Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Dear Coz
Asking for trouble
Dear Coz,
I'm a 17-year-old girl. Last year I had a boyfriend. He was 19 years old and I loved him very much. But it only lasted six months because he ended it suddenly. I don't know the reason why. After a couple of months, another guy asked me to be his girlfriend. He is very sweet and jovial. He is also my age and my friend. So I agreed. We've been going together for four months and he loves me very much. The problem is that I can't forget my ex. Each day my love for him grows stronger. When I tell my boyfriend about my ex, he gets very angry with me. My ex is talking to me again. I think he knows that I still love him. If he wants us to renew our relationship, what should I do? Please help me Coz.
Pooh

Dear Pooh,
Pain, heartache and tears, is that your idea of love? That is what you'll get if you go back to your ex. Don't let him use you. Your ex left you without a word as if he was discarding old clothes. What's going to stop him from doing it again? Can you trust him? Forget him. He's not worth the love or tears you offer him. You have a guy who truly loves you now. Appreciate him, otherwise you'll lose him forever. If you can't find it within yourself to love him the way he deserves, then end it without causing him more pain. I can't make decisions for you. That rests with you. Leave no room for regrets.

Disregard it
Dear Coz,
I'm a 16-year-old girl from Kandy. There is a boy who always looks at me, in my tuition class. At first I didn't care but now it has become a headache for me.

I want to tell my parents about him but I'm afraid that they might not understand. I don't want to lose my freedom. How can I get over this problem? Please help me.
URO - Nethmi

Dear URO - Nethmi,
As far as I know, there's no law in Sri Lanka to prevent people from looking at you. It can be a pain to have someone watching you all the time but apart from some harmless adoring glances, he has done nothing to hurt you.

Just ignore him. It's not that difficult. Why drag your parents into this and make an enemy out of him. If you tell them, they might or might not take things lightly. If they tell your tuition teacher or warn this boy, you'll be asking for a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Speak to your mom
Dear Julie G. Rose (Letter withheld on request),
Believe me, I know what you're going through. There's one thing you have to remember - that no matter what, your parents love you a lot. They're giving you a good education despite all the difficulties. That's your key to success. Stay focused on your goals.

You can do it. Education is the only way to achieve your dreams. Ever seen a rainbow after a fierce storm? Keep that in mind. Life's like that.

Our problems don't last forever as long as we have the courage to face them. When problems come, they make us strong.

Be thankful for what each circumstance teaches you and learn from it. Have a chat with your mother when your sister is not around and ask her why she's not pleased with you. Then if you have done something wrong, you can correct it.

I know you're hurt but if you haven't done anything wrong, don't worry! If you ever need a friend to pour your heart out, just drop me a line. Take care.

Girls are nervous too
Dear Coz,
I'm a 20-year-old boy who is following a Chartered Accountancy course in Kandy. There's a girl in my class whom I'm very interested in. I want to tell her about my feelings but I'm scared to talk to her. In my lifetime, I've never spoken to a girl about love. So I'm really nervous. Please help me.
First Try

Dear First Try,
Has it occurred to you that girls are just as nervous? Come on, she's not going to bite your head off. Instead of popping the question out of the blue and giving her a shock, pave the way for it. Ask her about the course notes or pretend you don't understand something. Start off as friends. If you don't have the courage to speak to her as a friend, you'll never be able to ask her. If you truly care about her, it's worth a try.

NTB's dynamism
"Strong roots, youthful dynamism, the passion to learn, a friendly disposition, and a focused vision. That's what we are. To the customer, it opens up endless possibilities."

That is what Nations Trust Bank is all about.

Founded in 1999, Nations Trust Bank was formed when a consortium comprising John Keells Holdings Ltd., Central Finance Company and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) took over the local operations of the Hong Kong based Overseas Trust Bank.

Nations Trust Bank is the only local company, which is linked to IFC. "IFC is an agency of the World Bank, which fosters economic growth in the developing world by financing private sector investments, mobilising capital in the international financial markets and providing technical assistance and advice to governments and businesses," says Mr. Bradley Emerson, Head of Retail Banking, Nations Trust Bank.

'One can judge a plant, while it is young,' says their brochure. "True enough," says Mr. Emerson. "We can safely say that our business plan is based on a dual expansion strategy of organic growth, coupled with the acquisition of complementary business."

Currently operating in 17 state of the art highly networked branches in strategically important locations, they are certainly going places. "Even our branches are carefully planned out and we hire minimum staff at these branches because all the work is done centrally. This method is extremely effective and the customer benefits as the price he or she pays is low."

Having acquired Waldock McKenzie, the Kandy Branch of the Standard Chartered Bank, the Personal Banking Division of Deutsche Bank and the Sri Lankan operations of American Express Bank, Nations Trust Bank is considered by many to be one of the leading banks in today's corporate world.

"We are passionate about keeping abreast of the latest development in banking and related technology. We were the first to introduce the 365 days banking by opening mini-branches in supermarkets and convenience stores as well as Internet Banking," he adds. "The mini-branches at the supermarkets were a great success. This was mainly because we managed to take the bank to the customers instead of making the people go to the bank. For convenience we offer our customers ATM facilities connected to the worldwide Cirrus / Maestro networks and Phone Banking."

IT driven, which means having telebanking, and Internet Banking, Nations Trust Bank indeed has their goals planned out strategically. "We are cost effective," is what Mr. Emerson has to say, and "Yes, we plan to introduce Credit Cards soon!"

Excellent customer relations, carefully planned out strategies and an endless drive is what has made Nations Trust Bank what it is today. "We say we are a young bank, not a new bank," says Mr. Emerson with a smile. "And why we call ourselves a young bank is due to the fact that because we are young, we are aggressive! And it is our aggression which has contributed to our success." - Thiruni

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