On nothing in particular

Alice A. Islam

I am depressed today and don't know what to write. But my writing bug keeps poking me to write and so it confines repeating, "write, write". Okay, so I am depressed and you know reason? Let me tell you my husband has gone out of the country for a medical check - up. I know it's for his good but yet I miss his presence in the house and count the days when he will come back. Yes, he phones everyday and that keeps me a little cool. We women are funny creatures. We leave everyone; father, mother, brother and sister just to be with one man. He becomes the centre of our attention and we forget everyone. Not exactly forget but rather neglect everyone.
   Domestic aids in Dhaka are getting very rare. They go to the garment factories, offices, schools, clinics and hospitals. However, one can spy beggars on the roads which makes you want to call Dhaka, the land of beggars.' If you ask them to work, they turn their backs and go away. God only knows what make them have so many children when they can't fend for themselves. If they are asked about their husbands the normal reply is "He is dead" or "He has married again". Can you imagine the funny side of the situation?
   Sometimes I am not only depressed but spend time on nostalgia. For example, I miss my mother and her cooking. She used to cook so well that no day passed when there were no guests. They were always welcome to mama's table. I miss the Arabian food she used to make like Dolma, which can be made with grape leaves but since here grape leaves are not available; she made cabbaye delms with cabaye leaves and tomato dolma, along with brinjal dolmas, tomato rice, koftas and what not. We had a round shaped dining table and it never ran short of space at all. There were always at least two rounds everyday. If you, any of my readers had been one of these guests, you will understand what I mean. But all mothers come to this world to go away one day.
   Now I understand more than ever that this is a man's world. No matter how educated and qualified you are, men look down upon you as an inferior sex. As I said my husband is out of town, but he made all arrangements for me not to face any problems. He gave me the telephone numbers of all the doctors whom he knows very well. There was some emergency in the house and called a doctor who has been like a house doctor to our family. He not only refused to advise me, but also refused to come to the house because he was very busy as he said. I called another doctor, he was slightly more civil. He gave me the name of a medicine and immediately left the phone so I couldn't ask him more questions. Both my son and I were not well.
   So what I did was use more of my intelligence and experience of life; and I said to myself, "Hell with all the doctors, I think we can beat them out. They would not have behaved in this manner if my husband were on the line." At the same time I apologies to all the doctors who are not only good and efficient, but to those who don't count money only. They remember the oaths they took when they became "Saviours of countless people in this world." Yet in this respect, I would like to mention the name of Dr. Harun ur Rashid, an eye specialist. He is not only specialist in his profession but also in courtesy and manners. I had one eye operated by his phaco method and will do the next by him too.
   Many clinics are operating in Dhaka. Some are good and there is no doubt about it but others are operating only for money. My brother Ashok Ghosh, a film director and producer died in such a clinic of a heart attack. Those on duty demanded to be paid and then they would treat him. The person who was with him told them that the whole family is coming with money and to give the best treatment. What they did was give the wrong injection, which brought his end before the family could reach the clinic.
   Again I apologies to those clinics who are doing their job sincerely and who are trying to save lives instead of killing them.
   This reminds me about some of the medicine sold in the market, which have side-effects. These side effects are so dangerous that they can destroy a life. I am a victim of such a medicine. According to the doctor's advise, I took a spoonful of this, and within an hour my head began to reel and my whole body was having muscular contraction. You can't imagine how terrible it can be. I am still suffering from this reaction. In my opinion such medicines, which have incurable side effects, should be banned from being sold in the markets, and the doctors should never prescribe it to their patients.
   If doctors take their profession to heart than people would not run to foreign countries for treatment after spending so much of money and time.
   Time you old gypsy man
   Will you not stay?
   Tie up your caravan
   Just for one day?
   The poet promises to give Time so many things if he would stay for just one day. But Time is stubborn and goes on its way just as it wants. The old gypsy man gives no one time to change into someone else or to rectify his or her mistakes. It is difficult to "If only I could have time to repeat and rectify my mistakes." However that won't do. So we should be thankful for what we don't know so that we do them perfectly and don't need Time to boss over us.
   Corporal punishment in schools must be stopped. Laws must be made to stop these kinds of criminal acts. Parents don't send their children to school to be beaten and to create a horror in the minds of the children. And it must be published in the papers for all to see and know for what I have witnessed, a teacher beating a student just because he couldn't answer a question. I was passing that way when I turned towards the class only to see a horror movie being enacted. The so-called teacher was holding the student by the hair and throwing boxes on his back with the other hand. Not being able to bear it, I entered the room and screamed at the top of my voice "Stop, Stop". I told the teacher to see me in the office and there I gave him a piece of my mind. Of course he was dismissed as an example for other teachers not to resort to such ugly things. The students will never respect teachers who are rough and rude. Let us try to keep this in mind.

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Miscarriage of Justice?

