Daily Prompts: Shelf

Write a new post for today’s one-word prompt, SHELF.

Book shelf Wikipedia image

How many times I remind me  a shelf should be used for books. In my house it means,  store anything you have from papers to pencils and what have you. Who does this? Ms. Nobody!

When I threaten any thing other than  books will be thrown away, they seem to disappear only to reappear a day or two later. How do I fix this problem, by continuously throwing away the items that do not look like books.

I think we have too many things, close to garbage day I need to put non-books in a garbage bag and toss them out. Will it work, I don’t know I can at least try. Will find out next week, if it works out. 🙂

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Daily Prompts: Incomplete

Wikipedia image

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.

INCOMPLETE

The teacher said my work was incomplete

I’d have to try my best if I wanted a treat

I hope treat is a piece of cake

which the teacher has to bake

It will be the best sweet for me to eat!

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Daily Prompts : Contrast

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.

When I look at my family, i.e my siblings to be more specific brothers and sisters. We are product of our parents, yet it’s mind boggling to realize how different we are.

The only similarity is our looks, by it one can guess we are related. Our feelings, our actions are different from each other and also we are not like our parents.

I lost my father at a very young age therefore I do not have much to go on regarding his feelings, actions, the way he looked at the world around him and of course his own children. Had he been alive to see who we grew up to be, he’d most certainly be disappointed.

My dad was raised in a village, where people were simple and innocent in his time. He was a brilliant student, his half-brother noticed it, to help him reach his potential, he brought him to the town where he worked.

My dad’s half brother was pleased to watch his little half brother go up the ladder of success.

In contrast we did not inherit the  genes of our uncle, at least some of us. We are more selfish, we believe we should look after ourselves and forget about the other siblings.

This is all about how we are as persons.

Then there are people of various background, white, brown, black, yellow etc. It’s getting better as the world is getting smaller and people are traveling more. We are used to see hear different people, we are no longer afraid to mingle with different races.

I remember once I was in one of  London, England’s tube stations. As the train came in I got on, there were a group of people also traveling with me. One of them came forward to talk to me , she said they were from Australia, in the middle of our conversation she noticed some Africans coming in, she gave them a strange look, and said, ” My who are these people? The Brits are very tolerant . Our government  wouldn’t allow these people to come in to our country.”

I sat there wondering, when is she going to ask me, how I managed to stay in England, I wasn’t white.

I know discrimination exists in the animal kingdom. I wonder about plants, flowers and other species?

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Daily prompts: Connection

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt: CONNECTION

A few years ago I read a poem by Allama Iqbal. I had heard about this poet, I didn’t know him then. I was curious about a poem he wrote in Urdu.

This is the Urdu version:

Masjid toh bana di shab bhar mein

Iman ki hararat walon nay

Mun apna purana papi hai

Barson mein namazi  bun na saka

This is my translation into English:

They built the mosque in one night

The so called honest religious people

They are sinners at heart

In all these years they couldn’t become religious!

My curiosity made me do some research about this poem. According to popular belief there was a piece of land owned by no one. There were two groups who wanted to own it. The challenge was whoever could build a mosque or a temple would become owners of this land. According to the story, a group of Muslims spent the whole night to build a Mosque on that piece of land, they were successful and became the owners. The poet noticed the mosque was built but no one came to pray, this was the reason he wrote the poem.  The story took place in Lahore.

You might think how is this thing connected to me. Well I found out a gentleman named Khurram Ali Shafique was offering an online course on Iqbal studies. I contacted him by email and registered for the course. This is how I made the connection.

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Daily Prompts: Drawing a Blank

When was the last time you walked away from a discussion, only to think of the Perfect Comeback hours later? Recreate the scene for us, and use your winning line.

I never had the opportunity of walking away from a discussion. I do remember once my  cousin told me that my sister-in-law (my brother-in-law’s wife) passed some hideous remarks about  the way I wear my sari. Since I heard it I’ve been thinking of telling her off when I met her.

Unfortunately, I did meet her a few times, but could not tell her off as I had planned. Had she said it on my face I’d tell her off. She said this behind my back, a coward that she is!

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Daily Prompts: The Road Less Traveled

Pinpoint a moment in your past where you had to make a big decision. Write about that other alternate life that could have unfolded.

