The New Nation - Internet Edition

Love is in the air

Farizaa Sabreen

If you have to work on Valentine's Day, take the day off. It's bad enough that your fiancée is out of town. Take a personal day and avoid the stress that can come at work.

If you have to work on Valentine's Day, take the day off. It's bad enough that your fiancée is out of town. Take a personal day and avoid the stress that can come at work.

It's the first day of spring. Sweet-sour love is in the air and it is the time of year again to show how much you care. Valentine's Day is right around the corner and it is the perfect time to express your feelings and strengthen your relationship.

Falling in love is a strange feelings, sentimental songs on the stereo are filled with new meaning to you, you want to eat bizarre stuff, you call your friends with the details, you want to be alone, you become suddenly so hyper-sensitive to his/her most innocent remarks that s/he'd do well to suggest a vow of silence until you are on firmer ground.

Romantic people love Valentine's Day, flowers, chocolates, and dinners on the town.

People long for someone to love us despite our faults and imperfections. Our hearts remain hollow when no one completely accepts us. We get upset when someone fails to make us happy. The love we give to each other may taste good at first, but the excitement disappears, as our selfish motives demand performance. Then is marriage the answer? Your married friends warn you that marriage is tougher than you think and your single friends complain of feeling incomplete without a spouse.

Dating and marriage would never fulfill anyone. A perfect love waits to delight you. This love, however, cannot soothe the pain within your heart until you stop chasing after romantic thrust.

Stop reconciling for less than what your heart truly desires. So open your heart, and prepare for the passion that awaits you.

Every year customers expend millions of dollars on red roses, candy and chocolate. A great way to show your darling they are truly special is to surprise them. This year why not step outside the box and show your beloved how truly special they are.

Was it love at first sight, the sweet taste of their kiss, the sound of their voice, softness of their touch, the smell of their skin? Whether saying "I love you" or "I like you," a great way to stir it up with your sweetie is to say it with your senses. Pamper the one that makes your heart putter. Give them a gift that will make them look good, smell great and feel rejuvenated and you will undoubtedly be their one-of-kind valentine.

You already know it's important for you and your guy to tell each other "I love you" - as often as possible. But you shouldn't depend on those three little words to let your one-and-only know what's in your heart.

Celebrate the joy of having met that very special person, find joy in the wonderful things that 'click' about you and your spouse and celebrate what you are committed to building together.

Start paying attention to what he or she likes. Really listen to what your spouse says, pay attention to the items he or she says he would like to try someday and get it for them.

Take over a chore or daily task for your spouse without letting them know about your intentions. Mow the lawn, wash the car, cook and clean up from meals or clean the house- do something substantial for him or her. If you find that he or she loved having the break from a particular task, do it over and over again as often as you can.

Find new activities that both enjoy heightens interest in being with each other. Unplug the television and the phone. Snuggle up on the couch together and watch a movie. Let him choose the movie, or choose one each and watch two. You want to have your mate's complete undivided attention. Light some incense candles. You will love the way they season the room. On the way home, buy your lover's favorite flavoured ice cream, curl up together on the sofa after dinner and enjoy it together.

One of the most recognizable symbols of a celebration is a balloon! Fill your home with balloons. Make sure you have some balloons marked with your names in hearts on them and some should have personal messages written as well.

You can write a love message on your husband's breakfast toast. Using cookie cutters, especially my Valentine's Day set of hearts, press one lightly into a slice of bread, just hard enough to imprint it, then toast it. It never fails to bring a smile to his face.

Leave a card saying how much you love and appreciate her under her pillow for her to find before she goes to sleep.

Creating new memories help relationships grow. Go on a date and experience something new together. The key to a successful romantic event is attitude.

Photo courtesy: Rang

1st International Children’s Film Festival

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

"Funding is the biggest, and really the only obstacle we faced. It's a shame that corporate giants take little interest in such ventures. Don't they realise what they are saying is that they are not interested in the future nation-builders? The typical life of an urban child in our country involves school, where he or she is terrified of the teachers. Then tuition with the same teachers and the day is rounded off by watching Hindi serials with parents. Leaving aside the lack of safe places to play, there is truly nothing on TV or at the movie theatres in our country that offers quality entertainment for children. Film is an excellent source of recreation, but the number of children's films made in our country are very few," said eminent educationist Dr Jafar Iqbal at the inauguration of the 1st International Children's Film Festival Bangladesh in the capital.

