Shop Special

Bibiana

The shop has an unmistakable old-world charm about it. Lipi Khondker, who owns Bibiana (House No.6, Rd No.5, Dhanmondi) along with her husband Tonmoy (and Saiful Islam), had only fifteen days to renovate the old home and give birth to a presentable store. The couple, both artists, decided to go along with the theme of the old house and create what would turn out to be, in parts, akin to an old Zamindar abode. Furnished with old mahogany chests, mirrors and a gigantic bed, a door painted colourfully in greens, reds and yellows with motifs of village boats and huts, and some walls painted in vibrant shades, Bibiana has a distinct ambience which would make simply browsing through the shop a pleasant experience in itself. You will certainly find some attractive shawls on display of different textures and patterns. These include Khadi, Acrylic, Wool, Linen, and Cotton, and come in dual colours, checks, stripes, and jacquard prints, with prices ranging from Tk 230-Tk1350. Shalwaar kameezes (priced at Tk800-Tk1,759) and Sarees (Tk 450-Tk3,000) are mostly cotton, with appliqué, hand-stitch, hand-paint, and block print done on them. They do, however, have georgette, chiffon and silk kameezes on display as well. Khondker mentions that their selection of Eid clothing has arrived a few days ago. There are men and women's fatuas, long skirts for women, scarves in bright and vibrant colours.

A different section of the store will take you to the small enclosure which is the jewellery section, its walls painted black, cleverly enough, as it serves as a nice backdrop for all the pretty, hand crafted ethnic jewellery on display. These are mostly funky to look at, and fashioned out of brass and metal.

The sprawling store further leads you into another room, which would be the household section where you may find oil paintings by Tonmoy, along with gift items such as designer candles, attractive glazed ceramic pottery (made by the students of Fine Arts Institute), masks, brass candle-holders with an antique finish, dainty stained glass trays, and clay pottery.

Home décor items keep changing however, depending solely on the creativity of the artists at work. There are unusual cushion covers with jute borders (price: Tk120-Tk150), and nice bed covers in beige and sober pastels; the list goes on.

Eid-ul-Azha is near, and Bibiana is yet another ethnic nook one may find worthwhile browsing through for some good old shopping.

By Rubaiyat Khan

Shop talk

As we'll be celebrating Eid-ul-Azha in four days time, this week's shoptalk is about Eid related items.

Knife & Cleaver
On Eid day you'll find that many people will claim to be 'professional' butchers. Although we all know that they aren't 'professional' butchers, we can't do without their services either, as the demand for genuine professional butchers outstrips the supply. Therefore, we are left with no option but to hire the services of these unscrupulous people. You'll find that these so-called 'professional' butchers don't even have proper knives and cleavers. If you have any intention of completing your Qurbani by the afternoon, then we suggest that you buy a few knives and cleavers, so that the 'professional' butchers can use them. Knives and cleavers can be purchased at any bazaar for about Tk 30 & Tk 150 respectively. Best place to buy them would be Karwan Bazar and New Market. Some supermarkets like Uttara's Family Needs keep these items too, but you'll have to pay a slightly higher price.

Wooden board
In order to chop meat the 'professional' butchers will require a wooden board. In most cases, they don't have a wooden board, and if they do have one, it'll be invariably grimy. Keeping this in mind, you'll be doing yourself a huge favour by purchasing a wooden board of your own. Wooden boards are sold at any bazaar and at makeshift shops near haats. However the best place is Karwan Bazar. You can also get them from outside the cow haat. The price of these wooden boards depends on their size. Usually their prices start from Tk 100 onwards.

Plastic Sheet
As the 'professional' butchers will begin to chop meat, you'll need to keep the meat on top of a clean surface. Such a clean surface can be a plastic sheet. At any hardware store you'll find that thin plastic sheets are sold for about Tk 5 per feet.

Hosepipe & broom
After the butchers have completed their job, the clean-up operation will begin. You'll need plenty of water to carry out the task of cleaning, and so it will be handy to use a hosepipe. Hosepipes are widely available at hardware stores, and they cost about Tk 5 per feet. Besides a hosepipe, you'll also need a broom to clean the area. The best form of broom to use is a "Shalar Jharu." For a "Shalar jharu" visit Hatir pool, New Market and Karwan Bazar. They are also available at hardware stores, and they cost about Tk 10 each.

Disinfectant
Don't be satisfied by just cleaning the area in which the Qurbani is carried out, with just water. Besides using water, we suggest you thoroughly use a disinfectant to ensure that the area is free from germs. Dettol is a renowned disinfectant, and it is available at all supermarkets. A 750ml bottle of Dettol is sold for Tk 125.

Spices
To ensure that Qurbani meat tastes good, you'll need to add various spices. Some of the spices that you'll need to use are turmeric & chilli powder. A 200gm pack of BD's turmeric & chilli powder will cost about Tk 24 & Tk 29 respectively. They're available at all supermarkets and bazaars.

Kitchen Towel
With plenty of cooking taking place during the Qurbani period, you'll definitely need to keep a stock of kitchen towels in order to maintain a decent hygiene standard. Kitchen towels are available at most supermarkets. Bashundhara & Touch are two brands of kitchen towels, and they cost in the range of Tk 35 to Tk 50.

Deep-fridge
You'll need a place to finally store all the Qurbani meat, and it's for this reason that a deep-fridge comes into the equation. If you have a deep-fridge, you'll be able to store all your Qurbani meat with ease. At the showrooms of Rangs, a deep-fridge can be purchased between Tk 23,990 to Tk 32,750. There are Kelvinator, General, Singer sold at the Baitul Mukarram market priced in between tk23, 000 to tk30,000 and more. Just take your pick.

By Sayeed Mahmud Nizam

 

Essentials

Yearly reminder
It's that time of the year, folks. The streets will run red with blood, and the stench of slaughter will fill the air. Sounds scary, and yet familiar, doesn't it? That's right, Eid-ul-Azha is here again, and with it, come certain pitfalls one needs to beware of. With cows to buy, food to cook, it's hard to keep track of everything, but fear not, Lifestyle is here to remind you of things to watch out for.

Beware of the binge-bug
This is the time when you just can't escape eating a lot. If the Qurbani meats and treats aren't enough, the wedding season is still going strong, and biriyani has practically become a daily dish. But if you want to fit into your clothes this summer, and don't intend on spending the weekend with an upset stomach, curb the urge to take that second helping.

Hygiene hints
The slaughtering of the sacrificial animals makes a mess inevitable. To minimise the smell and the chances of disease, make sure the wastes are all disposed of properly. The animal should be skinned under some sort of shade, so that the meat is protected from unwanted materials falling into it. The blood should be swept up, and poured into a hole dug in the ground. The wastes and remains should be covered up and thrown right into the neighbourhood dustbins to prevent flies from doing the damage. Don't leave the mess lying outside the bins. Give the hides to an orphanage or people who could deal with it and benefit from taking the skins. Finally, once the deed has been done, wash up the scene of the bloodshed, thoroughly, using strong disinfectant.

Open your heart…
…and your freezer. If you're wondering what to do with all the meat, sharing a little with those who can't afford it would be a good idea. After all, Eid is all about sharing and caring.

By Sabrina F Ahmad

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On the cover

Another Eid rolls around, and it's time to get dressy again. When you're out shop-hopping, don't forget to take a peek at Aarong's Eid collection. Fun fabrics, cool cuts and elegant embellishments are how one can sum up the look of this line, which is available at all Aarong outlets
Photo Credit: Aarong.