We have tried to keep this space positive, as much as we can, but at the same time we are not of the opinion to the popular belief that we ‘close our eyes’ or ‘change the channel’. We simply choose to focus on the positive side of things, as there is just too much negativity out there. I am watching the rising Covid cases in India with alarm. That is a very large population with limited resources during a time of crisis like this. Many of us have their loved ones there and we are all concerned about their health and safety. I am surprised on how a country which have done wonderfully for nearly a year or more, suddenly fallen victim to a total catastrophe. The facts are unknown at this point, but that doesn’t stop us to speculate. I would personally encourage people to stay away from rumors and focus on scientific facts. Also, please try not the speculate.
Recently I was reading about the Spanish Flue Pandemic of 1918. There are lot of similarities between that outbreak and the current one that we are going through. It was estimated that around 500 Million people, or about 1/3rd of the world population at the time was infected. At the time, medical science was not as advanced as today, and this was before anti-biotics and vaccination. So, there was no treatment. The only thing people and authorities could do at the time were non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as, isolation, quarantine, personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings. This was a time well before social media and internet. The only public address system that was available at the time was radio and newspapers. But the difference is, whatever direction authorities manage to communicate through radio and newspaper, people did follow them. A large majority of the people did follow the rules set by health authorities.
Today, unfortunately, we find ourselves in a different situation. Our medical science is probably several orders of magnitude more advanced than 1918. There is global research and development going on both on the vaccine and other treatment/preventive measures, but modernization is a double-edged sword. People have instant access to a variety of information and a whole bunch of that information is un-verified from random sources, and some of it is highly dangerous. People tend of form their own eco-chambers in social media and opinions can grow at an exponential rate. A lot of it is highly detrimental.
Without getting deep into the darkness of conspiracy theories, my simple personal urge is this. Please follow common sense guidelines from doctors and health authorities. Stop searching the internet to find which 6 cases of blood-clot happens per 1 million doses of administered J&J vaccine! A vaccine will protect you against the virus, this is a fact, and there are NO alternative facts! There will always be side-effects or outliers, they are just that… OUTLIERS. Please stop and try to educate yourself on virology and medical science straight off Facebook! If you must, please go to legitimate sources like CDC and other official reputed organizations. There are things you can do to yourself and your family and after one full year you all know what those things are. Please don’t panic and be afraid but be protective and vigilant.
