LIFE AS IT IS

Very few things are as soothing as the sound of rain at night.

There are days when I wish I had nothing to do. A day when I will not have to leave my bed after my daughter wakes up at 6:30 a.m. in the morning. A day when I will not have to read aloud for half-hour to feed her just 8 spoonfuls of oatmeal. A day when I will not have to run after her after she poops and refuses to let me change her diaper. A day when I will not have to pretend to be a singer in order to make her go to sleep. On some days, I do not even feel like washing the dishes after a meal or preparing a lunch for myself. On those days, I just want to spend time with myself, and no one else. We have too many days in our lives when we push ourselves to do things that we do not feel like doing at that moment. On some mornings, our tired bodies and minds (even though we just woke up from an 8-hour night sleep) tell us to skip work. But we cannot do that, because if we did that then there would not be any money to pay rent, buy food and health insurance. I don't have to worry...

We like to be surrounded by people, who praise us.

For most of us, it is difficult to digest a criticism, no matter how constructive it is.

Yesterday, I was reading about an app called Yo. The app allows you to send and receive just one word, Yo! I don't know who to call crazy - the app developer or the Yo users. Why do you need to develop an app to send and receive just this one message when there are hundreds of messaging apps already available out there for free? And those apps allow you to type any word, literally any word of your choice, and not just one special, particular word that the app developer himself has chosen.  We have reached an age when tech lovers are developing apps for anything and everything. I even saw an app that tracks your daily bowel movement. I was like, seriously?! The app developers have somehow found out that there will always be users for their apps, no matter how bizarre they are. But I should not be joking about Yo 'cause it already has more than 50,000 users. These 50,000 people love the word, Yo, for a reason not clear to a not-so-bright person like me. The story does not end...

ঠিক সময়ে ঠিক কাজ করিতে কাহারও মনে পড়ে না, তাহার পরে বেঠিক সময়ে বেঠিক বাসনা লইয়া অস্থির হইয়া মরে। -একরাত্রি, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর      style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px"      data-ad-client="ca-pub-1412858923217987"      data-ad-slot="2221625556">

Went to a celebrity's facebook fan page & saw a fan addressing him as his God. What a crackpot!

Only a person who has tended to a sick baby knows how much patience and energy the task demands.       style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px"      data-ad-client="ca-pub-1412858923217987"      data-ad-slot="2221625556">

When your baby sits beside you and falls asleep, resting her head on your shoulder, you know that motherhood is a very special blessing.       style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px"      data-ad-client="ca-pub-1412858923217987"      data-ad-slot="2221625556">

There was a time when I really wanted to be a grownup, but that was some two decades ago. After I entered my 30s, the idea that I was ageing suddenly sunk in. I compared my old photos with my then-recent ones and realized that a decade had gone by while I was busy finishing college, working full-time, getting married and becoming a parent. When I look at myself in the mirror, I see a mature face -- I see blooming white hair here and there on my head. No matter how much we talk about graceful ageing, the idea of witnessing one's hair turn gray can actually be depressing. My hairline receded a good half-inch in the last 10 years. I can foresee it receding by another couple of inches in the next few decades, permitting I live another few decades. My thick hair is thinning with age. Every time I make a ponytail, I can feel the reduced volume. I often check in the mirror if I am developing laugh lines, a term that I was not aware of even a year ago. You see my vocabulary is gett...

It's amazing how celebrities and their personal problems can affect the personal lives of their fans.

Bangladeshis should stop eating formaldehyde/formalin-treated fruits and fish to teach the traders an important lesson. The country needs a social movement, where everyone must participate. These traders won't have customers to sell their supplies to if people don't buy from them. I myself would rather not eat than eat something that has poison in it.

We sold our daughter's crib via Craigslist last night. The father of the child came and picked it up. The mother could not come, but she was the one who was communicating with my husband about the price, pictures and condition of the crib. The mother sent my husband a thank-you email today. I was in tears after reading it. It's the little things in life that count, and make us feel once more that this world is not a bad place after all. Here it is below (I did not make any changes to it except removing her contact info): Hi, Hope you are well. First and foremost I want to apologize that I was not able to make it last night to pick up the crib, I really wanted to meet you and personally thank you. I am so happy to see my daughter sleeping in a beautiful and most importantly safe crib. Your generosity about reducing the price for us and adding extra items have touched me, I went to sleep last night with a huge smile on my face, I had a hard time falling asleep; because...

War takes away a child's right to a carefree childhood. I am at a loss for words every time a story of violence sweeps the media.      style="display:inline-block;width:728px;height:90px"      data-ad-client="ca-pub-1412858923217987"      data-ad-slot="2221625556">

It's hugely important for parents to introduce fruits and vegetables to a child at an early age. Growing up, vegetables were part of our daily diet. It began at breakfast time with round rotis and a preparation from mixed vegetables. Then during lunch time, vegetables were a must too. Lunch began with spinach or some kind of leafy vegetable, a single or mixed vegetable preparation, meat or fish and dal (pulses). Here in the United States, however, daily diet relies heavily on meat and carbohydrates. Children grow up eating calorie-packed burgers, fries and pizzas. Parents are not to be blamed alone - healthy foods are more expensive in this country. Meat costs much less than vegetables. In large families, parents are more worried about filling their children's stomachs and hence, resort to chicken, red meat, bread, pasta and canned foods. It's a sad scenario. I feel that there is often a lack of awareness too. Many parents do not even understand the benefits of eating f...

Bangladesh needs a social movement against traders, who use formalin/formaldehyde in food. These people are killing us & our children.

I eat ice cream year-round, but why does it taste so much better during summer?? :-)

The problem with living on the top floor: blistering heat during summertime. Air conditioners are sweating to keep us cool.

When I first started writing for newspapers, I used to write with pencil and paper, then I switched to a desktop computer after my family bought one. Today, I write from my cell phone. Some transformation indeed!

Expect respect from others when you can give them their due respect.

Summer, I love thee.