Farah S Ahmed, senior
vice principal. The event took place
from December 5-8 at Lucknow. Nine
international teams and 54 national teams
participated in this event. It was organised
by City Montessori School (CMS), India
Nagar Campus in collaboration with The
World Peace Prayer Society and United
Nations Information Centre, New Delhi.
To celebrating our Victory Day, December
16, over 30,000 Bangladeshis took part in
creating the world’s largest human flag at
the Army Parade Ground.
To celebrate Computer Science Education
Week from December 9-15, ISD hosted
the “Hour of Code” on December 13, at
their premises in Bashundhara R/A. “Hour
of Code” was a global event that basically
introduced its participants to the basics of
computer coding and programming, all in
one hour. The idea behind the event was
to encourage those interested in the field
of computer science, to come forward
and get a real taste of what could be their
future calling. More than 300 participated
and Uday, a 7th grader at ISD, won the
competition in the end.
December 19, 12pm
Venue d’Popeyes & Miss Vanellis,
ADC Empire Plaza, 91 Satmosjid
Road, Road # 12/A, Dhanmondi
Annonymous Mask March
December 19
Venue TSC
Confluence 2013 was planned to develop,
the love for humanity and peace and an
appreciation for differences, in children.
TM AG TU E SDAY, DE C E MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
4 tmag
FASHION FACE-OFF
Look of the Week
self
expression
Through
art
Wear your discourse
and your politics
in these beautiful
graphic saris. Be it
your idea of policing,
or views about selfexpression, these saris
provide great talking
points, and look chic
to boot
Model
Rifat Jahan & Ratri Ahmed
Wardrobe
Paera by Nawshin Khair
Graphic Artist
Sabiha Mahmud Sumi
Photographer
Homayra Adiba
Beauty Check
Wardrobe Check
Cut the grease
Holud Colours
Stop washing your hair daily
Picking colour
Attention men, if your head is oily enough to fill a car’s gas tank, no
need to worry. We’ve all been there. Here are a few steps on how to
transform it into the smooth, clean, and natural-looking hair you’ve
always wanted
Cleaning your hair every day, especially
with shampoo, deprives your hair of
essential natural oils. Over-washing
forces the sweat glands to go haywire
and produce more oil than you need,
which makes your hair greasy rather
quick. So keep a gap between washing
days and here’s a secret: don’t scrub
the scalp too much with shampoo. It
irritates the glands further and makes
them more active.
This festive occasion demands clarity.
Go with bright colours such as greens,
pinks, and reds if you’re fair skinned. If
tanned, mild sorbet colours are equally
striking.
Design
Choosing the right products
Using the right shampoo creates a huge
difference in hair appearance. Many
shampoos use sodium laurel sulphate
and other great cleaning agents. The
problem is, it makes your hair too
clean, and creates a similar issue of the
overactive sweat glands. A simple way
of avoiding these powerful agents is to
buy natural products. You could even try
dry shampoos, which absorb grease like
magic and smell fresh. Conditioner wise,
if you’re already taking showers a few
times a week, you don’t need it. This will
unnecessarily add to the grease.
Manage your hair
Having three feet long dreadlocks will
undoubtedly make grease very difficult
to handle. So if you have long hair
which is naturally oily, maybe a haircut
TM AG TU ESDAY, DEC EM B E R 1 7, 2013
Night skies glowing with wedding lights, shaking with muffled
booming music and sweet with the wafting smells of biriyani, the
wedding season has finally arrived. It’s time for a wardrobe check for
the grand events to come, starting with the funkiest- the Holud
bigstock
is just what you need. It makes hair
much easier to manage. In addition,
timing is everything. You would want
to wash your hair on the day before a
wedding, party or other events. It’s wise
not to take a bath the day before, or
grease will build up faster than you can
reach the venue. Rad Sharar
Its best to stick to the classics, for the
line between elegant and super cool
is quite thin in these cases. You could
pick solid colours, but it becomes a bit
underwhelming, unless it’s brighter than
the sun. Thin pinstriped panjabis have
always looked smart and classy, and
therefore are a good option. Sherwanis
are awesome too and looks best when
simple. Though, the risk kicks in when
choosing shiny laces and heavily
embroidered panjabis. Take a picture
to see if you can pull it off beforehand.
To even the scales, make sure to wear
neutral pants with it, otherwise you’ll
out-dress the groom.
Accessories
With winter coming up, pair your outfit
with a scarf - thin mufflers will work to
add flare to your outfit. Plain shawls can
be a good addition as well. Watches
also look great with panjabis, although
make sure it’s not too big. Shoe wise,
you may stick to sandals as the classic
option; however, currently sandals-
bigstock
shoes and loafers are more in. Unless
you’re going in heavy, save the nagras
for the groom.
Dancers
For the performers, dress light, since
bulky fabrics, shoes, and watches
will weigh you down on stage.
Always remember to wear something
underneath so the sweat doesn’t kill
your look. However, make sure the
t-shirt inside doesn’t overlap the colour
of the panjabi. It helps to keep an extra
pair of t-shirts, for after the show.
