staring at the world through the rearview

Dhaka Tribune
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 22
Hot Topic
staring at the
world through
the rearview
Written in the Stars
mahfuzur rahman tushar
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A weekly production of
DhakaTribune
Editor
Zafar Sobhan
Magazine Editor
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
TMAG Team
Sabiha Mahmud Sumi
Rubab Nayeem Khan
Munira Fidai
Natasha Rahman
Azfar Rahman
Saudia Afrin
Tahsin Momin
Contributors
Imtiaz Salim
Q Zulyadain Islam
Afshan Sattar
Graphics
Mohammed Mahbub Alam
Kazi Istela Imam
Production
Masum Billah
Advertising
Shahidan Khurshed
Circulation
Wahid Murad
Email: [email protected],
Website: www.dhakatribune.com
4 Look of the Week
Styling Spikes
8Written in the Stars
F1 Fantasies
More inside
GOSSIP
12 Dear Diary
12 Blush Much
PICKS OF THE WEEK
2 Room of the week Rifat Haider
3 Doodle of the week Ehsan Alam
10 Guitar tabs of the week
“Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls
YOUR WORLD
9Fiction The Battle
9 Comic book Chacha Chaudhary
9Book Goosebumps
5Car KITT car from Knight Rider
FASHION
4 Beauty check Flaunting your flutters
4 Wardrobe check Of shorts and tights
Real Life
3 Event Tweets
6 Hot topic
Staring at the world through the rear view
9Non-fiction Radio renaissance
TMAG SAYS
2 Funk up your room Elegant softness
2FYI Party it up 90s style
3 School Survival
And that’s how we rolled!
10Playlist That 90s playlist
10Instrument Metronome
10Music Eighth of the evil
11Toy 5 coolest toys from the 90s
11Game Super Mario Bros
11Gadget Sony Walkman
11TV Golden days of the silver screen
HOROSCOPES
5 Your forecast
Status of the week
When things heat, they expand, so I’m not fat, I’m hot
Quote of the week
About the cover
We’re looking back to a
life less complicated and
memories sweet.
Models
Baizid Haque Joarder
Shabrin Islam
Photographer
Syed Latif Hossain
I don’t have a wife, but there’s that girl who’ll lose her fuse if she hears me
saying that
Lingo of the week
Jardigan
Meaning A cross between a jacket and cardigan
10Spotlight
Childhood OST
Editor’s note
Dear Readers,
We’re not sure who’s voodooing
us, but somehow, in a span of
about three days, the entire TMAG
team has managed to come down
with a particularly nasty bout of flu.
Working through the coughing,
wheezing and aching bones, we
found ourselves longing for days
when life was simpler, and that’s
how this issue came to be.
Check out our retrospective
Hot Topic (Page 6&7), dance to our
best 90’s playlist (Page 10) and
relive your favourite TV memories
with our mini-reviews (Page 11).
We’re opening up our Fiction
column to aspiring writers
amongst our readers, so please
feel free to send in your postcard
fiction (250 words, UK English) to
[email protected]
Love from the TMAG desk
Usage I love your oxblood jardigan!
TM AG TU E SDAY, SE PTE MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
2
tmag
Your Life
Quamrul Abedin
TMAG’s
Room
of the
week!
Elegant
softness
Do you like floral or country
scenery pillows? Fighting
with friends or sleeping well,
everything is courtesy of
lovely squishy pillows. Apart
from boosting elegance
and smoothness, it also
creates a different identity
and expresses good taste.
Pillows are the simplest way
to capture the fashion of a
bygone era in your adorable
palace. TMAG comes up with
bunch of traditional ideas
which will definitely make
you wistful of early days
This is a room
that keeps
evolving with
the owner’s
tastes. There
is art in the
random
placement of
photos and
post-its on the
dresser walls
Name
Rifat Haider
Area
Baridhara DOHS
Funk up your room
Send in a picture of your room to [email protected]
and you may be crowned TMAG’s room of the week!
FYI
Party it up 90s style
Bored and awfully tired of the same parties with the delusions of grandeur, noisy music and tight
fitted clothes that don’t let you breathe? Prepare for the ultimate bash as TMAG reminisces the good
ol’ days of the 90s and shows you how to have a cray cray time with minimal stress
a hassle free meal.
Pleasing the stomach
When it comes to throwing a smashing
party, food is that one irksome section
that ends up having all the hoopla
around it. But this time, let’s not get a
headache over it. Forget the hassles of
making elaborate dishes at home and
setting it up on fancy plates. Let your
friends drool over Lays, Doritos and
crackers with melted cheese on top
and have them fight over the pizzas. For
desserts, grab colourful gummy bears
and a tub of ice cream. Get yourself
vibrant paper plates and cups and enjoy
TM AG TU ESDAY, SEPTE M B E R 1 7, 201 3
Dress to destress
Ladies, let your
heels be in the
closet. Strap on
your jelly shoes
and Spice Girls
pumps! Let your
frizzy hair hang
in layers. Dress
yourself in bright
coloured high
waisted jeans,
flannel tops. As
for the guys,
rummage through
your ancient pile of
clothes and scoop
out plaid shirts and
bigstock
coloured jeans.
This is one occasion you can wear your
baggy pants and band t-shirts and still
manage to not make a fashion faux pa.
Decking up the crib
Mini lava lamps, streamers and snow
spray were all the rage back in the 90s.
If you want it to be more obvious, more
power to you! Hang posters of Titanic,
The Mask, and Pretty Woman around
the house. Pick out a 90s classic TV
shows such as Small Wonder, Friends
on their first season. Dim the lights,
create space for the dancers to get their
groove and lose your minds with the
snow spraying. Pull out breezy rugs for
the veranda with cushions for the ones
who like chilling in the corner. Truth or
Dare and Chinese Whisper should earn
you ridiculously embarrassing moments
and a few laughs.
It’s playtime
Yoyos, Frisbees, Pokémon cards with
friends should be an uplifting interval
from the picture taking sessions that
become the reason people party. Set up
a competition and hand out a present to
the one who put on the ‘best 90’s outfit.’
Huddle around the PlayStation or the
Original Nintendo Gameboy and battle it
out playing Mortal Kombat, Streetfighter,
Need for Speed, and Super Mario Bros to
name a few.
