The bluest blues.
- Farah Tasneem Tracy
Give me pen and paper,
And I will give you a story.
Give me love and pain,
And I will give you poetry.
Give me a word that is your own,
And I will give you the rest of your soul.
Give me a piece of your mind,
And I will make you a garden.
Give me your smile
And I will create music.
Give me a tear and I will make a miracle happen.
Give me your hand and I will give you my world.
Give me your hatred
And…
And I will give you my love!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Holiday well spent.
I know I know. I have babbled on about my holiday for last god-knows how many blog posts, but this is the last one I promise. This is an overall review about what I did this semester break.
Indeed this break was full of lots of traveling and lots of reading. So you can imagine why I think it was a break well spent. Details of my two Chittagong visits have already been posted. To sum them up it was great: lots of mingling, lots of sea and lots of growing up-to-do had been done.
Now about reading progress in this break. Read about three books in full and 2 others in half.
The Arrangements of Love, Timeri N. Murari. Excellent read. Insightful, interesting and intelligent.
Portrait in sepia, Isabel Allende. Very good. Similar to its predecessor Daughter of Fortune, but interesting as well.
Gypsy Masala, Preethi Nair. Good as a first book.
Book I am reading now: The House Of The Spirits, Isabel Allende.
Alas! Holiday is over and classes have begun. It’s going to be a very painful last semester.
Indeed this break was full of lots of traveling and lots of reading. So you can imagine why I think it was a break well spent. Details of my two Chittagong visits have already been posted. To sum them up it was great: lots of mingling, lots of sea and lots of growing up-to-do had been done.
Now about reading progress in this break. Read about three books in full and 2 others in half.
The Arrangements of Love, Timeri N. Murari. Excellent read. Insightful, interesting and intelligent.
Portrait in sepia, Isabel Allende. Very good. Similar to its predecessor Daughter of Fortune, but interesting as well.
Gypsy Masala, Preethi Nair. Good as a first book.
Book I am reading now: The House Of The Spirits, Isabel Allende.
Alas! Holiday is over and classes have begun. It’s going to be a very painful last semester.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Destination: St. Martin’s Island
Jan 19, Thursday: We took the 2:30 bus to Chittagong. The journey was relatively uneventful. We reached our destination at around 8:30, rested a while, had dinner and called an early night in order to prepare for the nest day’s road trip.
Jan 20, Friday: Our posse of two Noahs and one Pajero jeep started from chittagong at around 10 o’clock in the morning. This time our destination is Cox’s bazaar. The journey took 4 hours and the road is in good shape. However there is such a thing called too much road travel. Inspite of all that, as we neared Cox’s bazaar my heart leapt at the thought of the magnificent sight ahead of me. It is not enough that it is the longest unbroken sea beach in the world. The unsuspecting road traveler is marveled by the mejstic waters as soon as the car glides on top of a road bump and BEHOLD! There lies the Bay of Bengal, roaring and foaming, in your direct line of sight and the optical illusion making it seems beach-less and closer than it actually is. We checked into Sea Palace a grand five-star hotel equipped with modern amenities and breathtaking sea-view. After a sea-food oriented lunch we went for a swim in the swimming pool. It was fun for a while but some of us thought it might be insulting to the sea if we came to visit her and instead went for a swim in the pool. In any case we hurried to the beach (hurried may give the wrong impression; it was more like we tried to hurry. It is difficult to drag ourselves along the super sandy beach) just in time to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. We took pictures left and right and went ankle-deep in the sea whose water is black and repulsive looking. But that hasn’t curbed its roaring one bit and it is listening intently to this roaring that we drifted off to sleep after a post-dinner magic learning session.
January 21, Saturday: This day started early. We had a bried breakfast and headed off with our posse towards Teknaf, the southernmost tip of mainland Bangladesh. a two-hour rie took us to there where we boarded the Kutubdia launch that would help us cross the waters of first the river Naf and then the Bay of Bengal and take us to our island destination. River NAf I always found very charming with its quiet, elegant waters and small waves. The river divides Myanmar and Bangladesh in its mid-way. The launch ride took three hours and I felt a wave of sea-sickness hit me as we glided into the open sea. But the view of the pristine coral island sprinkled with swaying coconut trees and the surrounding green-blue waters reinvigorated our souls. We barely checked into the hotel, changed clothes and jumped into the waters like spellbound and obedient sea-lovers. This water is unspoiled and shimmering, inviting and cajoling anybody and everybody to bathe in its purity. Lunch was extensive as we were hungry from the entire journey and jumping in the sea. After lunch some of use preferred to rest a while the more adventurous of the lot decided to venture around the island and take in some of the sights. We walked along the perimeter of the island and stopped to take pictures on the alluring and ever so enchanting coral rocks. We decided on a fantastic spot to take in the breath-taking sunset. Since there were very few people around the whole experience seemed almost private. WE headed back to the hotel on a van. Nighttime was a throng of activities. It was a dark night with the moon nowhere in sight. Beside the barbeque chicken preparation a local artist played folk songs and all of us gathered around the fire as is befitting the situation. The men played cards while the women chatted along. The lights went out at 10:30 and we dozed off to slumber.