Rad Sharar
tmag 5
Street
Car Talk
Magnum opus
HOROSCOPE
It’s physically impossible to not like the Pagani Hauyra. It is the ultimate expression of motoring joy and
passion, which combines striking looks with alien design. Even the blind can enjoy it, when they hear it, on
a cold-start up and then when it screams down the track
Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)
Self-doubt may get the best
of you at the beginning
of this week. Refrain from making
impulsive decisions.
Taurus (Apr 20-May 20)
Expect highs and lows, in
terms of emotions; this is
just a phase. Your confidence will be
back in no time.
Gemini (May 21-Jun 20)
It’s a good thing to take past
mistakes into account in
order to improve your present. Just
don’t dwell on them.
Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
There are lots of comparisons to
make between the Pagani Zonda and
Pagani Huayra. The new car has a
lot to live up to in terms of the speed
and ridiculousness departments. At
first glance, some might still say it
looks rather calm compared to the
old Zonda. Once you learn to say and
spell it correctly, the Huayra (simply
pronounced “Why-ra”), still makes you
feel “very, very special.”
This new Pagani is mostly made of
something absurdly called carbotanium,
which you just want to keep repeating
because it sounds cool. It was designed
with absolute precision, to be light and
powerful. It’s still stunning to look at,
both inside and outside, even if it isn’t
as ridiculous as the old Zonda.
The vehicle features a transverse
seven-speed single-clutch automated
manual gearbox mounted behind its
unique 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged
AMG V12 engine. In addition, it
features active aerodynamics to reduce
drag, improve stability and braking
performance, ceramic brakes, and the
list goes on.
That turbocharged engine and
the clever transverse gearbox are
perhaps the most notorious features.
The Zonda’s heart and soul was its
huge 7.3-litre normally aspirated AMG
V12 engine. Surely turbos will simply
compromise the throttle response,
putting an end to that glorious sonic
Pagani sound. And in a world of superb
twin-clutch boxes, like that of the
Veyron, Pagani opted to go for a singleclutch box, because it is 100kg lighter.
That’s Horacio Pagani’s obsession with
lightness. Perhaps, but 720bhp, 737lb-ft
and 1,350kg makes the Huayra faster
than the Bugatti Veyron in terms of
power to weight ratio.
With that being said, one would think
the drama ends there but coming from
Pagani, you won’t be surprised to hear
the drama is yet to begin. The actual
show starts as soon as you lift the
gull-wing door and take in the glorious
interior. Some might find it a tad ornate
but when you slide into the driver’s seat
those worries disappear and a smile
cracks across your face. The details
are exquisite, the materials – titanium,
carbon-fibre, and leather are all
extravagant – and the driving position
is perfect.
The thing is, an extreme car like the
Huayra is always going to have its flaws.
But as a supercar, as a vehicle that
may brighten up other people’s day, by
just being parked on the roadside, and
as a machine, it provides substantial
pleasure every time.
The Huayra takes some beating,
but the fact that such a small company
has produced such an extraordinary
supercar, one that takes the fight to
the best in the world, only adds to
the feeling that this is something truly
special. Tahsin Momin
Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
If issues related to family
have caused you to have a
meltdown, talk it out. The more you
sit on it, the more it separates you
from your loved ones.
Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)
This week you’ll have a clear
view of who you are and
who you can be. Think about it, act
on it, your goals aren’t too far from
where you’re sitting.
Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22)
Living up to others’
expectations can get
frustrating. Without further ado,
voice your opinions and take charge
of your life.
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)
Skill building should be
on your agenda this week.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you
aint got it.
Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)
You’ll be known as the
responsible one among
friends and family. People are
counting on you, don’t let them
down.
FFPB
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan19)
Fantasy Football Players of Bangladesh (FFPB)
Fantasy League Top 10 after Gameweek 15
RankTeam
1
Sesc17
2
FC Sharp Shooters
3EBeastmode
4
Invincible
5Noob FC
6
Rakesh Challengers
7Enter Your Team Name
8
Gunners13
9
Jokers Again
10Tomahawk Galacticos
Letting your guard down in
the romance department?
You are entitled to dream a little,
however, drifting off to fantasies
won’t bode well for you in the long
run.
ManagerGWTOT
Shadman Haque
63
1,009
Maruf Mahbub
65
1,005
Ibrahim Mohammad
65
992
Rashid Tj
66
975
Fathin Shadman Priyo
51
975
Rakesh Sinha
57
967
Ahnaf Ahmed
61
967
Md Abu Maroof
56
962
Fahim Ahmed
67
962
Rax Rahman
69
962
The code to join FFPB fantasy league is 975-707
If people are giving you the
brush off, there must be a
reason. Look back at the old you
and compare it with the new you.
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)
Don’t hop skip from
one opinion to the next,
especially when it’s about a certain
someone. Word travels fast, they may
not take it lightly.
Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20)
If you’ve been brooding over
a past relationship, it’s high
time you let it go. Other relationships
need your attention. Focus!
TM AG TU E SDAY, DE C E MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
6
tmag
HOT TOPIC
SCHOOLS HIT B
This past month or so has been utter hell, thanks
to hartals, oborodhs, and mayhem on the streets.
