BDCommunity Presents - The Weekly Turni

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(Edited)

22/09/2020
৭ই আশ্বিন ১৪২৭
The Weekly Turni


Editorial


The 70s were a strange time. So many things happened during that time it is too difficult to count or describe. A nation was born, perhaps that is important. Multiple nations were destroyed, perhaps that is important. To me, I can easily escape by saying it is before my time, but can I really escape? More I try to escape; more I get intertwined in that decade. Just remembered the Orwellian prophecy:

"Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past".

Difficult to grasp, right? Basically, if you can control time, you control reality or lack thereof. You get to choose the version of reality that is suitable for you. Isn't that the ultimate control? Sure is, but at what cost? Ultimately no matter how much control you can put in, you will be the looser. You know why? Simply because time is a zero-sum game. The more control you generate on others, the less you have on yourself and your loved ones. It is just like the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle; it says that we cannot measure the position and the momentum of a particle with absolute precision. The more accurately we know one of these values, the less accurately we know the other. Without getting into the physics of the problem, we can explore what Jim Croce sang about his loved ones, just before his untimely death in an airplane crash:

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'Til eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you...

It was 1973. How ironic is that? You touch your most extreme longing just before you pass away. Is it fate? I can say I don't believe in fate. I am in perfect control of my life. But reality or lack thereof can be quite far away from that truth.

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There is enough randomness into our surroundings that mother nature can send us a perfect curveball, and we will have no idea what happened until it happens. So, since I am in no control over my life or my surroundings, I thought I would rather write the editorial this weekend just in time to get them published on Monday.

I instead look at the greenery of that Taro field, looking down into the Hanalei Valley in my mind and imagine that I am in perfect harmony with Pele; who can destroy that greenery in a second, but she chooses not to do it. If she stays quiet, I have ample time to write the editorial, and the head clerk, the tireless doctor, and the mathematician will have plenty of time to stitch Turni together. Every Monday, late into the small hours, and perhaps almost to the crack of dawn, they are the ones who burn the midnight candle. They are the ones who take 'time' away from their personal schedule to make the magic happen. They don't do it for any personal gain.

They do it for you.

They do it for us.

They do it for the greater good.

-editor


This Week's Feature -- মহাকালের সন্ধিক্ষণে


টি. এস. এলিয়ট'-এর The Journey of the Magi-নামক কবিতার অনুবাদ-মাঘ, ১৩৩৯

কন্‌কনে ঠাণ্ডায় আমাদের যাত্রা--
    ভ্রমণটা বিষম দীর্ঘ, সময়টা সব চেয়ে খারাপ,
        রাস্তা ঘোরালো, ধারালো বাতাসের চোট,
            একেবারে দুর্জয় শীত।
ঘাড়ে ক্ষত, পায়ে ব্যথা, মেজাজ-চড়া উটগুলো
    শুয়ে শুয়ে পড়ে গলা বরফে।
        মাঝে মাঝে মন যায় বিগড়ে
            যখন মনে পড়ে পাহাড়তলিতে বসন্তমঞ্জিল, তার চাতাল,
আর শর্বতের পেয়ালা হাতে রেশমি সাজে যুবতীর দল।
    এ দিকে উটওয়ালারা গাল পাড়ে, গন্‌গন্‌ করে রাগে,
        ছুটে পালায় মদ আর মেয়ের খোঁজে।
            মশাল যায় নিভে, মাথা রাখবার জায়গা জোটে না।
নগরে যাই, সেখানে বৈরিতা; নগরীতে সন্দেহ।
    গ্রামগুলো নোংরা, তারা চড়া দাম হাঁকে।
        কঠিন মুশকিল।
            শেষে ঠাওরালেম চলব সারারাত,
মাঝে মাঝে নেব ঝিমিয়ে
    আর কানে কানে কেউ বা গান গাবে--
        এ সমস্তই পাগলামি।
    ভোরের দিকে এলেম, যেখানে মিঠে শীত সেই পাহাড়ের খদে;
    
