Story from Fahmia-1

You can play Jumpy and dance together, it is so much fun. You can hop like a bunny in the weekend because it is so much fun. Yaa-hooo go on a vacation to Hawaii because it is beautiful and you can show that you really care.

B.Baria-2

B.Baria missionary school was a coeducation school but all teachers were ladies. We called our teachers "didi". Didi's were so good so dedicated to the students that no one of us could go without proper learning.

This was time before 80s. That was within ten years of our liberation war. People did not have abandon of money to spent and particularly in a town like B.Baria. Many families were depending on government "Reshon". Like our families at that time, our dress materials education materials had the indication of shortage.

We did not have money to buy ice cream in the leisure period. Ice cream was the only luxury item for us. Those were like "Lathi Ice" the colored ice cream and cost us 10-25 paisa. Sometimes we could manage the paisa to buy that from our parents which was not very easy. There was a special type of ice cream of 50 paisa, and I can rember I never had the opportunity to buy one.

I should say our school was ahead of the time. In school we had our own desk and chair placed by the roll number. We had our own lock and key to keep our books and other belonging in that desk. I brought all my good crayons and toys from home to that desk. At that age I had a showing tendency, I liked to show my good things to my mates.

Purano sei

B.Baria-1

B.Baria, a small district town in Bangladesh. This is where I spent about five years in my very early life. For many reasons this town influenced me for rest of my life. Even now whenever I close my eyes, look back my old days, I easily can see the a town where I was living close to Kurulia Khal.

As my father was working in Roads and Highway, we used to live in government quarters. In B.Baria we lived in a quarter close to Kurulia Khal. This canal is connecting two big rivers, Titash and Megna. This is the canal where I used to swim round the year. I was expert in crossing the canal from one side to other. In winter there was less water flow but in summer or during flood it became like big rivers.

In the quarters where we lived in B.Baria was the place where few other same age boys and girls were living. There were stocks of Rod, sands and stone was piled in that compound. These were the raw materials for road construction. All these raw materials made a very god place for us to play. For us it was like a very good play ground.

At that time I was going to Christian Missionary School. This was best primary school in the town. It was about half a mile from our compound. This half a mile I walked up and down for about five years. This travelling was quite fun along with all other same age mates. Along this half mile path, at that age there was two milestone for us-first one was reaching to the stadium and the second one was reaching to a big banyan tree close to SDO compound.

A day begins

It is another day. When I am writing, a new morning already started. Today is Sunday. We have enough time to sleep. I saw in my home, every one is still sleeping. I did not ask anyone to woke up.

It is another beautiful summer morning. Today the sky is complete blue, even no cloud there. From my apartment at one side I see the mountain view, the other side is ocean inlet. Across the ocean I can see the down town, Stanley park and if I don't want to see these two I can see the ocean. The color of the ocean depends on the color of the sky. Today undoubtedly it got it's best color.

My wife Urmi, a wonderful lady. I wish she was sitting with me in this wonderful morning.

This morning I was listening

Another morning

It is 7:30 now, early in the morning, a new day started. A sunny and shiny morning. When I see the Grouse mountain from my window the morning gets a different appeal. Specially today with a mix of black and green look from here in this sunny day, I feel the attraction inside.

I see green leaves just down to my apartment, so green that shining in the sun, a bird is just flying from one side to other, a seagull just completed a sound less flying, I hear a crow just stopped. The blue sky gave enough space for white clouds that they could fit in very nicely. I see the bounties of almighty all around. Thanks Him who allowed me to live in his creation.

I am starting an inspiring day.

A famous Nazrul Geeti by Talat Mahmud (Nishi bhor holo...) my favorite in the morning

Fahmia, the small wonder!

Fahmia is growing. She is growing faster than I expected. I was sitting with her today while she was reading a book. I am surprised, she could read the book very well. My eight year small girl is really getting bigger.

Fahmia, most of the time she is restless. She probably first jumped in the left to get something and then immediately to the right for another. Always so active.

It is not very long when she started to speak. She had a very nice accent, the way she spoke was very nice, you just could not avoid.

When I look at her, I see her eyes still not very confident but hands are very tight. She stands very straight and speaks fluently. Her head is high with black eyes. I clearly see she can not be defeated. She does not do studies seriously but I know this is not going to last, she will be a very good student and sincere citizen.