On one hand, there’s the constant fear, grinding us
down past the point of exhaustion. On the other,
the frustration and irritation of being stuck at
home. Amongst all the incalculable losses we’ve
suffered, and continue to suffer, is the blow struck
to education. But we are nothing if not indomitable,
and so teachers and students continue to fight back
as best they can. This week, TMAG digs down to
find out how schools are coping with the strikes
Photo: Mahmud Hossain Opu
“With hartals and oborodhs
showing no signs of stopping, we are in
serious jeopardy. Our O-levels are knocking
on the door and we can’t go to school and
attend the crucial classes. Thankfully our school
has designed a daily course pack not only for us
but other classes too. This helps us to cover up
whatever we are missing at school. Plus they have
scheduled all our mock exams on Fridays and
What initiatives ha
school taken to he
combat hartals, an
Saturdays. Even though it is a tall ask, it’s
better than nothing.”
- Raisa Islam
Class-10, Mastermind School
“Even t
being abl
are constan
school admin
assignments v
are being sche
and whatever d
our first term e
oborodhs st
worry abo
Shabab
Schools fighting back
With the number of working days
drastically cut down, schools have their
work cut out for them, trying to finish
the syllabus. Scheduling tests and
mocks on the few working days we do
get seems to be the default strategy, but
the educationists have other tricks up
their sleeves.
Many of the schools, like The Aga
Khan School, DPS and Mastermind,
to name a few, have prepared special
course packs to help students complete
their syllabi at home. Scholastica
managed to prioritise fundamental
subjects like English, Bangla and Math,
and extended their weekend classes
to complete the syllabus on time, so
they’re pretty safe. Their O and A level
students are solving past question
papers at home. Nurun Nahar Gias,
academic supervisor, senior section,
TM AG TU ESDAY, DEC EM B E R 1 7, 2013
SRU, says, “Homework assignments
are given in bulk according to syllabus
schedule physically and uploaded
online for complete availability. Any
queries can be emailed to us, which
we are happy to answer as soon as
possible."
The International School, Dhaka
(ISD), had remained open during the
strikes, but for students who were
unable to make it, they had a website
called ManageBac up, where they pretty
much followed the distance learning/
online education protocol to complete
their year’s work.
Sunbeams also provided homework
assignments online, and via phone calls
and text messages in order to cover
their topics.
tmag
HOT TOPIC
BACK
Loss of
Intellectual
Capital
1971
vs.
Present day
ave your
elp you
nd oborodh?
though we are not
le to go to school but we
ntly being updated by the
ns, they are sending us our daily
via emails. All our make-up classes
eduled on Fridays and Saturdays
days are free of the strikes. Since
exams have finished before the
tarted, we don’t have much to
out for the time being.
Rahman, Class-8, DPS
A private word
Even private tutors and coaching
centres are stepping up to the plate.
“I try to cushion the adversities by
aiding them over the Internet using
Facebook” says Akhter Ahmed,
who teaches Business Studies and
Economics, of his O and A level
students.
This diligent educator also works the
phone to help his students.
Have the students cooperated with
the circumstances? We heard mixed
reviews. “My students were at first
happy with the unexpected days off
7
but now, by common consensus, just
want to get the exams over with” says
Shafquat Huq, a teacher from the
coaching centre CLASS. He has been
working odd hours, taking longer
classes to complete the topics.
Another teacher at coaching centre
Authentica, Samiul Huq Chowdhury,
says, “My students have mixed
reactions to this situation. While all of
them want this hartal rally to pass by at
the soonest, students have relaxed their
efforts and studies seem to have taken
a backseat.”
Technically, the two situations are not
the same.
Due to a myriad of reasons,
the majority of our schools and
examination systems are not set up to
groom intellectuals. The intellectuals
that existed in 1971 and in the past
did not become intellectuals due to
standardised exams and not just due
to their school hours. If students do
become intellectuals, schools may play
a part, but there are also other factors
in play, beyond the school, which help
transform the path of the individual to
becoming an intellectual. These other
factors involve the learning experiences
the student gets beyond the realm of
the school. In fact, from a perspective
that may deemed radical, technically,
these oborodhs/strikes do open up
the time and opportunity for students
to read or gain experiences that are
not limited to school curriculum.
Unfortunately, the system is such that
the students will probably use up the
time to keep preparing for their exams
in a state of stress and uncertainty,
which mainly emanates from the
gospels of schooled education, sung
cacophonously by their elders. Due to
their socio-economic backgrounds,
students may not have access to
resources that can provide them
learning opportunities at home, such as
books and the internet, but on the flip
side, how much of those opportunities
do schools actually provide, besides the
mere tunnelling through textbooks?
This does not mean that schools are
totally useless – school are catalytic
and do provide the sparks for students
to keep on learning and educating
themselves. Beyond the planned
school lessons, schools do provide the
safe, social spaces for students (and
teachers) to interact and learn from
each other, but more has to be done
for in curriculum/system design for the
planned schooled lessons themselves
to become supportive grounds for
grooming intellectuals.
At the end of the day, all these
strikes/oborodhs are doing is merely
slowing down their time to gain
papers of certification that can help
them continue on their assumed
journey to meaningful employment,
but they are not preventing them from
opportunities to become educated or
becoming intellectuals. Being educated
or becoming an intellectual is not just
about getting a GPA 5 or a golden star.
School hours are not the only means
to becoming educated, so we should
not let these political strikes demoralise
us or hold our “education” back. If our
school systems were set up to groom
intellectuals, then yes, one may argue
that the situations are comparable, but
right now, the murdering of intellectuals
is definitely a worse-off/horrific
situation.
