I Look I See

I'm in India now.

2005-01-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

Assalamualikum
I'm in India for the last 30 days and I'll stay here for a week more inshaAllah. After my return to Bangladesh I'll be regular in blogging again. And then you will be able to know a lot about India. Until then Allah hafiz.

T&T Office

2004-10-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

On 25th of August I along with Palash bhai(my relative) went to Chittagong Telephone Board at Bayezid Bostami. When he heard my story of chronic failures in convincing those officials to fix our telephone line, he told me that he would go to the T&T office and talk about it entering every room of the office and tell everyone there about it. I now became confident that the phone would at last get fixed. For the last one month I have tried my best to get the phone re-connected. I complained about it to the T&T office several times but to no avail. So today I took him with me.

Now let me tell you something about the T&T office of Bayezid Bostami. Not to mention, like most of the government offices in Bangladesh it is huge in size with shabby out look, dirty staircases, doors with broken lockers, windows with broken glass, walls with bad plaster and inside there are age-old documents piled up in giant sized shelves.

We went inside the building. I told you before that the building is huge and certainly lot bigger than it was necessary. In the first floor’s corridor there are enough doors to baffle you easily. You will have to wonder which door to enter first. And it gets harder to find the right room when you find that there is no one around there to help you. But it was easy for us on that Tuesday because out of those 13 doors only one was open. It is named, “Test Room”. And surprisingly there was only a woman inside that room. Her name is Rabeya.

Palash Bhai asked her to show the complaint book to see if there was any complaint from our part. He discovered that there were complaints on 23rd, 18th, 13th, 10th and 3rd of August. I made these complaints coming to the office. I don’t know if they bother to notice the complaints made by over the phone. Palash Bhai then asked the woman to tell him who the head of the office is, so that we could go to him. But she didn’t have any idea about that. She is a mere complaint writer (Yes, there is such a post in T&T office. Then there are other posts as complaint reader, complaint book carrier…etc. etc.). It is not surprising if she doesn’t know her boss’s name.
Then a man came into the room who seemed to have a good position in the office. Palash Bhai asked him the same question to know the head official’s name. And surprise, surprise… He doesn’t know either. He was asking Rabeya to help him. Then he said, “You know he is a new officer. So….”

Hmm….that indeed was a good answer, similar answers I often hear in different government offices.
We then went to the 3rd floor where the officers sit. And on this floor there are 16 doors on the corridor and most of them were closed that day. We went in the second room. The first room was locked with a big locker. But on the second room there was neither Mr. Molla nor Mr. Bhuiya. There was only a man who seemed to me to be a minor employee. And he told us that they have gone home.
Gone Home??? At 3pm? I know that the working hour is till 5pm. It means they are reluctant of working after noon. But couple of days ago when I went to the office to have my complaint written at 9:30am, I couldn’t find them then either. I was told to come again at 10am because 9:30 was too early. My relative said, “Isn’t it funny Zahir!!! But when you will find them at the office they will be on lunch break.”

We found only one room that was not locked but it was closed. To my embarrassment Palash bhai pushed the door open and went inside. After entering the air-conditioned room we peeped through a curtain and found a fat man with a very loose pants sat in front of a computer smoking. Next to him was another man who was standing and helping the fat man to do his work on the computer. They didn’t notice us. He was checking the e-mails slowly smoking the cigarette and the other man was helping him to do that. At one time the standing man said, “Sir, to open the letter you will have to double click on the mail ad. Like me, quickly” We understood that this fat man is the head of the office.
You cannot blame the other employees when the boss is like this.

Then we talked with him about the problems with our phone connection.

He said, “Why have you bothered so much? You could have simply written a complaint to Mr. Molla’s room. The problem would have been solved soon after”. “Is it the first room on the left of this floor?” I asked. He said, “No, it’s on the 3rd floor.”. That’s amazing because we were on the 3rd floor then. After getting out of the boss’s room Palash bhai told me “ How ridiculous! The employees don’t know their boss’s name and the boss doesn’t know where his employees sit. Hahahaha…..”

On the 30th August workers from T&T office came to fix our telephone line. I hearing their arrival news went to them to see what the problem was. I found that there were four men working there. One with a spade had dug the soil; another (Nuru) was fixing the cable problem, and their supervisor (Nabi), sitting on a chair was watching them do the work. And the fourth man who is a guard at the T&T office was wondering what had happened.

When Nabi saw me he said, “There was problem in the cable. But there was no spare cable at the office. I have reconnected your telephone line to a different connection coming from that area. It is illegal according to government law. But as you are my known person and your uncle is my friend, I’ve done this work on my own accord and with my own expense. For the digging and changing of the cable it took us 700tk., tell your mom to give us 1000taka for the repairmen. In other places we would have taken at least 3000tk for this…”

Really, every government employee works for the people with their own pocket money. Unfortunately they don’t get any material from the government.

I didn’t say anything to them then. After this they came to our house and we gave them tea and snacks. When they had finished and demanded the money, I bargained for some time with them. It was necessary to pay them as little as possible because if we had paid them a big amount they would have made that the required amount. And not only that they would disconnect our phone line willingly every few months later to get more money.
At first I gave Nuru 300Taka but he wasn’t satisfied. Then after bargaining for a while he wanted to have at least 600Taka. I told him with disgust, “Ok, take this 600Taka.” “Are you hurt?” he said. “If giving me this money hurts you then I won’t take it.” Bringing a big phony smile on my face I said, “Oh no. I’m not hurt at all. I’m rather very glad to be able to give you this money.” He then said, “Ok, I will take it then.” They then departed taking 600Taka.

I think my conversations with the government employees have some literary value that’s why I’ve put them here. Sometimes when I talk with them I can hardly help laughing.

2004-10-28T01:16:00.001-07:00

Gas Office:

Now lets talk about the gas connection. Just listen to the conversation I had with a employee of Bakhrabad Gas office.

I: We want to convert out 5 single gas burners into double burners. Can you tell me the procedure?
He: Okay, it’s easy. You will have to fill up this form. Pay 2000TK to the government for the approval to being this change and pay additional 2,500TK as ‘service charge’.

I: Why do I have to pay the 2000TK for?
He: Well. That’s the government law. For 5 burners 2000 taka.

I: And what this ‘service charge’ is for? Is it for to change the burners for us?
He: Yes. Quite like so.

I: But, I think we ourselves can change the burners. I myself have done it some times and it’s very easy. We don’t need government’s help for it.
He: Actually we don’t work for less than 2,500TK but I liked you much. You are like my younger brother. So just for you I will take 2000TK.

I: But… 2000TK is still too much. Besides we don’t need any servicing.
He: Okay... Okay…. kid. Don’t argue any more. I will take just 1,800TK from you. We never take so little as ‘service charge’. This is especially for you.

After this I gave him the money and he just signed in couple of pages and handed me a sheet and said, “It’s done. Now you can change your burners.”

Water Board

We weren’t getting water from the Government water pipe line for many months. So the other day I went to the WASA office to have it disconnected. There, on the ground floor I informed my problem at the ‘enquiry’. I was then told to go to the 5th floor and get the ‘due list’, if we have any bill unpaid. I went there and took the due list. There I was told to go to the 4th floor with the ‘due list’. After going there I was told to go to the first floor again because they don’t work for our area. Now after looking in several rooms I finally found the guy who works for our area. He told me to have a photocopy of the ‘due list’, go to his boss, have it signed and after paying the due bills go to the forth floor.
And like many government offices the lift of this building also doesn’t work properly to give the ordinary people proper exercise, I had a bit too much that day.
I did it as he said. But then found that it’s over 1pm. The office won’t work on any sort of things like this one. They have other better things to do. So I went to the office on the next day. I gave the application to an official on the 4th floor. Now listen to the conversation I had with the peon of that room.

Peon: Hello brother. Why are you here?
I: Ahh… to have our water line disconnected.

Peon: What have you done for it?
I: I’ve paid all the due bills, had its photocopy signed by the officer and then with an application I’m now submitting it here.

Peon: I see… But you will have to do one more thing. You will have to talk to our sir about it and satisfy him. I can help you in it. Otherwise your application won’t go to the next table. It will take you years to have the work done…

We didn’t pay the bribe. My mom said, “ Let them do it late. If we pay the bribe, they will get encouraged….”

Well, my mom was right. We had our work done but it took six more months and after these six months we received a due bill of 764TK. So I had to go through the same process in paying the due bill again.

Internet

We use dial-up connection. In our area there is no broadband connection. Per minute we have to pay 50paisa (1/2 Taka) from 8am to 11pm and the other time it is 30paisa per minute. So you see it takes me a lot to keep blogging. If our monthly Internet bill comes over 1,500TK it may get disconnected at any time without any notice and to have it re-connected is not so easy. I will have to go to Nanda Kanan Telephone office and on the 4th floor is the ‘Internet Section’. But for the sake of brevity I’m not talking about the process in which to get the Internet connection re-connected. But it’s quite the same as what I said about the water connection.

Bangladesh Power Development Board...

2004-10-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

(PDB): Revelation of its Corrupt Nature

Last month when we received the electricity bill we were totally baffled. For the 7 meters that we have in our building, on an average we usually get less than 400TK per month. 3 meters are for our use and the others are for the renters. But for the last 4 months the bills began to increase steadily. Last month it became 800taka per month. I talked about this sudden increase in the bill with the PDB officials but couldn’t get any satisfactory answer. They told me that the government has increased the price. They have nothing to do with it. But when one of our renters went to the PDB office he learnt a different story from his friend who is the executive engineer there. Here is what he said:

There is a slum in our locality. The slum dwellers take illegal connections from the electricity pillar from which electricity is distributed to every house (some factories and shops also use illegal connections). This illegal usage of electricity of the slum dwellers doesn’t bring a penny to the government. It is said to be ‘system loss’, although it doesn’t fit for to be called ‘system loss’. In this way at times ‘system loss’ is shown over 50%. Now to avoid this so called ‘system loss’ if the government create pressure upon the PDB officials, the chief executive engineer instructs his staffs to bring more money to government at any cost to cover-up this system loss. The PDB officials don’t disconnect the illegal connections because of the bribe they receive from them. So they increase the bill of the legal users. On papers the users will then receive bills lot higher than the actual bills that their meters indicate. You may not have even consumed at all but you will have to pay a big bill. Actually you are in this case paying someone else’s bill. Suppose your meter’s reading is 2000 Unit, you may find that in official paper it is stated that you have consumed over 3000 Unit. When the official amount goes too high they will simply say that your meter is not functional and will give you bills as they please. Now if you question farther they will say, “Okay, as you are saying your meter runs correctly… we will have to investigate.” They may then send your meter to Dhaka for inspection. And if you don’t bribe those Dhakait employees, your meter will be said to have fault. They will say. “Your meter moves slower than usual. Now, you have been using this meter for 2 years. For these 2 years because of your faulty meter you escaped paying the government in total 8,000TK. You will have to pay this money to the government.”
They will not finish here. For a new meter and getting it installed you will have to pay another 4,000TK that is in total 12,000TK. And one more thing, at the same time you will have to give the PDB employees tips for being so kind to you to take so much trouble to get you a nice new faultless meter. And behave well with them with patience (it is better if you can smile a bit while you talk with them) unless you want to go through the same process half a year later. Have a nice…. (ERROR!!! The writer’s electricity is gone).
.
.
..
…
I’m back…

Look at the marked area. In this month the bill came much higher than the actual amount. Our one renter went to his friend who is the executive engineer in PBD office of Chittagong and got his bill corrected. Here is that copy of his bill.

In this bill you can see that the Present Reading is 5330 units and the Previous Reading is also 5330 units but consumed unit is 200. When I asked about it to the PDB officials they said our meter is not functional. They made 4 of our meters nonfunctional although these meters were bought only 3 years ago. Out of the 3 other meters that they left as to be functional, one is 25 years old.

Today is My Birthday

2004-10-22T01:55:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. We don’t actually celebrate it. But we talk about it at home a little and I get some nice presents from my siblings. It goes nice. My elder sister will make cakes or cookies and at afternoon we everyone (only our family members) will gather at the dining room and pass some time talking about it. My mom may say, “Make good prayers to Allah so that he may grant your wishes and thank him for all that he Has given you.” My sister will get busy cooking something special and I will get e-card from her, my younger brother will say or do something to sound philosophical (like presenting the application which I talked about on my last post), my younger sister will get some flowers from the garden to give me as gift or she will just take some candies from her possession and give me with a big smile saying ‘Happy birthday’ real loud. And if my father phones us on this day he will tell me, “My son, my son you are no longer a kid now. What have you have to offer to Allah? On this day you came to earth and on a day like this you will leave this earth. The days in between these two days are exam days for you. How have you performed in it? My son, I want you to go to Jamaat this week for three days and learn deen. You may take it as my command or my advice that’s up to you….” And if my elder brother phones and knows about it he will say, “Today is your birthday… really? How old are you now???”

A Unique Birthday Present

2004-10-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

On my 19th birthday, my younger brother gave me a present, which I believe no one has ever received on his/her birthday. I was totally astonished by this unusual present and perhaps no other present from him could be more astonishing and also pleasing to me at that time. Hmm… Can you guess what that present was? It was an application. Hahaha… isn’t it funny. How can someone present an application to his brother on his birthday! But my brother did, because like the present he is also unique. He was clever enough to realize that this application could make me happier than any other type of present that he could have offered. Because this application is not a mere page, there is a long story behind it that reminds me of many things of my school life…

When I was in class nine, our class teacher was Dulal Babu Sir. And like most of the government schoolteachers he was very lazy. He used to come to the class at least 20 minutes late and rest of the time he would spend calling the roll numbers of the students. We were much accustomed to this routine. That’s why many of us used to enter the school late.

But in a day at the middle of the year when I went to enter the class 10 minutes late, I found Dulal Sir is already in the class. “Amazing… there must be something wrong. Otherwise why would he come to the class so early!” I thought. And more amazingly he didn’t allow me to enter the class instead started to rebuke me. And then he started lecturing on punctuality. “You have come 10 minutes late. Do you know in 10 seconds time one can win an Olympic gold medal? The new headmaster told me not to let anyone enter the class if he is late so that you may have a good lesson. So get out of here. And if you want to come to the class you will have to bring permission from the headmaster.” He said in a strong voice. Oh, now I understand as the headmaster changed, so changed the age-old rules. I was still glad that I wouldn’t have to be in his class. Because passing 45 minutes listening to his family talk would not be that easy. But I couldn’t understand how the new headmaster brought this sudden change in attitude in Dulal Sir; even my pleas are coming to no use. When I was returning from the class thinking of how to pass these 30 minutes, I saw my other 8 classmates who also received the same treatment were observing me from a distant place. But when I came close to them, they began to insult me for not making it to the classroom. They laughed at me because I got scolded. Now, I got adamant. I told them that I would enter the classroom and show them all.
" alt="application"/>
The only way in which I could enter the class was to write an application to the headmaster requesting him to grant me to enter the classroom. But getting an application signed by the headmaster is not so easy. The previous headmaster was so tough at the students that everyone used to fear him so much that we even used to change our direction if we found him coming our way. Who knows how tough this person will be. His toughness changed the rules of the school in a day. Allah knows how tough he would be towards the students when he is so tough to the teachers. Thinking all these facts I kind of feared him. But to show my friends that I’m smarter than them I went in the headmaster’s room with this application. To my great surprise I found him very simple and understanding. He told me politely never to be late again. Then he signed the application quickly and told me that I was getting late for the class. I then said to myself, “We really needed a headmaster like you.”

This sort of application was totally new to everyone. So when I went to the class and showed it to my class teacher, he didn’t have any answer to it. And to my friends… I was a brave boy. The class captain of my class, Jewel was so convinced of my heroic that he collected that application from Dulal Sir and kept it with him. It was in his possession for 2 years. And later my younger brother came to know about this application from his younger brother who happened to be the student of the same class. Learning the story behind this application, my brother collected it from Jewel and presented it to me on my birthday.
Isn’t it a brilliant present?

2004-10-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

In Bangladesh bus, taxi and truck usually have different kind messages written behind them. Like “Say your prayers regularly”, “God is great”, “Keep safe distance from me” and so on. Recently behind many taxis a sign is seen that made me burst out laughing when I first saw it. It read, “Ei Gari ti Pratham shrenir Bema krita. (This car is licensed)” By this I understood that the owner is saying, “Hit me I won’t mind”.

2004-10-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

“Bangladesh in not the most corrupted country in the world. It can not even match a single big corruption of America with all of its corruptions put together.”
--M. Saifur Rahman, Bangladesh’s present Finance Minister said to the journalists in defense of Bangladesh when the news broke out that Bangladesh has been awarded the first place for the consecutive 3rd time as the most corrupted country in the world.

I really didn’t like it when I read it on the newspaper. Did he mean that since there are other countries whose corruptions have lot worse effects in the world than ours, it is ok with our corruption? I think he could have replied to the journalists in this way…

“Yes, Bangladesh in the most corrupted country in the world. But still I feel no shame for that. For our corruptions not a single country in this world suffers. For our corruption thousands of innocent people of another country do not die. We do attack another country in the name of ‘liberating them’. Our country in its thousands of years history never attacked any country. Isn’t it a matter to be proud of? It is true that we need to improve the law and order of our country and we are working hard on that matter. And when we have done so, I hope you won’t find any reason to criticize Bangladesh. I wish you’d also come forward with a helping hand rather than criticizing only.”

Now if someone tells you “Your country is the most corrupted in the world”, tell him “Isn’t it better to be a citizen of a corrupted county than being a citizen of a terrorist country?”

Rajkapal

2004-10-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

After taking the ticket I sat on my seat, which was beside the window and kept my window full open. Then I was waiting for the bus driver to come and start the bus. I will have to go to Chittagong very quick. So I was in desperation for the bus to start.
Oh these bus-drivers… It seems they would never understand the importance of time. I was fuming inside. Then to get some relief I looked at the sky and tried not to think about the driver. Suddenly I heard someone saying “Ei tor Raj kapal; Ame ei pagol bollam tor raj kapal” (“Hey, you are Rajkapal. I, this mad man am telling you that you are Rajkapal”). As I looked down I saw an elderly man wearing ragged loincloth coming close to our bus. And to my great amazement when he came next to our bus he pointed at me with his index finger and repeatedly said, “Ei tor Raj kapal; Ame ei pagol bollam tor raj kapal”. Oh my Allah he is meaning me.

What does Rajkapal mean anyway? I read on storybooks that if someone is said to have Rajkapal he will become a very powerful man in future, a mighty king or things of that sort. And such a person can be distinguished even at the very young age, however only the ascetics can understand that. But literally Rajkapal means one who is very lucky.

There are many stories of mad men prophesising and although everyone neglected their prophecies as to be barren of any utility, later found them to be true. And those who misbehaved with them later had many misfortunes.

I heard many stories about a mad man of our village from my mother whose many predictions became true. She told me never to provoke any mad man. I heard it from many that a curse of some mad men can cause havoc in life. Even dervishes sometimes take the guise of a mad man. So I better watch out.

To be honest, even after listening to all those stories, I never really cared about it. I never even wanted to verify its authenticity. I simply wanted to ignore every mad man I encounter, so that I may not get myself into any kind of mess. But there are some things in this guy that I simply couldn’t ignore.

At first I thought he might be a beggar. But I never give alms to any beggar while I’m in a bus to avoid embarrassment. If you give alms to one, there will always be another beggar coming to you for more alms. It happens specially when you are in a bus terminal. So I changed my seat and moved to the next one which was vacant then. But this man is still saying the same thing but even in a louder voice. Well, there are some beggars who would praise before begging alms and if you don’t give them anything they will become aggressive. But this man is not of that kind. He didn’t demand anything from me. Moreover he didn’t even go to other passengers to beg either. After saying all those things addressing me, he just disappeared. I could see him nowhere.

It was really amazing… I haven’t seen anyone like him before. I began to think… Was he a true dervish then? Am I really a very lucky person? Raaaajkapal… Hmmm….What does it mean anyway?
Few minutes later I stopped thinking about him. Whether he is a dervish or not I tried to think of it optimistically. I wanted to bring some positive effect in me from this event. So I thought ‘Yes, maybe I really am going to shine in life. And why won’t I? I’m not weaker than any other boy of my age in any aspect. It’s just that I haven’t done anything special yet and neither have I been able to convince anyone with my talents, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be able to do something special in future. You can never say what you may become. So I tried to believe that mad man. Now, I felt more confidence in me as I am now more convinced of my future successes and hence less vulnerable to hardship because I know luck will be on my side at the end. In my mind I began to thank that mad man.