Uncage the celebrity in you
Ditch your iPods’ latest trance and
techno music and let’s travel back to the
not-so-long-ago past and bring out the
pop stars! We are talking Spice Girls,
Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, Britney
Spears to name a few on top of the
heap. Hip Hop to the cheesiest dance
moves and indulge in some playful
karaoke singing to Spice Girls or N sync
with your friends! Bag the collection of
NOW cds which have the raging party
tracks from the 90s. Let’s get this party
started! Natasha Rahman
bigstock
Schemes
Start designing by keeping in mind
the upcoming season. Bring up the
new season with nature inspired
pillows. What about a village scene
theme with tree, butterflies, and
birds? Or welcome winter with
warmth and cosiness of wool and
combine it with other fabrics like
silk, taffeta or polyester. Dress them
up with beads or embroidery.
Patterns
To dramatise the theme, use pillows
in diverse pattern and shapes.
Different geometric patterns like
square or round can be employed.
Nowadays, numerous boutiques
have a bunch of these in their shops.
Know painting? Make something
unique by yourself and customise
the existing or new pillows by
painting your desired patterns on
them to match! Most of the vintage,
stitch based (nakshikatha) pillow
cover contains the mainstream
story of our rural life. Try this for
your room and discover the beauty
of roots. Pillow colours should be
synchronised with the wall to make
the whole effort worthwhile.
Where to buy
Many home decor shops have
different sections for pillows. For
wider diversity, you can head to
OTOBI, Aarong, or Jatra.
Saudia Afrin
tmag
Schoologistics
EVENT Tweets
School Survival
And that’s how
we rolled!
Fantasy Fest
9am, September 18
Venue Village Restaurant, Gulshan 1
Graduate Scholarship
Opportunities
Studying now, is just as boring as it was in the 90’s and
still as much of a pain! But what made the 90’s school
life more interesting were the games we used to play, in
comparison to today. Not every school had the luxury
of air conditioning in their classrooms but fighting for
a minute under the fans after a sweaty game under the
sun was well worth the pushes and shoves
Rescue
2 teams, one in the safe zone and the
other hovering close by. The team in
the safe zone had to be adventurous
and venture out for the other team to
catch. Essentially the team with the
least number of people caught, won.
However, no one really played for the
results. Regardless of who won, a fun
time full of fun, laughter and some
good, healthy running exercise was
guaranteed!
Bow Chee
One prisoner, one sentry and two
teams. The idea was that one team
was to guard the prisoner and the
other team was to try and free the
prisoner. The other team players
were to distract the sentry and the
prisoner. The team that is successful
in rescuing the prisoner fastest,
wins!
3
3pm, September 18
Venue American Centre
3rd Inter University Debate
Competition’13
September 19
Venue Jagannath University
Borof Pani
Borof pani literally means ice and
water. Again there are two teams,
one team tries to catch the other,
and once the catching team touches
a person from the other team, they
freeze. Their own team members then
try to unfreeze them.
Buriganga River Cleaning
Project 2
Kana Machi
Plain and simple, hide and seek. The
best pastime there is, it can be played
in house or outdoors.
The list can go on and on. Let’s just
say, life is more fun when you’re with
friends, getting dirty in the grime. Sweat,
mud, rain, let nothing deter you from
your simple joys of life. Yes, you will grow
up. But being mature means holding
on to stuff that makes you happy, not
denying yourself these blessings. So
here’s TMAG signing off, with the final
words- you are never too old, until you
let yourself be! Munira Fidai
Venue Russian Cultural Centre
8am, September 20
Venue Buriganga River
Tribute to the metal gods
(part 4) presented by Fusion
Events Solution
2pm, September 20
Earbleed presents “Eighth Of
The Evil”
9:30 am, September 20
Venue National Library Auditorium
Rocknation II the Winter
Garden
4pm, September 20
Venue Winter Garden,
Ruposhi Bangla
bigstock
TMAG’s
Doodle
of the
week!
EHSAN ALAM doodled this
during rehearsals of the
school annual play
If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag@dhakatribune.
com and see it in our weekly!
TM AG TU E SDAY, SE PTE MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
4 tmag
FASHION FACE-OFF
Beauty Check
Flaunting your Flutters
Getting the eyes right is a chore many shy away from. Steady hands, a will to experiment and a plan of action- all
ingredients for a properly done eye makeup. An era when eyes decided your entire look was the 90s. Read on for a kick ass
tutorial on 90’s eyes that you can get right in 10 minutes
Step 1
If you have shadows under your eyes,
the first thing for you to do is conceal
them. Your eye makeup will only look
vivid if your natural unwanted colours
are out of the way first.
Step 2
Start with a shadow. The 90s were
heavy with gold and silver so let’s say,
you start by applying a copper coloured
shadow to the lid of your eyes. Make
sure you only outline the bottom half
of your top eyelid. Use a pointed brush
to wing it.
Step 3
bigstock
Look of the Week
Wardrobe Check
Of Shorts
and Tights
Loose and flowy are a thing of the 2000s. If you’re taking a trip
down memory lane, it’s gotta be the other way. Bad news for
the plump ones? Not necessarily! A well fitted kameez will have
you looking effortlessly slim and shiny in no time! 90s was all
about beauty and glamour. Here’s TMAG giving you a delish
sliver of that past
The kameez
Three quarter sleeves became all the
rage in this time. Since they still are
quite fashionable, you could experiment
with the sleeves by slitting in the middle,
making them bell shaped, making
origami patterns on the sides and a
range of other things! Experiment all you
like- in the 90s, uniqueness was most
admired.
The thing to keep in mind for a 90s
style kameez is the length and the fit. Its
best to keep the long and flowy for now
and bring out the 90s by going tighter
and shorter. Keep in mind your body
shape in order to make the best fit. No
point going tight, tight, tight if you know
TM AG TU ESDAY, SEPTE M B E R 1 7, 201 3
Now use a darker colour to blend
with your initial copper but only on
the winged part. This will show off the
wing more clearly. Make sure you are
not messy here as that could make you
TOUSLED
TRENDS
Wax it, gel it, or just
wet your fingers
and style it. The
contemporary spiky
haircut is on so
versatile
you need to shed off those extra pounds.
The length was another thing that was
experimented with. Gutsier gals went
over the top and made it as short as a
t-shirt. For y’all, we say, cover your booty
and keep it stylish.
The Shalwar
There IS no shalwar! What there is, is
churidaars! There are tights which are
purposely made long so that they can be
scrunched around the bottom, making the
bottom look like “churi”, giving it its name.
Dupatta
Have a light, plain coloured chiffon
dupatta which ends where your kameez
ends. Long dupattas were
yet to come out, but for then,
all the fashionistas were
rocking the short dupatta
look! You could also wrap it
once around the neck like a
scarf. Add a pair of round
sunglasses and you’re good
to go! Munira Fidai
Model Sun
Photographer
Homayra Adiba
look like someone punched you in the
eye, especially with such colours.
