Hey beautifuls!
This week's post will be a little different but it has been requested by a few people. I also thought that this topic would be interesting for me to write as well as to share with you all. If there are anymore topics you would like me to publish in the future then please contact me and share your suggestions!
So I am going to discuss my views on living as a Bengali girl here in England and the differences I have seen between the two cultures I take part in and am surrounded by. Some of you may be wondering what differences could possibly occur but you will honestly be surprised with what we may have to face. I am sure that this is the same with anyone of other ethnicities living in the UK as well.
I am going to start off by answering some questions from the ethnicity tag to let you guys understand a little more about my background:
What is your ethnicity?
I am Bengali as both of my parents were born and bred in Bangladesh.
When was the last time you visited your country?
The last time I visited Bangladesh was when I was in Year 7 which was in 2012. I went with my whole family to see my grandad (my mum's dad).
Name one ethnic food you enjoy the most.
My favourite ethnic food has to be this thing called tenga boroi. Boroi in English is dried jujube fruit. I love the way my mum makes this as it tastes so good and is so flavoursome. She boils the boroi to make it soft and then mixes it in with date molasses, burned garlic and some coriander.
Name one household item that best represents your culture.
There are quite a few items that could represent the Bengali culture but I think my Bengali audience out there will agree with me that the best item to represent is the paan tray also known as the paan daan. I guarantee you all that this will found in every Bengali household. It is basically a tray with a few pots containing betel leaf, areca nut and other ingredients.
What part of your country are you from?
My parents are both from Sylhet. My dad's side is from Dottogram and my mum's side is from Umor Pur.
What song reminds you of your country? (language of your ethnicity)
This is a quite funny question as I do not listen to Bengali music at all but the only song I know and remember is: Habib - Balo Bashbo...
Can you speak the language of your ethnicity?
Yes I can speak Bengali and I do speak it on a daily basis to my parents as my siblings and I have been brought up to speak the language. I'm not completely fluent but I do know a fair bit.
So that's it with the ethnicity tag questions and now I am going to discuss some topics relating to how different it can be living with both the Bengali and British culture. I will also be vaguely mentioning religion into this so if any of you would like me to do any posts or tags relating to religion and Islam specifically then please do let me know!
Quite a big topic that is spoken about is marriage which is really interesting because some people don't seem to understand the idea of arranged marriages. People jump to conclusions thinking that arranged marriages are the same as forced marriages but in reality they are two complete different things. In the British culture, most people are expected to find their own partner and there is also a common tendency that young British people are brought up to be more independent once they reach adulthood as they move out at a younger age. This can make people feel pressurised in finding someone who they can marry, however in the Asian community, some pressure is lifted from their shoulders. This is because they can fall back on their parents and rely them to find someone who can be suitable for them. Especially in today's society where everybody is getting into relationships, it can be hard for young people to find 'the one'. There is a possibility that many young people out there can feel left out for not being in a relationship but this should not be the case. As a young Bengali girl, only 15, I have seen and learnt the differences of marriage in both cultures and in my opinion there is no wrongs in either culture. I am just trying to share with all of my non Bengali audience, what it can be like and to explain to you a different perspective of how people can view relationships and marriage. The idea of arranged marriage is an arrangement agreed with the family/guardians of the couple concerned. Many meetings and talks are made between the two people to ensure that it is the right decision and that both of the individuals are happy with the choices made. In Islam, it is forbidden to have an premarital relationship (girlfriend/boyfriend) which can also add to the pressure of young Muslims and it is very common, however this is where the tradition of arranged marriages fit in. Despite the pressure of today's society to find a girlfriend/boyfriend, people of the Asian culture are quite lucky as they don't feel as pressured to find somebody on their own. Arranged marriages do occur in the Western culture but it is not as common.
Of course I have to mention fashion as it is one of the main focuses on my blog! In the Asian culture, there are specific fashion trends and the most common dress that you guys may have heard of is a saree, but there is also selwar kameez. This comes from Indian fashion and as well as this, jewelry is quite a big thing in Bangladesh. Being a Bengali girl in England, I do find that I have to balance out my decisions on what to wear. I am expected to wear Asian dress for weddings and when visiting relatives'. As I am very passionate about fashion and I like to make effort in looking presentable for myself; keeping up with the latest Western trends, I do find that my love for Western fashion overrides the traditional Bengali wear. It is quite difficult because in Islam, modest clothing is expected as oppose to tight fashion, exposure of body shape and skin which is what most of the Western trends are. Nobody is perfect therefore they can't do everything that is expected of them, which is why it can be so difficult for young people especially in today's society.