The festival was concluded on February 3. It was inaugurated on January 28 at the Shawkat Osman Auditorium of the Central Public Library in the city. Young film enthusiasts are in for a treat, as the festival includes 135 films, including feature, short, animation and documentary from 37 countries, as well as a selection of Bangladeshi children's films. The event was organised by the Children's Film Society Bangladesh.

The inaugural ceremony opened with a performance of the Tagore song, 'Alo Amar Alo' by the young students of Chhayanaut. This was followed with the National Anthem, in which they were joined by everyone present.

The Bangladeshi flag, the festival flag and the flag of Children's Film Society were hoisted by the chief guest, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Adviser to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Women, Children and Cultural Affairs.

Eminent artist Mustafa Monwar, Chairperson of the Festival Committee and Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Vice-chairperson of the committee, Among others, Professor Anisuzzaman also attended the event. After the opening speeches and other formalities, the Estonian film 'Ruudi,' directed by Katrin Laur, was screened.

Steady streams of tickets were sold at Tk 30 for adults and Tk 10 for children. There were also a variety of souvenirs - bags, T-shirts, posters, pens, stickers and more.

Dr Jafar Iqbal said, "I long for the day when a local film or a programme on television can claim to be a real treat for children. And until that day arrives, we will continue our demands to be heard."

Artist Mustafa Monwar quoted Tagore - "When a child is born, God sends hope to the world.' But then something goes wrong along the way. Children are the ambassadors of truth and purity. We must protect and nurture the torch-bearers of this world."

"In a country like ours where it is a privilege to be able to go to school, there are children whose first duty of the day is to clean someone's toilet. Sometimes it's difficult to hope, but that is precisely what one must do, for nothing can ever be accomplished without it," said Rasheda K Chowdhury.

Children were certainly the focal point of the day. The lively and talented singers of Chhayanaut, the articulate announcers and the 100 delegates and guests cheered up the ambience of the Public Library with the colour and resilience of youth. Children from all over the country were asked to write an essay on "My Favourite Movie", from which 100 children were selected to participate at the festival. Two children from Khagrachhari and 20 disabled children had also been invited.

Filmmaker Morshedul Islam, also festival director, said, "After the festival our child delegates will have the opportunity to spend three days with three notable personalities and then a day at a workshop on filmmaking."

As part of the festival a daylong seminar on children's films was held on February 2. The issues on problems and prospects of children's filmmaking in Bangladesh, influence of film and media on children, necessity of children's programmes on television channels and the importance of government support in children's filmmaking were discussed.

When asked if the festival will be held every year, Dr Jafar Iqbal replied, "We certainly hope so. But these are baby steps, so maybe every two years for now."

The festival venues were Shawkat Osman Auditorium and Seminar Hall at the Central Public Library, German Cultural Centre, Iranian Cultural Centre and the Russian Centre for Science and Culture.

Sheikh Sazid, festival coordinator, said, "The event is focused on our children as sources of recreation for them are limited in our country. The event would be a great opportunity for them to know more about the cultures and lifestyles of Bangladesh and other counties."

Ivy’s brave world of sculpture

WP Reporter

"Ivy Zaman's promotion to the international sculpture scene has been part chance, part her creative urge and part her commitment. She was inspired to venture into the competitive international sculptural field when she accompanied her husband sculptor Hamiduzzaman to Korea where he executed some commissioned works. Ivy later submitted a model of her own work for a highly competitive second Korean International Sculpture Symposium. Her six-feet high-seated Buddha in granite now adorns Youngwool Park, since 2003, with works of other distinguished artists of the world. It is a rare honour for any Bangladeshi artist. Ivy was offered visiting fellowship by the Koreans again in 2005," said urban expert and Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof Nazrul Islam at the solo sculpture exhibition of Ivy Zaman at Shilpangan Gallery in the capital. Some 77 art works of Ivy took place in the exhibition.

Ivy's current solo exhibition in various mediums and themes also brought in her water-colour work on portraits of people and animals, which she often uses as preliminary models for her sculpture work. Not only has she presented abstract but also semi-abstract images, sometimes also including the nature around her in the past.

Ivy with her sculpture in stone, wood, cement, bronze and aluminium has certainly earned repute for herself at home and overseas. Having studied in Shantiniketan, and inspired by her sculptor husband, Hamiduzzaman Khan, she has followed the footsteps of Novera Ahmed and Shamim Shikdar, causing a stir in the fine arts field.

