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.
Shafinaaz was my best friend in primary school. During those days, I was studying at Kamalapur High School. After a weekend, Shafinaaz said she went to watch a Bangla movie in the cinema hall with her family. The movie was "Banjaraan." The main actress was Shabana. Shafinaaz said she liked the movie. She even used to sing (hum) the song "Amra to banjaraan, dekhabo naach gaan" for the next couple of days.
I didn't watch the movie or listen to the song, but I guess it must be a good one since Shafinaaz liked it. I don't know where she is now. I hope she is having a great life.
School Lunches in France
The article's main point (School lunches in France: nursery-school gourmets by Walt, V. 2010, February) is to compare school lunches in the USA and France and inform the audience about how healthy and prosperous the French lunch system is. The writer compares them nicely and describes how a parent feels about them.
There are a couple of supplementary messages in this article. For example, in France, students will have healthy food habits and won't become bored with the menu because they get 5-course meals daily, "… including an hors d'oeuvre, salad, main course, cheese plate and dessert" (Walt, 2010, para.3).; these menus don't repeat in 32 days. Also, there is no school vending machine for snacks and beverages. They also included students' parents in the meal system by suggesting what students may eat for dinner. The parents might not know what their kids are learning, but they understand what they eat at lunch. The writer also told the audience in a fun way that Americans wonder how French people can be so trim and fit after taking lots of cheese, cream, and cake. Some thoughts are it must be the wine. The kids learn what to eat and have good food habits before they know how to hold a knife.
The article's context was that the writer was amazed by the school lunch system; it feels like they wanted to have the same in America, too, because American food habits help people gain weight, which is unhealthy.
The themes and keywords of this article, such as Good Food Habit, Good Food System in Schools, Eating Healthy, French School, and American School, underscore the importance of nurturing our children's food habits for their overall health. This emphasis should leave the audience concerned and motivated to advocate for healthier school food habits.
My ideas are not only because of food habits; we should start making fresh for food safety. Food becomes unsafe if we keep it at an average room temperature for 2 hours. After packing lunch, it takes more than 2 hours for the children to eat during their break. If we want a healthy child for our future generation, we must be cautious with our children's food habits.
Reference:
Walt,
V. (2010, February). School lunches in France: nursery-school gourmets. Time
http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1969729-1,00.html
From my school life, my parents sent us to school every day. When most students were absent on rainy days, our parents always sent us to school, probably because of my mom. She believed we may miss some part of education if we miss school. She tried everything possible to give us a good education. However, in Bangladesh, teachers don't teach us much when most students are absent on rainy days because most of them are not there. Sometimes, they (teachers) used to say, Ok, you guys can open the book and read anything by yourself. We opened the book and kept chatting with each other or playing games in our seats. The teachers didn't mind as long as we started disturbing the other class by making noise.
My older sister always got angry because of my parents' attitude. I didn't mind. Maybe I didn't know I could be absent from school by my choice.
It made a habit in me. When I started working, I always went there regularly and wasn't late. In my first job, the office declared to all employees that I was never absent one day and was never late for one day in the whole first year. My colleagues were surprised. Mr. Alam, one of my colleagues, said, "How is it possible? You must fall a fever at least for 2 days in the year!" I didn't. I had a sound body. And my parents made this habit in me that I am regular and on time.
All schools should have air conditioning. In the hot weather, we think about ourselves; that's why we put AC in homes, offices and other workplaces. We think about aged people too, so we install AC in old homes. But what about kids? They are tiny, and can't talk for themselves to the authority that doesn't mean whole day they have to stay in a place where AC isn't available. Especially those attending classes on the top floors, do you know what trouble they face?
When I was in school, sometimes I heard in another class someone stole something. But it never happened in my class. I mean we were not used to this situation. In high school (In Bangladesh, it's called college) this was very normal. Especially people stole the practical worksheet. In Geography we had to do real hard work on those sheets and you don't want to lose it.
I haven't lost anything, I wasn't a good student, so the thief never felt any interest in me. I am very happy about that.
