READING BITES

Sleeping is overrated
For those of us who don't get enough sleep and have to hear lectures about it all the time, this one is for you -- Stephanie Hegarty in 'The myth of the eight-hour sleep' (BBC World Service) takes a look at the growing number of studies that show that you might not actually need that many hours. She goes back as far as the 17th century to illustrate what sleeping has meant for us culturally and scientifically.

In fact, waking up sometimes in the middle of the night might be good for you (it apparently helps you regulate stress). Relax and have this bedtime read online so that next time your mother makes you go to bed early, you have a comeback, with proof.

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Power of the Web
Joel Simon, recently wrote an essay ('Information Wars, Huffington Post) about the global power of information this past year. For example, despite government efforts, information technology still succeeded in mobilising protestors in Tunisia and Egypt. The Internet was a form of mass media in Russia to organise street demonstrations in Moscow during the election season. Simon argues, “Increasingly, power belongs to those who control information.”

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Snaps to Save the World
Can your photos actually help preserve what you captured? There is a new breed of environmental photographers who not only capture the stunning nature and wild animals for publishing, but also as a way to preserve them (“Wildlife photographers turn their cameras toward conservation”, The Washington Post).

According to the article, “today's photographers have taken the mission to new heights by changing how they craft their images and by lobbying policymakers in Washington and abroad.” From protecting shark populations to forests, with the help of improved technologies photographers have been collaborating in this new effort across major magazines and media outlets.

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Tales of Death and Myths
Belgrade-born novelist Téa Obreht's dark magical story of Natalia, a young doctor who works at orphanages in the war-driven Balkans while trying to figure out her grandfather's death takes us into the world of folktale in The Tiger's Wife. As Obreht consumes you in her narrative, you meet the grandfather's strange friends, a mute girl who befriends a tiger and the “Deathless Man” who appears to have the power to foresee others' deaths. The book is about people's stories and our superstitions about death in the backdrop of a devastating war.

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Boys Don't Cry
Julieanne Smolinski takes a warm-hearted look at when it is appropriate for men to let their tears fall in 'Don't Be the Worst: On Crying' (GQ magazine).

The author, who herself once dumped a guy because he cried over a soccer game, discusses how to deal with a new “generation of men [who] are finding it easier than ever” to cry, and show it, too, via social networks (i.e. Facebook).

“For some reason, I expected men to ossify as they age, like dried meat... But many of them, unlike me, have fully formed feelings that they're willing to share and confront,” she writes as she takes an interesting look at how society views male emotions and the importance of mutual understanding.

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Adele
So who is this Adele that everyone has been talking about? Of course most of us already know. The 6-grammy winner this year opens up, fashionably and personally in this month's Vogue (“Adele: One and Only”). The interview with the young English singer reveals the hyper personality of the once hard-drinking South London pub girl. From discussing style to her recent surgery that swept internet frenzy as to whether she will ever sing again, the article gives readers a glam-view of this year's most talked about artist.

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English or Chinese?
“Is English or Mandarin the language of the future?”- the title of the article certainly draws us in as Jennifer Pak for BBC News, Kuala Lumpur researches how the two languages are faring worldwide. It is widely believed that English is the most important language; many parents in Southeast Asia and certainly in Bangladesh send their children to English-medium schools.

In Singapore, nearly ¾ of the population are ethnic Chinese but English is the national language, which many believe helped the city-state become the easiest place to do business. However, “some businesses are desperate for Chinese speakers”, given the current global economy. In fact, many institutions in Bangladesh, like BRAC University offer Chinese-language courses. Read on to get the answers to this new phenomenon.

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Butterfly Effect
When thriving construction sites in Mumbai shut down as big banks dwindled in New York in 2008, families in the surrounding slums went hungry as the prices of recyclable scrap went down. The domino effect described in the new nonfiction book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by journalist Katherine Boo tells us what having a global economy really means. Familiar themes of Slumdog Millionaire is felt in this eye opening book as readers face the stories of pollution, poverty, and the job of trash collectors.

By Olinda Hassan

CHECK IT OUT

Farzana Shakil's offer exclusive hair rebonding package

One of the leading fashion & lifestyle brands of the country, Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon Ltd, introduced exclusive hair rebonding package. Using products of internationally renowned brands, with the best expertise in town, hair rebonding will make any woman gorgeous and provide a stunning look. Be it curly, short or long hair, this package offers rebonding at its best with the same package price ensuring the best product, dazzling looks and unbeatable service from Farzana Shakil's Makeover Salon.

Call 9116057(Dhanmondi)
8812215 (Gulshan)

Lasik

LASIK or Lasik, commonly referred to simply as laser eye surgery, is a type of refractive surgery for correcting certain problems with vision. LASIK is performed by ophthalmologists using a laser; this surgery reshapes corneas to sharpen vision.

LASIK is similar to other surgical corrective procedures, although it provides benefits such as faster patient recovery. LASIK represent advances over radial keratotomy in the surgical treatment of vision problems, and are thus viable alternatives to wearing corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses for many patients.

LASIK Sight Centre at Gulshan offers quality treatment for those interested in undergoing the corrective surgery to heal problems with defective vision.

