LIFE AS IT IS

O ne of the greatest pleasures of life is to wake up to sounds of birds. The dawn chorus of wrens, robins, goldfinches, sparrows, and blackbirds usher in the Queen of the seasons. Sunny days, gentle breeze, and azure skies break free from the cocoon of winter to paint the world in all kinds of colours conceivable! The arrival of Spring is first felt in the songs of birds. They are the first thing that tells you that short days and long-cold nights are quickly coming to an end. You can tell from the hummingbirds that start visiting your backyard and the wookpeckers that tap-tap-tap on the branches of beeches and red maples that Earth is about to unlock its treasure chest. From the treasure chest will escape warm weather, soft breeze, yellow daffodils and purple crocuses, richly coloured florets of cherry blossoms, green grasses, and golden bumblebees. At the same time, Mother Nature is all set to don her best garb of green and when she does, it is a sight to behold and remember! The oak...

T ake a break to take care of yourself. We spend so much of our time working and taking care of others that we neglect our own selves. It slips our mind that we can only take better care of others when we ourselves feel our best. Self-care often takes a backseat in our lives. However, nurturing our own body, mind, and soul is imperative to living a more satisfied and successful life. Therefore, leave behind all feelings of guilt and take some time to focus on yourself and only yourself, if not every day, then at least a few times a week. How to self-care Self-care is referred to addressing the needs of our mind, body, and soul. Exercise, meditation, eating healthy, gardening, crafting, reading, listening to music, relaxing at a spa, journaling, talking to friends, etc. are all different ways to nourish our body and mind. Different things and techniques work for different people. Upoma Haq, a Senior Vice President at a multinational bank in Bangladesh, says that walking has been critica...

I t was the summer of 2013, I was strolling along Jamaica's Hillside Avenue and turning my neck every time I was hearing someone utter something in Bangla. It was my first time in Jamaica, a neighbourhood in New York city's borough of Queens, which boasts a large population of Bangladeshi Americans and is considered one of the most ethnically diverse places on the planet.  Jamaica is a slice of Bangladesh away from it. With 'deshi' men and women speaking Bangla on the streets in traditional garbs like panjabi, pyjama and shalwar kameez, streets lined with Bangladeshi-owned restaurants and grocery stores selling your favourite 'deshi' vegetables, halal meats, and foods ranging from shingara-samosa, chotpoti-fuchka, naan-kabab, doi-mishti, and halua-paratha to kachchi biriyani, tehari, Haji-r biriyani and bhat-mach-bhorta, Jamaica is an instant reminder of the country you have left behind.   For a second, you might even forget that this place is very much a part o...