I remember in a practical exam of geography we were sitting in our class and working on sheets, in between our work, the teacher was calling our names one by one and that one person stopped her work and go to the teacher. Then the teacher asked viva questions and listen to the student's answers. When the student is done she came back to her seat and started her work again.
A girl, Tinni (In those days I didn't know her name) sat beside me. When she returned from her viva exam, she asked, did you see the TK20 in my pencil box. I was surprised, I was very busy with my work, I even didn't look at her desk. I said no, I didn't notice. I was very worried, that she might be thinking I stole her money.
Tinni understood my situation and said, no worries, I knew it wasn't you. Maybe the other girl, who sat on the other side of me. Later I heard that another girl spends all her days going from one tuition to another and she has tons of boyfriends, she needs extra money for that and she stills from girls. I don't know how true that information was, but in those days I believed that. I became very careful with her.
Later, Tinni became my University classmate. Now she is living in Australia.
When I was in school, I always uses to stay awake the whole night in Laylatul Qadr. It was very difficult on those days. When I started work, waking up the whole night was nothing. Sometimes I just can't sleep for nights and can't find the reason.
This year, I mostly woke up the whole night during Ramadan. Don't know why. And slept in the daytime, sometimes not.
I think I have prayed more in my school time. I uses to start praying from Magrib and then went to bed after Fajr prayer. I tried to do the same. But when you grow up, you have more responsibility. Your brain works more, it's difficult to put away all the thoughts and concentrate on praying.
After moving to Canada, I can easily stay awake all odd numbers of nights during the last 10 Ramadan. During school days, I somehow could manage to stay awake on the 27th night of Ramadan.
This Ramadan, I pray for this world, let's have peace among all humans, let's live better.
When I was in grade 8 (Class 8), I was the second tallest girl in the class. From grade 7 I suddenly started becoming tall. In grade 8 the tallest girl was Tanna. She is a very beautiful, tall and smart girl. I wasn't jealous, I just wanted to be taller than her. I don't know why I wanted to be taller than her, generally, I never worried about my physical appearance.
In my mind, I was praying to Allah to make me from 5 feet to 3 inches to 5 feet 3.5 inches. Maybe I did some exercise too. Our friend Aleya Ferdousi showed us (To her friends) how to exercise to become taller. I watched her carefully and then tried at home. And it worked.
Within a couple of months, I became 5'3.5". Oh, I was so happy. Now I am the tallest girl in the class. I stopped that exercise. I didn't want to be too tall. I knew, then I won't find ready-made dresses easily.
Later, I was aged 25, I checked and found that I became 5'5". I again prayed to Allah. Please don't make me too tall ;)
In kindergarten, I saw my son become the second-highest tallest boy in the class. I asked him, do you want to be the tallest. He told me that he doesn't care. Within a year he became the tallest. I again asked him, how do you feel about that. He smiled, I understood deep inside he was feeling the same. Just like his mother.
After moving to Canada I found he has an average height in the class in grade 1. I was happy. Then in grade 6, he became the tallest boy in the class.
Now we moved to Ontario. He is one of the tall boys in the class. I told him, don't become too tall. Then I have to order your dresses and shoes, which I don't want.
My life was very easy. I never try hard to achieve anything. I mean I just take a chance, it happens that's my luck mostly or by born whatever the quality I already had. Now I know, everything actually depends on Allah. If it is meant to happen, it happens. And Alhamdulillah, most of the time, somehow I had achieved success.
I had given the school admission tests without any preparation. I succeed even after admission to college (Viqarunnisa noon college) and university (The University of Dhaka). I never went to any admission coaching centre like most Bangladeshi kids go or study at home.
I had attended many competitions in Dance, I never failed. My name was always there from 1st to 3rd.
Somehow I knew, I will never fail. I'm a very qualified person on this earth. And I was wrong. Now a day, it's become impossible to see any success. Anyway, let's go back to my school life.
In Bangladesh, in grade 8 (Class 8) students get a chance to get a government scholarship. The money amount wasn't very good, but it was a prestigious thing. My older sister achieved both scholarships grade 5 and grade 8.