Jan 22, Sunday: we went onboard a barge to take us to the neighboring Sera island where apparently the lagoon is clearer and the corals are bigger. We came back to the island and went for another swim in the sea. As we reluctantly got out from the waters, we felt a little sad at having to leave this pretty island and head towards our known world. The same launch took us back to Teknaf and from there on we made a reverse route journey and reached Cox’s bazaar at night.
Jan 23, Monday: We had breakfast and roamed around the presidential suite of the hotel, did some least-minute shopping and headed back to Chittagong. On our way we stopped at the safari park. We took a on-wheel tour of the park and stopped at the main attractions. I have to say the lion and the lioness were the mot impressive. The lion was very clear about his position as the king of the jungle and the lioness too proud to move about or be bothered by disturbances. We spent another night at Chittagong and came back to Dhaka the following day.
Jan 20, Friday: Our posse of two Noahs and one Pajero jeep started from chittagong at around 10 o’clock in the morning. This time our destination is Cox’s bazaar. The journey took 4 hours and the road is in good shape. However there is such a thing called too much road travel. Inspite of all that, as we neared Cox’s bazaar my heart leapt at the thought of the magnificent sight ahead of me. It is not enough that it is the longest unbroken sea beach in the world. The unsuspecting road traveler is marveled by the mejstic waters as soon as the car glides on top of a road bump and BEHOLD! There lies the Bay of Bengal, roaring and foaming, in your direct line of sight and the optical illusion making it seems beach-less and closer than it actually is. We checked into Sea Palace a grand five-star hotel equipped with modern amenities and breathtaking sea-view. After a sea-food oriented lunch we went for a swim in the swimming pool. It was fun for a while but some of us thought it might be insulting to the sea if we came to visit her and instead went for a swim in the pool. In any case we hurried to the beach (hurried may give the wrong impression; it was more like we tried to hurry. It is difficult to drag ourselves along the super sandy beach) just in time to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. We took pictures left and right and went ankle-deep in the sea whose water is black and repulsive looking. But that hasn’t curbed its roaring one bit and it is listening intently to this roaring that we drifted off to sleep after a post-dinner magic learning session.
January 21, Saturday: This day started early. We had a bried breakfast and headed off with our posse towards Teknaf, the southernmost tip of mainland Bangladesh. a two-hour rie took us to there where we boarded the Kutubdia launch that would help us cross the waters of first the river Naf and then the Bay of Bengal and take us to our island destination. River NAf I always found very charming with its quiet, elegant waters and small waves. The river divides Myanmar and Bangladesh in its mid-way. The launch ride took three hours and I felt a wave of sea-sickness hit me as we glided into the open sea. But the view of the pristine coral island sprinkled with swaying coconut trees and the surrounding green-blue waters reinvigorated our souls. We barely checked into the hotel, changed clothes and jumped into the waters like spellbound and obedient sea-lovers. This water is unspoiled and shimmering, inviting and cajoling anybody and everybody to bathe in its purity. Lunch was extensive as we were hungry from the entire journey and jumping in the sea. After lunch some of use preferred to rest a while the more adventurous of the lot decided to venture around the island and take in some of the sights. We walked along the perimeter of the island and stopped to take pictures on the alluring and ever so enchanting coral rocks. We decided on a fantastic spot to take in the breath-taking sunset. Since there were very few people around the whole experience seemed almost private. WE headed back to the hotel on a van. Nighttime was a throng of activities. It was a dark night with the moon nowhere in sight. Beside the barbeque chicken preparation a local artist played folk songs and all of us gathered around the fire as is befitting the situation. The men played cards while the women chatted along. The lights went out at 10:30 and we dozed off to slumber.
Jan 22, Sunday: we went onboard a barge to take us to the neighboring Sera island where apparently the lagoon is clearer and the corals are bigger. We came back to the island and went for another swim in the sea. As we reluctantly got out from the waters, we felt a little sad at having to leave this pretty island and head towards our known world. The same launch took us back to Teknaf and from there on we made a reverse route journey and reached Cox’s bazaar at night.
Jan 23, Monday: We had breakfast and roamed around the presidential suite of the hotel, did some least-minute shopping and headed back to Chittagong. On our way we stopped at the safari park. We took a on-wheel tour of the park and stopped at the main attractions. I have to say the lion and the lioness were the mot impressive. The lion was very clear about his position as the king of the jungle and the lioness too proud to move about or be bothered by disturbances. We spent another night at Chittagong and came back to Dhaka the following day.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Another Eid
Tomorrow is Eid-ul-Azha- the Eid that honours the sacrifice of prophet Ibrahim (AH).