After I was back from, London, I saw an ad in the newspaper about a teaching job in a city literally thousands of miles away from my home. I thought about it for a few moments, and decided to apply.

A few days later I received a letter for an interview, in my old school. On the appointed day I arrived at the place of interview. I saw a list of interviewees, there were six of us, among them was my age old rival since my college and university days. I ignored the thought of meeting her, sat on a chair and waited for my turn.

I was the first one called.The Principal was a nice lady, she asked me a few questions and gave me the job on the spot. I told her I had to find out from my mom if going away so far away in an unknown place was okay.

I asked my mom, who  pointed at my elder sister, thought she’d know better. When I asked  my sister she  said, ,”Ranu it’s too far away, do you think you should take the job?”

Already I wasn’t sure I wanted the job, her words helped me make my decision. I wrote  the principal about my decision to refuse the job, mainly because it was too far away,I wasn’t familiar with the city, it was better for me to look for a job in a city closer to my home.

As far as I could see I probably would have taken the job, stayed in the unknown city no more than a couple of months, and eventually I’d   quit the job and be back in my familiar surrounding.

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Daily Prompts: Karma Chameleon

Re-incarnation : do you believe in it?

Re-incarnation is the philosophical or religious concept that the soul or spirit after biological death can begin a new life in a new body.This doctrine is a central tenet of the Hindu religion.

Professor Jim Tucker believes past lives are possible. Here is one story I read, “when I was your age, I changed your diaper,” said the dark-haired boy to his father. Ron, the father looked down at his smiling son , who had not yet turned two. He thought he had misheard him.

But as Sam made similar remarks over the next few months,-Ron and wife Cathy pieced together an odd story. Sam believed that he was his deceased grandfather , Ron’s late father, who had returned to his family.

The parents asked the baby, “how did you come back?”

He responded, “I just went whoosh and came out the portal.”

The parents were stunned to hear him use the word,’portal.’

I always thought of re-incarnation as a fairy tale, until I read these stories, now I’m not sure what I think.

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Daily Prompts: Money for Nothing

 

If you’re like most of us, you need to earn money by working for a living. Describe your ultimate job. If you’re in your dream job, tell us about it_ what is it that you love ? What fulfills you? If you’re not in your dream job, describe for us what your ultimate would be?

I agree I’m like most , I need to earn money by working for a living.  I knew from the outset, I wanted to be an elementary teacher. To reach my goal, I registered in a college and university. After completing a  university degree, I knew I had to have an education degree to fulfill my dream of teaching  young kids.

With this thought on my mind I registered for an education degree. I completed this course, I applied for a job and was lucky to get one. This was a job I always wanted, but the environment wasn’t favorable. I looked for a similar job in the big city. I was able to get one, but it was a residential school and the system of teaching was not the same. I tried to get assistance from one of my experienced colleagues’, she always changed the subject. When a week passed I learned no one in the school would tell me anything. I had to learn by watching or observing.

It took me a month to know the difference between a regular school or ( a day school) and residential school.

I wanted to think of this job as one I always desired, soon reality kicked in, the atmosphere in the school disappointed me. I could not work in a place where the Headmaster ridiculed teachers in the presence of students. How can the teachers expect respect from the students, if the Headmaster refuses to respect them.

After ten days I made up my mind to quit, I wrote a resignation letter and handed it to the headmaster, he was shocked to read it and could not understand why I wanted to resign. I really wanted to tell him the reason, but words stuck in my lip and I could not leave the job.

It happened after two years. Thankfully I received a scholarship, I handed my resignation letter second time, I had a genuine reason to leave. By then the headmaster changed but he too followed the same principle of not accepting my resignation, this time he said, “why don’t you wait a couple of years, we will send you.”

I wish I could tell him then, “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.”

I didn’t, knowing any wrong step by me might kill my prospect of going to London,he had the power to influence the authorities to  withdraw my scholarship, this is what I was afraid of. Despite the obstacles put in my path, eventually I was able to go to London to study.

When I went back, I did not go back to teach in  the same school.

After two years I successfully got a  job of teaching in an elementary school. The principal was a  nice man who did not interfere with teachers, we were free to teach, the principal respected us. It was a job I always wanted!

