Thursday, December 10, 2020

Biography 14: Kotkoti (Bangladeshi sweet snacks)

Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8cG5sfmI9I

 

Kotkoti is a sweet snack.

Earlier in Dhaka (Bangladesh), there was some professional guy who use to go to the houses to collect cristal bottles to recycle. Instead of giving money, they use to give food, Kotkoti. They bring the food in a round box, made with tin. They had a small hammer and an iron pin to break the hard Kotkoti and measured it. Then give it to the children of the house. It was a very popular snack for children. In those days, people didn't use plastic bottles, so it was easy for the kids to collect bottles made of glass. Now a day, it's not available in Bangladesh as the way it was.


I remember I used to stand by the Kotkoti man and wait patiently when he will give us Kotkoti. My cousin brothers didn't want to miss a bit. While the man was breaking the Kotkoti one of my brothers use to grab all the powder fall on the box before Kotkoti man stopped him, he uses to run away.


Image Source: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/454300681159532929/

After moving into Canada, I have found almost the same dish! One of our colleagues who is from German made this dish for us. He said this is German's traditional dish. His family owns a restaurant. They are all are very good at cooking. He already cracked and bring us small pieces of Kotkoti. I'm sorry, I forget the German name of it.

Monday, December 7, 2020

A sweet Hindi song

 If you don't understand Hindi, don't try to translate with any tools. That says totally wrong.


Lyrics Tera Badan Poora Tera Ilaaka Maine Na Jhaka Mana Tu Lady Gaga Main Daku Nahi Hu Na Dalunga Daka Par Har Sardi Mein Garmi Mein Jade Mein Barish Mein Tum Meri Tum Meri Ho Na Shona Meri Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Shona Meri Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Mohabbat Jo Ho Gayi Hai Toh Dikha Hi Do Do Do Mera Badan Poora Maera Ilaaka Tune Kyun Jhaka Haan Main Hu Lady Gaga Tu Daku Wahi Hai Tu Dalega Daka Par Har Sardi Mein Garmi Mein Jade Mein Barish Mein Tujhe Mera Tujhe Mera Hona Shona Mere Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Shona Mere Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Pehna Tune Kurta Jo Peela Uspe Gir Gayi Thodi Si Takeela Kurta Tera Ho Gaya Geela Geela Geela Geela Geela Mera Bhi Mizaz Rangeela Nakhre Tere Jaise Ho Sheela Badan Tera Tera Nasheela Sheela Sheela Sheela Nasheela Tu Aag Hai Aag Hai Nahi Tera Koyi Jawab Hai Chupa Na Chupa Na Chupa Na Dikha Tere Badan Ka Kona Kona Shona Mere Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Shona Mere Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Tera Badan Poora Tera Ilaka Maine Na Jhaka Mana Tu Lady Gaga Main Daku Nahi Hu Na Dalunga Daka Par Har Sardi Mein Garmi Mein Jade Mein Barish Mein Tonny Kakkar Ki Hona Shona Meri Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Shona Meri Shona Shona Shona Ho Ho Ho Mohabbat Jo Ho Gayi Hai Toh Dikha Hi Do Do Do


Saturday, December 5, 2020

Don't feel guilt

Don't feel guilt,

if you left me.

Don't try to set me up with someone else.

You couldn't stay with me,

Then you don't know me.

You don't know my taste.

You just left me,

freeze me out,

became silent with me,

 ignore me or block me.

Just leave,

I will let you go always smoothly.

Just don't try to fix my life.

Let me find my path to living,

find my guy,

Who will never hesitate to stand for me,

will never get bore on me,

will never get irritated with me,

will never get tired to love me.

Let me find my guy,

let me live like me, happy.

If I'm still talking with you, that's only because I wanted to be nice with my life.

Friday, December 4, 2020

From the bottom of my heart, I salute you

 We were in honours final year, at the University of Dhaka. For our study tour, we went to Cox's Bazar. Here we have the world's longest beach beside the Bay of Bengal.


