Through The Eyes Of Reality

A scenario that some people say rough, others say terrific while few claim it to be enjoyable. It's an unending one, one which happens to seize everyone's heart and mind simultaneously. Its immensity scares some, while some take it to be a hilarious fun. Yes, it's nothing other than the endless sea of "Bay Of Bengal".

I believe that there is almost none in Bangladesh who did not visit Cox's Bazar yet. But whoever did it should have done that practically, or through Parjatan. Is there anyone who visited Cox's Bazar in the way a poor slum-living person would do? In the way a local tribe living in a distant village would do? If you are not the person who had yet not visited Cox's Bazar through the ways mentioned, then come along with me. I'm gonna take you to a visit in the fantasy world, not through the eyes of a tourist, but through the EYES of REALITY. Get ready with your bags and baggage, and ssshhhh… the journey Begins….

Go to the Saydabad bus-stand, and fetch any bus heading for Cox's Bazar via Chittagong. Remember, always keep it in mind that the bus should not be an air-conditioned one. It should be the one that is normally bagged air-tightly with different kinds of passengers, and obviously, it should have few glasses broken and illiterate hyperactive driver and conductor. You do not have to look around for the ticket-counter. If you are a good player of Hide & Seek or an experienced guy, then you can definitely reach your destination without paying the ticket even. You have to struggle a lot before getting into the bus, and if your luck favors you immensely, then you might be getting a seat to sit on. Otherwise sorry to say, but you really have to create a World War 3rd to snatch a uncomfortable (only even if you are too LUCKY to say) sit. Then it would take more than seven hours to reach Chittagong. In the mid-way, if the driver is hungry, then he would stop the bus on a road to have his lunch. You know why you might think that the bus has been stopped on the road without any purpose, because you require extreme powerful eyesight before you could really make out that somewhere nearby a kind of restaurant is present. Then, by the Driver's mercy, you can have your lunch, which would cost not more than Tk. 50. But beware, you'll be given the time the driver needs. So always have your eyes on the driver.

When you'll be on the bus-stand of Chittagong, you will experience a kind of earthquake, and will also have good lessons on slang. Suddenly, there will be a rush of passengers going in-and-out. But do not never ever leave your sit (if you have then). It would continue for not more than 15 minutes. After all will be over, your bus would head towards Cox's Bazar… and that would take somewhat more than seven hours again. And then in the darkness, the bus will drop (read: throw) you in a hoard of crowds or, a kind of bus-stand. From there take any means of transport, and head for the cheapest hotel known to you.

WARNING: Take only one bag with you, with no valuable item at all (you know why). Also, take a few bunches of polythene (to input your vomit while in the pungent-smelling bus). If possible, dress up yourself by a dress that had been borrowed from your servant or guard. No use of combing required.

Now, you might have to face uncountable number of difficulties to spend the first night in the hotel. Because the furniture might not be the ones you had in your dreams. Do not dare to open up the wardrobe for that might be previously illegally occupied by different species of cockroaches. Also, be careful while using the toilet. The same condition might be of the toilet even, but I cannot ask you not to use that, right? You might prefer to use the floor to sleep on rather than the bed, but do not do so, please. It's a matter of few days only.

The next day, in the early morning, get up, and get ready to head again for the cheapest restaurant nearby. Put on a loose-fitted dress on you, for example, a trouser and a loose tee shirt (it would help you to swim in the sea). Remember that the rickshaw-pullers there can help you in driving you to the cheapest restaurant nearby. They will, at first, charge a high fair, but bargaining will always remain on your side. As much bargaining can be done, that much reducing will also be possible. When you'll be in the cheapest restaurant, take any seat that will catch your sight. No need of looking for the menu, it will always be recorded. The recorder (waiter) will soon arrive and you'll be hearing the recorded menu. Then choose any items, better if you order for few porotas, a bowl of booter daal, and a hot cup of tea. If the bill exceeds more than Tk. 30, then know that you have been fooled seriously. Then pay the bill, leave the hotel, and again hire a rickshaw. But now your destination should be the sea-beach.

The road leading to the sea-beach is a quite wide one, with rows of shops of different categories at one side. The road will be a sandy one, and your rickshaw-puller will stop his coach right at the beginning of the road. You have to cover rest of the path by foot.

When you'll finally reach the destination, do not be frightened to get nearer to the sea, it's not at all too dangerous (obviously, according to my experience). Go directly towards the sea without looking all around you. Because, if you are caught once in the sight of any photographers there, they will not leave you, until and unless, you really hire them to trap down your photos. At first, take five to six feet ahead to the sea. It will make you stand at a place where the waves break, and will also let you know whether you can immerge into the depth or not. Wait for a minute, and if you are lucky, you can face a colossal wave at the first strike. If you succeed in keeping yourself standing over the place longer, then why waiting? Go forward till you have got a frozen heart and few goosebumps on your skin. But please, at length, stay on the location where the depth is most shallow. Let yourself be totally wet, and achieve an immortal experience of the rude sea.

