York City. I was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh and when left for America I took with me more than what I left behind. I feel there are many like me in this nation also carrying the weight of their motherland every moment
Most of us have a frozen mental self image in our minds of whatever year we left and I am no different. My mental self image is frozen in my head, maybe because of guilt, loss or even insecurity. Being a first generation Bangladeshi in America I try (well...most of the time :P) to stick the good and bad Bangladeshi norms and let me tell you, it is not an easy feat! It is a constant balancing act, one that requires great strength and skills. Trying to find a fifty fifty balance is almost impossible, but slowly and surely I am learning.
No, not to find a perfect balance but to walk away from the illusion of a perfect balance. I am learning to give up the quest of a perfect balance and trying to do things that truly makes me happy. I am learning that perfect balance is not always fifty fifty but it's whatever fits your needs the best.
Love this post, Fariha! (Just gave this a mention on Twitter.) How fascinating that you've spent exactly half of your life in Bangladesh and the other in NYC. I'm curious - at this point, which feels most like home to you? Where you grew up, or where you've lived most recently?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention on Twitter Cassie! I have a lot more posts coming up on living in two different cultures. Hopefully they'll answer some of your questions :)
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are always so beautiful; you look so beautiful here. I love learning a little more about you and I think you will find your perfect balance as you find what makes you happy :)
ReplyDeleteIn case you missed it, I nominated you for the Liebster award, you can play along, if you'd like!