Rising Soap

Real-life dramain the office
By Sabrina F. Ahmad

Ever wonder what goes on in the madhouse responsible for the boon and the bane of your Thursdays, namely in the Rising Stars office? Well, read on, and...uh, well, enjoy it, I guess.
Cast of characters for this week besides the usual:
Riyana, Boycott Babe, Solitary Sniper, Alex , Alien Angel (yes, our extraterrestrial cyber-guru is back!), Armeen, Afreen,Hamdu Mia - yes, our king of controversy returns this week and ,Wicked Sinner.
Also introducing our newest recruit - Ishita
Episode Four:
From today's cast of characters, you can tell that the whole team's back together after a long gap.
The uproar inside the little cubicle was deafening.
(Enter the Mood Dude and Riyana)
Remember the ominous phone in the second episode of Rising Soap? Well, it started ringing.
Riyana: "Hello? Yes...yes...really?" (Her grin widens as she looks at Mood Dude.) "Alright. Bye" (hangs up).
Mood Dude: "Well?"
Riyana: "That was Soshma (not her real name). She says she might drop in sometime today.
Mood Dude (grinning): "Oh boy! Wait till Boycott Babe hears about this!"
TGND: "No more Connection...boo hoo!"
W S: "Oh my God! What's going to happen to the lovebirds?"
TGND: "I was just getting the hang of the gift idea section..."
(Enter Armeen and Afreen)
TGND: "Bhabeee...."
Afreen: "Ack!" (Runs out of the way)
Armeen: "Ooh, Bhabee...muah, muah" (fakes high-society kisses in the air)
Mood Dude: "What's with those nuts?"
Alien-Angel (leaning over from the adjacent cubicle): "It's..."
Riyana: "...not your problem anymore...yeah, yeah, really guys...that line has been done to death."
(Enter Hamdu Mia)
The girls: "Hamdu's back!"
Armeen (in an undertone, to TGND): "And he's got his hair back...some of it."
TGND: (also in undertones) "Mmm...has he been working out?"
WS: "Oi! I heard that!" (Shoots a murderous look at the sheepish TGND).
Hamdu Mia, in a tribute to the two cheeky brothers who recently got the death penalty (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read the paper), raises two fingers in a jaunty 'V' for victory. Mood Dude sniggers. The door opens. (Choruses of 'oohs' and 'aahs' as background music. Enter Solitary Sniper with an attractive stranger in tow).
SS: Guys, this is Ishita, the new recruit I was talking about.
Ishita (smiling shyly): "Hi..."
TGND: "W-o-w".
Mood Dude: "Earth calling Girl Next Door!"
TGND is spared from replying, rather, Mood Dude is spared from a painful fate, by the door opening again.
Alex walks in, and he's psychedelic no more...about the psycho part, I can't tell. He's followed by the Boycott Babe.
Riyana: "Guess who's coming!"
Boycott Babe (Raising an eyebrow): "I don't have to. You're going to tell me anyway."
Riyana (unruffled): "Soshma!"
Boycott Babe (gnashing her teeth): "Oh, how nice...I can't wait..."
(Enter Da Big Boss)
DBB: "Alright! You guys have been making a racket long enough. Into the conference...(she pauses, remembering the previous issues of Rising Soap)
"One...two...three...hup! Hup! Hup!"
The others exchange quizzical glances as they file into the conference room. The door swings shut and a hushed silence falls over the Daily Star office...
So what happens inside the Conference Room? What's the deal with Armeen and TGND addressing each other as "Bhabee"? What will happen when the mysterious 'Soshma' meets the Boycott Babe? Find out next week.

Salespeople equal to devils

By Gohkra

In America they have polls for everything. They will poll to find out how many people eat their toe clippings or how many think Chinese live in China Town of San Francisco. The former came up in a magazine several years ago. I forgot the percentage because there were several other interesting (?) poll findings. The fact is that it was alarmingly high enough to make me think of coming up with a toenail recipe. But this is not about polls but about one of the findings. Recently a magazine organized a hunt for the lowliest of all creatures. Salesmen came a close winner. Americans do not trust salespeople especially the door-to-door types. In our country the scenario isn't much different.
Salespeople are tricky, sneaky and often freaky. They can twist and connive in ways you couldn't imagine to imagine. Their life depends on making sales whether it is dubious or not. They will do anything to transfer the contents of your pockets to theirs. Each has a reputation and in people's eyes the reputation precedes a lot of smoke accompanied by two horns and a tail. Yes, salesmen are sometimes seen as the devil. It started off with the serpent in the Garden of Eden. This particular snake went door to door selling apples that were actually forbidden by a food regulatory organsation.
In fact at that time there were no doors so the snake could barge in and besides it had only one couple to sell to. As a result mankind was doomed to eternal damnation to be spent here on earth. Since then doors have been invented allowing some form of protection from theses salesmen. Sure, we can slam the door on their faces when they come to us but what about when we need to purchase something? One of the worst type is the fruit vendor. They have their typical fruity smile and will try to sweet talk you into believing they have the best edibles in the world. They are a slight modification on the old fox in charge of chicken coop theme. When they are in charge of loading up your bag, prepare for a surprise at home. At least the good thing is that you can always depend on them to help you stock up rotten fruits for concerts and other programs. Clothes salesmen are not that far off from their sneaky ways either. They have strategically placed lighting that illuminates your choice. It's only when you have reached the comfort of your home that the true fact about lights damns on you. Bright light diffuses color and cunningly hides imperfection. The worst probably are the car salesmen. They will artfully pass off a clunker as a gem. If you look at the cars in the showrooms often you will see some that have lousy paintjobs. Of course only certain car freaks notice this but hey, this exists. People often buy damaged cars thinking these are fresh pieces off the treadmill. Changing the odometer reading is an old trick. It shows that the car has run very few miles. All this paints a pretty dire picture. Desperate to make sales they dupe people. It harms customer trust in the long run. But then again, most business people don't intend to stay in business too long.
This doesn't mean that there are not any honest vendors around but they are an endangered species. Life for us consumers is hard.

