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Holiday Tips

Ramadan Perks: A high school diary

Syed Sajid Ahmed

The days of halim, jilapi, piaju and most importantly dates (khejur) are back! The streets of Chawk Bazaar are once again going to be engulfed with festivity and joy now that the Holy month of Ramadan is going to begin. And with the feeling of festivity around, one can surely say that everyone is ready and set to start this challenging yet exciting month.

Photo: Md Ata Islam Khan Mojlish

After one whole year, our monotonous lives will be going through some big changes. The everyday life of having breakfast, going to school or office, having lunch and so on, will come to a pause for a while as almost everyone is going to start adapting to a fairly unusual way of life with the beginning of Ramadan. Waking up at dawn instead of early mornings to have food (sehri) before Fajr and sitting together with the whole family in the evening for iftaar is exactly what the adaptation is going to be. Even though it's hard for some of us to abide by these rules of this month, we usually get used to these little changes and actually start enjoying it. Truly, one can say that Ramadan has its own set of colours which it spreads amongst us.

With the schools and other educational institutions being closed, the youth of our country tends to enjoy this month the most. Saif Ahmed, a student of Scholastica, who is currently studying for A level examinations, says that it is sort of a vacation to him. “I enjoy this part of the year the most!” said Essa Quadry who is also studying for his A level examinations. Different people enjoy this month in different ways. With Eid knocking on the door, some prefer to go shopping while others like to sit in at home and watch television or play games. No matter how tired or exhausted we feel while fasting, we all love to go shopping. "Wearing new attires on Eid is a part of our culture and so we simply love it when it comes to shopping for Eid," exclaimed Sharif Tahsin Farah, a young student from Ed-Base. Indeed, shopping in malls is one of the common things we can do to kill time in the noon and wait for Iftar. And, even if you are done shopping, you can simply walk around and window shop for as long as you like, because let's face it-- every other shop has something new to offer for the 'Big Day'.

Just as some love to go shopping, there are people who tend to be lazy and prefer staying home. These people often spend their time watching television or playing video games. "I don't want to get exhausted when I am fasting and that is why I think I should do something that is relaxing for me," said Kazi Intesar who is currently studying for his O level examinations. “Watching movies is not a bad idea either,” he added. While these people prefer to stay at home and relax, some prefer to work on their academics and, hence, spend time taking courses such as SAT, IELTS, etc. The Ramadan vacation is, therefore, a great time to take part in these courses and enhance our academic skills.

After being done with all the activities during the day, going to buy some iftar is a must do for everyone! It's a totally unique experience which can only be experienced in this part of the world. The iftar stalls set up around the city create a totally different and unique atmosphere. “One must not miss to experience this feeling,” added Saif. If not more, one should go to Chawk Bazaar atleast once, just to check out the level of enthusiasm and hype. “Boro Baaper Pola”, “Korim-er Chop” and “Shahi Tukra” are some of the names which are immensely popular in that area. Though the level of hygiene is a bit of concern, but it is worth it.

There are some health freaks who simply do not want to miss on working out. Nazmul Choudhury of Hurdco Internatinal School is an example. There are many youngsters like him who prefer to go to gym a few hours after iftaar. “It is actually a very good idea,” says Nazmul. Because we often eat a bit too much for iftaar, it is necessary to burn the extra intake in order to remain fit. “Going for swimming isn't a bad idea either,” adds Nazmul.

Everybody in our society seems to enjoy Ramadan in their own way. It seems that Ramadan is sort of a festival in this 'entertainment hungry' city of ours. For most of us, it is actually a month to gear up for Eid but for some of us it is a month for relaxation. However, one thing that we all have in common-- excitement!

DID YOU KNOW?

Kristine Lilly

Footballer Kristine Marie Lilly was born on July 22, 1971 (turning 41 today!). Lilly attended Wilton High School in Wilton, Connecticut. While still attending high school, Lilly became a member of the United States women's national team. She was recruited by, and eventually chose to attend, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lilly competed as a student-athlete, playing for the university's North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team from 1989 to 1992. During her time there, she won the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship every year she played. She won the Hermann Trophy as a junior in 1991. To honour her time with the school, North Carolina retired her #15 jersey in 1994. Lilly began her career with Tyresö FF of Sweden in 1994. She spent one season with the club before returning to the United States. On August 20, 1995, Lilly joined Washington Warthogs of the now-defunct Continental Indoor Soccer League. She was the only woman in the all-male professional indoor league, following in the footsteps of Collette Cunningham and Shannon Presley who had played in the league sparingly in 1994. Lilly joined W-League side Delaware Genies in 1998. With the club, she appeared in four games, scoring five goals and two assists!

Information Source: Internet.