Letter from Tazra Khan from Glasgow,UK to Maesha Marium in Rajshahi, BD.

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Sender: Tazra Khan

Senders Location: Glasgow, UK

Receiver: Maesha Marium

Receiver Location: Rajshahi, Bangladesh


Hello Maesha,

I hope you are doing well.
My name is Tazra, I am one of the mentors for this project. I have been assigned as your pen pal, so hope this letter-writing activity allows us to get to know each other a little more.

I wanted to focus this letter on the aspect of culture and language in Italy as this is an area of interest of mine. To allow you to understand why, I will tell you a little more about myself. My parents are Bangladeshi, after they married, they moved to Italy, where my siblings and I were born. I was raised in Italy for 14 years after which I moved to Glasgow. 

When I was 2 years old, my parents took me to Bangladesh, where I spent 3 years learning Bangla. It was the first language I learned, and although I never went to school in Bangladesh, I was able to pick up the language by talking to family and friends. ‘Til this day, it is the language I speak the most day to day. However, would I consider it my main language? Not really. After returning to Italy, I learned Italian. On my first day of school, I felt like an outsider as I had just returned from Bangladesh and all I knew was simple words and phrases (such as “hi” and “how are you”). Within 6 months I had picked up the language and all its intricacies. That is when I realized that I had a passion for learning languages and Italian culture. 
The culture in Italy is quite fascinating, from the art to the music and most importantly the food. I’m sure you have heard of Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Sandro Botticelli, they are some of the painters that have made Italy famous for its art. Mona Lisa, The Creation of Adam and The Birth of Venus are their most famous paintings, and they are known worldwide. 

Another aspect of Italian culture I would like to mention is music. Italy is the birthplace of opera music, which can be traced back to the start of 17th century. Andrea Bocelli is my favourite opera singer; he is a talented musician. His talent is exaggerated by the fact that he is visually impaired and cannot read the sheet music, therefore everything is done by ear. If you ever get the chance, I would like for you to listen to some of his songs (I would recommend Time To say Goodbye) and would love to hear about your favourite artists.

Not to mention food, my most FAVOURITE aspect of Italian culture. Although anyone you talk to will tell you their favourite dish is pizza, I have to say mine is lasagne! Lasagne is a dish prepared with sheets of pasta, minced beef in a tomato base, bechamel sauce and cheese- loads of cheese! What is your favourite dish and what do you like about it?

Italy is also known for its tourist spots; Venice, Pisa, Rome, Milan… the list goes on. I recently visited Rome and fell in love with the city! It was full of beautiful monuments and so much history. 

I heard you have a passion for culture too, would love to hear back from you and learn more about your experiences with different cultures.

Best wishes,
Tazra



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