The New Nation - Internet Edition

Ideal tiffin for Working Women

Farizaa Sabreen

From career to families, women today don't always have the time to eat healthy, even though they want to. While doing multiple roles, many workingwomen ignores their health or the signs that indicate that they are not in good shape. They suffer from gastric and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Most go to a doctor only when they become seriously ill.

According to Gynecologist Ashrafunnesa, " Many working women suffer from urine infection, as they drink less water during office hours."

The reason for such problems is the changing lifestyle of working women, who neither eat enough nor eat right.

Before you leave home don't forget to eat a good breakfast. Eat some egg whites or some cereal and milk along with some fruit. Carry salads, curds and some roti and vegetables for lunch if possible. Snack on fruits or vegetable sandwich. Once you come home have some vegetable soup and then follow it up with your regular food along with salads and curds. In office try to take a stretching break - just stand up and stretch your body - every 1/2-hour

Parsa Sanjana, 33, an architect, didn't carry tiffin to her office. She felt tired every day after coming home. She leaves home at 7.30 a.m. and return at 7 p.m. Then she consulted with doctor and she strictly advised to carry tiffin box with homemade food with her.

Cafeteria has become a place of too many choices. From franchise fast food offerings to the usual stuff we grew up with, most career women don't know how to pick a healthy lunch. The alternative is packing your lunchbox and it is probably one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself.

Don't skimp on the fruit. Bananas are great for lunchboxes. They are convenient, a great source of potassium, and come in their own carrying cases. Pack it on the very top though, and wrap it in a couple of napkins for protection. There is nothing worse than a bruised and mushy banana.

With the workingwoman stressed out with taking care of the family and work, she must do her best to find time to care for herself and maintaining a healthy diet all through the year.

The food you eat should be energizing, not drag you down to the point where you need coffee or pop to make it through the day.

Hot Lunch Tips

You can peel or cut a few oranges and a banana in the evening and making a quick orange, banana yogurt smoothie in the morning.

A hearty soup can be extremely filling and healthy and keep you alert and full at your workday. Add a whole wheat bread or roll along and you have the required calories for the day.

Got some great leftover? Wrap them with some greens in whole-wheat bread, a few sprinkles of your favorite dressing.

Cut some salad (few tomatoes, carrots, cucumber etc.) in the night and keep them covered in the refrigerator. In the morning rush to pack lunch, prepare a wrap or a sandwich using the cut salad, mayonnaise, light cheese - garnish with salt and pepper, wrap it or keep in a sandwich box and you are ready to go.

And don't forget that important mid-afternoon snack - take with you a fruit or grab from the office pantry instead of getting attracted towards the few pieces of cake or biscuit left at the office kitchen counter. A handful of nuts would do great too!

Noodles is a better option.

During the 3 O'clock break, many of us reach for the convenient yet deadly Snickers bar in an attempt to give a boost to our vanishing energy. The sugar fix is a temporary solution to depleted energy.

Fruit is a wise choice, as it will release energy at a slower rate sustaining you properly instead of giving a quick and deadly jolt. And fruit is loaded with fiber, and vitamins and minerals, which provide the right kind of energy you need.

Other good snacks - Yogurt, dried fruit (sulphate-free), nuts, seeds, homemade healthy trail mix.

Salads are great because you're getting raw vegetables loaded with enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Make sure you're including more than just lettuce - add carrots, beets, mint, peppers, broccoli or cauliflower. And make sure you add a protein source such as nuts or seeds, hard-boiled egg, chicken or raw cheese. And most importantly, make your own dressing. Leftover pasta makes great salad beginning, noodles with sesame oil and veggies, veggie or meat sandwiches on breads.

Some women don't have time to cook. But eating healthy takes effort. And if you come home from work exhausted at the end of the day, a nutritious meal is the first step to giving you the extra energy you need to take those extra steps.

A little advanced pre-planning can go a long way. If you're not organized, take 20 minutes the night before to make a lunch will save you 20 minutes of wandering around a cafeteria.

'Data Center is more than the regulatory requirements’

Aminul Islam

The heartbeat of any organization is in the data center. To provide IT services within or outside the enterprise, support service structure should be defined with sufficient logistic and 'state of art' technology setup. Without a standard Data Center Infrastructure it is not possible to render proper IT Support. Hence The Data Center is home to the computational power, storage, and applications necessary to support an enterprise business; it contributes in revenue making as the productivity of employee is increased due to support availability from a single location. So commercial banks of Bangladesh are guided by Bangladesh Bank to implement a Data Center to operate their IT Solutions.