But my fancies didn’t last long as I saw that same mad man to say the same thing to another person in another bus. I now said to myself, “Oh Allah, why I’m so stupid!” I wish I hadn’t seen him on the second time.

Stories of Converted Muslims

2004-10-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

From here you will be able to know more stories about converted Muslims.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/newmuslims/

The Miracles of Quran

2004-10-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

From here you will be able to know some of the miracles of Quran. And this one is easy to comprehend and very interesting.

REASON FOR THE MIRACLE OF QURAN
Verse 74:31 gives five reasons for the miracle of the Quran with number 19 as the common denominator.
1. To disturb the disbelievers.
2. To convince the Christians and the Jews (that this is divine scripture).
3. To strengthen the faith of the faithful.
4. To remove all traces of doubt from the hearts of Christians, Jews, as well as the believers; and
5. To expose those who harbor doubt in their hearts, and the disbelievers; who will say, "What did God mean by this allegory?" (or "So What?").

Fahrenheit 9/11 with the unnoticed things

2004-10-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

“We have come here to help them and they are trying in everyway to kill us… I hate this place.”—An American soldier (taken from Fahrenheit 9/11)

I have read many articles about the movie, Fahrenheit 9/11 but nobody talked about this thing. Everyone was just busy criticizing Bush.

Many of the US soldiers went to Iraq because they thought they are going there to help the Iraqis. Seeing what happened at Abu Gharib and learning stories of US and British soldiers’ torturing the Iraqi civilians make us think that all the US soldiers are cruel, heartless and they only understand killing. But the real fact is not like that. Bush totally deceived some facts from them. Most of them don’t know that they are there only because of a numbered men’s greed. They don’t have any idea of the lies that instigated the war. They had total faith in their president and might have thought that he would never send them to an unjust war. But surely it was a stupid thing for them to go to Iraq without knowing the right condition of that place. They should have known why they are going there, what is their target there and what good their killing the Iraqi insurgents would bring to their country and the whole world. But quite stupidly they risked their life without getting proper knowledge of the situation. And now they are dying there.

I used to cheer whenever I heard of any US soldier getting killed. But now I rather feel pity for them. Maybe the US soldier who died today might have gone to Iraq hoping to help the Iraqis. Maybe he never meant any harm to any one. But now he is dead. And all this is happening because of a lie.

There isn’t anything in this movie that is new to us. We have been hearing these sorts of things for years. These things might be new to the Americans but are totally old to us and for this reason this movie couldn’t appeal much to me. But I liked that such a movie is created. I’m sure that this movie will help the Americans to think differently. But there are things that I don’t agree with Michael Moore. He missed some blatant facts.
Ok. Now think for a while. Who do we pay money to stay safe? In our country we have to give money to the local Mastans (terrorists under political support) before building a building or things of that sort and they give the assurance that they will not disturb us in anyway. Have you even heard of any terrorist offering money to an innocent person???

It is very much true that Saudi Arabia gives money to USA. But this money is not given because KSA wants of launch attacks on US soil but because it wants to keep its kingship intact. So long the Saudi princes keep good relationship with the American government, there will not be any big threat to their kingship. Saud family is flooding petrodollar to Bush family for this reason only. The kingship of KSA would have been long gone if not USA helped the Saud family with military power and political support. And no Saudi was linked to the 9/11 attack. I repeat Saudis were not liked to the 9/11 attack. 15 citizens who were found Saudis entered America with fake passport. It is logical that they can be anybody but not Saudi. If we carefully think about all the incidents that took place before and after 9/11 it is very much clear that it was the Israelis who launched the attack. And Bush wanted this attack to take place. But in Moore’s movie he didn’t mention it anywhere. Maybe it was too hot for him to disclose those facts in his movie. Watching this movie one will think that it was the Saudis who were behind the attack. But actually it was not they.

Over all, I would say that it was a brilliant movie and I want every American to watch it. At least they will know that their loving Bush tells lies.

Better Service

2004-10-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to Sardar hotel at Kamalapur. After I’ve taken a seat, a hotel boy came to me to serve. Before serving food he said, “You will get everything special. You will be served better and everything that I give you will be special. Few minutes ago a man took just a cup of tea I gave him special service so he gave me a tip of thirty-taka. You will also receive such special service but you will have to look at me specially at the end of your meal.”

I couldn’t understand what he meant by his ‘special service’. Maybe he meant that he would serve me beautifully and for that reason he would want to have some tips. I told him that I’m prepared to please him if his ‘better service’ pleases me.

I then took Chicken and vegetable with rice. While eating I couldn’t find anything special in his service. The only good side of his service was that he brought the dishes very quick to me. To my calculation the bill should come about 55taka. But when I went to pay the bill, the boy came to the manager and said, “Boss, his bill is 35taka”. Oh, so this is what his better service is… I paid the bill and while leaving I handed a ten-taka-note to the boy. This is how that day he pleased me and I also pleased him.

On the next day I went there again and the same hotel boy came to me. This time he didn’t say anything, as he knows well that I’m aware of his ‘better service’. I’m not a voracious person. I never was. I habitually eat little but today I felt the voracity in me. I ordered for beef and chicken with rice. After the meal I felt pain in my tummy. Hey, have I eaten too much… Why does it matter? The bill won’t come big.

I felt relaxed as I went to the manager to pay the bill. I asked the boy, “How much is the bill?” “It’s 32” he said.
Wow! This is called true ‘better service’. I ate more today but the bill came lesser than yesterday. Maybe tomorrow I better eat even more. But there has to be an end of this trend of ‘better service’. So I decided not to give him any tip today. Instead I asked the hotel boy for a tissue paper and after having it I said, “Your service was really good.”

Gandhi's speech in South Africa

2004-10-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

Few days ago I saw a Hollywood movie entitled “Gandhi”. I liked many of the Gandhi’s speeches there. But out of them the following speech which he gave in front of a gathering in South Africa I liked most…

Gandhi: “I want to welcome you all…everyone of you (facing at the English guards). We have no secrets. Let us begin by being clear about General Smart’s new law. All Indians must now be fingerprinted, like criminals: men and women. No marriage other than a Christian Marriage in considered valid. Under this act our wives and mothers are whores and every man here is a bastard. And a policeman passing an Indian dwelling… Ha, I will not call them homes, may enter and demand the card of any Indian woman whose dwelling it is. He does not have to stand at the door…he may enter.”

A man: “I swear to Allah I will kill that man who offers that insult to my home and my wife. And let them hang me.”

Another man: “I say those mean nothing. Kill all the officials before they disgrace one Indian woman. Then they may think twice about such laws.”

….
“…I will be willing to die”.

Gandhi: “I praise such courage. I need such courage. Because in this cause I too am prepared to die but my friend, there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill. Whatever they do to us, we will attack no one…kill no one… But we will not give our fingerprints. Not one of us.

They will imprison us… they will fine us… they will seize our possessions but they cannot take our self-respect if we do not give it to them.”

A listener: “Have you ever been to prison? They beat us… they torture us….”

Gandhi: “I am asking you to fight… to fight against their anger not to provoke it. We will not strike a blow. But we will receive them. And through our pains we will make them see their injustice and it will hurt as all fighting hurts. But we cannot lose… we cannot.

They may torture my body…break my bones. Even kill me. Then they will have my dead body. Not my obedience.”

Do you know what the British government used to call Mahatma Gandhi????
A terrorist.

The Truth

2004-09-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

In Quran Allah says...
"You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them." (17:36)

There will always be conspiracies but it is our duty to find the truth out of so many lies. Remember, no excuse will be accepted in the hereafter for our ignorance because we are given enough chance to find the truth.

Please help me to calculate

2004-09-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

There is a group of people in this world who becomes a big threat to the world only if they dream of making nuclear weapons and hence should be eliminated. But there also exists another group of people who are good type of people and can make thousands of nuclear weapons, biological weapons, chemical weapons and many other type of weapons of mass destruction and not only that they can also sell those weapons to other nations and can use them against them who they want to liberate and still they remain good type of people. HOW?

Fahrenheit 9/11

2004-09-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

I was willing to write something about Fahrenheit 9/11 for weeks after watching that movie. But couldn't manage enough time and I don't have much knowledge about Michael Moore either. So I refrained.
But here is an article about Fahrenheit 9/11 from Baghdad Burning. I could have never written anything like this.
Whoever was behind that 9/11, it matters little. US has found a reason to capture some countries because of that event. Now, the real fact is... 2 towers have brought US 2 countries. Mr. Bush surely is grateful to those who destroyed those towers so that he could start his wars on a good cause.
Now, some things are getting clear. Just those 2 towers are not enough for Mr. Bush to carry on his good cause farther. Maybe he belives in that theory that one country for one tower. So to attack Iran he certainly needs at least another tower to be destroyed. Hmmm... My little mind calculates in this way...Isn't it why Rumsfeld is certain that there would be more terrorist attacks on US soil?????????

You Alone Paid 481$ for the War

2004-09-16T18:32:00.001-07:00

Yep, you paid this amount of money to liberate those Iraqis’ souls from their body (including thousands of children)... Now look what you have got... lots of tax money to pay and an increased amount of workload.

But this is not the end of wars. Brace yourself and start to save some money because Mr. Bush has a big list of countries to complete. Next is Iran, then Syria, then Saudi Arabia, then…. (Thanks Allah that we are not in his list. Hey, is it because Bangladesh doesn’t have oil???)

Don’t stop supporting Mr. Bush until he has liberated the whole world. And in this process some of your countrymen may get killed and you may have to endure a bit trouble. But all that will be for a good cause. The soldiers’ martyrdom will not go in vain and your tax money will not get wasted either (Yes, it can’t get wasted because Mr. Bush and his party will get hugely benefited from it and so will those who govern them).

How many more....

2004-09-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

twin towers will the Zionists (pls refrain from accusing the Jews for what Israel do because it is not the Jews behind all these crimes but the Zionists. There are many Jews who are really good people. Some even fighting hard in opposing Israel's acivities.)will have to destroy until the Americans would understand that it is the Israel which is their enemy not the Arabs??????????????

"I was not involved in the September 11 attacks in the United States nor did I have knowledge of the attacks. There exists a government within a government within the United States. The United States should try to trace the perpetrators of these attacks within itself; to the people who want to make the present century a century of conflict between Islam and Christianity. That secret government must be asked as to who carried out the attacks.
[...]

The American system is totally in control of the Jews, whose first priority is Israel, not the United States."--- Usama Bin Laden. (Don’t believe what this site says… Not a bit of it. Its all are propaganda...Directly from Binny boy's cave.)

Gold Chain

2004-09-15T23:58:00.000-07:00

Photo is a renter in a house just beside ours. Her husband is a minor employee in a garments factory with a low income. Few months ago she was coming home from Chittagong Trade Fair by a rickshaw. She was quite upset then because she found that prices of different things were too high for her to buy with her mere 600taka. She was cursing her husband for not being richer while the rickshaw moved. It’s maybe he is not that smart. Maybe if Photo were in his place she could have earned a lot more money with her better intelligence. Different thoughts were coming into her mind.

Suddenly the rickshaw puller stopped the rickshaw half the way to her home and took a moneybag from the roadside. Most probably someone had lost it. Who knows was precious thing might be in that moneybag. He stealthily looked inside it but couldn’t escape the suspicious eyes of Photo. Understanding her motive he immediately took something out of that moneybag and put that in his pocket. Photo became very suspicious now. She wanted to know what he was hiding from her. Bringing phoney anger in her she told him to hand over the moneybag to her.
“Take it. There is nothing but two pages. I’m an illiterate person… Here you take them and read, please” said the obedient rickshaw puller. Photo found that one of pages was a letter and the other was a money receipt. She was glad at his obedience, although she was not completely relieved of her suspicion. She desperately wanted to know what he took out of the moneybag. Maybe the letter can tell her what was in that moneybag. She started reading…

“Respectable sister,
I have bought this gold chain that you told me to buy for your daughter. It took me 9,000taka to buy it. This chain is exactly of 1 bhoree. I have also included the money receipt for you. And after you have received this chain from Alauddin let me know. But don’t give him the price of the chain. I will go to your house soon. You can give me the money then. Khuda hafiz.
Your brother
Faisal”

And the receipt read…
“1 Bhoree gold chain……………….9,000taka
.
.
.
.
.
.
Total……………………………..9,000taka.

Dated, 10/12/03
Anada Jewelleries, New Market”

“9,000taka??? Wow!!!! That’s a pretty big amount of money. Oh, if only I could have that chain from that rickshaw puller…” thought Photo. She couldn’t control her greed. So she asked him, “Weren’t there a chain in the moneybag? Let me see the chain. Quick”
The innocent rickshaw puller hesitated for a while but couldn’t oppose to her demand. While giving her the chain he asked, “Is it of gold madam?” Photo silently said, “Yes.” “Then it surely would be very costly. Isn’t it?” he inquired. “Yeh… very costly…it’s just of 1000 to 2000taka” Photo replied.
“I’m an illiterate person. Where would I be able to sell this chain! Would you like to buy this chain from me?”
Yap, this is what Photo was willing to hear from him. But alas, she doesn’t have 2,000taka with her. Now, she is accusing herself for saying the price of that chain so high. “I should have said the chain would be of just 500taka. Then I could have bought it now. Ahh… what a chance have I missed!” Photo thought.
“But I only have 600taka.” She told the rickshaw puller.
“Ok, then give me that 600taka and you take this chain. I’m badly in need of money now. My young daughter is very ill.”, said the poor rickshaw puller with much grief.

Photo couldn’t believe what she heard. Really, when God wants to bless someone there is nothing that can stop that blessing to reach him. She immediately gave him the 600taka she had and took the chain. She only had the rickshaw fare left with her. Then the rickshaw puller said, “Madam, I have to go to my daughter now since I’ve got enough money now to buy medicine with it. You, please go by some other rickshaw.” So Photo took another rickshaw and went home taking that gold chain.

It was noon at that time. Photo couldn’t wait a single minute more for her husband to come home. She was desperately willing to show him what she had purchased.

At last at 2’o clock he came home on lunch break. For the desperation to disclose the news she even forgot to greet him. “Honey, you won’t believe what I have purchased today. I have bought a gold chain of 9,000taka just for 6,00taka.” “What did you do?” Her husband couldn’t get it. “I bought a gold chain from a rickshaw puller for less than one tenth of the actual price.” “How do you know that it is of gold?” he asked. “Hey, do you think that I’m that stupid that I’d buy this chain without being confirm?” Photo proudly retorted. “Ok then it seems great to me.” Her hubby remarked. “Yes, it’s great. And you should feel proud of me… Now let’s go to the jewellery shop. I can’t wait a minute more to know how much price they offer for it.” Photo was so happy that she even couldn’t wait till her hubby takes his lunch.

Now, they have come to a jewellery shop close to their house. Photo asked the shopkeeper, “How much is a bhoree of gold?” “It’ of 9,000taka.” Photo smiled and looked at her hubby feeling proud of herself. “Okay, I have this gold chain of 1 bhoree and I want to sell it. How much would you give me for it?”
“Hmm… the chain looks very bright to me. It is certainly new. You surely have bought it lately. But why do you want to sell it so early?” asked the goldsmith.
“Yes, we bought it recently and didn’t want to sell it at this time. But we are having great financial problem now. So…” Photo replied.
“But before I go to any bargain I’d like to tell you that you would not get 9,000taka for it. We would pay you less then that because we will have to make some profit selling it.” Warned the goldsmith. Photo agreed.

The goldsmith examined the chain again and again. Then he said, “I can’t buy it, madam. It’s not real gold”
“It can’t be” Photo said in disbelief. “I saw it with my own...” She had to stop right there. She couldn’t utter anything more.

Dhakait Housemaid

2004-09-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

I went to visit my younger brother Fakhrul in Dhaka the other day to see in what condition he is there and then I wrote an e-mail to my father about it. Here is that e-mail for all of you to read (the e-mail has slightly been changed). Fakhrul went there with some of his friends of Chittagong for university coaching.
“Assalamulikum abbu
Fakhrul stays here with 2 of his other friends. They are here for the last one-month.. There are three rooms. Fakhrul has his own room with an attached bathroom. And his friend Zamil is in the middle room and the other friend, Mayeen is in another room with another attached bathroom. Another boy named Zahid stayed with them for the first 10 days but later departed because of fever. Mayeen is living in Dhaka for the last 2 years. So he is very much accustomed with the weather and condition here. He has a peculiar type of character. No problem is a problem to him. I have learnt many interesting things about him that can easily make anyone laugh.

For the first 10 days they had to struggle a lot because of gas as this new building hadn’t installed gas line then. So they didn’t keep a Buya (housemaid) then. When Zamil came to Dhaka he bought a mobile set without a warranty but later found problem with the screen. He also found trouble in getting admitted into the couching center he liked. The food of restaurants in Dhaka was uneatable for him. And it sickened him. So the only child of his parents called his mother on one of the first days in Dhaka and said, “I don’t like anything of Dhaka. I bought a mobile phone but those cheats gave me a faulty one. I couldn’t get the admission anywhere yet. And the food is yuck. I’m saying goodbye to Dhaka.” But things settle down gradually.

None of them used mosquito net for the first 10 days. Although it is 5th (US) floor of the building, the mosquito problem is still acute. After 10 days Zahid had Dengue fever. So he left Dhaka for good. Fakhrul and Zamil learnt lesson from it and never slept without the mosquito net put in. But Mayeen has other idea. He as usual sprays insecticide on his whole body and then goes to bed.

Things got tolerable after 1st 2 weeks. They got gas installed and kept a housemaid to cook for them. Zamil and Fakhrul got used to the condition and are more tolerant now. When I asked Fakhrul how the Buya is, he said, “Oh she is nice. We play hide and seek with her.” Hide and seek?? I couldn’t understand its meaning until he clarified.

They kept the Buya for monthly 500tk. She was supposed to come everyday in the morning and make breakfast and lunch for them and come again at afternoon to cook dinner. But she steals food items regularly. If they brought fish or meat she used to take a good part of it with her. She used to take a part of the food she cooked for them along with rice.

One day they brought fish and the Buya cooked it in 6 pieces. After cooking she took two big pieces in a plastic bag, which she brought with her. Zamil saw it and told it to others. But they were too shy to question Buya for this. So after negotiation they decided to teach the buya a lesson in a nice way.
Zamil went to the kitchen and put 2-tea spoon salt in buya’s bag and mixed it well with the fish and then kept the bag where it was. All of them were very happy to be able to give buya a good lesson. But it didn’t pay off, on the evening when buya cooked dinner; the food was so spicy that it burnt everyone’s mouth. They had to spend that night in empty stomach.

After that day they planned that they would not eat fish any more. They will only eat egg, alu bhorta and dal. Now the buya doesn’t have anything to steal.

The other day Mayeen was drinking RC Cola and Zamil wanted to have a share. But Mayeen didn’t give. But when Zamil left his room Mayeen put black tea in it and kept it beside Zamil’s table. But that could never fool Zamil because the buya took that bottle with her without even asking anyone anything.

Now as they don’t eat anything except dal, alu bhorta and egg there is no valuable cooked thing left for the buya to take. So she began to take onion and potatoes. One day when she found that there was an extra egg, she took that with her. When they interrogated her for her this nature and instead of being shamed she said, “In Dhaka every buya does this. It is the system here.”

When I came here after learning the meaning of that “hide and seek” I told them they should not keep a buya just for to cook egg and dal. They better sack her and keep another Buya or try to cook themselves.” So on the next evening Mayeen was preparing to tell Buya not to come here again to cook. But then an amazing thing happened. Buya called Mayeen and said that she had found a new place to cook for and she is no longer interested in working here. Mayeen instantly gave her 11 days’ money and bid farewell.

Fakhrul and his friends now cook themselves. And they are really good cooks.
Allah hafiz.
Zahir.”

Beware of Housemaids

2004-09-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

For the last few years getting a housemaid has become as difficult as winning a cricket match for our national cricket team is. My physics teacher Mozammel sir’s mother was really glad to have a woman for her household works. She stays alone at home for most part of the day as all her children stay at work and often don’t even come home at noon for lunch. So getting her was like a great blessing from Allah to the old lady.

For the first three days the woman didn’t stop until taking full control of the kitchen and laundry. She also took good care of the ailing old lady. Moreover while gossiping with her while working she let the old woman forget loneliness. The old lady couldn’t ask anything more from her.