Presently Ivy brings in portraits such as that of the seated Buddha and the faces of agony of the everyday persons that she sees in the streets. At times she exaggerates and elongates and sometimes she diminishes the items in her portraits, cancelling an eye here and adding an extra lip there. These small bronze pieces were excellent for the walls of the bourgeois home. The portraits in watercolour would also embellish many a niche and corner or even as a main display in rooms of the avid collector.

The seated Buddha was an excellent piece of sculpture, done in stainless steel, with simplified angles and lines. This was reminiscent of her piece in Korea in a sculpture park, where 20 young granite workers had assisted her.

When Ivy works on massive pieces she often does this with the help of metal artisans as in Tejgaon metal works, and even in Dholaikhal in Old Dhaka, where she hires her assistants.

She said, "It's not possible for me to do these sculpture pieces alone. The design is hers but she requires the team-work of the young assistants."

She also has a studio in Badda, which she shares with her husband, sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan.

Her other portraiture of a woman in steel includes abstract images of eyes and lips, touched up with hints of colours in places. This too was innovative and daring. Her enormous clogs (khoroms) were inspired by everyday living, and presented her specialty in wood.

Her paintings, meanwhile, were done both at home and in her studio. Her metal works remain dear to her heart.

Ivy goes basically for semi abstract forms but also enjoys producing pure abstracts. In the semi abstract form, she has done both human figures and birds and animals. Plants are also her favourite. Her series of works on the 'Germination' (Ankoor) in stone is interesting. The inspiration for the series came from her childhood memories of plant roots. Ivy comes from Bogra where evolved the earliest urban civilization of Bengal more than two millennium ago. Close to Bogra and along the Karotoa was Mahasthangarh, the ancient Buddhist centre of learning in the region. The instances of antiquity seem strong in the memory of Ivy as manifest in several of her small bronze pieces, with rough rusty texture.

She strives for expression both in miniature pieces as well as in almost monumental works, like some painted abstract steel compositions, the 'Seated Buddha' and 'Begum Rokeya,' a life figure.

In her semi-abstract delineations of nature she had earlier brought in the trees and bushes of the countryside around her in Bogra and of the Santals who lived close to Shantiniketan, where she had her further studies. Seeds, pods, corrugated rooftops, doors and windows were included in these items and they were lapped up by architects and other private home decorators. Elegant and stylised, these items have borne a special delicate feminine angle. Ivy's huge metal statue of Begum Rokeya is also something to marvel at and this is placed in Bogra too the home of the subject.

It is indeed a wonder that a sculptured human figure of a distinguished woman, (and not in veil or even an artificial scarf around her), stands in the open green of the Begum Rokeya complex in Pairaband in Rangpur, Rokeya place of birth. Ivy has firmly established her place at the foot of Begum Rokeya. Both are rebels in their own right. Ivy is built of strong elements. She also enjoys outdoor watercolour painting, drawing in pencil or charcoal. These are good and necessary breaks for a sculptor. Some of her very recent large abstract and semi abstract forms in aluminium indicate such a direction.

The sculpture exhibition was concluded on February 4.

Coloring hair like a professional!

WP Desk

Most women would agree that there is nothing worse when it comes to their hair than a botched coloring job! A strange color can be seen for miles around and turns heads for all the wrong reasons. A good hair-coloring tip may have saved many girls and women the embarrassment of a bad coloring job right from the start! So here are a few simple hair-coloring tips to make your new look a success! What type of coloring job? There is basically two types coloring jobs: Permanent and semi-permanent. Permanent coloring will dye your hair so it will not wash out at all for a very long time. However this will leave your roots showing when they grow out which you need to be aware have and can really look bad later on. Semi-permanent coloring will only darken your hair and cannot lighten it. It also lasts a variable length of time depending on the product. This is more suitable for a home color job but obviously has limitations. It can however be reversed easily unlike a permanent coloring!

Know your hair color

There are 10 Base Colors in the realm of hair. This is the color you can judge by just looking at it, when you color your hair you will lighten or darken by one or more degrees based on this scale. Like, lightest blonde / platinum blonde, very light blonde8 - Light Blonde7 - Medium Blonde6 - Dark Blonde5 - Lightest Brown4 - Light Brown3 - Medium Brown2 - Dark Brown1 - Black. There is the Contributing Pigment. This is the least known part of hair coloring for most people. The underlying color of each base color will be exposed when lightening your hair. The lighter you go the more exposure it gets!

