DP Daily Prompt: Play Lexicographer

 

Create a new word and explain its meaning and etymology.

USIBEAP: it’s a mixture of  languages spoken by people from Iran, Bengal, Punjab, Arabia, and Spain and Uttar Pradesh(India).

The letter U stands for Urdu : Aapka naam kia hai? What is your name? It’s a language spoken in Uttar Pradesh(India).

S represents Spain: Language is Espanol:Como se llama Usted? What is your name?Me llamo Ranu, my name is Ranu.

I for Iran: Language is Farsi: agar firdaus bar roo e jannat toh  hami ast , toh hami ast. If there is a  paradise on earth it’s here,it’s here.( these words were spoken by a poet, when he first visited Kashmir).

B is for Bengali: language spoken in east and west Bengal: Aami ki korbo? What will I do?

E represents all the English speaking countries, e.g., I wish this prompt was not so complicated!

A is for Arabic: The language of the Quran, Insha Allah: God willing.

P is for Punjab: Language spoken in East and West Punjab: Tussi kitthe jaanday o: Where are you going?

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/01/28/dp-daily-prompt-7/

Nov.4th: NaBloPoMo My favorite poet Tagore Written and posted by ranu https://sabethville.wordpress.com

Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel prize for literature. It is the first Nobel prize won by Asia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I heard about Rabindranath Tagore when I first came to Bangladesh. He was a very popular poet. There used to be recitation contest in schools,the most used poems were those written by Tagore.  My sister’s friend played a Tagore song to entertain me. As soon as I heard the song,I sat up and listened,the friend knew I liked the song,she asked me if I wanted to hear it again I nodded my head, she watched me and kept on playing the song. After playing a number of times,she asked me if I wanted to hear it again,and also reminded me she had played the song thirteen times already.I was embarrassed and said no. Imagine hearing the same song thirteen times. I managed to remember the lyrics and the tune. I had no trouble singing the song.

Since that time I read Tagore’s novels,poems and songs. When I started blogging one of my online course participant advised me to translate Tagore’s poems.I have translated quite a few.

We, Bengalees are very proud of our poet. Thanks to YouTube I am able to listen to his songs.

DP Daily Prompt: A to Z Post by Ranu

1776 map of Bengal and Bihar by James Rennell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An aristocratic family,

born in Bengal,

cared dearly for the planet,

did not spend time idly,

easy going and compassionate,

faced his country’s problem bravely,

gave his all to humanity,

his songs are amazing,

in every home they are sung,

joking I am not,

kindness is his middle name,

love all is his motto,

maybe you don’t know that,

never was he selfish,

O what a joy to know him,

please bear with me,

quite a lovely man he was,

right now we have his songs,

sorry he was not a fraud,

try you may but you can’t prove it,

unlike any other you can see,

vocal chord was his main profession,

wow what an interesting fellow,

xylophone he did not play,

yahoo I am almost done,

zenith is where he belongs!

GUESS WHO IS THIS?

Another Mom by Tagore , Translation by Ranu

English: Sarada Devi, mother of Rabindranath Tagore Русский: Шарода Деби (Шарада Деви), мать Рабиндраната Тагора Українська: Шарода Дебі (Шарада Деві), мати Рабіндраната Тагора (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you were someone else’s Mom and not mine__

Do you think I would not have known you, and would not have gone to sit in your lap?

It would be so much fun__

We would have two homes ,

I would live in this village and you would live in the far off village.

This is where during the day

I would do everything and play,

at the end of the day I would go to you on the boat.

suddenly I would come from behind

I would ask ,’can you tell who it is.’

You would think, sounds familiar still I don’t know who.

Then I would jump into your lap

I would hug you and say,

‘You have to recognize me, I am your Obu.’

When you would go to the other side to get water

I would be on this side wondering if you can guess who it is.

I would take my paper boat

I would float it towards you,

If it would reach to your side would you know who it belongs to?

I did not learn to swim,

or else I would have gone myself___

I would swim from my side Mother, to your side.

