shahanaus

No funny comment.

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 12:39:07 +0000

I have to hold myself back from making a funny comment on anyone. Maybe because of my serious face, people take things seriously. So, when I say something funny about them, they don't get the funny part. They take that seriously and most of the time get offended.

Only people who know me very well know how funny I am. Only they laugh out of their hearts.

Anyway, I think I have already disheartened two of my colleagues. May Allah help me. I am going to hold my tongue forever, and keep remembering myself, no fun, no funny comment. I don't afford to make more enemies in my life.

Suggesting people

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Sun, 31 May 2026 22:41:36 +0000

You can suggest someone to do something that will be good for everybody, especially for that person. If they listen, great; if not, it's their luck. You tried, but they are not ready to have that.

But if that person is someone near you, you can't just let things go. You keep asking, requesting, reminding them again and again. Some may call it nagging. But you just want good for them and all. You just have to keep trying with the hope that someday they will understand or just listen.

A very foggy day.

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Sun, 24 May 2026 11:34:43 +0000

It's a very foggy day. Visibility looks 0 to me. Be very careful on the road. If not needed, don't go out. Enjoy your Sunday.

I remember I was going to Cox's Bazar from Dhaka on a very foggy day by bus. Our bus driver was saying, I can't see anything. But he started driving. Then he started following a bus. He said, "Let's follow this bus." If this bus falls into a hole, then I will be careful about it. He was laughing with his helper. I had no idea what was going on. Later, the driver found the tricks. He started driving by himself and sped up. I still don't know what his trick was. But he didn't kill us, this much I can assure you.

Food in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Wed, 13 May 2026 13:12:29 +0000

I have started to taste the food from the Swish Airline. I liked the food they served. I found they are not processed and have good taste and quality.

I have tasted food in some European countries, like Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and France. I found that food in Switzerland is very expensive but of good quality. In Italy and France, food is much cheaper than in Canada. But the quality of food is much better. In these two countries, you can find a variety of cultural foods, including Halal options, that are affordable and of good quality.

I wish food prices would go down and stay at a reasonable level. Then people would have to buy more healthy food and stay healthy in life. Healthy people mean a good workforce for the country and less pressure on hospitals and care homes. People might have visited more restaurants. The food, restaurant and grocery business would have done better. Moreover, the travellers would have come to visit more to have a wide variety of food in Toronto.

The most important factor for any area

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Tue, 12 May 2026 01:40:00 +0000

I have visited many countries, cities, and homes. One thing I realize everywhere is that you need to keep your area clean. No matter how many other things, like tidiness, expensive items, facilities, or other services you have, if the area or items aren't clean, nothing is worth it.

You need to keep the area, living space, furniture, clothes, and other items clean. My suggestion is to appoint a cleaner, maybe to clean once a day or 24/7 availability. It's good for everybody who lives or has just visited for hours. Everybody will feel comfort. It will also reduce the risk of contracting any diseases.

To keep any area clean, we need to stop making it dirty. People who live in and visit the area should keep it clean. It will help to keep the area comfortable for all.

From school, kids should learn about it too. So that they will keep the area clean by disposing of garbage in the proper place and cleaning the washroom before they leave, etc.

When you compare a person with an animal

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:31:00 +0000

If you call someone an animal, they will get angry. However, if you call them a tiger or a lion, they will love it, because tigers and lions are famous for their bravery, not cruelty.

If you call anyone an elephant, they won't like it. No matter how intelligent and strong this animal is, people refer to it as a fat animal.

Similarly, the peacock is often seen as a symbol of beauty, whereas people often think of a crow as ugly. In fact, a crow is a very intelligent bird with a long-term memory and is socialized with other crows.

So, it doesn't matter what the animal is capable of; animals are liked or disliked by previous means of human society.

Responsibility attracts me

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:26:00 +0000

Situation 1:

I was working with Election SK as an information officer. I arrived at my designated voting place a little early to set up my workstation. I found that my colleagues had also arrived on time, meaning a little early. Everyone met and created a friendly environment.

In the meantime, an older man arrived. He was responsible for the building authority. He came to help us set up the voting place. He came up to me and said, "I assume you are the manager by watching your work, so let's discuss some formal issues."

I smiled and told him, no I am not the manager. But I can help him as much as possible. Then I took him to the manager.

Situation 2:

I worked at McDonald's as a crew member. I worked at the front, taking orders, making coffee, setting up front stations for tea, coffee, and other items, helping clients place their orders, and, if there were delays, contacting the back kitchen to resolve issues. Sometimes, clients also suggested that others contact me with their problems, and they had faith that I would do something for them. I always tried.

