Iris Farina

Picture this - a global fried chicken joint, with all the trims of the place, packed with people enjoying their time. You go up to order, and naturally take a peek behind the cashier. The part of the kitchen/prep-area is visible, but not all of it. You wonder what really takes place. Is it possible to actually take a look?

Call it 'Travelling for Food' or 'Culinary Tourism,' the meaning remains the same. Kashtan Habib, an advertising personnel, who loves food and travelling, weighs in on this by saying, “I guess these are all different terms for the same concept - food travel.

Home decor magazines may have their blazing trends that burn off last season's peak, but there is one that never leaves the pages- the eternal blue-white porcelain. From the tiniest floral or animal shaped palm-sized pieces to gargantuan vases that top over an adult's head and all that is in between- this time defining colour style is immensely popular among the pottery lovers of the world.

The end of summer has passed, and grey clouds are coming and going in their own rhythm. While global warming has made the weather more unpredictable than usual, the presence of the rainy season has not changed. Are you planning to go with a particular shade of the clear summer skies to overthrow the rainy gloom? Think again, for blue is really not the only shade of monsoon!

Whoever says they like summer in this part of the world may have had a past life in the Antarctic. The scorching summer sun is like the scornful eye of an angry individual, just staring down the earth-bound minions into total submission. Thank heavens when the Rainmaker decides to put a halt to this! The first pitter-patter of water drops from the sky are heralds of the coming season; as they evaporate on the heated streets, the message is more than received!

Modern fashion and living are ascending the steps to embrace the senses, while providing the people with a platform of expression. The issue of sustainability and eco-friendliness are now highlighted more than ever; fashion and living too are now addressing these concerns.

Marketing campaigns have seeped so deep into our lives that we cannot think of anything without the material side.

Around the world, the first of May holds cultural significance as well as the universal context of being the International Workers' Day. You may not need a refresher on the historical background but on this day, today, just about every place you know around town, is shut. This is not a holiday where you can hang around in markets or hit your favourite restaurant-- everyone has a day off.

For any sovereign country, people hold the identity of the place, as well as the many defining practices that build its fabric of culture and tradition. Yet, somewhere along the line, maybe simply with the passage of time, or due to the dark side of globalisation, many of the heritage defining aspects disappear or worse, become convoluted beyond acceptance.

It's not every day that you would sit with a book of poetry, the cosmopolitan hustle and bustle has robbed us of a variety of quiet pleasures. We want things is 'twenty-words-or-less' to accommodate our shrinking attention span. Yet, the tired souls need that missing element to be human. Odrishho Rongin Osru (Colours of Invisible tears) may be that bridging element, if not more.

Every Baishakh sees a spike in the sales of earthenware, particularly for 'shora' (convex earthen plates) and 'hari' (clay cooking bowls). As kumars (the potters) are busy with their pottery wheel and the kilns are burning day and night to compete with spiked seasonal demand; 25 miles north of Rajshahi City, the Pal Para (neighbourhood of potters) at Basantapur is busy with another unique clay creation along with their regular wares.

As the scorching summer approaches, your best light wear is already out and you are preparing to welcome Baishakh. Just as your wardrobe is fashionably light and festive, your footwear too has to match the mood! No worries on that front though; Apex has a trendy, fashionable lineup for the fashion forward as well as those who are looking to match tradition with comfort.

There is hardly anyone of the modern world unfamiliar with historical speeches-- from Dr. Martin Luther King or Abraham Lincoln or even older speeches from ancient times by Socrates or Pericles. Volumes after volumes of compilations of the great and famous (and also of the infamous and dreaded) are not only easily available but come with audio and video recordings to present a fully immersive experience.

The unforgettable baritone that transcends time and vision- that would be a paltry description of what Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave to the nation on March 7, 1971 at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan. The historic congregation of almost 10 lakh people at the then Race Course ground (now Suhrawardy Udyan) at the end of the 20-minute speech bore witness to the all defining words: “Ebar-er shongram

Ujjwala started by encouraging would-be women entrepreneurs and providing them with the tools and skills for their entrepreneurial journey, especially in the service sector of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's folk songs are as unique as its geographical location and climate. After language, the next element of a culture is revealed thorough the lyrics and melody of its folk songs. The sheer variety in the types of folk songs in this area is itself staggering. Scholars have listed nearly a hundred folk song types in this delta. Then again, each are of their own minds when sub dividing these under broad

The first season of the year in Bangladesh is not spring or summer, it is the wedding season. As guests see the smiling bride and groom on the day of their wedding reception, little thought is spared on the stories that transpired out of sight. The people come in droves, and every single one welcomed by the families of the bride and the groom, the photographers are literally throwing themselves on the floor for the perfect shot, the aroma of the food enticing the invited guests.

The Boi Mela, the congregation of book lovers through the decades in an undeniable landmark in Dhaka's urban scenario.

Children in Bangladesh are now the sufferers of a new type of crisis- a childhood without outdoor activities and the simple joys it held. While this is mostly a concern attributed to the urban residents, in general it is reaching every corner of the country.

In our modern lives the maximum impact of black and white often comes in the form of Instagram filters, and that too only when the mood to strike a chord or pose grips us, for some reason or another.