As far as I remember Chaity with a bunch of her other friends asked me and Shumi to go a little deeper into the ocean. They were holding hands with each other and made a circle. We joined. Whenever any wave comes, we jumped. It was really amazing. They continued to go deeper. Water came near to my chick. Shumi almost got drowned. Chaity and I decided, it really became difficult for Shumi so I and Shumi will go back to the land. We hold our hands and slowly moving towards the land. In the meantime, a strong wave pushed from our backside, mainly I felt the hit on my feet and it moved my feet upward. I drowned in the water. The moment I was falling inside the water I had held my breath. Then I tried to put my feet on the sand but I couldn't because of the water force moving forward. I tried to take my head up but another wave was running from the land to the water which didn't let my head go up. I tried to draw the picture (Very poor, please ignore my drawing capability) to describe the situation. 


Because of both different directions strong wave, I couldn't eighter go up or put my feet down on the sand. I have started thinking who saw me get drowned? Maybe no one. let's wait, maybe the wave will take me near the land. The way I'm telling the story you might think it took a long time, but actually a few seconds pasts.


Suddenly I felt, someone, is holding my hand and trying to pull me up. I hold that person's hand too, to go up. But then the hand went away. I understood, that person might be thinking I will hold tightly and will make that person drowned too. So I have started waiting for those hands. It came and hold me again. This time I didn't try to hold back. That person pulled me near Shumi and Shumi noticed me in the water. She pulled me out by grabbing my headscarf. I could start breathing and stand on my feet. Then walked to the land.

After all this trouble, when I could start thinking normally, I look around to know who helped me in the water. I have asked Shumi too, did she hold my hand? She said, no. I couldn't find anyone who tells me that they helped me or asked me whether I'm ok or not.

I have thought about this many times all these years. Who was it? Is it any unknown people? Maybe not, because we were kind of surrounded by our classmates. But no one was near me. As far as I could think. After the incident, Saleh used to say to his other friends that "You guys get drowned at the knee lever water!" I had a doubt about him but never asked. Didn't know what he will think if I asked.

After all these years, recently I asked him. Did he know that I drowned at the Bay of Bengal? He replied, Yes.

Me, "Was it you, who saved me?"

Saleh, with a big smile "Yes, it was me"

Oh Allah, and I didn't know. You are the only person I guess who noticed that I get drowned. Thank you, my friend. From the bottom of my heart, I salute you. 

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Biography 13: Haircut

Earlier, people use to think, if you cut (I mean totally bald) your hair frequently, that will make your hair grow more and strong. So, in my childhood, my mom uses to cut me and my older sister's hair many times. But, as I told you earlier, I wasn't the girl who can sit down for some moments without moving a bit. In this condition, it wasn't easy to cut my hair. So, the only chance my mom had is when I fall asleep. But that was also very rare for my condition. So, whenever I fall asleep, she shaved my hair. Most of the time I woke up in the middle of her work. So, she couldn't complete her work. Then I play around my neighbourhood with half hair on my head. People laughed at me. Who cares? Later whenever she got a chance to shave the full head, she finished her work.




From my 5/6 years of age, my mom uses to give me Chinese style hair cut. I assume it was easy to do. I have started growing my hair at 8/9 years of age and after every 1/2 years, I use to trim my hair. That day my older sister was my hairdresser. I had cut my hair in a hair salon at the age of 29/30. I just wanted to make my long hair short. The girls at the hair salon didn't want to do that. They asked me, "Why are you cutting your all long hair? Did you ask your husband first? Let us cut a little bit, then decide later what you want to do". Finally, they said, they want to keep my hair for their training purpose. I said, Ok, no problem.


After 5 years of arriving in Canada, I have cut my hair short by myself. I could not give it a good shape by myself. I just wanted to distract myself. Anyway, it doesn't matter how it looks. It matters how I feel and I felt better.

Monday, November 9, 2020

People usually say this when they are in love

"for how long will you take me for rides like that,
now move this thing ahead..."

