Biography 56: Visiting Bangladesh

Our parents visited Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia every year. They use to bring gifts for everybody. They enjoyed the Eid-Ul_Fitr in Bangladesh. I'm guessing that was the longest holiday they used to get from Saudi Government.

I didn't like this at all. I used to live in Saudi, Bangladeshi environment was totally different. In Saudi, we always drink cold water from the refrigerator. In those days, in Bangladesh, refrigerators were not available in every home. So, they use to give me drink normal room temperature water. In Bangladesh, room temperature is also high. So, I couldn't drink water. In my maternal grandparent's house, they give me water from the mud-made pots. They said this is a cold one. I didn't think so, but somehow I could manage to drink it. The only water I used to drink on those days is green coconut water.

I liked goat milk in my grandparent's house (Maternal). I use to ask them to give me "Chhagoler Dudh" (Goat milk). They all laughed at me. I don't know why. But my aunt uses to give me it, I was happy with it.

As I told you, we visited every year. Each year I found some people became bigger, some stopped talking, some new people started talking with me. I was thinking, why don't they stay the same.

I remember, in Bangladesh people uses to visit us to see me, how I talk, how I do things, whatever I do they found it interesting. I kind of enjoyed it and sometimes felt annoyed too. It's not a kind of celebrates feelings, it's like you became a joke to the people. Sometimes my relatives ask me, do you know who I am. Obviously, I don't know any of them. But they look a little familiar to me. So, I replied I can recognize your face, but I don't know who you are to me. they laughed. 

Biography 50: Qurbani Eid in Saudi

 In Saudi Arabia, there is an animal almost like a sheep. It's called Dumba. It has far or wool like a sheep. But it had more. I'm guessing that helps them to protect themselves from direct sunlight in the desert. Their tail is very fat, not like a goat or sheep.

In Saudi, it's very common in villages that when a guest visits, they cut a Dumba and make a meal. To cut or Jobeh Dumba only one man involves. In Bangladesh, we will need 3/4 people. What they do is one person tighten up the legs and put one foot on it to hold and then use one hand to hold the Dumba's head and put the knife on its throat.

One day I saw my dad brought two goats. It stayed a couple of days at home. At night it kept making sounds if no one stands with it. I thought it only wants my company. I use to give it leaves which dad brought for the goat.

In Eid ur Azha, my dad with his friends made the Qurbani. They hung the goat in the backyard with the fence. Then my dad took the whole day to cut it into pieces.

Every Eid I have seen my mom invited all the known people. They are from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Srilanka, Egypt etc. My mom made Bangladeshi food (Special ones to celebrate). 

One day a guy also join us who wasn't on our invitation list. He's origin in Bangladesh but he is living in Saudi for generations. He doesn't know how to speak in Bangla. He was dressed up like a Saudi man. I mean he was wearing "Toap". It's like a maxi, mostly gents wear it in white colour. The common Saudi man's dress. This guest brought me a dress. It was a very beautiful expensive maxi for me. I wore it in Bangladesh too, later. He just wanted to meet with Bangladeshi people, on Eid day. He said, lots of things to me in Saudi, which I didn't understand.

Biography 48: Teena

 In my Saudi Arabia life, Teena was my best friend. We were living in the same compound in different houses. Both her parents were doctors. She was very beautiful, like her mom. She had a younger brother, named Faisal.

Both of our parents use to work full time. So, the whole day we stayed together and play together. She liked me. She told me so. Let me give you an example of her likeness.

During her aunt's marriage ceremony, they went to Bangladesh. Over there whoever says anything, she uses to reply, "Shimul apa says this thing should be done like this..... etc". Everyone became curious, who is this Shimul apa. Teena's mom replied, "Shimul apa is her Guru!"

Teena knew only one word in Arabic, "Keeda" which means, "This way". With this one word and her body language, she could explain the whole scenario. 

One day Teena's dad bought her a bicycle. I didn't know or didn't put any importance on it. But my parents thought, now I may feel bad, if they don't buy any cycle for me. So, my dad took me to the market. We were living in a small town. And in the market, my dad couldn't find any other bicycle for me but the one Teena bought. She was younger than me, so it was her size. My dad looking for something bigger but a kid's version. But none was available. So, he had to buy the same one for me. I had ridden that bicycle with the training wheel on.

