LIFE AS IT IS

  There is no other fabric that feels as luxurious as cashmere against the skin. Well, mulberry silk does. However, because this is winter time, we will discuss cashmere and cashmere only, world’s most sought-after fabric of the cold season.  The Daily Star link Cashmere is a word that derived from the angilicisation of Kashmir, the place where the cashmere goat originated. It is a fibre that is obtained from cashmere goats, which live in mountainous areas and cold climates. Today, China is the largest producer and exporter of cashmere wool. However, Mongolia is known to be the producer of the world’s finest cashmere. Grade-A cashmere has the highest quality, followed by B and C.  Cashmere being an expensive fibre is primarily used by mid-luxury and high-end fashion houses to produce everything from sweaters, dresses, coats to scarves, gloves, beanies, socks, even scrunchies, and more. However, cashmere which was once only worn by the royals and wealthy have become more a...

  A steaming cup of strongly-brewed tea, boosted with milk and sugar, is sometimes all you need to unwind. For a few minutes, you do not want to think of anything else but the cup right in front of you. In the steam that rises from the cup, your stress and fatigue mix and evaporate.  The Daily Star link Every morning, a cuppa prepared in deshi-style is what most Bengalis crave no matter what part of the world they live in. In a Bengali kitchen, the first thing that often sits on the stove in the morning is a saucepan or a kettle to brew breakfast tea. Why? Because a Bengali tea lover's morning without tea makes them unproductive, fatigued, and irritable!  A cup of tea prepared with milk and sugar is what we love in the morning and evening, although many are now switching to plain tea for health reasons. Our undying love for tea, whether it is plain tea, lemon tea, masala tea, or milk tea, bind us together; our love for tea transcends all our differences.  To us,...

  A neat haircut has the power to transform the way you look! As a woman who has to visit the beauty salon every 8 to 10 weeks because her layers grow faster than she wants, there are a few things that I have learned and taught myself over time about salon etiquette. They have always saved me from the agony of leaving a salon with a sad face and a bad haircut.  The Daily Star link Be specific Decide before going to the beauty salon what you want. I have learnt from my personal experience that hairdressers want you to be as specific as you can about your needs and wants, be it a cut or colour. "I don't want my hair to be too short" is too vague for anyone, including hairdressers. Your definition of 'too short' may be different from your hairstylist's definition of 'too short.' Therefore, be specific. Consider saying something like "Take an inch off the length." A bad haircut can jeopardise your mental peace. Therefore, it is very important to ...

  Try to plan one trip to the beach every year. Do some careful financial planning, save up, and set aside three to four days (the more, the better) from your work schedule to spend time at the beach, because an annual beach getaway is absolutely worth it. For those people who live in landlocked regions, going to the beach can be a time-consuming and costly affair, so consider yourself lucky if the nearest beach is not too far from your location.  The Daily Star link We lived in Minnesota, USA, for five years and during that time, we managed to make just one beach vacation. Because we lived in America's Midwest, which shares no border with sea or ocean, a trip to the nearest beach meant travelling 2.5 to 3 hours by air. However, after moving to Delaware, a small state with pretty beaches, beach getaways have become an annual thing for us. We now go to the beach on day trips, too.  I cannot stress enough how rejuvenating spending time near the ocean can be. The waves break...

It’s been a rough year for gardeners - climate change is threatening a favourite pastime, a hobby, and a passion of millions.  Early spring, sudden drop in nighttime temperature, and lack of rain have made it challenging for me to grow much this spring and summer. My cucumber vine succumbed to a slow and early death and the spinach simply refused to live. Lettuces were not growing as they should, the eggplant is still a dwarf, and the Malabar spinach did not grow past several inches. Perennials like hydrangea and white ‘Stargazer’ lilies did not bear flowers, not even one. Not to mention the squirrels, who forage in the backyard and add to the agony of my plants! In the face of climate change adversity, the only plants that are doing fairly well are the heirloom and cherry tomatoes.  People who grow crops and those who garden are often the first ones to sense any changes in climate. These people also watch these changes firsthand because they spend a considerable amount of the...

  Feeling down? You think food might cheer you up? Well, certain foods lift our spirits and their aromas stir our appetite. We are certain that they do the same to most of you! We have drawn up a list of most beloved Bengali comfort snacks. While these snacks are available on the street and in restaurants, they can be quite easily prepared at home, too.  The Daily Star link Phuchka Is there a Bengali out there who does not love phuchka? Perhaps just a few, if there are any at all. Phuchka is a 365-day snack; you can eat it any day, it’s that good!  The very image of a plate full of crispy semolina shells filled with seasoned potatoes, white peas, diced onion, coriander leaves, and green chillies and topped with grated boiled egg makes our mouths water. Let’s not forget that sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce that brings an extra burst of flavour to this dearly loved gustatory delight.  Chotpoti This one is another beloved snack of Bengalis, especially Bangladeshis. Prepar...

  Resting in my favourite beige upholstered accent chair, I look out the window; it is a rain-drenched day of January. Although rain in winter is common here in Delaware, today it is both rainy and foggy. At this moment, the only sound I hear other than that of rain falling is the one of rain water being splashed by moving cars. As someone who grew up in a tropical country and enjoys warm weather, the first month of the year can be quite melancholic, chiefly because of the kind of weather the month brings along with it.  The Daily Star link December, although freezing, is a festive month in this part of the world and there are things to look forward to. Christmas lights and displays, holiday merchandise at shops, and holiday desserts at eateries and grocery shops add joy and warmth to cold December. In comparison, the month following December is icy-cold and icy-cold only, both in terms of mood and temperature. January feels like what you feel after house guests leave; your ho...

  From 2009 to 2010, I volunteered at an old age home in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Watching first-hand the plight of senior citizens in the world’s most affluent country was an eye-opener; till today, the experience is a constant reminder of how vulnerable and forlorn people can become in the autumn of their lives.  The Daily Star link Fast forward to December 2022, I was standing in front of Shailan Probeen Nibash (SPN), which is located about 45 km from Dhaka off Dhaka-Aricha highway in an idyllic village called Shailan in Dhamrai upazila. At first sight, the old age home’s newly built exposed red brick four-storey building with its long balconies and a courtyard garden might make you mistake it for a vacation resort. The home has a capacity to house 80 men and women free of charge, although at the time of my visit, only 17 men and women were residing at SPN. Muhammad Wahidur Rahman, a retired Master Warrant Officer of the Bangladesh Army and the superintendent of SPN, showed us...

  Is reading becoming a leisurely activity of the past? Perhaps not, but people most definitely read much less than they used to. In a life characterised by uninterrupted 24/7 visual entertainment, books compete for our undivided attention all the time. We believe, however, poems, short stories, and novels deserve the same amount of attention, if not more, that we give films, dramas, music, and YouTube content. Today is Ekushey February. On this auspicious occasion, we can make a resolution to enjoy some Bengali literature. It can be in the form of physical books or electronic ones — the choice is yours. As a matter of fact, the wide availability of e-books now means that poems and fictions can travel with us any time any place. In addition to all the cognitive benefits associated with reading, reading in your first language has plenty of other benefits, including knowing about your country and countrymen in the language of the land. Finding out about how you became who you are is ...