From this song:

[Source]

Tu ik Vaari Aa to Sahi Lyrics Translation | Judwaa 2


Movie: Judwaa 2
Music: Meet Bros
Lyrics: Sonu Saggu
Singers: Meet Bros, Neha Kakkar, Roach Kill (Rap)
Music Label: T-Series

sun baby deadly hai teri walk ni
tere Thumke bhi karte hain Talk ni

listen baby your walk is deadly,
even your dance moves talk.

ho dil kare dekhi jaaun teri ore
tu nazrein mila to sahi

the heart says that I should keep looking at you,
just meet my gaze...



dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
tu ik vaari aa to sahi
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
tu ik vaari aa to sahi
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
tu nazrein mila to sahi
tu ik vaari aa to sahi

I have given you my heart, I'll give you my life too,
just come once.
I have given you my heart, I'll give you my life too,
just meet my gaze...
oh, come once.

kab mummy daddy mere tu paTaayega
leke banD baaja ghar mere aayega
kab tak mujhe aise hi ghumayega
tu baat baRhaa to sahi

when will you convince my parents?
when will you come home with a wedding procession?
for how long will you take me for rides like that,
now move this thing ahead...

dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe dungi
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe dungi
tu ik vaari...
tu ik vaari aa to sahi
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe dungi
tu ik vaari aa to sahi
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe dungi
tu nazrein mila to sahi
tu ik vaari aa to sahi

I have given you my heart, I'll give you my life too,
just come once.
I have given you my heart, I'll give you my life too,
just meet my gaze...
oh, come once.

o baby I just wanna tell you
if I ever got a chance to love you

tu dil mera luT ke lai gayi
te ankhaan naal sab kuchh keh gayi

you looted and took my heart away,
and said everything with your eyes.

jab maarda tu mujhpe Try’aan
sharma ke meri palak hai jhukdi
jab pakRe tu meriyan kalaiyaan
heartbeat baRhdi te kabhi rukdi

when you hit on me,
my eyelids are bowed with coyness,
when you hold my wrists,
my heartbeat sometimes increases and sometimes seems to stop.

huaa tujhse main kuRiye attach ni
teri kunDli bhi kar lunga match ni
tujhe jaldi se wifey banaunga
tu mooD bana to sahi

I've gotten attached to you, O girl,
I'll even match my horoscope with yours,
I'll make you my wife soon,
you just get in the mood.

dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
tu ik vaari aa to sahi
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
tu ik vaari aa to sahi
dil diya hai jaan bhi tujhe denge
tu nazrein mila to sahi
tu ik vaari aa to sahi

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Biography 12: My favourite place

 


When I was a kid, I use to walk around our house. Neighbours knew me, so nobody worried about it. My favourite place to spend time alone was the neighbour’s front door stairs. It was made of concrete. I used to play, sometimes I played with mud, made that place dirty, I use to drink my bottle of milk by lying on it, but our neighbour never gave any objection (As far as I know). I remember once I went inside their house with my mom. Maybe on Eid day. There was no kid in that house, so I wasn’t interested to make friends with them.

One day I fall asleep on their stairs. My family members knew where to find me, so they bring me back home.

I still like sitting on the stairs. Especially at the front door.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

When you are emotionally disturbed

 


To get rid of pain, many people do many things. Sometimes people hurt themselves. Previously when I saw these people, I use to think, why are they hurting themselves? What kind of solution is this? You get hurt and again you are hurting yourself? This is too much stupidity!

 

In life, when you get hurt emotionally so many times, and you will also try to figure out how to get rid of those pains or minimize them. When I feel upset, I also do some tricks to absorb the pain. But sometimes nothing works. At that moment, it came to my mind, why don’t I hurt me in a safe way (Don’t do anything which is harmful to you).

 

My hair is straight, black and long, about 24inch. I cut it in half, thrown all hairs in the bin. I must say, I have started feeling better! Now I know why people hurt themselves. It’s not about showing others, how much they get hurt, it’s about absorbing the pain. (Again, never do anything to harm yourself).

 

It’s been a month; I thought my son will notice. When he was a smaller kid, he uses to notice every small change in me. But now he is an 11-year-old boy. Maybe his concentration isn’t me anymore. He has started to be in his own life. And I am ready for it in my mind.


Friday, October 30, 2020

Biography 11: I have started irritating people



 Kids always know, what they want. If they can’t express it with words, they can cry loudly. I was like that child. I knew what I want then I tried my best to get it. Sometimes by crying, by lying or by stealing (Only from older sister).

