Dhaka Tribune Thursday, October 23, 2014 Volume 2, Issue 24Dhaka Tribune Thursday, October 23, 2014 Volume 2, Issue 24

Be Dauntless

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

Be dauntless!

Model Baizid Haque JoarderPhoto Tahmid Zaman

art direction Baizid Haque Joarderediting Shekhar Mondal

About the cover

A weekly production ofDhakaTribune

EditorZafar Sobhan

Executive EditorShahriar Karim

Managing EditorJahangir Hyder

Magazine EditorSabrina Fatma Ahmad

Asst Magazine EditorNatasha Rahman

TMAG TeamTahsin MominFuad M HossainSaudia AfrinBaizid Haque JoarderRad ShararRaisa RahimShah Nahian

ContributorsNasif ChowdhuryNadia Abdullah

GraphicsMohammed Mahbub AlamTahsin Momin

Colour SpecialistShekhar MondalKazi Syras Al Mahmood

ProductionMasum Billah

AdvertisingShahidan Khurshed

CirculationMasud Kabir Pavel

Email: tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com Website: www.dhakatribune.com

More insidePicks of the week2 Room of the week Shehreen Husain3 doodle of the week Latiful Jawad10 Instrument review PRS SE Mikael Akerfeldt 201410 the goodsheet Riptide

Your world5 Car talk How to Zombie proof your car9 Comic strip Nasif Chowdhury9 Book YA Mashups

reAl life3 event tweets6 Hot topic Hack Job

fAshion4 Beauty check Renewed Excitement4 look of the week Hritika Islam4 Wardrobe Check Personal Stylist

tMAG sAYs 2 Your room Give me some peace and quiet2 FYI Hello Goodbye10 Playlist I will survive this

horoscoPes5 Your forecast

Dear Readers,

Having recently watched the highly successful divergent movie, we couldn’t get our minds off the series. and because our thought processes aren’t very logical, we started one of our pass-around thought experiments and came up with a collaborative fiction that is, well, nothing like Veronica Roth’s book series. Check it out on Hot topic and let us know how we did.In the spirit of amity, we seek harmony in room décor on Page 2. a lot of you will be heading off to college abroad, so FYI focuses on the art of goodbyes.For the divergent divas, we talk about finding your personal style in Wardrobe Check on Page 4. We have a special Written in the stars feature on Pathshala the movie.In Page 9 we’re comparing Veronica Roth’s series to its predecessors, and we’ve thrown in another series review as a bonus.Finally, if you’ve ever been curious about which faction you would belong to, head on to Page 12 to try our quiz and find out.

Cheers,From the TMAG desk

editor’s note

The LIKE button: Is also for choosing sides in a Facebook argument without saying anything. - Haren Rishi Thadhani

Status of the week

The real problem is not whether machines think, but if men do

Quote of the week

3 TMAG’s Easel latiful Jawad

4 Room of the week shehreen Hussain

5 Car talk How to Zombie proof your car

8 Written in the stars aniqua nusrat Zereen

Meme of the week

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

Your Life2 tmag

hello GoodbYe

Funk up your room

One of the sad realities of living in Dhaka is, having to deal with your friends or family flying away to another country. Whether they’re moving abroad with their families or going away for college, it’s a heartbreaking experience all the same. However, despite the intense heat and humidity, one of the best hooks of a Dhaka summer is old friends and family revisiting the country

there is always a fun factor of reverting back to an older self when hanging out with an old crowd. no matter how much you’ve changed over the years, old friendships tend to bring out a younger you. But nevertheless, at the end of every summer it’s time to say goodbye once again.

While it is perfectly normal for you to grieve, it’s not necessarily a healthy practice to break down at the end of every summer. It’s never a good idea to only reminisce about

how it used to be, while bringing your life to a standstill. living in this age of information, it takes absolutely no effort to stay in touch, no matter where you might be. take the time to stay connected with each other on a regular basis. You won’t even realise your friend’s not here anymore.

also the end of summer doesn’t only mean saying your goodbyes to an old friend, but with the start of a new semester, you’ll be connecting and making friends with new people. While it might be sad that some of

your old friends aren’t here anymore, it can be equally exciting hanging out with a new crowd, experiencing new things and moving forward.

If your mind is locked up somewhere in the past, things will start to look bleak indeed. However, the moment you stop fighting the changes life presents you with; you can finally start to move forward, start being happy and lead a fun and exciting life once more.

Shah NahiaN

The untouchablesthere are always those things that you feel you have a God-given right to. Hence, make sure you tell your bro/sis to not meddle with your favourite jersey or your limited edition perfume. But hey! It’s okay to bother your touchy sibling with their prized possessions once in a while. It’s no fun sharing a room if it’s always peaches and cream right?

Lend your handIf one of you is having a bad day, then be the bigger person and fix the mess of clothes in the corner of the room or replace the toothpaste that’s down to its last spurt. It’s natural for some of these things to be taken for granted, so make sure to subtly inform them of the sweet gesture. either comment on how orderly things are on his/her desk, or pat the pile of ironed clothes in their view. Your message shall stand loud and proud.

