On self

I have become a victim of Oso in the 5 things meme. The idea is to get to know the other side of the people we spend so much time interacting with online.

Well I have my limitations and can't be much eloquent like his other victims, Jen and Nicholas. However, I have decided to prove the statement 'one can only speak of another' wrong (sigh). Here are my five things:

1) People thought I was a very smart kid because I was well advanced with my first lessons. I was sent very early at school and by age four I completed class one. But this had taken toll on me later. I used to be a skinny small kid among the taller ones in the class prone to bullying. The only challenge I could throw at them was to study hard to become among the first three in the class. I mean there are smarter things to do in the world other than studying.

2) I used to watch a lot of American series on Bangladesh TV (the only channel available then) in my teens. They used to air "Six Million Dollar Man", "Wonder Women", "Knight Rider", "McGyver" etc. fresh from the season of their first broadcast in US. My hero was the witted McGyver and I always dreamed of driving a car like KITT (Knight Rider). I had to be on the side of the good guys so I was determined by then that I will be a police officer someday.

3) My first visit to Europe was in my teens and I was amazed to find that there are control less Bus rides (you have to punch your own ticket). I cheated once by paying a reduced fare claiming I was under 12 (whereas I was 14) and I could not sleep on that night. Probably God was the ticket checker.

My first cultural shock going back to Dhaka was that I got bullied by my friends for using tissues to clean my nose. Pocket tissue culture became popular later in Bangladesh.

4) I have seriously taken singing lessons and also have a certificate in acting. But I lost concentration and failed miserably on both fields. My Music Guru told me you don't have the voice and the talent but at least with these lessons you will be able to understand and love music. And I respect him for trying with me.

5) I can't hide my emotions. It is all there in my face.

Now its time to tag five more people from Global Voices Online. I hereby tag Preetam, Aparna, Tharum, Maurina and Portnoy.