Recently, National Credit and Commerce Bank Limited (NCCBL), one of the leading private commercial bank of our country, is inaugurated their Data Center to obtain unhindered IT operation. NCCBL is followed Bangladesh Bank ICT guideline and implement each compliance of Tier 1 standard. Simultaneously, the Data Center is bases on Uptime Institutes' Tier II design concept, which is ranked as world standard.

Mr. Tapan Kanti Sarker, the Head of IT and Card Division, is made the entire strategic plan to introduce an "effective" IT operation, which will streamline NCCBL as an example of banking automation in this locality. Mr. Sarkar obtained his masters from Dhaka University and MS in Computer Science from USA. He got twenty- seven years of professional experience - a career spanning from multi-national company to financial sector as Technical and Solution Architect.

He is expert in strategic planning for strengthening efficient IT management based on defined organization structures and management of appropriate IT solutions to derive expected quantifiable benefits. He has versatile practical experience in IT Project Management, IT Infrastructure Development, and implementing IT solutions interfaced with various delivery channels complying with IT policy across the enterprise.

Weekend Plus recently interviewed Mr. Sarkar Excerpts from a conversation.

Weekend Plus (WP): Does a "Data Center" just like to fulfill regulatory compliances?

Tapan Sarkar(TS): Yes, having a standard Data Center is a regulatory requirement, which was standardized by Bangladesh Bank as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3. Among the above, Tier 1 is described as centralized IT Organization Structure. Over the last few years, Bangladesh Bank is very much strict about to automation in the financial sector for improving productivity, enhancing business process and accelerating change. Recently every commercial bank of Bangladesh is trying to implement an integrated banking system so that they can compliance with regulatory body as well as survive in the current market completion

To sustain such mission critical technology based business solution we must rely on data center, which helps us to effectively create, collaborate and interact. You can say that the heartbeat of any organization is in the data center. It is the strategic focuses of IT efforts to protect optimizes and grow the business.

So from my point of view Data Center is more than the regulatory requirements.

WP: Do you think that NCCBL Data Center is maintaining standards?

TS: Certainly, probably we are the third private commercial bank complained with Bangladesh Bank defined Tier 1 Data Center. At the same time we designed our data center as per international standard; we followed and implemented Tier II design concept of Uptime Institute.

WP: Is it same as "Bangladesh Bank ICT Guideline" standard?

TS: No, Bangladesh Bank categorized as Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 based on IT Operation Structure of a particular financial institute, but Uptime Institutes' standardizations is according to Physical Infrastructure Facilities.

WS: Can we consider NCCBL data center different from other data center?

TS: To build a standard and reliable Data Center with all logistic and support facilities you have to have sufficient work space. Here, for some unavoidable constraints we have designed our data center in a mini-place, only 3300 sq. ft. that is smallest space among the three data center I have mentioned earlier. But in this space we have incorporated all the standards require for a complete Data Center. So in this sense, our data center must different than others.

In addition we have implemented Blade Server Solution, which has reduced our power requirement, heating generation, and cooling necessity thus it is completely an "Energy Efficiency" Data Center with less space. We are implemented server virtualization, redundant communication devices and connectivity to ensure high availability of our data center. World standard "Structured Networking" makes our data center more reliable in providing optimum data communication through out the country.

WP: What are the constraints you facing in your efforts to build such Data Center?

TS: To select a Data Center location is a big challenge as it is difficult to find any location in the Motijheel Commercial Area having standard power design and cabling. Power Crisis is also a know issue in our country. It is also a difficult job to find out a vendor to complete the Data Center Work properly.

In our country "Data Center" is completely a new concept regarding IT Service Management. So it is difficult to IT professional to convince top management about to consider data center as the heart of organization and approve sufficient budget. But finally our management and the Honorable board of Directors have realized the necessity of having a reliable Data Center and help me a lot in each step. I am really grateful to them for their prompt help.

WP: Which issues do you think are most critical in the operation of Data Center?

