Snow pictures

Here goes few pictures of snow in Tampere. I shot those one of the days while coming home from work in early morning. Most of the pictures were taken while I was in the bus. So those are not of very good quality.

Near the city center, Just after getting in the bus.

Another one from the bus

In the bus, it was almost empty

Another bus going to the city center

This is the road that I use everyday to go to university

Me having warm cloths on. Its not so easy to shoot your own picture when your camera is big in size.

The building where I live right now

Cars covered with snow. Its not so nice for the car owner clean the snow in the morning

The road started from the building I live

Someone wanted to leave some footprints in the white snow

This is just in front of my building(well, not my building; I just live there). There you can bake your "makkara" (sausage) and eat with "olut" (beer)

That is my foot, totally drowned in the snow

This is the entrance of my home here in Tampere.




Programming solution

First exam in Finland

Today I have appeared in my first exam in Finland. This is the exam week after the second period. I have 4 exams in this week. Today was the first one - Programming I.


The exam started at 1 pm. It was a 3 hours exam but I heard it earlier from my senior brothers that here the exams wont take more than 2 hours if you learn the things well. Programming I is a basic course and I have done several programming course during my graduation schooling. So it was a bit easier exam. In 2 hours my exam was completed.


I was writing with pencil and had eraser on the desk. The amazing thing was there was not seat plan. You can sit anywhere you want. If you need extra paper nobody will get you that. You have to go to the stage( yea.. the examination hall is a gallery like auditorium ) of your own and will collect the paper by yourself. As a matter of fact, I raised my hand when I needed extra paper but the responsible person was looking at me with a strange look. The student beside me told me that I can go there and get the paper. Then I got my own paper by myself. You can even drink or eat in the exam hall( well, I saw many of the students were doing that!!! ). The situation of the exam hall is very flexible here but strict in only one case - cheating. Any kinda unfair means will be result in immediate dismissal.




Programming solution

I saw first snowfall

Yesterday I saw my first ever snowfall. It was afternoon and I was trying to do some really boring reporting assignment. Morshed vi called around 0230 pm and told that its snowing outside. I got dressed up and went out of my room to see it. When I was out I saw it really was snowing but it was very light, kinda flurry.


I went to a open high place. I was standing. It was very windy. I was feeling cold but I was still standing because snow was falling on me. I don't know why I was smiling at that time. I wished I wouldn't be alone at that very moment but unfortunately I was.


I wanted to take picture but my camera batteries were out of charge. It was dark as well. And over all it was very light snow - may be it wont be visible in pictures. I am waiting for a heavy snowfall to see and obviously next time I will take some pictures and post those here in my blog :)




Programming solution

I am in my own room :)

I have got my own room. Actually I was informed in October that I am gonna get my room from November 1. The officer in TOAS is a very polite girl. She agreed to give me the key on 31 October so that I can move in before November starts but the thing is I could not move in to my own room on that day as it was really an extreme hectic day for me. I move in from today, November 2.


Its been 2 and half months that I have been staying in other people's room. Good for me that my senior brothers here are really nice. They let me be in their room for so long time. Finally I got my room's key on 31 October early in the morning. I shifted all my stuffs in my new room on 1 November. It was not difficult as I have few things only. I was not in my own room. So I didn't buy necessary things like cookeries and other stuffs that a person usually needs. After shifting my stuffs I helped other people to shift their goods. So many Bangladeshi guys shifted in this month. Except from me Shaikat vi, Badal vi, Morshed vi and kamal vi are in this group. In the evening the shifting has been completed but I was so tired to fix my stuffs in the new room. So I decided to stay in Taslim vi's room one more night and so did I.


Today I woke up early and as it is weekend I started to fix my things in my new room. I have finished that by 11 am.Right now I am writing this post from my own room. You know what? This is my first ever personal room :D I didn't have any personal room in my home back in Dhaka. Sometimes Shishire and me was joking about this(he also doesn't have a room of his own). We used to say may be we wont get any room of our own in our lives. You may say of course we will get one whenever we will marry. Yea sure, we will get one inshallah but will that be a personal room? Don't I share it with my wife? Yes I will. So, that is not a complete personal room to me.