Now, if I was forced to draw a line of
comparison, then I could say that both
the strikes of today and 1971 create
a state of violence, which prevents
students from getting meaningful
experiences outsides their homes
and outside school. However, even if
strikes were not going on, our rural
and especially, urban environments still
are in a “state” of violence, which is
not safe for our students to get those
meaningful experiences outside their
homes anyway.
Shakil Ahmed
Educational Researcher,
Institute of Educational
Development, BRAC University
TM AG TU E SDAY, DE C E MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
8 tmag
written in the Stars
Futsal Fever
The futsal scenario in Bangladesh has grown quite a bit in the recent times and people are
frequently seen to enjoy this diverged form of football. TMAG’s very own Baizid Haque
Joarder gets in touch with Ahmed Fahad, one of the founding partners of Enlighten
Group. They organise “Shootout” which is a series of futsal and football events. All of
them are 10th graders at Scholastica
How did you guys start Enlighten?
What motivated you guys?
In 2010, my friends and I started to play
a lot of football. We used to look for
oppurtunities to play against stronger
teams. On Saturday nights, we used
to watch derby matches on television,
as we still do, and wished to play in an
atmosphere similar to that on screen.
So, the four of us, Adnan Khan, Anisul
Islam, Sheikh Iqram Mahbub, and I
organised a friendly tournament at a
local playground, with only a few teams
partaking in it. It seemed like a good
bit of fun so we kept on organising
more tournments. In about six months,
it seemed like we’d started a trend. We
were actually pretty good at getting
things done. So we tried out other
events like gaming, birthday parties,
pretty much any and every offer that
came our way. From 2010 till early 2012,
we organised about 14 underground
football and futsal tournaments, four
gaming tournaments, and a few other
events. All of which were comparatively
small scale events.
In August 2012, we had a monthly
meeting in which our whole operation
changed. We decided that it’s time to
step up. We started to concentrate more
on event quality, rather than the number
of events that we host.
Now, I’m glad we had that meeting.
What is shootout?
Shootout is a series of football and
futsal events aimed to equate the
beautiful game in Bangladesh. It’s
one of Enlighten’s signature series.
The goal (pun intended) is to create a
platform for football and futsal lovers,
and bring out the best in them. We
believe that a footballer’s stage is his
pitch. That is precisely why we look
for new, spacious, and interactive
venues for each event. We bring to
you new, competitive, and of course
fun ways to play. We present various
individual awards, in order to encourage
development among players.
On the day of the event, venues
are wired with speakers, cameras,
monitors, and ofcourse WiFi. The
TM AG TU ESDAY, DEC EM B E R 1 7, 2013
purpose? We make sure the DJ drops
a beat every time you score a goal, a
cameraman takes pictures capturing
you celebrating, a monitor is there to
replay the winning moments, and to top
it all, who doesn’t love free WiFi?
When organising events we don’t
just make them competitive, we make
them interactive and fun.
What events have you organised in
the past?
In the Shootout series, we’ve held four
tourneys so far. The first Shootout was
at International School Dhaka (ISD) in
2012. We had 24 teams, and about 240
participants. It was a success, and it led
us to continue with what we started out
to do.
Next was Broomfield Shootout.
Broomfield is an Astro Turf ground
in Banani. We were the first ones to
kickoff a tourney there. This too proved
to be a special event, in its own way.
There were two seasons at Broomfield.
Then, came Abahani Shootout late
August 2013. We had, again, a fair
number of teams participating and
throughout the series, we’ve had great
responses from the underground
football and futsal community. For
which, we’d like to thank them all the
way.
What are your plans for the future?
With the grace of Almighty, we’re
about to host our biggest event so far.
Our upcoming event, GYC Shootout,
promises to be the event of the year.
Here, we’re introducing "Panna rules"
and "Last man standing." This is a new
format, being played for the first time in
Bangladesh. The event is set to be held
at Gulshan Youth Club on December 28.
There will be stalls selling goodies and
refreshments on the event day, thanks
to our supporting partner Mehedi Mart.
The event will be covered by Dhaka
Tribune, Daily Star, The Independent,
and Plaantik. We’ve got a lot more up
our sleeves this time. I’d like to invite
any and every futsal lover to be there
at GYC, it’ll be worth your time, I can
guarantee that much. Take a peek
at our event page (www.facebook.
com/725687344110937).
What is futsal? What are the
requirements?
Futsal is not that different from football.
It is played on a concrete court. An ideal
futsal match consists of quick passes,
freestyle moves, swift runs, quality
goals, and lots of excitment. As to it’s
requirments, they are very basic. A pair
of indoor boots, five players per team,
and a football is all you need to get your
futsal journey started. Once you’ve got
the ball at your feet, the moves come by
themselves.
What is the futsal scenario in
Bangladesh?
I’d say it’s reforming, since there was
a phase where it started to dip but
now it’s back. Currently, there’s a huge
network of underground futsal players
and there’s not enough quality tourneys
going around. Some typical problems
with the smaller tourneys, where the
organisers don’t have much experience
to start off with, could be that they
can’t live up to what they say to the
participants and they don’t go by the
age limits.