For details on LASIK surgery contact LASIK Sight Centre Ltd., House #17, Road #109, Gulshan 2, Dhaka. #8859322, 0172 056 6474. info@lasiksightcenter.com; lasiksightcenter.com

CHECK IT OUT

Magic Mirror

"Every picture tells a story and each of these stories involve warmth and love. To gather these precious feelings and also to create popularity in the art of photography we (Magic Mirror) have utilised the popular networking medium Facebook.”

That was Farzana Halim, Proprietor, Magic Mirror.

As wedding planners and makeover lounge, Magic Mirror has created interests among those who wish to tie the knot soon. To pay homage to human relationships they are now arranging a photo competition on Facebook, where anyone above the age of 15 can upload pictures depicting love and friendship. The competition will run throughout the year and every week two winners will be selected.

For details log on to www.facebook.com/weddingmanager

Boron

This boutique has an extraordinary range of Summer wear, made-to-order to cater to the needs of the coming heat wave. Customers can select from their extensive range of T-shirts, Polo shirts, panjabis, women's fatuas and shalwar kameez sets.

For details contact: 31 and 32 Aziz Super Market (Ground floor); 424 Metro Shopping Mall (3rd floor). #8613149.

NID

National Institute for Design has recently opened undergraduate courses, under the National University, in subjects as varied as Fashion Design and Technology, Apparel Manufacturing and Technology, Knitwear Manufacturing and Technology, Fashion Designing, Interior Designing, Apparel Merchandising, Graphics Design, etc.

Applicant must have an HSC degree with GPA not less than 2.5. Tuition is based on the previous results of the applicants; GPA 5 students can apply for a fee waver.

For details contact NID Campus 1, 38/1, Road 2 (In front of Riffles' Square). #02-9611765, 019 2166 8999, 017 6237 5299. www.nid-info.com

THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY

Live BPL matches
Venue: Abahani Sports Ground

All you cricket lovers, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is enjoying much popularity in its inaugural season. And Dhaka Gladiators have arranged live screening of the matches at the Abahani Sports Ground on a big screen.

So if you are not going to the stadium for today's semifinals or tomorrow's final match, you can gather all your friends and go to see your favourite team play and scream out loud.

Glorious Pixels by Sayeed Siddiqui
Venue: Dhaka Art Center, House 60, Road 7/A, Dhanmondi R/A.
Time: Tuesday, 28 February, 2012 at 5:00pm

The team of Cats Eye would like to invite you to the inaugural ceremony of Sayeed Siddiqui's artistic venture into light and shade through the lens. Photo artist Anwar Hossain will introduce Sayeed Siddiqui, also known as Rumi. Honourable Minister of Jute and Textiles, Abdul Latif Siddiqui will inaugurate the ceremony.

Folkorist Dr. Ashraf Siddiqui along with poet Belal Chowdhury and Physicist Latif Chowdhury will grace the event as special guests.

The exhibition will continue till 4 March, 2012.

Exclusive Display
Venue: Flambe, Road 50, House 6, Gulshan 2.
Time: Saturday, 3 March 2012. 2 pm till 9 pm

Boutique Lilac and Rabita Rashid Majumder will display their never-before seen collection on 3 March, 2012.
Rabita Rashid Majumder is a young, talented designer with interesting ideas on the latest trends and style, and will be showcasing her designs that hint at the cultural legacy of the east, blending well with western sensibility.

The main emphasis of her line of clothing is on the detail in embellishments, innovative cuts and the use of finest fabrics.

By Tanziral Dilshad Ditan

MUSING

Unlearned to cook

I can't even recall making a cup of tea while in Dhaka. My relationship with the kitchen was limited to finding a jar of cookies or pickles from the cupboard. This very relationship changed soon after I set foot in the USA, where I learned to cook for the first time in life.

I am just a cook, not a good cook, let alone a great one. I cook to survive. In the US, I learned to cook mostly fried veggies, lentils, egg curry and tuna kebab. While hubby happily experimented with cooking ingredients, I happily appreciated his culinary skills as I ate his beef and fish curries, biriyani, chotpoti and much more. Nevertheless, I cooked almost everyday, prepared what I could, and never dared to embark on a large culinary project. Then it all changed with the arrival of the woman who brought me to this world.

Now, I have more or less gone back to my Dhaka days. I literally have not cooked in three months. I happily handed over the responsibility of cooking to my mother. Now, my own responsibility is limited to dragging my body to the dining table after the food is served. I have not enjoyed so much comfort during the last three years of my stay in America. I am so pampered that nowadays I rarely do the dishes after a meal is over.

I can also eat things that I have not eaten in the last couple of years. The list includes small fish cooked with tomatoes, onions and cilantro, large fish cooked with green peas and tomatoes in a thick gravy, deshi-style roast chicken, deshi-style pudding with caramel top and so on.

It looks like I have unlearned to cook. I deem it will now be difficult for me to even prepare a decent bowl of lentils. I am frightened to imagine what might happen when she goes back to Dhaka. Oh well, I guess I won't have a choice but to re-learn to cook!

'God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers' -- Yiddish proverb.

By Wara Karim

Notice

We request all our event invitations, press releases and other forms of correspondence be sent to Raffat Binte Rashid, Editor, Star Lifestyle (7th Floor), 64-65 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka 1215. Email: lifestyleds@yahoo.com or raffat@thedailystar.net