Does anyone have Lauren Groff's Monsters of Templeton? I could swear it was once posted here but can't find it.

I think I'm ready to come back to LJ.

Does anyone have the BBC4 production of Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian? I've looked everywhere but can't find it.

For some reason, as of late, my life in Manchester no longer really appeals to me. For starters, I was on limited funds (which were at the same time quite generous and I'm grateful to my parents for that...and God). I always had to keep worrying about how much I spent (even though I ended up spending a handsome amount on food and make up) but the nice thing is, I was able to bring back about £ with me. The MA put me through hell, especially the thesis and it didn't help that I had hardly a clear idea at the beginning and sometimes I feel that my advisor should've helped me a bit more to develop my argument when I started. I remember being so freaked out about double-triple checking my references to ensure I had cited everything properly and that was the thing I was most freaked out about. I hated not knowing enough literary theory to engage with in my 1st semester. I remember that I had to read books on Irish postcolonial theory during the winter break and understand it, all on my own...which wasn't an easy task. I still regret...I still feel that I should've put in more effort to do better in the MA...missed the merit for 3 points, basically, and our school wouldn't curve for everyone :(. And then, I don't miss some of the people I did classes with. Sure, I used to hang out with them but one thing that actually hurt me was, when I came back, they didn't answer my messages, even when I was asking them something important. Tbh, I think it's really rude not to get back to someone. You can say you're busy but hey, make time, especially when someone has an important question for you. And this proves that even graduate school cannot teach you good manners.
There are a lot of things, however, that my year in Manchester did teach me. I learnt how to take care of myself and deal with certain problems on my own. I learnt how to cook and take joy in it. I learnt how to use public transport (something I avoid in Bangladesh). Now that I think of it, there are some things I miss about Manchester. I miss the big, clean dorm kitchen. I miss the streets and the Spar beside my dorm. I miss having access to countless academic resources. I miss being able to just go and talk a walk every time my room felt stifling. I miss the high-speed internet. I miss the regular exercise I used to get. I miss the food. I miss the classes and the intellectual discussions, the environment of learning (though I've had to concede that I'm just not that smart).
I miss. And then I don't miss.

I have been away from LJ for so long that it's not funny. I thought I'd been done with my blogging life (for the time being, at least; I've kept this LJ since 2004) because I simply had no motivation to sit down and make an update. But tonight, out of the blue, I suddenly felt a strange urge to open iJournal and write something. For starters, I'm really hungry. I got take-out food for my in-laws but we're waiting for my father-in-law to return. My husband has fallen asleep beside me (poor guy must be really tired). He injured his foot in a hit-and-run car accident earlier this month. It's been bandaged/plastered ever since. Thank God nothing serious happened and one blessing is that he took a week off first, and then he gets to come home a few hours early :).
My job is going great. The summer semester just began and I'm teaching the same courses that I was last time. In one of my sections, all students, save three or four, are repeating the course. You'd think they'd know some of the answers by now, but no.
Haven't read much fiction as of late but grabbed a copy of Frankenstein last week from Ahmed, who got it from the college library. Only managed to read a few pages so far. But at the moment, I'm actually reading more literary criticism than fiction because I really wanna become a better researcher/academic writer. Just recently, I got an epub version of David Mitchell: Critical Essays as a belated wedding gift from an acquaintance in London (of course I asked for it first and offered to reimburse him but he said that I should just treat him when he comes to visit next month). And then I started reading this book called Neo-Victorianism: The Victorians in the Twenty-First Century, 1999–2009. Has anyone read John Harwood or Diane Setterfield? I'd been looking for essays written on their novels and while this book has discussed the items in questions (first critical writing I found) but I wasn't that satisfied. Wish the sections on these novels had been a bit longer, though I did manage to get some stuff that I didn't before.
I think my father-in-law is here.
I also think (hope) that from now on, God willing, I'll be more regular with updates. I miss LJ, even meaningless entries lol.

LONDON: A snake attacked an Israeli model during a sexy photoshoot by biting into her surgically enhanced breast and later died from silicone poisoning.

Orit Fox, a B-list model and actress initially looked comfortable during the shoot in Tel Aviv, wrapping the massive boa constrictor around her legs, waist and neck while doing her best to look sexy, reports the Daily Mail.