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গুপালগঞ্জির অ্যাক কুনায় অ্যাক বলদা থাকত। ওর নাম ছেলো গোপাল। হলি পারা কি হবে, ওরে সবাই ডাকত পুড়া কপাল কইয়ে, বাপ মায়ে মরছে কুটি থাকতি। কালে কালে ওর নাম হইয়ে গ্যাছে কপাল। মেশতো এক মাষ্টারের সাথে। মাষ্টারের আবার মাথায় ছিট ছেলো, কী কতি কী কচ্ছে তাই কতি পারত না। কিন্তু কপাল সারাদিন টোটো কইরে ঘুইরে বেড়াতো মাষ্টারের ন্যাজ ধইরে, গুরু মানত তাঁরে। মাষ্টার কপালরে শেখাইছে, যা কিছু হচ্চে, ভালোজ্জন্যি হচ্চে।
একদিন কী হইছে, মাষ্টার কপালরে কইছে
—শোন গোপাল, চল আমরা কাগজের ব্যবসা করি। শিক্ষিত মানুষের তো আর কামলা দেয়া সাজে না।
কপালের বাপ-মায়ে ওর জন্যি জায়গা-জমি কিছু রাইখে গেছিলো। ওইয়ে বেইচে কপাল কাগজ কেনলো মণ-কে-মণ। ওইবার বন্যায় ঘর ভাইসে কাগজ গ্যালো সব নষ্ট হইয়ে।
মাষ্টার কইলো
—ব্যাপার না, ইয়ং ম্যান। কাগজ কিনেছিলে ভালোই হয়েছে, চিন্তা করে দেখো যদি বই কিনতে, বিপদটা কত বড়োই না হতো।
কপাল মাথা নাইড়ে যায়, কতা তো ঠিকি।
ধানি জমি বেইচে কপাল এহন খাবেডা কী? মাষ্টাররে নিয়ে ও ফতগাট চইষে বেড়াতি থাকলো। চইত্তর মাসের ঠাডা পড়া রোদি ঘুরতি ঘুরতি দম বাইর হবার কাম। এক পুকুর দেইখে মাষ্টার কলো
—চল গোপাল, একটু ঠান্ডা করি গা।
মিয়াবাড়ির পুকুরে কারু নামা নিশেদ, বাড়ির ডাঙর মাইয়েরা গোসল করতি নামে। মিয়াসাব লোকটোক নিয়ে আইসে পুকুরেই মাষ্টার আর কপালরে ঠ্যাঙ্গাইলেন। ঠ্যাঙানি খাইয়ে কোকাইতি কোকাইতি মাইল দুই যাওয়ার পর মাষ্টার কলো
— ভালোই হলো পুকুরে মেরেছে। চিন্তা করে দেখো গোপাল, যদি এই প্রখর রোদে বাড়ির তপ্ত উঠোনে নিয়ে পেটাতো, তবে কেমন লাগতো।
কপাল ভাইবা দেখে, আসলি তাই।
রাত্তির বেলা অব্দি কিছু খাতি না পাইয়ে মাষ্টার আবার মিয়াবাড়ির ধারে আইসে কলো
—যদি ওদের বাড়ির কাসার থালাবাসন মেরে দেয়া যায়, তবে মারের প্রতিশোধ নেয়া যাবে, বিক্রি করে কিছু পেটেও দেয়া যাবে। কী বলো গোপাল?
পরদিন পাড়ায় শালিস ডাইকে আনলো মিয়াসাব। কপালরে ধইরে ওর এক হাত কাইটে দেলো মোড়ল। মরা বাপ মায়ের নামে ছি ছি কলো পাড়া-পুড়শি। কাটা হাতে কবিরাজসাব ব্যান্ডেজ যখন বানতিছেলেন, মাষ্টার তাঁর ঘাড়ের উপর দিয়ে উকি মাইরে কলো
—যা কিছু হয় ভালোর জন্যেই হয়, গোপাল। ভাগ্যিস কাসার থালাবাসন চুরি করেছিলে, চিন্তা করে দেখেছো সোনা, রুপারগুলো নিলে কী হতো?
**ভলতেয়ারের ক্যানডিড থেকে ঈষৎ অনুপ্রাণিত **
অবনী বাড়ি আছো
-শক্তি চট্টোপাধ্যায়
অবনী বাড়ি আছো
অবনী বাড়ি আছো
দুয়ার এঁটে ঘুমিয়ে আছে পাড়া
কেবল শুনি রাতের কড়ানাড়া
'অবনী বাড়ি আছো ?'
বৃষ্টি পড়ে এখানে বারোমাস
এখানে মেঘ গাভীর মতো চরে
পরাঙ্মুখ সবুজ নালিঘাস
দুয়ার চেপে ধরে -
'অবনী বাড়ি আছো ?'
আধেকলীন হৃদয়ে দূরগামী
ব্যথার মাঝে ঘুমিয় পড়ি আমি
সহসা শুনি রাতের কড়ানাড়া
'অবনী বাড়ি আছ ?
I like dream catchers, the plain ones; not too colorful ones. The traditional wooden hoop ones have always drawn to me. The new age ones appear exaggerated, different shapes, fluorescent colors and the use of metals and plastics, although make them look more appealing, but they lose their essence; their soul. Maybe I’m overthinking it; or perhaps I’m taking things too seriously. There are things I prefer a certain way; sometimes a fusion gets me too excited, while some others are appalling.