These are things that can give
underground futsal a bad image. But
overall, I’d conclude by saying that
we’re getting there. We’re definitely on
the right track and we’ve got lots of
talent in underground football, which
will hopefully speak for itself, very soon.
Any message to the readers of
TMAG?
Do what you’re passionate about. Don’t
be afraid to think outside the box. It’s
difficult establishing your ideas, but
once you’ve done that, it’s an open
road. Personally, I love helping startups. So, if you have creative and crazy
ideas you want to share with the world
but don’t have the right words to say,
I’d be happy to help you. Send me an
email at ahmed.fahad.15@gmail.com. I’d
like to thank you all for reading. Happy
Holidays.
Photos: Courtesy
tmag 9
nonFiction
YOU WRITE IT
ANIMAL WORLD
KKKrrraaassshh! Doesn’t really sound
like the shattering of a glass window!
But that’s exactly what Shabab heard
when some street kids in their early
teens, started breaking bus windows
with extreme prejudice. Yet, it seemed
like they felt a certain high from this
kind of mindless violence, beaming
with every window broken. Sadly,
even before Shabab could realise the
gravity of the situation, it got worse,
bus. From a messy race to get off the bus,
it became a small scale stampede, which
only created more mayhem. Things went
from bad to dreadful when the cocktails
exploded under the bus. Shabab’s first
instinct was to save his own life. He made
his way to the gate, but then again he
saw all the women getting stuck inside.
He looked but he did not have the time,
nor did his basic civilised mind work to
give them a helping hand. Maybe the
cocktail wouldn’t have really wounded
anyone but the explosion and sudden
window crash created confusion and
turmoil and amid all that, no one really
cared about each other. They all became
a part of a harsh survival game, losing
the sense of humanity and civilisation.
Shabab got off from the bus and turned
to look at it. He saw a crowd, who had
no sense, human instincts, compassion,
sympathy or nationality. They were all
animals, including himself.
Rubana Iqbal Prema
Fiction
Happiness Knows No Bounds
“Let’s go!”
He escorted me and pulled me up on
the rickshaw. I was being suspicious
about his health. I touched his
forehead to see if he had a fever. He
stopped me and held my hand with
one and put the other around my
waist dragging me towards him and
putting a kiss on my cheek like he
always did.
book
when two cocktails, the miscreants had
rolled under the bus, exploded.
Shabab being a student and both a
regular office worker, was well aware of
the country’s chaotic situation. However,
he also knew that work and life would
not be put at halt. Shabab woke up early
in the morning and started for his office.
The traffic was much thinner than regular
days. But clearly, there was a grim aura
in the air. He boarded one of the safest
travel vehicles in the city, a public bus
and started for his office. He took a seat
right at the very back of the bus, beside
the window and started to wonder about
his salary when the month ends. He
didn’t notice that he had crossed the
Kuril and Badda crossing.
This was when the gang of kids
sprang out of nowhere, effortlessly
hanging onto the moving bus and began
to break the windows. Panic had struck
the hearts of the passengers, which was
quickly followed by anarchy inside the
comic book
“It has been years, since we went on a
rickshaw ride, right?”
“It has been years, since you gave
time to me!”
Rizwan chuckled, I knew this smile of
his; his smile hid a surprise for me. We
went to Shahbagh and loaded our tummy
with different kinds of roadside foods.
We walked in the university area and
recollected our love story which started in
the corridors of one of those campuses.
During that time Rizwan was always
free for me. We used to go for movies,
bunking our classes. He bought attractive
flowers for me and dorned my hair with
his hands. With every bit of movement,
the glass bangles on my hand tinkled,
which he bought me every week. But
now, I could hardly see that appearance.
He snapped his fingers, flashes of the
past faded away. To my ultimate surprise,
he returned the old Rizwan to me on my
birthday. We roamed in shopping malls
and by the time it was evening, I had a
handful of bags containing my birthday
gifts. He took me to Star Cineplex to
watch a horror movie. Finally, before
returning home, we treated ourselves to
authentic Chinese food and ice-cream.
The garland on my hair, the colourful
glass bangles, and the big black bindi
on my forehead made me look like a ten
years younger version of “Shandhya.”
Being the workaholic professor
husband, Rizwan never gave me
the essence of our love life after our
marriage. He was always busy with
office, classes, and his students. I had
been thirsty for his loving side for the last
ten years. Well, I finally attained it. My
happiness flapped its wings and made
me feel like the queen of the world. Now,
he has an abundance of time for me as
he doesn’t have to go to university. The
political turbulence erased the glumness
in my life. Ayesha Khan
Literary opiate
Introducing Deeti, the Indian innocence;
Zacharey Reid, the American sailor;
Paulette, the French free-spirited beauty,
and Rajah Neel, the proud and bankrupt
zamindar. They meet in a journey where
their fates and lives collide amid the deep
sea for the first volume of a projected
triology by Amitav Ghosh.
Ghosh presents us once again with
an astounding novel, Sea of Poppies.
Ghosh decided to take his readers on a
self-styled epic cruise on a ship named
Ibis, which carries convicts, coolies,
and opium which occurred to be the
economic theme of the 19th century.
Ghosh dramatises his novel through
the journey of multiple characters
belonging to different caste, color, and
creed on their way to the deep sea.