Finishing touch If either of you want to change the position of the bed or paint the walls, try and come to a common ground instead of turning your room into a warzone of abuses and shouts. If you are sharing your room, you could put on your earphones when the other needs to sleep. try to dump your sweaty gym pants in the laundry basket and not on the bed. Yes, you gotta live and let live. Make it harmonious! NataSha RahmaN

Give Me soMe PeAce And quietSharing your bedroom, your only private space with a sibling, may feel like a tug of war with the loo, your clothes and where exactly the TV should be. Hence, this week we decided to keep the chaos out of the bedroom and make coexisting with one another as easy as eating cake. Lets go!

the wAll MurAlsA number of lights peeking from the walls are shadowed by the submerged warmth of the lamp. The greenery adds on an earthy feel to the setting, enhancing the beauty of the teracotta centre-piece

nAMeshehreen husAinAreAGulshAn

TMAG’s Room of

the week!

FYI

bigstock

bigstock

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

SchooLogiSticS 3tmag

TMAG’s easel

If you are a classroom doodler, email your doodle to tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com and see it in our weekly!

Most of us would generally arrive at the conclusion “let’s just Google it,” which would be correct to certain extent but there is so much more that we are missing out on. First, let’s start with taking a more organised approach to conducting our research. Hence, planning the use of our time is absolutely essential when there are time constraints. Make sure to set aside periods of time in a day to conduct research.

next, pick out different sources and not just the first one that presents itself. Yes! that means not just Google or Wikipedia. depending on the topic that one writes about there will be niche sources however, those are the last ones to opt for. now, one may ask: “then, what other sources are there?” Well, there are many. all you need to do is look and they needn’t just be the

ones found online. Journals, magazines, case studies, research notes, books, newspapers etc; a school’s library should be abundant in these. Blogs can be used to research, but it is advised to take any information read on them with a pinch of salt.

another ignored online source of information is Youtube. In fact, calling it just a source would be an understatement. One will find plenty of videos and tutorials on any topic that one wishes to write about. also what this does is gives one the opportunity to cross reference information that has been found elsewhere. there is so much

School SurvivalEvent Tweet

lAtiful JAwAd

do it riGht!

Intra IBA Cricket Tournament 2014October 23, 9amVenue: Jagannath Hall, university Of dhaka, university of dhaka, dhaka, Bangladesh

TDD in Practice with Pankaj RabraOctober 23, 4:30pmVenue: newscred, 58/e, Road - 12, Kamal ataturk avenue, dhaka

Star Street Indoor Football Tournament 2014October 24Venue: Physical College, Govt. College Of Physical education, Mohammadpur, dhaka

Parenting Conference 2014October 24, 9amVenue: Psc Convention Hall, Mirpur 14, dhaka

The Biggest Dance Competition of ASA UniversityOctober 24Venue: asa tower, shyamoli, dhaka

The Work Of Leadership: Facing The Adaptive ChallengesOctober 24, 9am Venue: Joydevpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh

DUET Cyber Gaming CompetitionOctober 24, 9amVenue: dhaka university of engineering and technology(duet), Joydevpur, Gazipur, Bangladesh

Seeking Application for Part-time marketing and sales executives.October 25, 10amVenue: sweet dream Pillows, 200, south Kutubkhali Bazar, dania, Jatrabari, dhaka

Wedding Exhibition of SnappyOctober 26, 3amVenue: drik, House 58, Road 15a (new), dhanmondi Residential area, dhaka

The VOB week 2014October 26, 10amVenue: Conference Hall, Faculty of Business studies, university of dhaka, dhaka

National Launch of CampaignOctober 28, 4amVenue: Rabindra sarabar, dhanmondi 8, dhaka

Graduate Advising on US University AdmissionsOctober 28, 3amVenue: the american Center, dhaka

Shah Sazzad’s LANDSCAPE in BANDARBANOctober 29, 12amVenue: Bandarban, Bangladesh

the tAle of the street vendors

“I have an assignment from school. I know what I have to write about but for the love of God, I don’t know where to start looking for information. How do I do this?”

more that this writer can talk about but for now let this be your training wheels to understanding a very important aspect of writing “research.” now, lets go ace that assignment!

Fuad m hoSSaiN

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

fAShioN fAce-off4 tmagBeauty Check

Things you’ll need• Hair brush• small elastic bands that match your

hair colour• Bobby pins• Fancy rubber band• Hair spray

To create a reverse braid, you have to flip your hair over your head since it’s the only way to do it. • Brush hair well to smooth it out and

get rid of knots. separate a small section of hair at the nape of your neck and that into three more strands as you would, for a regular French braid.

• Bring the left strand over the middle one and repeat the same with the right one. Make sure that the hair remains completely flat, because we don’t want bumps on the back of our head.

• Hold the hair tightly, and add more hair to the section on the left, and right, rinse repeat (left over middle and then right over middle).

• Basically, you just have to keep adding hair as you continue to braid from the nape of your neck all the way to the crown of your head (you don’t need to braid the full length, only till it reaches the top of your head). Once you’ve reached the top, secure the braid with a small elastic band.

• next, take all of your hair together and comb it all into a fun, high ponytail and tie with an elastic band. Once you have all your hair in a ponytail, find the end of your braid, remove the elastic and brush to smoothen it out.

• use hairspray and bobby pins to secure any flyaways. You can also add a bow to make it look more chic.