@toushik]
I know almost nothing about the history or the significance of a dream catcher that holds. There are others who have far more knowledge about it. I’m just one of those individuals who likes them. The patterns, the threads intertwined together, the beads and the feathers, they manage to form something ordinarily extraordinary. The maroon and teal feathers of the dream catchers are often painted, the wood colored beads made it look close enough to call it a conventional one; this is as authentic as it can be in this part of the world. They’re better than the metal hoops and plastic strings, I guess. There is some sort of complex simplicity in them. I even like the way they sway when the air blows, as if they’ll turn into wind chimes and create a soothing tune. I’m not superstitious about it; I don’t think that a dream catcher can actually ward off evil and nightmares. They appear as a magnificent decorative piece; a decoration. There are people who may speculate that having no knowledge about it or treating it as a showpiece is a horrendous thought, but that isn’t what I meant. I find them beautiful regardless of hardly having any information about their origin. Not everyone has to have the same views or feelings about it; it isn’t mandatory.
Perhaps I should tell you a story; a fictional one. Hmm, once there was a little boy; chubby cheeks, stubby nose, awfully gullible and cuter than a stuffed toy. One day while playing with the other neighborhood children, one of the older kids was chattering about the woman in white of the abandoned house in the middle of the forest. The boy acted very tough in front of his friends but at night he was scared witless. What if the ghost came to his room and ate him? The poor boy couldn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, he walked downstairs rather groggily to have his breakfast; his chubby cheeks looked more stuffed without a night’s rest. He barely said good morning to his mother and was murdering his food with the fork; too reluctant to take a bite. His mother noticed his sullen face and asked him about it; after a while he told her everything about what had happened the previous evening. She slightly smiled and explained to him that “there is no such thing as ghosts or evil spirits”; he hugged her and started to cry. She told him about the dream catcher and how it keeps away all the nightmares; he urged her to get one for him. The mother drove to the shop a few miles away and bought a beautiful-looking dream catcher and a few fluorescent stars for her son. When he got home after sundown, it surprised him the way his room was decorated; it lifted his mood a thousand times. He ran to his mother and thanked her; seeing her boy so cheerful, the mother was quite relieved. And then came the time when the mom would read a children’s book to him while he tries to sleep. After his bedtime story, he fell asleep fast and that night no evil spirit haunted him, nor any other night since then.
Did the dream catcher really work it’s magic or the love her mother had for him?
It is up to each individual to determine, really, If we go to distinguish between the two. When I feel passion for something it becomes my dream that I want to fulfill. It is this feeling of passion that will make me happiest and most accomplished.
Our lives begin with wonders of dreams. Dream is an individual figure that reflects one's own identity to the world. Deciding a goal is their personal choice, not people’s option. There is a contrast between dreams and passion. People tend to follow their passion and push thoughts away. They may have success but they cannot taste it themselves. People can be interested in anything but It doesn’t stop dreaming. People may have a passion for music but zero knowledge about music cannot play any good song.
Better a poor horse than no horse at all. Why people out there can become so great while we need to inspired, and all people are born to create something for the world.
The fight between passion and dreams, we need the knowledge to equate both to outline our journey. Emphasizing the power of knowledge is the fate of the stone steps towards our mission. Knowledge expands and changes which is in tune with nowadays education system . Education is a tool that highlights dreams. Be intelligent by choosing the right categories by passionately following our goals.
Remember, right knowledge is the open door to dreams, and great passion fosters a creative and beautiful life that we are almost wandering around.
Manners can't be learned only by digesting bookish rules about what to do or not. Our practical life is the best teacher in that case. It is said that the children are like clay and we can give them any shape as we want in their childhood. It's also true. Things that are taught in their childhood have the most effects on their upbringing.
It is the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims. We fast for the whole daytime and break it in the evening. In the evening we wait for a particular time to break the fast waiting with the foods in front of us which we call "Iftar." I have two nephews and they are very little. When we all are waiting with the Iftar they will also sit with us and wait for that particular time to start eating with us. They are too little for fasting. We usually break our fast with a glass of water and they will also do the same with us. Gradually we eat dates, juice and many more and they will follow the same. It feels amazing how patiently they wait with us, pray before Iftar and eat with us. When we go for our prayers they will join us too and say prayers with us as we do.
If we teach them the good things from this age then these will be more effective for them to acquire. They will have the good manners we will be willing to give them. It was just a part of their activities that pleased us. Manners and the etiquettes of children or adults will always be the reflection of their upbringing.
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