Step 4
Now use a gold shimmer on the top
half of your lid and blend well to give
out a shaded look. With your finger,
take some white or off white shadow
and smooth it just below your brow to
finish the shadow look.
Step 5
Use a sharpened kohl pencil to outline
the lower lid of your eye from the
inside and a little bit on the outside.
This emphasises your eyes more than
anything else. Use a smudge free kohl
pencil for obvious reasons. Finally, use
a felt tip or brush liner to wing the lid
with. Don’t forget to connect the top
lines with the kohl pencil at the bottom
to finish the look. Munira Fidai
tmag 5
Street
FFPB
Fantasy Football Players
of Bangladesh
Arsenal fan Z Mahmud Mission was
the highest scorer in the month of
August in Monsoonletters.com FFPB
Fantasy League. The feat not only
earned him respect in the eyes of
fellow fantasy managers, but he will
also be taking home a jersey courtesy
of Sports Pavilion – BD and a gold
coin come the end of the season prize
giving ceremony.
After his win, he was asked a few
questions by Dhaka Tribune.
HOROSCOPE
Dhaka Tribune (DT) How long have you
been playing Fantasy Premier League?
members’ suggestions helped me
create a balanced team.
Z Mahmud Mission (ZMM) This is
just my second year.
DT Which decisions were the key?
DT When did you join FFPB? Did the
group play any part behind your success?
ZMM I started playing in the FFPB league
last year. Of course this group played
a vital role in my success. The other
ZMM I think picking the captain
is the most important part. If
the captain clicks, points come
your way easily. In GW3, I chose
Giroud as my captain. And all my
four defenders kept clean sheets,
which I think made the difference.
Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19)
This is a good time to get
your act together. Things
might fall apart if people start
doubting your competence.
Taurus (Apr 20-May
20) If someone isn’t
willing to go the distance
to make you happy, don’t wait for
them. Want it? Go, get it!
Gemini (May 21-Jun20)
The code to join FFPB’s Classic league is 975-707
Car Talk
Living, Breathing Automobile
Haven’t you always dreamt of owning a car you could converse with? Yes, we
know a lot of car guys talk fondly and sometimes not-so-fondly with their
vehicles, but wouldn’t it be cool if they could actually reply? Even better, what
if they could step in and help out in times of trouble?
Well, KITT, the Knight Industries Two
Thousand was capable of doing precisely
that. Its owner, Michael Knight (David
Hasselhoff) simply had to summon
it, and the vehicle would steam to his
rescue. Now that’s pretty cool, eh?
Love it or hate it (and there are a
number of people on both sides of that
argument), Knight Rider was a huge hit
with TV viewers in the 80s. We sort of
remain on both sides of the fence, on the
merit of the show. Yes, often the storyline
limped along like Long John Silver, and
whoever told Mr Hasselhoff he could
act was almost certainly living in La-La
land, yet, you still tuned in to the show
each week because it was simply fun to
watch!
Of course, the black 1982 Pontiac
Trans Am was the true star of the show.
With that pulsating red strobe light
buried in its hood, it wasn’t difficult to
buy into the idea that this was a living,
breathing automobile. We also enjoyed
the stunt driving, although it never quite
reached the standards of Hollywood,
unless we’re talking of Disney.
The show survived from 1982 till 1986
but towards the end, it was getting rather
long in the tooth. Since then, there have
been several attempts to reinvent it.
You could complain
about things not going
your way, or you could go out
there and make them happen; the
ball is in your court.
Cancer (Jun 21-Jul 22)
If your demands aren’t
met anytime this week,
don’t sulk and pout. Try earning
things on your own, instead of
twisting peoples’ arms.
Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22)
Being the centre of
attention suddenly brings
out your conceited side. Better
curb these changes, before they
become a habitw.
Virgo (Aug 23- Sep
22) Don’t impose your
opinion on others; they
have a voice too. Let them be
heard for a change. Sit back and
take a few pointers.
Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22)
You are on the right track
this week. Friends and
loved ones will see you as the goto guy in times of crisis. Deliver
your wisdom.
Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov
Don’t doubt your
efforts if you don’t get
quick results. It’ll just help you get
better and better. Why question
that?
21)
Sagittarius (Nov
If you make a
booboo, go out there and
take responsibility. Sulking and
pouting in your little corner won’t
make things any better.
22-Dec 21)
In 2008, NBC launched a made for TV
movie and tried to follow this up with
another television series. By this time, a
Ford Mustang had replaced the famous
Trans Am. Unfortunately; the show only
lasted a few short months. However,
there was no doubt the car’s ability. The
car could fly, transform and even be your
side-kick, whenever needed. It had all
the tricks up its sleeves. Trans Am or the
Mustang, they both had the exact similar
abilities and were equally up to the task.
Hasselhoff went onto bigger and well,
better things. He became famous as the
guy who hung around with those bikiniclad beauties on Baywatch, and most
recently became a judge on a popular
TV talent show.
What we really would like to know
however is, whatever happened to KITT?
After working with the Hoffmeister for
years, did he simply drive himself into
the nearest car-crusher at the end of the
series out of pure embarrassment, or is
he still out there somewhere, waiting for
someone like us to call his name?
Tahsin Momin
Capricorn (Dec 22Jan19) It’s a good time
to ask for help, especially
if you had have lent people
a shoulder or an ear, or even
something of value in the past.
Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb
Don’t wait for people
to plan for something big.
Go out there and do it; you’ll be
glad that you thought of it, while
others were peeling potatoes.
18)
Pisces (Feb 19-Mar20)
Taking risks is your thing;
however, quick solutions
aren’t meant for grave issues.
Think things through.
TM AG TU E SDAY, SE PTE MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
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tmag
HOT TOPIC
Staring at
the world
through the
rearview
Maybe it’s because
we were all down
with the flu this
week, but TMAG
was feeling
sentimental.
Jump on board the
nostalgia train and
ride down memory
lane with us
The pursuit of happinessThen and Now
Rising technology has made us
home bound; so much so that we
refuse to move an inch because it
will disrupt a level we are finishing
in Call of Duty. Need to check
up on a friend?Just leave ‘em a
message on Whatsapp. We live in
a time where hanging out means,
going out for lunch or dinner. Today
everything has been cut short,
because we have new definitions
for entertainment.
