Sargent Camp Center experience

On 27 Aug morning we, all 16 Boston University (BU) Humphrey Fellows, were taken to the BU Sargent Camp, an outdoor education center of BU which is situated into a deep forest, near Peterborough town of the State of New Hampshire (Live Free or Die is the spirit of NH !). The camp is about 3 hour drive from Boston city, a very calm & quiet place & designed to perform many outdoor activities - soccer, volleyball, basketball, canoeing, swimming, kayaking, hiking & so on. The camp is away from city hustles & busy environment, even though cosy beds & clean baths are provided by BU. It's surrounded by tall trees - mostly pines, oaks, birch, maples, etc.

We spent there for 2 days. During our stay there many groups came in and also went out. Our own activities were mostly centered on learning better of our fellows through listening their own stories, teambuilding, formulating our commitment to the Humphrey year and finding a suitable working strategy as a group. But there were some time when we could manage to go for swimming, caneoing, and kayaking. It's indeed a great fun !

Settling in Boston

Last week was really a hectic one. To start a new life all fellows had to do many things - check out from the hotel, make rental agreements, move to their new houses, buy cooking utensils, linen, etc; attend briefing sessions, open bank account, go for photographs, arrange issuing student ID, activate ID for lab usage, visit campus to be familiar with, meet with the respective academic advisers, think for course enrolment and so on. But among those, most interesting one was the Auction Night. On 24 Aug night, all fellows competed with each other to buy many basic stuffs left over by the fellows from previous years. Around $985 fund was collected from the auction which would be entirely donated to the helpless children of riot hit Rwanda. Thanks to Dr. Khinschuk for initiating and wheeling such a noble venture.
Almost all fellows including me bought their own laptops on last weekend. Me also bought a pre-paid mobile phone. Without those, life unhinkable here at least.

Humphrey Team at BU starts

Today on 21 Aug, the Humphrey Program at BU begins its journey. At around 9.30 am, with little introduction of themselves by all the Fellows (16 fellows from 16 different countries - BD, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, Bosnia-Harzigovina, Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Uganda, Comoros, ElSalvador, Nicaragua & Argentina), presentation on on-campus rental housing was made ( followed by physical inspection of property). I opted not choose on-campus - because rooms are small but very expensive. Actually I already managed a house for sharing (with some Indian students). It's in Cambridge area close to MIT but only about 20 minute walk to BU. That location is great. Along the Charlie river very beautiful walking path indeed !

Finally to Boston

How long I cherished to come in Boston, the city famous for its education hub image. I still remember, back in 1988 I applied to Boston University for higher studies. Only due to financial constraints I couldn't come that time. Now with the Humphrey Fellowship, the lost dream fulfilled although very late.
I flew to Boston from Washington DC on 16 Aug last. It's daytime and weather was great. So from the plane the picturesque image of Boston was revealed to me. It's awesome and magnificient. On the brink of great Atlantic Ocean, Boston city standing atall with so many islands, and bays of many different sizes and shapes.I've seen many great cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jeddah, etc. But Boston's landscape is so special.
Mr. Silas of the Humphrey Program in BU received me at the airport. After check-in to the hotel we'd a little tour to the Boston University (BU)
Having been to Boston some days earlier than my course starts, I tried to explore it. Each day I select a route & walk as much as I can. On 18 Aug I's taken to one of my relative's house at Sharon, a small town about 50 miles away from Boston. There I saw myself the achievement & success ( also frustration) of a Bangladeshi born professional settled long ago here. I notice their children struggling to talk in Bengali language. Also surprising is that albeit its a little town, all wealthier people live there. All houses there are so big ! Imagine the facilities there. That's the speciality of USA - 6% of world population enjoys about 30% of world resources.

Bangladeshi Professionals in NC area

I've been to my friend Pabitra Saha in NC for the last few days. He's a famous cardiologist working in the Health Center in East Carolina University. In the past we spent so many beautiful days in our boyhood. Both me & Pabitra are from the same rural background(with limited earnings of our parents). He studied medicine - me Economics. He settled in USA after his medical degree from Bangladesh. I choose to serve my government. But after long 22 years, I met him at his own residence in USA. By now, he's well accomplished specialist surgeon.