Letter To The RS Editor

Is There Any Editor For Rising Stars
As a regular reader of Daily Star, we have high hope and respect for the people engaged in the editing in all parts of publication of the Daily Star. But unnoticed writings like " BBA Syndrome!" raise questions about the writer of the topic and also the editor. One-sided bias to a reputed institution of Dhaka and no knowledge about the BBA program in the public sector university is the main theme of these write-ups. Even who started that BBA Program first is also unknown to the writer. We hope Mr. Editor (both DS and RS) will clarify his/her position.
Best Regards,
Tanvir, JU From an e-mail

DO Public university produce BBA Graduates?
After reading a recently published article in the rising star titled "BBA Syndrome", I am totally confused that whether our public universities produces any BBA Graduates? According to the article, one raise question whether only IBA ( a part of a reputed public university) and the private universities are the lone BBA providers? I think the editors should edit before publishing the articles of these so called writers.
Best regards,
Tanvir, JU From an e-mail

Dear Tanvir, JU,
"BBA Syndrome!" by Naureen Sofia Rahman published on 3 July issue of the Rising Stars, a publication of the Daily Star seems to have given you enough reason for a bad heart burn. Unfortunately, the writer and you are talking in two different contexts and wavelengths. I encourage you to send in your view in the form of an article, and please don't fail to point out how this article was badly written and how it could have been better edited.

tete-a-tete

By The Girl Next Door

Hey everyone!
Aaah! No more teachers, no more books…hey, wait…I am the teacher…shame on me! Anyway, Dhaka's been rather exciting of late, what with fabulous concerts on every other night. Music's in the air, and so is love, apparently, considering the letters I've been receiving recently. The first one is from our friend Takrim, who says:
"There are a number of times when I found the Rising Stars introducing article about love. The writers have different points of view about it. Some say love is just loss and others try to justify what love really means in life.
I do believe in love. But it is not a loss and surely it is very important for every person to know what it can produce to a life. My name is Takrim. I've given my O' levels and this short life of mine I have experienced what love is. I loved this girl 'F' from a young age but did not let her know about it. It's been about 4 to 5 years but she still doesn't have a clue. I feared that if I let her know about my feelings, her refusal will really break my heart. I was waiting for the perfect moment to ask her. I don't meet her, and nor do I talk to her on the phone. One thing for sure, when you love someone, it's important that you love that person rather than whether that person loves you back. I fell in love again with a girl I was related to. For a time we were in a relationship but it did not work out. After our break up we remained very good friends. I love her more than F and maybe I cannot love anyone like that. But she did not feel for me that way. She only had a crush on me. So I am now looking for a girl who is made for me and who can change my life, because this loneliness I am in is not worth living with it. But still I believe love is very important in life. This love has changed my life. I conclude this by saying "Love is Life"."
Okay, while we figure that one out, here's another reader, Black Rose, who wanted to have her confusions about love cleared out. She says:
"I have a Net-friend; he is 25. He used to have a girlfriend he was very close to. The girl has recently got married, and now my friend says that he doesn't love her anymore, and that it had all been a nightmare. Just imagine! Love is so cheap for the male species! What does it actually mean to them…that we love someone as long as we're together, and the moment we're separated, we forget that we ever loved? Ilove someone, and we are separated, but I still can't forget him, and nor can I stop loving him. Does this only happen with us girls then? Do boys treat love as a source of recreation only? Is 'love' wholly related to the physical aspects of a relationship? Is it only something for fun? Don't strong feelings, or strong emotions exist amongst two persons who are in love? See, according to many, people who love should get married. Would you agree that boys are less emotional, that they treat everything very lightly? That they live for the moment? I admit that there are some girls of this type, and on the whole I've lost faith in love itself."
Well, Black Rose, we did have a brief discussion following your letter, and since you wish for me to keep the details of that correspondence confidential, let me just say this much: let's not make this into a gender issue, okay? The attributes you've discussed, the indifference, the superficiality, the tendency to live for the moment and not care about the future, none of these are characteristic of any specific gender type. There are individuals to whom 'love' is just a game, but for the most part, I think your confusion mainly arises from this annoying habit that people have of slapping the 'love' label on to mere infatuation. Readers, what do you say? What would you say to the authors of either letter printed today? I'll be waiting for your feedback.
I'll be dealing with your response next week after which we have this very interesting issue on summer jobs coming up., Send your polls, opinions and comments to: thegirlnextdoor1@hotmail.com.