Biography 320: Invitations

 From my childhood, I have always seen my parents invite a group of people to celebrate Eid, birthdays, and other occasions. But I didn't visit that much. I mean, we didn't get invited that much. Sometimes my parents would only go to visit some people's homes because the invitation was only for them. I am trying to remember what I was first invited to go to somebody's home.

Probably to my oldest aunt's house. My uncle was famous for his invitations to home-cooked meals. I heard people used to suggest he not do this too much. But I guess he didn't listen to anyone. He liked food and liked to enjoy it with people.

I have started inviting people on my son's birthday and Eid. It was limited to my family. Sometimes I used to invite my friends or colleagues for my engagement, birthdays, and other occasions. Then I realized I wasn't getting invited by them as much. So I made it more limited. I found people aren't interested in joining me anywhere. Some people told me that I don't realize they don't want to spend time with me, but with themselves. So I had to learn to travel, enjoy food, and be with my family only. I shouldn't bother people if they don't like me.

At home, speak in your native language only.

 I have seen a trend among Bangladeshi parents in Canada. They speak English at home to their children. The logic I heard from one parent was that this helps the child feel comfortable speaking outside, because in school they have to speak English.

This way, the new generation is not learning to speak Bangla. Even if they knew some Bangla from Bangladesh, they are now forgetting everything. If you notice, you will see that when Bangladeshi kids get together, they never speak in Bangla among themselves, only in English.

Your kid will learn English anyway. Even if you don't want to teach them. And if they learn from outside, they will speak with correct pronunciation, not with your native accent. It's actually the better way to teach them English.

My suggestion is that everyone should speak in their native language at home. No other language, ever. This way, kids will learn the language and will not forget their roots. Bangladeshi people died to keep this language alive. At least we should have some respect for that.

Some people write in Bangla on Facebook and think it's a very good way to show respect for their native language. I believe this will only give you comfort when communicating with people who speak the same language. That's it. Nothing wrong with it. But if you have friends and family from another country, they won't understand anything, neither will your kid or anyone else learn the language from your Facebook activity. People who speak other languages will feel left out of your posts.

Preparing some special Porota (Paratha)

 My preparation to make a special porota (paratha).

Made the porota (paratha)

Frying in oil

The final product

The whole system

Biography 319: Outside food vs homemade food.

 I believe outside food (the opposite of homemade food) from anywhere in the world is not healthy, no matter how expensive it is. Not even the street food, which is made fresh in front of you. Because they prepared the ingredients a long time ago, sometimes they don't clean thoroughly; sometimes workers may not handle it properly, mix it with old food, or don't take sufficient steps to preserve all nutrients, etc.

When I was a kid, my parents used to take us to big restaurants for special occasions. But as far as I remember, I never liked it.

Later, when I was in school, I started liking outside food because it was tasty. After starting my own life (separated from my parents), I have started liking outdoor food more. Because then I don't have to cook, and it is tastier and has more variety than mine.

In my dating era, I used to find different beautiful fast-food restaurants and enjoy various kinds of food. They were tasty.

Nowadays, my choices are changing again. I now prefer homemade food. Homemade food is tastier, more nutritious, and saves money than outside food. When someone offers food, I always want homemade. But I prefer to eat outdoors because I don't want to put any pressure on them. And I always bring leftovers home. The first reason is that I don't want to waste a single drop of food. The second reason is that, because of those leftovers, I don't have to cook at home for some time, because I will live on them. I need that break.

An AVX movie

 Watched an AVX movie. It means enhanced visuals and sound with larger screens, 4K digital projection, and powerful surround sound (often Dolby Atmos).

For me, they didn't add any extra screen; they just used both side white (almost white) walls from the projector screen. So, when you are looking at the front, you can also see a bit more from the side walls.

It's a very new experience for me. It's a good one. But I won't pay more for this view. I didn't feel it was needed for the movie.

Matijhil Government Girls High School

 

Matijhil Govt Girls High School. I have studied in this school from grades 5 to 10. It's in Bangladesh. I had to take a rickshaw to get to school every day. From grades 5 to 9, I had a partner from my neighbourhood who came to school with me. Her name was Chhobi. She was one year senior than me. So, when I started grade 10, she had already left the school.

Last time I met her, she was on the road near our home. She said she got married and is now living in Narayanganj, studying ultrasonography.

Biography 318: Cars in my life.

 My parent bought their first car in Saudi Arabia. It's very common there for people to buy cars for personal use. They also bought their next car in Saudi Arabia. Then, when they settled in Bangladesh, my father had a motorcycle from the office. Later, he bought his own bike. When I started working, my dad bought a car for his own use. Later, I started using it and said I was ready to pay its expenses so I could use it like my own. But dad didn't want that. So I left it.

