Shadow's Desk

Our days of looking at the TV set with dead fish eyes are over, cause Premier League is back, and boy oh boy, is it back with a bang. After almost three months,since Chelsea laid their hands on the FA cup,writing their history on the way,we see 20 teams clawing at each other,some for the Glory, and others for survival solely. The opening game of 2010-2011 season saw Manchester City travelling to White Hart Lane to face Redknapp's White boys.The game could not have been more bombing,pulsating, or nail biting than that.Maybe a couple of goals would satisfied the neutrals thirst, but nonetheless, it was one heck of a game.City's FIFA DREAM TEAM were matched head to head,toe to toe with Spur's splendid team play. Money doesn't buy you a win, keep that in mind Sheikh WhoeverYouAre.The game ended in a goalless draw. The opening goal of the season was scored by Stewart Downing of Aston Villa, as they cruised to a 3-0 victory of the Hammered Hammers.The next notable game was be...

And so, Ramadan starts again. I hope you can feel the air around you get a little fresher, and thinner. A feeling of tranquility, and free from perturbation has descended. From tomorrow, as my mother like to say, a new life begins. The point of this blog is to share a story with you; the story of Islam's first Caliph, Abu Bakr(R). "After the death of our beloved Prophet(SA), Abu Bakr(R) was appointed as the rightful leader of the Muslims. Now, one day, Umar(R)- the second caliph of Islam- saw Abu Bakr(R) walking with a bunch of clothes strapped on his shoulder.Bewildered, he went forward and inquired about the purpose of the clothes. Abu Bakr(R) replied that he was going to the bazaar to sell these clothes and earn a living for his family.Grasping the critical situation Abu Bakr(R) was, Umar(R),along with the head of the treasury,Ubayda, it was decided that a salary should be fixed for the caliph.So that he does not have to do anything extra to earn money, and thus can give hi...

" YOU CAN'T EVEN DO ONE SINGLE THING RIGHT! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY HARDSHIPS I'VE HAD TO ENDURE TO BRING YOU UP?"....We are often hearing things along these lines from our parents.Everyday,at some point we are angry;sometimes, too angry. And that's when we make matter worse.If you have a sibling,like I do, then getting angry will become a habit. And if you are trying to tutor your sibling, then getting angry is simply inevitable.I try to control anger,and trust me, its really really hard.But if you can, the rewards are substantial! So here are a few tricks that you can use: 1.Take a 'timeout.' Although it may seem cliche, counting to 10 before reacting really can defuse your temper.Just do not react instantly,because everyone knows you will regret it seconds later. 2.Get some space. Take a break from the person you're angry with until your frustrations subside a bit. 3.Get some exercise. Think that the football is the person you are angry with and then b...

Location: Berlin Bakery Time:Sometime at the evening. "Aa Vaa.VAA?" I was looking intensely at the stove where the chicken fries were...being fried, when an uncanny voice,or more animal like voice was shrieking beside my ear.I turned my head, and saw two guys with half pants and T Shirts designed for sumo wrestlers hanging from their lean bodies. " Vaa, chicken fry hoteh koutokhkhon laegteh pareh?" "Deri hobe mama,ektu boshen" "Allah! Deiri hobeh? But how much time dude?" At this point the seller has one eye brow raised, his face contorted into a confused tone. "ki bollen?" "Arro koutokhkhon lagteh pareh? "Ei kotha?Ponero minute beshi hole" The guy continued to talk,what we call Banglish.But with his half pant crew member, he never uttered one bangla.Even his English accent was total crap! As the chicken pieces were served,I took one and stood beside them, just to listen to their Banglish. "Vaa, amake borro piece tah...

Any foreigner, visiting Bangladesh during the World Cup Football, will definitely be confused over our nationality.He even may have second thought about where he is actually. I mean who wouldn't? Seeing all the buildings, big and small, wrapped and re wrapped in either Brazilian flag or Argentine flags, or simply just both. It seems we forget our nationality for this one month of footballing spectacle. I go out to take a walk, and see two Brazil flags surrounded by five Argentine flags, with either a Germany or England flag in the middle which is just unrecognizable amidst the Blue and Green. One day, on my way to coaching, I saw one of the most bizarre thing.A small Brazil flag was fluttering proudly on the rooftop of GERMAN High Commission premise! I don't know to whom the flag belonged ,maybe the guards or janitors, but the scene was.....bizarre!Anyway,if it was the guard, then salute man! Rickshaws with small flags attached to their handlebars were a common site.And I alway...

My long journey in this O level vacation has been to Shatkhira, with my family.We were a tight knot of thirteen people( scary number for any journey!).The journey was divided into two almost equal segments.The first segment saw us travelling for gross 5 hours, with our backs lazily glued to the seats of the air conditioned bus.They telecasted some dramas, which turned out to be our savior in this long and utterly boring journey.We stopped for an hour in a relative's house in Jessore and prepared for our second leg of the journey.At that time, we were unaware of the monster that was waiting, cunningly, for us.We started our journey to Shatkhira,which would eventually take a painful 4 hour,in a microbus.We were crammed, sweating, and miserable.And suddenly, after travelling roughly for 5 minute, I find myself flying, my body parts threatening to come off, my muscles trying to tear off from my bones, and all because of the horrendous condition of the road. There were frequent times wh...

One thing I've figured out during this monotonous vacation is, that the concept of vacation is truly felt before it starts.And once its starts, it becomes boring.I think I will stop whining now and come to the main focus.You would be surprised to know how the bag of white powder that sits in your bathroom can be of multiple uses, and most of them you would never have imagined.So, here is a list of top 20 uses of baking soda: Personal Health 1. Make toothpaste A paste made from baking soda and a 3 percent hydrogen peroxide solution can be used as an alternative to commercial non-fluoride toothpastes. (Or here’s a formula for a minty version.) You can also just dip your toothbrush with toothpaste into baking soda for an extra boost. 2. Freshen your mouth Put one teaspoon in half a glass of water, swish, spit, and rinse. Odors are neutralized, not just covered up. 3. Use as a facial scrub and body exfoliant Give yourself an invigorating facial and body scrub. Make a paste of 3 parts b...