Tête-à-tête

Hey People!
Once in a while, it's nice to let your hair down and just get crazy, without worrying about appearances; just being loud and obnoxious to your heart's content. Especially if you're normally not that kind of person…that way, people will blame the outburst as temporary insanity and not rag you for it. Don't mind me, people…the Devil made me say these things.

Okay, last week, we published a cover story on the exploits of the Young Explorers' Society, those gutsy young boys and girls who trekked all the way to Cox's Bazaar in an unforgettable adventure. Well, if anyone's interesting in hearing more from them, or joining them on one of their future treks, you can contact Auntu at 9670011, or Mobile: 0172542128 or mail him at yes_bd@hotmail.com.

Congratulations to Kazi Priyanka on winning the "Fiction of the Month" contest. Expect to hear from us, Priyanka…meanwhile, readers can take a look at her story "The ReDoFus" on Scribbles02.

Well, I finally got to see The Prisoner of Azkaban…and I'm really disappointed. This was my favourite Potter book, and they just murdered it…at least I feel that they could have done a better job. Lupin and Sirius were both very disappointing, and they took the suspense out of the Quidditch match. I hate to think what they're going to do to the fourth book. What do the readers think? Write in and let me know. I'll be waiting to hear from you!

Send your polls, opinions, and queries to thegirlnextdoor1@hotmail.com

By The Girl Next Door

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the soulful poetry corner. As one must be aware, poets are sensitive artists who must think soulfully and deeply. For ones such as us, the world is sublime. And sublime is this world. These are deep poems from a deep mind and heart. Please, immerse yourself in the depth of this deepness.

Bird
Ah, bird
You fly, isn't it?
Hate
Hate is bad
It makes me sad.
Sometimes so bad,
It makes me mad.
Hate is an emerging fad.
You act like a cad.
Car
Vrrrrrooooom, vrrrrrrrroooooooom.
Love
Oh my lovely,
I love you.
To me, you are better than glue.

Write to Pintu
Is life not the bed of roses you thought it would be? Do you need someone to trim those thorns away? Well, Pintu likes it when sharp, nasty things poke you. You're probably better off lying on a bed of nails inside a moving bus on a dirt track. If you enjoy wallowing in misery, WRITE TO PINTU.

Or us that Internut abomination: pintu_rising@yahoo.com Email early in order to get published the next week.
Letters or emails might get edited. Stop whining.

Dear Pintu,
I'm a 78 year old man. I've seen life more than I ever thought I would. Still I'm not satisfied. You know, "yeh dil mange more!!" I want to be young again, and fast! You've gotta help me out before my time runs out!
- Payne [via E-mail]

Dear Payne,
While it's true that "yeh dil mange more", it's also true that your dil is now something of a murir tin, as opposed to the Volvo it used to be. Yet, like a new paint job on a number 6 bus, your heart can still fake being young, at least until you croak. You've seen it all, so you need something new: well, find some like-minded old folk and organize some extreme activities with a geriatric twist. Together you can take part in such adrenaline-pumping activities as painstakingly training champion snails for "Extreme Snail Racing" (a nail-biting, high-stakes race of snail against snail), "Extreme Snail Racing Turbo" (the same as the previous activity, except this time, the snails wear shiny coloured helmets!) and battling it out in "Ultra Paint Drying Tournament" and "Super Old-Timer Storytelling Death-match"! While competing might yield some physical losers, in reality, everyone's a winner, because of this chance to live a second childhood.

Dear Pintu,
I'm really sad and depressed. I don't have any friends. Well I have some friends, but they are all green and they talk in a weird language. Sometimes i feel like I'm turning into a freak. Well maybe I am. When I look at the mirror I can see three heads and a palm tree growing on my back. Is that normal? I guess that doesn't matter- that's what the heads say. They keep telling me that they are my real friends and all the others are out to kill me. Pintu am I normal?
- Blopbleepzoompoop

Dear Blopbleepzoompoop,
Think about the problem this way: if your other heads are stuck onto you, wouldn't you say they're a lot closer to you than your so-called friends? Extra heads would know what is going on around you far better than you or I ever could. Well, at least better than you could. You can make lots of new friends by pretending to be a beach, thanks to the palm tree on your back. You are indeed quite lucky, and not a freak at all. There is no need to be depressed. Unless, of course, your other heads are just much smarter than you and make you look stupid. In which case you should be very depressed. Plus a palm tree on your back might be fun for a while, but eventually it's pretty heavy, meaning you'll probably get severe back problems. Life's just not too happy, is it?