I am really happy to get my own room here. I hope I will be able to manage things well from now on. I heard some of my friends are not so happy as I cant go online and talk to them frequently. I hope things will be better now :)




Programming solution

Badal vi got his Ph.D degree

Yesterday was a great experience for me. It was Badal vi's dissertation for his doctoral degree - the highest academic degree. He has achieved his PhD(Doctor of Philosophy) degree yesterday. His thesis topic is "Governance in practice - decentralization and people's participation in the local development of Bangladesh".


The dissertation(some call it defense) started exactly at 1215 afternoon. 3 guys entered into the auditorium - Badal vi, his supervisor and his opponent. At first Badal vi gave a speech for around 15 minutes which is the summery of his thesis. It was clear and organized. I liked his diction as well. Then his opponent(this is how they call him. You can also address him as the examiner) stood and in brief described what this thesis is all about. He took around 5 minutes. Then all of them sat and the opponent told Badal vi having a smile on his face that they can start now. So the most difficult part started. Its the discussion part. The opponent is an expert in this field. He came from UK just to conduct this dissertation. He is a professor of Manchester University. Its more of questionnaire by the opponent and answer by the defender, for instance Badal vi in this case.


As the discussion session proceeded we started to feel how well the opponent studied the whole book that Badal vi wrote as his PhD thesis. Its a book of 207 pages. To me the most amazing thing is my name is mentioned in the preface of this book along with few Bangladeshis living in Tampere; feeling so proud :D


I enjoyed the discussion very much as I came from Bangladesh so as the context is well known to me. Badal vi was answering the questions very nicely. We came to know that he invented a new methodology to collect information from grass root people by sampling. He claimed that while he was doing his field work during his PhD he used this methodology and its totally new. The opponent also agreed on it. We had many gossiping with Badal vi before. We talked with him about many things, about his thesis as well. He never told us that he invented such a nice thing. He named this methodology as "Local cultural appraisal". I myself also think it will work nicely in special situation.


The discussion lasted for 2 hours. The professor asked many questions, commented on many points, mentioned critics as well. Badal vi has to defend all of those. Can you imagine an extreme level expert professor is asking you what you have done for this 4 years, not an overall asking rather he is asking from every point of view and bit by bit. I don't know how you people feel about it but I may collapse in that situation when I know this opponent can make my 4 years' work invalid if he thinks its not good enough. I don't know how Badal vi was feeling but I was feeling thirsty during that dissertation when the opponent was asking him a critical question.


It was difficult, it was charming, it was exciting but the final thing is Badal vi saved his PhD. Thanks to Allah that he did very well. I really was feeling happy while hearing the professors addressing Badal vi as Dr. Asad. Well Badal vi's full name is Mohammad Asaduzzaman.


We had cake and coffee after the dissertation. Badal vi invited us to attend the dinner party in the evening. We went there exactly at 7 pm. As I was seeing almost everybody in suit and tie I felt that I should bring one suit while coming to Finland for this kinda party. Badal vi's opponent was also present, his supervisor as well. Some senior professors as well from his department, also some of his colleagues and of course we, the Bangladeshis who are always with him. Badal vi welcomed everybody. Then one of the senior professor started the party by opening a champagne bottle. it was served to everybody. I never tasted champagne. I was thinking if I will take it or not. Finally I didn't. May be I will take if of the Bangladeshis in our table would take.


Everybody was gossiping and then the food was served. As a Bangladeshi I like spicy foods but here the foods are not spicy. So I kinda didn't enjoy the food very much except the soup and beef. But there were lots of foods - soup, rice, vegetable, prawn(big size), salmon, chicken, beef, unlimited wine, juice and finally ice cream and coffee. Before taking coffee Badal vi thanked everybody to come to the dinner and asked his opponent to say something. We didn't know that this guy is that much humorous. He was making fun with Badal vi and somehow told that he didn't come here to kill Badal vi. After the opponent the supervisor and another senior professor gave very short speech each. Then Badal vi ended the party by saying goodnight to everybody.


