08/03/2017
Study Tour and Picnic 2017 of Bengali Language Club
Although we met at GEC circle our real journey started from Kalurghat Bridge. Weather was nice and sunny. There were gentle breeze of spring coming over the river Karnafully when we were on the Bridge to walk over it before our planned journey by boat. We took the chance to see this historic bridge before sailing. The bridge was built by British during their rule in the country in 1930s. At that time the bridge was the only road and rail communication way with the huge and potential south Chittagong. The bridge has a narrow road communication with a rail line at the middle. Still it is treated as the symbol of British quality. Of course the colour of the Bridge is red. British rulers like red colour for an unknown reason. Post office, railway offices and residences and government offices made by them were all red. In the UK they still use post office, post box, local bus and many of the government buildings with red colour.
Local people were staring at us and kept asking so many questions like, where we were from, where we were going to and why. The main reason was the 12 foreign students who joined the picnic with us. Upon getting on the boat we all put on the T shirts of OSO Bengali Language Club. It gave us uniformity. Some of the local people were still asking us whether the foreigners have come to our country to play football or cricket. Fortunately, we had a very friendly and helpful boatman who was taking us towards Betagi, Rangunia. Our first stopping point was Karnafully river view tourist spot where we found a group of cyclists. Some of us tried cycling for a while for warm up.
On the boat:
I preferred the use the term ‘On the boat’ to ‘In the boat’ because it was an open boat. So, the boarders could all get vitamin D (sunlight). Boat started running, so were the hearts of the passengers. Bengali guys started singing Bangla songs. Abdallah, the Somali boy and the very active member of our Bengali club could not standstill. He started dancing in African style with Bengali Rhythm. Others were clapping to add sugar in sweet ! songs. Now it is their turn, we requested Somali guys to sing. They sang, danced, clapped and enjoyed. We had some locally made snacks on the boat too. Touching clear water of the river from the boat was another experience for the city dwellers. For the foreigners it was amazing. At one point some of them started splashing water to each other and burst out laughing.
Scenery:
We often found small boats of fishermen and passengers on the way of our boat journey. On both sides of the river there were green vegetable fields. Some of the farmers were waving their hands for us. Banks of the rivers were so green and the light of the sun on the river was so glittering that it gave heavenly bliss. For a while we got off the boat and walked along the riverside.
In a Local market:
We got off the boat in a local market called Chowdhury hat. Walked around and had chat with the local traders. Bought some local food to eat in the boat and sailed again towards an island.
In the island:
A small island of about half a kilometer long and 1000 meter wide at the middle of the river Karnafully. It is so fertile and so green that it looks like a piece of heaven in earth. When our group arrived, selfie virus spread. Everybody got busy taking photographs. The island was full of different types of vegetable, crops and fruits like coconut over our head, vegetables around and sweet potatoes under our foot. A farmer entertained us with raw sweet potatoes and baby cucumbers. Finally we left the island although nobody wanted to.
Visiting Buddhist Temple:
We visited a famous Buddhist temple where we found a huge idol of Buddha, the initiator of Buddhist religion. We have also seen the expensive idol of Buddha made of touchstone at the 1st floor. The whole temple was secured by CCTV surveillance. To most of our Somali friends it was the first time to visit the temple of any non -Muslim. We had a chat with one of the priests. His friendly and humble behaviour impressed us. According to him, we all worship the only God but call in different names, why should we differentiate among people. He also invited us to visit his residence at the top of the hill.
Lunch:
Walking to different places like Buddhist temple, climbing on the hill, walking along the bare paddy field we got so hungry that we felt like each of us could eat a whole goat. We had nice hot and spicy lunch in a local village restaurant followed by tea, made with pure cow’s milk. We found the restaurant owner very hospitable kind and nice to us too. We felt like living in natural environment for the rest of our lives. But we had to return because each of us has so many things to do and so many responsibilities on our shoulders. Before saying goodbye we had Hot Roshgolla (a special type of sweet just made)
We returned, we said goodbye to every place we visited, every men and women we met as we do all the times. We may meet some of them, may not meet them in our whole life but memories peep sometimes and minds sometimes like to go back to past days and meet the beloved ones.