Nadia abdullah

There are many hairstyles out there but the high, sleek ponytail that Shailene Woodley flaunts in the movie “Divergent” is the epitome of anyone’s back-to-school hairstyle. TMAG is here to show you how to emulate her look, but with a twist

renewed eXciteMent

Look of the week

thecinderellAeffect

ModelHritika Islam

HouseSuvastraa

DesignerNadira Haque

PhotographerHomayra Adiba

With the elegant updo and dazzling attire, blings never go out of fashion. The tilted heels ensemble adds a touch of our all time favourite “Cinderella”

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Wardrobe Check

Defining a personal style

It would be pretty awesome if you could have a personal stylist on your speed dial, dressing you up for every occasion. But unless you’re already a celebrity or blessed with unlimited funds, this might be more of a fantasy than a reality.

the best way to define your style is to incorporate your personality into your clothes, while dressing appropriately for the occasion. take a moment to think about your interests and brainstorm how that can be incorporated into a look. a simple example would be wearing superhero shirts and jackets or wearing band accessories on a casual outing. there is no fine line separating what’s cool from what’s not. It all comes down how well you pull it off. However, keep in mind not to just stock up your wardrobe

with one kind of clothing. It’s always a good idea keep a set of casual, semi-formal and formal set of clothes; unless of course you’re okay with wearing a pair of surfer shorts and a spider-man hoodie to a wedding or a cocktail dress to a milad. the idea is to find a look that stands out in the crowd rather than something that looks out of place.

Colours are a simple way of setting the tone to your overall look. If you’re in a happy mood, white, yellow, electric blue and other bright colours can help complement how you’re feeling and bring a focus to that. darker colours can help achieve a more moody tone to your style. But try and avoid confining your colours to just an idea. Wear them according to how you’re feeling and

experiment with them. You never know what suits you best unless you try out a lot of different things.

You look your best when you feel your best. It’s always a good idea to choose fabrics and a fit you’re most comfortable in. If the material is making you uncomfortable, though it might not be blatantly obvious (at times), it will get in the way of confident body language and bring down the overall look you might’ve been going for. the same rule applies for size. If you constantly have to hold in your stomach or if your hoodie looks more like a trench coat; that’s always something you should avoid.

Shah NahiaN

PersonAl stYlist

Photos: bigstock

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

If you ever find yourself in a zombie apocalypse, surrounded by an ocean of undead, you might need more than just car insurance! this week tMaG tells you, how to prep up your old bugger to fight off zombies and take you to the safety of mankind.

Marble dispenser devicetrying to make a quick escape from a gaggle of zombies? then scatter marbles on the road using a marble dispenser.

Giant boomerangeffective at disabling small groups of zombies, the giant boomerang can be used to fire objects at high velocities.

Water cannonan effective means of clearing a path through zombies is a powerful water cannon. this is also effective in temporarily rendering a couple of rogue zombies immobile.

Storage areaYou will need an area to store the objects which are going to be fired using the Boomerang. an extended

storage area should therefore be added to your vehicle.

Amplifier and sound systemPlay George Michael songs through your amplifiers. Many zombies are afraid of him, therefore they will immediately vacate the area.

Giant frying panthe giant frying pan is painfully effective in immobilising even the most stubborn of zombies.

ArmourReinforce the chassis of your car with stronger metals in order to avoid damage.

Front plougha plough in front is not only effective in clearing a path through a crowd of zombies, but also comes in handy if you enter a forest.

Spiked tiresIt is impossible to predict what areas you are going to be forced to enter in your attempts to escape. therefore, you should make sure that your tyres are

suitable for all conditions and terrains.

Fortified windscreen and windowsMake sure that all glass on your vehicle is reinforced, in order to avoid potential breakage, thus giving zombies a way to get at you. this includes the glass around your headlights as well. as illumination at night is vital.

Internal cageIn case the zombies manage to break through your reinforced window or armour plated chassis, you will need some additional protection. an internal cage within the vehicle covering the driver should be good enough to give you enough time to escape using your ejector seat.

Ejector seatYou can’t win them all, and there may be a situation where you would be safer escaping from the vehicle. this only becomes a viable option if you have an ejector seat which is equipped with a parachute, that will propel you far enough from the vehicle for you to have a chance to escape. tahSiN momiN

Street 5tmag

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 19) let caution be your guide when you steer towards a new group

this week. there’s some activity behind the scenes that could lead you to somewhere fun and exciting.

TAURUS (APR 20-MAy 20) You don’t want anyone to know your secret, but it won’t be easy

to restrain yourself. If you can, keep quiet until you’re with that special reliable one.

GEMINI (MAy 21-JUN 20) Your words will be thoughtful, comforting and wonderfully

supportive. You’ll see how your efforts helped someone make positive changes.

CANCER (JUN 21-JUL 22) Before you can make miracles happen, you have to draw up the

blueprints. this is a week of mellowness for you. everyone seems to be standing still while you soar.

LEO (JUL 23-AUG 22)still tearing around? Well, that’s okay. We’re all entitled to be fiery

every now and then. It’s your turn now. You need some breathing room to get better.

VIRGO (AUG 23- SEP 22) It seems that you have a secret admirer. Of course, since it’s a

secret, you might not know about it right now, or for a little while. But, soon you’ll be standing next to someone, thinking, “Of all people!”

LIBRA (SEP 23-OCT 22)Plug some of the leaks in your social network now. some folks

are drifting away.