To achieve this scholarship, kids need to sit for an exam. So, every school first takes a test in their school and selects only meritorious students to sit for the main exam with all other students of other schools.
As usual, I sit for the exam without any preparation. And for the first time, I didn't get selected. This made my whole world upside down to me. How did this happen? I stopped all activities that I used to do regularly. Like watching TV, cooking, doing household work, taking care of my younger siblings, reading novels, drawing, talking over the phone, playing with siblings etc. I felt this world is not for me, how did I get failed.
It was a few days earlier than our final exam of grade 8. Every year in Bangladesh students need to sit for the final exam of the year, if they pass they get a chance to go to the next grade. I have already failed to sit for the scholarship test, so I put my full focus on the final exam so as not to fail.
Our school used to give syllabus of the year in the class, students use to write it down in their notebook. As I wasn't serious on study, I didn't have that. So, I called my class friend Bably over the land phone. And took the syllabus. This way, I use to call her after every exam night to get the next exam's syllabus. Then didn't waste any single second of time, just did the study. I never study like this before or after. When I was returning home from school, I even stopped looking at the outside from the rickshaw, the only word that was repeating in my head is, "I have failed".
In my class, my teachers and friends knew, I am not a good student. I never could fulfil homework or study. So nobody expected much from me. But I have always surprised people around me. Either by succeeding or by failing.
This time I did that too. Not only did I pass, but I also ranked myself in the second position (After adding the previous 2 quarter exam marks, which weren't good). From grade 9 Bangladeshi schools were divided into two groups. One is the science section another was the humanity section. The 1st girl went to the science section and I went to the Humanity group. This way, for the first time in my life, I have put myself at number 1.
In our school, we had another kitchen. That kitchen was only used to make teas for the teachers and food for our headmistress. One day 4 of us (As much as I can remember) decided to make tea when no one will be in the kitchen for us. I don't know from where I had got this kind of idea. But I always have.
So, we decided. Masuma will bring sugar, Numa (She is no more with us on this earth) will bring milk powder, Kakon will bring tea and me, well nothing left for me, I have distributed all the works among my friends ;)
On the action day, we get together. Kakon said she didn't bring tea leaf. What! I said all programs cancel. I was very annoyed with Kakon. But Kanon said we will make tea from the used tea leaves. She knew that is available in the kitchen. That's why she didn't bring it.
I have seen at home, my mom always has thrown away used tea leaves. I didn't know people make tea from that too. So, I said, whatever been throughout from our teacher's tea we have to make tea from that! No way! I won't drink that tea. I came back to my classroom and expected Masuma who always supported me on every issue will come back too. But she didn't.
After one hour she came back, with a very sad face. I asked her, how come that leftover tea became so important for you? Masuma replied, what should I do? Numa hold my legs, that I have to drink the tea! Otherwise, she wouldn't let me go.
Later she said, people, make tea from leftover tea leaves. At home, my mom adds some more new tea leaves with it and makes them. Well on that day I didn't agree.
Now I know this happens. Though I don't use those to make tea, sometimes use them as a fertilizer for the plants.
Our school building was two-storied. One day I and my friend Ankhi (Sohana Afrin) was standing on the balcony and talking. From our place, we could see the ground and the front area of our kitchen. There was a water tap over there. We saw somebody didn't turn it off. Water was running.
I was thinking someone must be working near that place and for any reason or just forget to turn it off. They will come back soon. But after a minute we saw it was in the same condition. Ankhi couldn't wait. She said, let's go downstairs and turn off the tap. I replied, OK.
We went down through the stairs and go near to the tap and saw somebody turned it off by this time. I smiled, didn't regret it. Ankhi was saying, "Allah must have given some good points for this action, we did a good job." Maybe she thought I am disappointed with her, but no. It's ok to go downstairs and come back. We were young.