সেখানে বরফ-সীমার নীচেটা ভিজে-ভিজে, ঘন গাছ-গাছালির গন্ধ।
    নদী চলেছে ছুটে, জলযন্ত্রের চাকা আঁধারকে মারছে চাপড়।
        দিগন্তের গায়ে তিনটে গাছ দাঁড়িয়ে,
            বুড়ো সাদা ঘোড়াটা মাঠ বেয়ে দৌড় দিয়েছে।
পৌঁছলেম শরাবখানায়, তার কপাটের মাথায় আঙুরলতা।
    দুজন মানুষ খোলা দরোজার কাছে পাশা খেলছে টাকার লোভে,
        পা দিয়ে ঠেলছে শূন্য মদের কুপো।
            কোনো খবরই মিলল না সেখানে,
চললেম আরো আগে।
    যেতে যেতে সন্ধে হল;
        সময় পেরিয়ে যায় যায়, তখন খুঁজে পেলেম জায়গাটা--
            বলা যেতে পারে ব্যাপারটা তৃপ্তিজনক।
মনে পড়ে এ-সব ঘটেছে অনেক কাল আগে,
    আবার ঘটে যেন এই ইচ্ছে, কিন্তু লিখে রাখো--
        এই লিখে রাখো-- এত দূরে যে আমাদের টেনে নিয়েছিল
            সে কি জন্মের সন্ধানে না মৃত্যুর।
জন্ম একটা হয়েছিল বটে--
    প্রমাণ পেয়েছি, সন্দেহ নেই।
        এর আগে তো জন্মও দেখেছি, মৃত্যুও--
            মনে ভাবতেম তারা এক নয়।
কিন্তু এই-যে জন্ম এ বড়ো কঠোর--
    দারুণ এর যাতনা, মৃত্যুর মতো, আমাদের মৃত্যুর মতোই।
        এলেম ফিরে আপন আপন দেশে, এই আমাদের রাজত্বগুলোয়
            আর কিন্তু স্বস্তি নেই সেই পুরানো বিধিবিধানে
যার মধ্যে আছে সব অনাত্মীয় আপন দেবদেবী আঁকড়ে ধ'রে।
    আর-একবার মরতে পারলে আমি বাঁচি।



The river flowed slowly



The banks were looking pleadingly
Trash that was floating on the waters
and some that had got stuck between the rocks
It looked like an ungodly sight
The river wondered whether the dirt was more
On the waters or in the human's mind
Nobody seemed to mind
Plastic bags and discarded cans
Half ate pizzas that choked the plants
Sodas that made it hard for the fish to breathe
Oil spilt from the used bottles that were thrown away with ease
What would save nature from all of this, the river thought
Flowing along slowly
The speed checked by the debris
The waters polluted by both factory waste and the butcher's shop
Even the hospitals did not think about throwing the waste it had
and then came the rain; it rained hard day and night
The water rose, the land disappeared
The houses submerged, and the people ran
The waste was thrown back into the land
and the mad people threw it back into the river once again
The river became furious
and the floods occurred again
The people still did not learn
The virus came
Birds chirped freely
Animals roamed about
The man was locked in his house
The planet was free from pollution again
Some did throw away the 'masks'.
This time, they were warned
No more chances to be taken, dear human
There is a limit, and you have crossed it too often
The river now flows with ease
Once again, in peace

A true story based on the mighty river Periyar and the floods of 2018 and 2019, Kerala


Hero's Journey-Template in narrative stories


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Source

Take your favorite story, may it be a book, a cinema, or a folktale. Something you probably heard long ago, or as a kid. Something you had to read in school despite your immense unwillingness. Now consider — whether it fits the diagram above. Chances are, it will.

Hero's journey is a term coined by Joseph Campbell to infer the popular monomyth template in fiction—where a character (usually naive) goes on an adventure, finds mentors, meets friends, faces challenges. These challenges profoundly change him/her, and when they return, they are quite distinct in their ideas, visage, or emotional state compared to what they were at the beginning of their journey. I have seen some people mistaking it for good character development, it's not, that's entirely a different horse to take on.

Since before history, humans have told such tales following the monomyth template countless times and in many different ways hitherto. The ancient literature and religious scriptures are full of it, relatively modern authors like Charles Dickens, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Charlotte Bronte used it — and it's no wonder it still dominates. In fact, it's one of the most popular methods, and sometimes authors do it instinctively, without meaning to follow the pattern.

It's funny, isn't it? We, humans, fear change to a degree of intensity only matched by the fear of
death, but we long for change and progression in stories.

Mind you, the template is not bad or wrong in any way. It's just a categorization. But once you can break free of it and notice the stories that do not follow such patterns, you will learn to appreciate the subversive works more and more and discover the art form in novel ways.

I have seen "professional" or "expert" fiction writers often give out advice — create conflicts, make a satisfying ending. They essentially urge you to follow a formula. Which itself is not bad like I said before — underlying philosophy, prose, expression, and characterizations matter more than any formula. But a formula can shrink the room for creativity— and the chances of experimenting with narrative fiction diminish.