After three days my teacher and his siblings were convinced that this housemaid can take care of their old mother very well at the day time, so they also relived of worries.
Then came the 4th day. There was nobody at home except the old woman. All her 5 children were out at work like regular routine. And this day they 4didn’t even bother to make a phone call and take her news. And for this confidence on an unknown woman they had to suffer badly just hours later.

When everyone was out at work in the morning the housemaid gave the old woman her medicine to swallow. But today just after taking the pills she lost all her strength. She had the consciousness and could see that the housemaid was taking the jewellery and other valuable things but couldn’t help it. Staying three days at their house she had a clear idea of the whereabouts of the house. So it took her just few minutes to open the locker and take all the money and jewellery. My teacher estimated that she took 25,000taka and 80 bhoree (worth of 75,000TK) from their four brothers’ possession. Usually my teacher goes home after 6pm but that day for no specific reason he went to his house at 1 o’clock and found his mother unconscious.

He immediately brought an ambulance and took his mother to hospital. It took her 3 days to get full consciousness. Doctor said that if she were in that condition even for an hour or two more she would have certainly died. Now her physical condition is lot worse than before. She was released from the hospital after 3 days and the doctor recommended her children never to leave her alone.

In a similar case a Sri Lankan Bangladeshi woman in our neighbourhood lost 70,000taka. She later discovered that the housemaid might have informed the burglars when all the house members went out of home. This was the 70,000tk she had collected for her son’s medication.

After these incidents one day at about 8 o’clock at night an old woman came with a young girl to our house. She told my mother that a man sent them to Engineer Kamal’s house on the second floor at this address. Engineer Kamal’s family needed a housemaid so the old woman brought this girl with her from her village. The address was ours and we are on the floor but there is no one called Engineer Kamal in our entire building. And although one of our renters is an engineer, his family didn’t recognise them either. When my mother told them that there is no one in our house by that name, the woman wanted to spend at least the night at our house. My sister felt sympathetic and requested mom to let them stay at our house for one or two days but my mother didn’t even let them enter the house. She had heard the stories of burglary by housemaids in our neighbourhood before this event. When I heard from my mom about these two women I told my mom, “Why did you let them go? We could have sent them to the police.”

Drink Water

2004-09-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another e-mail from my father for good health.

DRINK WATER

Amazing! But True!
6 glasses of water (1.5 liters)
ASTONISHING PERFORMANCE
Allah has given us plenty and free water. Without spending on medicines, tablets, injections, diagnosis, doctor’s fee, etc., just by drinking pure water, the following diseases will be cured.
You can never believe before practicing. Let us see the list of diseases being cured by this therapy.

DISEASES CURED BY DRINKING WATER
|------------------------------+------------------------------|
| 1. Headache | 17. Urogenital diseases |
| 2. Blood Pressure/Hyper | 18. Hyper Acidity |
| Tension | 19. Gastro-enteritis |
| 3. Anemia | 20. Dysentery |
| 4. Rheumatism | 21. Rectal Piodapse |
| 5. General Paralysis | 22. Constipation |
| 6. Obesity | 23. Hostorthobics |
| 7. Arthritis | 24. Diabetes |
| 8. Sinusitis | 25. Eye Diseases |
| 9. Tachycardia | 26. Ophthalmic Hemorrhage & |
| 10. Giddiness | Opthalmia (reddish eye) |
| 11. Cough | 27. Irregular Menstruation |
| 12. Asthma | 28. Leukemia |
| 13. Bronchitis | 29. Uterine Cancer |
| 14. Pulmonary Tuberculosis | 30. Breast Cancer |
| (TB) | 31. Laryngitis |
| 15. Meningitis | |
| 16. Kidney Stones | |
|------------------------------+------------------------------|

HOW DOES PURE WATER ACT?
Consuming ordinary drinking water by the right method purifies human body.
It renders the colon more effective by forming new fresh blood known in medical term as Haematopaises. That the mucous folds of the colon and intestines are activated by this method is an undisputed fact, just as the theory that new fresh blood is produced by the mucous fold. If the colon is cleaned then the nutrients of the food taken several times a day will be absorbed and by the action of the mucous folds they are turned into fresh blood. The blood is all-important in curing and restoring health, and for this water should be consumed in a regular pattern.

--
HOW TO DO THIS WATER THERAPY?
1. Early morning after you get up from the bed (without even brushing
your teeth) drink 1.5 liters of water. You may wash your face thereafter.
2. Here is very essential to note that nothing else neither drinks nor
solid food of any sort should be taken within 1 hour before and after
drinking this 1.5 liters of water.
3. It is also to be strictly observed that no alcoholic drinks should be
taken the previous night.
4. If required, boiled or filtered water may be used for this purpose.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO DRINK 1.5 LITRES OF WATER AT ONE TIME?
1. To begin with, one may find it difficult to drink 1.5 liters of water at one time, but one will get used to it gradually.
2. Initially, while practicing, you may drink four glasses first and the balance two glasses after a gap of two minutes.
3. Initially, you may find the necessity to urinate 2 to 3 times within one hour but it will become normal after sometime.

RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCE OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING DISEASES TO BE CURED WITH
THIS THERAPY WITHIN THE INDICATED DAYS AS BELOW:
Constipation 1 day
Acidity - 2 days
Diabetes - 7 days
BP & Hypertension - 4 weeks
Cancer - 4 weeks
Pulmonary TB - 3 months

NOTE
It is advised that the persons suffering from arthritis or rheumatism should practice this therapy 3 times a day, i.e. morning, mid-day, and night, 1 hour before meals for one week; and 2 times a day subsequently till the diseases is cured. We make an earnest request that the above method should be read and practiced carefully.

Please spread this message to your relatives, friends, and neighbors. It is a great service to the humanity. By Allah’s grace, all should lead a healthy life.

For Healthy Health

2004-09-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Good Stuff - Read for your health...

1. Lungs & Big Intestines share the system. If one or the other is infected or sick, the other will also be sick.

2. When the Liver is in pain, there is not much signs or symptoms to be detected. Before many cancers happen, usually the Liver will be the first to get sick.

3. Liver filters out the poisons and it attacks all other viruses in the body.

4. 99% Chinese have weak livers as they eat a lot of meat, and high fat foods.

5. The Liver ‘s repair time is effective from 11pm to 3am. Therefore, sleeping late after 11pm & Having late night supper 2 hours before sleep especially high cholesterol and high fat foods weakens the Liver as it does not have sufficient time to rest and regenerate. Even when one sleeps in later in the morning to replace loss sleep will not help.

6. If U get very hungry just before bedtime, eat some fruits & vegetables which is easy to digest. Meat takes about 4 hours to digest before it goes into the intestines. Meat cooked in oil takes about 12 hours before going into the intestines. This will provoke the Liver & the digestive tract to overwork in filtering the toxins thus U will tend to feel very tired when U wake up in the morning.

7. Oil is the main culprit that will weaken the functions of the Liver and damage it. Medication cannot cure Liver problem and it will damage it even further.

8. Cold-pressed Olive oil, carrot, cucumber, raw chili, garlic, onion, little bamboo salt/sea-salt, radish, pumpkin and small fish are good for the body. Sesame oil is ok.

9. Food-preservatives, Food colourings, Bee Hoon is processed with Aluminium (causes Dementia), Bleach, syrup, Pesticides are bad for Liver health. Wrong medication can shrink and damage the Liver badly. Radiation from Microwave oven destroys all nutrients in the food.

10. Western medication is bad for the Liver. Chinese medication is bad for Kidney. White radish will disable the effects of the Chinese medication.

11. Sleeping late for children is unhealthy as it weakens memory and intelligence.

12. Best Healthy times to sleep is 9pm especially so for people who is sick or recovering from it and do not sleep later than 11pm. Lots of rest is good for the Liver to recover. When using eye-cover during bed-time, use only pure-cotton and do not use Rubber, latex material.

13. A Detoxification Diet helps the Liver & Intestines to recover fast.
Natural fresh foods are best for the Liver and overall well being. Do not rely on packed, bottled or canned health foods/vitamins as they lack a lot of natural and essential vitamins which can only be derived from pure, unprocessed natural foods.
13. A balance of mental/emotional state of mind is very important to the total well-being. Too much Stress of all kinds, loud noises/music, Anger, irritation suppressed for too long, Pessimism, depressive moods, no goals in life, feeling life has no value or blaming the World & Everyone else for his life will further weaken the body system. When the Liver is unhealthy, the Person usually has a bad temper and gets easily angered or irritated.

14. Giving out Gas, perspiration and urine are ways of purging out the toxins from the body. Do not use too much of air-conditioners as they suppress the body from perspiration. This natural way of purging helps to reduce the load of the Liver. Open the windows for fresh air.

15. Give Warm to any part of the body that is in pain will help ease it or soaking in a bathtub of warm water up to waist level will also help. Be careful if U have heart problems, do not soak up to heart level or else U might feel uncomfortable as your heart might get too stimulated.

16. Brown rice, wheat, oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam and maize but we must be careful when buying these foods as they contain great amount of Pesticides. Maize and Brown rice contains B complex vitamin but be careful as Maize these days, has a lot of Pesticides in them too. Organic foods are better alternatives but they are more costly.

17. Blood A type has higher chances of Cancer diseases.

18. Blood O type has higher chances of Liver diseases.

19. Women Lives Longer because they are more even-tempered due to their menstration cycle expels the anger suppressed inside. It is better not to talk when a person is feeling very angry at that point of time. Breathe very slowly for 7 times and just smile.

20. Fat or overweight people usually have problems with their liver, heart and digestive system as they eat too much meat, high cholesterol and high fat foods which will damage their Liver and thus affect their heart and blood pressure.

21. Gastric problem is also associated with ingesting too much meat and high fat foods.

22. Heart & Uterus are linked together. Drinking 3000cc ? 4000cc of good filtered water with a healthy detoxifcation diet will help keep them healthy too.

23. There is no need to go for unnecessary check up. X-rays, CT scans (radiation is 5x-6x higher) are bad for the body as it kills thousands of cells and thus weakens the body further. Cancers & diseases are sometimes quite hard to detect in your Yearly Health checkups or blood tests. By the time they are detected, that particular part of the body has already been quite damaged. Always get a second opinion from another doctor before proceeding with the recommended surgery. If it is Liver disease, medication will destroy it further. Go on a proper detoxification diet and sleep by 9pm daily will help the Liver to recover much faster.

24. Vegetable and Fruits are high in Vitamin Cs which will help detoxify the poisons in the body, thus helping the organs to recover during the detoxification. Drinking lots of water 2000cc ? 3000cc will help the Liver as Urine is one way of detoxification.

25. Morning hours between 5am - 7am is the best time for Bowel movement otherwise the intestines might absorb the poisons from the digested matter to be distributed to the rest of the body and thus slow poisoning of the body will occur. This will result in the body getting sick.

26. Using Kelp Powder mix in water can help to stop itchy scalp.

27. Stones in gall-bladder, liver, brain, etc.. are usually poisons accumulated from animal protein and oily foods.

28. Minerals ? calcium, iron strengthen the kidney/bladder.

29. A Person having Mild Liver or Kidney problems can eat Fish & Beans Only after 4 months of detoxification diet.

30. If the whites of the eyes are Yellow means You might have Liver & Gall Bladder problem.

32. Red vegetables or fruits are good for the Brain and the Heart.
33. Yellow vegetable or fruits are good for Digestion. Be careful when choosing. Cabbage and Banana are good but they may have lots of pesticides.
34. Low Blood pressure is ok as long as the individual feels fine and healthy.

35. Having Pimples may mean that the toxins in the blood cannot be purged out.

36. Exercise is preferably done in the morning as there are lots of oxygen from the trees . and plants. Night time is not advisable as there are lots of carbon dioxide coming from the trees and plants. Afternoon is too hot. After 40 years old, try to do light exercises like long distance walking and not to do heavy exercises.

37. Having Headaches may mean weak pump of blood/energy from the Heart shows lack of oxygen.

38. Black under eyes means Liver & Kidney are weak.

39. For Arthritis problem, eat High vitamin C, kelp and detoxification diet.

40. People with Breast or Uterine cancer must not eat sea-cucumber or salty foods.

41. High-water content fruits are easier to digest.

42. Exercise is good for the heart.

43. Use as few electrical appliances and household items in your homes. In the long term, they can cause radiation exposure and ruin your health especially your Television set, radio, huge sound system. Don’t place them in your bedroom otherwise, you might find difficulty in sleeping thus feeling very tired in the morning. Also, try not to watch too much TV or surf the computer for a long time especially children otherwise in the long run, the radiation from the TV & computer might cause loss of memory and intelligence. Do not switch on the lights in your home or else too much of light exposure overhead might also be damaging to your body especially if you have not been very fit or healthy in your lifestyle.

44. If U want to take a bigger step to a truly healthier lifestyle , please use only stainless, ceramic (without lead), glass for your cooking , eating utensils. In the long run, Aluminium materials will give U dementia. Also get rid of your non-stick pans and cooking utensils as the coating will eventually fade into your food which cause poisoning. Use water to cook your food lightly. Overcooking your food will cause it to loose most if not all of its nutrients.

Eat Banana

2004-09-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

I received this mail from my father. And I hope it may come to some help to you.

For all you weight watchers and health addicts, here is the all round cure for whatever ails you!!!!

Eat Your Bananas!!!

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!!

Bananas. Containing three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous
90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brainpower. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say,
"A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Issue: Iraq war

2004-09-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Couple of months ago I used to comment regularly on Alhamadi's blog(www.muttawa.blogspot.com). I am really pleased the way different discussions went on the comment section. On Alhamadi’s Friday, May 21, 2004’s post I had arguments with some nice guys who can comment in a very beautiful way. Here is how it went…

comments.
Do anyone in this world will ever believe that a country would spend billions of dollars and have thousands of it's soldier killed to liberate another country that has no similiarity with religion, culture and anything???

No matter how many westerners say that US and UK are liberating Iraq, the truth is they have gone there to steal the oil from Iraq. But for some terrorist Iraqies they are not
becoming successful.
zahir 05.24.04 - 9:43 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"the truth is they have gone there to steal the oil from Iraq"

zahir. Are you SURE that that is the truth? Positive? Without a doubt? Care to guess how many Iraqis are recieving paychecks from Oil revenues? Thinking, zahir, will put your people on the moon. It will invent things, like computers. It will cure diseases. You should concentrate on thinking more. It is much more helpful for all of us.
Scott from Oregon Email 05.24.04 - 10:41 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zahir, if we went to Iraq to steal their oil we've done a pretty bad job of getting it. Have you checked prices lately? You know, that supply and demand thing?

Alhamedi, your entry today makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. Laugh becuase your writing is so excellent, and cry because of what you say. Your work is precious. Keep up the good work.
Tom the Redhunter Email Homepage 05.24.04 - 5:10 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zahir,
Your views on Americans plotting to steal oil just won't fly. It wasn't the U.S. that invaded Kuwait in the early 90's to seize their oil. The U.S. intervened to prevent that. It was not the U.S. that made a mockery of the oil-for-food program in Iraq. Is it just a coincidence that the current gas price issue is upon on just in time to influence the American presidential election? Who's trying to manipulate who? If some people want to indulge in conspiracy theories over oil supplies, then add this one to the list.
Dave Anthony Email 05.25.04 - 7:58 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ummm... Zahir....

"Do anyone in this world will ever believe that a country would spend billions of dollars... ...to steal the oil from Iraq"

You don't see the logic problem there, do you?
Ben Email 05.26.04 - 3:47 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Dave
You are saying that US actually helped Kuwait in the gulf war right?
But you don't know who created that war. The gulf war would have never happened if USA didn't work behind it from the beginning.

To have the complete domination in the Arab, USA plotted that war like many other wars in the past. Now let me tell you how it worked.
Zahir Email 05.27.04 - 10:51 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After destroying a rapidly developing country, Iran by helping Iraq in every posible way USA actaully made sure that no Arab nation advances. Then Before the gulf war US gave Saddam the green signal to go for the war with kuwait by telling Saddam that US will never interfere with the internal matters of the Arab nations and on the other hand it promised Kuwait total support against Iraq. Now you said, "It wasn't the U.S. that invaded Kuwait in the early 90's to seize their oil". well, you are right in this case cause by saving Kuwait from Iraq US managed to have complete controle over the Kuwaiti oil feilds. And at the same time they got access to enter other Arab nations.
zahir 05.27.04 - 10:52 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even Saudies can't enter a big area of Dammam which US manage to occupy through this process.

actually, saddam was helping US all through his life by his foolish acts. but that fool never realized that.
Listen to the cassette "From the Shadow" Part 1 of Abdul Karim which u will get anywhere in USA and UK.
And don't say that US have invaded Iraq to help the Iraqies to live better, ppl will laugh at you. Nobody does anything without profit. And US is doing it for OIL only.
Visit www.whatreallyhappened.com
you will be able to know some truth there.
zahir 05.27.04 - 10:59 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like all of you to read the following article. Please read it.
Please......

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/ARTICLE5/
zahir 05.27.04 - 11:34 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Zahir:
"Nobody does anything without profit. And US is doing it for OIL only. "

Then why am I paying $2.10 dollars per gallon to fill up my Mazda you fucking panzy?!!

What an idiot. Conspiracy theories like this have a place - UP YOUR ASS Zahir.

And you know what? Even IF the US was doing it for the oil, then God bless them, because them coming after oil is a hundred times better than Saddam coming after your mom.

Idiota.
Magnus Maximus Email 05.27.04 - 2:26 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is terrorism inside the United States really from outside, or is it a stage managed production, designed to cause Americans to believe they have no choice but to surrender the Republic and accept the totalitarian rule of a new emperor, or a new Fuhrer? "

ZAHIR-- You forgot the THINKING part again!!! That was the second dumbest thing I have ever read. Think, man, think!!
Scott from Oregon Email 05.27.04 - 3:35 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well...It's nice to know I am not the only one loosing sleep, either!

Zahir...

1) Helped Saddam against Iran because fanatical Islamist took over our embassy in 79 and held our people hostage for 444 days.
...We have just as long memories as the Islamists do.
2) Did not go to all out war with Iran because ARab world was worried it would cause turmoil in area and would spill over to them
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 10:41 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3) Arab world put serious pressure on the US not to do anything. Please note the oil shortages in 1979. (US history; I'm sure you can look that up)
4) Arab world does not care if they kill each other. Thought Saddam was a good way to keep Islamist from spilling over into their countries from Iran. They were not interested in the holy revolution.
5) Most weapons Saddam used were supplied by Russia and France (please see pictures of tanks and other weapons from the fall of Baghdad).
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 10:46 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6) through what countries do you think the weapons were delivered? Iraq does not share a border with US (please see a map of the world)
7) Comment on Bush 1 stating we would not interfere in with "internal matters of Arab nations" did not mean if one country invaded another. Simply meant that we were not interested, at that time, in removing him from his teetering totalitarianthrone. People want to change that to "green light to invade Kuwait" is their problem.
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 10:52 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Are you implying that Bush 1 was brilliant and could fool anyone into doing what he wanted or are you implying that the Arab world in general are idiots (which I don't buy) and coulnd't see he was tricking them into letting him in?
9) Kuwait, Saudi, Oman, etc ASKED for our help because they knew when Saddam took over Kuwait they would be next and they could not rely on people like you to protect their countries.
10) Even though the leaders of ARab countries don't have much to say about it now, I am pretty sure they knew that SAddam was crazy and were severely afraid for themselves. Better to ask the US to come in help, then hope that their "muslim brothers" would come to their aid.
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 10:58 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11) Saudis, et al did not take Bin Laden's assistance of mujahideen because they knew when it was over they would have an armed militia inside their borders fomenting revolution. (For progressive, developing countries developed by bin Laden and taliban, please see Afghanistan) Of course, you would probably have liked that. I get the impression that Almehdi would have disagreed.
12) America did not invade Iraq to make Iraqis free. (darn it, I knew somebody would figure this out). US invaded Iraq because Iraq was conspiring with terrorist Al-qaida (see 9/11: why we don't like Al-qaida).
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 11:06 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13) We know this because Iraqi intelligence met with Al-qaida before 9/11 and let in al-zarqawi for "medical treatment". (somehow I don't think this was altruistic intent either)
14) Al-qaida thought Saddam would make a good partner for short term (the enemy of my enemy is my friend) But, probably would have turned on him the second they got what they wanted. Saddam is lucky we captured him. Al-qaida would have summarily chopped off his head.
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 11:13 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

15) Again, Saudi, Kuwait, Oman, etc agreed to let US in because they knew Saddam + Al Qaida = big trouble for future of Arab world. Almehdi might have problems now, but at least the Talibani are not looking for him with a grenade.
16) Iraq invaded and Saddam overthrown because he was a threat to our security and, frankly, yours. If Saddam and Al-Qaida had their way, you would not be on this blog to speak so ill of what you know nothing about.
17) Free Iraqi people and oil flowing freely that is not part of OPEC is a side benefit.
1 Iraqi oil revenues are in the hands of the Iraqi IGC. 10 Billion US dollars. Please explain how oil is being "stolen" from Iraq.
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 11:27 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19) US gave Iraq 15 billion US dollars in non repayable (free) loans. NO Iraqi has to pay it back. Please explain how we are stealing from Iraqi people?
20) Iraqi oil revenues in the hands of Al-qaida/Taliban government would be the end of the Arab world. Thousands of non-sunni/wahabi practicing muslims would be dead even now. Almehdi would be telling us even worse stories if he could even actually get on the internet or was not one of the dead "heretics".

