Sitting on the bank of Mississippi

She gazed at the ripples on Mississippi. A twig floated towards her. It must have fallen off a nearby tree. Shrubs and tall trees lined the bank of Mississippi as it snaked through this small mid-western city of America. She watched the twig as it danced on wavelets that glimmered under the afternoon sun. She wondered to what kind of tree it once belonged. An balsam fir, a sugar maple or a weeping willow? She knew not the answer. She continued gazing at this small wonder of nature until it reached the rock on which she was sitting with a book clutched to her chest.

*Photo taken by the writer

Comments

Aboard the world’s longest flight

Long-haul flights can be daunting, but the idea of flying the world’s longest commercial flight can be especially daunting, even for some seasoned flyers. As an expatriate Bangladeshi living in the US, I am no stranger to long-haul flights. Even so, I was somewhat skeptical about surviving Singapore Airlines ’ SQ 23 , which takes off from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York and lands at Changi Airport, Singapore , making it the world’s longest passenger flight; a total of 19 hours from gate to gate. We drove 2.5 hours from Delaware to New York, then took an Uber to JFK after parking our car. After checking in and clearing airport security, we finally had some time to relax. Our business class tickets gave us access to the Air India lounge , where I thought their furniture could use an upgrade. The food, however, turned out to be surprisingly delicious. As we waited for our flight to start boarding, I felt that a long drive and a lengthy security c...

Why teaching kids about money is more important than ever

Growing up in the '80s and '90s, we never discussed money at home. My parents never discussed it with us, so I never knew how much a kilogram of rice or a dozen eggs cost. I also did not know how much we paid for rent or utility bills. I did not know how much our family earned and how much we spent each month. Of course, we do not want to sit with our children with a spreadsheet and give them a headache, but it is important to discuss money management with children as they get older. This knowledge will help them make more informed financial decisions as adults. The Daily Star link Discussing money is often considered taboo, not only in Bangladesh but also in many other parts of the world. However, financial literacy is crucial to our financial well-being, which is closely linked to our physical and psychological well-being. I have seen people, friends, and family make poor financial decisions and sink into debt. I have seen how credit cards resulted in excessive spending a...

LIFE AS IT IS

Search This Blog