Our school gives free snacks during break time. We had 30 minutes break every day. We called it tiffin time. We had a kitchen at the end of the building. We have a chef to cook snacks for us and lunch for our headmistress. The chef was a great cook. We liked his food very much. I heard people use to hire him on big occasions to cook (Like marriage ceremonies, birthdays etc). He cooked a meal on our final picnic day at the end of school life. It was amazing.
Every day we use to have different kinds of food. Like luchi (pan fry tortilla) and halwa (sweet dish), luchi and bhaji (mixed vegetables), Lucchi and bundia (another kind of sweet), bun bread and banana etc.
One day after a long vacation they give us only bun bread and it was cold. Nothing with it to eat. We really became angry, about how a person can eat like this. Then we saw from grade 10 (The most senior batch of the school) throw all buns on the field. 40/50 crows jump into it to collect it. Our class took the dish and returned it to the kitchen/teacher's room. The khala (Helping hand in the school) get angry and ask, from which class you came. On those days we were in grade 08 or 09. But Falguny (One of our classmates) didn't want to put us in trouble, so she said, "Grade 10!" and left.
I was in Majhil Govt Girls High School from grade 5 to 10. In this period my best friend was Masuma Khatun. She used to live in Kamalapur. In her childhood, she had polio, so her one arm was not working properly. She was a very nice person, soft-spoken and honest. We always use to sit together.
As our house were far away, according to kids. We never visit each other's house. Maybe that's why now I have no communication with her. The last time I have seen her was after getting admission to Dhaka University. She said she is on the waiting list. As her marks are good, probably she will be called.
We get separated from the college (Grade 11). When I went to the Viqarunnisa noon college and She got admitted to the Matijhil Ideal College.
When I first sat beside Masuma in grade 5, she was crying. She said the person who used to sit beside her didn't like her. That girl put a mark on the bench and told her never to cross that line. She felt like she is not likable to anyone. Well, Allah knows, no one knows this feeling better than me. From the very childhood I use to see, no one likes me. And now I have accepted that situation everywhere.
I said to her, never feel hesitate to sit anywhere on this bench. It was a two-person seated bench with a desk. I use to share everything with her. Well, I didn't have much. She did that too with me. When we were in grade 10, one day she brought some notes on Islamiat subjects to me. She said her older sister has collected these. If you read it you will get a letter mark (80%), guaranteed. I didn't believe her because I knew, I don't read. But I did go through some of it and got a letter mark in the SSC exam. So, she was right.
Her father was a doctor. Her mother was from the original Dhaka (Dhakaiya). She liked me because I was kind of from Dhaka too (Bikrompur).
I remember one day she told me, she doesn't like to study, but when her maid (Having a maid is a very usual thing in Bangladesh) put everything in the proper place, she felt like taking a book and studying. Well, I didn't have that luxury. I use to do everything by myself. And I never liked to study school books.
Later I tried to find her a lot. I have searched on the net, Facebook. But she became disappear from everywhere. I wish I know where she is, how she is.
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| The stage between two schools, Matijhil govt girls high school and Matijhil govt boys high school |
When I was in grade 5 in a new school, my classmates knew that I am learning dancing. I think I had danced and sung songs in the class. I heard they use to say, I way I walk, move or sit is very nice because I am a dancer. I don't think so. It's something that I am.
In our school we had a teacher, we used to call her "Dolly Apa". She liked to do extra curriculum activities with the students and students liked her very much. She was the most popular teacher in our school during her time. When she took her class she use to draw lots of pictures on the board. Students like that too.
This teacher wanted to do a cultural program. I went there to participate as a dancer. She thought I am too little to perform alone so she put a senior student to teach me and give another girl to perform with me. I have no problem.
The senior student understood that I can dance better, so in the performance, she put me at the front. After a couple of days of rehearsal, we performed in front of the teacher to get approval. But I felt she was not concentrating on our performance and I don't know what happen finally the total program was cancelled and the teacher went to the boy's school. We had a boys' school right beside our school.
Then time passed, I grow a little bit. My mom decided, now I better stop dancing because I didn't want to take it as a profession. She put me in singing classes. But I use to dance at home whenever I am in a mood.
