CRICKET VS FOOTBALL

So, which one is better, eh? Or perhaps it's best NOT to ask, considering that the supporters of both of these sports will put on a long list of invalid points which mostly involves dissing the other sport. Now, being completely unbiased for a very obvious reason, yours truly was dumped with the responsibility of judging which sport is better. Let's try a point-system, shall we?

Duration: Plus one to football. 90 minutes of game play is bearable. Zero to cricket for forcing you to watch over eight hours of the game on the television.

Not only is it bad for your eyes, it also encourages over consumption of unhealthy snacks. And for your information, this writer is DEAD serious. Apart from the obvious health-hazard, the duration of cricket makes it seem ten times more boring than it actually is.

Clothing: Plus one to football for style, plus 1 to cricket for practicality. While the cricketers are well-protected by their helmets, pads, cups and such *snickers*, the footballers (the clubs, in particular) are intensely stylish. Ask anyone who isn't aesthetically challenged.

Popularity: Plus three to Football. Football is the most popular game in the world; whether one's country plays or not, the whole world follows the entire FIFA World Cup, which doesn't really happen in case of the cricket world cup. As a matter of fact, the world cup in South Africa made everyone forget about the cricket match between India and Pakistan (Asia Cup). If we consider the clubs, again we see that football is amazingly popular. think Manchester United, which is the most popular sports team and the largest sports franchise on the planet, emphasises that. Cricket is the second most popular, but the Test matches and the T20's are largely overshadowed by the Barclay's Premier League. It's worth mentioning that while Ashes definitely has class to it, IPL makes this writer want to subtract a point. Cheerleaders for cricket? Alliteration in the names of all the teams? Seriously? Still for the sake of popularity, plus one to cricket.

Participation: ICC has 104 members, while its football equivalent has double that number. 32 nations participated in the football world cup, while only 14 are competing in the ICC World Cup. More participation translates to more competitiveness and less monotony. So, that's a plus one to football.

Drama: Be it Christiano Ronaldo getting a black eye, hiding it with a diamond studded cap and stating “I will be beautiful again” or Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth and switching on the cry-baby mode in the latter, both games have enough drama. So, that's a plus one to both, because we all love drama.

Terminology: Regardless of the roots of the name, at the end of the day, cricket is the name of an insect; but that's alright. However, we also hear of fielders occupying positions in the gulley, at point, in the covers and in a silly position. Eh, what was that, short legs and long legs? Did you also say doosras and googlies, sliders and flippers, bouncers and yorkers…AND slow left-arm Chinamen? While it is mildly cute … MINUS ONE TO CRICKET!

Playing it yourself: Whether you are a fan or not, you have probably played both games at some point in your life. While both are equally fun to play, cricket can be modified into various forms (classroom cricket, anyone?) to provide much needed entertainment in our pathetic exam-filled lives. So, a plus one to football, and plus three to cricket.

Rain, rain, go away: A little rain, and the whole game of cricket is ruined; however, a plus 1 because it's taking a step against mass-pneumonia. Plus one to football for not letting rain dampen the spirit and taking a step to providing resistance to pneumonia - and another plus one for the lovely visuals.

*insert lecherous cackle*

Gang war: Cricket is a “gentleman's” game, which follows that cricketers cannot be involved in a gang fight. If they do get involved in one against footballers, they are likely to lose, because hitting with a bat is only one way of fighting…and we have all witnessed enough football matches to know why they are more likely to win. And of course, getting involved in a fight in the first place is a technical foul, considering that the cricketers are “gentlemen”. So even if they do win, it doesn't matter. Either ways, that's a plus one to football.

However, at the end of the day, it's all about personal favorite, and we all have our fingers crossed for Bangladesh…BUT, according to the point-system, football wins (go ahead, count the points again). No hard feelings.

By Sarwat Yunus

Trend De La Creme

It seems like only yesterday we were shivering in our stylish Dhaka college winter wear and boots (maybe because it WAS only yesterday!), but spring has already sprung. It's already bright and sunny outside and with the intense lights at the cricket stadium; a pair of shades are a girl's best friend.