Zahir would probably enjoy rule by Taliban. Probably get a high up position like minister of propaganda...oops...information.

Please explain how you think you know US invaded Iraq for oil? Did the TV tell you?
Kat-Missouri/USA Email 05.27.04 - 11:29 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends
I can c that many of u have severely criticised my comments. I actually knew that u ppl will react like this because the truth is so much against your perception that it is very difficult for you to digest them. Someone even said that I'd probably like the rule of Taliban. I think he didn't mean it. But I actually would like the ruleship of Taliban. Like I said before you ppl don't know the truth. u think that whatever u learn from CNN and BBC is true. But USA and UK use CNN and BBA to promote their propaganda. let me make it clear pls.
Zahir Email 05.28.04 - 6:39 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

read this interview with Yvonne Ridley, a British jounalist who was captured by the Taliban and later released. GO to
http://thedailystar.net/magazine/2004/04/04/interview.htm

Dear frieds don't stick to your beliefs. Let some light come in to your heads.
Zahir 05.28.04 - 6:45 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forget what you have leart from CNN, BBC ect. Try to know how and why Taliban was formed. And try to know the character of Molla Mohammad Omar. And other leaders of Taliban. I hope you ppl will also begin to love Taliban like Ridley and me. Don't hate Taliban for one or two souldiers. And keep it in your mind that the truth is not what we get from the newspapers.
READ the articles of www.whatreallyhappened.com more carefully.

I will give more links to u ppl for better understanding "the truth".
Zahir Email 05.28.04 - 6:51 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kat: I'd bet money you didn't know you would be THAT right about Zahir. I think he already HAS that Minister of Propaganda position.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 7:55 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Magnus Maximus
you used some slangs that i'm not used to hear. But i didn't mind it at all cause i know its your nature to use abusive words without providing a little evidence.

I agree that Saddam was not good as a leader of Iraq but surely he was better than US. go to the following site if u what to know what kind of liberation US is giving to the Iraqis. And Mr. Magnus will also know who the actual rapist is.
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0421/mondo2.php
Zahir Email 05.28.04 - 8:00 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just as corruption can be found at all levels of government in the USA and elsewhere, so also there are corrupt individuals in government in SA. Problems caused by individuals within each system must be distinguished from the problems of each system, however.

Just as the Western legal system, including trial by jury, has evolved with the influence of diverse social influences over hundreds of years, so also law in the Muslim world has evolved, under impact by various influences, over a similar period of time.

Continued...
SF Email Homepage 05.28.04 - 9:37 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some people idealize "freedom" and individual liberty, while others believe that social order and stability are a higher priority in their lives.
The jury system is not without flaws. With its emphasis on personal freedom and 'evidence', the Western system sometimes allows criminals to go free. Innocent people have been incarcerated after jury trials, and executed. A judge's discretion is sometimes the better protection for the innocent.

Dealing with specific details makes for a clearer discussion than throwing out broad generalizations, but adapting some aspects of the SA (or Islamic) legal system to practices that better serve society rather than
condemning it in totality might be a better choice
SF Email Homepage 05.28.04 - 9:38 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF: You are smoking some bad weed if you can put the US and Saudi legal systems side-by-side and say that while both have their flaws, one is not necessarily better than the other. Do you work for arabnews.com, because this sounds like the drivel they put out.

Zahir: CNN offers pro-war propaganda? Oh, that's good. I'll have to save that comment for a laugh the next time I'm upset about the US media's relentless assault on the US military.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 11:46 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF: You are smoking some bad weed if you can put the US and Saudi legal systems side-by-side and say that while both have their flaws, one is not necessarily better than the other. Do you work for arabnews.com, because this sounds like the drivel they put out.

Zahir: CNN offers pro-war propaganda? Oh, that's good. I'll have to save that comment for a laugh the next time I'm upset about the US media's relentless assault on the US military.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 11:49 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF: You are smoking some bad weed if you can put the US and Saudi legal systems side-by-side and say that while both have their flaws, one is not necessarily better than the other. Do you work for arabnews.com, because this sounds like the drivel they put out.

Zahir: CNN offers pro-war propaganda? Oh, that's good. I'll have to save that comment for a laugh the next time I'm upset about the US media's relentless assault on the US military.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 11:56 am #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF: You are smoking some bad weed if you can put the US and Saudi legal systems side-by-side and say that while both have their flaws, one is not necessarily better than the other. Do you work for arabnews.com, because this sounds like the drivel they put out.

Zahir: CNN offers pro-war propaganda? Oh, that's good. I'll have to save that comment for a laugh the next time I'm upset about the US media's relentless assault on the US military.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 12:07 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF: You are smoking some bad weed if you can put the US and Saudi legal systems side-by-side and say that while both have their flaws, one is not necessarily better than the other. Do you work for arabnews.com, because this sounds like the drivel they put out.

Zahir: CNN offers pro-war propaganda? Oh, that's good. I'll have to save that comment for a laugh the next time I'm upset about the US media's relentless assault on the US military.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 12:42 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://redhunter.blogspot.com/
Mary Martini Email 05.28.04 - 12:54 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF: You are smoking some bad weed if you can put the US and Saudi legal systems side-by-side and say that while both have their flaws, one is not necessarily better than the other. Do you work for arabnews.com, because this sounds like the drivel they put out.

Zahir: CNN offers pro-war propaganda? Oh, that's good. I'll have to save that comment for a laugh the next time I'm upset about the US media's relentless assault on the US military.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 12:57 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Queer Sheik: The Strange Emergence of Gay and Lesbian Culture in Saudi Arabia (The New Republic)

http://www.johnrbradley.com/recart_02.html?pt=F4bD483qZPViqE1CyQTDkh==
John R Bradley Homepage 05.28.04 - 1:14 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF: You are smoking some bad weed if you can put the US and Saudi legal systems side-by-side and say that while both have their flaws, one is not necessarily better than the other. Do you work for arabnews.com, because this sounds like the drivel they put out.

Zahir: CNN offers pro-war propaganda? Oh, that's good. I'll have to save that comment for a laugh the next time I'm upset about the US media's relentless assault on the US military.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 1:41 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, CRAP! My apologies to all... I was hitting refresh on this window to see when new comments came in. Mine was always on the bottom, so I figured that nobody else had commented. It wasn't until just now that I realized that every refresh was resubmitting my last comment! Feeling foolish. Sorry about that. It's no excuse, but this is the first time I've seen a blog commenting system that works like that.
insomni Email 05.28.04 - 1:44 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am an Orthodox Jew (I'm sure Zahir has already formed lots of opinions about me). There is another reason why Bush deposed Saddam. It was a matter of family honor. Bush Sr. advised the Shiites to rebel and then, on the advice of the State Department, didn't help out. Many died due to our neglegence. Bush Jr., and the USA, needed to repair that breach of trust.
Joseph from Oregon Email 05.28.04 - 2:40 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zahir, like so many conspiracy theorists, thinks the US (and the Jews for that matter) are what the Arab world has always dreamed of being - united in belief, purpose and action. Fact is, sorry to break it to you Zahir, that we have disagreements and arguments and fundamental fault lines like anybody else. We (the West) succeed where you fail because we have developed a society that builds on disagreement and conflict rather than a society like that in the Arab world which will not allow disagreement or criticism and thus fails to develop at all. Individual liberty, SF and Zahir, leads to constructive conflict instead of destructive repression.
Joseph, Portland OR Email 05.28.04 - 2:46 pm #

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zahir: "Forget what you have leart from CNN, BBC ect."

This one had me rolling on the floor laughing! I haven't paid attention to either CNN OR BBC since the Gulf War of 1990-1991!!!!!!! ROFL! Those are the channels those who OPPOSE the Iraq War watch! LOL!!!!

Further, that article in the Village Voice says, "There is one photo of an American soldier having sex with an Iraqi woman."

They're a little behind the times. Word has gotten out that the woman in the picture is Lynddie England, she of the leash, not an Iraqi. There are no "rape" photos that are real.
Theresa, Florida 05.31.04 - 12:49 am #

Few days later I received a letter from Mr. Dave.

Letter from Dave
I've had to be off-line a couple of days because of work, but I did want to send an answer to you. I've just finished reading some of the discussion that followed our messages. I wanted to answer you this way rather than on the message board because some of the responses were profane and I don't care to be involved in discussions with such people participating.

Propaganda is a fine art. It takes facts and bends them to fit the needs of whoever is using them. I'll grant that the U.S. and the U.S. media indulge in it. It may surprise you to learn that a lot of Americans don't trust the word of our media or our government. Neither one of them certainly speaks for me.

I'm a Christian and we have a belief in orginal sin which is the idea that no one is without sin. We are all imperfect. I don' thave any illusions about my government or media. My question to you is -- are you as skeptical of the sources from which you get your news? They have their own agendas. They manipulate facts to fit what they want you to know just as our media tries to do with us.

The problem for you and me is how do we know what is true? We are both being manipulated, so we are left with this gulf between us that is filled with lies, half-truths and false impressions... Have you ever read George Orwell's book 1984? If you do, then that book explains better than I can how and why this happens.

Zahir, if you are an honest and honorable person, then you need to seek answers that don't demonize whole nations or groups of people. I seek to learn more about people in your part of the world by reading these blog sites. I have had wonderful, constructive conversations and had many mistaken impressions proven wrong. We (not just you and me) need to learn more about each other and stop being duped by this 'us versus them' mentality that we are being fed in the media & by governments.

The Truth lies somewhere in the middle between what you are told and what I am told. We need to seek that and build on that. Otherwise, matters will go from bad to worse.

Has my country always acted honorably? No. Did and does the U.S. make mistakes or bad judgments? Yes. Does all this mean we are involved in an evil conspiracy to monopolize world oil supplies and oppress Muslims? No. As imperfect as our efforts may have been, my countrymen have been trying to do the right thing for people in Kuwait and Iraq. Have you noticed that though some tried to cover up abuses, those are nevertheless being revealed in our media? Are those guilty going to be punished in a manner they deserve? Probably not in a way I would wish to see them punished. A reprimand or one year in prison is an outrage and scandal, but neither I or most Americans have any control over that -- only our government does.

Now, how about governments in your part of the world? Are their abuses reported? Are those who commit abuses punished ? I f they aren't, then what happens to people who publicy protest?

It is a sad state of affairs, Zahir, we are both pawns used by the authorities above us. I guess my best response to you is to say that one needs to accept the lesser of 2 evils and I sincerely believe that the U.S. is the lesser evil.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my first message and for allowing me to answer. God's blessing on you, Zahir.

Then I made this reply.

Reply to Dave
Hello Mr. Dave
I’m really sorry for making so much delay in making this reply. I was actually busy with my university admission and I was away from home for a long time. I’m really glad that you took the hardship of writing the nice mail to me.

I've had to be off-line a couple of days because of work, but I did want to send an answer to you. I've just finished reading some of the discussion that followed our messages. I wanted to answer you this way rather than on the message board because some of the responses were profane and I don't care to be involved in discussions with such people participating.

Propaganda is a fine art. It takes facts and bends them to fit the needs of whoever is using them. I'll grant that the U.S. and the U.S. media indulge in it. It may surprise you to learn that a lot of Americans don't trust the word of our media or our government. Neither one of them certainly speaks for me.

I'm a Christian and we have a belief in orginal sin which is the idea that no one is without sin. We are all imperfect. I don' thave any illusions about my government or media. My question to you is -- are you as skeptical of the sources from which you get your news? They have their own agendas. They manipulate facts to fit what they want you to know just as our media tries to do with us.

Yes, you are right. There is no point in taking all the information of sites that I suggested at muttawa.blogspot.com as truth. I actually don’t rely on any particular source for information, as I know it very well all the sources are biased. I try to read stories of both sides. Then I try to answer to some questions. When someone gets killed the police at first tries to find out the person who got benefited from the killing. In most of the cases you will find the actual murderer in this process. I imply this theory to get to the truth. And I believe that there is not a single person in this world who would do anything without having any benefit from his act. Nobody does anything for free. And I’ve experienced that newspapers are the worst source of true information. I rather tend to rely on documentary books.

The problem for you and me is how do we know what is true? We are both being manipulated, so we are left with this gulf between us that is filled with lies, half-truths and false impressions... Have you ever read George Orwell's book 1984? If you do, then that book explains better than I can how and why this happens.

I’m glad that you at least know that your government manipulate news. No, I haven’t read the book of George Orwell’s “1984”. I will try to read that book if I find it somewhere. Just a week ago I read a book of Harun Yahya, a Turkish world famous writer “Romanticism: A Weapon of Satan”. After reading this book I understood why our governments manipulate, how we are manipulated and the affects. 900 people of your country committed suicide at a time just listening to their leader in 1978. And in another case 90 university students committed suicide at a time because their teacher suggested them to suicide. It happens actually for blindly loving someone without caring a bit about the authenticity of his claim. To bring romanticism in his countrymen Hitler started the terms as German blood, German flag, German honour, German pride… He also applied many other ways to convince Germans to go for war. He made the Germans believe that serving the country should be their sole aim in life. So when Hitler attacked other countries and committed genocides his countrymen didn’t oppose because they thought opposing would be unpatriotic. To justify killing the Jews Hitler first demonstrated Jews as cheats, characterless who only know how to spread disorder and chaos and make money. Later when his army began to murder Jews, no Germans raised voice against that injustice (Don’t you see any similarity between then Hitler’s act and now Bush’s act?).

Zahir, if you are an honest and honorable person, then you need to seek answers that don't demonize whole nations or groups of people. I seek to learn more about people in your part of the world by reading these blog sites. I have had wonderful, constructive conversations and had many mistaken impressions proven wrong. We (not just you and me) need to learn more about each other and stop being duped by this 'us versus them' mentality that we are being fed in the media & by governments.

Through chatting with many Americans I learnt what a miserable life the Americans lead. A woman named Clarissa Jonson aged 35 told me her miserable life story. Her first husband had affairs with other women so she left him and got married with another man but few months later she found that her this husband is even worse. So he started living with her first husband again. She only has one daughter. She keeps her in a day care centre. She desperately wants to have another child but can’t afford that because she doesn’t have the ability to pay the bill for the babysitter for 2. When I asked why she doesn’t look after her child herself, she said that only relying on her husband’s money the family can’t run. Most of the time her 5-year-old girl stay alone at home.

This is a very common story. You are in a workaholic country. You government make you work like a donkey. You are deprived of family bond. You don’t get a mother’s love let alone father’s. Your aim in life has been fixed by your country only to serve the country by paying huge tax. And with that tax money Mr. Bush liberate other counties. It is not that only the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Philistine (or should I say the rest of the world!!) will suffer badly for Mr. Bush’s liberating campaigns. I believe the Americans will suffer the most at the end. With no family bond, no love for each other, no freedom, and no religion: a country full of frustrated robots. What can be worse than this??? (Religion and family bond is the 2 greatest barriers in making people workaholic)

I actually didn’t want to mean that Americans are bad people by criticizing USA. What I wanted to mean that the US government is doing injustice and spreading lawlessness through out the whole world. I just wanted to say like Mr. Cofy Anan “The world would have been a better place to live if there were no USA”.

The Truth lies somewhere in the middle between what you are told and what I am told. We need to seek that and build on that. Otherwise, matters will go from bad to worse.

Has my country always acted honorably? No. Did and does the U.S. make mistakes or bad judgments? Yes. Does all this mean we are involved in an evil conspiracy to monopolize world oil supplies and oppress Muslims? No. As imperfect as our efforts may have been, my countrymen have been trying to do the right thing for people in Kuwait and Iraq. Have you noticed that though some tried to cover up abuses, those are nevertheless being revealed in our media? Are those guilty going to be punished in a manner they deserve? Probably not in a way I would wish to see them punished. A reprimand or one year in prison is an outrage and scandal, but neither I or most Americans have any control over that -- only our government does.

I’m sorry to say that I can’t agree a bit with this part of your letter. Firstly, … ok lets look at the following proven facts about Iraq war…
1. Before going into war against Iraq US government didn’t know that there is not a single WMD in Iraq.
2. US Government didn’t know that Saddam didn’t have any connection with Al Qaida (it has been proofed recently).
3. US Government didn’t know that Iraqis would come up with so much resistance. (It thought they would invite US with flowers.)
4. US Government couldn’t show any connection of Saddam with 9/11.
5. Saddam never had so much military power to pose threat to US security.
Now, you tell me how can you rely on a government like this that has the worst intelligence in the world???

And please never use the word “countrymen” in your statements like you did here, “my countrymen have been trying to do the right thing for people in Kuwait and Iraq.” Rather say “Our government”. I hate your government not your countrymen. And I think I’ve already let you know what kind of help US Government is giving to Kuwait and Iraq in muttawa.blogspot.com. So I won’t repeat that here.

And about the prisoner abuse by the great liberators…. Hmm.. I really expected something better from you as I know that you spend a lot of time on the net. I don’t know why you couldn’t get the actual news. POW abuse is not uncommon in US soldiers. Like Rumsfeld said when he was being interrogated about the POW abuse (quite like this), “listening the facts of POW abuse is one thing but I know that seeing them on the TV is lot different.” Actually we have been hearing the news of POW abuse by the US soldiers for years but this is the first time we are seeing the pictures. Don’t tell me that you don’t know how US government is treating the detainees at Guantenamo. I have seen pictures of even more brutal than what happened at Abu Ghraib. Maybe you don’t even know that US soldiers killed thousands of POWs in Afghanistan after severely torturing them. You can get the stories with pictures at www.whatreallyhappened.com. I will give you the URL later when I get time. It took 1 year for you to get the pictures of Abu Ghraib. I wonder how they leaked. US Government succeeded to deceive for years. It’s not unlikely that one or two out of thousands will leak (I’m really a stupid sometimes. I don’t even get simple things).
And about punishing those guilty… I don’t think it is necessary to punish them by sending them to prison. One reason is this they were ordered by the upper string. They just followed the orders (if their claims are taken to as the truth). Another reason is that they are already getting punishment. Some of the US army men have become mentally sick. After returning from Iraq an army man killed his wife (I’m insane in this case because she was totally innocent. She didn’t deserve such treatment. Those pictures really destroyed my sense of civility). There are other reports of committing suicide, abusing family members. They don’t find peace at home either. If you want someone to have punishment for this it should be Mr. Rumsfeld. Because he knew that such abuses were taking place in Iraq many months before those picture leaked out but he didn’t take any action.
And don’t tell me that you can’t do anything against your government’s acts. It is not true. You can at least hate your government’s injustice. That is enough if you don’t have the courage to let others know your opinion.

Now, how about governments in your part of the world? Are their abuses reported? Are those who commit abuses punished ? I f they aren't, then what happens to people who publicy protest?

I will let you know in details about my country in my next mail. But before that let me know you have received this mail.

It is a sad state of affairs, Zahir, we are both pawns used by the authorities above us. I guess my best response to you is to say that one needs to accept the lesser of 2 evils and I sincerely believe that the U.S. is the lesser evil.

Romanticism worked in you when you wrote these 3 lines. Don’t you remember that the whole world protested the war against Iraq? Do you think that only US has the ability to understand what is good for Iraq and what is bad?
Yes, agree that Saddam was an evil. But there can be no greater evil than US for Iraq. You will understand it but for a while you think yourself as an Iraqi. Just think that you are an Iraqi and ask yourself the question “Who the greater evil is?”

