In Pursuit of Wisdom

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE - GRASSLANDS - DAWN I along with my family and friends were surveying the beautiful landscape of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya in two land rovers. Our drivers took us to a lion family consisting of 22 members, 3 of those are male lions, 8 female and the rest are cubs. From the distance, the magnificent male lions with a powerful, majestic mane emerge, exuding an air of authority and strength. One of those just stopped in front of our cars.  I was murmuring - What a stunning creature! The lion catches my scent and becomes intrigued, gracefully turning his head towards me just from 5 feet away. My heart races as I realize the significance of this encounter. He is no ordinary lion; he, too, is an alpha, ruler of his own world. The lion starts with a low growl - Who dares to venture into my domain? Me (calmly) - I come in peace. I mean no harm to your realm, great lion. The lion looks at me with a combination of caution and curiosity, recogni...

Life has a way of surprising us with incredible adventures, even when we least expect it. Recently, as I dropped off my son, Ahyan Zaman, in Los Angeles, little did I know that our journey would take a detour leading to unforgettable experiences. Our first stop was Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park, where we were eager to witness the awe-inspiring General Sherman Tree. As the largest living tree in the world in terms of volume, its towering presence at 275 feet tall with a diameter of 36 feet and an age of 2200 to 2700 years left us in awe of nature's wonders. Continuing towards the Giant Forest, we encountered an even more astonishing sight - bears! Not just once, but twice, we had the incredible opportunity to observe these majestic creatures in their natural habitat, a moment that etched itself into our hearts forever. However, our adventure took an unexpected turn when we faced a flat tire situation near Bakersfield. Nevertheless, we quickly contacted AAA roa...

The past couple of weeks have been nothing short of eventful for me. It all started with the shocking theft of my beloved Honda Accord, a car I've cherished since 2009. Little did I know that the decision to install LoJack, a vehicle tracking system, would play a crucial role in the eventual recovery of my stolen car. As fate would have it, amidst this turmoil, my nephew Iram arrived from Toronto, and together we embarked on an unforgettable 2000-mile road trip along the captivating West Coast. Additionally, we celebrated Eid Ul Adha by participating in Qurbani rituals both at home in Dhaka and here in the Bay Area. Join me as I recount this rollercoaster of events. With a heavy heart, I discovered that my Honda Accord had been stolen from right in front of my house. A recent similar incident involving my neighbor's car heightened our suspicions. I promptly reported the theft to the police, harboring little hope of ever seeing my car again. However, the memory of the LoJack dev...