A guy came and said, I assume you are the manager, judging by the way you are dressed and how you are managing everything. So, I need to discuss a couple of things about this branch. I replied that I am not, but I can ask the manager to contact you.

Situation 3:

I was studying at the University of Dhaka. My older sister had been admitted to the same university 3 years earlier. Then I joined. One day, I came home early. My father asked me where my sister was. I said I didn't know. My parents knew we were in different departments, but my dad still got angry with me. He said I should take care of my sister. How could I just leave her alone at the university? I started thinking, who was supposed to take care of whom? But our departments were in different locations, so it was impossible to track each other's positions back then. We didn't have cell phones.

Nowadays, I am trying to change my attitude. Let's not take any responsibility and enjoy relaxing time. Let's try.

Our thought process

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:15:00 +0000

When we hear something good about someone, the first thing that comes to mind is how they achieved it and why we can't. This is not good. Let's think about it in another way. Let's learn to be happy for others' achievements. That won't make us any less than others. It will make us happy and give us the opportunity to learn from others and grow.

Successful business

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:22:00 +0000

Do you know who the successful businessmen are? They are the ones who never solve the problems; moreover, sometimes they encourage the problems to keep their business running smoothly.

An example is road construction. You will find that ancient roads don't need any repair; they are still functional. But modern roads need fixing every year or month. So, the maintenance or construction business keeps going.

Another example is diseases. As long as it exists, you have to pay for the treatment.

We may say this is unethical, but businesspeople will argue that this is business tact and the way to become rich by hurting innocent people.

I hope they find a proper way to make a profit without harming anyone or leaving the problem unresolved.

Campaign in Bangladesh

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:59:00 +0000

In Bangladesh, tradition/benefit is that when you want to campaign for anything, it could be a business product or any kind of election or services, you can use anything in this country without any permission. Treaditionally it is accepted by the people of this country.

Like, you can write about the campaign, or colour or decorate any wall, like a personal home, office buildings, or any shop. You can put your information on any tree, lamp post, public transport, etc. Especially during elections, the campaign party decorates the whole city. Like they own it.

Forgive them

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:03:00 +0000

There are many times in your life when others' actions upset you and cause suffering. You may react instinctively in the moment. Usually, you'll find that your reaction worsens the situation. Sometimes it might improve the situation, but it can also ruin your mood or damage your relationships with others.

If you say nothing, it might burn you inside and ruin your day. It could also give you a headache.

The best option I see is to forgive them, and also forgive yourself. You'll find you can handle everything better now. With peace of mind, you might discover a better way to solve or reduce the problem, or you will simply be able to ignore it for your own mental peace.

My style

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:13:00 +0000

This is my relaxed way of sitting on a chair. I am still trying to remember to sit straight to keep my backbone aligned.

Marriage ceremony

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:11:00 +0000

Bangladesh has a tradition of celebrating marriage ceremonies, as do many other countries. There are some common steps that everyone follows, some inherited from family or community, to ensure everyone can enjoy the celebration. They spend days celebrating at various locations and months preparing, depending on their budget or capabilities.

We received many invitations to join marriage ceremonies. In most cases, my mom didn't want to go because we didn't have a car at that time. Most ceremonies end late at night, making it very difficult to find a ride back home. Uber wasn't available then.

Even if we attend the ceremony, my parents just eat food and then go back home. I haven't had the chance to see any of the activities at the ceremony. I have asked them many times, but they never listen to me.

I regretted it to my friends and said I really wanted to see all the activities of a marriage ceremony. They laughed at me. They said, " You will see when your ceremony occurs." Allah knows that was a disaster.

My friend Shumi helped me fulfill this wish. She invited me to her house to stay for three days and participate in all the ceremonial activities. Well, it wasn't really an option. She ordered me to do so. I stayed with her family for three days and watched all the programs. Shumi and her family took very good care of me—more than the bride herself. They constantly checked whether I had eaten or was facing any problems. Even though Shumi was sitting as the bride, she asked her mother to check whether I had eaten anything. It was a wonderful memory for me.

During my marriage ceremony, no one looked after me like that. Everyone at my ceremony was busy eating. No one fed me. By the end, there was a shortage of seating, and people faced trouble because of the limited availability. My sister's in-laws were also invited to the ceremony. They managed to set up a new table in my room (the bride's room) and sat there to eat. Boro apa (my brother-in-law's older sister) suddenly noticed I was sitting alone. She asked, "Did you eat anything?" I said no. So, she fed me 2 or 3 bites of rice from her hand. In the meantime, the groom's family arrived at the ceremony, so she stopped. Then, they started causing trouble because of the food shortage. The restaurant was very slow, and they caused such delays in arranging the food that everyone became very angry.

