Ramadan Planning for Ladies

 Ramadan planning. Ladies, our plan is different from that of men and children. Let's try to figure out whether we can pray Taraweeh salat in Masjeed? If yes, do we have to go alone or take someone with us? In that case, we need to talk with them and make a good plan. If not possible in Masjid, then at home? If at home, then when will be the suitable time? Can we pray Tahajjud salat? How are we going to manage time? Make time before serving seheri food. Every day, are we going to recite the Quran? If yes, then when? Make a plan for a time so that we can always keep that time free from other work.

Now let's plan the food. For every Iftar meal, make one special dish. The rest should be fruits, Sarbat/Sarbet, and whatever is available at home. For Sehery, keep the regular meal. For a Bangladeshi family, that means rice, daal, veg, and protein.

And don't forget to plan for sleep. It's very important. Plan when you can get some sleep and stick to that time, whether you can sleep or not. At least take a rest on the bed.

Biography 328: Controlling weight

 People who are in good health have no idea how far a person will go to lose weight. 

Since my teenage years, I have been trying to control my food intake and started exercising. I have tried many methods I found online, were suggested by friends and family, and were suggested by doctors and nutritionists. I have tried keto, among others. All of them work at first, but my body finds a way to adapt and I start gaining weight.

My doctor gave me Ozempic to lose weight. After controlling my food intake and doing some light exercise, I was still gaining weight. I tried for months, but my weight kept going up. So the doctor stopped it. I am still having trouble with my weight. I didn't stop trying. I will keep trying. But that doesn't mean I will be disheartened. I am still overweight. From my perspective, maybe it is me. If I have to live with that, I will.

Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 This is a semi-commercial/mixed commercial area in Kakrail, Dhaka, Bangladesh. I think the picture is about 15 years old. I took it from a hospital room. It was a difficult night to sleep, so I was looking outside and watching this scene.

Bus stoppage in the snow

In the winter, Toronto always gets some snow. But because of the warm weather, it melted soon. This year, 2026, was different. Due to climate change, winter became colder, longer, and brought lots of snow.

The City of Toronto did a much better job this year. Still, there is plenty of room to improve. They must clear bus stoppages as a priority, and the area must be cleaned properly so there won't be any blockages to getting on the bus or the sidewalk. There should be enough salt to prevent melted snow from making the area slippery.

Biography 327: If you get burnt

 When working in the kitchen, it's obvious that you will burn your hand sometimes. At that time, I was very new to the kitchen, and one day I burnt my hand. It was my parent's house. So after burning, I stopped working completely and tried to take care of my hand. But I couldn't find any way to make it feel better. For hours, I felt burning in my skin. I had to put my hand in a bowl of cold water. When I took my hand out of the water, it started burning again. Even though the water was at normal temperature, I had to change it to stay calm.

As I couldn't find a way, people who learned about my problem started giving me suggestions. One said to put potatoes on it, another suggested toothpaste (just to clear, never do this; toothpaste will do more harm), put salt in the water, spray spirit (you can spray deodorant or perfume), put Vaseline/gel (again, this is harmful), etc.

I tried almost everything. I found that spraying spirits works like magic. The next helpful idea was to add salt to the water. It helps reduce the pain. The rest of the suggestions didn't work at all.

Decoration with light.

Bangladesh's national fish is Hilsha. I guess somebody made that with lights.

 Street lighting decoration in Bangladesh isn't very new. People used to decorate with lighting when they had a marriage ceremony at home. It was a bit expensive. Then the government used to decorate the cities with lights on Independence Day or Victory Day. Then on Eid days and other occasions. With time, this has become an art.

When you assume

 When you assume something, especially if it's negative, don't share it with anyone. Others may believe it and start having negative feelings. By the time you have the right information, it will be too late to stop the negative consequences. In most cases, you can't fix it anymore. This is very wrong.

Biography 326: Food for my parents

 My parents never asked me anything. Though I have started earning before my MSc results come out. I was use to take money and treats from my parents. However, I have bought food a few times for my family, I mean for my parents and siblings. I found they became very happy. I felt good. At least someone appreciates my efforts.

Gifts

 

Gifts from a kid's birthday

Gifts from a kid's birthday

I like gifts. I like to have them for every occasion, like birthdays, Eid, or any other celebration. That's why I try to give gifts to others, because that's one way to show my liking for them. Even if I sometimes get a gift I may never use, I still like having something.

You can't take the land with you

 

‘You are not going to take any treaty land,’ says AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak on Alberta’s separation from Canada.