TS: Typically, Data Center operation is most critical and troublesome job in the IT Operation. You have to have so much awareness about each components of data center such as small power socket, to your big one generator, everything. You never ignore even a single component for strong inter-dependency among them. Also, you have to have a close surveillance about the power efficiency, heating and cooling control capacity.

Apart from these facilitating components some management issues also need to be considered seriously, such as-compliance, data accessibility, security, disaster recovery and change management.

Bacterial Food Poisoning: Bangladesh through the lens of a first-time visitor

R. Bhakther Solomon

I had the privilege of visiting the People's Republic of Bangladesh. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small region, sharing the border with Burma to the Far East and Bay of Bengal to the South. The Zia international airport, contrary to the general expectation to a new comer, gives a beautiful panoramic view and also quick immigration and baggage clearance. Things look fantastic One gets the impression of one landing in a blessed land. Alas, once outside the airport, on the roads, one is confronted with different dimensions of the reality in the country. Things are different!

Bangladesh is a young nation having completed just 35 years. The borders of present day Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, when the region become the eastern wing of Pakistan. However, the political and linguistic discrimination as well as the economic neglect led to popular agitations against West Pakistan which led to war for independence in 1971. Bangladesh came into being with a population ranging from 142 - 159 million. According to a recent World Bank note, the country has made significant progress in human development in the areas of literacy, gender parity in schooling and reduction in population growth. The majority of the Bangladeshis work m agriculture. Bangladesh has moderate tax rates. The top income tax rate is 25 percent, and the top corporate tax rate is 30 percent. Other taxes include a value-added tax (VAT), property tax and a tax on interest. In the most recent years, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 8.7 per cent. Figures do not reveal much.

Affluence or poverty in the country? This paper is presented with the concern regarding the country's economic profile, which is not good. The people I Government must do something to live up to the expectation of it being a fast developing nation. The author wishes that everyone who reads this paper develops a critical mind set not only of this paper but also the country's reality and work towards bettering the reality of the nation.

Poor or developing country? Despite the continuous domestic and international efforts to improve its economy, Bangladesh remains a developing nation, if not a poor nation. According to the World Bank, the most significant obstacles of growth are poor governance and weak public institutions. In recent years, the country has seen an increase in foreign direct investment but the investments are yet to trigger the growth process. There are large number of NGOs both national and international. Of late their presence I active services are being cited as the reasons for the country's recent development and growth. The presence of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) also of late is being cited as one of the reasons for the country's growth.

Index of economic freedom Bangladesh has been ranked 149th among 179 countries in freedom of trade in the "Index of Economic Freedom" report released by The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think-tank and The Wall Street Journal yesterday. The "Index of Economic Freedom" Is produced annually by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, appraises economic freedom based on 10 categories, namely trade freedom, labour freedom, fiscal freedom, business freedom, government size, investment freedom, property rights, financial freedom, freedom from corruption and monetary freedom. Countries whose scores fall between 80 and 100 per cent in the index are said to have free economies while mostly free economies are those scoring between 70 and 79.9, moderately free (between 60 and 69.9) and mostly non-free (between 50 and 59.9). Countries which score from 49.9 and below are rated as economically repressed.

Tourism - Bangladesh offers ample tourist attractions. It has good mangroves and natural ponds with clean water. Much of the country has been relatively untouched by modem technology and development. Many tourists find new flora and fauna and the colourful tribal life so enchanting. Bangladesh has the longest natural beach in the world. Sundarbans Reserve Forest site is one of the World Heritage sites and the most important mangrove forests in the world. It silently safeguards against the fury of flood / cyclones and provides timber, honey, medicine and nurtures a variety of fish and provides a lovely green canopy housing birds. Active environmentalists and nature lovers would love to be here! This is a good eco-tourism sight for world travelers!

Religious harmony: In spite of being a country proclaimed to profess Muslim religion, it seems to be a free country. 85% of the population is Muslim, but it is a land of religious freedom, harmony and tolerance. The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion but provides the right to practice the religion of one's choice. In fact I visited one village (Nagori - 35 kIns. from Dhaka) alongwith a group of neighbouring country's personnel. We are told that in the village, both Muslims and Christians live together peacefully, more or less in equal number. The villagers built a big church, replacing their old church on an estimated cost of Rs. 20 million tk! In India now building churches seem to be an impossible one, even where Christians are the majority. Countries that profess religious tolerance must take a leaf out from this country's religious harmony.

