Jazzing up interiors

Nishat Afrose: I wonder if my picture will come out nicely in RS

You have a grand dinner tonight and the house needs to look 'perfect'. The kitchen door welcomes you with a blow because it's too low, the water spills over your clothes while washing the dishes as the sink is too high and the fire from the stove is too warm since the exhaust fan is on the wrong side. What you need is an interior designer, one who'd make your dull white walls look pretty with a few prints here and your lounge more comfortable by placing the right things in the right places. Nishat Afrose, an architect, interior designer and director and founder of Sky High Institution has more to tell us.

RS: What does it take to be an interior designing?

N.A: Interior designing is interesting and effort-demanding. Anyone who enters the path has to be sincere.

RS: What are the academic qualifications required for studying interior designing?

N.A: Universities accept 10+2. They have their own criteria, so it's better to get the information regarding admission from the universities. Nowadays you have a number of private institutions teaching interior designing. A diploma course, which these private institutions provide, is a shortened version of the university degree. So, few things are different. But, at the end you see quite a number of successful interior designers who just has a diploma. The private institutions don't demand much of the students; anybody who wishes to join can do so. However, in some cases they do set criteria to maintain a limited number of students.

RS: Is there any particular subject that has to be studied before joining interior designing?

N.A: Mathematics plays a big role and every institution - whether private or university - asks for that. Science subjects also come in use. Different institutions have different sets of preferred subjects. As far as my ideas are concerned, I'll say anybody can do it if they want to

RS: Once somebody is a fashion designer, how much work is in store for him or her?

N.A: Mark my words when I say that there are countless numbers of works to be done and more cropping up each day. But that doesn't come in a boom as soon as you become an interior designer. You've got to wait, go for an internship (in case of a diploma), and with patience and hard work make your way up.

RS: How exactly is that done?

N.A: In the same way as any other designing. You've got to maintain personal contacts with potential customers and advertise yourself in any way possible. Above all, whenever you do a job, you must do it in the best way possible because that work becomes your reference. The charisma of your work is spread by word of mouth of your customers. As soon as that's done, more people flock in to get things done by you.

RS: All that goes for self-business. What other paths are open to an interior designer?

N.A: Ah, wide ranges of options are available to an interior designer! One can get a job; become a graphic designer or a field designer, at times some prefer to become a teacher. Nowadays, bigger furniture companies like Hatil are hiring interior designers to design furniture for them. The working field for an interior designer is simply wide and it's expanding each day. But as I said nothing happens in a zippy you've got to wait and gather experience and slowly work your way up.

RS: Some laugh at the idea of studying interior designing, while some complain it's expensive. What have you got to say about that?

N.A: If I care about what other people think, then I'll never get to see the face of success and happiness. I became an architect because I wanted to be and I am carrying on with it because I love doing it. There should be no other reason than these to study something. Besides, everything is expensive but yes, some are made 'extra-expensive'. As for studying interior designing, I don't ask my students to use expensive draft pens and model papers, which reduce the expense. After all, at the end every designer designs on the computer screen. Such measures could be taken to reduce the expense but besides that the other expenses are reasonable. If you want to study something that's unique, it's sure to cost you more, isn't it?

RS: So, in the end, it's all worth it?

N.A You know what? Sometimes hardwork and expense is worth the effort and this is one of those fields where you'll not regret later on. But before you start, ask yourself honestly if you are really up for it. It's not easy, but it's great!

By Niloy & Diya

Diary entries about the New Year of...

The Social Butterfly

Dear Diary,
Today I just saw the most darling outfit in Gulshan. I think it'll be just perfect for that coveted New Year's bash at the Ritz. I heard Ashiq and Raj are gonna be there, plus that new hottie on the block what's his name? Oh yea, Faisal. I've been keeping tabs on who seems to be hitting on him and I don't like the way Shahana's been eyeing 'him. The New Year's party will be the best place to show off what I've got and elbow her out of the way. I've already updated my social calendar for the New Year and it's booked for the week after and before the 31st. I've been rummaging through magazines and stuff for what the stars are wearing on the last days of this year. Got to keep in style!

