Commentary

History repeats itself…

When Brian Lara made his 375 not out against England in 1994, little did the world know that this batting maestro would come back after 10 years and break, the world record set by Matthew Hayden, against the same opposition at the same ground. It is a remarkable feat for any batsmen, with other players around the world suggesting that it was almost humanly impossible.

Brian Lara's innings of four hundred runs, and of course take into account that he was not-out at the end of it, goes into the record books as the first quadruple-century in the history of Test cricket. He also joins batting great Sir Donald Bradman as the only two cricketers in the history of the game to score two triple-hundreds.

Celebrations were in the air as soon as he regained the world record for the highest test score, with Lara punching the air in delight. Thousands of fans in the Antigua Recreational Ground cheered on the West Indies's favourite son. The new Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, who came out to the field in the middle of the game to embrace the batting genius, summed up the amazing gesture shown by the West Indian people.

The record-breaking innings was for 13-1/4 hours and he scored his 400 runs in 584 balls. Lara showed great character when he was nearing the world record, hitting a six and a four to break Matt Haydens record, at the end of it all he just oozed confidence. The innings holds more meaning because of the unbelievable pressure Lara was under. With West Indian cricket going through a tumultuous time nowadays, the pressure was on skipper Lara to produce an innings, and under these circumstances he fired in all cylinders. His batting talent was also allowed to shine because he got constant support at the other end, something that has been rare in the West Indies batting line-up.

Lara has definitely silenced the critics who were right at his back. With an innings that almost no one else can emulate at present, the batting maestro has drawn praise from almost all the cricketing greats, both past and present. Although he hasn't been all that consistent over the years, he definitely proved to the world that he's back, and when Lara's on song, he's one of the most elegant strokemakers in the world.

The Tigers or the Bangladesh Cricket team tour the West Indies next month, so lets just hope that Lara is not on the same sort of form. With the Bangladeshi bowling line-up and the form of the Windies batsman, we could very well see five hundred runs just for Lara!

By Mishel Ali Khan

Parlour wise

Reflexology at Yamazaki

You must be wondering by now that what this reflexology could possibly mean. Well, reflexology is still a new concept for women of our country. The great benefits that this Japanese healing method can bestow on one's health and mind, though, will soon popularise this idea amongst the health and beauty conscious people of Dhaka.

Yamazaki is a beauty parlour plus a massage centre that provides reflexology to their clients. Reflexology helps to prevent and control numerous diseases that infect our head area, musculo-skeleton, endocrine, heart and circulatory, lymphatic, digestive, urinary and respiratory system. Reflexology is a preventive therapy that helps to stimulate different organs of the body and help them work better with new vigour. Although reflexology is a popular treatment in the western world, Bangladeshi women are yet to be aware of the endless usefulness of this Japanese traditional health massage. A full body massage will cost you Tk.700 at Yamazaki.

Trained by Japanese experts, Yamazaki's owners are experienced in reflexology and so are their staffs. Owned by Kai Yamazaki, Syeda Sakeya Arefeen and Tahmina Yasmin, Yamazaki also offers all the other regular services that general beauty saloons provide. At present, Yamazaki beauty parlour is offering a 20% to 30% discount on reflexology as an attempt to popularise this Japanese concept among the Bangladeshi women. So you too can visit this place and experience their Japanese massage and feel the difference.

Yamazaki beauty parlour also offers Japanese traditional facial masks for tk.700. The place also offers waxing, threading, make-up, mehendi, hair cutting, hair colouring, manicure, pedicure etc.

You can sometime visit this parlour that has a homely environment to enjoy their reflexology treatment and relieve your body from stress and pressure.

If you want to know more about this beauty saloon plus massage centre, you can also logon to their website, which is www.yamazakibd.com.

Address: House # 44, Road # 15, Block # D, Banani, Dhaka.

By Wara Karim

Learn to reuse

Many products that we dump can be reused in one or more ways. The less you dump, the more you contribute towards waste management. Reusing materials can reduce the garbage produced by every household. Proper trash treatment would largely add to the noble cause of keeping our city clean. Let's take a glance at few ways to reduce waste.

Use cloth napkins instead of tissue.
Use pens and pencils which can be refilled.
Use the empty jars of food items to store/keep biscuits and similar dry foods.
Preserve those cloth, jute and paper bags given by various stores for future use.
You can give away your old books, clothes and furniture, even your beverage bottles and cans to those people who can still make a good use of them.
The large paper boxes that we receive with electrical appliances come really handy especially while moving to a new house so save them for a better future purpose.
Instead of throwing away the cotton that comes in a bottle of pills, use it. Save it in the same bag as all of your regular cotton balls, and use it the next time you need a cotton ball. Use the tabs off aluminium cans to hang pictures. Just tack them to the back of the frame and you have a nice wall-hanger. You can make hair accessories, such as scrunchies, with scrap fabrics. Fabric scraps can also be used for wrapping presents. Use it like paper, or make into gift bags. You can make a more formal, structured gift bag, or simply make a drawstring bag. Alternatively, cut out shapes from the design of the fabric, and use to decorate gifts wrapped in plain brown paper. You can also tear the fabric into strips and use them as ribbon. Save and reuse plastic sandwich bags and paper lunch bags. Depending on what was stored in the plastic bag previously, you may want to wash it before re-using it. Use old socks to dust blinds, clean mirrors and windows, or buff up your shoes. There is no end to creativity.

