Daily Prompt: Born to Be With You

Got a soul-mate and /or a best friend? What is it about that person that you love best? Describe them in great detail__leave no important quality out.

I have a best friend in fact I have two, one I met in College the other in the University. The one I met in College is Evie, she is a very thoughtful and kind person. In college She was one of my dormitory mates. She is sweet and caring, she calls me frequently, tells me not to call her, I guess she does not want me to spend money in long distance charges.

I told her it doesn’t cost me too much, but she insists she’d make the call. This shows how good natured she is. She came to Canada before me and wrote to me, at that time I had no idea I’d come to Canada too. We have kept up our friendship.

My other best friend Is Mini, I met her in the university, she and I both studied History. Mini used to send her car to pick me up when I was Dhaka, Bangladesh. There was a time I needed transportation to visit some places she sent her chauffeur every day to pick me up and go where I needed to get some of my work done. She is a very nice person who is always ready to help.

The above women are my best friends, they’d do anything for me if I needed.

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Daily Prompt: Futures Past

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close or far are you from that vision?

When I was eight, I became  interested to know how my siblings were learning the new language Urdu. I discovered very quickly  the teacher knew nothing about teaching. He let my siblings repeat the words in the book after him  without looking at the words in their book. On close examination  I  became aware they didn’t even know the alphabets of the language they were learning. How can anyone learn to read  without knowing the alphabets.

This was my first encounter with teaching, I didn’t think at  that time I’d  be a teacher or anything else. I had no goal in mind.

I was a happy child. I sometimes sat with my mom and watched her cooking. Once I saw my mother baking a cake, she was getting the ingredients ready while I watched her. I was so interested I asked my mom if I could bake a small cake, mom agreed , I got a round tin, measured the ingredients and baked my miniature cake.

The thought  I’d  be a professional   Chef never crossed my mind.

My only aim was to go to school, do the tasks  while I was there, come home finish my homework and go to sleep. This was my schedule in school and  college , but I changed my outlook when I stepped on the university campus.

Suddenly I began to think what was I going to do after I graduate from the university. I thought of teaching I knew I needed an  education degree  to do that. I registered in a college to get my  degree. After I got the degree I applied for a teaching job in a school  in my home town, Comilla, Bangladesh. I was lucky I got the job.I always loved children and it motivated me to be a school teacher. This is how  things worked out for me.

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365 Writing Posts: Might as well jump

What’s the biggest risk you’d like to take–but haven’t been able to? What would have to happen to make you comfortable taking it?

In my mind the biggest risk I took was when I enrolled in college. It was a  risk for me, I was young I had no idea who will pay my tuition fees. My father passed away, my mother had no income. She was a housewife, my eldest  brother spent all of Dad’s money in a business he had no clue about.

Where I come from,there is no such thing as a  student loan. If I wanted to study my mother would have to pay for my books and tuition fees.It was not possible for her, the money dad left was wasted by my eldest brother.

Fortunately I had two older brothers who encouraged me to register in the local college and they agreed to take care of my educational expenses, both  were working and getting a decent salary. They also took care of the household expenses which included fees for my younger siblings.

I’m not keen on taking any other kind of risks.

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Writing 101, Day Six: A character Building Experience

Today’s prompt: Who’s the most interesting person(or people) you’ve met this year?

I have not met anyone interesting this year. I did meet someone very interesting when I went to Dhaka to pursue my education in , ‘Holy Cross college’.

In  Dhaka I was so homesick I could not concentrate on my studies, I only wanted to go back home. During this time I met Mr. Bazlul Karim, my mother suggested I should see him, he was my parents’ friend for many years.

He lived alone after the death of his wife. He loved company, he  welcomed everyone , I was the fortunate recipient of his love and affection. I did not tell him I was homesick.

He had a son who lived in another city with his family. When I went for a visit he recognized my problem, he said nothing, he  told me,I should visit him on week-ends.

He was the Secretary of the local Jute Board and was well respected.

I found him affectionate and understanding, he made me feel like a family member, every Friday he picked me up from my college to spend the week-end with him. I addressed him as “Khaloo”( uncle), he and I would sit and talk about my college, the students and teachers. Slowly I was settling down, I was no longer depressed , I saw him every week-end, this made my life  bearable.

Uncle Karim was a very generous man, he helped everyone, his friends came  whenever they needed help, whether it was to find a husband for their daughter or a job for a family member. He loved helping them. He once told me,” you know if I can help my friend’s daughter find a husband, I get reward from God which is equivalent to building  a mosque.”

At times I’d joke and ask, “Khaloo how many mosques have you built ?”

His face would be beaming with a smile, “I’m waiting to build two  more,one when I get you married and other   when I get your sister married.”