When I reached grade 8, our class got the opportunity to provide a farewell program to the senior students of grade 10, who are going to leave the school and join college (That's Bangladeshi study style). Our class teacher was responsible to arrange the program. I went to her and said, I will dance. She had a little doubt about me and she already selected another senior girl. But she said, ok show me something.
I danced in front of a bunch of girls and no one moved during my performance. She said, I already took another girl, but I like your style. Then she looked at another girl and said, will you step back and let her dance. The other girl said, yes mom, let her dance.
Then the teacher took the music from the other girl on which the girl was going to perform and gave it to me. And said dance with this music. The teacher also asked me what are you going to wear? I replied, Saari. She said you are too little to wear a Saari. Wear something else, like a beautiful frock. I didn't like the idea. The other girl said, she has a beautiful dress like an angel, she can lend me the dress. I said, NO.
At home, my mom told me, go to your room, shut down the door and choreography your own way with this music. I did.
On the program day, I went by wearing a Saary. My teacher looked at me. We used to call her Ferdousi Apa. She told me, your body isn't ready to wear a salary. You are not grown up yet.
Before the program started, the teacher asked me to go to the mike and announce that the program is going to start. I never talk in front of a mike before, I got scared. But she gave me suggestions about what can I say. I asked her to write it down to me, but she didn't have anything in her hand to writing. So, she said, just go and announce.
I stood up in front of the mike, girls were chatting with each other. The moment I started talking everybody stopped and looked at me. I understood that day, maybe I have a very good voice.
Later my performance time came. I performed with my whole heart, I went into my performance. The whole school became silent and watched my performance.
After the performance, many people said many good words to me. One was, "I have never seen such an amazing performance before, you just touched everyone's soul"
You know what, that was my last stage performance. And I heard our teacher is no more.
In my school, I heard the first bad comment about my face, on my face. One of my classmates told me, your face is like "Bosteer meye" (which means, A girl who came from a slam area). It hurts. But in my mind, I agree with her.
I don't like to iron my dresses, so you can imagine how I looked like in my school dress. I didn't know how to comb or set my hair. I didn't put anything on my face, like cream, powder etc. Make-up wasn't allowed in school. My skin colour is dark. I don't have a beautiful face, yes I knew it, that she was right. Though it hurt me.
Then I looked at her. Well, I felt she looked the same, though she had fair skin colour. But that made me feel a little better.
She used to live in Khilgaon. Her dad later made their own house. It was a little far away from our school. She uses to walk always. Bangladesh is a hot and humid country. Because of walking in the sun, her head sculps were covered with "Foska" / blister.
The last news I had about her is she became a professor at Jagannath University. Wish her all the best. I didn't get angry on that day, nor today.
In school, I didn't hear directly like this any more times. But later... I heard a lot. I never claimed as a beautiful woman, but people felt good and don't want to let me forget by reminding me how ugly I am.
In Bangladesh, there is a rule for girls that they have to set their hair before they go to school. I had to set my hair all by myself. I didn't know how to do it properly. But I tried my best. Whenever I have seen any new way to set hair I tried on myself. On those days we didn't have internet that I can't search and find how to do this or that. I just give trial and error on my hair.
The result was very poor. Most of the time my hair looked bad. Sometimes girls laughed at me, but what can I do. I just accepted the way it was.
Still, I am not good at setting up hair. Sometimes I try to set my son's hair. He doesn't like when I try anything on him.
Now a day my hair is very short and I like it that way. No hassle to fix it.
There were many big trees in our school. Like Olive, Kath golap (White Plumeria), Krishno Chura ( Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant) etc. During the summer girls uses to make necklaces with the Krishnochura flower. When small olive started growing girls couldn't hold themself. They tried to get some.
The rule was, we, the girls can't climb up the trees. For safety reasons. But as I told you, it was very difficult to stop them.
