Speaking of Ironies...

Equal opportunities is a big deal. The awareness however outside the seminars and talk shows are probably not so high. I guess so, since this happened -

Female equality ombudsman gets lower pay than male predecessor

Of course, it could also be bad timing... and she joined right in the time of budget cuts.

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Denmark again!

Well, I made my fourth trip to Denmark and the third to Copenhagen this thursday. But this time the partners in travel were the whole of my class from 141, and two of our art teachers Graham and Martin. The highlight of the tour was the Lousiana Museum which has the best collection in Scandinavia. We also got to catch the "Sip My Ocean" exhibition which had chosen works of video art. Among them were the works of Gary Hill, Bill Viola and Nam June Paik, whom we read so much about in our first term. There was also one artist in that exhibition from my lil' desh named Runa Islam (tho she works out of UK). The Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen was also interesting, with its messy artworks in progress. It certainly made me feel a bit inspired about the arts, working with matter and your hands... to produce. Then again, we are back now to our computers, in our own mess, our ship-building block of 141 with its industrial cranes and whatnot. I took some pics while we were there, check out the flickr site for those.

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Hidden Video!

Wow! Good work Freddy!

Link

I just saw a lil video freddy made up from footages he took of the exhibition we had at the end of the first term at this art and technology madness. The music in the background is a part of one of Alejandro's compositions.

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Walking in Gothenburg, Sverige

I have to change from tram to bus 16 at Brunnsparken every time I take a certain route to the 141:an, our program's block. Its either this or Hjalmar Brantingsplatsen. Either way, since Spring came, these two places are amazingly filled by the presence of birds, they are in constant motion and they are constantly heard.

For many days I been wanting to sneek up to some of them to take pictures. Well, that didn't happen today either but I did get around to taking some pics of them from where I was waiting for the bus.

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Time

Ticking away
The moments that make up a dull day
[Time, Pink Floyd]

Time. What is it? It is one thing which to me is boundless. It will carry on even when my body has stopped and maybe have dissolved into the ground. It is what we use to measure our lives. The tick tock of clock hands and the silent displays of the digital clocks its servants, lashing a whip on my back everytime I let things slip.

Not exactly.

Time is the one slipping between my fingers like sand while i clench harder to hold on to it. I want to make it go with me, arms around shoulders like buddies with nothing better to do but stroll around a busy street, make jokes and checking out ladies.
Me: "Oh she's nice!"
Time: "No! I like her..."

Thats not happening either.

Today while returning from the library I nearly walked into a car coming out of an obscure corner. But the driver stopped and nodded at me to pass. People have time for people. That is wonderful to see. It reminded me quickly of Dhaka, in 2004 I think, when a car almost got touchy touchy cause me and Ashu (who was visiting from UK) were walking on the side of the road! Not even a rude honk to let us know its behind, just crept up behind us too close for comfort. And to make the situation totally priceless I was telling Ashu at that moment how people in Bangladesh seem to have no time for other people anymore. Just busy with themselves. Oh Well.

Time management is big business now even. If I could afford it, I don't know whether I would get a consultant into my life or something. I totally am bad at it (trying to avoid "sucks"). I am sleepy for more than half of each day, which I have a feeling might be helped if i start getting physically active again. Maybe get into squash (too expensive) or jogging (too boring). Maybe.

Well, come to think of it, even as i am typing out this post, i am actually wasting my time! Considering how far behind i am with my term project's work. So, Maybe i will try to be wiser for the moment.... and... i am outta here.

Meanwhile,

Time, by Pink Floyd:

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the english way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say

Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
It’s good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells.

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Onek Din Por...

