Things That Never Change in Villages

Bangladeshis that hardly go anywhere else.

Which isn’t exactly a bad thing either of course. For many, travelling to villages is more likely seen to be a thing people do to know more about their roots. To many, it is about knowing more of where the people of their past lineage lived and grew up in before moving into the busy and soulless lives that define Dhaka city.

With time comes development. Villages are no exception to development. We see tin-shed and mud-houses get replaced with pucca houses, electricity being more available and people leading lives with better living standards. This brings about a drastic change in the outlook of a village. Yet, there are things that never change. Such as:

Town Centres

No matter how developed and modernized a Bangladeshi village may become, town centres tend to retain their age-old rustic look and feel. Much like a portal to the past. You’ll see the old shops your father used to go to when he was a child, old small mosques and temples standing gracefully, and so on.

Village Fairs

Ah, the monthly ‘melas’ of villages (once annual ‘melas’). These fairs spark some life into the villagers’ daily lives. Magic shows, circuses, kaleidoscopes, Nagordolas, candy floss and many other things. Things that bring a little joy into the hearts of the villagers. Nowadays, these fairs take place nearly every month in most villages. People still go there to socialise and have a swell time.

Hospitality of the Villagers

In all honesty, I have found villagers to be the nicest people to encounter on the streets. They will instantly lend you a hand whenever you seem to be in trouble.

Judgmental Elders

We love them, we care for them and we have a special spot for our dear grandparents, aunts, and uncles in our hearts. Most of us go to our villages to meet such beloved ones, or we are at least pulled over to our villages to see them. Yet, no matter how much we love them, we can all agree on the fact that we have at least one solid gripe against them: their snarky questions and comments.

From offering us gratuitous ‘advice’ on how to improve upon our ‘unimpressive’ grades, to overzealously curious questions about our personal lives, they will utter them all, often with little or no bounds.

It’s not all bad. At least we learn how to brush off unwanted questions as politely as possible thanks to these encounters. Besides, the delicious food and the open environment of the villages make up for it.

The village atmosphere

There’s something infectiously soothing about the atmosphere in villages. Just a sweet, calm feeling that you wouldn’t normally find in Dhaka (except on the two Eids). The open fields, the smell of the earth on rainy days, the simple lives of the villagers, etc. They all come together to make a timeless little package that most of us love to experience

Whether we go to villages to meet our loved ones, for an escape from our busy lives, or because we were dragged there by our parents, there are some things about the villages of our country that still make it worth our while. Things that remain timeless and worthwhile.

Aka is a tiny bleep on the world’s radar, and he finds peace in knowing it. Ruin his peace by poking him on akaaraf@hotmail.com