When we were in grade 8, the olive tree was just in front of our class. One day the teacher was absent or was late in class. Some girls climbed up the olive tree. I have seen in the class some of the girls were eating olives. A khala (School worker) noticed this. She informed the headmistress. Our headmistress was very strict. She became mad and with the khala she came near to the tree to check it out by herself. all students were very scared about her including those poor girls. Maybe they would have come down without any trouble. But when they saw the headmistress, one girl dropped from the tree. She had gotten minor injuri, and because of her, none of them get punished.
Now I think, actually, the headmistress got scared. Because in her presence a student got injured ;)
In my previous school, teachers use to bring a sharp stick (In Bangla "Bet") to beat the students. Mostly for doing irresponsible behaviour or for studying. I was lucky, I never got beaten. The unlucky kids had to put their hands in front of the teacher and the teacher uses to hit on the hand or palm.
This is a very common scenario in Bangladesh. Most Bangladeshi parents think, if they don't beat up the kids, they won't learn anything. I have got beaten up by my mom. And I realize very well, this is not something that a kid is supposed to have.
I never beat my son. In Bangladeshi school when my son didn't want to do his homework, I had to try hours to make him do so. He didn't get a good score in the exams too. Other moms used to advise me that I should beat him up for study. But I kept trying with my full patient and still, I'm doing so. I love him and I want to raise him with love. I don't know whether he will get love from anywhere else or not. I believe love has more power than anything else. Still, he listens to me. I hope he will always.
After admitting to the new school, I found this school system is very good. Here no teacher beat students. If any students don't study or do their homework they had to stand up and keep standing the whole class. According to my previous school, this was nothing.
From grade 8, even this punishment stopped. The teacher just gets annoyed if we don't do our study well.
If I compare with other good schools, then I must say, they didn't have this privilege. My poor sisters. I told you, I was a very lucky student :)
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In school most scary subject for me was History. I always felt difficult to remember the date and years of several historical incidents.
As usual, I always tried to sit at the first bench. It's not that I was a very good student. But I liked to listen to the teacher and learn from them. Homework or study at home isn't my thing.
When I was in grade 6, one day, I fell asleep in class. When I woke up I saw the teacher is still teaching the class. I thought maybe the teacher didn't notice. Then I started sleeping regularly in the class. Our teacher said nothing to me. One day I found, she is scolding a girl for not giving attention to her lesson. I surprised. She never said anything only to me!
From that day, I never sleep in the class again.
When I have got admitted to the new school in grade 5, I heard the previous headmaster has left. This school appointed a new headmaster, who didn't start work yet. I have no issue with this news.
Our school's geometric design is in a way that when you will enter the school first you have to cross the headmaster's room then you can enter the school. So, every morning when I entered, I looked at the headmaster's room first. Looks empty, then I walk inside the school. One day I saw a new nameplate has been established at the top of the door. It was printed "Mrs. Shahedora Begum". So, now we have a name.
In Bangladesh, the new school year started in January (In Canada, September). It is the wintertime, and also yearly sports time. So, every day, kids used to join in several competitions to win prizes. If they are in sports, they don't need to stay in the regular classes.
I had no interest in sports, but I was interested not to join the regular classes in school. So, every morning, after roll call, when some girls went to join the sports activity, I went out with them too.
Then actually I just enjoyed my free time in freestyle, sometimes I use to read books, not any school book, someday I just stood on the corridor and watch how girls doing sports, sometimes just walk around the school. I was just happy not to join the boring classes.
One day I was standing in the corridor and watching sports, a woman came to me and asked "What are you doing?". In January, many girls use to join the school, so every day, I have seen some guardians come to school and talk with teachers. I assume this is a guardian too, and I became very annoyed with her curiosity. Just I replied, "I am a little busy with sports", then went down to the field. Didn't do much and came back to the class. I had a feeling I should stay in the class.
Later I got to know our new headmistress had started doing her job. She is a very strict person, a very angry woman and doesn't care who is in front of her, just scolds. No one can speak in front of her. The school changed in a day. All relaxed mood has gone. Everybody use to stay alert for her. No one knows when and how she is going to attack.
Now I know, who caught me earlier and my sixth sense just saved me. One thing is for sure, good things don't stay long. Especially for me.