The final color you want will be greatly affected by this pigment and can lead to some overly bright or unnatural looking colors. The associated pigment colors to the base color is as follows:10. Pale Yellow9. Yellow8. Yellow-Gold7. Gold6. Orange-Gold5. Orange4. Red-Orange3. Red2. Red-Brown1. Dark Red-Brown When you are coloring your hair you must take into account both of these elements in you hair to avoid unexpected results and achieve the color you desire. Neutralizing or enhancing the underlying pigments is vital to getting the right color for your hair (and for your skin type to match!)Tip 3 - Do a strand test! Even armed with this information you do not want to apply your hair coloring to your entire head or hair straight away. By taking a strand of your hair or a small lock of hair you can apply the color you want to this test sample to see how it will turn out in the end, this does not take too long and can avoid a botched job. Remember however the longer you leave the hair in the dye will affect the result so be aware that the process of application can alter the outcome. It is also a good way to get some practice. Tip 4 - Be prepared! Hair dye is a messy and powerful substance, it will stain hair, skin, clothes and towels that you use. Make sure you are using only old clothes and towels when coloring your hair, ones you don't mind throwing away or using as rags afterwards. Also wear a towel around your neck when you do this to avoid the coloring dripping down. To protect your skin use petroleum jelly around the hairline, don't worry if you do stain some skin though it can be removed with rubbing alcohol. A little bit of homework and preparation is all you need to make your new look a success! Do you want a great new hair color? Do you want it to last without fading?

More Kitchen Beauty for Your Hair with Kitchen Coloring

Lemon juice and water will lighten any color of hair, although it works fastest and best for blondes and lighter browns. Put the mixture on your hair, and then go out into the sunlight for an even faster and more dramatic 'beach' effect. Remember that lemon juice and water plus sunlight are a permanent treatment. The procedure can dry your hair, so use plenty of conditioner. By using some tender treatment to your hair and doing a little planning ahead, you can maintain moisture quality in your hair. In your plan, you can have the lightening process go slowly instead of trying to get a new color in one day. One of the costs of kitchen beauty for your hair will be that speed is not one of the elements, so you will have a time cost if not money cost. Another gradual increase in the lemon juice would work okay. It is a good idea to start easy with only about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of water. This formula is better applied to hair that is already wet. If you want sun streaks, combing the mixture through specific strands of wet hair, while avoiding other strands will work toward the streaks.

Similar lightening effects can be achieved using freshly brewed cooled Chamomile Tea. The Chamomile won't be as drastic as the lemon juice or as permanent. Combining a plan of alternating lemon juice and chamomile may be a good way to maintain the healthy moisture quality and shine for your hair as you work on the lightening process for beautiful, summer-streaked hairstyles. Visible results will take a while to develop. Sunshine alone will lighten hair, so if you are outside a lot, remember that the sun will keep working on the strands that have received applications of Chamomile tea or lemon juice even on days you do not apply either. With that understanding, you can see the merit of using a 1-2-3- plan of applying lemon juice and water on Day 1, Chamomile tea on Day 2 and let your hair rest with only a conditioner application on Day 3.With all of this information of blondes.

The formulas may not be as complicated or diverse, but are available, nevertheless. If you have warm dark hair and want to keep the healthy moisture and shine without the sun bleached beach look, you can apply cooled espresso for a nice shine. The recommendations are to pour cooled, very strong coffee onto dry hair, wrap an old towel around your hair and leave the coffee on the hair for about 20 minutes. Twenty minutes is not a very long time, as you can continue other activities while you wait. You should be pleased with the rich glow that this treatment gives your darker hair. Your darker, rich, shining hair will be a fine contrast beside your summer blonde friends.

New Executive Chef of The Westin Dhaka

WP Reporter

Chef Gerard Wallace joined the newly opened five-star luxury The Westin Dhaka as the Executive Chef. He has been wining acclaim for his unique and innovative cuisine. He got his culinary education and started his career in London, UK and afterwards his commitment took him to various region and continent from Europe to Asia and Middle East.

He was the Executive Chef of Great Wall Sheraton, Beijing and Sheraton Shanghai. Prior to join here at the Westin Dhaka, he was with Pacific Rim Modern Californian Japanese with guests such as Sir Richard Branson, Natalie Embrulia (Torn), Danial Johns of Silver Chair, Jimmy Barnes of Cold Chisel, Bernard Fanning of Powderfinger, Ben Donahue (Celeb Chef) of Life style Channel, Mark Webber Formula 1 Racing Driver, DJ Bruno of Cafe Del Mar.

He is one of the celebrated chefs in the world and catered for many Head of the States including Queen of England, German Chancellor, President of France, king Hussain of Jordan and many more.