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Tête-à-tête

Thought of the week:

"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine,
Love, thou art every day my Valentine! "
-- Thomas Hood


It's that time of the year again, when the lovebirds sing, on the first day of Spring, and despite the still-chilly breezes, February becomes the hottest month of the year.

With that lame attempt at sounding profound out of the way, here's hoping that the global day of love will inspire the people in power to stop being at loggerheads and work together to solve their problems. That goes for political leaders abroad as well as at home. This planet could do with less warfare and human dispute, and more of peace and co-operation.

In our Valentine/Spring special we explore the season specials with Maherin and Durdana, while Shayera's back with more DIY goodies. It's mushiness galore with a Valentine special Shout out and Anime's hottest couples. Tashmia, our princess of vogue shows us to add some sparkle to your spring style, while Jennifer helps you find out what kind of romantic you are. Finally, Ajmee's got eye-candy for the Fast and Furious fanatics on backpack.

Anyway, I'm planning to go shopping for music soon..anyone got any recommendations? We could make a quick poll out of it. So write in and tell me what you're listening to.

Till next week, take care, Shubho Pohela Falgun and Happy Valentine's Day.

Send your polls, opinions, and queries to [email protected] or [email protected]

By The Girl Next Doo


What kind of romantic are you?

1. Your idea of the perfect Valentine's Day gift is:
A pink teddy bear wearing a heart-studded T-shirt that says "I love you beary, beary much." (3)
A sweater that your beloved knit by hand. (1)
A mountain bike. (2)
Perfume.(4)

2. Key components of your ideal wedding include:
A huge traditional affair, with elaborate holuds, and 500 of your closest friends.(1)
A small ceremony in your backyard, and a small guest list. (3)
The redeye to Vegas, a heart-shaped bathtub, and scandalized relatives. (4)
A quick trip to the Kazi Office, rings purchased on double-discount, and dinner afterwards. (2)

3. A good time for a marriage proposal is:
When you're at the top of Mt. Keokaradong. (1)
When your health insurance runs out. (2)
On a rainy Sunday night, after you've both sweated out on a project. (3)
Shortly after your first kiss. (4)

4. You show your man/woman you love, by:
Massaging shoulders thoroughly when he/she is exhausted (4)
Writing him/her little notes festooned with hearts. (1).
Baking his/her favorite cookies. (3).
Doing his/her homework. (2)

5. To make your anniversary special, you're most likely to wear:
Something racy. (4)
Clothes you normally wear…
s/he likes you best as you are. (2)
The most expensive outfit in your wardrobe. (1)
The dress/shirt s/he gave you last year -- even though it's really not your style. (3)

6. On the perfect date, you will:
Do something you know you'll enjoy -- like seeing a concert or attending a sporting event. (3)
Talk all night about things that are really important to you. (2)
Go to a cozy bistro where you can gaze at each other over candlelight. (1)
Miss your dinner reservation because you got, um, distracted. (4)

7. If you and noney man had a song, it would be:
"Turn me on". (4)
"You and Me Against the World." (3)
"All You Need is Love."(1)
A song? How corny! (2)

ANSWERS:
4-10 POINTS: When it comes to romance, you're definitely wearing rose-colored glasses. However, your infatuation with the traditional trappings of romance means that you sometimes fail to appreciate it when your beloved expresses his/her love in less flowery ways. But so long as you don't let yourself get too swept up in your champagne-and-roses fantasies, enjoy those picture-perfect romantic moments!

11-18 POINTS: For you, romance is being practical. Your love physical activities like biking, dancing, etc. You're concerned about the nitty-gritty of daily life and can't bother wasting time on 'useless romance'. You have a matter-of-fact approach to love, and believe in being sensible. Yet, lets remember, that being tender, romantic and even dreamy sometimes never hurts.

19-25 POINTS: You're affectionate and cuddly by nature and don't hide it from your partner. For you, romance is to share and to be able to count on each other. You believe in having a good time, without engaging in boring candle light dinners.

You believe in doing things which are important to BOTH of you, and that shows that you are considerate about your partner's feelings as well. There's no need for you to change, you're perfect!

30-32 POINTS: While your free spirit is to be praised, it's also important to remember that true romance goes much deeper than mere physical attraction. So before you get too starry-eyed, make sure there's something of substance behind all that unbridled passion.


Do it yourself


Make your own Valentine gifts!