Mother’s side  Obu’s side

that would be the difference, none of us

would  be able to catch each other,  we would not stay together.

We would be roaming around all day

we would see each other  far away,

in the early evening Obu and Mother will be reunited.

But  suddenly one day if Bipin the boatman

could not take you back to the other side, would you Ma,agree to stay?

I would light the earthen lamp

I would put the mat on the floor of the rooftop

You would sit on the mat and the old maid would sit near your feet___

the stars of the seven brothers would be seen in the sky,

the fox would be making its loud call from the paddy field,

Like flying shadows the bats  would be flying into the unknown.

Then Mother realizing it is late,

would you not be afraid at intervals thinking about Obu,

You would have to cross over to the place where Obu is.

Then would you be free,

would I  let you go back____

Mother would be caught from her side  and brought back to Obu’s side.

English: Paddy Field, between two mountain, Sylhet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My Job In Gander Academy

Fourth Grade (Photo credit: edgeplot)

Baset

razia (Photo credit: hari sundaram)

English: kolkata university, I took this photo on the summer of 2004 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I read fiction,I tell myself this cannot happen in real life.Really,are you sure my inner self questions me? Let us take a ride in the world of fiction and facts,and try guessing which part is fiction and which one is not.

My story is not a science fiction,rather it is about an every day family,it will have laughter,sarcasm,pain,suffering,everything associated with life of a middle class family.

My story begins in a remote village in Bengal.There was a farmer,who was blessed with six sons and two daughters.Two of his sons,opted for farming,three chose education and one was in favour of enjoying life. He believed in the phrase, “we are only going to be here for a short while, I want to enjoy my life.”

The farmer was not in favour of allowing the son to do nothing and enjoy life. He was very unhappy. He called all his sons one day and asked how to change the decision of the third son. Hafiz suggested,he should send him to learn how to fish,one by one they gave their opinion. The youngest one refrained from giving his advice. He said Abbajan let him do whatever he wants.

Riazuddin the farmer was in a quandary,he decided to examine the thoughts of his four boys for a couple of days. At the end of the second day,he made up his mind. The indecisive Reza will have to leave home and make his fortune else where.

Five years passed, no one heard from Reza.The two daughters,Samia and Razia got married.They left the father’s village and one of them Samia was only two miles away.  Razia was married off to a man,who was relatively well-off than Samia. Reazuddin was happy his daughters were married. In his heart he was still longing to see Reza.

On the seventh year ,Reazuddin felt he was going to get some good news.He was unsure what it will be but his inner self was telling him,the news was good.Meanwhile his three sons were pursuing their education.They were doing very well in the village school.Hafiz the eldest finished school.He wanted to learn a trade. His good friend told him to apply for a place in a polytechnic school. Hafiz was selected. It was a two year course. Hafiz successfully finished the course. He got a job in Feni ,a very small town in Bengal. His parents selected a girl for him from the nearby village. He married Saleha. Hafezuddin was a devoted son,he wanted to help his younger brother, he made arrangents to bring his brother ,so he would be able to finish school. Baset showed tremendous potential from a very young age. He got admission in a school . This happened to be the town where his brother lived. He didn’t have to pay tuition fees,he was getting a scholarship every year. Baset then moved to another school in a larger town. He was continuing to get scholarship. He finished high school easily and went to kolkata  university to study Intermediate and Bachelor of Arts.After completing his studies. He took a job at the Post Office.It was a government job.

All the sons of Reazuddin were doing very well. His heart ached for his son whom he sent away to live on his own. He could not enjoy the success of the rest of his sons. He was heart broken and died suddenly. Baset however was going up the ladder of success at a relatively fast pace. His brilliance caught the eye of his superiors.Around this time the ministry of defense was in need of a bright young man for a short period. They were informed about  Baset. Upon learning about him the Ministry borrowed his services for two months. Soon the Ministry found out, how good he was,and decided to keep him permanently.

