Tête-à-tête

Hey everybody
What with hartals, Eid-e-Miladunnabi, Buddha Purnima and so on, most of you must have enjoyed almost a week's holiday. Not so with the RS people…

Some of us have had to work late. Tempers were raised, as well as blood pressure, and stress was the name of the game, and boy, amI glad it’s over.

The last few weeks have been pretty interesting at the Place-next-door, with our debates and discussions about music. I want to thank everyone who participated in the discussion. If anyone's got anything they want to put up on our forum, I'm all ears. Speaking of forums, don't forget to take a look at the Voices of Youth website (details in page 3). I’m still getting some letters as an aftermath of the discussion, and I’ll put some up next week, okay?

Well, we're getting ready for Mother's Day pretty soon. Hope you guys are doing something special for your moms. I think I'm going to surprise the Mother-next-door by cleaning my room before she asks me too…
Hey, two books that I have to talk about are Louisa May Alcott's "Little women" and my all-time favourite, "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". Both these books explore, not only the complex relationships between a mother and a daughter, but also the intricate bonds that bind two women together. If you haven't read them already, I'd seriously recommend them.

Anyway, I haven't got much to say this week. I'll leave you with a small crop of Mother's Day Quotes. Till next week, take care!

*~*~ The Value of a Mother ~*~*
"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." - Lin Yutang

"Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

"The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom." - Henry Ward Beecher

"By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers." - Jewish proverb

"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness." - Honore' de Balzac

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother." - Abraham Lincoln

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." - Washington Irving

Send your polls, opinions, and queries to thegirlnextdoor1@hotmail.com
By The Girl Next Door

Boy zone

Boys, boys and boys- there are so many boys around us. Do all of them have the same nature or characteristics? Nope, not at all. If you observe them, you will find various funny, interesting and impressive characteristics. It can be among your friends or relatives. I've done this observation among my classmates. Believe me its really funny. It's very difficult to find out the appropriate or suitable character cause everyone has his own qualities, views and also faults. There are endless people, endless characters. It's very difficult to categorize them but at least we can give a try. Lets see.

The Premi: These types of guys are a bit unusual but have a very impressive character. They can easily steal others' attention. They can impress the girls very quickly. I just don't know why the girls also fall in love with them (one by one). It doesn't matter whether they are handsome or not, brilliant or not. I'm sure they have some special God gifted qualities. Maybe their modern thoughts about life attract the girls.

The Mojnu: These guys are very friendly but suddenly they fall deeply in love with one of their classmates and gradually, they begin to detached from the group and at last become isolated. They create their own world and remain busy with their loved ones. These types of couples are enough to inspire some to fall in love and others to sigh in frustration.

The Supporter: These guys are quite unique and small in number. They sacrifice their lives for the safety of their female friends. These are the people who escort their female friends safely back home at night, after functions and ceremonies such as weddings and late-night classes. These guys are the reason why girls can still venture out in a lawless society like ours.

The geek: They spend most of their time in studying, talking about study, dreaming about study. If you ask them any normal question like "Hi, how are you?" or "You are looking good today" they will blush furiously. Usually these guys try to avoid girls. They have their own world and if you want to enter in that world you also have to be a geek.

The Big Bro': Whenever you will see such guys you will definitely miss your elder brother. Usually they like to remain alone and don't share their emotions. When the group is in trouble they take the part of an elder brother and protect the group. They try to act as guardians.

The Typical: I think these guys are large in number. They are neither geek nor "lafanga". They are the normal boys. They try to participate in all kinds of normal activities. They are medium level smart. Before doing anything they usually think more than hundred times.

The Pagol: It is very difficult to find out how they will react in certain situation. They are quite abnormal guys and do abnormal things like suddenly bursting into song, or talking to themselves. They don't have much interest in anything. It seems like they are leading life because they have nothing else to do.

The Sexy: These guys are drop-dead gorgeous. They attract the girls like filings to a magnet, but never let the dames get close to their hearts. Whenever you will see such guys you'll wish one of them was yours.