The book pours us a volume of striking
characters each representing a different
theme and premise. Ghosh’s dexterity
of colonial history, cartography, and
dramatic story-telling portrays his novel
as a 19th century film. Every character is
exposed to corruption, disguise, deceit,
courtroom dramas, vetoed romances,
floggings, dinner parties, mutinies, and
widow-burning rituals. The novel started
from the narrow streets of 1838 Calcutta
and ended in the wrecked Ibis leaving
the reader wondering impatiently for the
unknown journey ahead.
One should really take a moment,
breathe and then pick up this book, as
there really will be no putting it down. Yet
it could be suggested to be read slowly,
in order to understand the inherent
interpretation of the events that crosses
from lush poppy fields of the Ganges to
the rolling delirious sea waves.
Veiled
wonder
Qahera is a webcomic created
by a 19 year old art student,
Deena Mohamed. The series
was born as a result of a joke
among her friends, but it soon
rose to fame among comic fans.
Stories delve into serious issues
such as sexual harassment,
fear, and cultural conditioning
of Islam that is present in Cairo,
Egypt. Elements of feminism
is present, however, it doesn’t
impose on going mad with
power or equality for that
matter (the episode Femen,
did a good job in explaining
that). Mohameds hijab clad
protagonist not only feels
strongly about male chauvinism
and harassment, but she
also cringes at the sight and
sound of weak willed women.
The episodes are based on
problems that are prevalent in
Muslim societies even today.
Through Qahera, Mohamed
explains how such issues will
take time to diminish entirely.
The artwork and sarcasm
makes it a fun read and shows
the readers a different side
to feminism. This is a power
packed comic strip with a rather
uncommon hero; the episodes
aren’t exaggerated at all and
that pretty much sums up how
awesome it is. Qahera comic
strips are available for reading
in Tumblr.
Rubab Nayeem Khan
Rubana Iqbal Prema
TM AG TU E SDAY, DE C E MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
10 tmag
Guitar Tabs
stereo
This week’s best
Instrument
Crazy
Gnarls Barkley
Tuning
EADGBe (standard) - Capo on 3rd fret
Am
I remember when, I remember,
C
I remember when I lost my mind
F
There was something so pleasant about
that place
Em
Even your emotions have an echo in so
much space
Am
And when you’re out there without care
C
Yeah, I was out of touch
F
But it wasn’t because I didn’t know enough
Em
I just knew too much
`
TOP Victory
day
tunes
TM AG TU ESDAY, DEC EM B E R 1 7, 2013
fixed firmly around the dugdugi’s narrow
waist. When it’s played, which is by rapidly
twisting the wrist clockwise and anticlockwise, the ball bearings hit the skin
producing an earthy sound “dugdug.”
According to old Bangla literature, the
dugdugi used to be played by lord Shiva
and thus it is quite popular in India. In
Bangladesh however, it is mostly played by
gypsies, snake charmers, and jugglers. It is
very appreciated in our country, since the
Baul, who often play it, are a part of our
culture. Their demand increases during
Pahela Baishakh, Pahela Falgun and in
other cultural festivals. Avita Maheen
(violin), Sanjay (double bass/chandravan),
ABS Xem (guitar, vocal), Shyamal
Karmakar (dhol) and Mithu (sound
engineer). This year they have released
their debut album titled “Otol Joler Gaan,”
this album serves music lovers with new
sounds that has the potential to represent
the depths Bangali cultural.
They have already performed at
the Sufi Festival in Glasgow, Scotland
after forming the band and have also
performed at the National Museum of
Scotland in Edinburgh. Music can act as a
medium to express the freedom of mind,
and can also touch souls. This becomes
apparent in their stage acts, as they
instantly capture the audience’s attention
and leave them mesmerised with their
sounds. As for the composition, the band
says: “While we blended various music,
we felt there are very specific tunes that
we need to put in the composition and
thus we experimented with instruments,
this generated the need to develop and
improvise instruments to incorporate new
sounds.”
Joler Gaan is now busy with regular
shows and concerts. If you haven’t heard
them yet then TMAG suggests you to
listen to their album or better yet, go
see them and experience the ultimate
tranquility of true Bangali emotions
through their live performances.
To get regular updates stay tuned with
their official website; www.jolergaan.com
as well as their Facebook page https://
www.facebook.com/jolergaan.
Music
The originators of “maatir gaan”
blended with people’s life stories
have been in existence since 2006.
Their contribution to the revival of the
folk music architecture has gained a
massive response among the people.
As the group says: “We are the children
of the soil where the river purifies us.
We whisper the symphonies of this
genre in soft and soothing voices.
Dark at night our dreams express
themselves on a sailing boat in a land
of natural abundance.” Joler Gaan’s
music has created the ultimate source
of natural sound and deep emotions.
Typical folk music played with their
unique instruments bears the flame of
traditional Bangladeshi culture.
Joler Gaan comprises of nine
musicians: Rahul Anand (vocal, flute,
taraban, dotara), Kanak Aditya (dotara,
banjo), Jarnal (percussion), Rana Sarwar
(cajon/percussion), Shariful Islam
Note
The entire song follows the same pattern
1. Cholo Bangladesh
Cryptic Fate
2. Tritiyo Jatra
Nemesis
3.Joyoddhoni
Nemesis
4. Jaalo Agun Jaalo
Arbovirus
5. Shoto Aasha
Shunno
6.Ahoban
Bohemian
7.Shamrachorajjo
Alternation
8. Shada Kalo
Shade
9. Aam Jonota
Aurthohin
10. Purbo Digontey
Khiyo
A very simple instrument to begin with,
this instrument is a mainstay in our
country’s folk music. However, besides
being an instrument, it is also sold as a
toy and is picked up by people of all ages.