I’m from Bangladesh, a country that was a part of greater India along with Pakistan. The British ruled India for 200 years. We know what it is like to be colonized. If you just read the history of India you will know what a great, great evil England was. There can be no curse greater than being colonized. For 200 years there had been hundreds of mutinies, millions of people got killed to liberate the country again from the British vampire. But it would have been very easy to save India had our forefathers made a little effort 200 years ago. But they didn’t realize the fatal effects of letting the British colonize India then. Now you just see how badly it affected India.
· One third of the people of India died in 1776 when the British businessmen stored all the grains to make better profit.
· Most of the treasures of India were taken to UK. Just visit the British Museum. They didn’t leave anything from household materials to diamonds and jewelleries.
· In USA more than 30% of doctors and engineers are from India. You will find that students of Indian subcontinent are the best in the world. If all the workers of Indian subcontinent are taken out of US, it will not remain a superpower (tell me if I’m wrong). But having so many talented workers all over the world the people of this region have not progressed much. Our workers are building other countries but can’t do the same to their own country. And it is the effect of being colonized for 200 years.
· India divided into 3 parts after getting liberated from the British Vampire step by step through many deadly wars one deadlier then the other. Before leaving India, UK didn’t clarify whether Kashmir is a part of India or of Pakistan. And now for the last 57 years India and Pakistan are fighting for Kashmir and so far thousands of people got killed just for this Kashmir dispute.
· Still the stories of British solders’ cruelty towards our poor villagers haunt us.
There is no difference between 250 years ago UK and present US. UK also came to India to serve India and now US went to Iraq to liberate it. UK fooled us but I’m glad that Iraq hasn’t stepped on the deadly trap of US.
Saddam is just a man. There was hope in the Iraqis that after his death, Saddam’s days will be over. Or a strong mutiny can make their dream come true. But if US come, there is no hope.

Again just think what US soldiers have done at Abu Ghraib. A year hasn’t passed yet and they have started showing their real face. UK was cleverer than US. They showed their actual face after getting the total control of India. But US is stupid, it better get some lessons from its collaborator.

Finally I would like to tell you that, God never lets an oppressor get away with his crime even in this world. I don’t feel pity for the Iraqis. USA is doing a great job there. Petrodollar made those Iraqis lazy and haughty. Now for this war they are getting united, getting industrious. It surely is necessary for them. They will have better family bond, rational bond and of course they will get out of the idea of relying on petrodollar only. I thank Mr. Bush for liberating them of their ignorance about the cruelty of the world.
But I feel pity for you Americans. Just for to provide the money for liberating other counties (Afghanistan, then Iraq, then Syria, then Iran, then Saudi Arabia… hey, why Saudi Arabia so late??? They were the real culprits of that 9/11 attack as CIA claims…oh I must not forget your CIS always make mistakes) you will have to pay taxes after taxes. This is just the beginning. I don’t know what your warmonger Government will make your next generation do, to get the money to liberate other countries.
Don’t say that you can do nothing. As you curse your ancestors for making your country a workaholic nation, your next generation will curse you for not doing anything. Liberate yourself from this workaholic state. Get fun having a great family life. I know without my family I’m nothing. I can’t even imagine what a regretful life it is not to have good family bond. Look at your countrymen they are frustrated paying all those taxes. Don’t let your children blame you for not giving them a father’s love, a beautiful family.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my first message and for allowing me to answer. God's blessing on you, Zahir.

Thank you too for writing your lovely mail. I would be very obliged if you let me know your daily routine and about you and your family.
Thank you once again
Zahir.

I’ve found that the westerners take a lot of hardship to convey their massage to us. And they try their best to discuss about facts to come to the truth. But unfortunately there aren’t many in us to tell them our story. So we can’t blame them for their ignorance.

In the Hands of the Taliban

2004-08-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

Oh... what a miserable treatment this British woman had after getting caught by those terrorist Talibans.
Read the story of Yvonne Ridley.

Read Stories of new Muslims...

2004-08-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

who have recently converted to Islam

Please, read this article to know stories about people who have converted to Islam from different religions.

Read Quran online

2004-08-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

Please go to this site to read Quran online. Unfortunately you can only get one verse at one time. But the good side of this site is you can have more than one English translations, you can listen to the Quranic verses (audio recitations) and have explanations. It's really wonderful. You better have a look at it. Also go to www.islamonline.org.

Israel Is The Real Winner of America's War On Iraq

2004-08-05T00:51:00.000-07:00

If we rank those countries which have benefited most, and are still benefiting, from the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, Israel heads the list. While it is certainly not alone in profiting from this conflict, it has reaped by far the greatest advantages of any other nation, both politically and economically. Here are the top ten.

The Fake bin Laden Video Tape

2004-08-02T03:20:00.000-07:00

The lie US government told the whole world. And how we all have been misguided... I always believe Usama as a great man and he certainly is a good man, not a terrorist. You will understand it if you read this article.

The Anthrax letters came from inside the United States.

2004-08-02T03:06:00.000-07:00

Please read this article.

Who really was behind the 9/11 attack?

2004-08-02T02:29:00.000-07:00

Please read this article.

Temporary lull

2004-07-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I won’t be able to write for the next couple of weeks. After that I will be regular in writing I hope.

Inspiring My Friend to Continue Blogging

2004-07-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

My Friend, Rifat who started blogging before me got frustrated after couple of months' writing. Because he was didn't get quick response from the readers as he had anticipated. So he wrote this emotional post on May.
Sunday, May 23, 2004

You are reading a bad blogI have been blogging for last 3 months. At first it was a thrill for me. There was not so many readers of mine. I waited for long to have some regular reader. I got some but the number is too little to mention. I didn't give up and tried my best. For the last few weeks the number of reader per day became very low. I already found that I am not providing good posts mostly. So you are among them who are reading a bad blog.Actually my situation here is not appropriate to blog. Its something like luxury here. I don't have internet access, easy to get newspapers and other facility at my dormitory. I have to go to cyber cafe mostly to write something here. That is both expensive and time consuming. Sometimes I feel lack of interest and proper subject to write. I expect ideas from my readers to improve my blog in all ways. After all these I am still confident to continue. May be after few more weeks there will be only one reader left. And thats me :). Anyway, thanks to you all to be with a bad blog.
posted by Rifat @ 7:30 PM
Comments (12)

I then wrote the following comments to his this post taking different names.

Hmmm...i'm certain that you wrote this post with much emotion. But I have to tell you only one thing... and that is you are a lot more stupid than i had thought you to be. Now listen... Don't care about the number of readers. cause I heard a story of a great writer who was once told that only 5 copies of your this book have been sold so far. and he said "what?? I thought no more than 3 copies will be sold cause i know that there ain't many ppl to read good stuffs." So don't worry. think that your blog is too good for we readers. But I assure u that you will get many readers only if you stop caring about your readers.
Zahir Email 05.23.04 - 11:02 am #

Make sure that you don't write anything from the newspaper. write whatever you think. don't follow others. And remember, everyday while conversing with ppl you learn many beautiful events. right??? why don't you write those events??? I'm sure everyone will like them. you can write about Rajshahi. The communication system, about the ppl, how many cars are there. you can write about the lifestyle of them. Surely there are many many things to write about that can attract readers easily. And again... don't care much about the readers. At least you will always have a regular reader. hahaha.a......
Anonymous 05.23.04 - 11:03 am #

Your blog is a real bad one indeed...lolBut why do i come to this blog/?????......
..
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.

.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.

..
.
.
..
.
.
.
..
Is it because I love rubbish stuffs???
Fan of your blog Email 05.23.04 - 11:10 am #

Why do you say that this blog is bad??? I really like your blog. Specially when you write about your university life. I really love to know about the university life in Bangladesh. I wish I could be with guys like to a university like yours. bye..don't stop please. I will miss your writing.c ya with regular posts.
Fariha Email 05.23.04 - 11:16 am #

who is that stupid that says it is a bad blog????
a fan 05.23.04 - 12:14 pm #

a stupid, huh??? yeah u r right "a fan". surely that guy is a stupid.
Fariha 05.23.04 - 12:23 pm #

Hey Rifat,You are a gadha.
you are a great gadha.
no no... I great great gadha. no no...
I great great great gadha. no no... you are the greatest gadha.
Who told you to think about the readers???? You are really a stupid to expect a big number of readers in this short time. And don't blame the lack of facilities in your place for your failure to get many readers. That's also a great stupidity. I'd appreciate if you delete that counter from your template. Then you won't have to worry a little. a friend 05.24.04 - 9:16 am #

sorry for the silly mistake above. it would be "A" instead of "I"
a friend 05.24.04 - 9:24 am #

The next day when I phoned him to know what he was thinking about blogging, he was totally ecstatic and I understood that he would never think of quiting again. Especially when he found someone named "Fariha" is reading his blog. I don't think he can ever think of quiting....Hahaha....Can he?

And it happened just as I thought. Now he has a modest number of readers and he surely is enjoying their presence. And after reading those comments he never had any problem with blogging.

This Government

2004-07-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

...is the most Successful Government:

A TV ad:
With music and dancing of many boys and girls a TV ad starts in Bangladesh TV.
“Nutri C, Nutri C. Orange flavoured Nutri C…

100% vitamin C with 6 other vitamins; very nutritious for your body.”
Hey, where do they put those 6 other vitamins when vitamin C covers 100%?

A Canvasser’s advertisement of his product:
Dear brothers and sisters I’ve a special kind of balm that can remove your headache, foot ache, back pain immediately. It is a well-examined balm that has no side effects, no oiliness, no odour and no burning. If you don’t believe me verify it. Tell me if someone of you have headache. I’ll put this balm on his head and you will see that the headache is gone in a minute. And he won’t have to pay for that. I give you 200% guarantee that this balm is 100% affective. Once you have used it even headache’s big daddy has no ability of staying in your head. If you find any problem bring it back to me. I will return you the money right away. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it… You won’t get the chance again to buy because I’ve come here just for today. You will never find me here again. Take on 50% discount. The company rate is 20taka but just for you and only for now I’m giving it for 10taka, 10 taka 10 taka. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it….

Our Prime Ministers’ Common Speech at a Public Meeting:
….
………
Bangladesh now has no deficiency in food. We have made a huge improvement in this sector. In last government’s time people died in want of food. But is our time Bangladesh is completely self-sufficient in food. Not only that we have improved it so much that we now have to make new storehouses to store the excessive food grains. The old storehouses are not enough to store so much food grains. We are now thinking of exporting rice to foreign counties and earn huge amount of foreign currency (it brings huge clapping and screaming among the supporters).
…
But unfortunately our opposition party leaders don’t see this improvement. They are jealous of our success. Don’t listen to them. They tell lies. We are telling you the truth. This government is a successful government in every sector….

To tell you the truth this is just a carbon copy of what our previous PM said in a public meeting very similar to this one.

A Joke:
“Hear you’ve been having car trouble”, said one neighbour to another.
“I brought a new carburettor that saved thirty percent on gas, a new transmission that saved fifty percent on gas, and a new set of spark plugs that saved forty percent of gas”
“So what happened?” asked the neighbour.
“After I drove about forty miles, the gas tank overflowed.”
-Taken from Reader’s Digest.

What we do:
When we see that Nutri C TV ad we laugh at their stupidity. We ignore the canvassers when we see them on roadside telling all those lies. And when our Prime Minister tells us its success stories we mourn at our helplessness. But we can’t ignore it because we are compelled to hear it. Na shune jaibe koi???

A Future Politician:

2004-07-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

One day, at the private tutor’s class where we 15 students used to study statictics, the teacher was explaining how to take a good sample to find out the total number of a particular element in a certain area. He brought the example of contaminated water and then while explaining the subject he asked the class, “Can anyone of you tell me how we can have a good source of water?”
We can make a hole under the Bay of Bengal” said one student jokingly. “Then connect it to our country.”
The whole class burst out laughing at his stupid answer. But the teacher who is by nature very humorous didn’t laugh at all, instead he said, “I see that this boy has a bright future ahead of him. If he keeps thinking this way, he would become a good politician.”

Things you

2004-07-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

...shouldn’t do in Bangladesh:

· You should never go to any meeting on the scheduled time.
(Main guest: “The scheduled time for the meeting is 1:30. Should I go after half an hour or at 2:30?” Organizer: “You are the main guest. Don’t come before 3:00. Main guest should always come last.” )
· You should never believe with the politicians say.
(Before election a Bangladeshi politician: I promise I will enforce law in this country. I’ll bring the guilty to justice. I will make Bangladesh a ‘Sonar Bangla’. I couldn’t keep my promise last time. But this time I promise I will keep my promise.” )
· You should never say things to the point. Exaggerate them. People will believe one tenth of what you claim.
(“He says he has visited 10 countries. Shala… Just by visiting India he says he has visited 10 countries.”)
· You should never hope to get back the money you have lent someone.
(Borrower: “Hey, for ten years I’ve been saying that I’ll give you the money back in two months. But still you don’t trust me.)

Good sides of living in Bangladesh

2004-07-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

· You can protest anything and everything of the Government (But there is no one to listen) without getting any problem from the ruling party activists.
· You can pee anywhere you like.
· You can break every kind of traffic law (if there exists any).
· You can sound the car horn as much as you like on the road. You will stop after getting tired but on one will complain.
· You can offer bribe to everybody.
· You can do any crime you like and get away with it.
· You can escape paying government tax.
· You can get paid without working at the government office.
· You can illegally occupy government land and then illegally legalize that land and feel proud for being owner of the land.
· You can bargain on the price of anything at any shop. (Customer: “How much is it?” Seller: “700taka” Customer: “How about 50?”
· You can spend ½ the year on vacation thanks to strikes, religious festivals of the Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists, Mujib day, Zia day, freedom fighter’s day, language day, liberation day, victory day and so on.
· You can enjoy the natural beauty of night everyday. The beautiful while moon. The cool breeze of the wind. Ahh… How wonderful. (That’s why the electricity goes every night here.)
· You won’t have to pay parking fees anywhere (but your car can at any time come under attack of the picketers without any warning).
· You won’t have to calculate time all the time. You will get it in huge amount here. Time is not invaluable in this country. It is valueless here.
· You won’t feel the necessity of a racing car. Because rickshaw, bus truck, racing car all runs at the same speed here. Aha… this is called real equality.
· You won’t have to go to a gym or to have morning walk everyday; just a 15-minute bus journey will give you proper exercise thanks to all those potholes we have in our ever-constructing roads.
· And most importantly you won’t have to vote Mr. Bush.

Certificate Age

2004-07-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Almost everybody now-a-days decrease the age in their academic certificates. This alternation is not a secret anymore; rather it has become a custom. I haven’t seen anyone who uses real birth date in his certificates. And our schoolteachers assist us in decreasing the age. Before getting admitted into a school the birth certificate is necessary but before any board examination the schoolteachers usually consult with the students to know what date he/she would like to have officially when registrations are going for the board examinations.

My maternal aunt has a daughter and a son of one-year age difference between them. Salma, the older of the two decreased 2 years from her actual birth date. On the other hand when her brother Shaown’s registration for board exam was going the next year, the teacher of his class who is very lazy didn’t contact with any student before making the change. Instead of consulting with anyone she decreased one year from everyone’s birth date. Now on the certificate Salma and Shaown has only ten days age difference. It would have been ok if it were the same day. But 10 day difference between two siblings and of the same mother? How can it be possible?
Shaown’s friend who came from Italy to attend just the exam is also in trouble for this teacher as his age has also been decreased by one year. But on passport he is one year older. So he will face some problems with the certificate when he goes to Italy again to his family.
My uncle who studied in a village school fell in a different kind of problem. His village schoolteacher increased his age by a year and a half years. When asked why he did so, he said, “It is good to have age increased because it will help you to get a good job. People will think that you have good experience.”

Most of the students prefer to decrease age only by changing the birth year without changing the month and date. But those who change the date too are rather lucky to have two birth dates. They can have two birthday parties in a year. Our Prime Minister has 4 birth dates. Sadly one of her birth dates is fixed on the death anniversary of the founder of our present main opposition party. So the day the opposition party politicians arrange functions to mourn, the ruling party politicians are in a joyful mood cutting cakes celebrating birthday. This is just an example of the nasty politics we have in our country.

Our Ineffective Workers:

2004-07-06T07:17:00.001-07:00

A young man hired by a supermarket reported for his first day of work. The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, gave him a broom and said, “Your first job will be to sweep out the store.”
“But I’m a university graduate”, the young man replied indignantly.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that”, said the manager. “Here, give me the broom- I’ll show you how.”
-Taken from Reader’s Digest.

This is just a joke. But our students spend all their effort to get good grades. And the parents also think that good grade is everything. As a result they are not given any household work to do. “No work, no play, just study.” This theory most of the time backfires on their children.

Few days ago I went to Mr. Neil Russell to talk about my university admission process and he was not finding my file in his computer. I then showed him how to find a file. “Press Ctrl + F. Then type Zahir*.*. and all the files with Zahir in the beginning will come.”
He thanked me and said, “I’m tired with all these Bangladeshi workers (He has 6 employees just for to assist him in consultancy and to handle computer work). I instructed them several times to put the files of Bangladeshi students in Bangladesh file. But they keep making new folders. There is only one girl who can work a bit others are of no good.”
“Why don’t you take an expert in computer instead of so many workers?” I suggested.
“Four of them are university graduates. I didn’t know that they are so weak in computer. I’m now giving them lessons on computer. And I also will have to teach them English. I can’t understand whatever they say. They are attending English classes with other IELTS students.
I’ve had enough with them. My Russian girls are far better. From next month you will see a Russian girl here.”
I didn’t argue with him because I knew that he was totally right.

There are thousands of job opportunities in Bangladesh but for the good workers only. There is a feeling in the students of our country that when you are a student your only job is to study. There is no need to work. After graduation your extraordinary academic background will bring you a good job. You won’t even have to look for a job.
For this prevailing idea, parents don’t let their children do anything.

I once took my one friend to kitchen shopping to accompany me while I buy chickens and beef; which I used to buy while returning home from the big market we had beside our college. When the chickens where slaughtered they were put in the feather cleaning machine for to clean up the feathers. We call it dressing.

My friend said, “Wow, that’s a nice machine. It cleans all the feathers so quickly and so beautifully. It’s really wonderful”.
“Hey, haven’t you seen such a thing before?” I asked surprised.
“I never went to any kitchen market.” He said. “Actually, I never had to as our caretaker takes good care of all those stuffs.”

Then I showed him other parts of the bazaar and explained different things to him. And he enjoyed it much as if he were a foreigner, came on a visit to Bangladesh.
I had a classmate at Chittagong College who used to spend all of his time on study. He had 3 home tutors. He also used to study in groups to 4 college teachers going to their houses. He never played with us because he will miss his teacher’s class.
Giving study excessive priority we are in reality heading towards a nation of ineffective workers.

Legal Terrorists:

2004-07-06T06:28:00.001-07:00

Having to give terrorists money as we pay tax to our government is very common in Bangladesh. If you don’t have good political support behind you, you will have to give Chada (Tax to terrorists) for every kind of trade you make be it buying or selling a building or building a house or a shop or even in purchasing a piece of land, you will have to pay Chada no matter what. But this chada collection has gone a step further recently. Now it has become a legal demand. The following story will clarify my point.

Commissioner means: One who takes commission
The present commissioner of our area is not an activist of the ruling party. So he doesn’t have any control of this Bayezid Thana. He has to be consent with the fancy title with literally no real power. On the other hand a ruling party activist named Akbar is going to apply for the commissioner position on next election is virtually enjoying all the power a commissioner can enjoy. If something goes wrong people go to him to have the problem solved and he like a village leader solves the problem immediately.

A group of Mastans (a terrorist under any political party’s shelter is called a mastan.) went to a shop of a fish seller one day and demanded 1 lakh(100,000) taka, if not paid he will have to pack up his shop for good. 1 lakh taka is obviously too much for him to pay as his monthly income is no more than 10,000taka.

Finding no other way to convince the mastans with less money he went to Akbar Bhai ( Bhai literary means brother; usually mastans and politicians are called bhai) And Akbar Bhai gave him a nice solution. He said, “ I understand that for a poor man like you it is not possible to pay 1 lakh taka. Don’t worry. You won’t have to pay all of this amount at a time. Just pay 5,000taka per month and you in 2 years the total money will be paid.”
But the shopkeeper didn’t like this beautiful idea; instead he packed for his village home with his belongings.