Onek din por email porlam, onek din por blog porlam.. onek din por blog korchi. asholey temon din porey na... tobuo mone hoy onek din por. shob mathay. shobi dharona. gotokal noboborsho'r ojuhatey ekta choto khato onushthan kora holo Chalmers-ay. Oder kaukey temon bhalo chena chilona agey... jehutu amar class hoy onek durey... nodir epar opar bepar shepar. Ei onsushthaner prostuti ebong shomapti'r moddhe koyek joner shathey ekhon ektu bhalo porichoy holo. Chobi tola hoyeche kichu.. shegulo ekhaney:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanm2006/sets/72057594108291418/



And while it lasts... Daily Star's City in Frame

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Kyrkan = Church

Kyrkan, is pronounced as "Sher Khan" .. no... kidding... like "Shirkan" rather, and is the swedish word for church. My landlord goes to a church called the Advent Church here in town, and they were starting a separate sermon in English, and thus, of course the turn up was expected to be lower than expected. Anyway, since today is the first day, my landlord asked me to come and play something, and i just for the experience of playing in a church said yes, but being the coward (teamplayer) that i am, i tugged Pongpan (a friend from Thailand who is a brilliant flute player) along. We met this morning, jammed on an idea we had... and it stretched to 10 minutes, mainly because of Pongpan's brilliance! Anyway, we liked what we heard and we were ready to go.

We arrived there late according to the time we had been given. As it turned out, people were late too... the sermon didn't start, the room to be used for the sermon didn't even get a row filled with people. Pongpan and I got a bit restless, so after they sang a few of their devotional songs, they asked us to play, we played complete with an introduction by me. And we played till the finish, and gave a smile to our mini audience of about 10 people. My landlord said thank you and that was pretty much the only sound before the subject of discussion was changed. They weren't impressed.
I used to think the 'Appluase' is a ceremonial thing, but i guess its not. Or maybe (hopefully) they have rules in their church against applauding.

As soon as we got out (pretty soon) I told Pongpan that maybe it wasn't their type of music. And later I was asking him in plain words whether we sucked. LOL. I smiled all the way back here.

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baal

'baal' is the word in hindi for hair, but in our language its the slang for pubic hair. Also it serves as a medium for many for the release of frustration, like the use of 'shit' almost, from English. but we dare not say it in front of anyone but friends, its not as popular as 'shit'. I could get away with saying 'shit' but not 'baal'.

A friend once tried to use 'hagu', a literal translation of 'shit' to bangla, in everyday speech. He came up with phrases like 'haga diyna' to substitute 'i don't give a shit'.

anyway, i was having an avalanche of words in my head last night and i was trying to write a song with them... in the end i ended up with prose that probably cannot be put into a song, and i dare not call it poetry. i named it 'baal' and dedicated it to two of my friends who i was missing all of a sudden. they would usually be the first to sample my songs. they would be my thesaurus and dictionary and translator of english and thoughts..whatever. my vocabulary is shamefully low... english or bangla.

i went to the Gothenburg city library again yesterday. Returned the first book that amiga Alma had shoved at my face (kindly suggested) ... it was Factotum by Charles Bukowski... which i liked a lot.. it was a simple experience, didn't have to run to the dictionary or think .. deeply. :) This time i got Erasure/Fuck by Percival Everett, Nickelback's Live At Home DVD and a comic by Harvey Pekar and Robert ...someone.... the time at the library was almost like swimming. I put my head under the water... swim around, and then peek for air and go back in.... I kinda dragged Quamruzzaman bhai in with me too.. he ended up getting membership and borrowed this atlas on europe and a bangla book! this library seems to have a collection of many foreign books!

I read the comic first... not the whole of it of course... just till i fell asleep! then after finishing dinner preparations watched Nickelback. I think they suck mildly. they have good riffs and all.. but lyrics wise... and performance wise... not great. Chad has a great voice though.

And after struggling on my guitar for a while.. i went to bed and started reading on the novel. Last thing i remember was getting amused and at the same time thinking about why i was reading someone's made up story.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

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IT University of Goteborg: Art And Technology

Got to Goteborg on the day classes would start. Registered, ran between blocks trying to get my access card and internet password and classes. This is from when i was waiting to meet one of the lecturers... this is our block -

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tick tock tick

I am a headless chicken today.

Even tho i don't know where my head is at a moment, i know exactly where it has been afterwards. The destinations today are the bank, the endorsement of my money... the currency transfers, the flight bookings, shopping for warm swedish-weather-friendly clothes, contacting the university, and the sheer tightness of the deadline, dead being the keyword... in two days i shall prepare and leave for another country, or not. Oh.. i didnt need to be so dramatic... i'll just catch the classes late.