This was a nice opportunity to me to attend the whole activities. This is my first time in this kinda event. I really enjoyed the whole day. Thanks to Badal vi for inviting me and over all CONGRATULATION BADAL VI(as a matter of fact I forgot to congratulate him yesterday :P )






From left the opponent from UK, Badal vi's supervisor and Badal vi





Badal vi is presenting the summary of his work





After the dissertation another professor is congratulating him





In the evening, the dinner party





Some of Badal vi's colleagues





The opponent was also there





Opening of champagne bottle to start the party





Before the food was served, we were waiting :P




Programming solution

Our iftar these days

Before ramadan starts I was a bit tensed how my iftar would be this year. Throughout this month I enjoy iftar most. After the whole day fasting it gives me tremendous pleasure when I take the first sip from the glass of lemonade. I thought these sweet things of iftar I left back in Dhaka. I thought this year it wont push through in that way but I am lucky enough to get some good Bangladeshi brothers here in Tampere. They decided to take iftar all together. As a result during this ramadan everyday we, 7 or 8 people, take iftar together. We prepare the items by ourselves. Almost everyone participates doing that.


The iftar takes place in different places on different days. Everyday we try to prepare something that we used to eat while in our contry. May be the taste is not so good but I think preparing and taking the iftar together helps a lot to fade the intensity of missing the real iftar that we used to have.


Here are some pictures of our iftar. That was in Taslim vi's room.





These were our items for that day's iftar





Distributing the CHOLA. Shaikat vi doesn't look so happy with the quantity :D





Another close look to the items. mmm... looks really delicious :D





Farjan vi is making dua before iftar. But why is he looking at the camera and also smiling a bit !!! :-S





And finally everybody is waiting for the exact time to take iftar.




Programming solution

I started a part time job

This morning I have started a part time job in Tampere city center. Its a metro newspaper distribution job. Everyday 3 hours - from 0700 to 1000 and 5 days a week. The place is in front of a shopping mall. There are 2 bus stops as well. So many people pass by that place in the morning. My task is to offer them newspaper. The newspaper was totally free. My responsibility is to distribute 500 newspapers everyday.


The first day's experience was good. Today the newspaper company gave 200 small packets of cornflakes to give the first 200 people. I found finnish people are so eager to take free things :P the first 200 papers finished within 30 minutes while the rest 300 papers needed 100 mins to be distributed. The company gave a nice white full sleeve shirt today. I think that will fit me very well :D There is a jacket that I have to wear while doing this work. The color is so bright, it will pock your eyes. When I wear that I am glowing and may be you will be able to see me even if you go to the moon :D


I found that basically older people are the main customers of this free newspaper. They took it so eagerly. In case of younger people if you just offer them with a nice smile in your face they usually don't deny to take one. So distributing it is not that much difficult. The only problem is the cold weather. When I started today it was +5 C and that made my palms and face very cold. So how about when it will be -20 C ?? :-S I think I need some real good warm cloths at that time.


The bottom line is I liked the job. Its not so tiring and the duration is not so long. In fact its finished within 2 hours and 15 minutes. I found the work interesting. Its a new experience for me :)





Programming solution

Biking weekend

I passed the first weekend here in Tampere and it was really nice beyond my expectation. On Saturday night we had dinner in Badal vi's home. After dinner we were planning to go biking on the next morning. 4 guys agreed to go for that. So the next morning Morshed vi, Taslim vi, Rajit vi and me went for biking.


We started around 11 am. Our main destination was 2 lakes in Tampere. Those are not so near from where we are living; around 10 kilometers away. Rajit vi and me don't have bike but we managed from some other Bangladeshi guys. The roads of Tampere are not so plain. Tampere was a hilly area long ago. So the roads have many jig-jags. Its a bit difficult to bike in Tampere. Your thigh muscles have to be strong enough :P


At first we went to the first lake. There is a small beach. Only few people were around. May be we were very early and people were still sleeping as it was weekend. We had some snacks there, took some photos and headed for the next lake.





This is on the way of going to the first lake. I used the red bike. Its a nice bike with 21 gears.





I am along with Taslim vi and rajit vi on the nice bridge.





This is the first lake we visited. The water looks like the sky.





Having some snaps on those rocks





Another one, me alone





Looking at the map, how to go to the next place



From this lake we started for the other one. We stopped at a place at the middle as the place was very nice. We had few snaps there as well.




This is Tampere tower. I heard that this is the highest tower in nordic region. There is a theme park at the base of this tower.





