When I was in school (In Bangladesh, grades 1 to 12). One of our entertainment was watching TV dramas. Almost all TV dramas, whenever showing University life, it showed that girls and boys having affairs. They don't attend classes or study; they do romance. If they somehow go to the library, they do romance. Their only activity at the University is to sit together on campus in different places. Then the hero or the heroine becomes 1st class 1st.
Now a day, I think that was the life of those writers; they don't know the other sides of campus life.
Sometimes, my mom took us to New Market to make dresses and shop. Sometimes rickshawala (Rickshaw driver) uses to take us through the University campus. I have seen many times boys and girls sitting together very closely.
Here, I must inform you that in Bangladesh, generally, people don't show intimacy in public. In those days, unmarried boys and girls didn't show any kind of bonding in public.
I heard people used to say city girls are not good. They spend time with boys before marriage. Village girls are very innocent. They are the marriage materials.
After admitting to the university I have seen city girls go home after class. The hall girls, who came from the village, stay out at night. Because they don't have anyone in the room who will ask where you have been. I mean, no parental restriction. No one knows them over there. I am telling what is good or bad; just trying to bring facts I have experienced. You know, exceptions can't be examples.
Let's come back to my childhood. So, I had a very negative idea about University life. That's why I thought I would go there to take the higher study and I won't go to make any kind of intimacy with boys. And I followed that till the end of my university life. My friends were 2 girls, and I had no affair with any boy. However, I spend my best study time at the University, not primary school.
When I have too many works to do, I put priority on those work. Or just make which is the first priority and which is the second. Rest whenever I get time. Then I go according to my priority list. It's flexible. If I feel my plan isn't working, I will change it.
I am writing this because today I am on a new plan. I hope it will help me to organize myself a bit. I changed it after one week of working with the previous method.
At the University of Dhaka, all buildings are far apart. Thanks to Allah, rickshaws are available inside the University area. Actually, some main roads go through the university. I guess only heavy vehicles are not allowed to run in between the university area, except university buses.
The admission process happens in June. That is one of the warmest weather in Bangladesh. It isn't a joke at noon when it is about 40c temp if you have to walk from one building to another, which is 5 to 20 minutes away. But again, it's an old University. There are some very big and wide trees available on the university campus. So, shades are there. Again many small mobile stalls are also available with different kinds of foods, mainly fruits, juice, nuts, tea, and ice cream, throughout the campus. So, these elements help to reduce walking pain. Again university students mean very young people. Who are healthy and strong enough to walk. Many students don't have enough money to take rickshaws or buy food. They just keep walking to save money.
Students can take university buses to move from one place to another. But busses have fixed time, and they are in less amount than the student's number. Sometimes, students can't get on a bus because it is overcrowded. For this reason, sometimes accidents happen. I knew some bus helpers died, falling from the running bus because he was hanging from the bus door handle. In Bangladesh, all buses have a driver and a helper. The driver drives the bus, and the helper stands at the door and does other jobs. Like, as selling tickers, collecting money, giving instructions to the bus driver about his blind spot and road condition, screaming to the bus riders about which stoppage it came from, and shouting to the crowd which place the bus is going to invite them to ride on the bus, buy foods and other staff for the driver, etc.
In Toronto, at the subway stations, many people pass from one place to another every hour. They are of different ages, genders, and different economic conditions. We can build small shops beside the long platform. That will bring money to TTC, and people will be happy, especially women, to buy their necessary staff and groceries and eat good food while watching platform trains moving. More people will be interested in taking the Subway for transit. It will be good for security too, as there will always be some salesman at the station. We will have a well-maintained washroom at every station.
My older sister was studying at the University of Dhaka in the Accounting department. Her faculty was Commerce. She is 3 years of senior to me. At home, I was the only person to whom she used to talk about her university life. Sometimes she took me to the University too. So, before I admit there I visited the Commerce and Arts faculty. I didn't see the science faculty, and I had no idea about the Annex building in the university.
About one thing I am sure of, if anyone new comes and admits here, then that person has to do all admission procedures, and they will be totally lost. Paper works aren't the problem; the problem is they had to run from one building to another, then come back again and run to another. Take papers from one building and then fill them up, pay somewhere, attach and submit another building. There is no clear map of which one is where. Generally, people bring their big brother or sister to make things properly.
My sister took me to submit the form, test, and viva voice. She completed her duty by showing me where are registered building, bank, and bus stoppages are. And also Halls. At the University of Dhaka, all students are linked to a Hall (Student dormitory). I got admitted to the Shamsunnahar Hall.
I got to know this is the closest to the Annex building. I was pleased about that.
I met some of my sister's friends before I joined. So, I kind of became their friend too. I went to their house to bring books (Novels). Still, some of them are my Facebook friend. Some live in the USA.
I like the commerce faculty too. At the front of their building, they cut the bush like a sofa set and coffee table. Looks amazing. University knowledge from my older sister.
Now a day, it is tough to make my son agree that he was wrong. He thinks he knows better than his mom. He knows how to argue and try to win.
But I know I have to keep trying.
