Letter
Freelancing: Jobs Without Borders
I would like to thank the writer for writing such an informative essay on freelancing. Unlike many other articles on freelancing, this one actually tells us how to become a freelancer. It may help a lot of people to find employment through freelancing. The writer busts the myth that one has to be a geek in order to do freelancing. I would like to add that even production music videos are being outsourced these days. Last October, Canadian singer Drew Smith hired a dance school in Banglaore, India to produce a video for his song “Smoke and Mirrors” featuring Bollywood-style choreography. The production was a little amateurish by MTV standards, but for USD 2000, it cost a tiny fraction of a typical music video budget. The music video has been watched approximately 200,000 times on YouTube. The video is just an example of the breadth of outsourcing. Music video producers in our country can tap into this growing market.
Azizul Huq Mintoo
Lalmatia, Dhaka
***
I was so inspired by the success stories of the individuals in the feature that my friends and I, undergraduate students of a private university, have decided to become part-time freelancers. Although in recent years, some opportunities have opened up for part-time employment, the pay is often very low. I think it is a great opportunity for students to earn some cash, thus taking some pressure off their parents. In addition to that, we will learn about discipline, hard work and the importance of meeting a deadline. All these will be a valuable lesson for our future careers. We hope that the government and the NGOs will help our peers in the rural areas get access to computers so that they too can take advantage of this great opportunity. Last but not the least, I would like to thank the young people who took a great risk by not joining the traditional workforce and instead became freelancers.
Adanan Rabbu
Tongi, Dhaka
***
Man and Superman
The writer deserves my heartfelt gratitude for this wonderful essay. I love his observation that modern day superheroes are becoming increasingly more human. My favourite superhero is Hancock because he is, in my view, the most human of them all. In the movie of the same name, we see Will Smith sprawled on a Los Angeles bench, dirty, dishevelled-- looking lost and alone much like the humans around him. He drinks hard, rarely shaves and seldom smiles. Worse, he has a lousy superhero style with sneakers and baggy shorts and a grubby watch cap. His takeoffs are sloppy often destroying property and turning them into rubbles. But he still is a superhero with amazing powers. He can fly blasting straight into the heavens and stop bad guys from committing crimes. The more human he is, in my eyes, the greater a superman he becomes.
Anan Chowdhury
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
***
Photo: Prabir Das
Last Week’s Chintito
I am an avid reader of the Star magazine and a fan of Chintito missed his feature while he was away. I am glad to see him back with a beautifully written travel story. He has done what great travel writers do—describe the places he sees and the people he meets without focusing on the self. We expect more articles like this from the writer in future.
Sharmila Roy
Minto Road, Dhaka
***
Friends Forever
I want to thank the writer on writing about such a timeless topic. I am particularly moved by the 'soft' side of an ex-ironman, Ershad. Everyone needs a friend. Unlucky is the man who does not have any. A true friend is the only one in the world who does not judge and give us total freedom to be ourselves. Emerson said, “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” In my view, friendship is the only selfless form of relationship. A true friend does not expect anything other than friendship in return.
Shafiqul Alam Russel
DOHS, Dhaka
***
Striding Past the Streets of Uttara
It is encouraging that so many youngsters are becoming health conscious and taking up walking and jogging. The residents of Uttara are lucky that they have some parks and open spaces where they can take a walk and breathe some fresh air. Most residents in Dhaka do not have that opportunity.
I remember going for a walk with my father every afternoon when I was a child. The bond we developed while walking is forever. He used to talk about his childhood, student life, the countries he had been to, world literature and sports. Maintaining good health is important for everyone, but it is particularly crucial to students who often study under a lot of pressure.
I want to thank the writer for reminding us of the benefits of walking.
Abhinaba Rahman
Via Email
***
Research It!
I want to thank the writer and the Star magazine for introducing the readers to such a distinguished scholar. However, the feature misses to tell the readers what areas professor Andaleeb has conducted research in. It would have been nice to give the readers an idea about the research work of this world famous professor.
Mohammad Aslam Khan
Banani, Dhaka
Man and Superman
The writer deserves my heartfelt gratitude for this wonderful essay. I love his observation that modern day superheroes are becoming increasingly more human. My favourite superhero is Hancock because he is, in my view, the most human of them all. In the movie of the same name, we see Will Smith sprawled on a Los Angeles bench, dirty, dishevelled-- looking lost and alone much like the humans around him. He drinks hard, rarely shaves and seldom smiles. Worse, he has a lousy superhero style with sneakers and baggy shorts and a grubby watch cap. His takeoffs are sloppy often destroying property and turning them into rubbles. But he still is a superhero with amazing powers. He can fly blasting straight into the heavens and stop bad guys from committing crimes. The more human he is, in my eyes, the greater a superman he becomes.
Anan Chowdhury
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
***
Photo: Prabir Das
Last Week’s Chintito
I am an avid reader of the Star magazine and a fan of Chintito missed his feature while he was away. I am glad to see him back with a beautifully written travel story. He has done what great travel writers do—describe the places he sees and the people he meets without focusing on the self. We expect more articles like this from the writer in future.
Sharmila Roy
Minto Road, Dhaka
***
Friends Forever
I want to thank the writer on writing about such a timeless topic. I am particularly moved by the 'soft' side of an ex-ironman, Ershad. Everyone needs a friend. Unlucky is the man who does not have any. A true friend is the only one in the world who does not judge and give us total freedom to be ourselves. Emerson said, “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” In my view, friendship is the only selfless form of relationship. A true friend does not expect anything other than friendship in return.
Shafiqul Alam Russel
DOHS, Dhaka
***
Striding Past the Streets of Uttara
It is encouraging that so many youngsters are becoming health conscious and taking up walking and jogging. The residents of Uttara are lucky that they have some parks and open spaces where they can take a walk and breathe some fresh air. Most residents in Dhaka do not have that opportunity.
I remember going for a walk with my father every afternoon when I was a child. The bond we developed while walking is forever. He used to talk about his childhood, student life, the countries he had been to, world literature and sports. Maintaining good health is important for everyone, but it is particularly crucial to students who often study under a lot of pressure.
I want to thank the writer for reminding us of the benefits of walking.
Abhinaba Rahman
Via Email
***
Research It!
I want to thank the writer and the Star magazine for introducing the readers to such a distinguished scholar. However, the feature misses to tell the readers what areas professor Andaleeb has conducted research in. It would have been nice to give the readers an idea about the research work of this world famous professor.
Mohammad Aslam Khan
Banani, Dhaka
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