Being that day of the year again when Cupid's arrow hits pretty much everyone you know (!) there isn't a better way to express your undying love for someone then by "making" them the gifts yourself. Not only does it tell him/her about the magnitude of thought you've put behind the gift but it also shows creativity, uniqueness and a lot of patience that you thought you never had.

A basket of love is something everyone wants! So this year make the basket yourself. This "basket" could be wooden, plastic or even made from thick paper or tin foil! It simply doesn't matter as long as it's distinctive and represents the understanding that you two share (which may seem eccentric to the rest of the world!).

Colour is very important in gifts. A red napkin would be the obvious colour of love but if you think there's a better colour that reflects your adoration for each other than find it and use that to level the base and the surroundings of the container.

Let's face it, heart shaped chocolates and flowers are like granny's grey hairs. It won't be a surprise find out that even her lover gave her chocolates and stuffed teddies once upon a time as well! So these can be fillers in-between all the other presents.

Make him/her a card. If you can be creative then paint on it yourself. If you're making your own card and want to stand out then please DON'T make it rectangular! Cut it out in odd shapes and sizes or maybe even fill up the entire basket with mini-cards that have a different sentence written on each of them about him/her. Trust me s/he will never see it coming!

Get him/her a CD of their favourite songs, which shouldn't necessarily be all love songs. If possible record these songs or burn these songs onto a CD yourself. Remember, the basket has to show how much effort you've put in and how much you appreciate the other person's likings. If you don't know or remember all the songs (hey no one said you had to remember everything s/he said!) then get a CD with only the musical background of jazz or blues.

Candles of all shapes, his/her favourite perfume and movies or books are other suggestions. If you're really serious then why not go as far as jewelleries, rings or watches. You can even get him/her a watch or piece of jewellery with an engraving of a special date or a few sweet words! This of course all depends on (ahem) the size of your wallet/purse and how much is usually kept inside it! Still so, these are just a few ideas where the main part is to just simply articulate your love with all that you have. (If all else fails then you can try wielding your vocal cords and sing "It's only words" by Boyzone on Valentines Day!) Happy V-Day everyone!

By Shayera Moula


Special

Shout Out

Hey people!
Hope we can make your Valentine's even more special with all your shout outs. If you forgot to send in a shout or don't see yours in print, write in to [email protected] or [email protected]. I'll start off with a few suggestions. In case you can't think of a great gift and them creative juices aren't exactly flowing then you can try out these two web sites I read about in the Reader's Digest magazine.

The first is surprise.com, a site featuring gift ideas submitted by users themselves. Gift suggestions can be searched according to occasion, recipient, hobby etc. The other site is findgift.com, which also allows users to have an email reminder service to help them remember important dates. The catch: most suggestions posted in these sites are pretty useless since they're hard to find in the country, unless you are useful with your hands. However it's still helpful if you can't think of anything and don't want to stick to traditional shelf items. I'll end my babbling right here and go straight to your special shouts!

Hi Narm,
I know you don't miss me but I miss you a lot. I just want to say: "Extend your hands in rain and try to catch, how much you can. That's how much you love me and how much you can't see that I love you."
Wish you a very, very happy Valentines Day.
-Only yours Saikat

To Aryan Sweetheart,
The love that I cherish at the core of my heart Is for you. forever.
Doesn't matter if we are together ...or apart.
Ever yours - Peu

Hey guys! What's up?
Wish you all a very happy Valentines Day and especially to the newly married couple Russell Bhaia and Shejuty bhabi. Have fun!
Spring Angel.

Dear Tonatuny's Mom,
I wish you a very special Valentines Day to you with a little anxiousness of your REACTION!
Tonatuny's Papa.

Hey Pablo,
Just wanted to say I would always love you no matter what. Everyday with you is like a dream come true. Thanks for being there with me.
With love, always
Shamma(YTL)

Hi Farhana,
This is Banna.
How are you pal? Missing you a lot these days. I heard you're leaving school for private (coaching). Well, if you feel that's good for you then I have nothing against you. Coz, I'm happy when you're happy. And I'm satisfied when you're satisfied. So, don't worry, study well. I was with you, I am with you and I will be with you forever.
Take Care. Love You FOREVER.
Banna

By the Hitch-hiker
[ ATTENTION: This column is NOT responsible for any negative (or otherwise) outcome of the messages printed in it. Please do NOT abuse the column by using it to play pranks etc. Also, all personal information including email addresses and telephone numbers will be printed at the sender's expense and we do NOT take ANY responsibility for any inconvenience to anyone. ]

 


 
 

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