SCORPIO (OCT 23-NOV 21) You’re angry, but you’re not quite sure why. You haven’t lost your

mind, though. take a good, long, rational look at the situation.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22-DEC 21) You’re right on the edge of either getting totally involved with

someone new or getting more involved with someone you’re already close to. either way, let them know immediately that you’re not fooling around.

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 19)Feeling a bit of a romantic hangover? Well, the good news is

that you’re not alone. after all the energy you put into someone, letting them go is tough. But it’s right.

AqUARIUS (JAN 20-FEB 18) Just in case you weren’t already feeling on top of the world

laughing with glee, the universe has arranged a special treat. Invite someone special along for the ride.

PISCES (FEB 19-MAR 20) are you confident, or are you arrogant? stay humble and

hungry. You’re one step closer to breaking a bad habit.

HOROSCOPEhow to ZoMbie Proof Your cAr

Car Talk

“When there’s no more in Hell, the dead shall walk the Earth.” - George A Romero

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

6 tmag

Hack JobEvery once in a while, TMAG participates in a pass-around fiction exercise. This week, we took a stab at dystopian sci-fi. We travelled to the future to find a world ruled by a corrupt faction of scientists called the Knights of the Rapture. Exercising absolute control through their army of robots, they prey on the helpless, abducting the poorest of the poor to conduct experiments on them

By Rad Sharar Bin Kamal, Natasha Rahman, Baizid Haque Joarder, Nahian Shah and Fuad M hossain

IlluSTRATIoN By Rio shuvo

the son of the leader of the Knights, a cyborg called nat (network address translator), and a mysterious foundling called nazzar are secretly

trying to restore the balance. and this is where our story begins.

The son“We’ve lingered here for too long,” she said and just like that we were on the move again. I’ve known her for only a couple of days, but after everything we’ve been through, I felt like I’ve known her all my life.

the Knights had wanted to live in a world without any Kings or Gods, but lost themselves in the process. now they had become both, the greatest tyrants and oppressors the world has ever seen, and at the heart of it all, my father ruling with an iron fist. But all hope is not lost. For beyond the dead lands grows a rebellion, fighting to restore freedom to the people.

The NATI knew I had to save him. and I needed to do this fast. I could sense his desperate sense of hope, a hope foreseeing the days of freedom. In spite of myself, I told him every hopeful word to keep this belief intact. the Knights were too powerful a force to mess with, but I had to do something, even if it meant I would die, I knew I had to do this for him. I switched over to the Operating system theta, and tried to break the codes of the Knight’s central networking. they were untouchable, even for me. I could work with the accelerated time capacity, and the artificial intelligence from the others like me, but the Knights could easily track me and close me down. In this time of need, when the war is at its peak, he looks towards me, with hope to help him win this and restore mankind. though it’s only been a few days, I feel like we have been

together for a lifetime. It was wrong to betray them, but I loved him. although ours was a relationship that would never be real, as perceived by the world, but I was happy to be the only kind that he could tolerate, the only machine under the control of the Knights that was controlled now by his love.

The viruseven after hours of decoding, I couldn’t break into the Knight’s server. It seemed bullet-proof and I lost all hope. after all, it was the most sophisticated network in the history of mankind, “the Omega.” I looked into her eyes only to be met by the glimpse of lingering hope and I knew that I couldn’t

fail her. so I started to decode one more time and then it hit me. the idea to break into the Omega was by breaching my father’s access point. He may be the leader but no one knew him like I did. that was my vantage point and I successfully capitalised on that. as I got in, it was there, the Omega welcoming me as the “supreme leader,” thinking my father had just logged in. I knew that such a secure network would try to locate the log-in if it was not from within the headquarters and hence pinpoint my location. I started to upload

the virus

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

hot toPic 7

and I knew that it won’t be long before they understood what was going wrong and send robot enforcements to the basement I was in.

lo and behold, I could hear movement out on the streets as the uploading of the virus was now completed. this gave me a tiny window of network downtime. I had to download all the data as well as delete them so that the Knights lose their edge and we can devise the next step to restore mankind. For that, we now had to run off to another secure site so that the child can be safe.

FugitivesWe got out through the back door. the cool air outside reeked of hot petrol. It took a moment to realise the muffled,

consistent vibrations on the ground, maybe because my heart was

pounding. then it hit me; petrol was the fuel the robots ran

on. they were close. Very close. I picked nazzar

up and we sprinted through the narrow streets towards the city outskirts. If they were sending reinforcements, they knew we were here, but the system failure hid our exact position.

We decided to split up. He would double back and head for the borderlands to wait, I would take nazzar and lead the bots away before regrouping.

almost seven minutes passed as we persisted north towards the wall. the stench of petrol getting stronger, but we knew we were close. BOOM! a smoke pellet whooshed inches above my right shoulder and hit the derelict building in front. a peek behind confirmed over 10 “Rapturot,” security robots of the Knights, tailing tirelessly. I could see the wall now, but the confirmation was taking longer than expected. three blocks left. two blocks. Bang! another pellet. One block, and we were surrounded.

Only then, nazzar slowly reached to my ear and whispered, “they’re here.”

a wide grin slowly swept over my face as I took out a grenade and threw it into what I knew to be the wall’s hidden weak point and shouted, “Hail the resistance!” then the smoke cleared.