He had a heart of gold, he kept his cupboard full of saris to give away. His house was a haven for people looking for a job, they’d stay at his place he’d provide food and clothing for them.

Once he spotted a woman begging on the street she was wearing a torn sari, he told his servant to call her in, he instructed  him to give her a sari.

He had a stroke in the middle of the night, it paralyzed his right arm and leg. He did not lose his cheerfulness. He was the same Khaloo we all loved and respected.

He was regular in his prayer, he had a table at the side of his bed, at prayer time he’d have someone  move the table and lay the pillow so he could pray.

After completing my education I took a teaching job, I rented an apartment in the city with five other girls. I continued to visit him on week-ends. One week-end for some reason I could not go , I called him and told him I’d visit him next week-end . He said he was sorry, he had bought all my favorite foods.

I was sad I could not go. It was a Saturday when I called him.

Next day for some reason I looked at the ‘Obituary Page’, I was shocked to see Khaloo’s name on top, I do not know why. I wished I had gone that week-end to see him, it made me sad when I realized I’d never see him again!

…………………………..

Dear friends, I am sorry if it’s too long, I tried to shorten it, but could not. All the best to you all!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/writing-101-da…ing-experience/

DP Daily Prompt: Singular Sensation

If one experience or life change results from you writing your blog, what would you like it to be?

I’m hoping my college friend Aziz Fatima would see my blog and contact me. It will be so much fun. I asked my friend Evie if she knew about her whereabouts, she says she doesn’t.

If it happens there is so much to catch up. This is one experience I’m longing to have.

………….

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/dp-daily-promp…ar-sensation-

DP Daily Prompt: In loving Memory

I will not write an obituary of me, instead I will write about the little town where we lived and grew up.

The town is Comilla, it’s in Bangladesh. It was a very quiet peaceful town when we went there to live. Thakurpara was the name of the neighborhood , I guess it was a neighborhood where most of the people were mostly Hindus, so the name Thakurpara was appropriate.

Our neighborhood was full of small ponds where the people spend time swimming and hanging out to get relief from the hot summer.

Transportation used mostly were rickshaws, we enjoyed visiting our aunts and uncles in rickshaws. There was one rickshaw driver who had a bad temper, he got into arguments with his passengers. Everyone knew him and they tried not to hire him. Most of them were very nice.

There were vendors who sold, vegetables, fish and chicken. It was convenient because we all could buy food from them without having to go to shops.

My mom had to go in a rickshaw to buy rice, sugar, tea and other things from the shops in the bazaar.

With the increase in population, there are hardly any open spaces, there are shops everywhere.

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/dp-daily-promp…-loving-memory

Wikipedia images of Comilla, Bangladesh.

DP Daily Prompt: Oasis

A sanctuary is a place you can escape to, catch your breath and remember who you are . Write about the place you go to when everything is a bit too much.

My sanctuary in right in my home, I do not have to go too far.  There are times I do feel I must forget about everyone and think about myself only, the best place for me is my bedroom, there is no one else there but me, I sit or lie on my bed and think about how I have fared in my life.

I was never interested in having too many material things, I enjoy looking at my album think about the times my friends and I spent time talking and discussing what we have enjoyed the most in our lives.

For me the best part was when I was a student at,Holy Cross College, there were thirty three of us in dormitories, I was with my classmates, there were five of us. I remember we were not allowed to sit on our beds, we were provided with small stools made of cane, it was not the most comfortable one to sit on, but we did fine.

Every morning the bell rang for us to go for breakfast, as soon as we came down the stairs, Sister Joseph Mary would go upstairs to make sure we made our beds, of course we did not disappoint her.

Then there was Sister Augustine Marie the Principal, she’d watch us as she went along the path to her office, one thing that bothered her was if she found us chatting, not studying, she’d call us to her office and reminded us why we were there.

Despite all that, we managed to sing, and voted who was the best. Salma was the best, she had a tutor who came once or twice a week to teach her some popular songs.

The atmosphere in the hostel made us feel we were one big family, every now and then we had a few  who loved to talk behind our back, they were few and we ignored them.

Now when I think of those times I wonder about my classmates and others, how they are and what keeps them busy.

I was always quiet and lived in my own little world, I enjoyed singing songs I learned in school. Occasionally I’d hear my mother calling me to help her thread the needle, or look after my youngest brother.

Now they are memories which makes me sad that I’m no longer with them. I do thank God that I had an enjoyable life growing up, sure we had fights with each other, but at the end of the day we loved each other!

link: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/dp-daily-prompt-oasis

365 Writing Prompts : About Page for the Future

Write the About page for your blog in ten years.