I bought my first car in Saskatchewan, Canada, and my second in the same province. Both vehicles had served very well. Later, I purchased my 3rd car from Ontario. This car has given me more trouble than I can imagine. So my 4th car has to be better.

More money will be spent, and people are happy about it.

 People had issues with the speed detector cameras because they were charging money for those who broke the rules. As a result, it was removed. The city was earning some money to invest in its development, but now that has gone, especially since the city was already lacking money.

To address the high speeding problem, the Ontario government will now invest money from taxpayers who actually follow the rules. Their money will be used to make new signs, speed bumps, and fund the police. When police have a more difficult job to do, they still have to spend time dealing with car speeding. More money will be invested from innocent taxpayers, not just the culprits. But people are happy now.

Most happy persons are those who say that they can now speed up without any fear.

Basement culture in Canada

 In Canada, basements are very important. Most home buyers decide on a house depending on the basement. They rent out their basement, and the income they receive is used to pay their mortgage, bills, and other expenses if possible.

When I rented a whole house, I couldn't use the basement to live there because it was very cold. That cold actually made the whole house colder. Then rats came. When my landlord brought a pest controller, they told us the basement had lots of big holes or gaps through which the rats were getting inside. I also understood that that's why the basement, and consequently the whole house, became very cold.

Some basement floors stay cold like ice. They also get mold. The landlord needed to fix their floor due to the cold and mold.

But mostly, people don't want to invest in fixing it; they just make it look decent so they can secure a good amount of rent.

People who live in basements have no choice. Nobody lives there by choice. Just to save some money, people tolerate all kinds of problems, including bug infestations. They can't complain because the landlord might tell them, "If you don't like it, you can leave." 

Some basement kitchens don't have windows to let the cooking smells outside; this causes the whole apartment to smell like cooked food. Even the clothes become stinky. If the exhaust fan doesn't work properly, that causes another kind of problem.

Some basements don't have proper windows to open. If there is a fire and the only stairs catch fire, they have no way to rescue themselves.

I think the city should randomly inspect the basements of houses and warn landlords to fix issues within a given timeframe.

AI result by Google.

I searched my name on Google, and the AI brought up this result. Liked it...

"Shahana Shafiuddin" is the name of a photographer and content creator who shares her work on various social media platforms. Her content often features travel, landscapes, and food. 

You can view her work and content on these platforms:

• YouTube
• Instagram
• Flickr
• Blogger 

 

A memorable moment.

 This picture was taken in our living room. In Bangladesh, our parents rented an apartment before moving to their own. Our landlord was the brother of the famous Bangladeshi comedian Saifuddin. The landlord was a lawyer. We had a very good relationship with them. When my brother was born, the couple came to our house (where we had moved) to congratulate our parents. They were very happy that our parents finally had a son after four daughters.

This picture was taken before our brother was born. From left to right: Boro Khalu (maternal uncle), holding his granddaughter Moumita; then Lizi Apa (cousin and Moumita's mother); then me (the happiest person in this picture); then our maternal grandfather; my younger sister Sonia; and older sister Sharmin. My mom (I had to cover her because she is now wearing a hijab/headscarf) is standing behind the sofa, holding our youngest sister, Shekha.

In this picture, two people are no longer here: my uncle and grandfather.

The wall picture was bought from Saudi Arabia. The curtain is also from Saudi Arabia. Someone gifted this cloth to my younger sister Sonia when she was born. The chair where my uncle is sitting was the first piece of furniture my parents bought when they started their new life.

It was one of our sisters' birthdays. I don't remember which one.

Biography 317: Weight control

 When I was a 10 or 11-year-old girl, I felt like my stomach was bigger than my body. I didn't know why, but I started thinking about controlling my food intake and eating proper meals. From that age, I learned to eat vegetables on my own.

When I was 15, I started taking full control of my carbohydrate intake. My mom noticed that. When I visited my doctor, she also mentioned that I didn't eat much. The doctor said, If you tend to be big, you can't stop it; your body will store fluid and make you bigger.

I didn't believe him. And I never give up dieting. Still having trouble with my weight. But I hope someday I will have a good body with the perfect weight.

Personal stylist

 Whenever a program comes up, I start planning in my mind. I think about how I will dress and how I will get ready. But then I don't know what happens; I can never find the time to do any of it. Most of the time, I just put on sunscreen and the dress from the front of my closet before going outside. I wish I had a personal stylist who would prepare me for every occasion.