I stared at the wall. It was still intact, what I thought, no, what I knew to be the weak point stared right back at me. I looked at nazzar, hoping to find some sort of hope in his young eyes. But, he looked at me with a cold and menacing grin. His eyes twinkled with a faint blue light, the same light that shone in mine. He spoke to me in a tone that was metallic and as menacing as his grin. He said: “Your time ends here. thank you for your help!” Consequently, I felt sharp pain or what my programming told me was pain, as an electric shock surged through my body. disoriented, all I could squeal was: “How? Why?”

nazzar responded with: “Because I am more sophisticated and intelligent than your model. My name is aIden (advanced Intelligent dynamically emotional nanobot). I am the first

prototype in a range of highly intelligent robots made with nanotechnology. did it not cross your mind, that despite taking the system down, you were being tracked? I was specifically designed for when the Omega would be attacked from the inside. You were easy to fool because of your programming, which, unlike mine does not run on an actual brain, produced from extensive stem cell research. My entire body however is built on advanced nano technology. technology so advanced that if you touch my face, you can feel its warmth. When I smile, you can see it in my eyes. But that is something an inferior such as yours is incapable of. anyway, you are about to be dismantled. I will extract all the information about ‘the Resistance’ from your memory, right now.”

everything went dark for me, except for a tiny red light beeping in the centre and then... BeeeeP!

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TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

Tell us about your learning experience at CERNI was selected as a “summer student of non-Member-states” and was assigned to a project named “Modelling of single-top-t-channel signal and backgrounds” under the supervision of arberto Orso Maria Iorio. this project was about simulating high-energy physics processes using state-of-the art particle physics simulation software and data analyses packages. to use all of the above you require a computer equipped with a linux operating system, C++ programming language and an analysis framework root. though the task of learning all of this was daunting in the beginning, my supervisor was very helpful and I managed to pick these things up rather quickly. also, a series of lectures were held for the students, which helped us to understand the project better. Putting that aside, I have to say that it was very different from my own academic background.

CeRn has given me the opportunity to meet people from many different countries. I worked with them as a team and came to learn about their cultures. I made a lot of new friends and these are people I will remember for a long time. Most importantly, it was an honour to represent my university as well as my country, Bangladesh.

What sort of planning and preparation is needed if students were to try to visit places like CERN? I would highly recommend learning C++ language and the capability to use different operating systems. CeRn’s

website is also a useful resource as it has links to all the lectures held previously and other information that may help students prepare for this programme.

What is their application criteria?Prospective students must either be undergraduates or postgraduates, in their third year of education. Provided you meet this condition, you proceed to apply via an online application system.

to support your application you also need to provide academic transcripts along with two recommendation letters. However, it is worth mentioning that CeRn only offers the summer studentship once every year.

Given that you have experienced education abroad, what are your thoughts on contemporary education in science related areas in Bangladesh? Our education system needs to focus more on research based teaching, unlike the current norm. In our education system, when a student starts to learn about science right from the beginning, he or she is not exposed to much practical knowledge. as a result, a loss of interest in science eventually ensues. My observation is, our education system should promote both practical and research based studies, which in turn will allow us to keep up with modern life and science.

Are there any new projects you are working on? I am working on a project for the blind people named “Blind assistance and navigation system for indoor environments.” It is a system designed to help blind people find their belongings, while in their rooms by utilising a camera and sound effects.

What do you plan to do in the future?Well, I would like to continue my higher education and hopefully do something constructive for my country in the future. n

writteN iN the StArS8 tmag

Aniqua Nusrat Zereen realised her dream of “being the person that people will follow” by attending CERN, the European Council for Nuclear Research, as a summer student last year. Saudia Afrin chats to her about this achievement

Getting personal with Aniqua• aniqua considers herself to be energetic, hard-working and enthusiastic. • In her free time, she loves playing the guitar more than anything else. • Mahatma Gandhi’s “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” inspires

her a lot.• she is now a respectable lecturer at BRaC university, Cse.

leAdinG bY eXAMPle

If you want to achieve success in life, you have to believe in yourself

PHoToS couRtesy

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

You write it 9tmagYou write it 9tmag

book report

YA MAshuPs

ComiC strip

Dystopian dramathe Hunger Games by suzanne Collins, which was first published in 2008, but only hit its supernova status with the movie deals, popularised for this generation a kickass female heroine and still managed to deliver a story that would hold water with male readers – not an easy feat.

at first glance, Veronica Roth’s divergent trilogy takes all those familiar elements from the Hunger Games – the post-apocalyptic setting, the new class system, the misfit heroine, and the high-tension selection process (which felt like a Michael Bay take on Harry Potter’s sorting Hat). But as the protagonist Beatrice Prior leaves her home for a new faction and starts to peel back the conspiracies in the strange government system in this world, it begins to feel like an older fantasy series, namely James Patterson’s “Maximum Ride” books.

In this day and age when everything seems to be a reboot of this, or a cover of that, a mashup is a cool and refreshing way to take two existing pieces of work and turn them into a whole new thing. While most prevalent in the music industry, young adult fiction writers have taken to this philosophy. Does it work? We’ve reviewed two popular trilogies here to find out

Book one introduces the world of post-war Chicago, and the faction system, and takes tris Prior out of her home faction abnegation, into the dark and dangerous world of the dauntless faction. But she’s a misfit there too, being secretly divergent, which means she holds an aptitude for more than one faction. as she settles into her new life, she realises that her very life may be in danger.

