Of meals that ended up as the pièce de résistance of journeys
Bourdain, the genius both in and out of the kitchen, once famously said, “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you.” There
Death is different for a daughter
We think of death as the great equaliser. We come to this world alone—as the saying goes—and so we take part of it alone too. The grief that consumes the deceased’s loved ones also seems like a universal experience, and so we console each other with words of
Naiyor: A Tale of Two Passages in Two Eras
Imagine, dear reader, a youthful village belle. Transport yourself back 50 or 60 years ago. She lives with her husband and her in-laws in a farming homestead in rural East Bengal. It's been a few years since she arrived in her new home.
The Corridor Through Time
I am a Bangladeshi born of a Muslim family. My ancestors were Hindus and, somehow, I have inherited their philosophical instincts. Although professionally I am an engineer with advanced degrees from the USA, and remain a practicing Muslim, at some point in my life I was drawn to the Indian philosophy and devoted myself to studying Hindu and Buddhist scriptures, seeking to understand the fabric of life.
The pitfalls of shortcuts
Very recently, I completed a course on acting at a renowned theatre school in Dhaka. I joined the one-year course with a motive to regain 'myself' after being bogged down with depression and anxiety triggered by multiple factors.
musings / The old man and the labyrinth of books
But what do you gain by giving? It teetered, the question, like a teacup on legs performing a balancing act, on the tip of my tongue, but—to my credit, to my utmost credit—I did not say it. Instead, I asked, gesturing to the brilliantly untidy pile of books, “Why give these away? And at so low a price?”
A Fiction of Myself
I used to get beaten up in childhood by my elder sister, a lot. My mother would sometimes wonder loudly why I always got beaten up, and why I couldn't save myself.
There will come soft rains
It begins with a listless thought, brushed aside. What does a heartbeat sound like, you wonder. Brush, aside.
Penetrating a men’s club
It was definitely after office hours when a phone call came and made me panic. The number on my screen was unknown but it was pretty easy to guess where the call came from. The law enforcement bodies have a digit sequence that most journalists in the city are trained to recognise.
Cine Brothers
The director is a pivotal figure in the making of a feature film. The singular focus ensures the homogeneity of the plot and of the story of the film. The redoubtable Dilip Kumar in his twilight years used to dabble in the work of his director. The Hindi version of Sagina Mahato is mentioned as a reference.
When WW II came to Germany
In his movie "Fury" Brad Pitt plays the role of a Sergeant of American Army advancing well inside Germany in the last phase of WWII. He observes - 'ideals are peaceful but war is violent'. This sums up the blood bath that WW II was.
“Remember, remember, the 12th of December”
Last year around April, I was going through a whirlwind trip. I wasn't much of a morning person; nevertheless I was forcing myself to get up at the crack of dawn so that I don't end up missing my ride to the next destination.
To walk alone, but strong
In the year 1905 Lord Curzon, the viceroy of India announced the partition of Bengal. The provincial state of Bengal had an area of 189,000 square miles and a population of nearly 80 million.
Not Another Hashtag
Women in Bangladesh have always been warned not to go out late at night, because it is unsafe.
What's Real and What's Not
How we perceive other people and how we are perceived depends immensely on our own characters.
GEMINI
Remember the sitcom, Friends? Of course you do. Remember the time how panicked Chandler and Monica became when they