Good luck my child

Here is a song for her from me

Here is another one

In Kelowna

While we entered Kelowna, we were lost. We couldnot find our hotel in the GPS. This is a very interesting device. I depend on it so much. I hardly use any map and sometimes I find the map very difficult. Always I need to read the road marks, not very easy.

GPS makes the mistake in very crucial times. For example, after driving 500km we are very tired, we need some rest need to go to hotel. But GPS does not work, it can not find the hotel. Very interesting problem, then you need to go to the gas station ask someone about the hotel address. Not only that, you need to follow all road marks and go back to old map version!

In Kelowna it did not happen, we found our hotel easily by just looking around. It was a Best Western hotel. I entered confidently. My young son and daughter was with me. I was just waiting in the loby and there was a pool very close to the loby. Farhan and Fahmia were very active towards the pool. They started to think this was a very nice hotel and they were happy to be there. But I am waiting and no one was

there in the front desk. It is about 10 minutes. My wife and my mother came out

and set in the loby sofa. It seems we will just go to the room and clean beds are inviting to get rest. At the end after about 15 minutes one guy show up. He checked my last name. There is no reservation. I was surprised, for

sure I did book the hotel. Then the guy explained probably our booking is at a different Best Western hotel. Then he gave a me a road map how can I go there without the GPS. He said it is a 20 minute wonderful drive.

Any way the driving was very normal until we saw the bridge across the

lake. A bridge crossing the Okanagan lake, blue water, speedboats, small waves .. mind blowing.

Highway 97C

Last week we visited Okanagan area mainly Kelowna and Penticton. This was first time we are visiting those areas. Like many others I would say Okanagan valley is wonderful. Rather saying about Okanagan, today I would say about highway 97C, one of the highway you may use to go to Kelowna.

Highway 97C, which is 220 km in total length, was constructed as the third phase of the Coquihalla Highway Project. The section of Highway 97C east of Merritt is mostly freeway, with a speed limit of 110 km/h and between 4 and 6 lanes, and has very few exits as you have few places to go from this highway. The highway is about 2000m height from sea level. So you can imagine you are driving above the mountain with 110km speed.

It was a pleasant experience while we were driving towards Kelowna along this highway. You see nice greens around you, see different picks blackish blue ahead. The clouds are touching the mountain picks leaving a big white tail behind. If you open the window, you will feel the pleasant cool air in this month. You may feel the height sometimes also in the ear when it needs to release the pressure. When you are at the very left lane, you may see the sharp edge close to you. If you are not courageous enough, don't look towards the bottom. You may see tall trees few thousand feet below. But you can not stop seeing around, it is so beautiful.

While we returning it was a complete different experience on this highway.

It was from Penticton, we were driving back to Vancouver. Initially it was at the side of Okanagan lake, the sun was not very bright. It was cloudy. But we could feel the beauty of the lake by heart. It was wonderful and probably you can not expect more in this earth. I was speechless, so beautiful the lake is. But when we really started to pass the mountains after the lake, then the

day started to get dark. I would say it was not for a long time, rather it was all in a sudden. Everything became dark and the rain started. It was a so heavy rain that suddenly I could hardly see any thing. I was driving at a speed of 110km and I reduced it down to 50km and with the highest speed of wiper, even I could not see the clearly. I was just looking at the emergency light of the car ahead of me and nothing else. The wiper was moving so fast that I could hear the harsh machine noise inside. My kids were sleeping inside the car, thanks God, they did not see that rain. I was just praying the situation will get better. You can imagine that I was driving in a highway at that speed no one was trying to pass me.

We spent about one hour like this till we reach a small town Merit.

Initially when I heard the term NRB it really didn't mean any thing to me. I was completely mixing the term with NBR (National bureau of revenue). Now I understand the term and I know this for us who is living outside Bangladesh. Guys living outside can not live away even if they want to. We need to listen all information about our home from all sources.

Yesterday I heard about an accident in Bangladesh. 41 young school going children died in an accident near to Chittagong. After watching a football match they were coming back to home by a truck. While the truck was passing a taxi(Nasimon) they had this accident. The truck was capsized to a near by shallow water ditch.