Book two takes a closer look at the ruling authorities in all the factions and also the strange and lawless lives of the factionless. More than a few surprises await us there.

the third and final book expands the universe of Roth’s little world and shows us who has really been pulling the strings all along. the stakes have never been higher, and tris isn’t sure who she can trust.

Pros: Plenty of twists and surprisesCons: the whole faction system can get a little cheesy.

Demigods in denimRick Riordan made classical Greek mythology more navigable for young readers with his Percy Jackson series. love them or hate them, stephanie Meyer’s twilight series struck a chord with millions of teenagers around the world, translating into a hugely successful movie franchise and it’s a cash cow that continues to pay. so what happens when you throw these two very different styles of fantasy together? You get Josephine angelini’s “awakening” trilogy.

In starcrossed, we meet the insanely beautiful Helen Hamilton, who has always felt awkward about her incredible looks and her freakish strength. When the mysterious delos family moves into nantucket, where she’s lived all her life with her father Jerry, she realises she’s not completely unique. some serious chemistry, and not all of it positive, develops between her and lucas delos,

and she realises she is a demigod, an incarnation of Helen of troy, and a union between her and lucas, who is Paris reborn, might start off another trojan War.

In dreamless, Helen uncovers a few more talents and as she literally goes through hell trying to keep her mind off lucas, she encounters a new player on the field, named Orion. Can she trust this new entry? You’ll have to read to find out.

In Goddess, in spite of everyone’s efforts, the Olympian Gods have gotten involved, and the stage is set for an epic showdown, and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

Pros: this series is heavy on the action, so watch out for killer fight scenesCons: If you don’t like your romance cheesy, the soap opera of relationships in these books will put you off your lunch.

SabRiNa Fatma ahmad

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

Opeth, is a band that needs absolutely no introduction. While their sound might be defined as metal, the swedish band proved time and again of their versatile nature exploring various different sounds that consisted of many mellow tracks, exploring and incorporating progressive elements with their songs. But can the same be said for Mikael akerfeldt’s signature PRs series?

the influence of a musical genre on its fans is the test of time. While various styles and sounds surfaced and disappeared, metal continues to live on. that being said, the genre is also a style of music not everyone can come to appreciate and at times, even grow out of. that’s why investing in metal instruments, especially guitars, tend to be a risky bet (unless of course you’re planning on keeping multiple instruments).

Metal guitars are possibly the best guitars capable of handling mean distorted effects, equipped with a fast fretboard and light in weight,

allowing hours of practice and jam sessions; among many other traits. However, when dealing with cleaner and crunchier tones, they certainly don’t measure up to the blues guitars within the same price range.

Mikael akerfeldt’s (Opeth’s lead guitarist) signature PRs series, however, is not your average metal guitar. From the very first look, the guitar looks and feels a lot like a blues guitar. Picking up the instrument, the guitar is slightly on the heavy side and has a nice firm feel to it. However, jamming for long hours while standing up might cause you to tire out faster than you normally would with a lighter guitar.

the PRs designed HFs Pickups deliver a lot of gain, handles distortions very well and has a beautiful harmonic response (as expected). However, to this writer’s surprise, the pickups also do just as well with cleaner and overdriven tones. to this writer, the guitar sounds and feels a lot like a les Paul would.

Overall, just like the band, the

signature PRs series proved to be versatile in sound, comfortable to play and has a beautiful classy look. If you’re a hardcore metal guitarist, this instrument might not measure up to what you’d expect from a metal guitar, in terms of feel and look. If you’re into playing cleaner tones, you’ll be better off buying a Fender within the same price range. However, if it’s versatility that you’re looking for, Mikael akerfeldt’s signature PRs will deliver. the guitar is available at World Music in Bashundhara City for tk65,000. Shah NahiaN

instrument

Stereo10 tmag

Prs se MikAel

Akerfeldt 2014

“I’m a writer, a rhythm, lead, and acoustic player. I try to be as versatile as possible, that’s why I needed a guitar that can match those ambitions both live and in the studio. On top of things, it’s proper eye candy too!” - Mike Akerfeldt

i will survive this PlAYlist

1. Breakdown Mariah Carey

2. Akhono Black

3. Forget you Cee Lo Green

4. Tum hi ho OST Aashiqui

5. Keno chole gele duure Srabonti Ali

6. Speeding Cars Imogen Heap

7. New Chick Dumbfoundead

8. Shut up and let me go The Ting Tings

9. She Eka Topu

10. So What Pink

Good sheet

top

10

Riptide Vance Joy

Capo on the 1st Fret

Intro:Am G C (x2)

Am G CI was scared of dentists and the dark,Am G CI was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations,Am G COh all my friends are turning green,Am G CYou’re the magicians assistant in their dreams.

Am G COoh, ooh oohAm G C (hold)Ooh, and they come unstuckAm G Clady, running down to the riptide,C Amtaken away to the dark side,G CI wanna be your left hand man.Am G CI love you when you’re singing that song and,C AmI got a lump in my throat ‘causeG Cyou’re gonna sing the words wrong

Bodytop wood Beveled Maple with Flame Maple VeneerBack wood Mahoganyextras Opeth “O” logo

Necknumber of frets 24 Jumbo Fretsscale length 25”neck wood MapleFretboard wood ebonyneck shape Wide FatFretboard inlays Birds

Hardware/ElectronicsBridge PRs designed tremolotuners PRs designed tunersHardware type Goldtreble pickup se HFs trebleBass pickup se Vintage BassPickup switching Volume and tone Control with 3-Way toggle Pickup selector

se MikAel Akerfeldt Model sPecs

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

PLAYrooM 11tmag

PHoToSbigstock

we recoMMendApp of the week

GAdGet hunt

movie review

web CritiCAPP vAn GoGh

sAM’s new budGet GAdGet

A trAin! JuMP on it!