Those yellow flowers caught our eyes and we didn't miss to take it though its almost out of focus here :D





The statue is very nice as well





Rajit vi looks sleepy. May be he was very tired after long time biking :D





The whole gang here. The four guys. Everybody is squeezing their eyes dur to the hot sun at that time.


From here we went to the other lake but at that time the battery of the camera was out of charge. So we couldn't take any picture of that lake. This next one is a bit smaller than the previous one but to me it seemed more beautiful than the previous one. Hopefully we will go there again and at that time our battery will be charged fully :D




Programming solution

A trip to the city center

Many of my friends wanted to see my pictures here in Tampere. Yesterday I went to the city center to have my bus card issued. I went there along with Rajit vi. After getting my bus card we were roaming around. Tampere city center is not so big but it looks like a city as you will find many people walking, shopping, doing their stuffs and getting in buses. While in the city center I had my camera in my bag. So it was time to have some pictures. May be I will upload more pictures later. Because I will go for a city tour today arranged by the university. For the time being just have a look at these few ones.





This is before going to the city center. A corridor in the university. You are seeing the cafeteria name ZIP behind Rajit vi. I think this is the smallest cafe among the 3 in the university





I am in a park in the city center





A nude statue in front of a church(!!!). Rajit vi was so eager to have a picture having the statue behind him :D ;)





Another place. Behind me you are seeing the mayor's office.





Another shot near that mayor's office





This is the stree in front of the building where I am living right now. I took this after coming from the city center.




Programming solution

I am in Tampere now

My last post was from Abu Dhabi Airport. After that I could not go online for a long time. Its been almost 4 days that I am in Tampere. I reached here Sunday night around 8. But it was not possible for me to creat a new post.


In Abu Dhabi Airport I somehow passed the whole 14 hours. Good that I didn't vomit or faint there. I had to drink coffee to sustain with my very bad headache. While getting into the flight from Abu Dhabi to Brussels they checked me very well top to bottom. They told me to take off my boots, belts, my favorite wrist watch, my wallet, my waist bag. They also told me to bring out the camera off my bag. Then I had to put all those things in a tray, put that tray, my hand bag and my hoodie on the conveyor belt. When those things are scanneg and perged off the other side so many things I had to collect. I put the hoodie on one chair and I was fixing the other things. When I finished fixing all those an attendant of Etihad told me to get in the plane hurriedly. So I just started walking towards the plane fogetting my hoodie behind me. That is how I lost my hoodie in Abu Dhabi airport :(


This aircraft was bigger than the previous one from Dhaka-Abu Dhabi. In this flight also I didn't get window seat. It was night. I tried to sleep but I didn't succeed well. I think I slept only for an hour in the plane. Then I started to watch movie. I selected a funny one I forgot the name now. It helped me to pass the time. There was a Belgian family beside me - 3 young girls and their parents. The mother was asking me where I am going and for what. I was gossiping with her at the end of my flight. Finally the plane reached the Brussels airport.


Brussels airport is a huge one. I had to walk and walk and walk to find the exact gate for me. I had a 4 hours break in that place. Good that I found some free big benches which helped me to have an hour nap. After the nap I freshened up and was waiting for the plane to arrived. It was an aircraft of Finair. When it arrived I found that its a very small plane. But this time I got a window seat. So I could see the taking off well. It was a short trip and I enjoyed it as it was bright morning and I could clearly see the outside. The flight arrived Helsinki around 0325 pm local time. My friend Atique was in the airport to receive me.


I was with atique for about an hour and half. Then I took the 0505 pm bus from Helsinki-Tampere. It took almost 2 hours and 45 minutes to reach Tampere. Morshed vi was present in Tampere bus station to bring me to his home. When I came his home other Bangladeshi students living in Tampere came to meet and greet me. Its really nice to have native people in this far place of the world.I was very much tired on that night. So I went to bed early in Morshed vi's room after taking dinner along with other Bangladeshis.


The next morning I registered myself in the university. I was having few sessions with guide students and other officials. The orientation program is going on throughout this week. Everyday a different schedule. On Friday there will be a city tour with the guides. May next week I will sign up my courses. For the time being I am trying to manage some accommodation for me as I haven't got any yet.


