LIFE AS IT IS

"So this is what they call snow-white," I told myself, standing by my apartment’s kitchen window. The foot-deep snow on our building's backyard covered everything underneath it - the walkways, roads and green grasses. The slanted roof of the apartment building across from ours doesn't look brown anymore - a thick layer of ice has given it a new look, a December look. The blue sky above doesn't look blue either - it looks snow-white! The cotton-like snow floating down from heavens above makes space for itself on whatever it sees below - cars, bicycles, trees, stone benches, fields, roofs of houses and bus stands... the list goes on. The trees that once displayed the splendour of green now stand frail. They lost their leaves in fall and now they are nothing but leafless branches and boughs. Branches that once hung leaves and fruits now hang nothing but ice, white and lifeless ice. With trunks under a white blanket, they crave warmer weather when new le...

Couldn't Garbage Galore just be the other name for Dhaka? This is a capital where rubbish piles up in every nook of major streets, lanes, front-yard of houses, schools, universities, parks, commercial buildings, industrial constructions, shopping malls, vegetable bazaars…where not? Today, we happily walk over the shell of an egg, or slip on a banana peel and we couldn't care less, so used are we to this lifestyle. This is not how modern hygiene-conscious people should live though, and a little effort on our part can surely change this scenario. Many of us dump the whole burden of waste management to the Head of the State. However, the garbage problem is our problem, more than theirs. We ought to keep in mind that our country's leaders have too many times in the past failed to realise their citizens' dreams, so it all comes down to the fact that it's eventually you and your family who remain victims of this poor trash handling. Take a look at your litter can. Is it a...

Does rain and romance have a strong connection? Perhaps so, because a drizzle does spark a passionate light of love in many human minds. It is often the lovers and poets who have a special fondness for rain. It is a common belief that those who love to watch rainwater splash on their windowpane, or like to get drenched during a downpour, or enjoy riding a rickshaw with the hood released, or listen to melodious numbers on a rainy day are people who understand ROMANCE better than the rest. The rain lovers can arrange for a perfect surprise treat for their loved ones, write beautiful letters (in these days, emails and SMS) or talk amorously hour after hour over the telephone. These are just beliefs though, but I guess every statement has some degree of truth in it. Only a few weeks back, this Dhaka city was inundated with a heavy shower and many of us remained protected in our own comfy homes, hardly stepping outdoors. During that dull period of one week, I talked to numerous peopl...

Derived from the Sanskrit word 'bindu', bindi means a drop. It signifies a mystic third eye. Although once associated with Hindu marriage tradition, today the bindi is a fashion accessory for girls and women of all ages, religions and backgrounds. A nicely draped sari is complemented with a stylish bindi worn between eyebrows. Today bindis are worn with salwar kameez and even jeans and fotua. These fashion accessories are widely available at the stores of Dhaka. Gausia is indeed a heaven for bindi lovers. Bindis of all colours, patterns and sizes grace the shelves of the shops of this busy market. Bindis are also available at Eastern Plaza, New Market, Rifles Square, Metro Shopping Mall, Karnaphuli Garden City and most other malls of the capital. The outlet of Priyo located at Fatema Arcade, Dhanmondi also has a wide collection of bindis. The bindis available at Dhaka come from India, and most of these are genuinely trendy. There was a time when bindi meant placing a dot on the...

KARMA, the boutique, was established at the heart of Bijoy Sarani (besides Rangs Bhaban) on May, 2002. After completing her BBA from New York, Sohana Rouf Chowdhury has taken up dress designing as her favorite pursuit besides a busy professional life. She has, in fact, inherited this store, earlier known as Visage, from her mother. Now under her management she intends to design clothes for a select group of people. This self-made designer has succeeded to prove her ingenuity in every dress that she has in her collection. This summer, she has emphasized on white, the coolest color to wear in this sticky season. She has experimented with hues like fuschia, turquoise and aubergine. Sohana Rouf loves to work on cotton materials. Tie-dye is her another favorite, which sells like hot cake. She stresses simple yet modish cuts and designs, which are simply eye-catching. She has a splendid collection of chic short kameezes and trousers. Her cotton collection aims at office-going women, who ...

It's pleasing to see that some large organizations in Bangladesh are trying to use their public exposure to promote social and environmental responsibility. Whereas most companies use advertisements to promote their products, and channel their profits into their own endeavors, a few are being unselfish. Have those large billboards ever caught your eye? I don't mean the ordinary ones, which promote electronics, housing projects, clothes, cigarettes, audio cassettes and every other possible product and service to appeal to consumers. The billboards I'm thinking of belong to an organization that is making known its name and logo in a total different way. These advertisements stand high over some of the major streets of Dhaka, on structures of steel and concrete, and on the bodies of over-bridges. Instead of highlighting the quality of their banking services, the billboards of Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd. carry messages that aim to create public awareness. These billboards ra...