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Daily Prompts: Alma Mater

You’ve been asked to speak at your alma mater__about the path of life.(Whoa.)Draft a speech.

Dear parents, teachers, esteemed guests, my classmates and dear friends:

I stand here before you to talk about the path of life we all at some point need to think of. I remember the day Mom and Dad announced, “Ranu we’ll take you to a new place it’s called a school, you will learn how to read, write and know all the numbers in English.”

“Why Can’t I learn all this at home, I don’t want to go to a school, I’m afraid the teacher will hit me.”

Dad said, “No the teacher won’t hit you, she’d be like your mother.”

When I met my teacher,I looked at her and tried to think in what way was she like my mother,it saddened me to see she was so different,her outfit, her mannerism,her language,nothing was like my mother. How could I believe she’d be like my mother, that I shouldn’t be scared.

That day passed quickly, I began to trust the teacher, her voice was so sweet and she was always ready to help me. At home I was only allowed to speak, Bengali, my mother tongue.

In the neighborhood Hindi and Urdu which I learned from my friends.

Now at age five I’m introduced to another language, English they called it. When I asked, my Dad assured me it was necessary to have a solid foundation. I’m almost sure my Dad did not realize I had no idea what is foundation.  I felt if my dear Dad says it’s good for me, it has to be.

The  years were going by leaps and bounds, suddenly all the happiness I shared until I was twelve, came to a screeching halt, my dear Dad passed away.

Things were uncertain from then onward, where shall we live, who will take care of us, and other things only a twelve year can be curious about. My inquisitiveness  did not last long, my mother announced, “we must move out of this place and go to Comilla , Bangladesh.” Where my parents were from.

Within six months we moved out of Rawalpindi, Pakistan and moved to Comilla. I started school immediately, my older siblings were afraid, I may get used to staying at home.

I had to get used  to  this new environment, or else my mother threatened  she’d marry me off. This was enough for me to listen to her.

Today I’m standing before you to express my feelings about my Alma Mater and also talk about my path of life. To a  fifteen year old like me it seems like a tall order. I’ll do the best I can about this subject, forgive me if I fail to make sense.

Right now I’m thinking of my older sister, I’ll do the same as her, she went to college, studied hard and successfully got her Masters Degree in English. I’m hoping to follow in  her footsteps. How difficult can it be, if she could do it, chances are good I can too.

I’d ask you all to pray that I can achieve this goal of my life. If I’m unable, I’d blame no one but myself for not trying hard enough.

Thank you all for coming and listening to me. I hope I’d make my mother, teachers and siblings proud of me.

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Daily Prompts: Quirk of Habit

Which quirky habit annoys you the most, and what quirky habit do you love__ in yourself,or others.

 

I’m always annoyed when the sink in the kitchen is full of dirty and the master or mistress of the house deliberately leaves them for hours, or sometimes the whole night.

This was the case every single day in my charming brother-in-law’s house.  We’d get up in the morning in his house, before we could have breakfast, we had to deal with the dishes left unwashed the previous night. Having no alternative, my husband and I washed the dishes which took more than an hour daily.

I was fed up, I told my husband to buy them a dishwasher. We bought one to make our lives simple while we stayed in their house. They were either too naive to get the message or didn’t care.Nothing changed, only now the dirty dishes were in the dishwasher and in the sink.

I’m not sure if I can call it a quirky habit or an unfortunate habit.

I of course am strange when it comes to going out, I know my  family is not so happy about this habit. I’d get ready to go out, I look out I see some snow falling, I’d immediately change my mind about going out. I’d say, “I don’t feel so good, you go out without me.”

All my family members would turn against me saying, “You ruined our day, we won’t go either.”

I am good when someone asks for something, one of my neighbors wanted to have  a dessert which is famous in Bengal. At first she wanted the recipe, then she wondered if I could show her how to make it.

I asked her to get the ingredients, promised I’d go to her house and make the dessert. She called me and said she’s got the ingredients. I went over and made the dessert. The only thing that annoyed me was when her husband woke up came to the kitchen and said, “You used so much sugar?”

This is the dessert: 

Guess what he ate most of it. 🙂