LIFE AS IT IS

In this age of tablets and smart phones, children's love for books is perhaps declining. I see children as young as two years old spending time on their parents' iPhones and Galaxy tablets. So people often think I am old-fashioned when I say that I don't allow my child to play with my electronic devices. What I have been trying to do since I became a mother is spark my daughter's interest in books. Her grandmother bought her her first book, which was a big fat book of bedtime nursery rhymes. I read that book to her every day the first few months of her life. Then I grew tired and thought, why don't I just buy more books for her? In that way, I would not get bored of reading the same thing over and over again. My daughter now has about a dozen books. She knows her books so well that she can separate hers from mine. I don't know if she is a bookworm in the making but she sits with her books every day to flip their pages and look at the pictures that she likes....

Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani expats in the U.S. have asked us why we have not considered buying a house yet. For the expats, owning an independent house in a foreign country is a life event. Most of these expats have families back home who live in apartments - a three- or four-bedroom house in the U.S. is therefore something many dream of. And once such a house is bought, they proudly talk about it with their extended families. But then, every individual is different. I personally like living in apartments - I don't cate if it is small or big as long as it is decent-looking and in a safe neighborhood. Why? I am not lazy but I am not just motivated enough to mow lawn in summer and snowplow driveways in winter. In an apartment, the property management hires people for these chores and many others. Then think of the trouble and cost one has to bear when a faucet stops working, a bathroom drain becomes clogged or a door knob breaks. In an apartment, when something goes wrong,...

This world is teeming with zealous and overzealous people, people who think that their cause is the only cause that is worth fighting for. But, is that true? Our zeal should not override our common sense. If you think your cause is "the best cause" then probably, your cause is not worth fighting for. There is nothing called "the best cause." Zeal affects your vision. Zeal turns you blind. If your cause makes you a blind man then your cause is also not worth fighting for. This world does not need people who are blind by choice. Zealous people can only go so far because their cause drives them in a direction from where they cannot see what others, not affiliated with their cause, want or see. In a situation like this, even if your cause succeeds, you cannot achieve much. How far can your really go when half of your countrymen are against your cause? Sometimes, we are so occupied with our cause that we distance ourselves from reality. We launch campaigns and e...

Facebooks statuses with Christmas wishes and celebration photos are almost flooding my newsfeed. And these statuses and photos are not coming from Christians but my Muslim friends from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. What an admirable attitude towards a people of different faith! In the USA, I have personally met Christians whose minds and hearts are filled with hatred toward the Muslims. Many of them gave me a look of astonishment when I said to them that Muslims respect Jesus Christ as one of their most important prophets. Anyway, I wish I could share these Facebook statuses and photos with those particular Christians. There are peace-loving Muslims all over the world, just like there are peace-loving Christians everywhere. I have rarely been wished by a Christian acquaintance or friend on Eid. In the USA, most people do not even know much about Islam, the faith of over 1.6 billion people around the world. However, I did receive Eid wishes from a Christian friend, who is also a ...

When I think with my heart, people like me, but when I think with my head, people do not like it. But I am trying to master the latter because I have come to realize that this world will be a better and more peaceful place if man does not always follow his heart but think rationally with his head.

This world now appears to be teeming with zealous and overzealous people. But our zeal should not override our common sense.

My motherland has just turned 42! I love you and miss you, my homeland. I wish you peace, progress and prosperity now and always. I feel guilty, for I have not served you the way I wanted to. Living 10,000 miles away from you, I live a safe and comfortable life but a feeling of guilt gnaws me everyday. Maybe one day, I will do something worthwhile to make you feel proud of me. Long live, Bangladesh!      style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px"      data-ad-client="ca-pub-1412858923217987"      data-ad-slot="2221625556">

You cannot tell the true potential of a child until he matures, for I saw kids, who barely passed exams in schools, went on to become PhDs.

One of the earliest teachings of life was, I should not waste food. It was not only because God does not like people who waste, but also because there are millions out there who do not have food to eat - I should therefore count my blessings. I have not forgotten my childhood lesson but in my present situation, I am compelled to waste food. In Bangladesh, I never saw food go to waste because there were always people around to eat food, fresh and leftover alike. We could give excess food to domestic helps, building security guards downstairs, and homeless and hungry people on the street. Guests would come and empty our refrigerator. I mean there was no way we could waste food - what a blessing! Here in the U.S., however, I have to waste food. In a family of three, where one member is only a year old, food goes to waste almost every other week. When I go grocery shopping, I try to buy foods in small quantities. But in a country where food portion sizes are big, I always have a diff...

Statuses eulogizing the contributions of Nelson Mandela to humanity flooded my Facebook newsfeed last night. These are people, who are not Africans. These are people, who are not Black. These are people, who never saw Mandela in person. But these are people, who always respected this world figure for his courage, tenacity and love for the mankind. Mandela will always be alive in the hearts of millions. When I think of great men like Nelson Mandela, I think that that was the  kind of life I should have led - a life that after I died would be remembered by people around the world, not just with regard but also affection. Sadly, my contribution to this world is nada. I hope my daughter grows up to a human being, who will do things to make this world a better place to live. His presence is so large that even people, whose lives he never affected directly, are sad about his demise. We are lucky to have witnessed a man, who is/was an inspiration for millions. The world would not be t...

In our part of the world, where chubby children are considered healthy and adorable, parents often fret over the physical appearances of their children. There are parents who routinely feed their children burgers, fries, pizzas, pastries, etc. from the belief that these will make their children appear healthy. Unfortunately, the term, healthy, is often associated with fat or overweight; chubby children are not necessarily healthy children. In a country, where malnutrition has always been a problem, the high economic growth of recent decades has introduced a new but starkly different kind of health concern - childhood overweight and obesity. In the preliminary results of a nationwide study conducted by the icddr,b on obesity prevalence and physical activity among children and adolescents in urban areas of Bangladesh, it was seen that of children aged  5-18 years, 10 per cent are overweight while 4 per cent are obese. The figures are alarming, considering the size of our young ...