The weather is comfortable now. Its not very cold. The temperature is usually in between 15-20 but the weather is very unpredictable here. It rains without any notification. Right now its very sunny. May be it will rain within 30 minutes again. I found the finnish people very nice; the are helpful and cooperative. For the time being this is my updates here. Hopefully I will update you again soon :)





Programming solution

I am in Abu Dhabi airport

Right now I am in Abu Dhabi airport. I am just trying to pass the 14 hours' long break. Looks like time passes like a turtle. I have to pass 7 more hours for my next flight if it wont be delayed. I am taking Etihad Airways and I already have seen their Paris flight was late by 4 hours. Well, I hope mine wont be delayed.



The Abu Dhabi Airport is very nice. I am having a bad headache since I landed here. Still I took my camera off my back pack to take some pictures of the airport. Unfortunately after taking only one shot without fixing anything in the camera the battery went off. So I couldn't take any more picture. It would be easier to pass the time with my camera but its not possible now. At least its better that I am getting free internet browsing facility here. I can use it as long as I want but the problem is you wont get a chair in front of the pc. You have to use it standing. More over each and every pc logs off once in every 15 minutes. You have to log in again. I think they arranged it in this way to prohibit a single person to use the internet for hours and they are pretty successful. Using it for more than an hour is really difficult. As I am writing this post my waist started to ache already. I will update you people again I don't know when and from where :)




Programming solution

5 Things: Its’ a Tag!

This is in response to Rafi's post. I didn't read Tanim's post but I went to Rafi's blog and found it. I like the topic of this tag. So I am writing in my blog. The rule goes like this, "All the readers who’re reading or commenting this post, have been tagged! If you like it don’t forget to answer the questions in your own blog."

5 things I hate most:

• Hearing lie from close persons
• Dirty toilets
• A television that is on with very high volume
• Finding close friends careless about me
• Being late when everything was scheduled earlier and time was fixed
  

5 things I want most:

• I want to meet very special one to me as soon as possible
• I want to return to my country with a strong back up
• I want to have a trip in pacific ocean in a yacht having my partner beside me
• I want Bangladesh to be in such position so that a first world country's employer wont think his Bangladeshi employee will be very happy getting 1/4 salary of a first world employee even though he(the Bangladeshi employee) has the same potential
• I want my close ones loyal to me
  

5 things you will find in my room (aside from me and my pc):

• A stack of books nicely organized in a shelf
• 4 bamboo flutes on the book shelf
• A thick mattress on the floor which is my bed and you will find a hollow in it as I sit there while using pc
• My dart board with 2 darts on it with very bad targets
• A box made of wood for the visitor to sit on
  

5 things I am currently doing:

• Preparing to go to Finland
• To spend as much time as I can with my family/friends/special one
• Reading "Deception point" by Dan Brown
• Watching Indiana Jones 1-3.
• Trying to get rid of extra fat around my belly and waist

Programming solution

Last roof top party in Jashim's home

May be it was the last party on Jashim's roof top. We had many events in this place and before leaving the country I wanted to add one more. So I decided to gave them a dinner treat about my going abroad in this place.


We had much difficulties last night. The weather was very bad, raining almost the whole day. It became worse when the power went off at 0730 PM and it came around 0930. We couldn't grill the chicken over coal as we needed electric fan for it and there was no electricity at that time. Finally we fried the chicken in oil. It was not bad either.


The menu was fixed kacchi birani and chicken grill with salad, sauce and soft drink. As a desert we had sweet curd. We wanted to do everything under the open sky but since evening it started to rain heavily and we were forced to go inside the stairway and fixed our burner in a small place over there. There would be a music system if it didn't rain. After dinner may be some of us would sing as well but the rain and power failure ruined everything. Still I hope everybody enjoyed it. At least the food was not so bad :D


Lets have a look on the party





Marinating the beef and chicken





It was left for 2 hours in that way





Khalid is chasing Jashim with the metal net. Having some fun





This time Jashim with a big dead branch of a tree. Khalid is not around :D





Tasnim and Shishire(he is the only one outside my area) had a great hand in beef for kacchi birani





I am trying to blow the coal. Due to rain it was very difficult. Razib gave the greatest effort but it didn't push through finally





Taking the food on the stairway as it was raining so heavily at that time





Everybody is looking at the camera




Programming solution