This is why I really appreciate stories that have no endings or beginnings, stories that leave me baffled with their unusual narrative style, hold me in a place, motionless. I also stay clear of anyone who's advice goes like this — "You have to put something in your story! You must!"


TIK-TOK Bridge


It would be difficult to find a person who has not heard about Tik-Tok. I can not believe I waste time watching those videos whenever I can. It is quite addictive, indeed. Regardless of all this, recently, I have been hearing quite a lot of buzz about a place that was catching people's attention. Little did I know it would get so much hype, which eventually transformed this place from its original name to the name of TIK-TOK Bridge.


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Gua-bari Bridge

Place : Guabari, near Ragib Rabeya Medical College, Sylhet, Bangladesh


Meeting up with nature and enjoying the vibe of being within a friendly environment, it literally will make you feel relaxed just by being there. I went there today at the off hour, by which I mean, this place gets many visitors during the evening. I can see why the buzz spread about this place. Those who are not familiar with this environment (Tea-garden) might be a nice place to explore.


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Although it is not really that long of a bridge, as you can notice in the image. I was not aware of the fact that my city has so many Tik Tok stars. I suppose I am being left behind in this sort of zone. But somehow, I feel glad that I am lol. While during the evening, this place gets filled up with Tiktokers and others to be with nature and enjoy the time. I was told it gets challenging to walk through the bridge once it starts to take visitors on the bridge.


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What can you really expect?

If you are looking to get some fresh air and be within nature, I would suggest taking a small tour. And if possible, take a walk to reach there. It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to get to the Tik-Tok bridge from the highway road. The reason I am saying is that it will allow you to witness the natural beauty of this place as you approach the destination. When you talk walk alongside the road, the view you will watch will make you say some appreciable words for taking this trip.


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I enjoyed this short trip, and most importantly, I enjoyed taking a walk back from this place. It would be an excellent addition to the memory lane of mine!


অব্যক্ত অনুভূতি ও কিছু কাশফুল



শরতের শুভ্র মেঘ, বাতাসে কাশফুলের ঢেউ
তুমি এসেছিলে খোলা বাতায়নে, জানেনা কেউ।

বড্ড দস্যি ছিলে, আরশোলা ভর্তি পকেটে
আজও আমার একটা আছে, বইয়ের ভাঁজে যতনে।

তোমার ভাষায়, আটপৌরে নারীদের দেখে হাসতে
বইয়ের ভাঁজে ময়ূরের পালক, কোমর দোলাত হাঁটতে।

বয়সন্ধিকালের ঢেউ তোমাকে স্পর্শ করেনি, অথবা করতে দাওনি
তবুও প্রকৃতি ছাড় দেয়নি, উজার করেছে যা চাও নি।

সেদিন শুক্রবার, অভ্যাসমতো ঘুম ভেঙেছিল পেয়ে জলের ছিটে
তবে এ ডাক খেলার নয়, ছাড়তে ভাড়ার ভিটে।
সুফিয়া কামাল খুব পড়তে, নজরুলের ‘নারী’
তোমার বাবার বদলি চাকরি, কিইবা করতে পারি।

খুব কেঁদেছিলাম বিদায়বেলায়, তোমারই পথ ধরে
বুঝতে পারোনি, চোখ মুছে ছিলাম তোমারি আঁচল দিয়ে।

ছুটছিলে তুমি মেঠোপথ ধরে, দুই ধারে কাশফুল
কান্না চাপাতে মুখ লুকিয়েছিলে, উড়িয়ে এলোচুল।

সেই কাশবন, মেঠোপথ আর তোমার চলার রেখা
বন্ধু ভেবে হয়নি বলা, মনের না বলা কথা।

অব্যক্ত ভালোবাসায় হৃদয় আজ, রক্তক্ষরণে নীল
যেখানে একটি কাশফুলও, গোলাপের চেয়ে বেশি সংবেদনশীল।



Epilogue


Expectations are tricky. Expectations arise from trust, trust to be able to count on someone. But it is also the stepping stone for disappointment. You can google tons of quotes on expectations, a vast majority of which will have one common message. Lower your expectations.

So why do we not?

Is it because we're too good ourselves, and we wanna see the good in people cliche, or is it because we are too afraid to let go?

The truth can be harsh, and the truth is people will let you down. And it's okay. It teaches you lessons roses and rainbows never will. And we move on.

But can we give up expectations entirely? Can we really? Deep down inside, we fear being let down, equally intense is the fear of letting someone else down. So no, I'm not going to tell you to have no expectations. I have not been able to let go of expectations. I am not entirely sure it is possible.

