Shop Special

Pondering on Piran

Ever noticed a quaint little side door to a house facing the Dhanmondi Women's Complex? Did a little black, red and white signboard catch your eye on the passing? Well this little sign and the quaint little door lead to a treasure trove known as Piran. A tiny handicraft shop, Piran sells a multitude of traditional Bangladeshi products.

Tastefully decorated in an artistic way, this little shop is a cool and ambient respite for customers who are not willing to hunt in big shopping malls or larger handicrafts store. Piran predominantly sells clothes, bags and jewellery, but among its specialities is its unique, antique brass jewellery. Their jewellery pieces are all brass and range from Tk50 to Tk500. Piran also sells household decoration pieces and bedspreads. The decoration pieces are in an affordable range of Tk50 to Tk400 while the bedspreads go for anywhere between Tk550 and Tk850. Piran also sells a selection of raw metal masks and wall pieces that are truly exquisite.

The shop is now in its third year and all the products are made at different places around the country. Although limited, the shop's bag collection boasts jute as well as mirror embellished bags that range from Tk100 to Tk350. Their clothing ware includes saris, shalwar kameez, fatuas, and punjabis. These are done in a mixture of block prints, tie-dye and hand embroidery. In keeping with the shop's low scale price range, saris range from Tk500 to Tk3500. Shalwar kameezes start from a meagre Tk700 and go up to Tk2000. Fatuas are even more affordable within a Tk250 to Tk500 range. And punjabis start from Tk400 and go up to Tk1500.

What makes Piran so unique is the fact that while the store has limited space, it is packed to the ceiling with ware, and above all, prices are extremely reasonable for such quality products. If you have a light wallet but are in search of quality pieces, Piran is the place to go. So the next time you pass the Women's Complex in Dhanmondi, step into Piran. Need I say more?

By Tahiat-e-Mahboob

Shatabdi opens at Plaza AR

On Friday June 18, 2005, Shatabdi opened another branch at Dhanmondi's Plaza AR on Mirpur Road. The new branch's motto is "customers matter". And to solidify their claim, they tallied up all the sales receipts of customers throughout the past years and asked the customer who brought them the highest sales to inaugurate the store. Thus Ms Syeda A. Zahid was called upon to do the honours. Only later did they realise that coincidentally, this customer has been with them since their very first exhibition. In addition to this, they had each customer who entered the store throw a handful of rose petals into a gigantic antic urn before entering for good luck.

The store boasts a bigger space and a better arrangement of their ware. In addition, it is artistically decorated with ornate engraved wooden pieces, terracotta fixtures and even bricks that all tie in with the store's overall look and feel. This store is gearing up for Eid with several new products. They will be launching products such as acid printed or dyed tussah saris. During Eid they will also be introducing linen punjabis. Most importantly, Shatabdi has now purchased its own handlooms. These handlooms are being used to weave custom designed silk saris, which will also become a store speciality within a few months.

The inauguration ceremony of this new branch was well organised and appreciated by all, especially Shatabdi's customers who were all invited.

By Tahiat-e-Mahboob

Calvin Klein Camis
Looking for something to treat yourself to? Tired of wearing ill-fitting and poorly constructed sleepwear? Then get rid of those shapeless nightshirts or baggy gowns and buy a Calvin Klein camisole. These well constructed and well fitting tops not only make sleeping comfortable but they also make you look good even if it is within the privacy of your own boudoir. Available at Sweet Dreams (Banani Road 11 and Dhanmondi Road 7), these come with an equally fitting price tag of Tk2099.

Cotton Nightgowns
This summer the heat can get sweltering and with all the power outages at night, the best thing to do when going to bed is to wear something that accepts air and soaks up moisture. Cotton nightgowns are just what the situation calls for. Unlike nightgowns made of synthetic fabric, cotton ones absorb moisture and consequently have a cooling effect. If you're looking for cotton nightgowns go to Miss Pretty (Anam Rangs Plaza, Dhamnondi Satmasjid Road) where they have a good collection that starts at Tk280.

Spandex Shorts
If you are athletic, a gym-enthusiast or a regular swimmer, spandex shorts might come in handy. These allow the wearer easy movement and are suitable for aerobics classes and swimming because of their elasticity. Available at Secrets (Metro Plaza, Dhanmondi Mirpur Road) they are available at a starting price of Tk125.

J LO Short Dressing Gowns
Ok it's not that they are merely good because J LO designed them but these short dressing gowns are well made and serve the purpose of concealing one's nightwear while still making the wearer look good. Available in floral prints and in lightweight fabric, these short dressing gowns are very feminine and becoming. They cost Tk3699 are available at Sweet Dreams (Banani Road 11 and Dhanmondi Road 7).

Cotton PJ Sets
Not into billowing nightgowns or tiny camisoles? More of a two piece person? Well pyjama sets will solve that dilemma. PJ's allow you to move better and are suitable for a larger age group of people. Cotton PJ's are an all year round buy because of the comfort they provide and are less prone to wear and tear. They cost Tk450 and are available at Miss Pretty (Anam Rangs Plaza, Dhamnondi Satmasjid Road).

Satin Housecoats
Haven't we seen countless movies where starlets don on satin housecoats before going to the kitchen and brewing coffee? Housecoats buy women a little more time to get ready before they have to get ready and start the day. Satin housecoats just make the wearer feel a lit more glamorous. If you're on the look out for a satin house coat, check out Secrets (Metro Plaza, Dhanmondi Mirpur Road) where they cost Tk850.

By Tahiat-e-Mahboob

Essential

How often is it that we have found ourselves sitting in the exam hall but remembering not one single iota of information even though we studied the whole of the night before?

If you are afflicted, with the aforementioned problem -- never fear.

Forgetting is a natural process, with the greatest losses occurring within the first 24 hours of learning. Recent research shows that after one day you will forget 46% of what you read. Clearly, it is essential to review readings and lecture notes within one or two days of initial exposure, with brief additional reviews interspersed in later weeks. Here are a few simple tips to improve memory.

Pay attention and intend to remember
It is absolutely essential to pay attention whether it be, a lecture in a class or an informal meeting. You do not want to be caught out in an exam for not listening closely but neither do you want to forget the name of the person you met the other day and who greets you enthusiastically at some party. While the second can leave you shame-faced the former is equally damaging. Remember, having the intention to remember is just as important as paying attention and to do that you need to have motivation.

Interpret/understand the material
To improve your long-term memory and to perform better on complex test questions, focus on understanding the basic ideas rather than simply memoriing isolated facts. Explain concepts to family members and study partners. This "teaching" will help you deepen your own understanding.

Visualise the material
Half of the brain thinks in words and the other half in pictures; use both parts of your brain. Study pictures, diagrams, and charts in your text and develop your own. Visualise information. For example, to remember phone numbers you can try to visualise the pads that you press.

Use memory devices such as associations and mnemonics
Using associations is simple. If you have to remember the name Sabrina you can always associate her with the popular Archie comic character or the TV show of the same name. Mnemonics are most useful for memorising terminology and lists of facts, rather than concepts. Use word mnemonics -- such as HOMES to remember the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior.

By Quazi Zulquarnain Islam