Clothes were invented to cover and shield our bodies, and though this function holds true today, what we wear today plays a huge role in our lives, from impacting the way we look to reflecting on our personalities and more. At one time dresses prepared from simple printed materials made our girls and women quite content. However, today we want way more than just down-to-earth prints; we want customised outfits every day. The emergence of block prints, tie-dye and embroidery satisfied the females' most coveted dream to put on eye-grabbing outfits and appear attractive to others. Block prints, embroidery, hand paint, batik and intricate work of sequins now characterise the saris and salwar suits of our women. While many dress designers have their own workmen, others resort to the shops located on the third floor of Government New Market. If you are wondering why, then it's suggested that you do visit this place on a working day and see the crowd there. The entire third floor of N...

Today, we roll our eyes over gigantic buses and exclaim "WOW"! A pack of KitKat on the body of a bus gives a twist to our tummy, or a bottle of Kinley builds an overwhelming thirst inside our throats. Bangladesh has just entered the age of Transit advertising. Does the term sound unfamiliar to you? Well, then wait a while to learn a bit about it. Transit advertising is basically an urban advertising form that makes use of buses and taxis to carry messages. In recent times, Dhaka has perceived striking transit advertisements on public buses like BRTC double-deckers and Nirapad. In fact, these vehicles wrapped up all over in awe-inspiring ads are finally making our wait in a jigsaw of traffic jam a little entertaining. Some of the most beautiful transit advertisements are seen on the buses of Userix Nirapad Ltd., which include products like Kinley Mineral Water, Scan Cement, Nokia, electronic gadgets from Esquire Electronics Ltd., organizations like Grameen Phone, HSBC, Standar...

One usually realises the magic of his own land when he goes far away from it. I've been away from Bangladesh for one and a half months. I've just visited a country whose foreign policies are a matter of limitless discussion and debate all over the world. I think my readers have already guessed the name of the country I have just been to. No matter what U.S.A. did, does or will do in the upcoming years, it still remains and will most probably remain as the dreamland of millions of people. I was there with nineteen other students from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan to take part in the South Asian Undergraduate Student Leadership Institute 2005. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, this program is an effort to build better mutual understanding between the U.S.A and the South Asian region. Even though the whole program had been a very intensive one, we had our moments of fun and hours of entertainment. But amidst the picturesque rolling hills of Pennsylvania, the lively ...

Shall we call it over-dependence or necessity? Cell phones are ruling our lives. A day without the hand held phones is beyond our imagination just as a day without a watch, money or computer is. Over 15 million people around the country now worship this wireless device and many more millions will in the years to come. Nose-dive of the prices of handsets and SIM cards has encouraged more people to opt for cell phone connections to enjoy 24/7 communication with their friends and family. Our dependence on cell phones is increasing with time. The first thing that most of us probably do in the morning is check the time and the number of calls missed overnight. And we do these by turning on our favourite possession - our cellular phone. Our days begin with this revolutionary invention. And with the ticking of the clock its usage rate increases, which means that by noon you receive at least one call and a text message. Cell phone usage is at its highest during the peak hours. Our cell pho...

How can we dream of a better world when hundreds of people are dropping dead, falling mutilated and becoming homeless everyday in Gaza? What has happened to our dear earth? Has it survived millions of years only to see the collapse of the human race, the so-called ashraful makhlukat or, the best creature created? The images of the bloodbath on the world media only make me shudder, leave me paralyzed at times. My mind and body stay numb at the photos posted on the world wide web. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is taking the look of a catastrophe with hundreds dead, thousands wounded and maimed. An unfair war has been waged, a war where the opponent is too weak to combat. A friend of mine forwarded me an e- mail a day ago with gruesome images of dead and wounded Palestinians. My heart wept in silence for those small children who hung lifeless from the arms of their fathers and uncles. Their dangling hands bloody; their eyes shut; their faces innocent… What have these children done...

There are so many things to write about the new history that America has just written for itself and the world.  But the emotions are so overwhelming that it’s difficult to put all of them into written words. Some of these emotions are that profound... I am not an American citizen, yet I can feel the electricity that has swept the nation. I am lucky to have lived this historical moment when millions of Americans voted to make their first African-American President. It’s not a victory for America alone, but for people all over the world who believe in change and diversity. America has just proved that “impossible is nothing.” I have friends from different countries and backgrounds and I can see how deeply they are moved by this historical event. You don’t need to be an American to be hopeful about the future that lies ahead. You don’t need to be an American to celebrate this victory. I think it’s a victory for the mankind. The 2008 U.S. elections have taken us one...