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Cha Nashta

I was happy with the way things went on inside the Sweden embassy. The woman who took my papers seemed easily irritable but I think I managed to stay calm. The mic hanging from a high position on the wall (or was it the ceiling?) did make me nervous though. All in all, things went well, and she promised to allow me to drop the photographs (that I had forgotten) in the day after with the guard at the gate.

On the way out, I tried explaining to the guard how and why I will be showing up at 'his' gate tomorrow, and the assistance that I will be requiring from him in the process...namely, to pass on the photograph to the lady inside! He rolled his eyes a little, looked lost... deep in thought. He seemed to be opening the gate awfully slowly. It was a metal gate but I dont think it was that heavy. He opened it a little and an impatient me tried to hurriedly leave through that small space, when I felt the mildly plump guards body brush against me from behind! He spoke hushedly to my ears "Cha Nashta'r Kichu Dibenna?" I was out by the time he finished. I was amazed, disgusted (by the whole approach of it) and at the same time at a loss for reflexes. I did not know what to do or say. A confused murmur of "Naaah, ajke nah.. hoyto kaalkey" slipped out from my mouth. I don't think he even heard what I said, I didn't want to make it clear either, I had no intention of entertaining this request or plea, or threat. He was a middle aged fella, with the blue white stripes and badge of 'Group4Falck' (I don't think I spelled it right), a private organization who supply guards and other security services to other organizations. I never would have expected this from him!

The fate of my photographs will be in the hands of this guy tomorrow. The lady clearly indicated that my visa application would not be considered without the photographs. Should I wait in line tomorrow and hand them in myself? What other way is there to handle this situation without having to pay for Cha Nashta? I have enough money to treat him to a five-star hotel mind you...but this tendency of everyone to demand a little extra for doing their jobs is not something I ever liked and nor do I want to entertain it ever. I just pray I am never cornered to succumb to such exploitations. Well, here is a situation.

I don't want to stand in line again at the embassy. If the man wanted a bribe, or just a little 'extra', the time in the line might be a lot more than the usual. Of course I could cause a min hungama and try to gather public support on my side from the others in line. No, I just don't want to be in line again. It will be handed to the guard as I had planned. I came up with the idea that I will try to scare the guard a little. I will hand him the photos and tell him that I will email or call the lady inside to inform her that I have dropped them off at the embassy with the guard. This will surely get him thinking into not doing anything slackish. I settled on this as a 'good plan'.

Then I also considered the fact that he might not be that desparate for the extra so as to go to measures to make my photos vanish. Sure, I get paranoid easily often! So in case he does claim the money again, I played out little lectures on ethics and morality, honesty, piety that I might give to him.

This morning I passed the photos to the embassy. Through the heavy rain, I passed the envelope to the guard and explained that he should pass it onto the woman inside. He asked me whether its enough for him to pass it on, I replied affirmative. And with an attempt to show great appreciation, I thanked him firmly and let go off the envelope. No lecture delivered, no little warnings given out. I didn't give him a chance to say anything much after I handed him the envelope. I rushed back to my taxi amidst the rain and headed for work. I did email the embassy with a notification that I had sent the photographs over.

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Opeth

Opeth is an amazing band! For a band that did dark metal music to come out suddenly with an album like 'Damnation' is just .. out of this world. The mellow dark tunes of that album has a calming effect on me every time. The music is very moderate and arranged to give all tracks a very exquisite feel.

...

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fair weather ahead?

Just cancelled the thought of going to Goteborg Sweden to pursue a masters in IT with focus on Art and Technology. From start it was a glitchy process. They refused me in their preliminary selection process and then again by their own grace re-considered me for the program in their second round of selections.

Then the papers from them that was the letter of acceptance or invitation ...however you want to call it did not arrive! Then i asked them to fax the papers to the embassy so i could apply directly for the visa. This took a while considering it was summer!

I was on my way to the embassy to collect the forms. The embassy was apparently in Gulshan 2 beside the GrameenPhone office! That day i found out painfully that there are two GrameenPhone offices in Gulshan 2 ...on its opposite ends!

In the end with one month remaining, my father dismissed the possibility of preparing the amount of money neccessary for me to start a new life in Sweden in time. And that was that.

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