Baset was moving along slowly and steadily in his job.His hard work and brilliance helped him finish law. At a very early age he had learned to read the Quran.It was his interest and his talent that helped him to learn Urdu,Persian and English.He was a Bengali,he knew his mother tongue well. His family decided since he has accomplished what he wanted. This would be a perfect time for him to get married. They didn’t have to look for a bride too far, she was the sister of Baset’s sister-in-law. The family was elated. The parents of the girl were not quite sure,they  didn’t like the idea of two daughters  married in the same family.Their eldest daughter convinced them, her brother-in- law  was a perfect match for the sister.

With strong pressure from his family,Baset gave in and got married. In the years that followed,his family’s number increased. He now had to think of their education. While he had no idea of tuition fees and all the other nitty- gritty that comes with it, he took everything in strides. He was confident everything will fall in place eventually.

Everything was falling in place.Unfortunately it was not the way he wanted. There were disappointments along the way. He was once told,  “think about the good things that come your way and be contented with it.” The eldest son was sent to a well-known university to get an engineering degree. The son was not interested at all. He spent some time in school but was only keen on having a good time with his friends. Baset then concentrated on the second son and shipped him to a commerce college. This time destiny was not cruel at all. In life we all have to face challenges, Baset was no exception. He was working in a place,where he was a minority. Yes, he was a Muslim too, but his mother tongue was different from that of his colleagues,he could feel discrimination from  all sides. He tried to ignore it and continued with his job. But soon the unfriendly atmosphere took a toll on his health. He fell ill,but showed a brave front. It was not that helpful. He became seriously ill and within a month he died. His family was devastated with this untimely loss. All his dreams remained only that. His brothers felt,had he stayed in Kolkata and came back close to his village. He would be alive. These things cannot be predicted. His family came back and learned the meaning of life and its challenges the hard way!

The challenge of humanity is manifold,if we try to remove jealousy, discrimination and hatred,this world of ours would be a tolerable place to live.

Sylhet—Bangladesh

Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal Sylhet Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

sylhet railway station (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Surma River, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sylhet forest village scene (Photo credit: bongo vongo)

Hill’s in Sylhet, Bangladesh (Photo credit: – Ariful H Bhuiyan -)

Tea Gardens of Srimongol (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My friends:  Alphie,Susan and their son Gepetto wanted to see Sylhet. I therefore thought it will be a terrific idea.We made up our mind that the best way would be to take the train. It was a unanimous decision. We considered it would be a valuable experience. Travelling by train would help us to view the scenic beauty of the country. We were not disappointed, the train journey helped us to see all the little places we would not have been able to appreciate,if we went by airplane.

From my research I was able to find out a lot about the area.My friends were eager to know everything, I found out about it. Here is the knowledge I gathered from my research.

It is a major city in North-Eastern Bangladesh.It is the main city of Sylhet division and district.In March 2009 it was granted metropolitan status. It is located on the banks of Surma valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia ,Khasi  and Tripura  hills. It is well-known for its tea gardens and tropical forests.

The city is described as a city of saints.There is a mausoleum of Hazrat Shah Jalal.He brought Islam to Bengal in the 14th century. After the partition of India in  1947,it became a part of Pakistan.

The 14th century marked the beginning of Islamic influence. As the early forms of Islam originated in 7th century Arabia, the early forms of Muslim cultures were predominantly Arab .With the rapid expansion of the Islamic empires, Muslim culture has influenced and assimilated much from the Persian.Bangladeshi Turkic,Pakistanis, Mongol,Chinese,Indian,Egyptian,Indonesian,Filipino,Greek Roman,Byzantine,Spanish,Sicilian,Balkanic and western cultures.

The climate of Sylhet is humid subtropical with a predominantly hot and humid summer and a relatively cool winter.It is within the monsoon climatic zone, with annual average highest temperatures of 23°C(August to October) and average lower temperature of seven degrees celsius(January).Nearly 80% of the annual average rainfall is 3,334 mm,occurs between May and September.