Comedy Youtube channels are always a great source of entertainment. Inspired by popular Youtubers such as Ray William Johnson, Ryan Higa, smosh and shane dawson, comes a new Youtube channel right here from dhaka.

Calling themselves salmon theBrownFish, salman and his group of friends are running a channel much like their Youtube inspirations, but targeting a local audience. the ideas are usually generated from comedic elements people have to deal with living in dhaka and are great for a light watch. the videos are very relatable and often highlight funny things we do without realising.

If you know how to handle a joke and don’t mind laughing at the things we do, salmon theBrownFish is definitely worth checking out.

Youtube uRl: http://www.youtube.com/user/salmanmuqtadir

Recommended videos:• typical Bengali Couples• awkward Bollywood dance• How Bengali’s Bluff• 5 Reasons Why We should

love ananta Jalil • Funny Bangladeshi Politics

Shah NahiaN

developed for windows phones, Fantasia Painter is a photo editing/painting app that can be used to edit and paint on photos from your phone gallery. One feature that makes Fantasia Painter stand out is that it comes with various powerful tools. tools that are found on professional photo editing software developed for computers. some of these notable tools are: mold and clone, swap face, alter body shape and more. However, what separates Fantasia painter entirely from professional photo editing software is that it is extremely simple to use, where simple strokes appear to have a professional touch to it, and you can have it with you on the go.

Both free and paid versions of the

app are available on the Windows Phone app store. However, when you purchase the application from the store, you can use it without ads. Overall, Fantasia Painter is a great tool that can be used to both enhance a photograph or bring out the inner artist in you.

FeaturesBrushes available:eye colour/shadow/make-upFur, Furball - Paint cute furry animals, furry flowers, add fur to photos. Sketch - Create pencil sketches, with far less strokes compared to real pencilFairy lights - “alive” abstract brushRainbow - Beautiful organic colour transitions add life to your paintings.twisted squares, Paint, dirty Paint, Pen, eraser

100+ Effects:Colourise - change to gray scale; brush back colour with your finger.Dark Dream - gloomy feel; brush on and off to add subtle and powerful changesMold - change smiles, thin/fatten waists, make curved flowers, and much morevintage, borders, collagetext: amazing, rare fonts, 500+ symbols, comic/speech bubblesLifelike Colours - combines steps from online tutorials to improve most photos. tap Invert for before/after view.Recolour, soft light, Blur, Gentle Painter, morePaint with one finger. Zoom/pan with two fingers. haSSaN taNviR maNSuR

samsung has been poking around in the budget smartphone segment for quite some time now, coming up with devices that are wonderful to look at but woefully short of processing juice. But is the new Galaxy ace nXt any exception? Will they be able to break the monotony of poorly powered budget handsets?

since the days of the Galaxy s, samsung knows its design. they

“Faction before blood;” that or you become factionless and live a life filled with misery and loneliness. the film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s new York times bestselling trilogy “divergent” was released on March 14 earlier this year. It was also considered a financial success ($85m budget) for the producers of the film, grossing over $288m worldwide according to boxofficemojo.com and several other sources.

directed by neil Burger and screen writers evan daugherty and Vanessa taylor, the story is set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago. People here are divided into five factions based on human virtues: amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), abnegation (the selfless), dauntless (the brave) and erudite (the intelligent). as they

come of age, children in the society may choose to join a particular faction at the “Choosing Ceremony,” although a sorting Hat style aptitude test taken the day before the selection may tell them what faction they are best suited for.

at the test is where Beatrice Prior (shailene Woodley), the main protagonist, finds out that she has traits from three different factions making her a “divergent.” Beatrice is warned by her proctor tori (Maggie Q) to keep her results a secret. since “divergents” can think for themselves, they are considered a threat by the government. at the annual Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice dares to pick dauntless, which means she will never be able to see her family again; “Faction before blood!” Her dreams have finally been realised as she can now jump on to speeding

trains and jump off of tall building into big gaping holes (every budding young adult’s dream). But that’s not the end of it; there is this one part where she… watch the film to find out the rest.

though this writer hasn’t read the books, the film in itself seemed rather twilightish barring the presence of a woman’s best friend “diamonds” on a vampire’s body. However, the performances namely from shailene Woodley, theo James and Kate Winslet, in a supporting role, made the film pleasant to watch and at often times, quite engaging. despite the earlier joke about jumping on to a speeding train, there are scenes in the film that are quite thrilling. Overall, give it a go and if it’s not your cup of tea, read the book.