The Bad boy: They do some unsocial activities like smoking and eve teasing in open places. They usually show off a very macho attitude. It's very surprising and disappointing that very innocent type girls usually fall in love with them.

The Hero: These guys are always trying to prove their superiority over others, whether in brains, brawn, or good looks…unfortunately, their perception of themselves don't usually agree with how everyone else sees them.

By Meher Nigar

Hey People!
This week we have a very important day to celebrate. That day is none other than "Mother's Day." Mothers are the personifications of the words "Love," "Care," and "Generous." But how many of us ever actually tell our mother what they mean to us? Come to think of it, hardly any of us right? Thought so….I mean we always look at the worse sides of our mothers…..the fact that they constantly pick on us to go study, or clean our rooms, or behave properly in front of people etc. The actual list goes on and on. Well, next week let us take this opportunity to tell our mothers what we really think of them. Time to let our mother's enjoy! So everyone who feels like I do, please send in messages for your mothers, letting them know how much you love and appreciate them! Mothers rule!

Mother,
Just taking this opportunity to say the one thing that we have always forgotten to mention (though you probably already know), "We love you!" and we appreciate the fact that you have always been there for us.
Lots and lots of love,
Daiyan and Rohini

Dear Ammu,
I just want to say thank you for everything, the constant support, admiration, help, and making every path clear before I walk on it, every time I step outside to a different part of my life. I love you very much.
--**$$WafI$$*--

Dear Mom,
Do you remember that thing you said about me being your best friend? Well I want you to know that the feeling is mutual… I love you to death. Hope I can make every day of your life worth living. Hope I always understand you, and never hurt you. How many people have such an awesome mom? How many people can share all their secrets with their mom? Thank you for being the best!! I love you!
Raya

When I came into this world,
I was scared and lonely.
I have just left God's paradise,
I did not know where I was supposed to be.
But Ma, when I saw you, my tears became smiles,
When you hugged me, my dreams were all alive.
On Mother's day I would like to say,
You are my inspiration, you are my strength,
You are my belief, you are my faith.
You have always been there for me,
And I can not thank you enough for it.
I just pray to God that I can be who you want me to be and make you proud.
Ammu, thank you for being so Awesome! (It is a try anyway...)
Diya

Mamoni,
I wish youÊhappy and sophisticated moments throughout your life. I also want toÊinformÊyou that you are in my feelings.
Maruf

To our '3 mothers': Mom, Rantu Khala, and Arifa Aunty
Happy Mother's Day…we love youl!
Shareen, Mahdeen, Boishakhee, and Sraboni

To Crucified, Last Bench and Siluoette of Death (SOD),
True friendships never really die
And family isn't defined by blood
It's made strong by bonds that won't break
Tempered and tested by trials and pain
What we are is brothers, and as such we remain
Loyal to one another until the end
And no matter what happens between this moment and then
I shall be always thankful to have had such
Friends.
Psycho Fascist

Seembs!
Happy birthday to you (3rd May)
Happy birthday to you
Lalalalalala
Sing along and have a blast! We are flat broke, so do not expect anything fancy.
Three musketeers

Hi Mughni,
We all just want to say Happy Birthday (29th April), and that we love you very, very much.
From all your friends.

Hi Akash (fake plastic hero)
My dear brother! Long time no see. Guess you are busy with your upcoming O levels. How are your preparations coming along anyways? Study hard brother, and you shall succeed.
Your loving sister,
Payel

Poems

My Game

Zahin is my name
And cricket is my game.
Though it is an easy game,
It may at times put you to shame.
In one match you may be a hero
In the next you may be out for zero.
Many runs you might have scored,
Slow scoring makes everyone bored.
Though many wickets you may have claimed
For misfielding you might be blamed.
When the team has the victory
Then it creates history.
After all it is only a game
But to be a computer engineer is my aim.

By Zahin

May Day

First of May
It is sad day
Hope spreads its rays
Happy worker stays.
Working hours find
Employers kind.
Eight hours a day
Given by first May.

By Syed Masrur Rafid