Before the era of Facebook,
Whatsapp, and XBOX 360, existed a
time like no other: The 90s. Friday
evening carom, flying kites with
friends and family, bursting out in
giggles while playing “borof pani”,
the joys of playing hide and seek;
finding a cousin hiding underneath
a comforter on the clothes line,
badminton with the neighbours’
kids, and of course, hop scotch.
models
baizid haque joarder
shabrin islam
photographer
syed latif hossain
People 101
In an age where leaps in
technological advancement are
almost a mundane affair that
affects the ones born and brought
up in this generation is quite an
interesting topic.
There was a time when it was
difficult to be in touch with friends
and family living abroad because
of the expensive phone calls, and a
lack of good network infrastructure.
But with the aid of modern
technology, talking to someone in a
different continent is now just a tap
away on your Smartphone, thanks
to the improvement of Internet
services. However, growing up
with so many “social services” on
gadgets has really started taking
out the socialness out of a person’s
personalities nowadays. People
are so immersed with Smartphone
apps nowadays, they forget that
TM AG TU ESDAY, SEPTE M B E R 1 7, 201 3
there’s a world full of people
around them for literal face-toface conversations. Since when did
talking become synonymous with
virtual chat messages? Apart from
that, “games” now mean playing
a game on a console device than
actually physically going out and
playing something. Then there’s the
whole “upload food photo on social
media sites rather than eat first”
issue too. What’s up with that?
Maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration
but it seems like the more we
progress with tech and gadgets,
the more we turn into fake plastic
drones. The tech benefits are
supposed to help us move forward.
Seems like the more we move
forward, the more we lose our
“people skills”.
Azfar Rahman
Back then, reaching out to
friends, family and people in your
neighbourhood would get you all of
that free of cost, guaranteeing you a
smile at the end of the day.
The 90s were a time of magic,
particularly because you had
to make an extra effort to get
something simple and it didn’t
cost an arm and a leg. All of those
activities brought people together,
and that was the best part about
that time. Long story short, the 90s
were timeless and if you’re a 90s
kid, you would totally get our drift. A
walk down the memory lane could
help you recreate your own version
of the 90s. Include friends and
family while you are at it, the more
the merrier!
Rubab Nayeem Khan
tmag
HOT TOPIC
7
Life on the
cell
We proudly claim to be free birds. But
with the curse of the cell phone, how
free are we? It’s either “work” calling,
or mom’s blasting the phone about your
whereabouts. Gone are the days when
one could step outside of the house,
play a long overdrawn cricket match and
return home without having to pick up
a zillion pester-calls. An overseas phone
call used to be so precious that one
would run to the phone, and strain their
ears to hear their partner say “I love you.”
With that one vintage telephone at home,
one would wait patiently for the elders
to be out of sight, before they could
sneak in a five minute conversation with
their significant other and squeeze in
every detail of the day- hurried hushed
whispers proclaiming love to each other
in a blessed few moments. A date would
mean discussing your entire last week,
awkward smiles, and holding handspure and magical. Excesses are always
taxing, even excess of love. Nowadays,
couples constantly on the phone run
out of things to say to each other, but
still insist on staying on the phone
while eating, sleeping, taking a shower,
fighting (which is mostly always) while
the cursed cell phone awkwardly dangles
in your ears. Smelling freedom, still?
Growing
up
The sidewalks ran
away
From the streets we
once knew,
From badminton in
the by-lanes
With neighbours
and friends.
Now the boy next
door
Is just an
apartment number
Or a face in the
elevator, asking
'Which floor?'
Natasha Rahman
The
timeline
of music
devices
With the evolution of technology,
life is now all about portability.
Whether you’re using your phone
for sending important business
mails or controlling your PC
remotely, it’s impossible not to
imagine life without such portable
services. As technology furthers,
gadgets are becoming smaller day
by day and portability is a “touch”
away. One look at the timeline of
musical devices is the best way to
explain how much these gadgets
have changed over the years and
how they ended up being such
vital needs in our everyday lives
now.
The very first musical device, the
Transistor Radio was invented
in 1954, and was the first ever
gadget that could playback audio
media using radio streams, and
needed two sets of batteries to
run it. Fast-forwarding to the late
70’s, the first portable cassette
player was the very proper
definition of portable music
device in its truest meaning. This
device not only brought about a
revolution in terms of portability,
it also helped the music industry
by furthering their reach to their
listeners as well. And after CDs
came into popular use, came the
Sony Diskman, leading onto even
more compactness with media
devices that started using MP3
files eventually.
From there, we now have iPods,
Zune and so many other media
devices nowadays. Technology’s
helped increase the use of
portability services so much now
that not only is it a built in feature
in pretty much every cell phone
now, it’s an everyday part of our
lives that we probably can’t go
back and do without.
www.technabob.com
www.timetoast.com
Azfar Rahman
Education before tuition
We go to school, come home, take a nap
and then wake up and study. Then we
play with friends and go off to sleep. Uhoh! Mind got stuck into the 90’s again!
The new drill is, we go to school, have
a sandwich in the car, go to 5 different
tuitions, come home exhausted enough
to die, study some more with dad and
then crash on the bed, only to wake up,
what seems like minutes later, for yet
another gruelling day!
Educational life for the young ‘uns these
days is busier than their dads. Where
back in the 90s childhood was a breeze,
it is now a whirlwind of tuitions and a
race against the unending competition
they face. Playtime and naptime is a thing
of the awesome 90s that we reminisce
fondly about. TMAG says, cut yourselves
some slack, kiddos! School’s as much a
place for fun as it is for education. After
all, there’s only one childhood you get!
The playground
where we used to
play
The creaky swing
set that flew
Us to the moon and
back again
Abandoned us to
the mercy of the
shiny mall
Banks and
boutiques reaching
for the sky
And a food court
snuggling with a
DVD store.
Another calendar
gets thrown away
"out with the old, in
with the new!"
More resolutions
formed to be
broken,
Numbers to store
on the flashy PDA
For conversations
that never take
place.