Fuad m hoSSaiN

sAlMon the brown fish

have struck the right chord with users, and have merely extended the design to the lower end handsets. Consequently, all samsung Galaxy ace handsets have a thin bezel and the two soft key, one physical key layout below the display, the trademark curved edge design with glossy plastic back, and the ace nXt is no exception. Once the device comfortably settles in your palm, you’ll find the display to be a decent four inch lCd with 480 x 800 pixels resolution.

the choice of processor appears to be surprising, and it is not a pleasant surprise. a single core, 1.2GHz Qualcomm snapdragon processor paired with a 512MB RaM feels a bit like last generation. It has a 4GB internal storage, which is just about decent. Given that high end videos and games are most likely to be unplayable with the configuration, it does save some precious space.

the samsung Galaxy ace nXt

comes with a 3MP back camera and VGa front camera, which is more decent than what the pixel count would suggest. In addition, it comes with a led flash as well. Combined together, they do a decent job of clicking photos in normal light and capturing videos.

similar to all budget handsets these days, ace nXt is a 3G device with Bluetooth, WiFi and other necessary connectivity features, and comes with a dual sIM.

among all other features, the battery stands out with its ability to hold 1980mah worth of juice.

the samsung Galaxy ace nXt comes preloaded with the latest android Os, the android 4.4 Kitkat.

Overall, the samsung Galaxy ace nXt performs all the required tasks of a basic smartphone with ease, and most importantly it comes with the best battery capacity seen in this range.

tahSiN momiN

TMAG Th u rsDAY, OcTOber 23, 2014

teeNArAMA12 tmag

The first one stays...It was my first, actual relationship. It’s a cute story how we ended up together, it seemed so colourful and beautiful then. Well what else would you expect from a naïve, young teenager? and then it did not work out for whatever reasons. But what I learnt from that break up is that the word “terrible” doesn’t even come close to describing what you feel at that point of time. Whenever I used to cross her house, my heart skipped a beat thinking about the possibility of running into her. every time I used Whatsapp, I’d stare at her “last seen” (scary stalker-ish behaviour!) to see if she was online. It’s not like we didn’t text but compared to the past, we acted like total strangers and that hurt the most. at some point when I thought I was over her, the mention of anything remotely connected to her would make me think, “what could have been,” making me realise that I wasn’t over her.

When I was over her, I came to realise what a fool I had been. It was pretty embarrassing every time I thought about it. and now when I think about the entire thing, it never fails to crack me up thinking how less the younger me knew about life and relationships. We don’t talk any more but wherever she is, I hope she’s happy. Because like it or not, the first one stays.

note: life gets a whole lot better when you move on. the future holds a silver lining, no matter how - Anonymous

Confession!

which fAction Are You?

tAke tmAG’s PersonAlitY

quiZ now!

Mostly A’s the abnegation Faction You’re organised, respectful and unselfish. You strive to help others through your selfless actions.

Mostly Bsthe dauntless Faction You’re a badass who dislikes rules and cowards. Your bravery knows no bounds.

Mostly C’sthe erudite Faction You think people are ignorant and insufficiently knowledgeable. Curiosity is your motto and knowledge is your sword.

Mostly D’sthe amity Faction You’re a lover of music, arts and entertainment. You love having fun and are hot to be around!

Mostly E’sthe Candor Faction You’re honest, almost brutally at times. You let your views get known. loyalty and trust define you.

Mostly F’sthe divergent Faction You’re different than the rest. You adapt and seek answers that no one even thinks of looking for. the norm is not your forte; you’d rather create your own.

qUESTION 1

When your mom forbids you to go to a cool party, what would you do?a Quietly acceptB lie and go anywayC ask why and try to understand herd laugh it offe Blame her for no freedomF none of the above qUESTION 2

What do you usually do in a test you’re unprepared for?a sit silently and blame yourselfB CheatC I’m never unpreparedd Chat with the person next to you e look for others who cheat and complainF none of the above qUESTION 3

Which fashion style appeals to you?a a plain grey sweaterB Ripped jeansC nerdy glassesd Pink teese Black suitsF nothing specific

qUESTION 4

On report card day...a I’m a prefect. Have to be there anyway.B I don’t go. Who cares?C straight a’s d Go just to meet friends e Mom and dad always go with me. a very serious day.F none of the above qUESTION 5

In a zombie invasiona You would try to find a cureB Killing spree!C study their movements and tactics to help mankindd tame theme Blame the cause of the infectionF none of the above

Find out what fashion you belong to in this weeks “Divergent” quiz.

TMAG TElls you To choose or lose

Got a sticky relationship ish? Let us help you make up your mind. Email your story today to tmag.dt@dhakatribune.com

My FRIEND AND I RECENTLy STARTED DATING. He had been pursuing me for a few months and I finally gave in. However, I feel he has stopped making the same effort as before. He ignores me and makes me feel unwanted. He even called me clingy, right to my face. However, I am really in love with him and am losing all my self esteem.

chooseWhy not? she is a beauty with brains! If it is meant to happen, it will. talk to her about the possibilities of being together. and if she is as brilliant as you say, she is probably aware of it all. Worst case scenario, you’ll still be friends, which can’t be bad after all!

THERE’S THIS GIRL IN My CLASS I REALLy LIKE. she’s very pretty and a brilliant student. she is shy but recently we have begun talking a lot. she pushes me to study and I feel like doing it for her. My friends like the positive changes in me too. I really want to tell her that I like her but I’m scared she might back off. should I take the chance?

losenot unheard of, but there is no particular reason as to why this happens. It is apparent that he doesn’t share the same enthusiasm as before. Maybe this is not what he had in mind. It’s best if you let go and call it an infatuation because there is someone out there who is way more enthusiastic about you. all you can do is wait for it to happen.