I am aware that this post is becoming very very long so I am going to stop here. If you are interested in anything else to do with culture, relating to food for example, then let me know and I'll be happy to add that in for you guys! As always, if you have any questions or suggestions then feel free to contact me!
Love you all,
Sanyha xo
I am going to start off by answering some questions from the ethnicity tag to let you guys understand a little more about my background:
What is your ethnicity?
I am Bengali as both of my parents were born and bred in Bangladesh.
When was the last time you visited your country?
The last time I visited Bangladesh was when I was in Year 7 which was in 2012. I went with my whole family to see my grandad (my mum's dad).
Name one ethnic food you enjoy the most.
My favourite ethnic food has to be this thing called tenga boroi. Boroi in English is dried jujube fruit. I love the way my mum makes this as it tastes so good and is so flavoursome. She boils the boroi to make it soft and then mixes it in with date molasses, burned garlic and some coriander.
Name one household item that best represents your culture.
There are quite a few items that could represent the Bengali culture but I think my Bengali audience out there will agree with me that the best item to represent is the paan tray also known as the paan daan. I guarantee you all that this will found in every Bengali household. It is basically a tray with a few pots containing betel leaf, areca nut and other ingredients.
What part of your country are you from?
My parents are both from Sylhet. My dad's side is from Dottogram and my mum's side is from Umor Pur.
What song reminds you of your country? (language of your ethnicity)
This is a quite funny question as I do not listen to Bengali music at all but the only song I know and remember is: Habib - Balo Bashbo...
Can you speak the language of your ethnicity?
Yes I can speak Bengali and I do speak it on a daily basis to my parents as my siblings and I have been brought up to speak the language. I'm not completely fluent but I do know a fair bit.
So that's it with the ethnicity tag questions and now I am going to discuss some topics relating to how different it can be living with both the Bengali and British culture. I will also be vaguely mentioning religion into this so if any of you would like me to do any posts or tags relating to religion and Islam specifically then please do let me know!
Quite a big topic that is spoken about is marriage which is really interesting because some people don't seem to understand the idea of arranged marriages. People jump to conclusions thinking that arranged marriages are the same as forced marriages but in reality they are two complete different things. In the British culture, most people are expected to find their own partner and there is also a common tendency that young British people are brought up to be more independent once they reach adulthood as they move out at a younger age. This can make people feel pressurised in finding someone who they can marry, however in the Asian community, some pressure is lifted from their shoulders. This is because they can fall back on their parents and rely them to find someone who can be suitable for them. Especially in today's society where everybody is getting into relationships, it can be hard for young people to find 'the one'. There is a possibility that many young people out there can feel left out for not being in a relationship but this should not be the case. As a young Bengali girl, only 15, I have seen and learnt the differences of marriage in both cultures and in my opinion there is no wrongs in either culture. I am just trying to share with all of my non Bengali audience, what it can be like and to explain to you a different perspective of how people can view relationships and marriage. The idea of arranged marriage is an arrangement agreed with the family/guardians of the couple concerned. Many meetings and talks are made between the two people to ensure that it is the right decision and that both of the individuals are happy with the choices made. In Islam, it is forbidden to have an premarital relationship (girlfriend/boyfriend) which can also add to the pressure of young Muslims and it is very common, however this is where the tradition of arranged marriages fit in. Despite the pressure of today's society to find a girlfriend/boyfriend, people of the Asian culture are quite lucky as they don't feel as pressured to find somebody on their own. Arranged marriages do occur in the Western culture but it is not as common.
Of course I have to mention fashion as it is one of the main focuses on my blog! In the Asian culture, there are specific fashion trends and the most common dress that you guys may have heard of is a saree, but there is also selwar kameez. This comes from Indian fashion and as well as this, jewelry is quite a big thing in Bangladesh. Being a Bengali girl in England, I do find that I have to balance out my decisions on what to wear. I am expected to wear Asian dress for weddings and when visiting relatives'. As I am very passionate about fashion and I like to make effort in looking presentable for myself; keeping up with the latest Western trends, I do find that my love for Western fashion overrides the traditional Bengali wear. It is quite difficult because in Islam, modest clothing is expected as oppose to tight fashion, exposure of body shape and skin which is what most of the Western trends are. Nobody is perfect therefore they can't do everything that is expected of them, which is why it can be so difficult for young people especially in today's society.
I am aware that this post is becoming very very long so I am going to stop here. If you are interested in anything else to do with culture, relating to food for example, then let me know and I'll be happy to add that in for you guys! As always, if you have any questions or suggestions then feel free to contact me!
Love you all,
Sanyha xo