And we close
another door
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
Munira Fidai
TM AG TU E SDAY, SE PTE MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
8 tmag
written in the Stars
Living the Dream
Photos: courtesy
Mahfuzur Rahman
Tushar, 24, is the
first Bangladeshi
to take part in a
Formula Series racing
competition. Much
is not made of the
fact that Mahfuzur
Rahman Tushar is the
Bangladesh’s very first
envoy in Formula Four,
but if his provenance
is studied, it is perhaps
surprising that
Bangladesh has not
yielded a racing star
before now. Tahsin
Momin brings you an
up close and personal
insight on Tushar
Born and raised in Dhaka, Tushar’s love
affair with cars and speed started at an
early age. During the 2002 Grand Prix
season at Silverstone, the legendary
Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher
became the champion of British Grand
Prix by beating his other Ferrari teammates, Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo
Montoya, motivating Tushar to participate
in the formula series racing. Tushar’s first
TM AG TU ESDAY, SEPTE M B E R 1 7, 201 3
impression of driving came when he was
only 13 years old, where he was asked by
his father to park their car safely near his
grandfather’s residence in Gazipur. He is a
natural when it comes to driving. He learnt
to manipulate the vehicle by seeing how
his driver manoeuvred it earlier.
Being the son of a pious Muslim, Tushar
spent about nine years of his childhood
studying at a city madrassah, from where
he completed his Dakhil (SSC equivalent)
in 2006. “Though I had spent years abiding
by the strict rules of madrassah, I managed
to find ways to stay in close touch with cars
and the racing world,” Tushar said while
narrating his experience. He later joined
Dhaka Polytechnic Institute to obtain a
Diploma in Automobile Engineering. He
completed his graduation in 2011.
His pursuit for Formula Series racing
began in 2007, when he came back from
the World Cyber Games Championship
empty handed. That is when he took a vow
to become a Racing Legend. He went to
the Google search engine and searched for
“Formula series racing near Bangladesh.”
Much to his delight there was a racing
track situated in the provinces of Tamil
Nadu. He jumped on the case and set off
for India. His happiness was short-lived
when he figured out that the race track
has been re-located to a new spot. Tushar
didn’t give up just yet.
Perhaps close proximity to the inner
demands and an attraction as pervasive
as motor racing, was what kept Tushar
going. He participated in monthly Go-Kart
racing, at Fantasy Kingdom near Ashulia.
In 2010, he became the second runner
up for the competition and that was only
the beginning. In 2011, he became the
“Speed Racing Go-Kart Track Master”
champion. Tushar stood first amongst
300 other participants from throughout
the country. Fuelled by his recent victory,
Tushar decided to look for another shot at
his dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver.
He repeated the same search process in
Google. The results returned with “16 JK
Tyre National Formula racing in India by
FMSCI.” This led Tushar to the FMSCI
website.
Like many other young talents,
Tushar had to overcome obstacles in his
journey. 2012 was a year of calling for
him, he obtained the necessary training
and passed the qualifying round held in
Chennai for the Formula 4 competition
but due to a shortage of funds, he could
not participate in the expensive racing
event the same year. His affection for
motor racing faced a massive blow to the
face yet again. Nevertheless, this did not
discourage Tushar from trying harder and
drivers aiming for the upper tiers like F2
and F3 to gain experience.
Initially organised in England, it is now
being held in a few countries including
India, Malaysia and Singapore. It is an
introductory stage for Formula 1, the
most expensive motor racing event. Only
a handful of qualified racers from F4 can
participate in F3 and following the same
line of action, one can step up to enter
F2. Only the top three winners of an F2
competition are eligible to take part in F1.
This Bangladeshi racer is determined
to bring glory to his country through
participating in the upcoming events. He
hopes to make it to the prestigious Formula
making it happen for himself.
2013 became the year when everything
for Tushar changed. A local company
stepped forward to sponsor him. Tushar
flew to India to attend the Formula 4
competition titled 17th JK Tyre FMSCI
Racing
Championship-2013,
which
took place at the Kari Motor Speedway,
Chennai, from July 19-21. Tushar competed
against 23 racers and represented Madras
Motor Sports Club. He finished in the 11th
position.
Formula 4 is a platform which helps
1 championship within the next five to six
years. Subsequently, he wants to establish
a motor racing association in Bangladesh,
which would come in handy for training
aspirant racers. He anticipates that with
time, the government and other private
organisations will also become interested
in holding motor racing competitions in
Bangladesh. “Narain Karthikeyan is the
first Indian F1 racer and the main reason
behind F1 taking place in India. I wish to
see the same happen in my country soon,”
says Tushar keeping his fingers crossed.
tmag 9
fiction
comic Book
YOU WRITE IT
book
Old is the new smart
Chacha Chaudhary is a popular Indian
comic book character, created by
cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma. The
comic is available in ten languages
including Hindi, Bengali and English
and has sold almost ten million copies.
Chacha Chaudhary has also been made
into a television series.
Created in 1971 and quite popular all
the way into the 90’s, this entertaining
character is about an old and very
witty man, who’s “mind works faster
than the computer”. Chacha Chaudhary
is a middle class Indian, frail but an
extremely intelligent old man. The word
chacha means paternal uncle in Hindi,
while Chaudhary is a term used for big
landlords or the most honourable, elderly
or respectable person in small villages or
towns in India, for various communities.
Chacha Chaudhary’s attire includes
his red turban, a wooden stick, a
waistcoat with a double inside pocket,
and a pocket watch. His household
consists of his wife Bini (Chachi), a
faithful street dog called Rocket and a
giant called Sabu. Chacha Chaudhary
relishes eating watermelon, and takes
off for a walk with Sabu and Rocket,
whenever Chachi nags him.
Everybody in town knows that
whenever Chacha Chaudhary goes
out with his family, he never locks the
door of his house; but nobody has
been successful in robbing his house.
Sometimes his head or nose itches
when any trouble is about to take place.
The fun-filled and adventurous tales
in the Chacha Chaudhary comics are
entertaining and they inspire the kids
to use their intelligence to solve various
problems of daily life.
Tahsin Momin
The Battle
Darth Vader raised his light sabre
high over his head to deliver the death
blow. His breathing was laboured
now, his small chest heaving from the
long battle.
“You are finished!”
He-man still had a couple of tricks
up his sleeve. He parried with his
Power Sword, grunting and straining
with all the strength in his chubby
arms.
“By the Power of....”
The rest of his declaration was
lost in a pained grunt as the Hulk
appeared from nowhere and crashed
into the both of them. The force of the
landing left them all breathless.
“Hey! No fair!”
“Owww, my knee hurts!”
“You broke my sword, stupid!”
Up in her tower, Rapunzel had
finally finished braiding her hair with
flowers. The long braid hung neatly
over the windowsill. She peeked out and
saw the boys were still at it, punching,
kicking, raining blows on one another,
their swords lying forgotten on the
ground. She sighed in resignation. There
clearly wouldn’t be a rescue happening
anytime soon. She climbed out on her
own, grabbed two of the offenders by
their ears and gave
the third a gentle
kick with her bare
foot.