I told him that he never got bored when you were a kid. No matter where I took you, you could spend your time in your own way, like looking for something interesting, finding something to play with, etc.
But now a day, your only time spending way is on screen. So, if I take you anywhere, you don't see anything; you just feel bored and wait when will you get the screen (Cell phone, Tab, or laptop) again.
He was taking breakfast, which was not a good time to talk with him. But he made me surprised and kind of node his head to agree. I told him to try to bring back that capability again.
I have studied at Eden Mohila College for 1 month. After getting admission from the University of Dhaka, I left that college. I was in stress and angry while studying in college. When I got out of there I felt I had started breathing again.
I am not a person who complains. So, I didn't say anything to the college; I just kept watching. Every moment they kept me thinking, why is this happening? Who has the power to fix everything? Corruption was everywhere.
First, I didn't find the study method extraordinary when the class started. It's like based on a textbook.
I heard from other girls that the dead of our department isn't available. She has some mental issues, staying at home. I was thinking, if I stay here, I might face the same problem.
After a couple of classes, one day, I was standing on the balcony, waiting for the next class. I saw a woman come, wearing a burka. She was short and a little weighed. She came close to us and said I am your department head. I was scared a bit because I had heard about her mental issues.
The office room of our department was close to our class. That office room had two doors. One door was locked; we saw it from the beginning. Teachers use to use the second door.
This teacher found the door locked. She was trying all keys in her parse to open the door. I thought about what would happen next. A girl from our class went to her and showed her that the next entry was open. She got relieved and went inside. I felt, yes, she has some trouble mentally. I didn't know how her co-worker would adjust to her.
Then she came to our class. She started taking our class, and I was amazed by her knowledge. Her teaching style was amazing. She was talking from her knowledge, not just from her textbook. We were amazed by her knowledge. In the end, she said, many people are trying to put her down politically (no wonder). But by the grace of Allah, she was still in the department.
I understood how misinformation can ruin someone's career or image. I don't know how she is now. But from the bottom of my heart, I salute her.
In Canada, I have lived in both Saskatchewan and Ontario Provinces. Everywhere one thing really surprises me; the road lights. It feels like that at night, we are playing hide and seek games with the cars. By looking at any moving shadow, drivers assume something is there. Because of lights, many accidents happen; they hit pedestrians or any light poles, etc.
On the other side, if you look at the markets, even apartment buildings everything are decorated with lights. Unnecessary lights. If you can afford it, it's OK. Looks really beautiful. Then what happens when it comes to the roads? The street lights are not bright enough to see the streets clearly, and the gap between each light pole creates darkness on the road. It is difficult to determine whether humans or animals are on the road.
Car lights don't give light on the road enough to correctly see any road damage. It is just for the other cars and people to notice something is running on the road.
In winter, most people wear black or dark winter jackets. It's not just people's choice; most of the winter dresses in the shopping malls are black. There should be a law to mark winter jackets with a reflecting colour, which will be very helpful for pedestrians and cars.
If you come to Bangladesh, you will see that the road lights are so bright that people can study beside the roads. I have noticed that the road lights are perfect in Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.
If you go inside, it is stunning, like a park. Beautiful old building with flower gardens all over the area. Thousands of girls study over there. They had girl hostels, too, for those girls who came from different districts to Dhaka.
To save my father's money, I didn't take admission to any coaching class for the University admission test. But I bought a guidebook; I assumed if I read this book correctly, I would get a chance to go to the University.
But, by nature, I don't study academic books. So, my guidebook remains new.
I have given an exam at the college and got selected. They have given the deadline to admit over there. Which was one month early from the University of Dhaka's admission test result. So, for the safety of my education, I had to register and pay money to Eden Mohila College.
The college had only one day to admit there without any late fee. The rest of the 3 days are with late payment. I didn't want to give any extra money. I went to college with my older sister in the morning. I found a big line already built up and for the big college, they had put only one desk with one person taking money. He was an aged person. Works slowly. After taking some money he went to the principal's room to submit those. This process adds some extra time too. And some girls also broke the line. It's very common in Bangladesh. Two girls started fighting verbally about this scenario, and then a girl came who was the main person of the student union to stop them.
We waited there till sunset at about 6 pm. My older sister said, let's go home. this line will never end. She has already asked this a couple of times. Many girls gave up and went home. I told her we had already invested a whole day. Now I won't go home without registration, and then I have to pay the late fee. So, my older sister went home. I stayed alone in line with unknown future college mates. Finally, I could submit my forms and register for college.
The next day I had to go to the college for some reason, and I found no big line at the registered office. I felt this college intentionally put one day for registration without a late fee. They are very interested in collecting the late fee.
Previously I never made any New Year resolutions. Because I kind of make them every day. Sometimes I could follow, but most of the time, I fail. Though I am happy that I try.
This year I thought, let's make a New Year resolution. That is:
"I want to give my son time every day. Then as much as possible."
I am sure he doesn't want to see me in his room every now and then. But what can I do? I have to be with him. So, that he doesn't harm his health and education. He is in his teen now.
