::: Star Campus :::

Feature

The "mama" culture & some embarrassment

Insia Ishtiaq Juhi

I never noticed when I became so obsessed with the word mama or mamu. Maybe its a part of University Culture that just dragged me into it and like all other University students I started addressing the security guards, tea sellers, rickshaw pullers, taxi deriver, auto-rickshaw drivers and restaurant boys as mamu or mama. It even led to addressing our female security guards as mama!!!

One day we were talking to one of our teachers. At the end of our conversation, he asked us with a very curious look “Can you please explain to me why you people address the female security guards as mama or mami?” Caught unaware by the question, we started looking at one another and murmured, “Do we!!!” and realized that we actually do. Its not that we do it consciously, but somehow it has been set in our mind that the counterpart of our male security guards should be addressed as mami.

I got to face another phase of this culture when I went to 'Gausia' with my mom. Automatically, I addressed the 'Peyara wala' as mama and asked for the peyara mix. For the entire duration of time we spent in the market my mother observed me. After returning to the car she asked in a calm voice “why do you address all the old men as chacha?” I answered promptly “to show respect to them.” Mom continued, “and how do you address the rest of the salesmen?” I again answered readily, “uuummmm…yeah…mama or mamu mostly.” Then I got sweetly bashed with a question like “ So you think chacha is a more respectful way of addressing than mama??!!”… I said something like- “uummm…I mean…I meant to say…heh heh...dunno”, having no other option…. But stay alert in such situations… Otherwise moms might feel offended!!!!

A boat ride to remember

Syeda Sabita Amin

We live in a time where the simple pleasures of life can hardly be felt. Let's face it; there are never enough hours of the day to complete everything. Most of us of today don't get to see many things that our parents or earlier generations saw or felt. For example the early dew that falls after a long cold night or a night under a tin roof in a quiet village. Ok, so some of us have but since I lived all my life abroad I did not.

As a university student all I thought my social life here would be to hang out in the 'hippest' and trendiest spots in town and do adda with friends. Boy was I ever wrong! Well, surely we do all that I thought we would, but there's lot more than that. One particular thing was a boat ride on the Gulshan Lake.

My colleagues always spoke of doing it whenever there was enough time but I was always hesitant since I never got on one. I didn't really let them know that either because like anybody else I hate being different. But one particular afternoon my friends convinced me and I agreed to go on one.

The cost was Taka 100 for an hour for about eight of us. Just to cruise about on the lake side to side. The boatmen there weren't very surprised so I assume they are used to students coming for 'joy rides' on the water.

Since it was my first time I felt the adrenaline rush but I pretty much kept it to myself. An hour quickly ended and I felt something different. A feeling of peace took over that very rush and it was just a different experience. Yes, I've been out on the sea before but the feeling that came from this simple ride was very different.

My article is the first time that I'm letting it out that that boat ride was my first boat ride in the city. There are a lot of people who will think there's nothing special about it but trust me it's just a great feeling since we don't get much of these sorts of things in the city.