“Play nice, boys,
or I’ll tell Maa and then
there’ll be no ice-cream
after dinner.”
With that, she went back to her
pillow fort to re-read her dog-eared copy
of the Hunger Games. United against
this new common enemy, her three little
brothers began to plot revenge.
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
nonFiction
bigstock
Radio Renaissance
bigstock
With all the jams on its streets, Dhaka is
a great city for radio stations. What better
way to while away the wait between the
red and the green by listening to the
patter of your favourite RJ and the invited
guest, interspersed by new and exciting
music? These days, we also have an array
of stations to pick and choose from.
It might be strange to think about it, but
even a couple of decades ago, with the
advent of cable television, the future of
radio seemed a bleak one at best. The
random stuff on Bangladesh Betar - and
if you could tune it just right, BBC radio
- were no match for the shiny offerings
from the Star TV network (before the
soaps and serials ruined it).
And then at the very end of the 90s, a
private station called Radio Metrowave
came up with what was then a
A Cold Shiver
Running Down
Your Spine
radical notion - infotainment aimed at
commuters. With a bunch of popular
shows like Ganer Pakhi, Metro Hits,
Global Rhythm, and Rockwave to name a
few, it took the city by storm. Introducing
request shows, traffic updates and more,
it completely revolutionised the idea of
radio in Bangladesh.
Metrowave had a very brief run, shutting
down in 2005, but it was just long enough
and loved enough to set wheels in
motion. Radio Today picked up the baton,
followed closely by the highly anticipated
Radio Foorti, creating a boom.
Today, we have some 9-10 stations,
each with its own USP, with young
and happening RJ’s and exciting
programmes. Jams have never sounded
better. Special thanks to Arifeen
Mahmood Khan Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
You know your childhood was
awesome if the word “Goosebumps”
does not just mean the tiny bumps
on your arm.
R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps was
a series of children’s horror fiction
stories, which, according to TMAG,
always pulled the chillingly right
strings.
Even though it is a series aimed
at readers aged eight and above,
Goosebumps stories can be enjoyed
by anyone of any age group. There is
a particular charm about the horror
and supernaturalism that’s unique to
the Goosebumps series. Each book
has it’s own story line with children
protagonists, where some stories
were meant to be sequels to others.
There were 62 stories published in
chronological order.
Welcome to the Dead House was
the beginning of it all. A bit darker
and creepier than the other stories
in the series, this one tells the tale of
two siblings, Amanda and Josh. Their
family moves to a new town called
Dark Falls, where strange things
happen. It is a lifeless place, dead
in more ways than one. Stine, in this
book, along with his others, does an
incredible job creating the frightening
setting that will (because it must be
said) leave you with goose bumps.
If you’ve never hopped onto the
Goosebumps wagon, “Welcome to
the Dead House” should be the start
of your ride. And with Stine’s cliffhangers and shocking endings, you’ll
find yourself holding another book
of the series before you can finish
saying “that was awesome!”
Other recommendations are The
Curse of Camp Cold Lake and Thirdly
Ghost Beach.
Goosebumps are available in most
bookstores including Words and
Pages, Boi Bichitra branches around
Dhaka and bookstores in Nilkhet.
They are also likely to be stocked up
in most school libraries.
Afshan Sattar
TM AG TU E SDAY, SE PTE MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
10 tmag
stereo
This week’s best
Guitar Tabs
Artist Goo Goo Dolls
Song Iris
Tuning Standard
Instrument
So, this time we thought we would review
something different. Something every
musician needs. As far as we know,
every musician needs a metronome. A
metronome is a device that gives you a
specific time, usually in “Beats per Minute”
or as drummers would like to call it “bpm”.
The metronome is a wonderful tool
that every musician should have in order
to find the quarter notes for the tunes
they make or play.
There are various kinds of metronomes.
Some metronomes provide a synchronised
visual motion that allows musicians
to follow the pace of the movement.
Metronomes dates back to the 19th
century where it was patented by Johann
Maelzel in 1815 as a tool for musicians.
Metronomes are usually used by
drummers to give a steady tempo, or
to work on issues as irregular time
VERSE
D
Em
G
And I’d give up forever to touch you
Bm
A
G
‘Cause I know that you feel me somehow
D
Em
G
You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be
Bm
A
G
And I don’t want to go home right now
VERSE
D
Em
G
And all I can taste is this moment
Bm
A
And all I can breathe is your life
D
Em
G
And sooner or later it’s over
Bm
A
G
I just don’t want to miss you tonight
G
CHORUS
Bm
A
G
And I don’t want the world to see me
Bm
A
G
‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand
Bm
A
G
When everything’s made to be broken
Bm
A
G
I just want you to know who I am
TOP
10
1
2 It’s gonna be me
N’sync
3No Scrubs
TLC
4Boombastic
Shaggy
5
Say a little prayer
Diana King
6
Where do you go
No Mercy
7Missing
Everything but the girl
8
Music news
That 90’s
playlist
I want it that way
Backstreet Boys
Baby one more time
Britney Spears
9 Smells like teen spirit
Nirvana
10 Fantasy
Mariah Carey
TM AG TU ESDAY, SEPTE M B E R 1 7, 201 3
Keeping the Beat!
signatures. Bands like Dream Theatre or
Porcupine Tree have extra-ordinary time
signatures in their music, and both Mike
Portnoy and Chris Maitland have relied on
their skill and the metronome to execute
these beat timings on their drum.
Some people have also criticised the
use of metronome by musicians as some
suggest that the use of metronome is
wrong. Regardless, almost all musicians
have used the metronome both in studio
recordings and live concerts. Drummers
usually refer to concert metronomes as
“click track”.
The metronome device can come in
both basic and digital form. You can get
one in an instrument shop in Dhaka for
Tk1500-2500. Depending on the price
you can also get more options with the
metronome device.
Q Zulyadain Islam
Eighth of the Evil
All you music lovers out there, this is
a shout out from TMAG concerning a
mega concert to be held in Dhaka on
September 20. The name of the event is
“Eighth of the Evil”, presented by Earbleed
and the most favourite underground
bands that are due to perform in the gig
are Warhound, Thrash, Dissector, Exalter,
Road 4. Seventh Ray and many others.
The event takes place in the National
Library Auditorium, Agargaon, Dhaka at
12pm. The ticket prices are Tk150 per
head and for further details, please visit
the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/
events/580444408640244
Well folks, it looks like this is going
to be one awesome event for all our
underground fans! How many of you are
we going to be seeing there?
their musical styles. Ayub Bachchu loves
being busy with creating unique tones for
the band in his AB Kitchen.