You will be let down when you least expect it. But then will come someone who will exceed your expectations and lift up your spirits. Has no one ever told you, always expect the unexpected? The beauty of life is in the details that are missing.


End Notes


Instructions to Get Featured


This here is our piece de resistance. To promote engagement and a little self-branding, we have come up with an initiative that we simply called Featured. And we are very excited about this portion of the magazine.

Every week, one talented author will have the opportunity to contribute a piece for the magazine, while showcasing one of their best posts. The willing writers will have a chance to add a few words about any topic that they choose and be a 25% beneficiary of the magazine.

How to Get Featured

The first step is, you have to decide whether you want to get featured or not. Once you've made up your mind, you have to apply by submitting one of your articles from last week. We have a wiggle room for quality content if they are older than seven days. Choose the piece you deem to be your best work for the week, as this will play a significant role in you getting featured or not.

Application Window

There will be a two-day period to submit your application. It must be submitted by dropping a link to your post in the #Featured-Magazine channel on the BDCommunity Discord Server. Once the application window has closed, @linco, @simplifylife, and @zayedsakib will choose three authors from all the submissions. The featured author for the week will be announced during the weekly voice meeting. They will then have two days to complete their piece for the magazine and submit to the officials.

The author who gets featured in the weekly magazine will be set as a 25% beneficiary, meaning 25% of the magazine's liquid payout will go to the featured author.


Flash Contest


This weeks' topic-Your Most Entertaining Waste of Time

Leave a meaningful no less than 100 words comment below about the topic, and the most meaningful one will win 5 hive:). You can enter as many times as you like. Leave the tag #BDC in your comment for it to be counted as an entry. Only one person will be chosen as the winner.

Last Weeks Winner-@minhajulmredul


Do not forget to join our next weekly hangout at Friday 10 PM GMT +6

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Do not miss the last post from @hivebuzz:

Update for regular authors
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I must say “pujo eshe gelo”. I am a deeply atheist person. However, that kashphul sends a message that is much deeper than any religion can penetrate my soul. Growing up in multiple places probably detached me quite a bit from West Bengal, where this is the biggest festival. Now as an expat I don’t get to see it anymore. So thank you for giving me an opportunity to experience my childhood. My life remains neither here nor there!

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My life remains neither here nor there!

দাদা, উপরের কথাটা অনেক গভীর। আশ্বিনের এই খামখেয়ালি বৃষ্টির মতো ভাবনাগুলোকে কেমন যেন এলোমেলো করে দিল। আনন্দ অথবা বেদনা মিশ্রিত স্মৃতিগুলো বোধহয় এমনই, মানুষকে তাড়িয়ে বেড়ায় আমৃত্যু।

As Bengalis, we love to celebrate different festivals beyond the boundaries of religion. In my childhood, I used to visit different ’Pujo Mondir’ and enjoyed those artistic work. Similarly, during Eid my Hindu friends used to come to my house to celebrate the festival. But today in this busy life, I miss those golden days.

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I really loved reading the Turni. The song quoted by Azir was so meaningful. If only I could save time in a bottle, I would have gone back to my childhood, to those carefree days and happy times with my family. Alas, time waits for none.
Thank you @rehan12 for writing about the Tik-Tok bridge. It is so good looking. No wonder it is very famous. You must write a post about it too.
@notacinephile has a point. I too do not like to read cliche fiction but then most authors follow that pattern just because of the 'public demand'created by the publishers.
The epilogue is so true for most of us. We expect a lot with hope but when it is not met, we are too disappointed but keep hoping. Such is life.

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They don't do it for any personal gain.
They do it for you.
They do it for us.
They do it for the greater good.

Yeah,It's true. Every week they do this time consuming work without any reward for us. So that we can get a formal review of the week and get some amazing writings from various genre to enjoy. Sometimes thanking is not enough to appreciate great things.

I don’t have enough words to appreciate @deepu7 Bhai's অব্যক্ত অনুভূতি ও কিছু কাশফুল. I just wanna say it touched me. For me its the best part in this week's turni.

Has no one ever told you, always expect the unexpected?

No one did but the life taught me this one. From that i have start expecting less and accepting the unexpected things. That's the beauty of life indeed.

In the end, i wanna say again it was another amazing one. Gradually its in the 8th week successfully. Many more to go..

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Thanks brother for your nice words. Glad to know that you have enjoyed reading the poem.

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Thank you team bdcommunity for publishing this awesome 'Turni' magazine! I really loved this week's entries. First of all, I liked the 'Tik-Tok bridge' by @rehan12 and I am sure the awesome view of this scenery will definitely bring more likes from viewers! @sayee also nailed it with her poetry this time along with the River picture.