What is this mystery instrument, you ask?
Well, it’s a dugdugi!
Dugdugi is a popular Bangladeshi
musical instrument. Although it is also
known as, Damvaru or Damaru, this
percussion instrument’s name comes
from the sound it produces. It’s shaped
like an hourglass, and both it’s ends
are covered with goatskin. A string with
two small lead or iron ball bearings, is
Sounds
from the
water
Am
Does that make me crazy?
C
Does that make me crazy?
F
Does that make me crazy?
Em
Possibly
10
Timeless hourglass
`
SPOTLIGHT
Imtiaz Salim
To Vegas and back
Panic! At The Disco is back with their
studio album, one that had moves away
from their strict rock meets punk-pop
sounds and pays tribute to their Vegas
roots by building on a very 80s synth pop
style. Having said that, Too Weird to Live,
Too Rare to Die never settles too deeply
into just one sound. There are tracks like
“Nicotine” and “Collar Full” which retain
the anthemic rock sound of the band’s
early work, despite the underlying dance
floor intimations coming from the rhythm
section and synthesisers. With “Casual
Affair” they have gone into trance, with
the crescendo climbing toward the end
before a sudden yet quirky transition to
keys, “Far Too Young” has a spacey intro
that sets us up for the dejected lyrics that
echoes long after the final notes fade. A
very popular track is the opener “This Is
Gospel” which is anthemic and manages
to show off the extent of true Panic at the
Disco style and vocal range. Here’s the
thing, the album isn’t everyone’s cuppa
joe, but while listening to it, one must
remember – There’s a Disco in their name
that bleeds into their game.
Nabeela Maswood
tmag 11
playroom
MOVIE
WE RECOMMEND
animation
Lights, camera, exploit!
The Congress is a loose adaptation of
a novel by Stanislaw Lem. The director,
Ari Fulman frames the movie around
the life of ageing actress Robin Wright
(playing herself). Robin, after making
some irresponsible life choices decides
to sell the movie rights to her digital
image to a big studio in exchange for
a hefty sum of money, while promising
never to act again. The studio, using the
scanned image can then make movies
starring digitalised versions of her.
The semi-animated film starts out
as a drama about an actress past her
prime but later evolves into a surreal
critique on the commercial industry and
how it exploits people. The combination
of a real and an animated film does an
excellent job. Besides the great storyline
App of the week
Irad Mustafa
At your finger tips
Size 1.4Mb
Price Free
Platform iOS/android
Transferring files or links from your
computer to your phone or tablet can
sometimes be a burden. But TMAG just
came across a new app that simplifies
things and does a lot more. It’s called
PushBullet, and it allows you to transfer
files, url links, notes, lists, addresses,
and reminders to your phone or tablet.
Want to send something to your friend’s
device? No problem. You can even
receive stuff from others as well.
It’s quite simple to set up too, all
you need is the app on your phone and
the Chrome extension on your desktop
browser. Subsequently, you sign up using
your gmail account on both your phone
and desktop. You will see a PushBullet
web critic
and excellent animation, Robin Wright
does a remarkable job in acting as
herself and is supported by big names
like Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm, and
Paul Giamatti. Also, if you are familiar
with cinema, there will be plenty of
references that add a lot of humour to
the movie. The movie is probably too
experimental for its own good to win
any awards. Also the fans of the book
won’t be pleased by a lot of the missing
elements (which isn’t really a big
surprise). But Ari Folman still manages
to pull off a great job in bringing
forward the scary concept of this story.
Using a combination of styles to make
it an unforgettable journey from love to
loss, delight to agony.
icon at the top right corner of your
desktop Chrome browser. Just click it to
push a url link, a file, list, or quick note to
the device of choice. For file transfers, you
will need to use the website. PushBullet
allows you to store multiple devices
like your phone, tablet, and any of your
friend’s devices. Just choose the device
that you need to push to and you’re
all set. The receiving device will get a
notification of whatever is pushed, so
either of you can quickly open it. The
notification will stay until you swipe it
away and you will always have access
to all your past notifications from within
the app, if you ever need to see anything
again.
Adding to this, as of today PushBullet
is now compatible with the DashClock
lockscreen widget for Android 4.2 and
above. Tahsin Momin
It’s the little things
First there was Bitstrips, and everyone
on Facebook had a go at creating
their own comics, with varying levels
of success. And then came the Happy
Page. With simple graphics and a
single line of positivity, it helped people
count their blessings and share some
happiness.
If you like the idea of The Happy
Page, you’ll like the . The site describes
itself as “just a time-ticking countdown
of 1000 awesome things.” What you
basically do is submit a line stating what
you find awesome, and in 1000 words
or less, describe the awesome thing. If
your entry is selected, it is categorised,
given a hi-res photo, and added to the
countdown.
Every time they arrive at 1,000
entries, they are compiled into a book
or calendar, or some such collection of
positivity.