The city is located within the region where there are hills and basins which constitute one of the most distinctive regions in Bangladesh.the Geosystem of Sylhet consists mainly of hill soils encompassing a few large depression known locally as “beels” which can be mainly classified as oxbow lakes,caused by tectonic subsidence primarily due to the earth quakes of 1762.

This is all for today from ,Alphie,Susan, Gepetto and the guide. Thank you for giving us the opportunity, to present to you the city of Sylhet in Bangladesh.

Good day and God bless you to all our respected friends,thank you very much!

March 2009 (Photo credit: Vanessa (EY))

Rajshahi—–The Silk City Bangladesh

Rajshahi University, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rajshahi University, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Padma river, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Varendra Research Museum, the oldest museum of this region. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pala Empire (Dharmapala) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Palas (Photo credit: Maria Luisa Pariboni)

বাংলা: This is the photo of Putia palace. It is located at Puthia, Rajshai, bangladesh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rajshahi, Shaheeb Bazaar (Photo credit: lepetitNicolas)

Ruins at Puthia, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rajshahi (Photo credit: lepetitNicolas)

When I first made up my mind to take my friends,Alphie,Susan and Gepetto,to visit my country,I wasn’t very confident,what their impression might be.They were coming from Delhi Old and New followed by Agra and Amritsar.What could they possibly find in my neck of the woods. I got a solid push from my friends,it made me think may be it will be all right.There are a lot that I don’t know about my own country.I am learning new things every day.This in itself is an accomplishment at least for me.

So today I am taking my charge,Alphie,Susan and Gepetto to see Rajshahi,the city famous for its silk.Here folks let me give you a short history of the place you are about to see.

Rajshahi was the most glorious period of Bengal’s Pala dynasty.It was famous for pure silk,mangoes and leechies.Here the silk products are cheaper compared to the rest of the country.

You will also find a number of ancient mosques,shrines and temples in and around the city.

It is connected with the capital Dhaka by rail,river and air.

The Rajshahi district was a part of Pundra region of ancient Bengal.It was the capital of Vijay Sen.The king led military operations in Sri Lanka.In the mediieval ages it was known as “Rampur Boalia”.The administrative district was established in 1772 and the municipal corporation in 1876.During the British Raj,it was also known as “Beulah” and was the administrative headquarters of the Rajshahi district in Eastern Bengal and Assam.At first it was chosen as a commercial factory for silk trade,as it was officially encouraged by the department of Agriculture.

In the early stages of its development,it had a government college and an industrial school for seri-cul-ture( raising of silkworms).Most of the public buildings were destroyed in the aftermath of the earthquake of June 12th 1897.Rajshahi is an important tourist destination.It has beautiful river beaches of Padma river.The mango orchards are a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

The other attractions are :  Varendra Research Museum,Shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum Ruposh,it is located beside the river Padma in the Dargah para of the city.Dargah Para,Dargah means Shrine and refers to the Shrine of Hazrat Shah Makhdum Ruposh.

The next tourist attraction is the Jamuna Bridge.It was constructed on the river Jamuna,it connects the eastern and the north-western region of the country.The 4.8 Km bridge was constructed at a cost of U.S 950 million dollars.  About 3 km.from Dakhin bagh railway station, up a winding road,you can see the lovely waterfall of Madhab Kunda.A large number of tourists visit this place.  The Bangladesh Parijatan corporation offers facilities; such as restaurant,rest room and parking facilities.

“Alphie ,Susan and Gepetto.I hope you enjoyed what you saw.I myself learned about it,I did not have the opportunity of knowing about it before.I am glad you selected me to be your guide.This privilege provided me the chance to know about my country,Thank You.”

It is time for us to say,Adios Amigos, Good day my friends,we hope to delight you with our presence, shortly!

Comilla My Hometown

Maharaja (Photo credit: Nina Klein)

Kazi Nazrul Islam, the revolutionary Bengali Muslim who is now the National Poet of Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Comilla Bypass. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Comilla Cadet College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Comilla Medical College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Comilla Maynamoti Bihar বাংলা: কুমিল্লা ময়নামতি বিহার (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Comilla Victoria College academic building (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Comilla Maynamoti Bihar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Susan,Alphie and Gepetto,before I begin today,I would like to share a poem written by my favourite poet,Rabindranath Tagore.He has written numerous poems in his lifetime. My mind tells me to pick this one.