My most entertaining waste of time

When it comes about killing free time, I always go for playing games on my mobile. Nowadays Mobile has been the all-time companion of almost every human being, especially the young ones. I always carry it with me and whenever I get time, I play various games lie PUBG, Clash Royale or Splinterlands.

#bdc

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But can we give up expectations entirely? Can we really?

No, we can't. I don't know how did we come by this unhealthy trait because, for darwin's sake, I'm pretty sure our ancestors weren't really having high expectations that predators won't prey on them or go easy. Perhaps, it's a civilization thing. And maybe we should look to an even modern one at that — as, without Hobbes leviathan, that is a central authority, I don't see how such a practice can be adopted widely. Perhaps sociologists can tell us more.

As for me, I get disheartened, tell myself not to expect much but end up doing that again and again. Such foolishness perhaps deserves some retribution anyway.


I haven't read many of Eliot's poems, neither do I understand poetry but @artistparthoroy's translation feels quite natural to me. It's not jarring or literal either. Good work. :)

I loved @sayee's poem because of the message it carries. Mother nature is biding her time and this relapse in this lockdown time won't really save us if we don't get our ducks in a line.

@rehan12, the bridge is beautiful! It would be pretty nice to hang out there. Alone of course, and possibly with a partner. And staying clear of any tiktokers. I know you've been kind and euphemistic about them but I think it's a shame and waste of time what they're doing.


This turni has been literature oriented it seems! This is change I can welcome very much! :)

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(Edited)

By the way, that butterfly is an amazing shot @zayedsakib. In the book that you are reading there is a character called dowager. I am not sure if you have come across her yet. But her character is developed by Murakami in a way that is both masterful and just a pure literally work of art. Dowager had a green house and a butterfly graden. That garden had a single white butterfly just like you have pictured there. Coincidence?.. LOL

“Is it possible to become friends with a butterfly?"

"It is if you first become a part of nature. You suppress your presence as a human being, stay very still, and convince yourself that you are a tree or grass or a flower. It takes time, but once the butterfly lets its guard down, you can become friends quite naturally."

............Haruki Murakami, 1Q84.

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The dowager, the mistress of the house, would occasionally invite Aomame into the hothouse for private chats, though never at the height of summer.

Their conversations were not the sort that could be held just anywhere at full volume, and the owner said it calmed her to be surrounded by flowers and butterflies. Aomame could see it on her face.

This is where I literally left of this morning before going to sleep dada! Aomame went to visit Tamaru, the big guy in his house. Its no coincidence. Its maktub at her finest:)

The only difficulty im having with the book is the inability to grasp its massive universe! I had to go back so many times to connect the dots. But still, its very much enticing and alluring.. Almost like, He is toying with me:pp testing my patience perhaps!

difficult... very difficult :pp

IMG20200918173241.jpg

Now for some telbaji dada:p that video is shot while you being kept in mind:) I know its no mystic mountainous terrains of Andalusia filled with flowers of many colors! But it still is something isnt it?"

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Like I mentioned that little clip takes me 30 years back! Not quite to 1914. But we will save that for @reazuliqbal. We have to send him to 1914 and bring him back; with the “loha” :)

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that butterfly is an amazing shot

Dada, the blur on that image resulted in "The beauty of life is in the details that are missing." ;)

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Our dude is talented. We all know that. It’s only the matter of channeling the talent in the “right” direction.

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Dada just wait till the NFT showroom starts accepting tokenized photographs besides art. Sakib's snaps will be selling out like hot cakes!

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(Edited)

replied at the wrong spot!

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Flash Contest

              The Marathon

My these days are confined mostly in four walls so i am gonna describe my most entertaining waste of time from the days i have left behind. By entertaining waste of time i have understood the time which were meant for something useful and i have wasted it and had entertainment.

So the college hours are really much important for everyone. But the young minds are not get used to it. We love to hangout those hours with the college gang. Here gang is used for friend groups. Because we address every circle by different gang names. Dont think it as group of thugs type gang. Hahaha. That was an government college and those usually has big rooms and three or four door. After the attendance were done we used to leave from the back doors escaping the eyes of teacher. And we would move to the foska stalls or park or anywhere for travel. Sometimes it used to be like Marathon. I have said marathon because we used to be on college uniform so if any teacher or any officials were came across us we used to run in the different way. Those happened a lot time.

So for me this is the most entertaining waste of time which i am missing a lot.

#BDC

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