Two days ago the city woke up to an untimely cold wave. The concrete and steel infrastructure of the city beast was baffled by the thick fog that clouded their vision and confused their minds. In the mega-city everyone trusts the weather and is always very focused about getting their work done. Such unexpected haziness of the weather put their schedules in turmoil. For the last two days we have had an extended dawn that lasted during the day and our yearlong friend the sun had been evasive. Except for a dying dark orange circle that appeared on the western sky like a smear to mark the beginning of night so the inhabitants of the city knew it was time to head home, the sun had very little appearance. The fog is so thick that it settles onto your bones like dust and the clothes that were hung on the clothesline for the purpose of drying were brought back indoors laden with an atmospheric coolness. Traffic has reduced considerably in the city streets as half the population had gone to the country. Instead roads are now crowded by sacrificial animals, their vendors and their purchasers. It’s a common sight. Cars that normally did not even obey the red light are now slowing down and allowing for the cows to cross the road. Eid just brings a sense of happy into everyone’s heart.
Two days ago the city woke up to an untimely cold wave. The concrete and steel infrastructure of the city beast was baffled by the thick fog that clouded their vision and confused their minds. In the mega-city everyone trusts the weather and is always very focused about getting their work done. Such unexpected haziness of the weather put their schedules in turmoil. For the last two days we have had an extended dawn that lasted during the day and our yearlong friend the sun had been evasive. Except for a dying dark orange circle that appeared on the western sky like a smear to mark the beginning of night so the inhabitants of the city knew it was time to head home, the sun had very little appearance. The fog is so thick that it settles onto your bones like dust and the clothes that were hung on the clothesline for the purpose of drying were brought back indoors laden with an atmospheric coolness. Traffic has reduced considerably in the city streets as half the population had gone to the country. Instead roads are now crowded by sacrificial animals, their vendors and their purchasers. It’s a common sight. Cars that normally did not even obey the red light are now slowing down and allowing for the cows to cross the road. Eid just brings a sense of happy into everyone’s heart.
Charmed in Chittagong
I have been busy. But not so busy as to not write my blog- the excuse for that is laziness. I experience bouts of busy time followed by a long hiatus of doing nothing. Well that was euphemism. I just get lazy sometimes. Anyways, the holiday in Chittagong was good. Far from being the do-nothing holiday I had planned, it was crammed with fun days, lots and lots of boat rides, and of course food. I did not get to read a word from the two books that I had carried with me but I had a good time. My two adorable cousins are a constant source of enjoyment with her bundle of energy, infectious laugh, and charming improvisations, the other with her infinite wisdom, candid heart and genuine curiousity. The things the two sisters have in common are an easy way of laughing, love for the swing, and friendliness. We went boat riding in the Foy’s lake, Bay of Bengal from the Patenga beach, and the Rangamati lake. The commercialization of Foy’s lake is a tragedy. Nothing remains of the natural habitat that surrounded the peaceful lake, and instead the calm and serenity of the place had been invaded by giant machines and mechanical giants. They have turned it into an amusement park. Only it would not amuse the people who loved the lake’s natural beauty and appreciated a breath of wilderness in the heart of the major port city. Rangamati lake is huge with dark waters which is rumoured to be so thick and sinister that a national swimming champion had died from daring to going into it. We crossed the lake to reach an island and had what may be called the most grassroots and close-to-nature luncheon of my life. We ate at peda-ting-ting, which is so famous that foreign dignitaries had come all the way to eat here. It is run by the tribal people and serves both tribal and deshi cuisine. They cook in their many different indigenous ways and the food was indeed famously delicious. The restaurant itself had a straw-roof with no walls, so that guests could take in the view of the surrounding beauty as they divulged in novelty gastronomic delights. The lunch was followed by a walk around the small island which was still pristine and free from the technological jungle of the mainland. The boat ride in Patenga beach was a different story altogether. No matter how dangerous and menacing, the sea continues to be one of the most liberating forces of nature. There is something about the vastness of the sea that makes people feel free. It could be the unending waters, or the illusion of a horizon, or the feeling of humbleness amid such enormity.
Whatever it is, it makes human realize there exists a kind of freedom where you can be free from your fears, likes, dislikes, family, society, country, and also from your very self. The kind of freedom that lets you just BE- no strings attached. That is the gift of the mighty seas to the humans. I suspect the people who live by the sea are so accustomed to this that they can hardly identify it as something distinct. But the occasional tourist or passer-by is overwhelmed by this freedom every time he comes close the sea or ocean.
Whatever it is, it makes human realize there exists a kind of freedom where you can be free from your fears, likes, dislikes, family, society, country, and also from your very self. The kind of freedom that lets you just BE- no strings attached. That is the gift of the mighty seas to the humans. I suspect the people who live by the sea are so accustomed to this that they can hardly identify it as something distinct. But the occasional tourist or passer-by is overwhelmed by this freedom every time he comes close the sea or ocean.
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