On 12 Aug he took me to Dr. Kishore's house where Dr Paritosh met. Kishore & Paritosh are also from Bangladesh who're our contemproray. All of them got their basic medical degree from the Dhaka Medical College. Now all of them are accomplished professionals here in USA. Well paid, well respected. Not only them, many other Bangladeshi origin professionals are working in North Carolina area. They're helping to change the image of Bangladesh in a positive mood. We're proud of them.

What we need is not to isolate themselves from their own roots. We hope that they'd try to help Bangladesh speed up its development efforts.

Dragged to NC from Varginia Beach

After spending couple of days in Wash DC area, I desired to visit further south. So one afternoon, hopped on a Greyhound bus. Target is to arrive Greenville, NC (to my close friend PK Saha- a medical doctor). Unfortunately the bus was delayed by 2 hours & when it reached Richmond at about 9.30 pm, the connecting bus to Rocky Mount already left. Also there's no immediate bus. So had to spent almost whole night without sleep at the big bus stoppage. At about 4 in late night, I's given a local bus ticket - Rocky Mount via Norfolk . The behaviour of bus company people was not so good. They felt angry when asked any queries. To my question, someone replied that the same bus would go to Rocky Mount. Also the driver didn't say anything at Norfolk to get off. So I stayed aboard on the same bus, arrived to wrong place. And when the bus arrived at Varginia Beach, the driver expressed his anger why I didn't get off at Norfolk. He left me advising to talk with the station manager. I realized the mistake. It's long 152 miles (Beach to Greenville). Finding no suitable bus to arrive Rocky Mount from the Viginia Beach, I felt frustrated. I then rang my friend Pabitra whom I's going to. He said that he'd immediately start driving to pick me from the place I stucked. He's good cars & GPS navigation system(to direct cars follow the right driveways). Within 3 hours he reached there and salvaged me.

I'm given cordial hospitality in my friend's house. He's a Cardiologist. Also his wife a Nephrologist. A very happy family with 2 schoolgoing sons ( extremely intelligent they're). Good house - very clean and tidy ! His father & mother also live with them. It's he whom I spent with long 5 years in our school days(from grade 6 to 10). He's now well accomplished medical professional indeed & train other doctors in USA ! We're proud of him.

Visit to Washington DC

Saying goodbye to Buffalo I arrived Silver Spring, MD by Greyhound bus ( 13 hr journey!) . In Buffalo Sadiqur Rahman, MD took so much trouble to change my air ticket. We had to go the airport several times. Also Ripon ( my friend's brother-in-law) did help to go the airport, lake Erie & greyhound bus office.

Having been to Silver Spring on 6 Aug at around 11 pm, my friend Fakhrul Islam took me to Wasington central DC next day where we visited Washington monument, Capital Hill, many meseums, Jefferson monument, White House and so on. The metro of Wash DC is really cool !

HPP Closing Ceremony

The 3 week long Humphrey Preacademic Program (HPP) at UB ended on 3 Aug at the Students Union. At the outset, Mr. Ruben of Guetaemala presented a colorful PP presentation with all participants with one appropriate or funny names - mine was 'Question Man', others were Telephone man, Politician, Feminist, etc. Then Certificates were given to participants by Prof Dunnet. After that, Regina, Phillip, Hameed & me spoke. From the coordinators side Mr. Keith Otto & Prof Dunnet spoke. Everybody became emotional to say goodbye to UB so quickly. At the evening, final dinner was served at a Thai Restaurant in Amherst. Food was really good. Keith's got a choice.
At evening, me, Jian (China), Julien (Madagascar), Vandaana (India), Alex (Togo) & Moe Moe (Burma) walked around South Campus for at least 2 hours (with talking of course). It was so cool.
Shafique