Campus Edibles

Quenching the Summer Thirst

Naziba Basher
Photos: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

As much as Bangladesh is loved by all the youth and elderly alike, there is one thing that is enough to make them use harsh language against it the heat. Five to ten minutes outside an air conditioned room and one is bound to look like they have been soaked in a tub of oil. Heck, one will not only look it but he or she will feel it too!

But there is not much of an escape for students here as they have to spend their entire day running around doing assignments, projects, homework and classes. Yes, university life becomes a lot more hectic than it already is when summer decides to come in full throttle.

At times like these, one would wonder if there was one gateway to some peace and serenity, a hint of freshness somewhere.

The thought of fresh juices come in to mind ever so often but it is heartbreaking every time one wonders where to actually find it. No matter how fresh the people say it is, there is always a major disappointment when taking just the first sip and realizing that it is probably the furthest thing away from 'fresh'.

Netro Juice Bar has started its business on May 5, 2009 and have broken the rules of the Bangladeshi way of 'freshness' and brought us the real deal. There are around 20 different kinds of fresh juices, all hand made and right in front of your eyes. Netro Juice Bar is currently situated in Jhigatola Kacha Bazaar but will soon be shifting due to controversy which the owner has been facing from other store owners in the area. Even though the location may put quite a horrific image in one's mind, there is no doubt about the cooling sensation one will feel throughout every sip of the drink.

Fresh fruit drinks come as delights on a hot summer day.

Tousif Farhad, a student of Independent University Bangladesh and a regular customer of the juice bar says, “One of the reasons I love Netro Juice Bar is because it is so cheap and affordable for students. There are absolutely no additives and it is completely fresh. In this weather, the juices are perfect to refresh anyone and are also fulfilling enough to wipe away hunger.” About the owner and proprietor he says, “Mohon mama is a very humble man. He is very professional with his customers but you can see how he makes his drinks for them with so much care. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to the drinks because he knows what can react with what and give one a stomach ache or a bad experience. If one, by any chance, orders a juice that can react badly with the previous drink, mama will let them know that it will be harmful for them.”

Netro Juice Bar opens at around 5 o'clock in the afternoon and closes around 12-12:30 am. When Mohon Dasgupta, the owner and proprietor, is not available, his 10 year old son takes charge and runs the place as smoothly as he does.

“One of my most famous drinks is the ata malai with pesta. The customers seem to love it. Apart from that, I serve malta juice, pineapple juice and other seasonal fruit juices. This season, the kaacha aam juice is also becoming very popular,” says Mohon Dasgupta. Mohon gets around 500 customers per day and his store has become quite popular. “I could not find a good location earlier so I opened it here in Jhigatola. But the other store owners do not like the fact that I have a store situated there so I am planning on moving. I will move somewhere close by but I am not sure as to where exactly. I want to be situated close by so that my regular customers can still find me easily,” adds Mohon. All the juices cost within a range of Tk 20 to Tk 65 and they are all made with fresh fruits and herbs are added in.

With the heat getting in to the skin all the way to the bone and making life a little more miserable when added to the pollution and traffic, one could really do with a little cooling off in the middle of the busy streets and what better way to do it than with the freshest of juices mixed with minty herbs? Netro Juice Bar is here to save you from it all!

DID YOU KNOW?

George Clooney

Actor George Timothy Clooney was born in Lexington, Kentucky on May 6, 1961 (turning 51 today). His mother, Nina Bruce is a former beauty pageant queen. His father, Nick Clooney, is a former anchorman, as well as a game show and American Movie Classics host. Clooney's ancestry includes Irish, German, and English. Clooney was raised a strict Roman Catholic. Clooney began his education at the Blessed Sacrament School in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Spending part of his childhood in Ohio, he attended St Michael's School in Columbus, and St Susanna School in Mason. In middle school, Clooney developed Bell's palsy, a debilitating condition that partially paralyzes the face. The malady went away within a year. "That was the worst time of my life," he told the Daily Mirror in 2003. "You know how cruel kids can be. I was mocked and taunted, but the experience made me stronger. His parents eventually moved to Augusta, Kentucky, where Clooney attended Augusta High School. He has stated that he earned all As and a B in school, and was an enthusiastic baseball and basketball player. He tried out to play professional baseball with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 1977, but was not offered a contract. He did not pass the first round of player cuts. He attended Northern Kentucky University from 1979 to 1981, majoring in Broadcast Journalism, and very briefly attended the University of Cincinnati, but did not graduate from there either. He had odd jobs such as selling men's suits and cutting tobacco!

Information Source: Internet.