People: The people are well behaved both men and women move freely on the roads without fear. There is no restricted dress code. Most women wear traditional dress and the younger ones - churidhar. Most men wear casuals. Ordinary folk wear lungis. Irrespective of the educated and uneducated, the cycle rickshaw wallahs cater to all. The rich drive costly vehicles with scant respect to traffic rules. The roads are chaotic. All people seem to be in hurry may be the author's visit was on the eve of Rarnzan festival. One could see policemen with sticks in their hands, but fails to bring about strict discipline among the road users! There are good upcoming big housing and office multistory complexes along with poor colonies. The parliament building is majestic and looks like five-star hotel buildings. So also many mosques.

Malls: Handful of shopping malls exists. The shopping malls are full of people, some do few window-shopping. Most others are serious in getting something. It is a good sight to see rich people buying large quantities of dress materials (lungis and cheap variety sarees) and carrying in their own hands for distribution to the poor before the festival! Most of the shops display a "fixed rate" board but still the shrewd shoppers can have his / her way of getting things on 5 - 35% cheaper by bargaining. The cloth shops are full of saris of the latest type with stone / pearls / embroidery work. However, things seem to be more costly than in India!

Communication aids: Not many seem to be addicted to cell phones, unlike in India where many seem to become technology savvy and start displaying their cell phones in public. No wonder, even territories find a means in these aids. Not many computer and internet cafes and STD/ISTD telephone booths on the roads as we see in many other south Asian countries. If these things are considered as necessary communication items in a modernized world, to some extent, they are not in adequate numbers. Probably, this is also one of the indicators, which reflect the poor development, or the backwardness of the country. The food habits of the people seem to be similar to the neighboring countries.

Poverty: In spite of the impressive growth performance of the country during the last two decades, especially during the last one-decade, the majority people remains are poor. I am shocked to see the plight of the poor. It is not relative poverty but absolute poverty that's manifests here. The current per capita income is Tk.38056 (545 US$).

I know that there are poor in Bangladesh as any other Asian countries, but I never expected families sleeping on the pavements in large numbers in Dhaka city. Mothers sleeping on the pavements with their infants on their arms / chpSt, a mind-boggling sight!

There are few people from all age groups beg on the traffic signals. Even as early as 5 0' clock in the morning, one could see beggars in the traffic signals. Who is to be blamed? One could also see ultra rich persons / families driving important cars. There is vast number of middle class families. But what strikes one is the spread of poverty, which prevails! Is the successive failures of the various Governments, which assume office since 1971, or the poverty reduction strategy plan of successive governments and civil society organizations responsible for the mass failure to deliver the desired results? It looks like that!

Non-governmental organizations (NGOS): For the past one or two decades; there emerged a large number of NGOs and MFIs. The latter have been instrumental in introducing micro finance to the poor on the basis of group lending methodology. This methodology, now replicated in many other countries, consists of requiring those borrowers to form groups and that, within each group, borrowers themselves be responsible for a loan. Bangladesh is known globally for pioneering micro-credit activities. In fact, many countries adopted the idea from Bangladesh in their poverty alleviation efforts. Such is the goodness of Bangladesh MFI's wellness one hears in the outside world. Is this MFIs functioning to pull the families up the small success in poverty reduction the country achieved solely because of MFls and NGOs? One wonders. Crossing the line - It would have taken 5 to 8 years for someone to take 8 times loans from different institutions. In spite of 5-8 years of loans from different NGOs/ MFls, the Government poverty alleviation programme and also the presence of large number of NGOs and their direct programme, the plight of majority poor in Bangladesh is very pathetic. It reflects badly the NGOs and their work. Hailing from India and having a good knowledge of the Development sector, I do admit that this kind of dichotomy exists in few pockets in India too! But that is restricted to few areas, if not to a very few communities only. There are few pockets in Orissa / Bihar where despite the large presence of NGOs and Government poverty elimination programme, still many struggle to eek out a living. Over the past two decades, there has been lot of poverty reduction and reform process to help the poor, but these must have brought very little importance on the lives of the poor. So lapses in few pockets are a universal phenomenon. This is an exception, definitely but not the rule.