A person from the groom's family came to me and asked, "Did you eat food?" I replied, "Yes" (I had taken 2 or 3 bites). She said, "What kind of bride are you? How could you eat before the groom's lunch?" Then she went to the groom's family and kept saying, "What kind of bride is this?" Just to let you know, generally, the bride's family feeds the bride earlier because she may feel shy to eat anything with the groom.

My youngest sister came to me and said that the groom and his friends are also causing a scene. They didn't like the food that was served, so they are demanding something else. I saw from the window how the groom and his friends got up from their tables and walked to another table to eat more, showing their anger.

At the end of the day, my mom came and said they were going to eat now and asked if I wanted to eat. I have seen enough to feel eat anything, so I said no.

Anyway, as I already declared, I have eaten. No one offered me food after arriving at the groom's family's house. I think I enjoyed enough food at my marriage ceremony. I don't even know what the food will look like at my wedding.

Biye Bareer khabar (Food from the marriage ceremony)

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:31:00 +0000

In Bangladesh, the food arrangements for the marriage ceremony are considered the best. People say that the food is comparable to what is served at a marriage, which helps you understand how good it is. As they say, the chicken roast from the biye barir (the home where the marriage is taking place) is especially delightful.

Sometimes I hear Bangladeshi people say, 'It's been a long time since I attended or ate at a wedding.' They miss the food. I also miss that food too.

Sometimes people get upset because they are not invited to a wedding. In most cases, they are not upset about missing the ceremony but about the food.

I heard people comparing or judging the food arrangement at a marriage ceremony. They said that the food wasn't cooked enough, didn't taste good, or that somewhere else was great, etc. They judge the bride's parents for not arranging a good marriage ceremony or food arrangement.

In my childhood, I enjoyed the marriage ceremony programs and food as well. They looked very delightful. After growing up, I realized how difficult and costly it is for a bride's parent to arrange everything. It requires time, money, energy, and people's judgments, especially from the groom's family. On the other hand, no matter how poorly the groom's family arranges the program, the bride's family can never speak badly, or they will make the bride's life difficult.

I think we should all be thankful to the bride's family regardless of how they arrange the ceremony. We should appreciate their effort and accept all mistakes and poor decisions. It's not only for the bride's family; anyone who arranges food for you, don't judge them, and try to enjoy the food and moments with them.

Eid Mubarak

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:22:00 +0000

You don't need to torture those who are seeking help.

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:19:00 +0000

In most cases, when someone asks for help or comes to you seeking assistance, that person has nothing left or no one else to turn to. They are already ashamed of their failures in life and feeling low.

In that time, if you take pictures or videos, or record life moments and display them to the world to show how bad the situation they are dealing with is, that's not fair.

If you want to promote your activities, take pictures of yourself, your products, and the team you're working with. You can also take pictures of the area. However, never take pictures of people who come to you seeking help; they are already feeling vulnerable, and you shouldn't make it worse.

In some areas, the organization makes people stand in lines outdoors in public places. This is another form of torture. Nobody needs to know who is seeking help.

Like Muslims believe, your left hand shouldn't know what the right hand has donated. Be a human!

Paul Walker

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:23:00 +0000

He was one of my favourite actors, Paul Walker.

We have limited space to live

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:30:00 +0000

We may have learned a lot about the universe and discovered many new spheres, but we haven't found anywhere humans can enjoy going to like another country. So, we only have one planet to live on.

Throughout the entire universe, people couldn't find any plants on other planets. So, to live and eat, we have to take care of this planet the way it should be.

Even on this planet, we can't live just anywhere. Most of it is covered by salty seawater. Then there are icy regions, deserts with sands and hot weather, mountains which are very difficult for humans to traverse, and deep jungles where survival is challenging.

There are very few spaces where we can live, grow plants, and keep proteins for a healthy life. We can't be so arrogant and greedy that we destroy this planet with our work. It doesn't matter how directly or indirectly we are involved; wherever these occurrences happen, they will cause suffering for all, today or tomorrow, to your child or loved one.

Let's solve all issues through discussion; let's not destroy this planet for the sake of profit. You can't eat money; you need plants and the animals that eat plants.

Let's now act like illiterates about this Earth. Let's make peace for everybody with everybody; we all belong to this earth.

Biography 335: Lost in the books

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:18:00 +0000

I used to read a lot of books. If I couldn't find any books (it was before the internet era, yes, I am that old), I even read leaflets, manuals, menus, and so on. This way, I actually learned many things. Usually, we don't read manuals, but if you do, you'll find there are many things you didn't know before.

One day, my older sister and I
went to Dola apa's house. We stayed there the whole night to join the next day's birthday program. I am sure they had no interest in taking me because I wasn't very close to them. But Dola apa was close to Boro apa, so they probably just took me with her.