Even if you’re not interested in
submitting, just reading through the
posts will provide you with ample
reminders that even when everything
around you is going to hell, there are
still little things that make life beautiful.
Check out the blog at
1000awesomethings.com
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
The pen is
mightier
than the
sword
Despite the endless
disagreements and intense
disputes, there is one thing
Bangladeshis of all ages and
societies have in common, love
for their country. Yes, patriotism
runs in our blood and one
movie which inspires such
feelings is “Guerrilla.” This film
was an adaptation of the novel
“Nishiddho Loban” by Syed
Shamsul Huq, and was released
on April 14, 2011.
The realistic insight and
depth of the film can be
explained by the fact that the
director himself, Nasiruddin
Yousuf Bachchu, was a
leading freedom fighter during
the Liberation War of 1971.
The film follows the story of
“Bilkis” played by Joya Ahsan,
whose husband died during
the “Operation Searchlight”
massacre. She puts the
agonising pain of her loss
aside and decides to take on
the hazardous path towards
liberation.
She thus becomes the
central character in the movie,
also a target for the enemy.
Bilkis along with many others
get involved in the publication
of a secret English news
bulletin “The Guerrila” thus
giving the movie it’s title. The
plot further reveals itself as
her journey continues and
she faces various traps and
obstacles set by the Pakistani
army. Her bravery and
selflessness was portrayed
throughout the movie till the
very end.
This film reaches into the
hearts of the people and
their emotions, definitely a
tear-jerker with a tragic but
surprising ending. The star of
the movie Joya Ahsan proves
her versatility as an actress with
an outstanding performance.
Definitely worth your time!
Maisha Aniqa
TM AG TU E SDAY, DE C E MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
12 tmag
Listology
Sore losers
Backbiter
As the name explains, these runners up will
congratulate you to your face, then go home and
take your performance apart, piece by piece, having
a negative remark for each of your mistakes. Oh, they
will also have Facebook statuses where they openly
discuss your shortcomings, but rest assured, only you
know you’re being talked about. They’re pretty fair
about anonymity.
Martyrs
These believe they have been wrongly judged but are
generous enough to let you win. They will give you
wistful, hurt smiles while congratulating you and if that
doesn’t serve you the biggest chunk of self-doubt for
your victory dinner, you don’t deserve the meal.
TEENARAMA
s
y
a
s ys
e
H e sa
Sh
Sometimes we have to make
compromises, tell a few lies, and
curb our own desires to make our
loved ones happy. But, when one
starts losing their integrity and
passion for all the wrong reasons,
couples fall apart. TMAG shows
you how important freedom is in a
relationship
The problem of letting go of
your passions
The problem of losing your
own personality
He says
He says
I have always wanted to study
engineering. After two years of
studying my favourite subject, I had
to shift to pharmacy because of my
girlfriend. She wanted us to stay
together in the same building as our
departments were in two separate
buildings. She threatened to
breakup with me and I am too weak
to let her go, so I ended up studying
a subject that I wasn’t good at.
She says
My mother is always in a hurry to
marry me off. Although I am only
19, she insists that I would lose
out on prospective husbands as I
grow older. As much as I hate it, I
am constantly forcing my boyfriend
to finish his undergrad, so I can
introduce him to my parents. I know
he loves me a lot but this pressure
to marry is really scarring our
togetherness.
My friends always told me I am too
sober and calm about everything.
It was hard to make me mad or
upset. But since I started dating my
girl, I am always ticked off about
everything. She has a very loud
personality, constantly screaming
and shouting at people around
her. I hadn’t realised how I too had
become like her.
She says
I always thought that the more
time I spend with my boyfriend, the
closer we’ll get. However, when I
hang out with my friends they keep
complaining about how my accent
and mannerisms are just like my
boyfriend. Even the way I think is
influenced by him, and that is just
taking away from my personality.
Hulk
They make no bones about who’s the “real” winner.
Threats going on abusive language and maybe a few
punches, they ooze “macho” in the most incorrect
manner possible. Steer clear of the chair they just
hurled your way!
1
I wore a top without a bra
and walked out of my house
like that.
2
With a tissue lodged up
my nostrils, I showed up
in front of my girlfriend’s
window only to notice that
her father was glaring at
me.
3
My hujur was chewing paan and teaching me
Arabic. He spat on me while pronouncing an
Arabic alphabet with emphasis. There was a
chunk of half chewed paan on my face.
Contester
They will smile sweetly and then go to the judges
asking exactly how and why their oh-so-perfect
piece of work stood second to yours. If your judge
is a volatile personality, have your arguments ready.
If the judgement is irreversible, chin up, give them a
sympathy hug and walk away.
Waterworks
They will cry- not the bawling kind of tears, but the
silent ones that make you feel guilty about a crime you
did not commit. They will usually not create problems
but don’t forget to throw some maltesers their way.
4
5
Blush
Much?
I stepped on what I thought was a ripe mango.
Turned out, it was a human turd.
I was at the mall and I bent down to pick up a
bottle of shampoo from one of the lower shelves
in the shampoo aisle. I heard a ripping sound,
and the next thing I know, the zipper on my
kameez ripped.
Email your confession today to tmag@dhakatribune.com
TM AG TU ESDAY, DEC EM B E R 1 7, 2013