Here I want to give a suggestion to all parents. If you really want your kids to learn to ride a bicycle, remove the training wheels. Otherwise, no matter how much they practice, they will never learn to ride a bicycle, like me. My mom brought that cycle to Bangladesh. It was used for kids generation after generation. My younger sisters and brother use it. My brother removed the training wheels and he is the one who learnt to ride a bicycle. Then next generation, our kids also ride that cycle, including my son Shafeen.

We returned to Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia before Teena's family did. One day Teena came to meet with us with her family. She stayed with us the whole day. In the afternoon her parents picked her up. That was the last time we met. On those days, whenever I felt upset, I wished to go to their house, but I didn't know where they live. Later I heard, they went to the USA.

Biography 47: Small park at the middle of our block

 In Umlez (Saudi Arabia) we were living in a small town. In our block, we had a small park in the middle of our block. Then the road around the park and after the road we had houses. One storied or two. The park was very beautiful. There were many small and big trees and paths, which were made of stones. There were some vegetable plants also. But they use it as a decoration tree. An old man was responsible to take care of the park.

Unfortunately, no one was allowed to enter the park. It's like a table garden in the block. You can only view it through a big iron fence around it. I and my older sister used to look at its beauty from far away. One day we saw a bunch of Saudi girls came (Probably from our neighbourhood) and went inside the park. Some of them were our age, some were older. They were wearing maxi (The common dress of Saudi women). No girls were wearing Borkha. They were laughing loudly, playing, talking etc. The gardener wasn't there. We were thinking how did they know that the gardener won't be there now. The girls stayed for a couple of minutes, hopped around the garden and then left together. We saw in the french one part of the iron rod is bent so people can go inside. Why didn't we noticed that. Anyway, later many times we thought we will go inside the park too. But never had the courage to do that.

Biography 45: kids were in Saudi Arabia

 Our next neighbour was living in a two-storied building. One day, my mom and I went there to see a newborn baby. We went inside the house. The baby was covered with a blanket. My mom asked something, and they removed the blanket. I saw the baby rolled up with a rope. Something like a mommy. The kid was fully dressed and sleeping. My mom was arguing with them. She showed me, too. I didn't understand Arabic, but I could understand what was happening there. 

According to Saudi Culture, they think if they don't bind up babies like that, the hands and legs won't go straight. Like a newborn baby, it will keep bending even after growing up. My mom showed me, for example, that even if she let her grow me free, I'm 100% OK. But tradition can't go with one lecture. So, they kept their baby like that. I asked my mom later why the baby also looked comfortable. She replied, "Babies like to stay cozy like that, so they kind of enjoy that."

In those days, VCRs were new. We didn't have that. My dad's boss (A Saudi) told us that if we wanted to see any movie, we could bring a video cassette to their home, and both families could watch it together. So, one day, we went to their home. After dinner, we started watching the movie.

In general, Saudi families don't have any beds to sleep in. Their whole house is covered with carpets. Whenever kids feel sleepy, they fall asleep wherever they are. In that home, kids started to fall asleep here and there. Their dad dragged them by their hands to a single room to sleep in for the rest of the night. Generally, Saudi families have lots of kids.

Our parents watched the kids' situation and told them we had better go now. We will watch the movie later.

When I was a kid, I could go to any room, for men or women. Everybody liked me. They liked kids. And wherever I went, I got some gifts. 

One day, one uncle (Saudi host) gave me footballs. Small in size. I took. He asked my name. I told him. He opened the ball and wrote it down on the shell of the ball in Arabic. I didn't understand; my dad said he wrote your name. Actually, it was a radio. I never could use it. When we brought it to Bangladesh, it wasn't working. My parent kept it for a long time, probably because the battery was inside it, which damaged the whole thing. Poor me.

Biography 42: Nearby cities

When we were living in Umluz (Saudi Arabia) we use to visit two other nearby cities, Yanbu and Alwaz (As far as I could remember the name), apart from Mocca and Madian. In Yanbu, there was an airport. Maybe international, that's why we had to go there. Because every year our parents visited Bangladesh, while they were in Saudi Arabia. The only thing I remember about the city that I'm waiting in a big hall in the airport. There weren't many people in that airport. The cleaners (Probably Bangladeshi) were cleaning/wiping the airport. One person started wiping the floor, when he is in the middle, another person started from the starting point. So, there is no chance become dirty.

