Making New Year's Resolutions

Once again the New Year is upon us and people are busy thinking up their last-minute resolutions. It has become a tradition for people to make resolutions at the beginning of a year. These resolutions vary from person to person and it can be about almost anything. People can resolve to make new friends, to spend less time watching television, to study harder or maybe even to adopt a pet or go skydiving.

For most of us in Bangladesh, going skydiving may seem a bit far-fetched. It is not important what resolution you make for the New Year. What is important is that we keep our resolution and not forget about it after a month or maybe even a week. It is probably a good idea to resolve to keep the resolution rather than just making it (if you get what I mean). When making a New Year's resolution, it would be wise to keep in mind that our resolutions should be practical. Making a resolution to go sailing or to visit Africa, probably isn't the right way to go. A resolution is a personal promise. You do not need to tell anyone about it, or to write it down somewhere (although it's not a bad idea, incase you forget about it) and no one is going to laugh at you because of what resolution you make. So go ahead and be creative. Resolve to read more books, spend more time outdoors, remember all your friends' birthdays or play less computer games. Simple resolutions are easier to keep and are less likely to become a burden.

The New Year is a time for new beginnings. It is a time for turning over a new leaf and deciding to make changes in your life. It is the time for calling up old friends, forgetting your past mistakes, finally cleaning your room (which was actually your last year's resolution) and planning to do all the things you wanted to do the past year and are not very likely to do this year either. Making resolutions during the New Year is not the important thing. Many people do not make New Year's resolutions and their lives aren't any less full filling. The important thing, I believe, is to keep aside one day in the year (and it can be any day) when you can think about all that you have done in the past twelve months. All your mistakes. All your good deeds and all the things you wish you had done but never got a chance to.

So do not worry if the New Year has already arrived and you still haven't thought of a resolution. You can resolve to become a better person any day of the year. There are no laws forcing you to make a resolution at this time of the year. Since most of us do not think about these things at any other time of the year, however, it is probably the best time to make your resolution. Go ahead and make your resolutions and have a great year.

By Ayesha Mahmud

Look! I'm a doctor!!

Nop! I'm not a doctor. But I wanted to be one of them. The main reasons for which I wanted to be a doctor were- "the white, clean apron" and "the stethoscope". The doctors look so smart and attractive when they are with these two things. In my childhood, I used to think that the doctors use the apron cause they are smarter and different from others. And who doesn't want to be smarter and special? Yep, I was too little to understand the noble reasons for which people usually wants to be a doctor and uses the apron.

Later my brother who is a doctor told me that they use the apron to protect themselves from the germs and infections that can come from the patients when they deal with them. It also protects the patients from the germs that can come with the dresses of the doctors from the outside world. Doctors should wear the apron before going to test the patients and put it off after they are done. Medical students, our future doctors, use this cause they have to do practical study with the human organs, blood and also have to deal with the patients. So, it's necessary to wash it regularly and properly. That's all.

At that moment the question that came into my mind was if so then why do I see doctors, mainly medical college students, traveling around wearing their apron here and there. Specifically I have seen the doctors (I'm sorry to say, mainly the lady doctors) wearing their apron in market places, on rickshaw, in cars - in a word outside the hospital and medical college. So, obviously, I can say that they are acting as a source of infection and working as a host in spreading diseases. Can't I?

Our country is a big dustbin and our air is highly polluted. We feel free to drop the dust outside the dustbin- here and there. In a word the outside world is full of germs. These germs can easily infect the weak and serious patients when they come in touch with these. It can be from the doctor's apron or from the visitors. I've no advice for the visitors of the patients, cause the doctors are enough for this job. But what about the doctors?

That time I asked my brother why the doctors do such irresponsible thing? Do they want to show off? Is the apron mean "look I'm a doctor?" or "look I'm a medical student?" Doctors are one of the most important people in this world. Their whole life is dedicated for the welfare of the human being, for their good health, for their life. They aid us from suffering; give us new life. Can't we hope that our doctors will think of these? Our life and we depend on them. Please don't make us helpless in this way. What we guys need is a little concern of yours, a bit caring for us, NOT the show off.

By Suravi

Luck of Bob

Once there was a boy whose name was Bob. He was an orphan and he used to work as a cobbler's assistant. He was a very truthful, well-behaved and serious boy. Everybody liked him.

One day one of the cobbler's customers invited Bob to his house. So Bob went for dinner at the customer's house. The host's name was Mr. Anthony. Mrs. Anthony cooked many things, fried fish, rice, roasted chicken and served wine to drink. Mrs. Anthony pushed a big piece of fish into Bob's mouth but she did not know that there were some fish-bones. The bones accidentally stuck in Bob's throat. Bob couldn't breathe and the next moment he fainted. Mr. and Mrs. Anthony thought that Bob was dead. Mrs. Anthony had an idea. She told Mr. Anthony to wrap the body with a cloth and follow her. "I will tell you what to do", she said.