In a figure hugging red and white striped dress, which revealed maximum cleavage, she gamely tried to take their bonding to the next level by licking the snake's face. As she manoeuvered the animal into position for the 'kiss' Fox loosened her grip on its neck, and after being licked the reptile reacted angrily.

It aimed straight for Fox's prized assets and sunk its teeth deep into her left breast. An assistant rushed in to help her pull the snake off and after a few seconds of struggle the creature released its grip. The peroxide-blonde model was rushed to a nearby hospital and given a tetanus shot. However, the snake wasn't so lucky and died from silicone poisoning.

I really, really, really need to be more regular with updating this journal, and not because it's a chore but because I do want to keep records of my life. I got back from my honeymoon a few weeks ago. Had a lot of fun and it was a very relaxing stay at a 5-star hotel in Cox's Bazar, where you find the longest beach in the world. I'd been there twice earlier but my husband thought that some places were so romantic that he'd want to take his partner there. We would've gone to St Martin, too, a beautiful island near Cox's Bazar but we didn't have the time. I haven't uploaded the pics on facebook yet but for those of you who are on my FB list, you can see my wedding pics, which are up :).
And then I had a breast cancer/tumor scare, having found multiple lumps. Fortunately the doctors said the growths were benign and they happen for hormonal reasons.
There's something that's been disturbing me a lot as of late - the "natural disasters" taking place in some countries. What happened in Japan was really sad and it didn't help matters for me that my husband had made me watch 2012 just before the disaster took place. It made me recall, all of a sudden, something that Hamza Yusuf said - there's no such thing as natural disasters, it's all the punishment of God. My own country is a risk zone when it comes to such disasters. We often have floods, though in my knowledge, cities are not that much affected. We've known for a few years now that Bangladesh is in the earthquake risk zone and a bad one might happen, but naturally, no one knows when. The present government is doing certain things that many of us can't agree with, taking many moves that go against our religion and ethics. One recent thing they've done is making fatwas illegal. For those who don't know what a fatwa is, it's a ruling passed in Islamic law. And contrary to what a lot of people may think, a fatwa isn't (just) a death sentence - it's about whether something is lawful or not in Shariah. They can be matters like, is it ok to consume gelatine? Then the government wants to remove (maybe they've already done it) the name of God at the beginning of our constitution, saying that they do not want our nation to have an religious bias. While we're a nation with a Muslim majority, there is absolutely no reason in Islam or our constitution that religious minorites should be abused. It's something that Islam forbids as the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) said that should any of us torment religious minorities, he would ask God to pass judgement on their behalf against us on the Last Day.
Recently, our government has been spending unimaginable amounts of money to bring Indian stars to perform in Bangladesh. Honestly, I was shocked when I heard about the figure they were willing to spend for some Indian stars to sing and dance in a ceremony on our independence day. I'm sure many Bangladeshis' first question was, Do we have that kind of money? So many of our freedom fighters are dying and starving because of the lack of funds and we're bringing in Indian celebrities with ten crore taka!
We need to raise our voice against these absurd and unjust happenings and pray for God's mercy, forgiveness and guidance, for protection from His wrath. God help us and have mercy on us.

Tired. I'm spending a lot of time in my husband's company (whenever possible, actually, since he works long hours in a bank). For Valentine's Day, we went out to dinner at a restuarant near my dad's place and we ate on the rooftop, which was quite romantic. He presented me with a sapphire ring on white gold. It was something I was supposed to get on my wedding day, actually, but the jewellers couldn't deliver it on time. And then they butchered the design, making it look like a man's ring but never mind.
I got my MA certificate about 10 days ago, which made me happy. But it reminded me of all the hardship and effort spent behind it, and of him.
Seriously, I need to get more regular with this LJ.

Just a quick update to say that I got married on Friday :). Conjugal life isn't bad. It isn't bad at all ;).

My fiancé had an accident last week, where a car crashed into his rickshaw, toppling it over on his way to work. He landed about 10 yards away and hurt himself quite a bit, scraped some skin, etc. He had to take the rest of the week off since he couldn't move his neck because his shoulders were really stiff. He's just about recovered now, having gone back to work yesterday.
The big day is approaching fast. I'm questioning myself about a lot of things (as is he), and I'm going through a myriad of emotions that I guess I don't really wanna discuss. What I need the most are your prayers and best wishes on this huge step in my life.