Dear Pintu
My Dad takes some other newspaper. Okay... done. But I can't live without RS. So, I decided to read RS through Internet. But it is seen that you don't update the Internet addition of RS frequently as I have to buy the damn whole newspaper on Thursday which costs me 1,000 paisa. Had u published it on the net, I could have bought 'badam' and chomp those instead. Please, send me free copies of RS every week to my address so that I don't have to waste my bucks on it (if I don't read it, then who will - I mean who else does read it anyway). You sure don't want to spare a heartthrob reader of your tabloid.

By the way, you should thank me because I read RS (your thanks are accepted).
# hEarT brEaK kId..

Dear HK,
So after that elaborately long and winding email, your question is whether you can have free copies of the RS? Well, after hearing your sob-story, and of your concern concerning nuts, the answer is: NO. Did you think you were writing to Pintu's Lovely Caring Charity?

There are many who think RS makes ideal toilet paper. So you are not the only one buying it. The Bangladesh Intellectual Society also purchase about a thousand copies of RS a week. Hopefully not for use as toilet paper. Try selling your liver to scrape together enough funds to buy RS.

Dear Pintu,
I need your help ASAP. Can you tell me the details step-by-step procedure how to make easy money? In my 14-year-old-life I found that making money also can make me girlfriend(s)
-DesperateGeek

Dear DG,
Follow these simple instructions, and you will have money coming out of your ears in no time. In fact I myself am a multi-billionaire, and run this column for a bit of fun. Now: take a ten taka note. Bury it in some soil. Water your little noteling. In a few days, a money tree will start to sprout, and soon it will start to flower, yielding you ten, twenty, fifty, hundred and five hundred taka notes. You'll undoubtedly be kicking yourself silly for note having thought about this sooner, but that's why I run this column, DesperateGeek, and you don't.

You'll be making money, but if you read last week's column you'll realize that being fourteen, you're kind of shot in the foot by Mother Nature. And no amount of money is enough for girls your age.

Shout Out!

Hey people!
Not much feedback this week, so the column will not be that long. Allow me to repeat what I said last week, and that is all messages must come in a week before you want to see your message printed. Thank you for your patience. Enjoy the column and send all your messages ton shoutout13@hotmail.com.

Dear Farhin,
Belated Happy Birthday. I hope all your wishes come true and you can achieve your goals in future. Take care.
Your brother,
Eusha

Dear Bushra.
Belated Happy Birthday!!!
Just wanted to let u know that you're a real good friend...
Good luck for your future ventures!!!
Shareen.

Dear Sakura, Tori and Madison,
How are you all doing in your new school? I am really lonely up here. Why do not you just leave that school and come here to LJS? Will that hurt too much? I know, Sakura, you will receive this message, but say this to the other two too. I really miss you three. I just wish for the days we spent together in our old school. Sakura and Tori, Madison is already coming to LJS. Why do not you two also come here? And Tori, it seems like you have forgotten me completely. Why aren't you sending me any letters? I just want our union again, please. It seems like as if we're drifting apart from each other.
From your best friend,
Julian (Kochu).

Dear Sobuj,
I just thought of saying hi, though we mail each other. Try to send longer replies.
From your friend,
Nabila.

Hey Nusrat,
Belated Happy Birthday!
Whenever I was in trouble you were always there for me. You have always supported me & I am really lucky to get a friend like you. Happy birthday once again.
Your best buddy,
Shareen.

By Crucified and Slayer

Are you a Dhaka Hottie?

Ever wonder just how attractive you are? Whether people think you've 'got the goods'? When people tell you you're good looking, how seriously can you take them? Well, now there's an easy way to find out.

Visit www.dhakahotties.com, and sign up. The site allows you to post your pictures online and viewers get to rate you on your 'hotness' factor. A rating of 7.5 and above means you're a Hottie. Even if you're not interested in getting yourself rated, visiting this site is a must some of the pictures, some of the comments posted there are simply hilarious! Plus, as the website allows you to chat with the Hottie wannabes, who knows, you might even make some new friends.

Well, this was just a teaser. Keep reading the RS for a scoop on the people who brought you the site.

By Sabrina F Ahmad

POEMS

Desert Dream

And the desert dream burned with fire
The lustful tongue of sunrays
I have felt the hidden curse and cry of the wicked solitude
The craving for love...long lasting
The footsteps of the wind and Camel
On the sand land
The lazy walk and moan of the tall desert animal
The dance of the peacocks
In the night
Near were the folks sing by the campfire
The rural voice
Sharp and precise
Language so authentic
The instruments played
Slowly the sun gave into blackness
Turning the sand into orange
Night moon appeared
Unveiled by the clouds
Royal and majestic
Climate that dawns on
With the sigh of storm
Twist and turns of fate
Man drunk by two fates
One unseen
Other love
Weary from the desert safari
The hunting…that goes on forever
And wildlife breathes near you

By Nid Ameen