Then they went out with the body and started walking on the road. Mrs. Anthony was shouting 'My poor little son has got small pox. Please some one help us by telling the way to the doctor's house". Then a man came and showed the house of a doctor and then went away from there.

Mrs. Anthony knocked the door. A servant opened the door. Mr. Anthony told the servant, "Please call the doctor, my son is very ill. When the servant went inside to call the doctor, Mrs. Anthony told Mr. Anthony, "Leave the body here and run for your life." So they ran away from there, leaving the body at the doctor's door.

The doctor was not a real doctor but a quack doctor. He also thought Bob was dead. The doctor told his wife that a man and a woman came and had left this dead body here. The two started discussing what to do with the body. Then they got an idea that they will throw the dead body over the fence of their neighbour, Mr. David's backyard. When Mr. David woke up the next morning, he saw the dead body in his backyard. He decided to give it to the police. So he went to the police station to give the body to the police. When he reached the police station he was very afraid and thought that the police would blame him. So he left the body in front of the police station.

When a police officer opened the door, he saw the body and was going to touch it. As he went closer Bob woke up. Then the officer asked "Why were you sleeping here?" Bob said "I was not supposed to be here." The officer thought that Bob was mad and he closed the door before Bob's nose and went inside.

By Rongon Md Mehdi

Mafia Christmas
A Mafia's son sits at his desk writing a Christmas list to Jesus. He first writes, "Dear baby Jesus, I have been a good boy the whole year, so I want a new..." He looks at it, then crumples it up into a ball and throws it away.

He gets out a new piece of paper and writes again, "Dear baby Jesus, I have been a good boy for most of the year, so I want a new..." He again looks at it with disgust and throws it away.

He then gets an idea. He goes into his mother's room, takes a statue of the Virgin Mary, puts it in the closet, and locks the door. He takes another piece of paper and writes, "Dear baby Jesus. If you ever want to see your mother again..."

By Meher Nigar

Book review

Good Books, Great Authors

Great authors can capture your attention from the very first sentence and keep you captivated till the last word. There are some authors whose works are timeless and will be enjoyed for years to come. One of my long time favourite writers is Agatha Christie. She is best known for her mystery novels featuring the indomitable, little detective Poirot or the beloved Miss Marple. Agatha Christie is the best selling novelist in history and she has written 79 crime mysteries and collections. The ingenuity of her plots has captured the attention of readers for years. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was written towards the end of the First World War, and it is still read by millions of people worldwide. I must say, the best thing about an Agatha Christie book is the appeal of her characters and the surprising endings.

Although Roald Dahl is best known for his books for children, he has also written books for adults, which are mainly collections of short stories. His bizarre, imaginative and sometimes disturbing short stories have received extraordinary acclaim. His first short stories were about his wartime experience. His later ones brought out the best in him. Among the titles are Someone Like You and Kiss Kiss, two of his best-selling collections. For anyone who loves to be amused and alarmed at the same time, these books are a must.

I have always loved reading P.G. Wodehouse books. His witty style of writing is so captivating that I often find it difficult to put down his books. His timeless tales are as amusing as they are interesting. Terry Pratchett is another one of my all-time favorite authors. He is an amazing storyteller and one of the funniest parodist of modern times. His Discworld series is imaginative, witty and full of humour. Oxford Times has called him the "best humorous writer of the twentieth century" and he has consistently produced number one bestsellers in England. Terry Pratchett also writes books for younger readers. If you still have not read his books, it is about time you picked up a Discworld novel, because they really are amazingly hilarious. However beware, because once you have read one of his books you will almost certainly be overcome by an insatiable desire to read all of them.

Jeffery Archer is a master storyteller and the author of ten novels, all of which have been worldwide bestsellers. Kane and Abel, The Prodigal Daughter and Shall we tell the President are three of his best novels. He is also well known for his collections of short stories, which include A Quiver Full of Arrows, A Twist in the Tale and Twelve Red Herrings. Despite his somewhat notorious reputation, Jeffrey Archer is undoubtedly one of the best authors of recent times.

There are so many good authors that it is impossible to mention all of them in one article. Reading is a good way of learning new things and a great way to relax after a tiring day. So the next time you are out looking for a good book, be a little adventurous. For once forget about those Stephen King or Sidney Sheldon novels and look for a little variety. There really are some amazing authors out there, whose books are guaranteed to give you a good time.

By Ayesha Mahmud