49% are poor: The current data from the World Bank and other Institutions if believed to be authentic states that 49% of the families are poor in Bangladesh - the highest number in the Asian region. Recently, in a workshop organized (Aug. '08) by the Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC), Data Analysis and Technical Assistance Ltd. (DATA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a paper was presented. Drawing on information collected from 1,800 households across rural Bangladesh, the study found that while close to half the households surveyed moved out of poverty, around one- fifth remained chronically poor and a small percentage fell into poverty. These households were found to be extremely vulnerable to unexpected shocks, such as illness, dowry and wedding expenses and floods. The study found that those households that have lower education levels, own less land, hold fewer non-land assets and livestock and have many young children and elderly members thus facing the most difficult challenge in escaping poverty.

The households in the study are based in 102 villages located in 14 of the country's 64 districts and were originally interviewed between eight and 14 years ago. The researchers revisited the same households in late 2006 and early 2007 to assess the changes in poverty and well being that occurred over time.

What is in store for Bangladesh and for other developing countries? In the end, it is very clear that it is not one measure / intervention by one institution / department which will bring prosperity to the poor, but only a combination of interventions which will work as a catalyst. There is a need for more infrastructure, new packages of practice to improve agriculture economy, adequate security for migrant labour's remittances, prevalent Government and safety nets schemes, NGO's social mobilization efforts and MFls meaningful micro finance with less interest, etc. There is a need for proper consultation of Government officials, people's representatives, civil society organizations and the press. One hope the new Government will make an attempt towards all this.

(The author is a Chennai-based Indian Development Consultant with 35 years experience in the field)

Poetry

Unless you

Dupur

I gave you my heart & soul& everything

And there is nothing for me unless you being

You are my heart & soul & everything

You are my world most beloved that i ever seen!

Oh, my beloved, please look up & see me

I am the angel & only the angel for your care

I gave you a cloudless sky, brook & my dearest things!

There is nothing for me unless you being.

Oh, my beloved, please fill up what my heart desire

I am the rose and only the rose for your sake

I gave you my days & nights and everything

There is nothing for me unless you being

Oh, my beloved, please make up & open your arms

I am the lover, only the lover to give you charm

I gave you my sweet pains and sorrows and everything

I wanna nothing in the world unless you being!!!

Eternity of love

Dupur

I am walking alone to the eternity

Uneven, rugged, dark and almost slippery,

But I have no care about the way

'Cause I know, I am a lifeless being

A woman with living-death

All her hopes has gone futile

All her dreams has shuttered by storms

Now she is crazy and frantic

A woman with living-death

Now she has nothing to loss in this earth

The storm of social prejudices made her wrath

'Cause she can't break the society's tradition.

There are a lot of people living in this vision.

Her heart still rises up to his love

Where will I get him? Where he went?

Love of eternity, eternity of love

Whey he shuts the doors of his love?

Where he went without me?

MY love never indulges any prejudice.

This path is decorated in its every way

I am walking alone to his love of ray

Now I have no fear to come to you

All things said good-bye, there are no barriers

Now I could take breath in the new air.

All wondrous, welcome us

It's telling me, how is he precious!

Love you, love you and love you evermore for you.

My heart echoes only those words only for you.

Now no more barrier, no more prejudices

Stand in front of us

We are walking hand to hand

There's no more factious.

Twenty-three tips for the best cycling

About 90 million American adults ride a bike at least once a year, nearly 30 million cycle regularly for recreation, and a few million even commute by bicycle, according to a recent article in American Demographics. Those numbers may rise in the next few years, thanks to federal legislation that encourages local communities to build cycling into their transit plans. That's good not only for the environment, but also for the nation's health, since cycling is one of the best forms of exercise around. It gives the heart and circulatory system a workout; it puts little stress on joints (except perhaps the knees); it can burn 400 to 700 calories per hour; and if you own a bike, cycling is free and can be done just about anywhere.

Here are some steps you can take to improve cycling performance, safety, comfort, and enjoyment:

Use your head

1. Absolutely crucial: always wear a helmet. Of the nation's 800 annual cycling deaths, head injuries account for about 60%. If all cyclists wore helmets, perhaps half of these deaths and injuries-especially in children-could be avoided. Choose a bright color, and make sure the helmet fits properly. It should sit horizontally on your head and shouldn't move about.

Do the right thing

2. Brake right. To exert optimal pressure, brake with your hands at the ends of the levers. For a quick stop, as you press the brakes firmly, slide your buttocks to the very back of the saddle. This will keep the rear of the bike down so that you don't flip over the handlebars.