 

Let I give you some examples, my parent took me to the children’s park (Shishu park). We all like to ride on the train. And I wanted to get a seat at the front cabin. Because that gives you the best scene. But that was already taken, everybody took other seats. But I was very strong with what I want. I didn’t get on the train and remain standing on the platform. So, my mom had to stand with me, the train left with all. On the next trip, I had got a chance to sit at the front with my mom and enjoy the ride.

 

I liked pickles very much. It’s a little different in Bangladesh than in Canada. It is very tasty. So, my mom uses to divide pickles among us by herself. I ate my part very fast and kept an eye on my sister’s part. After finishing my part, I use to take her part from her hand very quickly and eat it. She had nothing to do but cry.

 

I liked to tell stories. If I didn’t have anything to say, I had made it. Older people became confused, whether they will believe me or not.

 

I love to be loved. Everybody does. But as I told you, I kind of force to get it. So, I asked my family members to take me in their lap and have around in the area. That’s not enough. Then I didn’t want to get down. No one can keep me like that forever, but I started crying if they tried to put me down.

 

I like to run a lot and jump and climb up. Older people didn’t like my nonstop moving around the house. They all used to tell me the naughty girl. I had irritated every single people in my family and relatives.

 

I didn’t want to sleep; my family always get trouble to put me to sleep. My youngest uncle wonders, without sleeping how a kid lives like that.

 

My parents put me in a school a playground class. My first school was “Wills Little Flower School”. It wasn’t very near our house. My youngest aunt was mainly responsible to take us (I and my older sister) to the school. She always faces trouble with that. After dropping me into the class she came out of the school and found I came with her too.

 

I didn’t like to be seated inside the class. My teachers had to give me the treat to get my attention. At the end of the year, I failed in that class.

 

So, my popularity became 100% to 0% by the time I was 3 years old.

 

Later, I have changed totally. I had started sleeping a lot, stop talking, stop making friendship became very calm, stop asking for anything, always try to adjust what others won't, not seeking attention from anyone, play alone and even don’t like to ask what I should get, stop complaining, sacrifice for everyone, everything, let go of what I should have, became religious and don’t take any revenge etc.

 

Because I don’t like to see people unhappy or irritated with me. If you don’t want me, I will leave. I like to be happy.

 

My schoolteachers including the headmistress and relatives surprise a lot. They used to ask my mom, what happen with this girl.

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Information about future bride or groom

 


In Bangladesh, there is some common activity, before getting married. One of them is to get information about the future bride or groom. Generally, people go to that girl’s/boy’s area and ask neighbours about them. Or to those people who may know about the future bride or groom. Whatever those neighbour or people said, people believe it. Sometimes they break the relation on basis of this information. There are no further queries or validation checks about that info.

 

The reality is, you don’t know these informers. Are they reliable? Are they telling you the truth? Whatever proof they are showing, are those good enough to decide? NO. But who cares? You will find another girl or boy for your family.

 

What happens, many times you get the wrong information. People basically don’t want any good for others. They feel jealous of every single good step in another's life. So, whenever they get a chance, they spread false information.

 

Some are different. They don’t want to make any harm to others. So, even if they knew something, they just hide it and say something good so that the new relation doesn’t get hampered.

 

So, either way, you will get the wrong information.

 

Some people want to make themselves important. So, they create some new information and present it as a very important truth.

 

How can you rely on these people’s information? You can ask. But try to verify that information. Before making a final decision ask the girl/boy directly. Let them have a chance to clear themselves out.

 

I can give you an example. Someone asked our neighbour about our older sister. That neighbour also has a daughter who was studying with my sister. So, the person thought, the neighbour might give her good information about my sister. The neighbour said, my sister, got second division in SSC. Then the person said, but I heard she has got star marks! The neighbour became angry and replied, “What happens if she has stars, she had passed in second division!” We would never know about our neighbour’s mentality if that person didn’t ask us about it.

 

The reality is my sister has got star marks in SSC. And got placed 13th in HSC. None of our family ever got Second Class in SSC.