Porijayee pakhi mela at TSC

8 and 9 May could as well have been a “Birdie weekend” for the school-going kids of Dhaka. In celebration with the international Porijayee (migratory) Birds day (May 8), Dhaka University Tourist Society, Bangladesh Bird Club, Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bird Preservation Society, Bangladesh Bonno Prani Shomiti, Bangladesh Scouts and the Forest Department jointly organized the 'Porijayee Pakhi Mela' at DU's Teacher Student Centre (TSC). Renowned bird specialist Inam Al Haque inaugurated the 2 day-long festivities by flying colourful balloons, which was followed by a rally bubbling with exuberant children wearing bird-masks and holding paper birds as kudos to their avian friends. Later, they enjoyed a musical performance by Ronjit Das Baul following a children's drawing competition. A photographic exhibition on different porijayee birds displayed works by Inam Al Haque, Majeda Haque, Jamir Uddin Faysal, C. M. Reza and Samiul Mohsenin.

“This is supposed to be a bird fair, so where're the real birds?”-- some pouting kids asked this reporter. The organizers' view on this was that, although most people think of a bird fair as an exhibition of birds in cages, this idea in itself is quite brutal. Birds belong to the free blue sky and should never be subjected to such cruelty. Hence this year's slogan“Pakhira shob beche thak, Prithibita jure thak”. They also stressed on using the word 'Porijayee' instead of 'Otithee' when addressing the migratory birds, as one of the prime objectives of this festival, the organizers said, was to raise national as well as international awareness about treating these birds as national assets rather than foreign entities as a means of protecting them.

The day-long festivities on May 8 also included quiz, video show, slide show on birds and continued on May 9 with children drawing pictures of birds accompanied by renowned artist Hashem Khan.

By Raisa Rafique

The game was held in the ISD Gymnasium and there were 8 teams that were split into groups of 4. These 4 played against each other to determine the 2 semi finalists who eventually made it into the finals and then, the knockout round.

The play-offs started with a friendly game between the 7NA girls and ISD wolves and the 7Nation girls won with Alaina Hamid recognized as the MVP.

The competition continued with the boy's team being pitted against one another. The Semi-finals were played between 7Nation and ISD Hawks, where the Hawks defeated 7Na after a heated match. The knockouts ensued with It's All Good vs. ISD Hawks with the organizer's team, It's All Good, winning the trophy.

The event was a Club Orange supported tournament. Club Orange is an exclusive member's only club targeted at bringing entertainment to the youth of Dhaka (FINALLY!).

The proceeds from this event, 17000 in total, went to charity through the Rotary Club of Dhaka Central. The institutions benefited were Scholars Special School for the mentally handicapped and Uttarun Schools for the underprivileged. If you wish to be a doll and help out these institutions please contact 11/15 Iqbal Road, Mohammedpur, Dhaka 1207.

By Musarrat Rahman
(Special thanks to Arman Mohammed for helping out yours truly who is completely football illiterate.)

Hotter than the Sun

Summertime! The hottest days of the year are approaching, and, gentleman, you know what that means. The beach, the swimming pool, and the football field are all going to be packed. There is no better time of year to whip your shirt off and show off that killer “bod” you have been building for the last couple months. Now is a better time than ever to conquer the fear of walking around shirtless. Soon, there will not be enough admirers gawking at the slick “ceps”, the sexy “six pack”, and the bulging “pecs”. Guys, it is time to build that summer body.

The reason the time has to be now is that this is no easy process. The routines are rigorous, and demand that you do not falter. The first part is eating habits. One last night out stuffing yourself with KFC and Bella Italia is recommended, because you will not see that food for a long time. Anything with lots of oil in it is a big “no-no”. Instead, focus a lot on vegetables, especially the green ones. Take an extra heap of lentils with each meal, and cut back on rice and other carbohydrates. Make sure you grab some extra meat- you'll need the protein! For dessert, try some pineapple or a simple apple and orange fruit salad. Cakes and ice cream are going to have to become special delicacies. If you do not eat right, none of the exercises will have noticeable effects. Remember, eating right does not mean eating bad food. If you like grilled chicken or stir-fry beef, then eat all you want. Just give Colonel Sanders and his crispy fried stuff a break. It's not too good for you.

The exercises that are good for the ultimate summer look are quite simple. For guys who feel like they need to cut down on weight, run! Run until you feel like you cannot run and then run for 10 minutes more. Your body will naturally adjust and shave off the extra kgs. However, if you feel you are reasonably fit, skip to the next step- sit-ups. Sit-ups are crucial to having killer abs, but not just any sit ups- oblique sit-ups. Lie down on the floor and put your feet up on the foot of your bed, so they are elevated above your body. Then, put your hands criss-crossed across your chest and start going through the sit up motions. Remember to pace yourselves in all these exercises- doing 15 repetitions in 4 sets is better than doing 60 repetitions in one set. These sit ups target the six pack muscles and will give you abs in no time. The next exercise is the push up. However, the simple push-ups are a thing of the past- clap push ups are the present. Get down in normal push up position, just when you come up, clap as hard as you can before you go down again. This exercise will give you pectoral muscles like the 'Hof. Finally, the last exercise is pull-ups. Find any level bar that is taller than you are, grab it so your knuckles are facing you, and put your hands shoulder width apart. Then, pull yourself up so your chin crosses the bar. Do not forget to do repetitions and multiple sets. It is going to be the endurance that gets you your muscles.

This routine works. If you stick to it, the only guy that is going to be mad at you is the one whose girlfriend just dumped him for you. Good luck to you all, and let's soon hope summertime gets here a little bit faster.

By Ihsan B. Kabir

The kalboishakhi's dancer

By Safieh Kabir

The sky was grey tinted glass
Which cracked apart with a terrible sound.
The great trees bowed down to the power of the storm,
The rain lashed out at the parched ground.
Yet she cared not
As she danced into the howling wind,
As she danced under the silver sky;
Mercury falling in glistening drops,
Heaven showering money upon her.
The raindrops were pearls on her brow,
The lightning her illumination,
The wind mimicked her graceful movements,
The earth touched her dancing feet.
Trees no longer bowed to the storm-
For now they submitted to her;
To the fearlessness with which she danced in the rain,
Quite forgetting the storm.
Lost in the trance,
In which she danced,
Pirouetting and twirling with the grace of the wind;
Her tresses floating like rainclouds
Around the moon of her perfect face.
But nothing can be perfect
For the world will not let it be;
The lightning stabbed her
And she fell to the ground-
Finally now, her spirit free.
She smiled as the earth cradled her,
The wind caressing her face;
She smiled as the storm blew past her-
Out of the world,
Out into space.