LIFE AS IT IS

My husband and I are urbanophiles, so it was little wonder that for our first getaway in nearly two years, we chose the City that Never Sleeps. New York, which was the US epicentre and a global COVID-19 hotspot, has lifted most of its pandemic-induced restrictions after having hit the vaccination mark. At the time this was written, more than 70 percent of the New Yorkers aged 18 and above have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. We spent three days at the Big Apple as it was swiftly returning to life after more than a year under lockdown conditions. I felt alive the moment we crossed the Lincoln Tunnel under the Hudson River. The 1.5-mile long tunnel connects Weehawken, New Jersey to Midtown Manhattan, New York City. After having spent most of my time at home since March 2020, the urban cacophony of construction, traffic, honking, ambulance wailing in the distance, and chattering of tourists and locals was music to my ears. I felt like myself after a long, long time, for I...

Another Ramadan has arrived riding on the wings of time. Another Ramadan has come amid the pandemic. No religious congregations, iftar get-togethers in 2021, just like it was in 2020 - a quiet Ramadan for me and my family here in the US. My husband and I got our first COVID-19 jabs the day before Ramadan. My body tolerated it very well, but my husband was down with mild fever and body ache, although well enough to fast. We were planning on visiting Bangladesh in June to see our parents - we even bought the airline tickets. But with cases rising in Bangladesh, the hope of traveling there now hangs by a thread. It is now more than likely that our flight will have to be canceled. It has been more than one-and-a-half years since I met my parents, my brother and his family. Those of us, who have chosen to leave “home” and make a new home away from home, have our own struggles. My life is better here in the US in many ways, but no one place can make you absolutely happy. There are opp...

The lockdown condition of spring and summer seasons was bearable, thanks to long, sunny days and warm weather. However, as I look to the future and think of the cool-cold days ahead, I feel that spending the next six months within four walls could become challenging. I almost want to beg to these sunshine days, "Please stay a bit longer." America is fearing a second wave of the coronavirus in the fall. Health experts are worried about how dire the situation may look like in the fall and winter, the seasons when the influenza virus also circulates. Second wave or not, my daughter's school is not reopening for in-person classes this year and my husband will continue to work from home until at least the end of 2020. I am preparing myself for the frigid, housebound days. I am a warm weather person all in all. I like to keep my windows open and let in the fresh air. I love summer mornings when sunshine pours through my east-facing windows. However, as cold days arrive and temp...

The day the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the world as we knew it changed in the bat of an eye. We do not know when this pandemic will be over, so we have more or less accepted the situation. However, this new normal will significantly impact the way human lives are going to be post-pandemic. TELECOMMUTING This pandemic has taught us that in the age of technology, working from home is not an unachievable reality. Yes, the work-from-home model comes with its unique and inherent challenges, but it is also saving us our commute time and cost. There is also no need to dress for work and we can also create our own custom environment at home. As more and more people and companies accept and adopt this model of work, the offices of the future might occupy smaller spaces, because a significant percentage of the future workforce could be working remotely. The competition for prime office spaces in urban commercial centres is expected to drop. PEOPLE FLEEING ...

"For a working mother to be able to successfully blend and balance work and family lives, the key ingredients are planning, planning, and planning. Even during normal times, this involved setting out a basic routine for myself and the kids for weekdays, and even weekends," said Nadia Tabassum, regional manager at Unilever Bangladesh, and mother of three boys aged 11, 7, and 3. "I thrive on routine and for me, a single unplanned day can truly create havoc!" So, one of the biggest hurdles that working mothers like Tabassum faced, especially in the early days of the pandemic, was the complete meltdown of all established routines. The Daily Star link Career women have always shouldered a heavy burden of responsibilities and social expectations, long before COVID-19 was a thing. A working woman was already juggling work, family, and life, but at the onset of the pandemic, their responsibilities suddenly increased. Overnight, a working mother became a teacher and a childc...

These are the books 📚  my 7-year-old finished reading in this lockdown...  Here goes the list:  ~ The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton ~ The Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton ~ Amelia Bedelia chapter book set ~ Roald Dahl complete collection ~ The Secrets of Droon book series ~ Magic Tree House book series  ~ Junie B. Jones book series These pictures here do not include, obviously, the couple of hundred e-books that she read on Epic! I want to congratulate myself on her achievement, even if no one else congratulates me on this. But the truth is, a lot of people did praise me and congratulated me when I shared with them these photos. As a parent, I would like to encourage you to sow the seed of love of reading in your child. If that seed ever germinates, your child will never get bored easily. I know every child is different, but I also know that when we were kids, all my friends and cousins loved to read. Reading was our favorite pastime. And that helped most of u...