Letter from Boston
Visit me this summer
Please come to Boston
For the springtime
I'm stayin' here with some friends
And they've got lots of room!
The first time I heard this song, written by singer song-writer Dave Loggins, I could not fully relate to it since he refers to springtime. But over time I came to appreciate it more as I learned that he was not specifying spring as the only season when to visit Boston. Summer and even fall (autumn) are just as beautiful and a good time to visit Boston. The twin cities of Boston and Cambridge, situated by the ocean and split by the Charles River, have been home for me, a transplanted Bangladeshi, for the past few decades, and even though I tried several times to leave the coop, I always came back. Now, as I reflect on the years past, I can see the attraction or the magnetic effect of this city.
There are times, when I am busy and can't seem to find time even for my family, when I can at least rest in the belief that they all know where to find me. Thanks to my friend Gora, who showed me the "cool" places to visit when I first got off the boat, these are still my favourite ones that I visit from time to time: Harvard Square, Kenmore Square, Downtown Crossing, Fenway Park and the Esplanade on the Charles River; the coffee shops and the fast food restaurants; and the museums and the parks.
Boston can be a place where you can spend weeks and weeks just getting to know how the two cities, Boston and Cambridge, work together; the people; and how we live. If there are three things I recommend to my visitors to learn about, they would be the vast network of the region's higher education system, the history of the American Revolution, and the workings of this world-renowned scientific and technological capital. You can visit the universities, the museums and the libraries to get a sense of its intellectual foundations and its various facets. I can also take you to visit the surrounding towns, including Lexington, Plymouth or New Bedford, for a brief lesson on the history of American Independence, settlement of the continent, and its seafaring industry.
The Bangladeshis here are an amazing group, too. In a way the community, more than 10,000 strong, brings with it all the genealogical traits of the motherland, but also learns to live without the turmoil and tension we see back home. Nonetheless, we find people of different political views, religious faiths, and ideologies from all walks of life. But we all get together under one banner, the Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE), and celebrate national holidays, cultural events, annual picnics and all other events together. Make sure you come when a picnic is scheduled since this will give you a chance to meet many from all the different professions, political beliefs, cultural leanings and sartorial tastes. The picnic spots are quite incredible, one might add: sea shores, state parks, river banks, lakes or amusement parks.
We can also spend hours doing nothing in my backyard. It doesn't rain much in summer, and the mornings and evenings are very cool and you can hear the birds chirp, the trees sway in the breeze, or you can just stare at the blue sky. I don't promise restaurant quality food but I can cook up a decent dinner every night or, if you prefer, I can let Rumi cook to order: Indian, Chinese, Italian or Mexican, whichever you are in a mood for. And let me assure you, as long as you don't mind leftover (bashi) food you will never go hungry. But I am sure you'll get sick of eating my daal and bhat every day, and might want to try some of the specialties in this area. We could try fast food, MacDonalds or Mexican at Taco Bells, authentic Italian food in the North End, or street food from the trucks in Dorchester. If you have a taste for salad or seafood we can do that too. Even my nearest grocery store has a 50-item salad bar. Or we can eat fried fish, shrimp, clams or sea food salad right on the beach.
I can drive you to Cape Cod, where you will find hundreds and hundreds of miles of sea shore and sandy beaches. I know you might feel nostalgic for the beaches in Cox's Bazaar, but let me just say this, you will not feel let down. We can also drive along the seashore and just enjoy the cool breeze blowing in from the ocean and watch the sail boats, motor boats or ocean liners.
Finally, I would also like to take you for a glimpse of the famous Harvard Square Cinema, if it hasn't already closed by then. I saw in the newspaper that this historic Cineplex will be closed down permanently this summer. This finale down means a piece of my personal memorabilia will be lost to me. Rumi and I have lots of memories intertwined with this venerable theater: good movies, friends and many beautiful phases of our life together. My friend Gora, now deceased, first introduced us to the cinema and its "two-for-one" deal. This is where we saw One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Lion in Winter and Last Tango in Paris, to name a few masterpieces. It is here that we tried to act as a catalyst for romance for our friend Mona with a Harvard Law School student.
However, if you are really coming, please give me a few days advance notice to allow me to prepare an itinerary to your taste. I would like to find out what is happening at the museums, what is playing at the free theatre known as "Shakespeare on the Common"; to find out if Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen is in town; to take you to pass by the offices of some of my favorite economists at MIT; or take you to the computing center of Boston University, my alma mater. Just a little piece of caution before you pack your bag for the trip. The weather can be temperamental so bring a light jacket along, and you can explore all the important places by its underground trains, known locally as the T. I'll introduce you to my friends, Geoff the Professor, Nasim the Poet, and Yvon my ex-colleague. You'll also meet my family, my neighbors Roz the grad student, Mahdi the artist, and Taposh the musician. Along with countless others, they make Boston an interesting place to stay, love, and grow with.
Dr. Abdullah Shibli lives and works in Boston, USA.
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