Biography 101: School dress

 Our school dress was a gray top and white pyjamas. We didn't have any selected dressmakers. Everybody was free to make it from anywhere they want. Because of that, the good thing is there was no company that got an extra benefit to make all the dresses and the minus point was we didn't have the same coloured dress. Some made light gray, too light gray, normal gray, dark gray and too dark gray. We have seen some girls' dresses change their colour after washing a couple of times. I believe my one has the perfect gray colour.

My mom took me to New Market. She had a known tailor over there. It was a big tailor shop, I mean the shop size was big. Later mom found the tailor used to take a high rate compared to the market and also used to take 4/5 times more cloths to make dresses. Well, I have seen this always. Whoever, especially when salesmen say sweet words on mom and dad or on their kids, they trusted them with heart. They never cross-checked those people's information. Maybe that's why I always look at people's actions than words. Actions speak more truth.

My mom asked the tailor to make a school dress/frock for me. She also asked me, if I want anything else. I said yes, I want pockets in the dress. I don't know why women's dress doesn't have a pocket. Why do we always have to carry handbags?

The tailor had made two small pockets at the front of the frock. I use to keep my changes in it and handkerchief. Facial tissues were not available on those days. Now a day I always carry parse and keep facial tissues in a pocket of the parse.

Later one of our class teachers gave an address to a tailor by saying, it's not mandatory, but you guys can make dresses from this place. Then all will get the same coloured dress. A few of us went to that tailor. I already made mine, so I didn't take the address. Later I felt that they gave a poor quality fabric to the girls.

One day, maybe because of coaching classes for the scholarship, we had to stay longer time in the school. So, we went to the Bulbul Lalito Kola Academy (It was just beside our school) from school directly. On that day, we were wearing school dresses. I was in the singing class. One of our classmates asked another schoolgirl, why do you guys have different coloured school dresses? In my mind I replied, are you colour blind? Can't you see that we are all wearing gray?

Biography 90: Drawing

 I liked to draw. OK, no laughing. No matter what was the outcome, I really liked drawing, mostly colouring pictures (Which had been drawn by someone else). In our primary (Elementary) school books, there were pictures drawn by any artists on every chapter, not coloured. I use to colour them, oh I loved that. That's why I use to colour one picture in a day so that I can have more days to colour those pictures.

In high school first thing that disheartened me is there is no picture in the books.

I had a plain paper book. I use to draw over there. Mostly scene. Whatever I could see, it could be from real-life or some pictures. I tried to draw exactly as it is. I never try to draw humans. I felt it is very difficult.

Every day one page. It was part of my everyday routine.

I think I continued like this till my school life (Grade 10). I never showed it to anyone. Because it wasn't good enough.

In our childhood, we had a popular game, which we use to play with our dad. We 4 sisters brought 4 pieces of paper. My dad use to draw the same designed lines on each of the four papers. We had to draw something with it by using our own imaginations. By this time father use to watch TV. After drawing something we brought back the paper to dad. Dad's duty was to give marks on each picture. You can guess who had got the lowest mark. I use to get angry at dad. I always believed I have shown enough creativity and made very good pictures.

Later in my educational life, I had to draw and all the teachers use to say, it's not good, but OK.

My grandfather could draw very well. My dad and mom too. But my gene doesn't have good drawing quality. My son proved that. In Bangladesh, he got failed in drawing (When he was in kindergarten). I had to take him to a private tutor for drawing only expectation was to make him pass the exam. He didn't want to draw over there too. The tutor complaint about that.

After moving to Canada, for the first, I have seen him drawing and colouring with excitement. He said, no matter how he draws, the teacher encourages him. So, he felt free to draw for the first time. Previously he felt it was a punishment. But his drawing quality is still very poor. I know, it's my gene. But when he is making designs in Adobe Photoshop or illustrator, I can see he really has good hands and creativity. You can some here https://www.facebook.com/Syed-Ali-Shafeen-1241548329229959

Biography 18: Colour TV

In my childhood, I have seen, there were very few people who had a television at home. And those televisions were looked like a big box. In those days Bangladesh Television (BTV) telecasted only black and white programs.

People liked to see movies on TV. There was a fixed schedule when BTV telecasted Bangla movie on TV. On that day all neighbours went to a whom who has a TV. I guess they didn't like to have a big crowd in their room, but couldn't say no. On the floor, they give mat to sit and watch TV. After the program, they close the TV. I remember the TV used to take some moments to get close and people didn't move until it closes fully.

Sometimes when the room gets packed fully, they had to close the door, so that no more people can come inside. I was too little to understand the TV program but liked to sit with the elders. One night, my sisters (My older sister, cousin sister and their friends) came back from somewhere who already closed their door. Probably my sisters were late. They requested my youngest aunt (My father's youngest sister) to go with them, maybe they will open the door if any adult knocked. She went there and I joined the group. She knocked for hours (That's exactly what I felt) but no one opened the door. She mentioned her name a few times when knocking, but that didn't work. We came back home and we were very sad.

My dad probably informed my mom in his latter. She was in Saudi Arabia with a government job. And asked her to send a black & white TV to Bangladesh. Because BTV wasn't telecasted coloured program on those days. She sent us a 13'', 3 in one coloured TV. I mean the TV had a radio and cassette player too. Then things get changed. We use to put our TV on Baranda when any popular program telecasted. Put a mat on the floor. Our neighbours use to come and watch the programs. I use to sit on a chair, sometimes lying on a bed and watch or enjoy. By the time we get the TV, BTV (Bangladesh Television) started telecast coloured programs.