Biography 100: New school

In our area, the best school was the Matijhil Ideal high school. It was a tin-shaded building when it started. But the headmaster tried hard and make it the most important school in our area. In Bangladesh, parents' first duty is to find out which school is the best and put their kids in that school. Now a day this competition became the hardest for both kids and parents.

Let's take you to my childhood era. Those days parents use to look for the best school but don't take it as a do-or-die situation. My mom first took my older sister for admission. My mom got to know that most of the girls get a chance in this school by parent's donation, only a few they took on the basis of admission tests. My parents take a chance. My older sister was always a good student, she kept her record. She got a chance to admit by the admission exam. Next was my younger sister Sonia. Among us, she was the best in the educational record. So, without any trouble, she got a chance. The last person was my youngest sister. She doesn't like to study. My parents were not to let her go. They kept trying and one day/year they succeed to put her in that school.

This school was very strict. They had to stay in the class, even in the tiffin time, never get chance to play or run on the field, they had to maintain diary if anything happened guardians had to give signature in the diary etc.

I don't like this kind of restriction. I like freedom. Allah helped me. It was a miracle that I didn't have to sit for the admission exam. First, my dad took me on the wrong date, second may be I was sick that I couldn't go, third, I don't remember but that make my parents think, I am not for this school. So, I had been given an admission test to the second-best school in that area Matijhil Govt Girls high school.

This school looks like a park, very beautiful with gardens. Students could play on the field over here in their breaks, the school wasn't strict on anything, it had extra curriculum activity, not only busy with the study. It's like heaven for other schools students. Yes, I was the only lucky girl among four sisters to study here.

I have studied in this school from grade 5 to 10.

These schools were a little far away from our home. So, every day we had to take a rickshaw to go to the school.

Biography 25: I use to avoid those houses

In those days, I was living with my family in Kamalapur at my grandparent's (Paternal) house. I used to play the whole day outside in dust. My feet, from the toes to the knee, were always covered with dust. After reaching home, I had to wash my feet first. I knew older people (Adults) didn't like me. I could feel it from their face. they didn't want me to enter their house to make their floor or house dirty. So, if I see a nice tidy home, I didn't enter there. I just keep playing in front of the house in my neighbourhood. I am sure they didn't like that either. But I can't stop hopping around and play in my neighbourhood.

Still, if I feel someone is ignoring me or avoiding me, I try my best to stay from them. With some people it's difficult. But I keep trying, maybe someday I will be able to vanish from their life forever.

খেলার জায়গা আছে? (Is there any space to play?)

[English version has given below]

শাফিনকে নিয়ে অনেক দিন কোথাও বেড়ানো হয়না, তাই কাজে কর্মে কোথাও গেলে ওকে সাথে নিতে চাই। আর কিছু না হোক, একটু ঘুরাফিরা তো হবে। কিন্তু শাফিন ও এসব বড়দের জায়গায় যেতে যেতে বিরক্ত। তাই কোথাও নিচে চাইলে বলে, ওখানে কি খেলার জায়গা আছে? যদি বলি "না", ও বলে, "তাহলে আমাকে রেখে যাও..."

আমার এখন আর ওকে ফেলে একা কোথায় যেতে ভাল লাগে না। তাই আজ রীতিমত জোর করে সাথে নিলাম।  ফলাফল হলো, ও নিজের পছন্দ মতো চিপস আর চকলেট কিনতে পারলো, কেক খেতে পারলো আর বোনাস হিসাবে একটা অকেজো গাড়ি নিয়ে খেলতে পারল। 

ও খুব খুশি। আমাকে বলল, এখন থেকে ক্ষুধা লাগলে আমরা এই দোকানেই যাব, তাহলে খাওয়ার পাশাপাশি গাড়িও চালাতে পারবে...

I didn't go out (For travel) with Shafeen (My 6 years old son) for long time. So, whenever I go out for work I try to take Shafeen with me. At least it will be kind of outing. But Shafeen became bore with these places. So, whenever I asked him to go with me, he first ask me, is there any space to play? If I reply "No", he wants to stay home.

But I don't want to go alone. So, today force him to go with me. It became really beneficial for him. He could buy his favorite chips and chocolate, eat cake and play with an old car (Not working).

He really became happy and said to me, "From now on, if we became hungry we will go to that place and will eat and play with the real car...."

Fun game at the shopping mall

I don’t know whether it is available now or not. I found this image on the floor on Bashundhara city complex shopping mall. Kids were hitting on the image and it was breaking down… it seems they were smashing down the pictures… very funny. It was very interesting for the kids too. They had played on it for long time. I had to try for half an hour to make my son come back from this play and go home. I wish every shopping mall should have some fun game or place for kids with strong safety that they can stay there and guardians can go out and make shopping easily…

Unique style of playing

Every kid has some different and unique style of playing. Sometimes parent are the only person who can see and remember those. Even kids forget that style.

Shafeen use to play like this (shown in the picture). Now he forgets about it. But mom remembers this with this picture.

If there is no space to play then my son won’t go there…

Now a day (after my son’s born), wherever I go, I take my son with me. Main reason is, all day he has to live with me, so for some change I take him with me. Another reason is to make him familiar with the busy world.

Now my son grow up little bit (5 years and 5 months old). He has his own opinion. So, if I asked him to go out with me. He asks, is there anyplace to play? If I say, no, he told me to keep him to his grandmother’s house (maternal), and then I could go anywhere I want.

But 5 years, a long time habit. Now I don’t want to go without him. I don’t feel good working alone…. Though I should…

So, I am thinking, I won’t ask him, just make him ready, and take him with me. I am the mother; my decision would be the last decision…

Shafeen playing with the cushions

Shafeen likes to go and play at his grandmother’s (maternal) place. He doesn't have many toys over there. But whatever he found he enjoyed with it. Here he was playing with the Sofa cushions. I guess his grandmother won’t like it… But he never cares…

Now don’t have my CD collections

Shafeen and CD

Like all the people who work with computers, I had a collection of CDs. Mostly software, backup files, few movies and a few personal (marriage, son’s activities etc) etc. I bought few airtight plastic boxes to keep them safe and clean. It worked until my son started playing with these. When I had to keep busy with work, I needed to give my son, something interesting for him. One of his favourite things is CD. So I gave him the boxes of CDs and he let me work. The result is almost all CDs missing. How? Very easy, few went under the box bed (not possible to bring them out now), few he dropped to the dustbin and throw out to window, and few he made damage by pressing hard with the floor. Others… don’t have any idea…. But my boxes became empty.

Parent wants to keep their child safe

Shafeen with my father

Shafeen playing with a plate

Shafeen on my bed.

All pictures are decorated by my younger sister Shekha by her cell phone

We, the parent always want our child play safe (though they don’t like that at all). When Shafeen was younger I let him play on the bed. I liked it too (now both of us don’t want it, Shafeen don’t want to play safe and I don’t want him to make mess on bed with thousand of toys). I just needed to give him something to play with, like a plate, bowl, spoon etc. Mostly he played at my father’s bed. My father (he is no more) was sick so most of the time he has to stay on bed and my son gave him company.

Then I won’t play

This is a very common dialog which I have heard in my childhood. I can’t remember whether I had said it too or not. But one thing, I never like this attitude. This kind of people doesn’t have any tolerance. They just leave the place coz they don’t like the situation and they want to make people in problem coz of their absent. Obviously there will be problem if any one left at the middle of the game.
When I grow up, I have seen same condition many places. Like… ok forget it.