Forget about the same old black pairs. Colour is the new black. Runways are showcasing big, bold, out-there sunglasses making them a must have accessory for the spring and summer.

Big, bold vintage Cat Eyes are always in as well as the classic aviators. But if you are into vintage with some added rock-star glam, check out the classic colourful Ray Ban Wayfarer's. Nothing beats the classic square shape and bright funky colours that Ray Ban has to offer. You might not get the originals in Dhaka City but a very good imitation is available in places like Bashundhara Mall, Navana Tower and Pink City. We're lucky to live in Bangladesh - it's a haven for bargain hunters. They might be a bit expensive to begin with, but there's no better time to improve your bargaining skills.

Ray Ban Wayfarer's are the epitome of cool, made in the late 50s and appearing in the iconic movie Breakfast at Tiffany's worn by Audrey Hepburn herself but they were popularised in the 1980s and worn by celebrity icons like Tom Cruise in Risky Business, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Debbie Harry, Madonna, Elvis Costello, Jack Nicholson and Vogue editor Anna Wintour. It was originally made in black, but are now available in various colours and prints.

Sunglasses are a must have accessory for this heat, so buy a solid coloured one in vampy red to go with your outfits or buy them in every colour available if bank of dad is in a good mood. A girl can never have too many sunglasses.

By Musarrat Rahman
Model: Shaer Reaz

Mastering the Art of Analysing Art Artfully

Ever wondered how “Art” (note the quotation marks) fetches so much money? Join any of the countless clubs dedicated to ranting on people who “can draw” and actually get rich doing it. No worries. An accomplished and very skilled (albeit extremely poor) artist will teach you how to appreciate art in a “proper” way. If you're dumb as nails (or is it a door?), I'm that artist.

The key to truly appreciating art is vagueness. The more you allow your mind to wander, conjuring up a description, an analogy, out of thin air, the better you'll be as an art critic. Case in point: Google Image this -“Jackson Pollock Lavender Mist”. Stare at it log and hard, and try to gauge the profound meaning behind the art. Think like the artist, BE the artist. Hold the brush in your hand, or, in this case, hold the can of paint and let it gently drip on the canvas. BE the paint.

Now you're ready. If anyone bothers to listen to you, give them some bull droppings like “I can see where the artist went with this. Those lines truly strike a chord in one's heart. The alternating use of brown and black pays homage to the struggle that exists between man and the earth. Earth is always there, but will we always be? I think that right there is the question the artist is asking the audience.”

See how that last bit went completely off track? Find new and intelligent ways to link up two absolutely unrelated topics. After all, art does bridge all boundaries, tangible or intangible. Say that last line a lot too.

Armed with your newfound knowledge, head towards the nearest art gallery. Make sure you have the correct attire: slightly dirty white fatua, thick black framed glasses (somehow get a pair even if you don't wear glasses), flat sandals, and if possible, lots of facial hair (not recommended for the ladies though). Walk around giving off knowledge to people who look like they know nothing about art (some guys take their better halves to art galleries to skimp out on expensive fine dining). This'll serve as very good practice.

We're pretty sure you've seen at least one piece of art that made you think, “I could do that with a pencil, paper and in five minutes too”. Well, here's the actual story behind why you're not yet considered an artist: you don't have an art degree. Unless you get this miraculous piece of paper that declares you to be the lowest and most inconsistently paid of all “professionals”, you know nothing, at least officially. If you really want to have that artist vibe, suit up in your artist attire and head to Charukala. Hang around with an empty canvas bag, a sketchbook with empty pages, etc. Charukala people also go around painting walls and streets for no apparent reason. Hang around them for a while and offer your idiotic suggestions. It might get you inside their circle. Why would you want to go through such elaborate measures? Beats me. Although, art is not intended to serve neither any purpose nor any function. Or something like that.

Art critics are geniuses. No, really, to be able to come up with such exquisite explanations and that too at varied intellectual levels (depending on the audience), we sometimes wonder why they don't go round making and selling art themselves. Yours truly thinks he'd better start selling his… uhh, 'artwork'. You folks better not come to my debut art exhibition. I want only true appreciation for my “art”.

By Shaer Mui Roisi Qatar-e Reaz