Fashion tidbits

What with the Eid frenzy throughout this month, everyone has been rushing to boutiques and shopping malls trying to pick out the best attire for The Day. Here's a brief overview of what's been hot this season:

Kameez: Knee length kameezes are still the most popular style. It can be worn with the loosely pleated Pakistani style shalwars or the uniform coloured churidaars that are suddenly back again. The kameez-jeans mix is more of a casual wear and is better avoided in festive or formal occasions. Simple cotton kameezes are a better match with the jeans than the synthetic prints.

The boutiques are all being creative this season with the urnas. Plain one-coloured urnas are definitely out. The simplest of kameezes teamed up with a contrasted urna, looks very trendy. As for materials khadi and khoddor are becoming more of a favourite amongst teens. These come in all sorts of colours and styles, and if you're at the right boutique all the dresses will suit the your taste. For those who aspire to be designers and love experimenting with there own dresses, it's field day for them, since the laces that are stacked up in the little stores of Chadni Chawk are adorned with jori, sequins, beads and available in all colours and sizes. Using a bit of tasteful creativity, these accessories can be placed on the right type of necklines and sleeves, to make your very own designer style dresses!

Make-over: Unlike the dress styles, facial makeup trends fluctuate less (Thank God! Keeping up with fashion is becoming more difficult than keeping up with the Stock Market) and it's not any different this season. Shimmer and shine are still in with the natural lip gloss and the glittering eye-liners. However it always depends on the venue and the occasion. There are some places where you can get away with bright pink eye-shadows and there are those places where even a gloss might look out of place. For a casual look; the kajol and eyeliner around the eyes in a thin a border along with a transparent gloss (preferably not glittery), is best. The party look of course requires more attention and analysis which we are not going into today. But the important thing is to make sure that the foundation and face powder is suited to skin colour and the eye-shadow and blush well blended in to give the face a natural but enhanced look.

Hairstyles and accessories: Ironed hair is what is becoming more and more common lately. Although it's the best way to manage hair it is also becoming one of the more boring looks. Trying out curls and perms might be a good idea (provided that it suits the face), since hairstyles are more dependant on face structures rather than seasons and trends. Accessories complement the attire and help further define a particular look.

The typical silver and colourful stone jewellery matched with dresses are the basic choices. But for a more contemporary look that is seen to become more popular lately, the antique bronze artistic designs, or even matir stuff are a good choice. They go great with either the fusion look or the khoddor, khadi kameezes that boutiques like Probortana, Piraan, Jatra etc have been coming up with lately. The above mentioned are also the best picks when one is looking for exciting accessories.

Although it's 'cool' to 'go with the flow' and 'move with the trend', there is nothing that matches up to originality in one's look which comes with being and feeling comfortable with oneself. That's all for now. Until the next fashion overview, this is Midnight Maiden signing off.

By Midnight Maiden

Preparing for interview

Self-presentation
First thing they take notice of is the way you present yourself. From your shoes to your hair and even your fingernails, make sure you have yourself all polished head to toe!
Simple is perfect
Though you must look good, don't overdo it! Keep it plain and light.
Men: plain ironed shirt (full sleeved are best) and crisply ironed dark pants. Wear a watch to show time management.
Women: hair tied back is the best otherwise make sure you don't fiddle with it during the interview. Make-up should be natural and effortless. Mascara and lip-gloss is just fine. Earrings should be petite yet elegant and a bracelet for jewellery is sufficient.
Confidence touches their hearts
Don't know the answer to what they are asking? Divert the topic gently to something you specialise in or say “pardon?” so that it gives you time to think of the answer. Present yourself clearly even while saying the wrong thing (they are looking for self assurance).
Appropriate body language
Maintain manner skills and get too comfortable. If appropriate, then shake hands before leaving and thank them for interviewing you. You can even ask them a few questions, make them appreciate your curiosity and interest in the job. Leave the room with a fine smile and best of luck in pursuing that career!

By Shayera Moula

Appeal for help

Once, Taj considered herself to be one of us, used to dream like we do, had aspirations like everyone else does and led a life where simplest of things made her happy. Notice how all that is in the past? Hodgekins Lymphoma Nodular Cellerosis. Four words that mean little to us, and yet to this girl, they're a death sentence. They don't really have to be, though. Not if you can help it.

Najifa Taj is the eldest daughter of Bojlul Lokman (dentist by profession) and Mahmuda Lokman( housewife). A recent A level graduate, she was first diagnosed with cancer in March 2003. She was flown to the Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, where her shocked family was told that her form of cancer is a rare and deadly one. Months of therapy, which took its toll on her and wiped out her family's saving, gave her a little respite, but the disease relapsed, and so this once promising student is now battling for her life. She requires a bone marrow transplant, and further chemotherapy, which would cost something in the neighbourhood of Tk 70 to 80 lakhs, which her family does not have.
A moment, a prayer, and a little generosity could mean the difference between life and death for a girl who once had everything going for her. Think about it. Could you really stand by and not do anything when you know you could make a difference?