The other city Alwaz was very interesting. It was a small city. The whole city is on a hill. (As my childhood memory said). When we go to the city, my dad drives up the hill. That was scary. Then we could see an open market. This city has a very good hospital. Many Bangladeshi doctors and nurses use to work here, including my mom's friends. We had visited their homes. In this city, my youngest sister Shekha gets born.

Biography 41: 2nd home at Umluz

 I'm sure the reason wasn't the incident happens to me, my parents move to a better place. This was such an organized housing system. In a block, in the middle, there was a park with some beautiful stone-made path. It was small that we could see the road from the other side. The park was surrounded by wide roads. Then we had the houses. Our houses were divided into two buildings. The front building was taken by a Bangladeshi doctor's family. My parent took the one which was behind that building. We had a narrow path beside the first building to go to the next one. In middle, there were about 10 feet in distance. The whole area was covered with cement. In the end, we had a small space and a small portion of that part was open with soil. Both buildings were one-storey. We had stairs to go the roof. The houses were made of concrete. All the bricks were made of concrete. As we took the last building we have got a big balcony extra. The rooms were very well planned. In front of every room, we have an open space. The kitchen was big. We had two bathrooms, one was well decorated with modern fittings, another one was in the old style (Low commode). We had front and back doors. I'm explaining in detail because I had a dream, someday I will have such a house and I have so many memories in this house. Those will come to my next posts, insha'Allah. So, fasten your belt, my readers. We have a long journey to make.

Biography 34: Madrasa

 In Saudi Arabia, people called Madrasa to the school. I and my older sister got visa to Saudi Arabia because my mom had got a government job. But we couldn't join to local madrasa as we were not the citizen. There could be other reasons, but this is what I know.

But Alkaseem was a small area and everybody knew my mom. So, the ameer (Mayor) give us permission to sit in school, as a guest.

I have some memories of this school. I and my sister used to sit in the same class. We didn't get any uniform (Government gives to the students). 

I have learned so many small sura (From the Quran) from this school. Later I forget many of them but when I had started learning again, I could remember them.

Our teachers were from Egypt. I guess mostly. They speak Arabic in the class. I didn't understand them, but we could manage with the sign.

It was a girl's school. Their uniform was maxi. 

Whenever any girl felt upset, she uses to put her head on the desk and cover her face with her arms. And the teacher always goes to the girl and asks what happen and tries to solve her problem. I felt I should try this. One day I put my head on the desk and the next moment the teacher put her hand on my head and ask what happen. I felt shame, I shouldn't do this, I smiled and said, "Nothing". Well, we understood each other's language and the teacher left. I never did this again.

The girls in the class used to fight regularly and then make a complaint to the teacher. They use to lie a lot. But my older sister already proved that she doesn't lie. So, whenever anything happened, our teacher uses to ask my older sister (I told you, everybody loves her).

One day when I went outside the class, a girl threw water on me from the water fountain. She was trying to bully me. I felt so upset, my tears come out. But I don't know enough language to explain it to the teacher, but that girl gave her own version of the story. The teacher looked at me with an angry face but didn't do anything. That broke my heart more.

the girls use to come to the school in a truck, it looked like a military truck. I wanted to ride on that too. but never get that chance. We use to walk back home.

In the drawing class, the teacher showed on the board how to draw fruits and vegetables. After that, she cut different coloured papers with the shape of the fruits and vegetables and give them to the students. They glued it on their drawings. I wanted those papers too. But as we were not the actual students, we can't have anything from the school. At home, I have asked my mom to bring those papers for me. She had taken me to the stores and asked me, "Show me those papers, I will buy for you." I wasn't that big to search in the store and find the right thing for me. I never had those colour papers. Later when my son couldn't get anything from anywhere I tried to buy for him. That made him so happy and confident like if you don't give me the thing, my mom will bring it. After coming to Canada, life became so expensive. No matter I much I want, I can't buy all things for my son that he liked to have.