My about page will not change in ten years, it’ll  basically be  the same,except it would be like Shakespeare’s ,”As you like it, “I will go through the stages of my development. I won’t be able to write about me as a baby, I don’t have any recollection of that, I must have gone through the stages of infancy as other babies did.

However I remember my sister told me me when I was a baby I used to faint a lot.Once my aunt had me in her lap and all of a sudden I fainted. She was so scared, she apologized to my mother she said, “Apa( big sister)I didn’t do anything, she just fainted.”

My eldest sister was annoyed she said, “Do not worry auntie she always faints like that.”

I can’t remember my toddler stage either, and no one told me how good or bad I was. So that stage is out of the way.

At my school stage whenever that started I made excuses when the temperature outdoors was unbearably cold or the opposite. I’d pretend I have a tummy ache, headache or I’m cold once again depending on the temperature.

In college I was a quiet teenager, had some friends and a lot of inquisitive classmates, their repeated question was, why I am studying Urdu, if I am a Bengali. I did not care enough to answer that question.

From college to university was a giant leap stage for me, everything and every one were too big and difficult to handle, from the reference books to the profs to my fellow students, I was one under age student who had no business being there.

After going through the university I ventured to go for a degree in M.ed, professor Elliott stared at me as if saying inwardly, you got to be kidding, I don’t want someone like you studying here, then the words came out speedily, only because I was unable to hear his thoughts, “You are too young!.”

The later stages will follow when I have time!

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/365-writing-pr…for-the-future/

 

DP Daily Prompts: Delayed Contact

How would you get along with your sibling(s), parent(s) or any other person you’ve known for a long time— if you met them for the first time today?

One person I’d love to meet whom I’ve known in my college days is, ‘Aziz Fatima,’ she was a wonderful person, was fair and treated everyone kindly.

If I met her today, first of all I’d be so delighted I wouldn’t know how to interact with her after such a long time.

A few years ago I went to attend a wedding in Baltimore, Maryland, I was hoping by some accident I’d meet her, I thought that because another college friend of mine told me Aziz lives in Baltimore. I looked for her among the people attending the wedding.

Aziz was originally from Uttar Pradesh India, her family settled in Bangladesh. I met her in college, we talked about ourselves and spent hours doing it. The thought I’d never meet her after completing our studies in the University never crossed my mind. I feel it was a mistake on my part not to take her address. I have lost contact with her for a long time.

If I meet her today,after the initial shock I’d certainly invite her to my house and chat for hours about how things shaped up for us after university, I wish I meet her one more time, I’d apologize for not keeping in touch with her.

k: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/dp-daily-prompts

365 Writing Prompts: Fifteen Credits

Another school semester will soon begin. If you’re in school, are you looking forward to starting classes? If you’re out of school, what do you miss about it— or are you glad those days are over?

I am not in school I took care of my studies a while ago. Sometimes I miss the atmosphere of school. I recall one of my profs was quite strange, when we’d see him coming towards us we’d be ready to wish him “Salaam”, meaning peace be on you, our words would be stuck in our throats, he’d turn around and look the other way, this was in the university. as usual we’d talk among ourselves about how strange he was.

Then there was Sr. Joseph Mary in college, before I could wish her,’good morning,afternoon or evening,’ depending on the time of day.

She’d quickly remind me, “Chaman, I hope you won’t go to your uncle’s house for the week-end.”

I’d say nothing and try to move on,then the question is louder,’Did you hear me my dear?’

I’d have no choice but to say, ‘Yes Sr. Joseph Mary.’

In London it was Prof. Baird, he’d wish me before I opened my mouth, “Good Morning, Miss Sabeth, how are you?”

My reply, “I’m fine Mr. Baird.”

I’d then quickly go into the classroom and open my phonetics book and pretend to study, so Prof. Baird wouldn’t ask any further questions.

It was a carefree life in school, after classes depending on where I was, I’d either go straight to my residence or in London I’d go to one of the stores, it was  Selfridges ,  I loved checking all the interesting things, I’d go from floor to floor it was my way of spending time, I dreaded going back to the residence because I knew I’d be homesick.

I miss my Profs., Sister Joseph Mary and also some of my classmates.

Now I registered for online courses, it’s stress-free, I see no one and no one sees me. I love the fact I do not have to dress up to be in this school. I’m studying about poet and philosopher Iqbal and enjoying a lot. The best part is we have no exam. We get a certificate at the end of a course.

I am using a video of Mary Hopkins, the lyrics  , “those were the days”, although we didn’t hang out in the tavern or drank,what is similar is we were young, and we never thought our days of fun will be over. Making fun of our teachers was one thing that made us laugh the most.

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/365-writing-pr…ifteen-credits

 

 

 

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