Story #2:
Mr. Saiful (my uncle’s friend) one day saw a day labourer walking along a road at Bakolia crying. Upon asking the labourer he came to know that a policeman caught him few minutes ago and took 250taka from him forcefully and threatened him that if he tells about this incident to anyone the policeman will file a case against hi. Mr. Saiful then took the labourer to the commissioner of that area. The commissioner then called the policeman in his room and asked about the authenticity of the labourer’s claim. But he couldn’t get any proper response from the policeman instead he was standing saying nothing. With fierce eyes he looked at the policeman for sometime brought all the rage of the world in him and suddenly gave a big slap on the policeman’s face. This sudden unexpected strong slap was too much for him to handle. As a result he fell on the couch beside him. The commissioner then declared, “If I hear anything like this of you again from anyone, that will be your last day on this earth. I’m not going to take any further action against you today…”

The labourer was returned his 250taka afterwards and the commissioner told his to report to him immediately if he falls in any kind of trouble at Bakolia.

FAQ about my blog:

2004-07-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

Q: Why the title of your blog is ‘I Look I See’?
A: ‘I look’ means I search and ‘I see’ means I find. Therefore ‘I Look I See’ means I find the truth because I search for it. Before starting this blog I was interested in writing about politics and recent events. But later I changed my mind and now I only concentrate writing on funny, interesting or educational events of my life or of others. So this title for this blog is not befitting but I’m not planning to change it.

Q: Why this blog?
A: At first my aim was to become popular by blogging. But now I’m just interested about solving some problems of our country. And at the same time I’m looking at my future as a writer. I’m writing all the funny and interesting events and most importantly nice conversations. My readers will never be disappointed by reading my future posts because there will be something funny or interesting in them. In future if I write a drama or a novel or even a short story these conversations and events would be very handy.

Q: Why don’t you write about politics and recent events?
A: I’m now carefully trying not to write about politics and recent events. I want my blog never to become old. There is no point in criticizing politicians because criticism would not make them change their mind. Thinking about dishonest politicians of our ruling party makes me sick to the stomach. What good can it bring me by getting angry on them and criticizing? It’d rather worsen my character and cause trouble to my family life. I think it’s far better to try to solve problems than criticizing.

Q: Your blog is not so beautiful. There is no picture, very few links and nothing appealing. What do you have to say about it?
A: Yes I also agree that it’s not beautiful and it would be better if my posts have pictures with them. I don’t think outlook is important to attract readers. I actually don’t want to put any link in my blog without having good knowledge of that particular blog or site. And I will put some pictures in future. And all the pictures will be my own taken picture. I don’t like that copy paste business.

Q: Are all the events and characters in your blog real?
A: To the best of my knowledge all the events are real. I try my best to be honest. But the names are often altered. I can’t assure you about my name either… lol.

Q: Won’t it be befitting to your blog if you entitle it ‘Beggars.com’ or ‘The Beggars’?
A: Am I writing a bit too much about beggars? Maybe… But I won’t be writing about beggars all the time. Maybe when I start writing regularly about rickshaw pullers you would tell me to change the name again. I will think about organizing a vote for the perfect title of this blog. But then like our opposition party there will be many readers who would say there have been conspiracies going on in the poll. So that will not serve the purpose either. So it’s just fine with this title. Hahaha….

Q: Do you have any new area to write about?
A: For now, I’m hoping of writing about the education system of our country more and more. And I also want to write about the ways in which we can improve the educational environment of our country. Hopefully someone would be benefited by this attempt.

Doing Practical Classes at HSC:

2004-07-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

The thing I disliked most at HSC was doing practical classes. I can’t say if I ever did any practical class attentively. I used to go to the practical class only if the Table Tennis room was closed. Even if I went to the class I used to pass most of the time annoying the boring teacher or doing something weird to make others burst out laughing. The only thing that students really cared about was taking the teacher’s signature on the practical notebook. And I didn’t even have any practical notebook. The teachers’ bullying words and warnings could never cause panic in me.

But I had to pay for that. After the HSC written exams other students who were busy taking preparation for the viva test and I was busy copying Rifat’s practical notebooks. I completed 2 subjects and my sister and younger brother completed the other 2. Rifat was very sincere in the practical classes. He never missed a single practical class. So his books were very reliable to copy. Just before the viva test date I managed to get the signatures on all the four subjects.

Amazingly enough I got better marks in practical exams than Rifat. When I told this story to my another friend Asad, he was not moved at all. He said, “it’s nothing. I didn’t attend a single practical class. I neither wrote a single page of my practical notebooks nor have them written yet I got better marks than you two.” I didn’t believe him and told him to explain.

Practical exams of 450 students of Chittagong College were taken in 9 different groups in 3 days. He took others practical notebooks that have been checked. Because of the huge number of notebooks it is not possible for the examiner to check all of them or even give signature on every page. So they usually give signature on the opening page and at the end.

Asad took beautifully written notebooks tore away the covers and cut the first and the last pages of every books and put new covers and bind the notebooks and give them his own name. And they are ready to be shown to the examiners. No taking boring classes, no writing disgusting notebooks and get the best result.
Ahh… if only I knew this system a year before.

Genius in a Day:

2004-07-05T05:28:00.000-07:00

By nature I was totally unstable in my high school, I didn’t like my section because my close friends were in A and C sections. So I used to attend classes in those sections to make fun. And about the attendance? I never really cared about that.

Every teacher has his own invented approach to take the first class of his new students to win them. Some try to be humorous by telling some jokes and tell the same jokes to new students on the first class every year. Some try to sound genius, some try to be very tough, some criticize, some flirt, some praise the students. Their approach is different from one another.

One day, I was in a math class with my friend Nasir and it was a newly appointed math teacher’s class named ‘Hasan Sir’. He started his class with some very difficult math questions. All though the students of A section were the best among students of other sections, nobody could answer a single question. Then the teacher answered all the questions and explained them. I didn’t attempt to answer any, as I was busy gossiping with Nasir (Just trying to sound a genius by not saying that I had no idea of what the teacher was asking.)

On the next day Hasan Sir came to our class (B section). And to my amazement he started with those same questions. His first question was a tough one. But I immediately answered that. Then he said, “ Let me see if any one of you can answer this one…” I answered that too. Then he asked another and another. Without giving others even the time to think I answered them all quickly. It seemed to me that my teacher was getting a little worried then, as he was running short of questions and things were not happening according to his plan. So he said, “Hey you, yes that boy over there. You don’t answer any more question. Give others chance. It’s understandable that there would be one or two geniuses in a class of 150 students. But that doesn’t mean that they would answer all the questions. The others should also be encouraged.”

That was it. I became a genius. And this news of my being a genius went to the farthest corner of our college. Half an hour later, after the class a boy from A section came to me and said, “Are you Zahir?”
I said, “Yeah, Why?”
“No, nothing…" He said, "Actually I was just interested to meet a brilliant student like you.”
I said, "Oh…" (My hand automatically went to my forehead rubbing it with the index finger, abashed)

The boy then said, "I heard that you answered all the questions of Hasan Sir without making any mistake. How could you do that?"

I pretended to be smart and said, "Ohhh…. It was nothing…"

Don’t ask me what happened on the next day when Hasan Sir came in the class with some new questions.

Minhaz's Story

2004-06-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

Minhaz is an interesting character I’ve come to know recently. There will be lot more stories about him in future.

Minhaz’s Experience with an Old Beggar:
Being a resident of a house just beside Feni Railway Station, Minhaz goes to the station quite often. In this way he became familiar with a beggar who always begs in the station area. And out of compassion for the beggar Minhaz wanted to do something special for him instead of just offering alms so that he doesn’t have to beg anymore. Minhaz said to the old man, “I think begging is very hard for you as you are quite old. I want to do something so that you don’t have to beg alms any longer.” The old man said, “Please, give me some money. I haven’t eaten anything today.”

Minhaz: Come to my house. It’s just over there. I will let you have good meal everyday. And you will stay with us. You won’t have to work. You will just do Jikr (praise Allah) and pray for us. I will take care of all your needs.

Old man: But I got a wife.

Minhaz: Don’t worry. She will also stay with you at our house and do Jikr. I will give you two a separate room to live in harmony.

Old man: I got two sons. What will happen to them?

Minhaz: Just come to my house with all your family members. I won’t let anyone of you beg. I will give good job to your two sons.

Old man: But I got three daughters who I will have to give marriage soon.

Minhaz: Ok… I will marry your one daughter and give the other two marriages to two good boys.

Old man: What did you say?

Minhaz: I will marry your one daughter and…

Old man: What did you say?

Minhaz: I will MARRY your girl.

Old man: I can’t hear you.

Minhaz: I said I would marry your daughter.

Old man: Sorry, still I can’t hear you.

Minhaz: Hey, what’s wrong with your ears?

Now, Minhaz went close to the beggar and said aloud, “I will marry your daughter.”

Old man: Aaa a aa u uh.

Minhaz: Hey, now don’t tell me that you can’t even talk.

The old man now began to use sign language. He is not talking at all. After sometime, Minhaz got tired and left the beggar.
I asked Minhaz what would he have done if the beggar agreed with his proposal. He said, “I know these beggars very well. They can never think of leaving begging. So I knew that I will never have to marry his daughter.”

Minhaz”s Experience with a Lame Beggar:
While returning from Jumma prayer one day Minhaz saw a man lying on the floor beside the Masjid entrance with a bleeding crooked leg as if he had an accident just moments ago and now he is in need of immediate medical treatment. The man didn’t seem like a usual beggar but was begging money for his treatment. His fresh blood covered leg made Minhaz feel pity for him. Minhaz counted the money on the cloth kept for the money collection and it was 71taka. He could have left the sight giving a five or ten taka note for the sake of humanity. But being humane he couldn’t leave that poor man in his that awful condition. He wanted the beggar to go his house for treatment. The beggar said, “No, you won’t have to take so much hardship, just give me some money I will do my treatment in a hospital later.” But Minhaz’s continued request made the beggar go with him to his house.
Minhaz is a photographer, although not professional. It’s his passion. He is also a regular blood donor. So he thought if he takes this poor man and admits him to a good hospital in Dhaka the hospital authority will charge much less than the actual fees. Besides he was going to Dhaka the next day anyway. He was just craving to show his mother to what importance his Photography degree and blood donation have come to. So it was necessary to have a good hold of this beggar. He has taken many professions just because he likes to know new things. Well, this is how he justifies his changing professions from time to time. But his mother doesn’t buy his arguments. She says because of his unstable mind he doesn’t fit anywhere. Many times she tried to take him to a psychiatrist or a dervish to talk about his mental disorder. But his father who rather enjoys his activities with his non-stop support to his son’s folly doesn’t let her take any action.
Minhaz brought the beggar at his home gave his injured leg primary treatment and after having a good meal, the beggar left. Minhaz couldn’t make him stay in his house for that day. But the beggar promised him that he would go with him to Dhaka to have medical treatment of his broken leg. So Minhaz bought two train tickets for Dhaka for 240taka each. The train is to leave the station at 8am and his poor fellow was to come at the station at 7 o’clock. Minhaz went to the station at 6 o’clock just because he thought if the beggar doesn’t find him in a short time he would be anxious. But even at 7:30 when the beggar was not coming Minhaz sent a man to look for him. And he found that the beggar was totally reluctant to go to Dhaka for his treatment. Minhaz didn’t have anything to do. So he gave the beggar’s ticket to another person for free and went alone to Dhaka.
While conversing with fellow passengers, he later realized that the beggar was actually a fraud. Having a fresh broken leg no person can beg because of the intense of the unbearable pair. He somehow had his leg broken long ago which made is crooked. Now he uses that crooked leg to blackmail others emotionally. He collects cow blood from the slaughterhouse and then mixes glycerine with it and the blood never coagulates. In this way the blood looks fresh for many hours. When the proper time comes he uses this mixture on his crooked leg and the show begins… “Oh my brothers I had an accident while passing the road, not too long ago. Please give some money for my broken leg’s treatment… ahh uhh… I can’t bear the PAIN…”

Minhaz’s Experience with a well-dressed Beggar:Minhaz was in Feni Railway Station one day and a well-dressed man came to him and said, “I work in a bank in Comilla, came here on work. A pickpocket took all my money. Please give me 10taka. I’m very hungry now, as I haven’t eaten anything for a long time. I will die soon if I don’t eat something now.” “Hmm…that’s really sad…but what will you eat with just 10taka?” The man had a file with him. He took some papers out of that file and showed it to Minhaz and said, “Please look at these documents. These are my academic certificates and this is my work certificate. Please give me 10taka. I’m starving.” Minhaz became convinced of the man’s innocence and gave him a 10taka note.
But Minhaz didn’t stop there. When the man left him he followed the man stealthily to see what he does with that note. I told you before Minhaz is an interesting character. He saw that the man went to another person and began to tell the same story. As Minhaz went close to the man, he went to another place. Minhaz followed him there too. For sometime this hide and seek continued. And finally finding nowhere to flee the man gave up and went to a tea-stall and bought something to eat.

Buying Beef from a Butcher

2004-06-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

The other day I went to buy beef taking my younger brother with me. Although he is just 2 years younger to me, he never had to go to the butcher. As a result he doesn’t have much idea about the tricks that a butcher perform to fool his customer. The butcher put some bones and cow fat in my bag after he gave us the 3kg beef we wanted to buy. I said, “ Why have you given the bones? Take them back.”
Butcher: It’s for free. You won’t have to pay for it.
I: No, you just take it back. I don’t take anything for free.
Butcher: These bones are very good. Without the bones your beef will not be tasty.
I: But I told you to take it back.
My brother: Take it Bhaia. If it is not useful, mom will through it away.

I didn’t argue anymore and simply took those bones and was returning home.

I: Hey, why did you (my brother) tell me to take those bones?

MB: He was giving it for free.

I: Do you think that he will give me those bones without having any benefit from his side? Do you think America has invaded Iraq to help them for free?

MB: We saw that he gave us 3kg meat and then he gave some bones for free. What benefit can he get from that?

I: Never belief your eyes and ears. They will misguide you. Be rational and learn to reason. I bet you that he gave us exactly 3kg including those useless bones.

Then we went to a grocery shop and weighed the beef bag and it was 3kg. We then took the bones out and it was 300grams short. The butchers weigh up meat in such a way that you can never find out if they give less in quantity. And to cover up their trickery they will give you bones and fat for free. If you don’t take anything for free they are then bound to give you more meat. My younger brother had a good lesson that day and said, “I’ll never take anything for free.”

Some Tips in Buying Beef:
When you go to buy beef the following ideas will help you to buy the best type of beef both in quality and in quantity.
1. Feel the warmth of the meat by touching it. If it is cold you should understand that the cow might have been slaughtered a day ago and hence the meat is not fresh.
2. See the upper side of the cow-thigh if there is cow skin attached to that. Because usually if the skin is not attached, it is most likely to be a buffalo.
3. See the colour of the meat. If it is reddish, it’s a buffalo.
4. When the butcher lifts the scale see below the scale if any fat is attached or not.
5. Make the butcher lift the scale for a while.
6. Don’t let him cut the meat into pieces.
7. The butcher keeps a big wooden box to keep money. They cut the bones behind that box and mix other bones when you are not observing. Don’t let him do that.
8. And most importantly don’t let him give you anything for free.

Aggressive bus passengers

2004-06-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

I was going beck to Chittagong by a bus and my seat happened to be in the last row among all the passengers. 2 boys and 3 girls of my own age came in the bus and sat just in front of my seat. I can’t really say what kind of relationship they have. But just after entering the bus they began to scream, laugh loud without caring what other people may think of them. Half the way to Chittagong they were content in this way but after the stoppage at Comilla, 3 (1 boy and 2 girls) of them sat in the next row to mine. Now the girl behind me began to clap. It seemed laughing loud and screaming was not enough to attract others, so she began to clap to make it sounder. I didn’t care a bit about it. Or I should say I didn’t let them think I cared about their actions (hey, I have to care about others’ activities, or how can I write about them?…). Maybe my silence disappointed the girl behind me. So she pushed my seat couple of times. But still I didn’t say anything. Then she said, “EXCUSE ME, Aktu seat ta ke upore tulben? (Excuse me, can you pull your seat please.).

“No, I can’t excuse you. You seat somewhere else.” I said in a fluent English.
“I can’t sit here, can’t you see?” the girl said.
I immediately pulled my seat because I didn’t want to give her the chance to carry on conversing with me. I totally forgot her existence. She opened and closed the window couple of times but I didn’t give a heed to that. I started reading a book of Harun Yayha. It’s really necessary to keep a safe distance from this type of girl.

Lovers on the Way to Chittagong

2004-06-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

I was coming from Dhaka to Chittagong by a bus and like always it stopped at Comilla for a 15 minute so that the passengers can have ablution and snacks or refresh themselves. But when the bus was ready to leave a boy (around 20 to 22 years old) was totally reluctant to get in the bus. And a girl was earnestly requesting him to get in the bus. The boy began to scream at the girl saying, “I told you in Dhaka that there would be no use going to Chittagong. But you didn’t listen. Now, you go there. I’m going back to Dhaka.”
The girl kept requesting his, “Please, please Rahat, just take me to Chittagong and you come back on the next bus.”
Rahat: No, I’m going to Dhaka from here. It was your fault and you will have to pay for it.
Girl: Please, please…(the girl kept saying please, please and tear began to downpour from her eyes unchecked.
Girl: All the people are looking at us. Will you just get in? I’m begging you.

As their drama went, the allotted 15 minutes passed and the conductor of the bus was pushing the boy to get in the bus.

Conductor: Please both of you two get in the bus. We are already late. We can’t make more delay.
A passenger: My dear brother (addressing Rahat) such matter always happens. But you need to forget them sometimes.
Another passenger: Hey, you conductor…What the hell are you doing here? Are you having fun observing the drama of these two stupid? Leave both of them here and lets go.

Meanwhile there was a small gathering of people enjoying the sight. One of the passengers pulled the boy by the hand and said, “It’s nothing. Everything will be all right. You just don’t mind about what happened.
“A quarrel is very common among bothers and sisters.” Said an elderly man.

“Brothers and sisters, huh?” another bystander mocked at the previous one.

I was happy that all the passengers are in the bus and we can go now.

When they are in the bus nobody noticed at them. Rahat was screaming at the girl at the top of his voice and the girl was shedding tears and kept saying, “Please, please…” I think the attitude of our countrymen has changed. Nobody bothered to worry about those two. Maybe the all the passengers of that bus have already got accustomed to such incidents. But even after a long while they didn’t stop. The driver then played Lata Mangesker’s ……. Song, “Tune chor diya re mere haat magar tera peyar meye nehe bhule…(You left me but I haven’t forgotten the love I received from you...)” I don’t know whether it is the song that softened Rahat or he got tried scolding her. But I’m sure if the song was Rabi Chowdhury’s, “Tumi Dukkho pao. Kosto Pao ei ame chai. Bujheye chi, Bujo ne ei amake…(You get pain, you feel sorrow, this is what I want. I tried to make you understand, but you didn’t understand me” the fight would have never stopped. I appreciate the intelligence of the bus driver.
When Bangladeshi girls are having so much respect and honour in this so called old-fashioned lifestyle, they are willing to be regularly humiliated by adopting the western culture. There are people who support this boy and girl free mixing.

Jokes at DU Campus

2004-06-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Rifat bhai got his new white pants dyed black. I told him “you won’t be able to wear this pants for more than a week cause the colour will fade just on the first wash.” “I bet I will wear it for a month and the colour won’t fade either.” He boasted. I said, “It’s not possible.” The dye is not that good to last after a wash.” He laughed and said, “You don’t know me. I only wash a pants once in a month.”

I just went inside Rafi’s room with him and Rifat bhai screamed at Rafi saying, “Rafi, I went to Kolkata yesterday. It is really nice there. But in Kolkata it is lot tougher than Japan.” I asked Rafi, “How many countries has Rifat Bhai been?” Rafi laughed out loud and said, “He is talking about his new computer game, Stupid.”

Three Days at Dhaka University

2004-06-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

I stayed in Dhaka University (DU) hostel with one of my friend for couple days about a week ago. And now I’m going to write my experience staying there event by event.
I went to meet my friend, Rafi at his room at 7:30am.

Hostel life in Dhaka University(DU).
My friend Rafi got a seat at room number 310 at Rafique Bhaban in Amar Akushe Hall. There are 4 beds and 4 tables. And the room size is suitable for four students to stay there with ease. But surprisingly 15 students were allotted for that room.
Teachers can’t help the students in getting a seat in a hostel. It is the big brothers (political leaders) who manage seats for the students. To have the facilities of the university, Rafi went to a big brother and got this seat. He says he is lucky cause there are 20 boys in his friend’s room (room# 312). And his roommates are very good. No addicts, no politicians, no terrorists. Besides, his roommates even help him with his studies. He doesn’t have any problem there. Just a week ago there was a fight between the president group and the secretary group of this hall. 2 boys were sent to hospital after that fight and national newspapers made good coverage of that event. As he got the seat taking help of a big brother of President Group Rafi is a member of this group. Luckily he escaped being beaten by the rival group. Rafi says he doesn’t have any other problem. Just sometimes police come to check rooms, sometimes politicians come to keep their weapons in insides hostel rooms, sometimes they make students go to different meetings and nothing else much annoying.
“Last week couple of students were taken to prison from this hostel” Rafi said. “Hey, what will happen if police takes me to prison?” I asked joking. Rafi laughed out loud and said, “Don’t worry our police only takes the innocent.” I stared at his face with eyes wide open and said, “What do you mean?” Rafi kept smiling.