3. On a long downhill, don't stay on your brakes. That may overheat the tire's rim and could cause a blowout. It's safest to "feather brake"-that is, tap the brakes, applying intermittent pressure. This is wise in wet weather, too.

4. Don't pedal in high gear for long periods. This can increase the pressure on your knees and lead to overuse injuries such as biker's knee. Shift to lower gears and faster revolutions to get more exercise with less stress on your knees. The best cadence for most cyclists is 60 to 80 revolutions per minute (rpm), though racers pedal in the range of 80 to 100 rpm.

5. Going uphill, shift gears to maintain normal cadence. On a long hill, conserve energy by staying in your seat.

6. When cycling at night or when visibility is poor, wear brightly colored, reflective clothing, and use your headlight. In fact, wearing bright colors is a good idea at any hour. Also consider a rear strobe-type light (attached to the bike or your belt) to enhance visibility at night.

Easy rider

7. Make sure your bike fits. Handlebars, saddle, wheels, gears, and brakes can all be adjusted to match your size and riding ability, but the frame has to fit from the start. To find the right frame size, straddle the bike and stand flatfooted: on a road bike, there should be one to two inches of clearance between your groin and the top tube. On a mountain bike, the clearance should be two to three inches or even more.

8. Position the saddle right to protect your knees. At the bottom of the stroke, your knee should be only slightly bent. If your knee is bent too much, the seat is too low, and you will lose stroking power and strain your knees. If the knee locks when extended, or if you have to reach for the pedal, the seat is too high, which can also stress the knee. The saddle should be level.

9. Position the handlebars correctly-one inch lower than the top of the seat. Drop handlebars (preferable because they allow you to change your riding position) should be about as wide as your shoulders or slightly narrower. Some cyclists who suffer from neck or back discomfort may prefer upright handlebars.

10. To avoid saddle soreness, get the right seat. The hard narrow seats on racing bikes can be particularly uncomfortable for women, who tend to have widely spaced "sit bones." Special anatomically designed saddles-wider and more cushioned at the back-are easy to install. Gel-filled saddles or pads or sheepskin pads can ease the pressure and friction.

11. Change your hand and body position frequently. That will change the angle of your back, neck, and arms, so that different muscles are stressed and pressure is put on different nerves.

12. Don't ride in the racing "drop" position (with your hands on the curved part of the handlebars) for a long time. This may cramp your hands, shoulders, and neck.

13. Unless you're an experienced cyclist, don't use those special aerodynamic handlebars-shaped like an upside-down "V"-which let you lean forward on your forearms and thus reduce wind drag and increase your speed. These increase the risk of injury.

14. After a long uphill, don't coast downhill without pedaling. As you climb up the hill, lactic acid builds up in your muscles and can contribute to muscle soreness. By pedaling lightly but constantly while coasting downhill (even if there's little resistance) you can help remove the lactic acid.

15. Keep your arms relaxed and don't lock your elbows. This technique helps you absorb bumps from the road better.

16. Wear the right shorts if you cycle a lot. Sleek cycling shorts have less fabric to wrinkle or bunch up, so there's less chance of skin irritation. For extra protection, choose cycling shorts with special lining or padding to wick away perspiration and no seams at the crotch.

17. Don't wear headphones. They can block out the street sounds you need to hear in order to ride defensively. Cycling with headphones is a misdemeanor in some areas.

Good road sense

18. Ride with traffic, obey all signs, and give right of way to cars.

19. Use hand signals to alert drivers to your intentions.

20. Try to make eye contact with drivers as you pull into an intersection or make a turn, so they know your intentions and you know that they've seen you.

21. Don't ride side by side with another cyclist.

22. Watch out for storm drains, cattle guards, and rail-road tracks. They're all slippery when wet. And if you don't cross them at a right angle, your front tire may get caught.

23. When cycling in heavy traffic, on a narrow road, or on winding downhill roads, ride in the lane with the cars, not to the side, where you're not as visible and may get pushed off to the side. Of course, if a car wants to pass, move out of the way.

And miles to go before I sleep

Sumaiya Anjum Kashfi

Every year, the top 5 debaters, chosen by (Bangladesh debating council) BDC get the chance to go to Worlds Schools Debating Championships. This year, the great event was being held in Washington, USA, the land where it all happens.

