The USA and Bangladesh are so different from one another that I cannot really compare them. People always ask if I had a choice where would I prefer to live.
My Answer: Neither of the two!
Why? Both places have things I like about them and also things I hate, so in the end they sort of balance out.
Now time for the fun part. I thought I would share my experience in both places but in a different way other then writing a long boring paragraph for each.
At the Dinner Table:
USA- Me, My Mom, My Dad, My sister
Bangladesh- Me, My Mom, My Dad, My Grandma, My Grandpa, Raton Mama (Uncle 1), Boro Mami (Aunt 1), Shohan (Cousin 1), Atiq Mama (Uncle 2), Choto Mami (Aunt 2), Tasin (Cousin 2), Shilma (Cousin 3), Samira (Cousin 4), Shahidul Mama (Uncle 3), Poppy Mami (Aunt 3), Sneeha (Cousin 5), Abu Bakr (Cousin 6), Sabur Mama (Uncle 4), Beauty Mami (Aunt 4), Wakia (Cousin 7), Osman (Cousin 8).............we always had visitors to add to the list............. :P
*the house had a lot of rooms so except during the holy month of Ramadan we usually just grouped up and go to "one" of the dining room*
Missing School (Government Approved):
USA- Mom: "Oh you can go back to sleep because your school has been closed because of the weather. But you most probably will have school tomorrow."
Bangladesh- Mom: "Schools have been closed throughout the country because riots and strikes broke out."
Me: "So when will schools reopen?"
Mom: "Don't know yet."
*Schools opened a month later*
Missing School (Excuses):
USA- Me: "Mom, I'm feeling sick. I don't think I can go to school."
Mom: "Let me see. No, doesn't seem like you have a fever. I think you'll make it. If anything happens go to the nurses office."
Bangladesh- Me: "Mom, I'm really tired. Do I have to go to school today?"
Mom: "Well are you guys doing anything important? Will you miss anything?"
Me: "No, I won't miss anything and we don't have any test coming up. I'll just call up my friends later on today to see what happened. But I'm sure they aren't gonna do anything."
Mom: "Okay."
Chores:
USA- Mom: "Once you finish eating wash the dishes, then take out the trash and then after that vacuum the living room."
Bangladesh- Mom: "After your done eating take your plate to the kitchen so the maids can wash them."
Heat:
USA- Me: "Mom, it's so hot today."
Mom: "Okay, I'll turn on the AC."
Bangladesh- Me: "Mom, it's so hot."
Mom: "Sit under the fan."
Technology:
USA- Friend: "Have you seen that movie? It's awesome."
Me: "Really! I'll go home and watch it on the internet."
Bangladesh- Friend: "Have you seen that video on Youtube? It's hilarious."
Me: "No. How long is it?"
Friend: "Like 5 minutes."
Me: "Oh prefect. Then it'll only take 10 minutes for it to buffer till I can watch it."
Friend: "Seriously! It takes me 30 minutes to watch 5 minutes videos. Your internet is so fast!"
A BAD Day:
USA- Mom: "How was your school day?"
Me: "Horrible! Since I was 2 minutes late to class the teacher took 5 points off my paper and then later on we had a pop quiz in my physics class which no one was prepared for."
Bangladesh- Mom: "How was your school day?"
Me: "Horrible! It's burning hot outside and yet the school can't provide us with central AC. And then the electricity went out for the whole day so we didn't have the fan air either. On top of all this the teacher made me stand throughout the class period because I did not know the answer to the question. Finally to make everything worst, the admins came in and began to yell at all of us for no reason. They then picked out some of the students and made them stand outside just cause their uniforms were not ironed!"
Food:
USA- Me: "Mom, I'm hungry!"
Mom: "Well there is all those left overs from yesterday and there are chips and other snacks in the pantry. If you want I can also order pizza right now."
Bangladesh: Me: "Mom, I'm hungry!"
Mom: "Have a mango from the basket."
Summer Vacation:
USA- *Sits at home and does nothing.* One week before school opens: Mom: "Why don't we all go somewhere before the summer ends."
Bangladesh- *Sleeps at home and does nothing.* One week before school opens: Mom: "Well let's go to the tailor and pick up your uniform. Finally, the summer is over. You better be first girl, or if not possible the top three, this year."
Perspective of Me in Each Country:
USA- Random Person: "So where are you from?"
Me: "Well I came from New York......."
Random Person: "No, no, I meant what is your nationality?"
Me: "Oh I'm Bengali"
Random Person: "Your what?"
Me: "You know that small country Bangladesh."
Random Person: *looks confused* "Huh?"
Me: "I'm Indian, from India."
Random Person: "Oh India. Yeah, I know where that is."
Bangladesh- Random Person: *Really fast bangla that I have no idea what they are saying*
Me: "Ummmm........."
Random Person (says sarcastically with slower easier bangla): "Don't you understand bangla?"
Me: "Well sort of, kinda, not really."
Random Person: "Aren't you bengali?"
Me: "I am but I wasn't raised here. I was raised in America."
Random Person: "Oh, your Am-ri-ka."
*Funny how no matter which country I am in I'm considered a foreigner.*
There are so much more that can be said between the two. But you cant get really understand what both places are truly like till you have lived there for about 2 years at least.
:D
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