One of the children was a good drama player, he participated in drama just few days before the accident. While he was playing in the drama, the audience used to cry. He was so good in doing that. Now everybody is crying for him.

We don't know the details of these children and their family. But we know they lived in near by villages. Now a father is crying on the grave, a mom is waiting when his son will be back, a sister is waiting for his brother.

This is tragic! We pray those who are living with the memories of their children. We hope people will be more careful about their safety.

Queen Elizabeth Park

If someone asks you which is the oldest park in Vancouver, it is not possible to answer if you really know or go to the internet. Yesterday I learnt, Queen Elizabeth is one of the oldest park in Vancouver and most probably it was the second establishment of it's kind.

Yesterday was a hot summer day. Very nice and sunny. This type of days you can not expect in winter here. When I first get down from the car, suddenly I could not shift my eyes from bunch of roses. A rose garden was very near by and my God! I can not remember I saw bigger roses earlier than this garden. Different color roses and they were so big when any body passes by takes their picture with the rose.

This is really a big park. There is lawn bowling club inside. There is a big green house for tropical trees. This is really a big dome and no one would like to miss it who visits the park.

One thing that I should not forget to mention about this park. There is a rich

garden of different flowers. The location of this park is very interesting. If you walk down you will get a stair to enter the garden. Then you will need to walk around to see the beauty of this garden and when you finish you will need to go up using the stairs.

There is place in the park from where you can see the skyline of down town and tall buildings of Vancouver. You probably will not miss to take shot from there.

One more thing that I should not forget. This is a bunch of fountains built in a place that you can not miss it. Specially for the kids who likes to go, get wet and touch the water flow..

While I was driving back, I though it was a wonderful afternoon and the park..no I will not forget.

A picnic day

It is difficult to stay away from the beauties of Vancouver while you are living here. Good number of parks made this city different from others. Where ever you go you will find a beautiful park in walking distance. Each of these parks are unique with its beauty.

We went to Queens Park today. There was a picnic for Bangladeshi Engineer's families in that park. For the second time we are joining that party. Nothing very special about the picnic, it is the same like many others. However I was impressed with the beauty of queens park. Several thousand of very big trees covered the park with their shade but you will not be deceived if you like sunny spaces. All over the park light and shade were playing like you don't want to miss any of them. Play ground for the kids, arena for ice hokey, tennis court, small farm zoo.. and what other things you can expect.

But there was small rose garden which i should mention separately. Bunch of different color rose plants where creating the corners of the garden. Whenever I see something, the color of that one that I remember. When I saw these yellow, red, pink... roses, I just could not keep keep myself outside the fence. Light breeze, light and shade, several color roses.... I will not forget.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

I was looking at green leaves of the trees here on the way to my office. These are so green, seems they are in the promise to be the most beautiful green in the world. These leaves are green, clean even it looks like they have a oil coating on top of green. Really wonderful!

Its very refreshing morning here. If I look around, I really cannot stay calm. While I was driving from top of the hill, my eyes were towards the ocean inlet. The skyline of downtown is clearly visible on the other side of the inlet. The water is blue or bluish white, a speedboat was moving fast and the white spreading waves were creating a big straight line behind. A passenger ferry was coming towards the terminal, looked small and really was not very small though. A sea plain was flying around and seems it could touch down town skyline any time.

Thanks God, starting here a wonderful morning.

It is raining in Vancouver today. This is not the kind of rain we saw in Bangladesh. This is very light. In summer you can walk in the rain if you like, though in summer the rain is very less.

Sometimes the sky is so dark that it is very deceiving and you might think it is going to be cats and dogs style rain. Today is a day like this. While I was driving, I had to put my headlights on.

Like the sky outside, i am also very disappointed. The reason is, I saw some videos about Bangladesh in Youtube. One Bangladeshi policeman was beating a political activist. He is just not a simple activist, he is a parliament member of Bangladesh. Later on I watched how the ruling party government how accepted the the activity of the police.

Ruling party was saying, the parliament member said bad things to police. That's why police was beating him.

I wonder, how it can be a rule for a civilized nation, if you say bad things to police they will start beating and they might kill you.

I am really waiting to see what happens at the end and how present opposition will do when they are in power.

Here is the link

Now we are in Vancouver

Just to give a update today, we are in Vancouver