RisingStars

Graphic dreams

There's only a day to go before I begin to sit through grueling hours of examinations day after day until I run out of units. Sigh. Not the best time of the year, I'll let you know. Okay, I'll admit that I'm not one to be burying my head into books at the first sight of those timetables. In fact, I'm probably the last one. Maybe, that's the reason it's not exactly the best of time of the year.

And so it begins. The further grueling process of learning various formulae, numerous methods and multiple workarounds to solve so many equations and problems. And you have to learn it in such a way so that after you're done using them, your brain cells won't still be cluttered and occupied by those useless formulae you'll never have to use again. How many adults do you know who've told you they're really lucky buggers to have learnt the third cos rule of the forth segment?

But, it's a necessity and you need to be able to tell the difference between cot and cos, even if it's just for one day, right?

But Moooom, it's a beautiful day and everyone's outside and even so, I've got a couple of new games I want to try out, can't I please?

Not if you know what's good for you, not if you want to show that Ivy League university you want to apply with some kickass grades, because- well, because your girlfriend's going there and she's shown them some kickass grades. Not if you want to live in a duplex home with a front yard, and a neat little roof, complete with elegant furnishings, your own game room, your own library, your own barbeque and a tennis court while you're at it, why don't you? Throw in a yellow Corvette, and you're probably set for life. Ah… those are the dreams, yeah? Those are the dreams.

But, it's 5 in the afternoon, and you've got no time to dream. Reality's coming at you like a freight train in the form of weird graphs and alien trigonometry.

Still, those are something to look forward to, right? In return for spending hours after hours practicing the question papers, one after another, comparing answers, checking mark schemes, and tugging at hairs that seem to be falling off anyway, so why not just tear them up? Yeah. All this trouble just so that one day, some day, you might just get to sit in the big chair, with a name plate that shines like a diamond, with a suit that glazes like velvet, and a smile that's worth a million dollars. That's ambition, man- the stuff that dreams are made of; pure gold.

But, it's roundabout night time, and you've got no time to be ambitious. Reality's coming at you like a meteor at an angle of horrible destruction.

Still, there's plenty of time to do that, plenty of time to live up to your own standards, to pursue your dreams, to make sure you live through your ambitions, to make sure you have a life full of worth that you can be damned proud of. There's plenty of time for those things- all you need to do is learn how to calculate vectors, change the power base of logarithms and integrate those damned equations.

Yeah. And that's not even counting the dozen other units rocketing towards you like dark oblivion high on cocaine and meth. Just so that you can live the dream, go the distance and dance with stars.

Sure, all worth it. But, it's later than midnight, and to tell the truth, you're out of time. But look at the bright side. You get to dream, now.

Looking good

Part-1
There are people who envy Scarlet Johansson like anything and develop a complex every time they see Priyanka Chopra. I might even know a couple of them. The fact is that beautiful people are everywhere. They are on the TV 24/7 and if not that, you will find those faces around you, faces that you pass everyday. Honestly, the females in our generation are very stunning; just take a trip to a coaching centre or something. Perhaps these girls wear too much make-up or wear clothes a size too small but at the end of the day it's our own misconception of real beauty that pushes them to such measures.

Look at it this way- you were born with what you have today and you are beautiful in your own way. And that's just the outer part right. As the cliché goes 'it is what is inside that counts' and well it IS true. But that doesn't necessarily mean that one should completely ignore the way they look completely! If you want to change something about your appearance, always make sure that you are doing it for yourself. Never try to please someone or be anyone else and by doing that, you will end up impressing YOU. To look good, you don't need to put on make-up every single day, the trick is to feel good about what you see in the mirror every time you step out of the house. This week, let's find out how to do all that and more. So shall we?

The hair
First of all, let's start with the hair. Now, I don't understand what all the fuss about chemically straightened hair is all about but dude that is just 'soooo' yesterday! We live in the 21st century, and we can do magic with our manes if we want to. Begin with finding out your hair type and hunt down the shampoo and conditioner that suits you the best and stick to it. Next, identify the shape of your face, do a little research and short-list hair cuts that you think will suit you. If you don't really trust yourself in all this, then ask a girl friend to help out and then rush to a good parlor to get that haircut. Professional hairdressers will somewhat save you from all the trouble, but you shouldn't you find out what suits you for yourself?

It doesn't matter, you could have curls or waves- it's all gorgeous. If you get the right hair cut and use the right stuff, it will add more volume and dimension to your hair. The best part is that you'll no longer have to tie up your hair all the time or torture it with chemicals anymore. A new haircut will make you feel good and fresh; a perfect beginning to a new year. And if you don't get it right the first time then you'll learn and get the hang of it soon enough. Experiment, discover and prevail.

That's it for this week girls. But don't you worry- I'll be here next week, helping you out with the clothes department!

By Nayeema Reza

Book review

Thud!

While on his amazing journey across the Silk Route, Michael Palin finds himself at the India/Pakistan border. With issues like Kashmir hanging over them, the two countries have shared a fragile friendship, and in his book Himalayas, Palin describes the military exercises displayed by the border guards on either side, the actions of each depicting good-humoured aggression towards the ones on the other side, while onlookers from their respective countries cheer them on with unholy glee.

The history of conflict between the two nations is an old one, and yet they've managed to cling to a sort of uneasy peace, and even co-exist side by side for decades now. Every now and then, however, something comes along, and the old feuds are dragged out of the closet for an airing, and the rest of us are left cringing in the fear that there will be another war.

Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpokh City Watch finds himself in a similar situation right ahead of the anniversary of the Koom Valley Battle, an ancient battle between dwarves and trolls, whose feud has practically become an heirloom of sorts. Every year, the tension between the two species increases as the anniversary approaches, but at the beginning of the 34th Discworld novel, the situation is aggravated by a dwarven demagogue Grag Hamcrusher, who has been inciting the dwarves against the trolls. The situation escalates into crisis when Hamcrusher is found dead in the labyrinth that houses the 'deep-down' dwarf community, and a troll is suspected of the murder. Sam Vimes is set to the task of solving the crime before all hell breaks loose. To add to his stress, he has to swallow his personal distrust of vampires and recruit the vampire Sally Humpading into the Watch, learn how to use a Gooseberry (Discworld's answer to the Blackberry), and get home every evening at exactly six o'clock, to read a story to his young son.

The subplots to this crazy story include an art robbery that Corporal Nobby Nobs and Sargeant Fred Colon decide to investigate, and the negative chemistry between the werewolf Angua and the vampire Sally, which makes their joint assignment something of a chore. At its core, the story is about racism, and personal prejudices, but if you know your Pratchett, and even if you don't, expect a little of everything, from suspense and action to romance and drama, all served up with liberal doses of his zany humour. If you liked Nightwatch, you will love Thud!

By Sabrina F Ahmad


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