I went to a chemistry class at Dhaka University to have a look at the condition of education there.

A Chemistry Class at Dhaka University
The class was scheduled to start at 8am. But the teacher came five minutes late. He then started calling names of the 90 chemistry students of that class.
“Anwar Parvez, Saiful Islam, Tarequl Hasan, Farhana Zamil, Abdul Matin, Tabassum Huda………Ayesha
Siddiki.
Ayesha Siddiki… where are you from?”
Ayesha: “Dinajpur”.
Teacher: “Oh, you are from the land of paddy. How was the paddy cultivation this year?………
………
Ok… Shafiul Haque, Abdul Halim…..Salman Azad.
“hey, where are you from Salman?
Salman: Jassore.
Teacher: How was the mango production this year?
Salman: Not good, Sir.
Teacher: Even if it were good you won’t say the actual thing lest we might want to have some mangoes.
………
Ok …. Abdul Kadi, Munni Shaha….”

There are 90 students in the class. The teacher finished calling every one by name (not by roll number) in just 10 minutes and began his lecture.
“The attendance is very low. Maybe the absent students are enjoying mangoes at home. In our country there are many vacations. Because of the strikes, different religious festivals, independence day, language day, this day that day… almost half the year you enjoy vacation, so you get only one month summer vacation. And you students pass that time doing nothing some even do things that are not suitable for Muslims. Don’t tell me that there are some guys who don’t know how to differ good from bad. Because that is not true at all as Allah has given all of us the power to distinguish good from bad. Anyway, in the western countries the students get 2 and a half months’ summer vacation when the students work, learn something new and try to utilize the time.
In my student life I did every kind of job. I taught 2 students when I was at High School. I used to fish. I used to cultivate…. I did every thing. In my time…..”

Now he began to talk about his school life. Then he talked about his College life, then the university life. He didn’t stop until he has finished informing students about his present activities (But he didn’t say in which private universities he takes classes escaping classes at DU.). For forty minutes his looking back continued.
Finally he said, “This is my final class with you. I will be in USA for the whole July. I think after vacation you will not find me. A female teacher will take your class (Yeah, he is sincere in getting degrees). Ok, let me show what she will teach you. She will discuss about polymers”. He said, “I thought I wouldn’t have to go to the board. But …it seems I won’t be able to escape it today”. Many students began to say, “oh Sir, don’t bother so much, please.” ( But I heard someone murmured “give your lazy body some rest so that you may work extra hours in USA).

To come to the subject he took 50 minutes. I couldn’t understand what important chemistry he taught for the last five minutes. He taught about Religion, he taught about History, Culture, Human natures but he didn’t get the time to teach Chemistry. I think the university authority has put him in the wrong place by mistake. We would have done a great job taking History classes.

My friend’s next class was 4 hours later. So he introduced me to his friends. And after that we had a little chat. Quite like this….

Conversation with the DU Students after the Class
I: Hey, is that teacher always like this?
Rafi: He at least went to the board today. The other days he doesn’t bother to do that either. He was in good mood today so he taught for long five minutes. Hahaha….
I: How can you stand a trickster like him?
Moni: We don’t’ have any choice. The practical marks, the writing marks, the viva… everything depends on him. Even if he gives you fail mark you can do nothing. And teachers do such things regularly.
Rafi: It’s not that he can’t teach better but he won’t do that. He takes all the time to get prepared to take classes at different private universities. He is a human being after all. He comes to DU to have some rest and get proper entertainment by gossiping with us.
I: Hmm…
Moni: He got luxurious government house in the university campus. He got beautiful car, his daughter Samia Zaman, the famous newsreader of ETV, his wife is Dilara Zaman, a prominent actress, and his other children are established in USA. He doesn’t need any more money. But still he hankers after money…

Zia’s Soldiers
I was with Rafi in his room at 7 o’clock and suddenly an elderly boy came to call Rafi and he immediately went with him. After 15 minutes, I heard hundreds of boys chanting a slogan, “ke bolere Zia nai, Zia ache banglay, Ak Ziar lokantore lokkho Zia ghore ghore ….Zia, Zia, Zia… toder moddhe Zia ache? “ache” ke Zia? “Ame, ame….””
(who says there is no Zia, Zia is in Bangla. One Zia is in the heaven, million Zias are in house to house. Is there any Zia among you? “Yeah…” who? “Me, me….””)
“Those stupid can’t even come-up with a new slogan. They always use the same age-old slogan. These (unprintable slang...) are ruining the country.” Said Anwar Bhai, a fourth year student of Biochemistry with much grief.
The slogan continued and I became a little tired waiting for Rafi. At 9 o’clock he came.
“Where have you been for so long?” I inquired.

Rafi: didn’t you hear a slogan minutes ago?

I: yeah.

Rafi: I was there.

I: Why on earth did you go to join them?

Rafi: I don’t have any choice. You know I got this room taking political help. Now, if I don’t go to these slogans they will kick me out of the hostel room.

I: Why don’t you stay in a mess instead.

Rafi: Do you know how tough it is to stay in a mess in Dhaka? Who will cook for me? What about laundry? Where will I get access to so many newspapers, TV, library and other facilities? Who will give me the extra money to meet the expenses in the mess? My father is not rich like yours…

Rafi became emotional so I stopped the conversation for then.

2nd day….
Rafi was sleeping even at 9 o’clock in the morning. I waited for hours so that he wakes up himself. Finally finding no other way I woke him up. “You have become very lazy. Look at me for how few hours I sleep…” I said.

“Don’t give me knowledge. You didn’t walk three miles yesterday. You didn’t have to shout at the top of your voice like me…” Rafi retorted.
His reply silenced me.

Good sides of DU
At 9:30am we took our breakfast at the Amar Akushe Hall canteen. Prices of different foodstuffs are very low. I’ve listed them for you.
Vegetable: 2TK/small plate.
Egg: 5TK/piece.
Parata (bread): 2TK/piece.
Egg (with onion): 5TK.

The quality is acceptable and pricing is lot better than outside the campus but unfortunately the canteen is not so clean. The plates are made of thin steel and make a lot of sound.

After breakfast we went to TSC (Teacher Student Centre) and my friend described different monuments and statues to me.
DU is simply huge, in fact mammoth. I heard that over 40,000 students study here. No bus, mini bus, tampoo or truck can enter the varsity area. Only rickshaws and cars are allowed. So there is no sound pollution or air pollution at DU and hence it is the healthiest place of Dhaka.
At 10am we were at TSC. What a lovely place TSC is! My favourite place in DU. There is a huge auditorium, where you will find functions going everyday, Table Tennis Room, where you will see many players playing all the time, Internet Room, where you will find about 50 students browsing the net in a beautifully decorated AC room and there is a Chess Room which you will find always CLOSED. Then there is Rehearsal Room for performers. I saw many groups of boy and girl; most of them are couples, of course of opposite sex, not caring a bit of what other people may think of them. I couldn’t look at them. It was embarrassing. (Don’t make the mistake by taking all those couples as students of DU). You can do anything that you like to do at TSC. You can practice singing, reciting, giving speech… for the whole day. You can play TT for hours all for free. I saw some players playing from 9am to 6pm. You can ahhh…. Gossip with your sweetheart as long as you please (don’t worry... Nobody will notice you except those who go there on a visit.)
I had a conversation at 5pm with a boy at TT room.

I: I found those boys playing from 9 o’clock here. Do they always play like this?

Boy: They are students of 2nd year. I also used to play like them when I was in 2nd year. For the first 2 years, I think very few students care about study.

I: Ok… will you suggest anyone to study at DU instead of private universities?

Boy: Yeah, you will get every kind of students here. Drug addicts, extraordinary players, good singers, politicians, lovers… every kind. There are lots of things to learn from them that you can’t learn studying in a private university where there are only 15 students in a class like a kindergarten.
Did you notice that player over there? He is one of the best TT players in DU; the best 2 players play in the national TT team.

I: Yeah, he is an awesome player.

Boy: Did you hear the boy singing with a guitar at the entrance of TSC?

I: No, but I saw a boy singing without any instrument that made me stand beside him for five minutes to listen to his song. I’ve hardly listened anyone sing better than him.

Boy: There are many talented singers here who can easily make huge amount of money if they produce an album or sing as a band.

I: What about the curricular activities?

Boy: It is very tough to get a 1st class and a 3rd class here. But it’s very easy to get a 2nd class. So very few students go for the 1st class. Others remain consent with 2nd class and don’t bother to study much and engage themselves in extracurricular activities.

I: Why it’s hard to get a 3rd class?

Boy: Even if you write very little you will get enough marks to get 2nd class. Teachers won’t let you get 3rd class. But those who want to study can shine from here.

I: Hmm….

At 7pm Rafi and I went to the canteen again to have something to eat. The price list of different snacks is like this:
Dal Puri: 1taka/piece
Kima Puri: 3taka/piece
Shingara: 1 taka/piece
Jelapi: 1taka/piece.
Boot: 2 taka/plate.
Alur chop: 1 taka/piece.

The taste is really great. Don’t miss it.

Then there are many graves of prominent politicians, poets like Kazi Nazrul Islam, Doctor Mohammad Shahidullah etc. (I can’t recall all the names. You will have to be content with etc.). Every brick of DU is a part of history. Every moment just by passing through the university road you will learn history.

3rd Day
Attending a Political Meeting
At noon an elderly boy named Kamal came to Rafi to take him to a meeting (election campaign). I also went with him to the meeting just for to know what my friend in going through everyday. Moni (Rafi’s friend) tried to escape from going there by hiding in a bathroom but unfortunately couldn’t escape the eyes of another big brother. I expected Kamal Bhai to be bad looking, hot-tempered, furious by nature (as he is a political leader), but I found his totally opposite both by look and behaviour. He is a student of one of the best subjects of DU: Biochemistry.
From Akushe Hall about 10 students went with us.
After changing rickshaws twice and due to traffic restrictions on rickshaws we had to walk half a mile to the meeting place (Karwan Bazar). Kamal Bhai paid the14(8+6)taka rickshaw fare. At 3:30 we reached the meeting place. It was a huge gathering of people, no less than of 30,000 people. Many groups of people came to the meeting after our group. This meeting was specially organized for people of Barisal. Before this meeting there were other meetings for the election campaign, like for day labourers, for people of Noakhali, people of Cumilla, for businessmen, for native Dhakaits. My friend Rafi, had to attend al of them. That made him a labourer businessman Noakhalian Cumillean Dhakait Chittagonean (by birth he is Chittagonean). Rafi jokingly told Moni (who is from Barisal) to look for his district people there. Moni said, “Like you district people?”
Actually no matter what the politicians give names to the meetings for their election campaign the people are the same. 99% of the people are forced to go there and of that 1% there are curious people like me who have never been to a political meeting before and the politicians and their stupid supporters. If the people weren’t forced to go there, I believe there would have no listeners at all.

After an hour at 4:30pm Kamal Bhai told us that our job is done and gave a 50taka note for 4 of us as rickshaw fare. Once the meeting was over, thousands of people were looking for bus, rickshaw or taxi. So even after managing to get in a tightly packed shabby old bus, we considered ourselves very lucky.
When I reached Rafi’s hostel room I had a terrible headache and I was lost sleeping. At 9 o’clock at night Rafi woke me up and said, “You have become very lazy. Look at me for I didn’t even sleep.”

Things I Regretted for Going to the Meeting:
1. I had a terrible headache so I couldn’t go to anywhere else that night.
2. My nice shiny shoes lost their polish, a loss of 10taka.
3. I couldn’t hear what the politicians were saying although I desperately tried to hear so that I may write them for you. But the excessive sound of the microphone prevented my all attempts.

Some Tips to Stay Safe in a Political Meeting:
1. Keep some cotton in your pocket to put it in your ears when you are in the meeting to avoid sound pollution.
2. Wear old shoes. You won’t have to regret even if they are regularly overstepped.
3. Don’t wear sandal cause is some cases you may have to run like an Olympic 100 meter sprint runner, you may lose your sandal.
4. Keep medicines to avoid headache, foot ache, eye itching.
5. Avoid the cameras. If your picture unluckily gets published in any daily newspaper you will permanently be labelled as a supporter of that party. You may find yourself beaten up by supporters of other parties.

Some questions
1. If a student loses 5 hours of his day for the political meetings then when will he study?
2. For four of us Kamal Bhai spent 62taka just for our attendance at the meeting. Hundreds of Kamal Bhais are assigned for every meeting. Where do the politicians get the money to give those Kamal Bhais?
3. Why these meetings if nobody can hear what the politicians are saying?

No Exam on 3rd July:
At 9:30pm, when I finished my dinner with my friend and came to his room I heard about fifty boys carrying out a slogan just beside our building. The slogan went like this…
“Ak tarekhe porikkha hole jolbe agun halle halle. Ak tarekhe porikkha cholbe na cholbe na….(the halls will be set in flames if the exam is held on 1st July. The exam can’t be held on the 1st July no, no, never.)”.
Then we heard someone out of the crowd say, “Hey, the exam is not scheduled on 1st July it is on 3rd July.”
“Did you see that Zahir? Those stupid don’t even know when the exam is!” Rafi told me laughing. “I think those students get more time than it is actually necessary to get well prepared for the exam thanks to session jam. Why do they still need more time?” I asked. “Well, these boys never study. Maybe for excessive involvement into politics or for other activities they didn’t get the time to study. And I bet even if you give them 5 years extra time, they will not be able to pass because now they don’t have the mentality to study. But for these spoiled guys we, students are suffering.

Never trust anybody in Singapore

2004-06-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

I went to thank Mr. Neil Russell for all that he is doing for my student visa purpose. The other day my conversation with him was quite like this…

NR: You weren’t getting visa of a single country and now you are getting two. (Pointing at Australia and Singapore).

I: Yeah, I’m lucky I guess. I’ll know a new country. My brother is very interested in business. Maybe, I can help him do business in Singapore.

NR: Yeah… for business Singapore is a great place but never trust anybody there if you are doing cash business.

I: Why?

NR: There are many Indians and Chinese there who will always cheat you.

I: Are they that bad?

Rubel was sitting there beside Russell. He said, “You are going there, you will see that yourself.”

NR: Yes, it’s good not to do cash business there. Use check.

I: What about education and other things there?

NR: It’s a beautiful country. The roads and houses are very clean. The education would be good I hope since your all teachers will be Australian there. It’s just the business that is tough there…
I was there for four and a half years. In 1992 I purchased a plain full of computers from a Singaporean girl. And I made a huge profit there.

I: Is computer very cheap there?

NR: Yeah, very cheap. I took the computers from cargo and put them in a military plain and sold them to Russia. The girl from whom I bought those computers was of just 19 years old. I gave her a bag full of money.

I: Just 19-year-old girl doing business?

NR: Yeah, then a 19 year old girl. Rubel, did I tell you the story of that girl’s boy friend taking all that money from her?

Rubel: No.

NR: Her boyfriend cheated her and took all that money from her. Singaporeans cheat with their own people too. So you better be careful.

Australians Are Stupid-Says Rubel

2004-06-15T02:15:00.001-07:00

A week ago I went to an agency in Dhaka for my Australian Student visa purpose. There, after talking with the consultant (Neil Russell), I saw a well-dressed, good-looking boy staring at me curiously with a smiling face. I went to him after I had finished my conversation with Mr. Russell.

I: Are you also applying for Australia?

Boy: My case is different from yours. I got refused recently. But I will apply again.

I: Can you tell me why you were refused?

Boy: There weren’t any good reason. I showed a bank deposit of 14 lakh (1,400,000)taka and 6 lakh taka as liquid money in the American Express bank. All of these bank documents were genuine. I was a little stupid actually. I should have come to this agency at the first place.

I: Russell told me about 99% students are getting refused by the Australian High Commission(AHC) for the last 2 months without any reason at all.

Boy: After the fight at the British High Commission in February all the students are now applying for Australia. That’s why they are refusing everybody.

I: Hmm….

Boy: But when I applied for Australia in 99, things were totally different. I just went to the AHC submitted my papers and they gave me the pre visa, and then I sent the first 2 semesters’ money to the university and got the visa. The AHC didn’t even justify my documents. I was in Australia for 4 years. And this January I came to Bangladesh.

I: Why didn’t they give you citizenship?

Boy: They only give citizenship to those who study. But I didn’t study there. I made mistakes….
I went there to study. But I didn’t study much. I just studied a little and then started to have fun there.

I: What kind of fun?

Boy: All kind of. I took loans there from every possible way. Then I came back to Bangladesh (BD) and changed my passport and all the documents.

I: I don’t get it.

Boy: I had a huge bank loan. So to avoid repaying those loans I came back to BD and changed everything.

I: So… why do you want to go to Aus again?

Boy: Aus in the best country to live now. It is the future USA. Everyday you will find new opportunities there. Just think about those people who went to US 20 years ago and in what position there are now.
I have been to New Zealand, Singapore, Australia and I’m sure that there can’t be any country better than Australia.

I: So why didn’t you study there?

Boy: Like I told you, I made a mistake.
I will now go to Singapore like you and then I will go to Australia. If I can’t go to Australia then I will go to New Zealand.

I: But how did you manage to change the documents?

Boy: I never used authentic academic transcripts (Now my interest grew to know his method. You know forbidden things draw extra interest to everybody). 4 years ago when I applied for Australia I used the name “Abdul Karim”. I took SSC and HSC certificates from a boy and submitted them to the AHC. I stayed at the Dhaka education board for 18 days and whatever letter came from the AHC concerning me, I took them from the postman, replied them myself. And for every letter I had to pay him 1000taka. I left no chance for the AHC to question about the authenticity of those documents. Australians are really stupid. If they had just attached my photograph with the photocopies of those certificates I would have easily got caught.

I: Hmm… what’s your name?

Boy: Let me see… (He took the passport out of his pocket) well, it says my present name is Ashraf Ullah.
I was a stupid. I should have changed my documents just after coming to BD in January and applied for the visa then. We, 9 friends came to BD at the same time and 7 of them got the visa again. But my one friend and I got rejected. He was over smart. He showed bank balance of 1 crore taka(10 million taka) from the “A One Bank”. What a stupid. Why would the Aussies trust that bank?
My friends are really missing me…

I: Oh, my Allah. Are you saying that all the 9 of your friends did the same thing as you?

Ashraf: yap…

I: What did you study in Australia?

Ashraf: I actually went there to study Computer Engineering. I studied couple of semesters but didn’t complete.

I: Hey, when you go to Singapore with you new name I guess you won’t be able to use your past documents, will you?

Ashraf: No. not at all.

I: Why did you do it? You got nothing.

Ashraf: I told you before. It was a mistake. My brother… you are going to Australia too in future, don’t make the same mistake as me. You will ruin your life.

I: Yeah.

Ashraf: Ok… this is my mobile number and my name is Rubel. Don’t worry this is the real name.

I: Hahaha….

Rubel: As you are also going to Singapore probably we can meet there too.

I: Yeah, sure, why not?

In the mean time Mr. Russell came and told me to talk to him again after 5 min.

Rubel: He kept me waiting from 11 o’clock. (It was 3pm then).

I: Does he know about your past?

Rubel: Yeah.

I: Why did you tell him?

Rubel: Listen, with three people you should never tell a lie. One is lawyer, another is doctor and the other one is consultant. It is for your own good.

I: What will you do if you go to Australia again?

He looked seriously at me for a while and then suddenly burst out laughing and said, “ I will do the same things I used to do.” Then I said, “I will have to go to meet Mr. Russell. He is waiting…”

Rubel: See you later in Singapore then…

But in my mind I said, “NEVER”.

You will Love Each Other- Says her Father

2004-06-15T02:03:00.000-07:00

The other day with my parents I went to my father’s friend’s house. My uncle has 3 daughters. Upon conversing with my father for a while he complained him about me for not going to his house. At the time we were preparing to leave his house, he told me, "You are a student, my daughters are also students, you would come to our house gossip with my girls about studies… in this way, you would develop a bond of love. This is how two families come closer and builds up a good relationship… But you never come to our house.”
When I said this to one of my friends, he said “Are his daughters beautiful?”

