Check it out

Shatabdi's summer collection

It may be springtime but you must have noticed that the breeze is quite warm already. Shatabdi, one of the renowned fashion houses of today is introducing pant-tops collection for girls in this summer.

Stretch denim and polyester blended fabrics are mostly used in pants. Black and blue denim will cost tk550 to tk750. Pants are available in various sizes starting from small and going up to extra large. Tops will cost tk370 to tk550.

Shatabdi is situated at Ambala complex Dhanmondi, right beside the rifles square.

Ferns and petals the flower shop in town

Flower business is booming these days. Mostly men are involved in it. Recently a team of two housewives has come forward to try the line. They have ventured out to open an elegant florist's shop named Ferns and Petals in Dhanmondi. Obviously it is not just a matter of handling Rajanigandha bouquets. It is more than that. Owners of the shop try to bring aesthetics to their work. When you step in to Ferns and Petals a dazzling sight of local and imported flowers will greet you. The store is located at house no # 2, Road #9, Dhanmondi.

Sheraton's feast

Dhaka Sheraton Hotel's in-house restaurant, The Vintage Room, brings back its popular Salmon and Lobster promotion from 15th March and this festival shall continue for a month. The Chef and his team will prepare an array of dishes made from salmon and lobster. As for main courses, tandoori lobster or the salmon steak should be tried out.

The Dhaka Sheraton Hotel also brings back the lunch time pizza promotion at its popular Italian restaurant "Italia Bar & Bistro". The month long pizza promotion has started from March 01 and has been featuring a great selection of Italian Pizza, like Pizza Four Seasons, Pizza Margherita as well as other great delights. One can enjoy a wide selection of Italian Pizza, and a free soup or salad with every order. You can also create your own pizza's at the Bistro, by choosing many ingredients like, garlic, parmesan, olives, mozzarella, tomatoes, chicken, salami, and many many more.

Contact Dhaka Sheraton Hotel for reservations and further details.
LS Desk

Independence special at Khazana

Khazana held a press luncheon on the 1st of March 2004 hosted by chairperson Maheen Khan and restaurant manager Shital J. Bhatt. So what's a press luncheon? Well, it's something restaurants do to butter up the press people who will later eulogize about the food while the taste is still fresh in their mouths. It helps to let the people know about what is on offer.

The lunch started off with the air of a funeral parlour with everyone sitting in stoned silence. But things started to warm up as a guided tour of the restaurant took place along with the sumptuously displayed soon to be devoured food items. Being a car freak it was difficult to keep my mind on the food when there was one of the hottest sports cars ever parked outside. The car was momentarily forgotten with the aroma of fresh food wafting in the air. Yes, I am a food freak too. Nothing gets people in the mood better than the promise of great chow.

Tomatoes seemed to take precedence among all other vegetables waiting to be slaughtered. There was a syrupy tomato based lentil dish along with soup and chutney of the same. A lot of emphasis was put on the decoration. Tomatoes, I think, once again took precedence with beautifully carved pieces resembling roses. Flashbulbs went off in quick succession as the dishes posed gracefully. It is not just for feasting with your taste buds but also a treat for the eyes.

Other dishes included prawn, chicken and a lot of mushrooms stuffed with cottage cheese. The latter is something you should try keeping aside superstitions about mushrooms being evil. Each serving is a balanced meal that's it is cooked keeping your waistline in mind. Of course the waistline goes down the waste disposal unit when you are having several servings in one go.

Khazana has come up with a theme in preparation for celebrating Bangladesh's Independence. It's a particular theme highlighting the event and will continue throughout this month. The specialty is that all the dishes will be of Indian and Punjabi origin offering the spicy tastes of other cultures to our equally spice loving folk. So why don't you go and check out what titillates your palate?

