Imagine my shock.
A friend had forwarded me the link to a Bengali natok (or a short TV series) on Youtube that was being aired in Bangladesh right now. The series is based on Bangladeshi-Canadians living in Ottawa.
OK, this sounds interesting, I thought, and clicked Play.
My cousin's face stared right back at me.
After having gotten over the shock, I quickly started to enjoy the play. It was actually not bad.
Of course the funny part part of it was my cousin is playing one character whose friend is interested in the neighbor lady and my cousin's character has to tease his friend about it. The haha part - the neighbor lady is being played by my cousin's wife! Some uncomfortable smiles there.
I still can't believe my cousin and bhabi are on national TV!
All in all I am actually surprised I didn't hear anything about it - but here it is - if you follow Bengali you will enjoy some of the characters while cringe at some of the others - it's all here.
Amader Shopnoloke
Episode 1 - part 1 of 3.
Episode 2 - part 1 of 3.
Episode 3 - part 1 of 3.
They even have a blog!
The personal, official blog of author Mezbauddin Mahtab
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Frivolous Friday - 2
You know your country's PROFESSIONAL cricket team is a bad one when their stated aim is to beat the United Arab Emirates team - a team made up of expats and construction workers and accountants with a little extra time on their hands.
The Euro 08 tournament is really shaping up very well. Just six more games to go and already so many goals and champagne moments. And yes, Portugal is out (YEEAAAH). I am sick of Christiano Ronaldo and his theatrics in the field and I do NOT see what women see in him (actually I do but I choose not to).
A man has supposedly shed 80 lbs on a Mc Donald's diet. If you believe that I have a bridge in Scarborough I want to sell to you for cheap.
I never heard of this guy before. Cool - it gives me something to 'research' on the weekend. Especially since our team lost by 1 RUN on our quarter final. 1 BLOODY RUN.
* * *
The Euro 08 tournament is really shaping up very well. Just six more games to go and already so many goals and champagne moments. And yes, Portugal is out (YEEAAAH). I am sick of Christiano Ronaldo and his theatrics in the field and I do NOT see what women see in him (actually I do but I choose not to).
* * *
A man has supposedly shed 80 lbs on a Mc Donald's diet. If you believe that I have a bridge in Scarborough I want to sell to you for cheap.
* * *
I never heard of this guy before. Cool - it gives me something to 'research' on the weekend. Especially since our team lost by 1 RUN on our quarter final. 1 BLOODY RUN.
Monday, June 16, 2008
An Evening With Dr Yunus
Dr Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, was in Toronto last week. I was one of the few of who were lucky enough to get a special invitation to attend that civic reception some organizations in Toronto (including the University of Toronto BSA) threw in his honour.
It was a well organized evening (for the most part). There were a few dignitaries, like Dr Suzuki, who all introduced Dr Yunus, and practically fawned over his greatness. There was a lot of hero worship on stage. Finally, it was his time to speak.
Dr Yunus spoke very well. He spoke on poverty, micro-credit and the fight against poverty. He touched on all topics briefly, but gave concrete examples throughout, and filled his speech with interesting and funny anecdotes. Never drawling, never failing to keep your interest from waning, making you laugh at times, ponder at others, and leaving you wanting for more when he ended - in short, this was everything a good speech is supposed to be.
Dr Yunus also came across as a very humble and polite man. You could picture him as your next door elderly neighbour, or the gentleman waiting for the bus down the street. There's no air of false pomp and show about him; he came across as a very sincere man.
Following his speech was a Q & A where five students got to grill him on micro-credit. To their credit, the questions were not softball but tough ones like how does Grameen Bank deal with defaulters and how does he answer this criticism of microcredit and so on.
To be honest, I would love to see a head-to-head debate between Dr Yunus on micro-credit and those who deplore it as another loan shark poor tax grab - it should help clear the matter once and for all.
For now though, the highlight of the week for all the attendees and the undisputed star of the evening, was Dr Muhammad Yunus.
It was a well organized evening (for the most part). There were a few dignitaries, like Dr Suzuki, who all introduced Dr Yunus, and practically fawned over his greatness. There was a lot of hero worship on stage. Finally, it was his time to speak.
Dr Yunus spoke very well. He spoke on poverty, micro-credit and the fight against poverty. He touched on all topics briefly, but gave concrete examples throughout, and filled his speech with interesting and funny anecdotes. Never drawling, never failing to keep your interest from waning, making you laugh at times, ponder at others, and leaving you wanting for more when he ended - in short, this was everything a good speech is supposed to be.Dr Yunus also came across as a very humble and polite man. You could picture him as your next door elderly neighbour, or the gentleman waiting for the bus down the street. There's no air of false pomp and show about him; he came across as a very sincere man.
Following his speech was a Q & A where five students got to grill him on micro-credit. To their credit, the questions were not softball but tough ones like how does Grameen Bank deal with defaulters and how does he answer this criticism of microcredit and so on.
To be honest, I would love to see a head-to-head debate between Dr Yunus on micro-credit and those who deplore it as another loan shark poor tax grab - it should help clear the matter once and for all.
For now though, the highlight of the week for all the attendees and the undisputed star of the evening, was Dr Muhammad Yunus.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Frivolous Friday
I have decided that Friday is going to be Frivolous Friday. At least that will get me posting on some regular basis. So this post will contain all sort of random musings collected together in one spot.
Any regular reader of my blog will know my grouse with Dubai - the city that is holding a debate on preserving national values but still advertises the Emirates non-stop flight to Dubai from Toronto as "the only thing between you and Dubai is a gourmet meal, a nice glass of wine, ..."
From Gulf News, here's a good read - Dubai cabbies tell all.
If you have some time to kill on Saturdays and Sundays, you can watch our new tapeball cricket league in action. Our website: Toronto TBCT.
Here's something I have always argued - faster roads are safer. Canadians are sissies when it comes to speed limits - a mere 100 km per hour! I have driven all over the Middle East where the speed limit is set at 120 kph, and cars take that as a minimum speed. Granted, the Middle East may not have the safest roads anywhere (even without women driving in some of those countries!) but all over Europe they drive faster. I have driven in southern USA where 75 miles (120 kph) is the limit and cars go about 85 moh or so. Toronto sucks if you have a nice car - go 150 kph and they can pull you over now and slap all sort of fines and criminal charges. 150! I drove all the way to Dubai from Abu Dhabi going 145 kph on a Yaris. Abu Dhabi is great there - good cars, cheap gas, and scanty speed limit enforcement.
Any regular reader of my blog will know my grouse with Dubai - the city that is holding a debate on preserving national values but still advertises the Emirates non-stop flight to Dubai from Toronto as "the only thing between you and Dubai is a gourmet meal, a nice glass of wine, ..."
From Gulf News, here's a good read - Dubai cabbies tell all.
* * *
If you have some time to kill on Saturdays and Sundays, you can watch our new tapeball cricket league in action. Our website: Toronto TBCT.
* * *
Here's something I have always argued - faster roads are safer. Canadians are sissies when it comes to speed limits - a mere 100 km per hour! I have driven all over the Middle East where the speed limit is set at 120 kph, and cars take that as a minimum speed. Granted, the Middle East may not have the safest roads anywhere (even without women driving in some of those countries!) but all over Europe they drive faster. I have driven in southern USA where 75 miles (120 kph) is the limit and cars go about 85 moh or so. Toronto sucks if you have a nice car - go 150 kph and they can pull you over now and slap all sort of fines and criminal charges. 150! I drove all the way to Dubai from Abu Dhabi going 145 kph on a Yaris. Abu Dhabi is great there - good cars, cheap gas, and scanty speed limit enforcement.
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