Popularising Goat Production and Our Government’s Aim:

2004-06-15T01:59:00.000-07:00

Every time you open the BTV/BTV World, you would find our honourable (but not respectable) Prime Minister distributing goats among the poor. She says, “Goats can change the financial condition of the poor people of our country.” Now my question is why goat? Why not cow, chicken or duck?
I know that goat is tough to handle and wants to go to the opposite direction no matter where you take it. This is why many prophets including our prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) was made to take care of goats. This made them more tolerant? Is our government also trying to make us tolerant to its injustice by this mean?

A Lawyer in Support of a Bus Driver

2004-06-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

I always want to have an educated and talkative person beside me while I’m making a long journey, so that I can learn new things from him. Few days back I was lucky to have a lawyer to accompany me on my journey from Dhaka to Chittagong. His name is Ajay.
He told me a story of his own which depicts how a lawyer can bring justice in our society.
His Story:
One day, Ajay was traveling by a Dhaka-Chittagong bus and on the way a traffic police stopped the bus. The driver went down to inquire of what went wrong. After using abusive words, the policeman at one level slapped the driver on his face. Every passenger saw it but nobody protested. Then Mr. Ajay went down the bus and asked the policeman what the driver’s mistake was. “Why does it matter to you? You go and sit on your seat like a good man and let me do my job.” Said the policeman furious. “Okay, One thousand four hundred and thirty. We may meet at Chittagong court tomorrow. I guess.” Saying this Ajay came back to his seat and the driver also came in the bus and started the bus. Everyone forgot the police event. But 15 minutes later the same policeman came to the bus with his bike and stopped it again, but this time to Mr. Ajay.

Policeman: Tell me who you are.

Ajay: I’m just a simple passenger of this bus.

Policeman: No, you will have to tell me why you said we might meet at Chittagong tomorrow.

Ajay: Oh, that was nothing. Don’t you think that if you go to Chittagong tomorrow and then go to the Court Building, we may meet?

Policeman: Please just tell me what you meant by that.

Ajay: I meant nothing. I was just talking about a
possibility.

Policeman: Then tell me why you uttered that number.

Ajay: I’m a lawyer. Just think if I file a case against you that the policeman by this batch number, at this place, at this time did this… Do you think you can escape the punishment?

Policeman: I’m very sorry. Please forgive me.

Ajay: Don’t beg apology to me. Beg it from him to whom you did injustice.

Now, all the passengers came forward in favour of the driver. Mr. Ajay found that the situation may get out of control. So, he let him get away and told the driver to start the bus again.

2004-05-28T04:05:00.000-07:00

I would like you people to read this article.

2004-05-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry, for not being with you
.....people for the last couple of days.
My sister got married yesterday. So I was quite busy for the last couple of days (I'm saying it to show how caring I am for her). I surely would have posted many posts by this time but you know, my computer is still not ok. And not to mention, it takes weeks to get a computer fixed in Chittagong (watch out!! your computer parts may get changed). But I can't stay away from you nice people for long. That's way I've come to this cafe even at this time of night (Or..... have I come here to get rid of all the works that I might had to do at home right now????).
Anyway... don't worry I'll make up with it later on when I get a brand new computer in couple of days. Till then...stay cool.

Too Fast Too Quick

2004-04-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

I knew very well that massages go around the world very quickly in today's world by the help of modern technology. But I had little experienced it before today. Let me tell you in details....
This morning I chatted with a person who lives in USA from a cyber cafe. And on his request I gave him our family cell phone number. And after browsing the net for some time I went home and heard from my sister that a special person from Dhaka had phoned her on the mobile just before I entered home. I was totally dumbfounded as it was totally beyond my imazination that the affect of a massage like this one can go to Dhaka via America and reach my sister in Chittagong within such a short period of time. When my sister asked me how that person knew this number I could only say, "aaahhh...technology".

I'm Sick of that April Virus

2004-04-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

My computer is out of order now as it got attacked by that 26th April virus. The same thing happened to me last year too. I'm now writing from a cyber cafe. I'm sorry to admit that for this unwanted incidence I may not be able to be with you people for couple of days. Make prayers for my sick old computer so that it may become well soon.

2004-04-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

I Ran Miles Today

Today at afternoon I left home to buy a calling-bell from New Market. When my tempo (a type of vehicle common Chttagong) went near Technical ( a place) I had to leave the tempo because of the huge traffic jam. I then thought I better walk to Sholo Shahar and then get a bus. But when I went there I felt like I better run to Probortak. And when I went there I thought maybe I should go to Chawk Bazaar running. But when I went there I had already begun to enjoy running, so I said to myself, way not I go to New Market running. I had a great time running through Jamal Khan, Andarkilla and Lal deghe. When I became hungry I ate, when I saw something interesting I decelerated my speed and when I got tried….well I didn’t get tried at all. I felt running to be a great fun.

While running I understood that my skipping (I love skipping rope for exercise) has come to some use. At least it made me capable of running for a long period of time. My confidence as runner increased. Maybe in future I’ll be known as a good runner (a fore runner?). But I had reasons to regret too cause when I went to New Market at 9:30pm I found it closed because it closes just at 9:00pm. So all my labour came to no use.

Beggars: Is every one of them poor?

2004-04-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

Who are the poorest people in our society? The beggars, should be the answer. I used to think the same even recently. But I don’t feel the same now, as I know that some of the beggars in our country may have possessions worth of millions of taka. I heard about a beggar, who begs at Shah Amanat Ullah Mazaar (a grave believed to be of a saint person) in Chittagong has a multi-storeyed building in this port city. His family members live in affluence. When asked why he still begs he said, “this is my source of income. I can’t live without this profession.”

Every Mazaar has authorities that run the mazaars. Without taking permission from the authority no beggar can enter the mazaar area. And the beggars have to pay the authority to get a place there. On special occasions like Shab-a-kadar, Shab-e-barat the prices of these seats are fixed by tenders. Sometimes the price hikes to as much as 20,000taka for a nice place. Unbelievable right??? But believe it.

The Chittagoneans are usually mazaar loving. They have some faiths (not to mention, most of them have no relation with Islam) regarding spending on mazaars. Maybe in future we will find coaching centres where people will be taught how to become successful as a professional beggar.

2004-04-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

My School Headmistress

Few days ago I went to my school to receive my SSC certificate. I was quite shocked to see that the present headmistress of our school is this X madam who was a great pain for my classmates and me in particular 4 years ago. She used to come to our class irregular and even if she had come she’d say, “I know that Nasirabad Govt. School is one of the best schools in Chittagong and I’m confidant that you students are very sincere. So I think that you people have already read this chapter of this simple subject. I’m therefore not going to discuss on it, as it will only kill your time. Besides I have a very important thing (chat with her colleagues?) to do at the office room. But be prepared on the next day cause I will take a test on this chapter.” Isn’t it scary? But she never came to our class for two consecutive days. And after every 2 weeks we used to hear the same old lecture, “ I think ……”
Just when I saw her as the headmistress I understood what to expect from a lazy woman like she. She said, “Why have you come here at this lunchtime” although it was quarter to 12 then. But, I was lucky to have got the certificate on the third day.

2004-04-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

I received this mail from a friend of mine today. It seems quite interesting to me although I don’t believe in these kinds of stuffs. My birth# is 7. Find out your # and let me know.
BIRTH TEST

Let me know your number. Once you have discovered your Birth Number, forward this email to the rest of your friends, including the one who sent this to you. Put your "number" in the "Subject" and Pass it on! Have fun! Your birth date describes who we are, what we are good at and what our inborn abilities are. It also points to what we have to learn and the challenges we are facing.

To figure out your Birth Number, add all the numbers in the birth Date together, like in the example, until there is only one digit. A Birth Number does not prevent you from being anything you want to be, it will just color your choice differently and give you a little insight.

Example March 20, 1950 3 + 20 + 1950 = 1973
1 + 9 + 7 + 3 = 20
2 + 0 = 2
2 is the Birth Number to read for the birth date in the example.

#1 THE ORIGINATOR
#2 THE PEACEMAKER
#3 THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
#4 THE CONSERVATIVE
#5 THE NONCONFORMIST
#6 THE ROMANTIC
#7 THE INTELLECTUAL
#8 THE BIG SHOT
#9 THE PERFORMER
=====================================================
# 1 - THE ORIGINATOR
1 's are originals. Coming up with new ideas and executing them is natural. Having things their own way is another trait that gets them as being stubborn and arrogant. 1's are extremely honest and do well to learn some diplomacy skills. They like to take the initiative and are often leaders or bosses, as they like to be the best. Being self-employed is definitely helpful for them. Lesson to learn Others' ideas might be just as good or better and to stay open minded. Famous 1's Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Hulk Hogan, Carol Burnett, Wynona Judd, Nancy Reagan, Raquel Welch.

#2 - THE PEACEMAKER - 2's are the born diplomats. They are aware of others' needs and moods and often think of others before themselves. Naturally analytical and very intuitive they don't like to be alone. Friendship and companionship is very important and can lead them to be successful in life, but on the other hand they'd rather be alone than in an uncomfortable relationship. Being naturally shy they should learn to boost their self-esteem and express themselves freely and seize the moment and not put things off. Famous 2's President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Whoopee Goldberg, Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Amadeus, Mozart.

# 3 - THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
3's are idealists. They are very creative, social, charming, romantic, and easygoing. They start many things, but don't always see them through. They like others to be happy and go to great lengths to achieve it. They are very popular and idealistic. They should learn to see the world from a more realistic point of view. Famous 3's Alan Alder, Ann Landers, Bill Cosby, Melanie Griffith, Salvador Dali, Jodi Foster

# 4 - THE CONSERVATIVE
4's are sensible and traditional They like order and routine. They only act when they fully understand what they are expected to do. They like getting their hands dirty and working hard. They are attracted to the outdoors and feel an affinity with nature. They are prepared to wait and can be stubborn and persistent. They s should learn to be more flexible and to be nice to themselves. Famous 4's Neil Diamond, Margaret Thatcher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tina Turner, Paul Hogan, Oprah Winfrey

# 5 - THE NONCONFORMIST
5's are the explorers. Their natural curiosity, risk-taking, and enthusiasm often land them in hot water. They need diversity, and don't like to be stuck in a rut. The whole world is their school and they see a learning possibility in every situation. The questions never stop. They are well advised to look before they take action and make sure they have all the facts before jumping to conclusions. Famous 5's: Abraham Lincoln, Charlotte Bronte, Jessica Walter, Vincent Van Gogh, Bette Midler, Helen Keller and Mark Hail.

# 6 - THE ROMANTIC
6's are idealistic and need to feel useful to be happy. A strong family connection is important to them. Their actions influence their decisions. They have a strong urge to take care of others and to help. They are very loyal and make great teachers. They like art or music. They make loyal friends who take the friendship seriously. 6's should learn to differentiate between what they can change and what they cannot. Famous 6's Albert Einstein, Jane Seymour, John Denver, Meryl Steep, Christopher Columbus, Goldie Hawn

#7 - THE INTELLECTUAL
7's are the searchers. Always probing for hidden information, they find it difficult to accept things at face value. Emotions don't sway their decisions. Questioning everything in life, they don't like to be questioned themselves. They're never off to a fast start, and their motto is slow and steady wins the race. They come across as philosophers and being very knowledgeable, and sometimes as loners. They are technically inclined and make great researchers uncovering information. They like secrets. They live in their own world and should learn what is acceptable and what not! in the world at large. Famous 7's William Shakespeare, Lucille Ball, Michael Jackson, Joan Baez, Princess Diana

# 8 - THE BIG SHOT
8's are the problem solvers. They are professional, blunt and to the point, have good judgment and are decisive. They have grand plans and like to live the good life. They take charge of people. They view people objectively. They let you know in no uncertain terms that they are the bosses. They should learn to exude their decisions on their own needs rather than on what others want. Famous 8's Edgar Cayce, Barbara Streisand, George Harrison, Jane Fonda, Pablo Picasso, Aretha Franklin, Nostrodamus

#9 - THE PERFORMER
9's are natural entertainers. They are very caring and generous, giving away their last dollar to help. With their charm, they have no problem making friends and nobody is a stranger to them. They have so many different personalities that people around them have a hard time understanding them. They are like chameleons, ever changing and blending in. They have tremendous luck! , But also can suffer from extremes in fortune and mood. To be successful, they need to build a loving foundation. Famous 9's Albert Schweitzer, Shirley MacLaine, Harrison Ford, Jimmy Carter, Elvis Presley

2004-04-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

Mangoless year

In the past years during this period of time one of the most desirable things for me was to go to my grandpa’s house and enjoy mangoes. It was a great fun to pluck mangoes from the tree and eat taking comfort on a suitable branch. But unfortunately this year there is no sign of mangoes in my grandpa’s house. Over two hundred mango trees stand completely fruitless as if this is not the mango season. The almost same situation can be found elsewhere. Those who haven’t been lucky enough to experience the pleasure of eating mangoes in village house will very little understand how much it disappointed me. This mango-crisis is due to the fact that it rained considerably less in the beginning of this year than usual. Mango lovers will have to be satisfied with jackfruits and guavas instead.

2004-04-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

Trouble in Shopping Punjabi

Yesterday I ransacked almost every stall in Chittagong for Punjabies (loose Islamic dress very popular in Bangladesh) for my elder brother. He told me to buy couple of white decent looking Punjabies woven with thick cloth for him. All the Punjabies I found are made of thin cloth, transparent enough to be seen the very trademark of the undershirt that the wearer of such Punjabi wears. I can’t figure out why people love to wear such transparent dress. And amazingly the thinner the cloth of the Punjabi is, the higher the price is. It looks real odd if the wearer is sweating but still it is so much popular in our country.

2004-04-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

Study In Australia

The quality of education in Australia is quite good and cheap too. But there are some rules for the foreign students there. A foreign student has to send 1st semester’s tuition fees to the university before going to the university to make sure that the student will study there. And he will not be able to change the university before studying there for a complete year. He is bound to study at least 2 semesters (1 semester takes 4 months to be completed) in a year. If he for some reason fails to take less than 2 semesters in a year then the Australian Government will force him to return to his home country. A foreign student can do part time jobs for a fixed amount of time that is 20 hours per week. If he works for more than this allotted time, he will be charged for it and may even be sent to his home country. But on vacation a student can spend his time as he pleases to. Actually, for foreign students Aussie Government makes sure that they cannot escape studying there.

After studying for 2 years in Australia a student can apply for PR (permanent residency). A person has to get over 150 points to get this PR. Points depend on the student’s subject, place of study, job records etc. 5 points are automatically deducted from the total points if he had been staying in a over populated area like Sydney and for under populated areas in Australia like Tasmania 5 points will get added.

Now, the question is how easy it is to get the Australian student visa…. Well, when I asked this question to a university representative he said it’s very easy. Actually the Australian Embassy refuses very few students and every year thousands of Bangladeshi students go to Australia for higher studies. The total cost of going to Australia is as bellows:

Offer letter from the university: 2000taka
Embassy face: 17,000taka
1st semester’s tuition fees: 282,000taka (for University of Tasmania).
Plane fair: 30,000taka.

In total: 3,31,000taka.

First of all, a student has to apply for the visa with all his documents (Birth certificate from municipality, all academic certificates, bank statement/ transaction list, sponsor’s employment certificate). If the embassy accepts him it will give an acceptance seal on the passport but it is not the visa. The embassy will then tell the student to send the 1st semester’s money to the university. After he has done so the embassy will issue visa to the student.

To get the visa a student has to prove that his sponsor is well capable of supporting him financially. For this his sponsor will have to have the total money to carry every kind of expenses that the student will have during his first 2 years at the university. The sum of money is over 24 lakh taka. It is better to show more than that. Although if a student can show 20 lakh taka as liquid money at a bank getting the visa becomes assured.
The sponsor of the student can be anybody and at the same time more than one person can be shown as sponsors to the High Commission.

There are different agencies here that help for visa processing. If a student applies for the visa through an agency then the agency will face the High Commission on behalf of the student. The student in this case will not have to appear in any interview in the High Commission. For prospective students I’ve listed some of the names of the agencies with addresses.

Australian Education Service
Montaz Plaza (4th Floor)
House #7
Road #4 Dhanmondi
Dhaka, 1205
Bangladesh
IDP Education Australia - Bangladesh
CWN (A) 12, Kemal Ataturk Avenue
Gulshan 2, Dhaka, 1212
Bangladesh
Tel: +(880) 2 9883545
Tel: +(880) 2 8821967
Tel: +(880) 2 9896134
Tel: +(880) 2 9899738
Tel: +(880) 2 9894581
Fax: +(880) 2 8823343
Fax: +(880) 2 8828737
Email: idpbd@treximp.com

IMPACT
2/6 Block B
Lalmatia
Dhaka 1207
Bangladesh
Tel: 88 02 9123863
Fax: 88 02 8115041
Email: bdmainstream@yahoo.com
Website: www.impactbd.com

Moves Group
House #2, Road #55, Gulshan-2
Dhaka, 1212
Bangladesh
Tel: 880 2 986 2629
Email: movesbangladesh@yahoo.com.au

Ozz Study
24/13 Khilijee Road
Shamoly
Dhaka, 1207
Bangladesh

Rem Limited
House-25c (ground Floor)
Road-6
Banani
Dhaka1213
Bangladesh
Fax: 880 02 9120776
Email: Elmocardoza@hotmail.com

Sunland Consultance Services
15 Sahid Mirza Lane
Mehidibagh
Chittagong
Bangladesh
Email: Aparesh@consultant.com

Hopefully these addresses will be helpful to many of you who are willing to study in Australia.

2004-04-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

TOEFL Vs IELTS

We all know what TOEFL and IELTS are. I was lucky (or unlucky) to have taken both. TOEFL’s system is lot better than that of IELTS. It is very easy for a student to understand the method in which the exam is run. So very little practice is required. There are no special techniques or formulae necessary to do well. That’s why very few students who take the actual test go to any coaching centre for practicing. And its application in terms of demonstrating a student’s skill is much better than IELTS. My one friend took this test twice within 2 month’s time but on both occasions he got the same result.
On the contrary, to comprehend the system of IELTS one has take much hardship. (I think the system has been kept so weird willingly. Just look at the British Council, how much money it is earning through IELTS coaching programmes. It takes 12,000taka from a student for some numbered IELTS coaching classes.) In the listening module there is no question asked. One has to write the answers while listening. And if there is any spelling mistake or grammatical mistake or excessive words are used in answering, the student gets no points. Well, why would I have to care about my writing so much in this module when it is meant to reveal my skill on listening? And on the reading module one can fair well just by following some instructions or techniques. And anyone can do well in the speaking module if he has the answers of couple of common questions sorted out before the exam. As this test is not computer based and the calculations are done manually there is a great possibility of mistakes to happen unlike TOEFL. And if an examinee is not satisfied with his result and wants re-examination his paper he has to pay additional 6,000taka with an application and the result of that re-exam will come after 17 or 18 weeks. How funny!!! If the score gets changed the student will get a portion of the money otherwise the full money will become non-refundable.
But with all these problems in IELTS we, the students cannot escape it because British and Australian High commission do not except TOEFL.

Lesson at Sealand Restaurant

2004-04-07T12:46:00.000-07:00

On my last visit to Dhaka I went in a restaurant at Kamalapur named Sealand Restaurant. There are about 5 hotel-boys there. While waiting for one to come to me, I over heard two hotel-boys' conversation. The older one was saying “you got 30 taka from that man!!! You will have to give me a share of this money. I never get tips.” Then the younger boy said, “Just when the customer comes I can understand whether he might give tips or not. I look at his shoes if they are clean and shiny and the style in which he sits on the chair.” I was much impressed by the knowledge of that young boy and was much glad later on when he came to serve me. But I didn’t give him any tip.

2004-04-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

The beginning of my blogging
“Hey, do you know Zahir?”
“No”
“He is tall, slim and plays table tennis a lot”
“Are you talking about the guy who always comes up with some weird arguments and never agrees to whatever you might say?”
“Yeah, now you got him”

This is how my classmates used to describe me. I could never make them listen to me. But I always wanted to let them know how I feel, my way of thinking, my explanations of things. When a week ago I saw my friend Rifat’s blog I said to myself, “ This is it. This is the thing I’ve been looking for.” And now, I’m here with my own blog full of new thoughts and ideas.