By Ehsanur Raza Ronny

Event

Salma Kaniz Ahmed: An artist with a vision

Art connoisseurs of Dhaka city were recently treated to a sublime painting display as, Salma Kaniz Ahmed, a talented Bangladeshi painter, held her 5th solo exhibition at the Bangladesh National Museum. The exhibition, which commenced on 27 February and continued till 3 March, was open everyday from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

In total, 46 paintings were displayed at the exhibition. They were carried out using either oil on canvas, watercolours or charcoal. Each painting clearly reflected the immense talent of the artist. Most of them were in semi-abstract form, as it is her most preferred option because it enables her to enjoy a level of mystery with the audience. Diverse colours and textures were used in all her paintings. According to Ms. Ahmed, this was due to the level of emotion she tried to portray. To be more precise, she used bright colours when expressing happiness and dark ones to show sadness.

There were four paintings named 'Masks', which fascinated people of all age groups. These had the faces of human beings partially covered by a piece of cloth. On conversing with the artist she informed me that in those paintings she tried to portray the façade of human beings. In other words, most people purport to be honest and caring but in reality they are totally the opposite. Ms. Ahmed has personally been a victim of this level of human deception and from her anger she came up with 'Masks'.

Salma Kaniz Ahmed won a silver medal at the prestigious Indian art competition, "Shankar's", at the tender age of nine. From that success she never looked back. She went on to win numerous awards from both home and abroad. In 1995, she migrated to the United States of America. Over there she has taught art courses at reputable institutions. Besides teaching, she has also held three solo painting exhibitions at: Ohio, Arizona and Maryland.

Her next exhibition will be held in the Indian city of New Delhi from 16 March.

By Sayeed Mahmud Nizam

Tips

Prolong the life of your spectacles

Those of us who wear glasses are always aware of a few precautionary facts regarding our specs. But those of us who are wearing eyeglasses for the first time, for them, the following tips might come truly handy.

If you are wearing specs for the first time then before everything, make sure that your glasses fit you well and don't slip down your nose or gets off your ears. If you are not comfortable with your glasses, go back to your optician for the necessary adjustments.

It's only normal that you would undergo mild dizziness or slight headache when you are wearing glasses for the first time. But if these symptoms last for long then it's advised that you talk to your oncologist as soon as possible.

Besides the above tips, there are a few tips stated below to help you make your glasses last for a long time.

Whenever you put on glasses remember to wear it using both of your hands, the same thing will apply when you take off your glasses. Using two hands will prevent your specs from going out of shape.

Always keep your glasses in a case when not in use. This will protect your lenses from abrasion and will also help to stretch out the life of your frame.

Do not let the younger members of your family to try on your specs. Your frame has been custom fitted for you. So if you let others wear your glasses then there is always a big chance that it will lead to stretching or other damage.

Clean your lenses and frame regularly with warm water or any certified lens cleaner. And never wipe the lenses until they are completely dry as this might cause scratches on the surface.

To avoid scratches on your spectacles, never lay them on any hard or rough surface.

It's also recommended that you visit your optician every 3-4 months. This will allow your optician to mend loose screws and other problems.

By Wara Karim

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Hanging Out

Kumudini

Have you ever felt like tasting something different for a change? Instead of chewing the usual fried broiler chicken with Cole slaw or maybe thick, fatty burgers or maybe a set lunch at an expensive food outlet? If yes, then hurry up and stop at the little shop located on the ground floor of Kumudini, Gulshan.

I won't call it a formal food shop in the first place, because it's more than 500 miles away from how we define a food outlet today and above that, the place does not sell traditional foods as well. For a brunch with luchi, alurdam, alu puri, daal puri, samosa, some yummy rolls made from chicken or many other delicious foodstuff, you can visit the place. Each luchi will cost you only tk.3 and a little bowl of alurdam will cost you tk.10.

The store has been raised in a garage kind of a place with tables made from glass and wrought iron painted in black. The seats are made from terra cotta and are interesting to look at. The foods are served in earthen bowls and dishes. Even without an eye-catching décor and fixtures, this store manages to attract a large number of consumers every day. You might even have to wait a little as the ladies prepare the food for you. Above everything, you can save your neck by eating some quality food and paying nominal prices.

With cool breeze sweeping the area all through the day, and a wide variety of climbing plants, ferns and shrubs clinging on to the walls around, this place is definitely far, far away from the mechanical and high-priced fast food stores of the town. So, let our taste buds savour something totally different to bring a little variety to life.

By Wara Karim