The debaters who were representing Bangladesh were Sumaiya Anjum Kashfi(yours truly) from Manarat, Zubair Idris from Mastermind , Nadiv Rahman and Samiul Karim from Skolastica and Syeda Nazifa Tasnim from the Aga Khan school.

We started our trip to Washington on 4th September via Qatar airways. And after 2 months of practicing and preparation, nauseated debate sessions and sleepless nervous nights, we held back our breath, as our plane landed in USA -the land of opportunities.

It had been a long journey for us. We were disheveled by our jet-lags, exhausted by the plethora of films that we had watched in the plane and added to all these was the gut-wrenching plane food. But even after these it was nothing but an exquisite twinge of joy for me to see Hyatt Reagency, our brick warm hotel, standing tall with elegance and welcoming arms for us. We were finally in the scene of action.

I don't like socializing, or chitchatting with unknown people. May be that was why I was overwhelmed by the presence of multi-colored people all around me. Bangladeshi people have a tendency to stare at foreigners, and I am proud to say that so do I. but it was the first time that I was being stared at by other country's people. In our hotel, every one was the foreigner. There were the pasty-skinned English team with their fancy accent and untidy air, the Indian team, loud and bickering around with their strong Asian accents; I observed the Israeli team (seeing whom, Zubair Idris, the hard core Islamist in our team shivered. There was the South African team with their smug faces. The team that attracted the most attention from everyone was team Qatar. It had a full Qatar TV crew following it around, and the familiar brown faces covered in scarves didn't take much long to make friends with team Bangladesh. As exhausted as we were, we couldn't wait for the tournament to start. We went to our beds with giddy heads and red eyes, holding our breath for the next day.

The debates were eventful. The first round was against Qatar , the motion was on religious schools, and team Bangladesh proudly defeated their friends. The next day we had a prepared debate against Zimbabwe . The motion to be debated was "This house supports military intervention to deliver emergency aid in humanitarian crises." even though we had a very good preparation, our coach insisted we stayed up late and finalized our speeches. Next morning, full of hope and spirit, Bangladesh, yet again defeated another team, this time Zimbabwe.

The debate that followed was going to be on the same day, against Lithuania. This time the topic involved public officials. Bangladesh won this one as well. USA was suddenly the most beautiful place on earth for us. We floated back to our hotel, gobbled down Big Macs for dinner and went back to work. After a whole night's preparation came our first defeat in the tournament, to team Sri Lanka. The topic was on environmental safety net and was a prepared topic. Zubair very quickly pointed out that one of the judges had been an Israeli, so much for being a sport. But we made it up by winning with team Romania in the next round. Half happy, half sad, we went back to our hotel, ending yet another day in Washington. But if that day had been bad, we had yet to see the worst. After another night's preparation, we were driven to another venue, to face the most reputed teams in the tournaments-New Zealand and South Africa consecutively. Unfortunately, we lost both, even after putting up the strongest defense. Only another preliminary round was left for us, this one against England. We just had to win that debate or else we would not move on to the octo finals. Pulling ourselves together, team Bangladesh, went to work yet again, what we did not know then was that it was going to be the very last debate for us in the tournament. The next morning, England defeated us unanimously, letting all butterflies loose in our stomachs. It was almost certain that we would not go to the Octo finals. The announcement of the teams that had broken for the octo finals was to be made that night. Despite our 4 wins and the fact that we needed 5 at least, to break, we held back our breath. But reality dawned on us soon enough when team Bangladesh was not announced as one of the breaking teams. Whatever we did to hide it, letting down 135 million people is no small deal.

So the rest of the days, we spent sight seeing and watching debates of other teams. For the first time in my life, I saw the white house, the place where so many people I admire had lived. I walked around Capitol Hill, and to my distaste, the space museum (it gave me headaches). To my utter horror, we were dragged to the shopping malls by our team mate Nazifa, I mean the food was excellent in the malls, but I just can not shop without my mother, I don't know why!

The rest of the days in the tournament went by with games of monopolies, friendly arguments and random tantrums. at the end I almost felt sorry for our coach Mabroor Wassey who had to endure 5 teenagers' hormonal ups and down 24/7.but the day of the Grand finale came by. I could not believe how the journey had suddenly ended and was just beginning to get upset when the team I supported, team England became the champions of the tournament with New Zealand as the runner-up. In the closing ceremony, we heard awe-inspiring speeches from Alfred snider, the debate guru of the west.

