Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 01:37:39 -0600 From:
FAROOQM@trxinc.com (Mohammad Farooq)
Subject: To Break the Ice: Virtual TeaDear friends at Shetubondhon,
Salam and greetings.
There are many other forums dealing with Bangladeshi community and therefore I was somewhat hesitant about the idea of another one. There is really no point in having more and more forums unless each has some meaningful value to add and contribution to make. Thus, this idea and initiative of Shetubondhon is intriguing as well as exciting to me. Shetubondhon's Charter and Welcome Message have already been posted on the forum. I believe that both documents give some reason to be somewhat excited.
I am an ordinary kind of person. I see enough of discussions, dialogs, gatherings that so easily degenerate and turn into slice of reality as people routinely experience in Bangladesh. I participate in forums to exchange ideas, share our mutual feelings and thoughts, sometime agree and at other times disagree, enrich myself by expressing myself and reading others' analysis, reflections, and viewpoints, keep up with pertinent information from people with focused interest, but last but not the least important reason, is that I also seek some enjoyment through my participation. I like challenging, forthright, enlightening, entertaining, critical - all sorts of - exchange of thought and information, but what usually turns me off is the usual absence of this last element: enjoyment.
So far I have not experienced many cases where we engaged in hearty and thorough discussion on a topic, and then left with a feeling of enrichment, upliftment, enjoyment, and (whether I agree with others or not, but) a heightened sense of mutual respect for all of us. That's why I like the analogy of Baash (bamboo) and Baashi (flute). I prefer Baashi for myself on which I can play and hear the tunes of creativity, vitality, hope, challenge, adventure, problem-solving, love - the whole spectrum of life. Sometimes, I may use my small Baashi for self-defense in minor situation. But I find Baash hard to carry, and when I see that we are becoming so accustomed and accomplished in using our intellectual/philosophical/religious Baash, then I have reasons to be concerned, because Baash is good for so many reasons, but not for playing the kind of tune I just mentioned. Is Shetubondhon going to be different? It's hard to say because it depends on us. I am cautiously optimistic because it seems that there is a conscious commitment underlying this initiative. If we all do our share, then, I do believe that it's possible to make a difference.
What do my comments have anything to do with tea? A good question! Since this is my first posting, I thought, along with others, I will try to break the ice. An excellent way of breaking ice among ourselves and introduce to each other might be a virtual hot cup of tea. While thinking about this new forum I tried to imagine what it could be like: well, it could be a really lively, enriching, enlightening, challenging, and enjoyable forum. That's my idea of this "virtual" (but somewhat serious) Adda with some special purpose of Shetubondhon. Of course, how can Bangladeshis, excepting a few, have Adda without tea?
"Where there's tea there's hope" - - [Sir Arthur Pinero]
If you don't mind, I will share some more thought about tea in this posting. When I participate in this forum, whether I find myself in agreement or in disagreement on any particular issue or thread, I desire to see the discussion wrap up with a feeling like:
"Tea pot is on, the cups are waiting, Favorite chairs anticipating, No matter what I have to do, My friend there's always time for you." [Anonymous]
Apparently, tea is quite common in many cultures, even among cowboys.
"If I pour your cup, that is friendship.
And if I add your milk, that's manners.
But If I stop there, claiming ignorance of taste, That is tea.
But if I measure the sugar to satisfy the expectant tongue, that is love.
But if I measure the sugar to satisfy the expectant tongue that is love;
Sitting untouched, and growing cold.""Cold Tea Blues" This is an old Cowboy Junkies song (circa 1993?) (most of these quotes are from: http://www.stashtea.com/quotes.htm )
Then, my train of thought took a little more serious turn. I remember the historical context of Bangladesh, the subcontinent, the British, and so on. If I am not incorrect, the British had major contribution in promoting tea in our subcontinent. "Every nation in creation has its favourite drink, France is famous for her wine, it's in Germany I think. Turkey loves her coffee, and they serve it blacker than ink Russians love their vodka, England loves her tea. . . " [John Baldrey, "Everything Stops for Tea"] Are we to understand that England "with love" brought to us (or us to) tea? Apparently, we love tea too. Indeed, all our CHAowa-Paowa begins with CHA. How about that?
Well, I was thinking about tea for the last few days since I recently read a poem about tea, written by none other than Kazi Nazrul Islam. I was amazed at the colorful storm of word patterns and rhythms he created in the cup of tea using all the "Cha" words. Now, I have a much better appreciation for tea (and even for Sharabun Tahoora). Instead of tea, Nazrul would have preferred "Dushshashoner Rokto Pan", but then I thought may be even he would not have refused to sit down with one of the English gentlement, if they could sit together as equals and have some fun time with tea.
If you have not read Nazrul's "Cha", you can do so at my Nazrul site: http://www.globalwebpost.com/nazrul/nazrul_works/bangla_poems/cha.htm ; if you also want to listen to an audio file of recitation by an unprofessional voice, try http://members.xoom.com/farooqmo/recitations/cha.ram ).
Enough for breaking ice. Let's keep the water and spirit for tea brewing.
Best regards.
Farooq
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Mohammad Omar Farooq, PhD
Associate Professor of Economics and Finance
Upper Iowa University
farooqm@uiu.edu