By Wara Karim

A true taste of Asia by Tommy Miah

Lamb Vindaloo
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients:
Paste
½ ounce garlic, 1 ounce ginger, 8 red chillies, 10 (1-inch) cinnamon sticks, ½ ounce cumin, ½ ounce coriander seeds, ½ ounce turmeric powder, 3 ½
ounces malt vinegar
Marinade
½ ounce black peppercorns, 3 green chillies, 4 ounces malt vinegar, ½ ounce sugar, 8 green cardamom pods, 8 whole cloves, Salt, to taste
Vindaloo
1 ½ pounds leg of lamb, 2 ounces onions, 7 ounces potatoes, 3 ½ ounces groundnut oil, Oil for frying, Salt, to taste, ½ ounce coriander
Method:
For Paste:
Peel and roughly chop garlic. Peel and roughly chop ginger. Combine garlic and ginger with rest of ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 2 ounces water to make a fine paste.
For Marinade:
Crush peppercorns with mortar & pestle. Wash, stem & deseed chillies. Combine crushed peppercorns and chillies with rest of ingredients.
For Vindaloo:
Trim leg of lamb, removing excess fat. Debone and cut into 1-inch cubes. Combine lamb cubes with marinade and let sit 1 hour. Peel and finely chop onions. Set aside. Wash, peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Deep fry potatoes in oil over medium heat until golden brown. Clean, wash and chop coriander. Heat oil in large sauté
pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown. Add paste and cook until fat is melted. At this time, add marinated lamb, along with marinade, stirring 2 minutes. Add approximately 1 quart water, bring to boil, then cover and simmer until lamb is tender. Now add the potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft.

Hanging Out

Sweetmax

So you like the sweet service at Pizza Hut, the youthful ambience of Boomers, or the exclusivity of Premium Sweets. Ever wished you could enjoy all these things at once? Well, now you can. After enjoying tremendous popularity at their three Best Eat outlets in Chittagong, the Yunusco Centre brings you Sweetmax, their first fast-food joint in Dhaka.

The first thing that catches the eye is the spaciousness. From the entrance to the seating area, this 80-seater has ample room for ease of movement. The combination of glass partitions, gleaming tile floors, and pastel-coloured walls in shades of violet and butter yellow gives the place a happening, youthful look.

Getting down to important matters, let's discuss the food. Sweetmax literally has something for everybody. From club sandwiches and pizza to ice cream and sweets; you want it, you got it. When you walk in, you are greeted by popcorn and candyfloss carts. The candyfloss comes in seven flavours Bubble, Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Banana, Mint, Light Blue, and Coffee. You walk on ahead, and you have the main fast food counter, which provides you with a comprehensive menu that offers everything from salads and kebabs to the inevitable pizza, burger and fries.

They also have an ice-cream counter, which provides, not only cups and cones, but also creative sundaes, not unlike what's on offer at the parlours around the city. Don't forget to try out their in-house speciality, the Turkish Baklava, which is a kind of sweet roll. Sweetmax boasts a British chef and a Turkish chef, who combine the best of the West and the Middle East in their culinary creations.

For a more local flavour, you might want to take a right turn and head for their 'Sweet World' a section devoted entirely to sweets. From cream panthua to kata mukhi, to doi, they have an extensive collection of local sweets, as well as cakes and rolls. Sweetmax is currently experimenting with a special line of sugar-free sweets for diabetic patients and calorie-conscious people. The sweets might be a bit pricey, but there is no compromise in quality. What's more exciting, student discounts will soon be available.

What gives the place an extra oomph is the facility for live performances by local talent. "We want to promote the talented young musicians and artistes of our country, and who knows, the next Pobondash Baul or Kaya (of 'Krishna' fame) might be discovered right here!" says the Sweetmax spokesperson.

Sweetmax kicked off the Bengali New Year with an art competition for little children, and a musical presentation for the teens and adults, and promise to come up with similar arrangements for future occasions. They cater for birthdays, wedding ceremonies and parties. In the near future, they will be expanding to include a restaurant and a Kid's Corner on the first floor, and they also have plans for opening branches in Dhanmondi, Gulshan, and Baridhara.

Sweetmax is located at 67/B, Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka. If you're looking for a refreshing change, then this place is definitely worth checking out.

By Sabrina F Ahmad