Closed Path

I thought my voyage had come to its end

at the last limit of my power,—-that path before me was closed.

that provisions were exhausted

and the time has come to take shelter in a silent obscurity.

But I find that thy will knows no end in me.

And when old words die out on the tongue.

new melodies break forth from the heart

And where the old tracks are lost,

new country is revealed with wonders.     Rabindranath Tagore

I would like to take you back to the year 1905.A communal tension spread when a Muslim was shot during the partition of Bengal in 1905.On 21st November 1921. Kazi Nazrul Islam , a very famous poet of Bengal composed patriotic songs and tried to awaken the people of the town to protest the visit of  Prince of Wales in India.There were other major incidences,when a sizable number of people were killed.There is nothing strange about that. What we  the citizens of the 21st century, must try to stop wars,they just bring out the evil nature of human beings.

Comilla covers a total area of 11.47 square kilometers.It is bounded by Burchiganj and Tripura on the North,Laksham and Chauddagram  on the south, and Barura on the west.The major rivers that pass through Comilla are Gumti and Little Feni.Comilla is a hub of road communication for the eastern part of Bangladesh.One of the oldest highways of the Indian sub-continent ,the Grand Trunk road passes through the city.At present the most important Dhaka-Chittagong highway by-passes the city from the cantonment to Podua Bazaar.

“Gepetto,there are a lot of names which will sound strange to you,I would like you to make a note of them.When you are back in school you can give your friends a quiz,see how many of them they can pronounce.It will be a good exercise for the brain.” Gepetto was on his feet searching for his notebook, “What a neat idea,he thought.”

Tourism

Comilla has a number of tourist attractions.There are various archaeological relics discovered in the district.They are preserved in the Mainamati museum.There is a red soil rock ,it is named Lalmai Pahar.It has an ancient Chandi temple on the summit.Another temple, the Jagannath temple built by Maharaja of Tripura is a tourist attraction as well.

My father told my mother that we should settle in Comilla.My Mom liked the idea,her home in the village was near it.  My brother Shams bought a house.We moved into the house from our Grandpa’s home in the village.My younger siblings went to ,”Our Lady of Fatima Convent School.” Two of my brothers went to Comilla Zilla School. It was a very good school.The headmaster told me,my father was a student of this school as well. When I gave him a puzzled look.He described my father ‘wasn’t he tall and thin’.I knew then he was right.

Comilla was a small and quiet town when we lived there.at that time they had a few schools and two colleges. Now there are a lot more people.And they have a lot of schools and colleges and universities.When I went for a visit,I was surprised to see how much it is developed.

For me it was fun to be there even if it was for a short while.I remembered going to college near my home.I could hear my professor telling us about Civics.I grew up in a large family,making fun of people was what we thrived on.Karim Sir would pick up his book,he wore a large  round pair of glasses, get up on the platform to go to his desk and would look from side to side making sure we were not up to any kind of mischief. Then his daily routine would start, Civics from the Western point of view there was always a very loud emphasis on the words,  “western point.” ,then I had the Urdu Professor,who used his eyes not his tongue, to speak. I would come home and act it out.My mom would be furious,she said,” bad tameez,you should respect your teachers.” Now at my age ,sixteen will not come again,when I laughed and joked about my Profs.who certainly taught me what I know. I sometimes go back to my childhood to make sure everyone including Gepetto knows how evil I can be.

Okay my good friends Gepetto looks tired,Susan wants to learn more about my little town, Alphie hasn’t opened his mouth yet,I am afraid to ask.It has been quite a pleasant ride.We thank God and all His supreme creation for putting up with me,Ranu the guide extraordinaire and her little friends,Alphie,Susan and Gepetto,So long,till we meet again!

Comilla (Photo credit: Wikipedia)