News Flash

For the bride-to-be

Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon is back with its popular Bridal Package starting July 1.
You can choose from a range of packages best suited to your individual need and budget. The bride's entourage can also enjoy the benefits of the package designed especially for them. Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon also provides consultations on beauty care leading up to your Big Day.
Contact: Hs #1/B, Rd #5 (opposite Pizza Hut), Gulshan #1, Dhaka #1212 and Hs #3/A, Rd #28 (old), Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205. #8812215 (Gulshan), #9116057 (Dhanmondi).

Monsoon offering
Nitto upohar is launching an exhibition of ensembles that reflect the songs and melodies of monsoon. The images depicting the season by contemporary artists such as Qayyum Choudhury, Hashem Khan, Dhrubo Esh and others, along with titles of songs, will be incorporated into the forms of saris, tee shirts, shirts, panjabis and tops.
The price range for saris is from Tk.1000-1500, shalwar kameez from Tk.900 - 1250, fatuas from Tk.300 - 450, tops from Tk.400 - 550, tee shirts within Tk.160 and panjabis between Tk.500 - 800.
Address: Utto upohar, Aziz Co-operative Supermarket (4th Floor), Shahbag, # 8629039, 01723928844.

Seafood galore @ Sarina

FISH and the Bengali nation have a strong connection. Exploring this bond, Hotel Sarina has arranged a Sea Food Festival on the first week of July. The festival will take place at The Elite Restaurant located on the seventeenth level of the Hotel. It will feature some of Sarina's top chefs demonstrating the preparation of their signature dishes.
The Sea Food Festival will be commence on June 1, and continue till 7 June 2009.
Contact: Hotel Sarina, 27 Banani C/A, Rd #17, Dhaka 1213. #8859604-10, 8851011-4, 8851040-2.

Lubnan's new outlet
Fashion house Lubnan is no stranger to the style scene. Ever since opening its door, it has catered to the need of the fashionistas of the city.
Looking forward to the demand of time, Lubnan opens up its new shop at Navana Shopping Complex.

Hatil turns twenty
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Hatil has opened a nine-storey furniture showcase at Mirpur Shawrapara. Hatil is also introducing yearly "Hatil Appreciation Award" from this year, to be awarded to personalities who have set trends in other fields of the country. Part of the celebration is a month-long 20 percent discount sale at showrooms countrywide, starting from June 20 and ending on July 20. Additionally, two lucky customers will be chosen through coupon draws to take part in the "Hatil Appreciation Award' ceremony with a spouse on August 16 at Radisson Water Garden Hotel.

Contact: Hatil, 1243, East Monipur, Rokeya Sharani, Mirpur. # 9000073, 8019499.

Arisa

ARISA opened up door to its valued clientele with a sole purpose- to offer beauty care, which given the hectic time schedule of today, is impossible to do on our own. However, this does not mean Arisa looks down on the comfort aspect of the services. Arisa invites all to - pamper yourself, feel fresh; be beautiful; be young; and be confident
So, just step inside to discover a cool-clean ambience that offers relaxation and delight. Come and feel their caring touch and let your body revitalise at Arisa

Contact: Arisa Beauty Care & Boutique, House #66/A, Rd #8/A, Dhanmondi # 03791003888; www.arisabd.com

Cruising down Shitolokkha
THIS monsoon, "Excursion and Resorts Bangladesh Ltd." has organised daily trips on their steel water vessel 'M.B Mayuri' to Shitolokkha and back. The vessel will embark from Demra's Latif Bawani Jute Mill Ghaat everyday in the mornings and evenings. Tickets for the trip cost Tk.1500, and this includes dining provisions. A minimum of ten passengers is required for the trip to commence. Special arrangements are also available if a group of fifteen or more want to go on a cruise.
Address: House- 108, Apartment- B2, Road- 8, Block C, Banani #9891161, 8858821, 8852585, 01714020711.

Tribute
Goodbye to a true global superstar

As we grow older, we lose our innocence; that is a fact of life. The cynicism of the world at large not so much infects us as it becomes a part of our own worldview. But childhood was when things were pure, and could be taken at face value. One such symbol of youth left us on Thursday 25 June.

Before anyone jumps at my throat for labelling the late Michael Jackson as such, especially in the light of all the accusations alleging him to be a corruptor of innocence, I would like to ask them to consider how they felt about the 'King of Pop' growing up, when the world wasn't shrouded in grey, when it was either black or white (pun intended). Truth be told, I am one of the doubters.

When the first wave of accusations was made in the early nineties, I dismissed them because back then, in my pre-teens, the world was either black or white.

However, I was not so charitable when the second wave came around roughly ten years later. Although he was absolved of guilt, I was old enough to know that people aren't perfect, and I thought that if there was so much smoke there had to be a fire somewhere.

The simple truth is that we will never know what really happened. There is a group who say that there must be some truth to the accusations, and there are others who point out that Jackson was an easy target, what with him always inviting children to stay at his huge property, aptly titled 'Neverland', and being as rich as he was. When a person can no longer defend himself against accusations, it is fairest to stick to facts.

Facts: he holds the record for the highest selling album of all time, Thriller. He is also one of the bestselling artists of all time. Being an African American, he was a big factor in the improvement of race relations in America, as videos of his songs coincided with, and indeed aided in, the rise of the revolutionary music channel MTV in the eighties. He had a mainstream following that rivalled that of Elvis Presley.

Perhaps the greatest legacy he will leave behind, apart from his music, is that of a truly global superstar. Even in the early nineties when communication was not what it is today, small boys and girls in Bangladeshi villages knew who he was.

I cannot think of another international celebrity who can equal this. His dance moves were copied around the world, with impersonators showing up everywhere. According to a BBC news reader, they were inundated with emails from all over the world within minutes of the news of his death breaking, such is his global appeal.

His life and death holds a lesson that we must learn. His story is a story in pictures of how the entertainment industry eats up ordinary people and regurgitates distorted human beings. We must take part of the blame. Through his music and dance moves, he gave joy to a generation worldwide, and all he got in return (besides money, one must add) was a world all too ready to judge him.

We expect superstars to be gods, and failing that, they are made out to be devils. Beneath it all, he was an ordinary human being and a father to three children. My friend put it best when he emailed the news to me, “Now our childhood is truly over.”

By STS