Having few changes in the band
line-up, LRB still rules the band music
movement of Bangladesh with the
power of full time LIVE playing in the
concerts. They are the first inspirations
for all the newcomer band musicians.
The current line-up contains Ayub
Bachchu for vocals, and guitar, Masud
for guitar and back-up vocals, Swapan
for bass, and Romel for drums. Besides
playing own tracks in the concert, they
also do various covers of international
bands. LRB performed in more than a
thousand gigs in the home and abroad.
Their first show outside the country
was held in India in 1997 at Jadavpur
University. At the same time,Ayub
Bachchu was invited as a judge at the
rock fest held in M Joka. In 1998, LRB
went for their first international tour in
USA and played at 7 states. Qatar, Abu
Dhabi, Japan, Germany, Austria (Vienna),
Italy all these are countries where the
band has performed. In the year 2000,
they went for their second tour of USA. In
Europe, the band played its first show in
Austria in the year 2002. They have also
played in United Kingdom and Australia.
LRB is the only Bangla rock band which
has played their music in the famous
Madison Square Garden.
LRB released their 11th studio album
in the last year titled ‘Juddho’. Currently
they have re-made their most popular 10
tracks in collaboration with Robi (a cellular
operator service). Robi subscribers have
the opportunity to know the background
stories, situations and memories of these
songs through their value added service
“Robi Radio.” Ayub Bachchu is very
hopeful for this project. Now it’s time to
wait for the further release of those 90’s
master pieces. Till then, keep listening to
LRB and relive the crazy moments of their
gigs. Imtiaz Salim
Imtiaz Salim
Spotlight
LRB Mania
It would be a shocking matter if any
Bengali says they have never heard
about the band LRB! L.R.B. – the term
abbreviating the words ‘Love Runs
Blood’, is one of the major musical
bands in Bangladesh. Ayub Bachchu,
one of the pioneers in the band
movement of Bangladesh, initiated the
band in 1991.Tutul, Joy and Swapan
joined the band at the same time.
After forming the line-up, LRB
started their journey with enthusiasm
to attain perfection in making quality
music. They are playing in various
local and international gigs since their
formation. Fulfilling the challenge of
creating a revolution in band music
history, LRB have proudly revealed
11 significant studio albums along
with 7 mixed compilations. LRB 1&2,
Shukh, Ghumanto Shahore, Swapna,
Mon Chaile Mon Pabe, Mone Achhe
Naki Naiare the most famous studio
albums of this legendary musical
group. Structuring varieties in their
compositions, LRB has fabricated
many rock, blues, heavy metal and
psychedelic rock with the variations in
tmag 11
playroom
WE RECOMMEND
gadget
Enjoy up to 33 station pre-sets, up to
35 hours of battery life and Mega Bass
sound with this slim and attractive silver
Walkman digital radio and cassette
player. You will also hear instant weather
updates with the handy Weather Band,
perfect for storms and other inclement
weather situations. The LCD indicates
battery level and the Automatic Volume
Limiter adjusts sound so that volume
remains constant over a variety of music
passages.
It is slim enough to fit in a shirt
pocket. Controls are all in-line for easy
use, provides hours of listening and
tv
Walking retro
makes the radio compact and inexpensive
to use.1 “AA” battery allows up to 35 hours
of playback, extending beyond previous
limits. It automatically adjusts music
passages that vary widely, for improved
listener comfort and clear sound and lets
you conveniently “wear” your Walkman
unit while walking or during other
activities. It provides the most accurate
drift-free tuning of digital synthesized AM
and FM stereo radio stations and visible
indication of battery power. It indicates
radio station frequency, preset status and
cassette operation and lets you listen upto-the-minute weather from your local
Weather
B a n d
broadcasts.
At the press
of a button,
the
auto
scan feature
plays a few
seconds
of each memorised radio station, in
sequence, to help you select stations for
listening and set them into memory. It
produces deep, rich bass tones for more
pleasing overall sound.
Nintendo won gazillion hearts back in
the day when they created Mario Bros.
This game doesn’t require introduction;
however, we’ll walk you down memory
lane just for old times’ sake. Plumbers,
by profession, both Mario and Luigi,
come across strange creatures in the
sewers of New York. With running and
jumping being the only movements,
you have to defeat all the creatures
by stomping on them. Look out for the
shell-creepers, these are the ones that
look like turtles, the side-steppers (the
crabs) and let’s not forget the fighter
flies. Defeating these bozos isn’t that
tricky at all, you just have to flip ‘em
over and kick. The players can gain
points repeatedly by defeating multiple
enemies and by playing the bonus
stages. The stages are designed like
sewers, with platforms made out of
pipes and a block in the background
that say’s “POW”, when a player hits this
block, it flips the enemies from touching
the platforms. However, it starts raining
on your parade when the “POW” block
disappears after you have used it thrice.
This is a classic and is as addictive as
the games we have today. If you want to
rehash your childhood by playing Mario
Bros, this is what you do: Go to video
game emulator sites, such as Cool roms.
com or ZNES, and search for the game.
These system emulators will check if
the game is compatible with your PC.
Happiness is just a few clicks away!
Tahsin Momin
Game
Brothers
Italiano!
toy
Pogs are small cardboard discs with
some type of printing, artwork or
picture on one side. These discs were
collected individually or as a grouping
to create one’s own personal stash.
Besides building their own stash of
Pogs, every child wanted to own the
coolest Slammers, a larger and heavier
disc made of plastic and used in game
play.
2. Super Soaker
The Super Soaker is a line of water
blasters that are produced by Hasbro.
Initially invented in 1982 as the Power
Drencher, it had a series of setbacks
4. Power Rangers
in manufacturing and later reappeared as
the Super Soaker in 1990. It was different
enough, powerful enough and cool
enough to become the standard for all
future water guns.
P o w e r
Rangers are
a group of
teenagers,
specially
chosen
to
defend
the
earth against
evil forces. The teenagers were able to
morph into Power Rangers and exhibit
superhero powers. Power Rangers were
the best selling action figures of the 90’s.
3. Game Boy
5. Tamagotchi
The original Game
Boy was introduced
by Nintendo Co. Ltd.
in 1991. It holds the
distinction of being the
most successful video
game system in history.
Game Boy has grown
over the years since its
debut. In 1996, the Game Boy Pocket was
released with a higher quality screen and
smaller size.
