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It's too late to change the essay because I have already turned my application in, but still let me know what you guys think of it. Thanks in advance.

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Plan a day’s adventure with $10… When you think of the possibilities with only $10, there may not seem like many. However if I were to spend the adventure in my country of origin, Bangladesh, many possibilities arise. Spending a day in my homeland is an excellent opportunity for me to revive my heritage and engage in my culture. In Bangladesh, $10 is equivalent to about 602 Taka, which although isn’t very much, it is more than enough to have an enticing day.

I would start at my uncle’s apartment in the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka. There I will meet my cousin Joti, who is the same age as I. We will reminisce about the distant times we spent together during our childhood. He will ask about my life in America and even though I tell him it is not much different from his life here in Bangladesh, he still wishes to visit the U.S. At his house, his mother will serve us some Bengali cuisine. It will consist of cooked rice and some spicy lamb curry. Joti who is used to the spice and peppers used in the cooking would probably have no hard time eating the food; however I on the other hand would need lots of liquid to cool my tongue. That is no problem, because my auntie would mix some delicious mango lassie which is a wonderful mango flavored milk shake.

After our tasty lunch, Joti and I would head out into the bustling city. Crowded and full of traffic, the streets are not an easy place to drive, so taking our own car would not be wise. Instead, we would ride in a rickshaw, an open air carriage driven by a man on a bicycle. Our next destination would be the Shishu Park, a lush, green park located in the region of Suhrawardy Uddyan. Once we arrive there, I will pay the rickshaw driver 25 taka, well more than the cost of the fare. At the park, Joti and I will go walking through the forests so we can observe the local wildlife. We probably wont find the exquisite Royal Bengal tiger, but hopefully we will find more common animals such as the Chital (spotted deer), and maybe even langurs, and gibbons. Observing the wildlife would satisfy my immense curiosity for nature.

After traveling through the park, it would be time to go shopping for some souvenirs. Our next form of transportation would be a scooter, or baby taxi as Bengalis call them. It is a mini 3 wheel taxi with open sides. As the taxi travels through the busy streets of Dhaka I can feel the wind in my face. Even though I am a few thousand miles from my house back in the U.S., the trip on the baby taxi makes me feel a little closer to home. Eventually we will reach Motijheel, and the busiest commercial district in the country. There you can find shops and stores of almost any variety. I pay the taxi driver 50 Taka and Joti and I start browsing through the shops. There are all kinds of items available, ranging from typical things I would find back in America to items I would only find in Bangladesh, such as special foods and spices. Joti and I find an interesting sports shop and walk in. Inside we find all kinds of sporting goods, but one item sticks out to me, a cricket bat. Cricket isn’t very popular back in the U.S., but here in Bangladesh it’s a lifestyle. I decide to buy the bat as a souvenir to remember this wonderful experience, and I say goodbye to 300 Taka.

Our day is almost over and we decide to make one last trip. We head home back to Joti’s house and pack our bags. Our next trip will be quite a long one. After we’re ready, Joti and I get into his car and prepare for our journey to the rural village of Netrokona. It is there where I can visit my great aunt and reminisce with all my distant relatives. The journey is a harsh one, with winding and bumpy roads. When we reach my great aunt’s house in the village, we are greeted with warm hearts. Everyone is happy to see us, since it has been so long since we have met. Since the day has grown dark, we decide to spend the night at my aunt’s house. There I can get a taste of what it is like to live in the outskirts, with no electricity or running water. Our aunt serves us some dinner, tandoori chicken and naan bread, and it is delicious. After dinner, Joti and I walk by a nearby lake. The scenery is tranquil and Joti and I recount the wonderful time we had this day. It will live in our hearts forever. I give him the remaining 227 Taka as a gift for him to do as he pleases. He decides to keep it as a keepsake, to remember the delightful day we had.
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By Iceet (Iceet) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 04:46 pm: Edit

bizump

By Mcawman (Mcawman) on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 07:05 pm: Edit

Not bad but not a lot of detail.

By Madameinsanity (Madameinsanity) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 - 03:41 pm: Edit

Nice job, makes me glad i stuck with staying in the US... Rs. 490 would've given me issues...