Send help to Taj at the following address:
Md. Bojlul Lokman
Account number 34080094,
National Bank Limited,Dhanmondi Branch,
Shatmoshjid Road,
Dhaka.

RS Desk

The sunful kiss
Moonlight on dark and misty ground where shadows move without a sound,
She stood and watched,I know her well, that creature spawned in darkest hell.
She reached from far beyond the grave,and knows the passion that I crave.
She holds my life as if by spell,then smiles , she knows my torment well.
And I will find no rest tonight.
It started very long ago, when bloodied footsteps marked the snow,
That first time that I saw her face, young of years and full of grace.
I saw her eyes, then came the blow, for in the night they seemed to glow,
And then I felt the shivers climb, like a warning along my spine,
That's when my courage took to flight.
The winter wind now whipped her hair, and I could only stand and stare,
Those sensual lips made me despair, they whispered kiss me if you dare,
Now standing in that icy breeze and paralyzed from feet to knees,
I felt the passion of that kiss that dragged me to the dark abyss,
The fates now sealed this lost souls plight
That kiss that robbed my very breath and took me to the brink of death,
And hands so soft that touched my skin,my soul I sold to know that sin.
Those lips then moved upon my throat,on wings divine I seemed to float,
Then voices whispered in my head, beware you join the living dead,
That's when my soul began to fight.
Remembering in pocket kept a cross to which my fingers crept,
A gift of gentle mother's love, I prayed to every saint above,
And now it blazed upon the air,her eyes then shone with hatred's glare,
She backed away, those eyes did burn, then hissed my love I will return,
The sky was kissed by dawn's first light.
Of late I feel so very strange,as if something my thoughts derange,
In mirror,on throat,the marks I see, I fight the lust I feel in me.
At night I pace my darkened room,and shadows call me from the gloom,
Tonight I'll throw the casement wide,unholy love will step inside
And wake my passion on this night.
By Ananda

A place for you and me
I can see children on the street
begging for a dime with mud-cladded feet
I can see children at war
with lost identities of who they are
No we aren't free
this world ain't a place for you and me
I can see those couples in shreds
struggling with lives
with relationships at stake
No this world ain't a place for you and me
I once cherished the love we had
we were young we were free
but then no one knew
misery became our love's company
Still hope to see those children smile
still hope to see those couples reunite
still hope to see the war subside
still hope to see our love ignite
Maybe someday this world would be a place for you and me.
By Naome Syed

Lotus
Pink Lotus
With pretty blush,
Ripples of water
Shake and dash.
Slim and slender,
Floats over the water.
Floating leaves
As a green shore,
Waves on the water
And in my core.
As the breeze pass
Over a green carpet
The beauty dance,
Take a glance,
The glance will be winkless look
That you took.
Or think you are a mighty King
Before you she sing,
You see her with tickled eye.
She bends down the head
With a desired shy.
By Khalid Nazmus Sakib

RS Mailbox

This is in response to the letter written by Sumayia Delwar, who apparently is a private university student and could not stand the humourous criticisms made in the article 'Varsity Blues'.
Private universities are doing a great job in enrolling many brilliant students. But as a general reader I do not understand why she missed the fun points of the article.
I am a student of a public university and I am quite proud of it but I will not be outraged if someone points out the problems frequently faced by the public universities like session jams or student politics. To tell you the truth often I was caught in the midst of a skirmish and enjoyed a free show of an action movie with my friends (as long as the general students are spared!). If someone criticizes with or without humour I will not refute because that is true.
She wrote “The comment which is made about the students who could not even use the toilets even though their bladders were bursting while they had to use their last resort of drinking water- I think is referred to public university students, it is an appropriate comment for the public university students because bathroom is so unclean and out of order that students have to use their last drink of water to use it. I am a private university student and well aware of this fact.”
My question is how does she know that it was referred to the public university students? And how does she know that it is an appropriate comment? How does she know that the bathrooms of public universities are out of order? I admit that the bathrooms are not like those of a five-star hotel but they are supplied with water. At least I do not remember when they were out of order. I have been studying in a public university for the last four years. I have never seen any of my friends, classmates or acquaintances nor heard that they used drinking water in the bathroom. And she being a private university student is 'aware' of this fact. I will request Ms. Delwar not to make such a sweeping comment out of blue.

Durdana Ghias