The introvert computer geek

Dear Diary,
Oh darn its New Year again. Another year of new computer viruses, crashes and software uploads. I've never been able to get over the Millennium scare of total computer shutdown back in 2000. Since then I've been suspicious of every New Year Eve. Today my mom was bugging me to 'get out' a bit more and I think she's even planning to kick me out of the house on New Year's eve so that I can at least spend 1 day out of 365 'not staring at the blue computer screen'(in her words). Hmph. Like that's ever going to happen! For one thing I don't just 'stare' at the computer; what a waste of kilobytes that would be! And also I have big things planned with Winamac (I've decided to name my laptop…how cool is that?)…

The 'cool' spoiled rich guy

Dear Diary,
New Year Eve cuming up. Can't wait. Uncle promised he'd get me that new Sony PDA that just came out plus the latest iPod. I've been whining to Dad also about how its not fair that I get to take the Sports car for a spin only a few days a week and I think I can maneuver him to let me have it for 3 straight nights (New Years eve plus the day before and after). The guys and I plan to hit all the hotspots in Dhaka and we currently have a bet as to hu can pick up the most girls on one night. Have to go now and make arrangements for the 'refreshments' on that night…plan to be dead drunk by the stroke of twelve…maybe won't even take that long…

The goody goody nerd

Dear Diary,
Guess what? Today I finished solving 5 years of the Math question paper. That too in only 4.5 hours! One whole hour less than last time! Today I glanced at the calendar to organize my study schedule for next month and realized that 31st December was right around the corner. This is good and bad news. The good news is that I probably won't be bothered the whole day by friends persuading me to soak in the sun a bit but the bad news is that I probably won't be able to burn the midnight oil because of all the noise outside on New Year's Eve. That really sucks 'cause I was planning to finish studying the theory of relativity and comb through the new 500 page physics book on particle physics I got the other day, that night. Why do people have to be so frivolous? Why can't we celebrate the New Year by having more seminars on the newfound theorems of calculus and M-theory instead on partying the whole night long?

By Nisma Elias

Vote for me
(A begging leader)

Hey %*^#@! Get up and get lost at once or I will break this rod on your head!!", growled someone in the dark. I was awaken by these beautiful words at 3 am. What a good morning! ( If it is called morning at 3 am.) I rubbed my eyes and saw a monster in front of me after waking up! "Can you believe it? Oh my God! Oh it is not a monster, it is a police", I thought. Then I started to run away but could not. Another monster caught me up. He took me to the police van. All happened within a blink of eye. I could not feel if it was happening or I was still dreaming. But it was real because suddenly someone (or a monster) kicked me so hard that my eyes were full of tears and I shouted, "Mom, he is killing me". But there was no one to hear my voice as I had no mom.

That is an incident I can not forget. I was a tokai (street child). I can still feel the pain of that day which in a way shaped my life. I have told you that incident so that you have pity on me and support me. Anyway, hello I am Gola Kata Kalu. I am a leader of a political party. Though I am not called GKK or Gola Kata Kalu anymore. Now I am well known as AL Hajj Moiniuddin Islam Chowdhury. The last part of my name is the favorite one to me. I inserted that when I realized I can earn more in politics rather than by gola kating (cutting off the neck).My politics is going on well. I am the proud owner of six TV channel, two banks, three newspapers and an airport. Hey you can't believe that? I can do anything in my airport and most importantly my gang is the sole service provider of smuggling in that airport. So I am the king of the world… or at least king of the nation. Ok, I agree am not but some day I will be! Take it as a promise from GKK sorry MIC.

Let us come to the point why I am telling you this. Because I have been nominated by another political party (last time I was nominated by their rival) once again. So vote me and choose me to have the best possible service. I have the experience. I can feel the pain of mass people. I am the best option…. I have come so far from a tokai to a well known leader with you blessings. I badly need your blessings one more time. I assure I will not disturb you after that for five years. So please vote for me.

By Saief Parag