Rayyan Kamal

Yale Miscellany
   With summer vacation already underway, news from Yale is not exactly pouring in. I hear Aliza Schwartz, the controversial art major who made national headlines with her shocking art project proposal that was to include footage of her inducing miscarriages, graduated, though the administration agreed to this only after Schwartz consented to submitting a completely fresh and completely different art project. Tony Blair spoke at Commencement. And this year Yale enjoyed a yield of 69 percent among the admitted students of the Class of 2012. There isn't really anything else of note, according to the Yale Daily News website.
   The last piece of news mentioned above is noteworthy given the reforms in admissions policy that Yale's rivals Harvard and Princeton have recently implemented. Both have scrapped Single Choice Early Action - the rule that allows applicants meeting the November 1st application deadline to be informed of the college's admission decision by December 15th without being under any legal obligation to attend said college - and reinstated Single Choice Early Decision - the rule that is identical to Single Choice Early Action except that students who apply under this program and are accepted are required by law to attend that college. Yale chose to stick by Single Choice Early Action, a decision many thought would cause a decrease in yield relative to that of other colleges. (Yield = # of students who end up matriculating in a college/# of students admitted to the college). But these fears turned out to be unfounded, as yield stayed strong at 69%, a figure comparable to that of past years. Aside from the admissions departments of these universities and, perhaps, people writing columns, is this news really that exciting to anyone? In my opinion, it's more interesting (though not by much) that the number of applications to colleges with recently revamped financial aid policies soared: this year Yale received 22,813 applications, a record high representing an 18 percent increase from last year's number.
   As for Aliza Schwartz, I wonder what her new art project is. If it's something she threw together in two weeks and still managed to graduate, I have to question the standards of Yale's art department. Or maybe everyone took that long to complete their projects. I know that many of my senior friends majoring in subjects like history and political science wrote the bulk of their senior essays in about two weeks.
   Commencement took place yesterday, blessed with magnificent weather for a change. When I logged on to Facebook this morning, I saw countless graduation pictures uploaded by my senior friends. I hear that Sir Paul McCartney was awarded an honorary degree. As for Tony Blair's keynote speech, I had been receiving e-mails about silent protests to condemn his support for the Iraq War. The protestors had not wanted to disrupt the atmosphere, so they requested their peers to quietly hold up small signs (these would not block anyone's view, we were assured) saying something like "Peace, Not War." Though I agreed with their sentiments, I was glad to hear that Mr. Blair's speech was delivered without a hitch. In fact, it received a standing ovation.
   Rayyan Kamal is a sophomore at Yale University.

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Dr. Turin Chowdhury

It is an established fact that some cardiac diseases are largely influenced by lifestyle. It has been observed that lifestyle related factors have been behind the onset of hypertension, heart attack, heart failure, etc problems. On the other hand, modifying lifestyle has always been an important component in preventing hypertension as well as controlling hypertension.
   A healthy lifestyle will keep not only the cardiovascular disease risk down but also will keep us away from other chronic disease conditions as well. Lifestyle modification should be undertaken in multiple fronts; Healthy diet, healthy physical habit and healthy mental habit.
   Follow healthy diet: Make healthy food choices that can help us to maintain a healthy body in terms of weight and morbidity.
   Maintain optimal body weight: Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese then reduce it to the optimal level.
   Regular physical work out: Get lots of exercise everyday. Some examples of good ways to exercise include walking, house and yard work, running, swimming, and bicycling.
   Diet is a very important part of our lifestyle. We can say that our lifestyle rotates around our diet habit. Looking at a diet habit of a person it is possible to make a fare assumption of his or her overall lifestyle. Obviously some people have very different lifestyle in comparison with their diet.
   For example we can think about the Japanese Sumo wrestlers. They consume huge amount of food in a day but also have a very physically active life in terms of exercise and body work out, thus keeping fit. But for a common person, he or she matches the lifestyle according their diet habit. As for example, a person who is used to take a heavy lunch has also habit of after lunch nap. Or persons who use to take regular fatty meals more tends to lead a sedentary work life.
   Thus we can see that diet and our overall lifestyle are quite inert related. A bad diet habit in regard to hypertension is the one which worsens the risk factor status of the hypertension in our body. A bad diet in terms of cardiac diseases is a diet high in fatty foods, extra salt and low fiber content increases risk for pre- hypertension. Diet high in red meat, processed food, high-fat dairy products, fast food, instant food increase risk for pre- hypertension compared with a diet high in vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, and whole grains. In controlling hypertension or preventing cardiovascular diseases diet plays a major role. A diet should do three things in these aspects;
   1) Achieve weight control through reducing calories, 2) Reduce intake of dietary fat (specifically saturated fat) and 3) Develop individual guidelines for a person in order to control the risk factor levels in that specific individual.
   These above mentioned characteristics are necessary for a diet habit or diet plan to be effective against cardiac problems.
   Avoiding processed foods as much as possible, such as snack items, canned foods, readymade extra fat or foods with extra cheese like burgers or pizzas.
   A diet low in calcium, potassium, and magnesium and high in sodium may cause high blood pressure. Avoiding these types of food will reduce the amount of sodium in our diet and help us lower your blood pressure.
   We should try to increase the potassium in your diet. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of potassium. To have sufficient amount of potassium in our daily eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
   Dairy products are high in calcium and magnesium. To have sufficient amount of calcium and magnesium eat 3 servings of low-fat dairy products per day.
   Only 30 per cent of the total calories should be from fats, with only 7 per cent to 10 per cent of the fat calories from saturated fats. Saturated fats are found in meats, cheese, butter, poultry, snack foods, and other foods.
   In general, a vegetarian diet contributes to reduce blood pressure. Keeping weight in control, increasing amount of physical activity, and reducing salt in diet will help reduce your blood pressure.
   Everyone should pay careful attention to nutrition and diet as part of the overall life-style. People should follow the general nutrition guidelines regarding healthy living.

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