Some of the coolest memories
while growing up, are from the
shows we watch. This week, we
look back at four shows that
defined the childhood of many a
Millennial.
The Crystal Maze
This was the game show before
game shows sold out. Hosted by
the charismatic Richard O Brien,
each episode sent a team of
six on a mad race through four
thematically distinct ‘zones’, playing
timed physical, mental and skillbased challenges (or a ‘mystery’
option, which could be any of the
three) to win and amass crystal ball
tokens, which was the currency
for the ultimate challenge inside
the Crystal Dome. Those of us who
grew up watching it would wait
breathlessly, each week, wondering
who would beat the clock, and
who’d get the lockdown.
The X-Files
Rubab Nayeem Khan
5 coolest toys from the 90s
1. Pogs
Golden days
of the silver
screen
Ta m a g o t c h i
were
little
electronic
virtual pets.
They were the
original virtual
pet,
selling
over
forty
million toys worldwide and creating an
entirely new toy category. Be it a GigaPet,
NanoBaby, or Tamagotchi, your teachers
in school always confiscated them all.
Tahsin Momin
Before Bones, before Castle, before
any of those procedurals, this was
the daddy of them all, the blueprint of the will-they-won’t-they
romances. The creepy aliens and
unexplained weirdness creeped us
out, even as the explosive tension
between Mulder and Scully left us
panting.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S
If the X-files redefined the crime
procedural formula, this show
created the framework for sitcoms
like How I Met Your Mother,
Happy Endings, New Girl, Big
Bang Theory and more. From
fashion (the Rachel haircut) to
catchphrases (How you doin?), it
created an entire lifestyle.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Once upon a time, vampires
were vicious, deadly, and did not
glitter in the sunlight. The female
protagonist who fell for one didn’t
just sit comatose in a chair when
her fanged boyfriend up and left
her; she was too busy saving the
world. And with Joss Whedon in
the director’s chair, you can bet
that dialogue was the strong suit
for this show.
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
TM AG TU E SDAY, SE PTE MB E R 1 7, 20 1 3
12 tmag
TEENARAMA
N2
O
sEAS
Dear Diary,
September 12, 2013
I am stuck, not in the traffic but between two guys. One is my
ex-boyfriend and the other is my present boyfriend. The latter is
more of a friend and he is the best guy one could ever have, as
a “friend.” Of course I love him, but i don’t think I am in love with
him and every day I am proved right about this feeling.
Today, I met him and I felt like I was meeting a friend.I was
too busy eating and he, well he was too busy playing on his
iPhone. Obviously, we chit-chatted a bit but I felt too much of
the friendship aura around me, which wasn’t a good sign.
Anyways, the problem is not about me or my new boyfriend
and our lack of romance but it has to do with my ex calling
me last night. We fought a lot and blamed each other for our
relationship’s failure. But who knew he would mess with my
head by uttering “I love you.” It’s been almost a year and he
knows I am with someone else but to be honest, I was in cloud
9 when he confessed his love for me, especially because post
break-up I kept on wondering whether he had ever loved me
or not.
So the problem is, should I meet my ex so that we both get
a closure and that he realises that he just misses me and is
not in love with me at all? Or should I not meet him and regret
thinking, “What if I had met him?” I mean, one of the two things
might happen if I meet him. First, we both get a closure, and
second, we both realize that we aren’t over each other, yet.
P.S. Never break up using technology because they suck at
delivering feelings.
Drama Queen
If you want to share your awesome or not-so-awesome life events email
it to us at [email protected]
1
I made a snot bubble while
sneezing in class.
2
I went on a trip to Savar,
ended up stepping on fresh
manure thrice and ended up
vomiting twice because the
stench was unbearable.
3
My cousin sisters made me
thread my eyebrows and wear a sari. I looked like a
transvestite.
4
My bushy eyebrows made me look very manly. Since
my mother wouldn’t allow me to thread my eyebrows, I
applied hair removal cream in order to shape them but
ended up mutilating them. I guess it was better when
they resembled fuzzy caterpillars.
5
I bought a dozen rolls of toilet paper from a store and
on my way out, this really good looking guy stood right
in front of me. Then it hit me that I can’t wave at him,
nor introduce myself like that. Worst few minutes of my
life.
Blush
Much?
Email your confession today to [email protected]
TM AG TU ESDAY, SEPTE M B E R 1 7, 201 3
Love that
doesn’t give up
by
Nat
ash
aR
ahm
an
It’s argued that if you want to
kill a relationship, no matter
how perfect it is, send your
partner to a different country
and bid that relationship
goodbye. However, we have
Faisal Mansur and Anousheh
Ghamari Abar busting that
myth and how! Faisal, director
of Chemtrek Industries in
Dhaka and Anousheh, a
medical student in Karolinska
Medical School, Sweden doing
her Master thesis on diseases
in slum children, met in Dhaka
in 2012 at a dinner party
where they shared their ideas
on chemical industries. She
thought he was spoilt, rich and
full of himself and he thought
she was a rich snooty married
lady. By the end of the night,
their chemistry was so palpable
that he called his friends and
joked about meeting his “future
Iranian wife.” They struck a great
friendship and he accompanied
her with her friend to a trip to
Nepal. They saw each other for
3 weeks before they started
dating. Unfortunately, she was
leaving for Sweden. Instead of
fretting over it, they decided
to slug it out. Together for
just a few weeks didn’t creep
in any insecurity. This duo
was meant to be. Coming
from different ethnicities and
backgrounds they met each
other’s friend circles, gave
advise to each other, discussed
work and unlike most couples,
whose entertainment lies in
silly fights about things don’t
matter, this was an intelligent
couple that actually spent
time enjoying each other’s
similarities and respecting each
other’s differences. Usually,
career minded couples are too
engrossed in work to indulge
in the doe eyed movie-like
romance. But not Faisal and
Anousheh. Their burning desire
for each other inflamed them to
travel from one end of the world
to the other, just to be with
each other. They took it upon
themselves to see each other
every 60 days in a different
city all over the world. From
snorkelling with baby sharks,
getting carried by sea turtles
underwater in Kuala Lumpur,
to riding camels in Dubai’s
deserts, shopping in the
magnificent Mile in Chicago,
jet skiing in Putin Bay, Ohio,
sightseeing and celebrating
new years in London, they have
explored 9 countries together in
their togetherness of 1.5 years.
Faisal and Anousheh maybe
in two opposing ends of the
world, but their anticipation to
see each other burns that flame
a little higher and makes them
love each other a little more,
every passing moment!
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