The food was great, the judges were amiable, the other debaters were like almost drew a map in the halls with their different language and countries. I will be a typical teenager in this instant by stating that the event was simply "joss".

The whole tournament was like a dream to me. I didn't even realize when it had finished. Everything was amazing; starting from the waffles served with maple syrup at breakfast up to the late nights in our rooms- everything. The experience was like no other experiences of mine. All the people I met in there brought new definition to my life. Then I knew that I had many more models to follow, way more to go, in the long road of life. The realization has been a milestone in my life. The feeling of aspiration, adventure, life, and friendship- everything is indescribable.

I want to end with a message to all my friends and manarites. There will be times, when we become successful. There are times when we start thinking of ourselves as The Person. I have experienced this in my life. But the most important thing at these moments is to carry a big stick and never leave the ground. We have to try to look around us, watch the people who have more achievements and feel thankful for what our Creator has given us. WSDC has been a great lesson for me, not only in terms of debating but also in terms of making friends and respecting other people and self-actualization .I thank all my teachers and friends and Manarat for standing by me, and praying for me through my entire journey. Last but not the least; I thank Allah for blessing me with such a grand opportunity.

(Sumaiya Anjum Kashfi is a student of A level of Manarat International School and College)

Event

WP Reporter

Farzana Shakil’s Bridal Package

Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon is back with its popular Bridal Packages starting Nov 1st 2008 to Jan 31st 2009 in time for the upcoming Bridal Season.

You can choose from a range of Bridal packages best suited to your individual needs and budget. Your bridal party can also enjoy the benefits of the packages designed especially for them. Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon also provides consultations on beauty care leading up to your Big Day.

For more information contact: 8812215 (Gulshan) or 9116057 (Dhanmondi)

Or visit the salons at the following addresses:

House 3/A, Road 28 (old)/ Road 15 (new), Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205

House 1/B, Road 5 (opposite Pizza Hut), Gulshan-1, Dhaka-1212

Kinder theater in Bangladesh

Goethe-Institut will arrange the inaugural ceremony of our workshop Theater for Children under the direction of Mrs Andrea Erl, Theater Mummpitz, Nürnberg on 9th November, at 5:30pm in the auditorium.

The Programme Officer of the Goethe Institut Mrs Shaheen Rashid, the organizer of this event, Mrs. Dominica Capozucca-Jachnow and in name of the theater groups of Bangladesh Mr. Debaprosad Debnath will open the occasion as chief guests.

On behalf of the International Bangladesh Centre, Mr Ataur Rahman and Mr M. Hamid President of the Bangladesh Group Theater will say a few words.

H.E. Einar Hebogård Jensen - Ambassador of Denmark have consented to be the Special Guest.

Shishu Shurokkha Andolon

Embark on to assure rights & Security for Children

Child Protection Movement (Shishu Shurokkha Andolon), a just born group of more than 135 children organizations is launched on 16 October on the second day of 'National Child Rights Week' being observed by Save the Children Sweden, Denmark (SCSD) and associate organizations at Romna Restaurant Complex, Ramna Park in the Capital. Cultural program and Fun Fair was organized on the occasion.

By sketching on the wish of children's eminent Artist and cultural personality Mustafa Monowar formally inaugurated in 10.30 a.m the launching of the first kind of such group of children organizations committed to work to establish children security and fulfillment of child rights. Mr. Niels Bentzen Pedersen, Country Representative SCSD along with Deputy Country Director Obaidur Rabman, Muslema Sari, Executive Director, CPO, Salma Ali, Executive Director, BNWLA, Imranul Huq Choudhury, Executive Director, and Uddipan and child representative Popis was present there. A number of 40 Children Club of 21 organizations associated with Save the Children Sweeden-Denmark (SCSD) along with other children organizations such as Eachchey Media, Child Brigade, Bhorer Alo, N C T F, BILLS, Auporajeo Bangladesh are united under the organization.

To assure health, education and security of children at all level and strengthen the effort of realizing their demand Shishu Shurokklza Andolon has embarked on vowing their pledges for undertaking a systematic movement to achieve their goals. The organization would opt for building public opinion through observation and taking up measures against child repression and torture.