Then, when you will really lose all interests of the sea, you may get up. Hold your shoes at one hand, and run as fast as you can to reach the rickshaw-stand at the end of the road. Take a rickshaw at any cost the puller charges, because you might start chilling. Take yourself to your hotel, and change your dress.

Well, when you'll really finish visiting the main subject of your arrival in Cox's Bazar, you can add other locations in your routine, such as, Moheshkhali, Teknaf, Himchari, and Saint Martin Island. You can visit them in the same way --- the way of a slum-living person or the way of a local tribe. I do not think I should add them here, for if I really do, then my article may cover the whole of the RS. So, why taking risk, let me pull this article to an end.

Before I really end this, let me tell you this that if you are a male, then the process mentioned is pretty well. But if you are a female, then remember that God has blessed all the males with the powers of following, laughing, complimenting, humming, and whistling. Understand?

The trip should be exciting, memorable, and charming. It'll really match with the adjectives mentioned if you go with a huge number of your kiths and kins, and if you are male --- well, a stout one is necessary. Believe me, your journey would not cost more than Tk. 1000, and you can also enjoy your heart's contents. Why waiting then? You had already got the experience with me. Isn't? Now, why not do it in the reality? Give shape to your imaginations and dreams. Try it once, there's nothing to lose at all. I wish you all the best of luck for your impending trip. Till the information of the next imaginary trip, good-bye.

By Nusrat Tamanna Prianka

Excursion over Death for an Ice-Cream

I was awakened from my inexhaustible forty winks by my mom. I got exasperated at her and bawled over her for the incentive of stirring me up. She said we were going to Genting Highland and told me to gussy up fast.

We were on our way back to Bangladesh after spending two and a half months of leisure in England. En route, we decided to get a glimpse of Malaysia. As all our relatives had become Malay patrons, we thought why not at least be Malay tourists? So off we went, seeing the sights of the truly Asian tradition; as they say in this day and age.

My parents, my maternal aunt and my two first cousins and I were the only ones on the holiday. We stayed at a pretty cool hotel. It was our third day in Kuala Lumpur. I got fully clad and went down to the restaurant where we had breakfast. Then we started the ball rolling. After about an hour or two we reached an ancient temple which was made by cutting through a mountain; that is to say making a cave. It had approximately 272 stair steps; they were numbered! More steps were there inside the cave so there were on the whole 300 steps. And we had to climb this whole thing just to see some idols! So my joviality was somewhat diminished. After 10 minutes of sightseeing we had to climb back down again. The worst thing was that there were monkeys, the place was hot and dark and on top of it all, it was horrendously stinky. So after having cold water we set off again.

After some time we reached a cable car station. Now a fact about me is that I am really scared of heights. Going on a cable car meant death to me. I was like a cat on a hot tin roof and reluctant to get into the cable car. My mom pushed my cousins and me into the front nevertheless. Now I acted quickly and pulled my dad in with us while my mom and aunt sat at the back. I started reciting all the holy verses I knew. After 10 seconds we were in air.

As I looked down I could catch sight of many trees. They were wedged so closely together that the land couldn't be seen. This made me even more timorous and tears started raining out of my and my cousin's eyes; mine because I was petrified and my cousin's because I pinched him hard on his leg in my own fright. My mom tried to distract me by showing me some models the Malaysians had made to showcase the inhabitants of the jungle; human, plants, insects and animals. They were cool but at that time nothing seemed interesting to me. At the end when we were higher, we were enclosed in a midst of fog. The darkness made my situation even worse. Before I had the chance to raise an outcry, I caught a glimpse of land. All my fears evaporated away. We had finally reached the magnificent Genting Highland.

All my troubles seemed to be worth it. As my dad queued for the tickets my cousins and I were getting a description for each of the rides. We decided on some thrilling rides. As we were roaming around, every ride we wanted to go to, our moms refused. Why? Because they were freaky; to them who were not even going to ride them. So I guess I had spoken too fast that risking my life and coming here was worth it. We were really cheesed off to the max. There was this racing thingy which we really wanted to go on. We were so firm on our decision that our moms had to let us go onto it. There was a huge queue so we waited and waited. It seemed like ages when finally it was our turn. At first we had to sign an agreement about if something happened to us they won't be responsible, blah, blah, blah. So after signing, just as we were about to enter the racing area the man stopped us.

He said that we couldn't enter as my dad just brought the family rides and this one was a thrilling one. Bang! We busted out in anguish. My face was burning in fume. My mom bought us ice-creams to extinguish the fire within us. Then we had to go back to Kuala Lumpur as it was getting dark. During our way back, in the cable car, I noticed that I had excursed over death just for an ice-cream.

By Mayeesha Jamil, Scholastica School