As usual, I was alone in their home. I am used to this kind of situation. I started looking for something to read. Our uncle liked to read a lot. Wherever he went, he made a library there. Most of the books were about politics or very advanced topics for me. I was very young. I didn't expect anything for a teen in their house, but I was still looking at the books. Then I found some great books that could be good for me. I started reading. The whole day and the next day, I just read and read. I got so absorbed in the books that I didn't notice who had come home or how they were engaging. I found a wooden, comfortable chair on the balcony; I just sat there and kept enjoying the books and their stories. I spent good moments in that house.

Biography 334: My father didn't get the birthday cake

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 03:43:00 +0000

It was Dola apa's birthday. We visited their home to join her birthday party. I don't know where they ordered the birthday cake, but it was very delicious.

You know, when you have a room full of people and need to distribute a medium-sized cake, you slice it into small pieces and hand them out to everyone. Sisi Apa did the same. As I told you, the cake was very delicious. I really wanted to take some more pieces because less than half of the cake remained on the tray. But I felt really shy about asking or taking any myself. The food was served by the host family, so I assume they weren't expecting the guests to serve themselves. It was probably due to how they manage things, I thought. So, I didn't help myself.

I saw a lady taking a cake by herself. I told you the cake was very delicious. But my shyness didn't let me ask for any or take a piece. After a few minutes, Lisi apa came; asked did everyone have the cake? Some nodded their heads affirmatively. She took the cake away, probably to store it in the refrigerator.

The reason for this long explanation is that there was another person, who felt shyer than I—my father. Somehow, the food distributor didn't give him any cake. He didn't sit near me, so I wouldn't notice. At night, after returning home, my dad told my mom that he didn't get any piece of cake. But dad didn't want to make them feel bad, so he chose not to tell them.

My mom isn't the kind of lady who keeps this information to herself. Probably the next day, she called her sister and told her that my dad didn't get any piece of cake.

Immediately, my aunt bought a small cake and came to our home with Dola apa. Her other daughters might also be with her; I don't remember. Dola apa and Boro khala cut the cake and enjoyed it with our family, including my dad.

My aunt kept telling my dad, 'You should have asked me.' Dad was feeling shyer and trying to hide under the floor. But anyway, we were happy to have my aunt and Dola apa at home.

I actually didn't know what happened; I was surprised to see them at home with cake. After listening to some conversations between my aunt and mom while enjoying the cake, I understood what was going on.

Happy Women's Day, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Happy Women's Day to all women, wherever you are living, regardless of your circumstances. May Allah keep you safe, healthy, and in peace forever.

Bangla vs English terms

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0000

In the Bangla language, we have some additional words that don't exist in English. For example, in English, we call him uncle. In Bangla, we have chacha (father's brother), fufa (father's sister's husband), mama (mother's brother), khalu (mother's sister's husband), taloi (sister's father-in-law), etc. If we translate these into English, all of them would be called uncle.

In my childhood, I was very confused about all these relationships. So, sometimes I used to follow what my mother says. For example, I used to call Dula bhai (brother-in-law) to my Boro Khalu (uncle). Later, I figured out that my mother called him Dula bhai. One day, my older sister corrected me. I tried to remember that, but sometimes, by mistake, I used to call him Dula bhai.

Biography 333: She was stealing

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 02:50:00 +0000

I was very young. During those days, my mom used to have a permanent housemaid. I mean, they had to live with us and work with my mom. If they couldn't prove their work to a high standard or commit any unforgivable mistake, my mom would send them back.

One woman started working in our house, but we were not happy with her work and behavior. So, Mom asked her to leave. She got ready and said goodbye to mom. She was sweating a lot. At that moment, my Boro Khalu (my mother's older sister's husband) was in our house. He told my mom to check her before she left.

My mom generally doesn't do that, but she checked her luggage and found some household items she was taking with her. Khalu also asked for a body check, but my mom wasn't ready for that. She said, 'Whatever you take, just give it to me; I won't punish you.' Then she brought out some sarees that were hidden in her body. Those belonged to my mom. Anyway, mom didn't take them back; let her take those.

I was thinking, my khalu was very experienced in this matter; he knew exactly what was going on here.

My mom's garden

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 01:57:00 +0000

My mom's garden had lots of Aloe Vera plants, as you can see in the picture. My older sister tried to use those plants; as far as I know, she used them to improve her hair and promote glowing skin. However, the process looks very difficult, so I haven't tried anything with those plants.

The season is changing

noreply@blogger.com (Shahana Shafiuddin) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:31:00 +0000

The season is changing. Winter to Spring. Seasonal changes can bring some diseases to your body, such as a light cough or a fever. Eat lots of fruits, especially those that contain vitamin C. It may help you feel better.