The Man in the Lamp Life is difficult sometimes. I never would get the things I wanted.

I would always have to work to get the things I liked. I always had to do things that would make my parents happy. That is probably the biggest goal in life. But it would be tough to complete these big tasks. I always had big dreams and lots of wishes. They never came true. Until one day. I would usually like to play on the streets with my friends. My father is a tailor. My mother was like a normal house wife. Where I live females didnt do much and they werent allowed. Sometimes they arent allowed to go outside in the daylight. I lived a pretty good life, my mom was nice and my dad made a good amount of money. One sad day, my father passed away. The cause of his death is still a mystery. My mom wanted me to become a tailor. She wanted me to grow up and change. But I stayed doing what I do every day. One day this mysterious man came up to me while I was playing. He said he was my long lost uncle. Hello. the mysterious man said. Hi? Who are you? I asked. He laughed, You dont remember me? No. I stated. I remember when you were just a little boy always stayed with your dad, he said. How do you know my dad? I dont know who you are? I questioned. How are you going to remember me? You were so young when I first saw you. he said. Can you please tell me who you are? I demanded. I am your uncle. I heard about your father, so I decided to visit you and your mother. he said.

Oh. Im sorry for asking you so many questions. I said. Its alright. Young boys should be inquirers. he said. Can you take me to your mother? he asked. I nodded my head. I walked him to my house. He and mother talked for many hours. I was in my bedroom, just listening to their conversation. I zoned out for a while My uncle was very kind. He bought me new clothes and took me sight-seeing. He then dropped me off at my house. My mother was happy to see me fine. Later that night I had a chat with my mom. Mom I didnt know I had an uncle? I asked. Yes, your father had a brother, but I thought he passed away a long time ago. my mom stated. He is very nice. I said. How? my mom asked. She seemed very surprised. Well, he bought me new clothes, and took me around the city. I said. That is very strange. I heard stories from your father, and the way you are describing him is not the same description your dad described him. my mom stated. What did dad say about him? I asked. I was really interested in my dads point of view on his own brother. If I tell you, you better promise not to tell anyone. she said. Alright. I wont tell anyone. I said. Now I am wondering what is so secretive about my uncle. Your dad told me that your uncle is a very tricky man. He also said that your uncle is a magician from Africa. my mom said. I stood there dumfounded. I was shocked. I didnt know that he was a magician. My mom told me to be careful when I am around him.

The next day my uncle took me to a garden. It was way outside of the city. I started getting scared. He took me to a valley between two mountains. Do you want to see something very spectacular? He asked. Yes, that would be nice. I asked wondering what he was going to do. First gather some sticks so we can make a fire. he said. So I went and gathered some sticks nearby. When he made the fire, he threw some powder and said some random words. A spark came and a rock came from the ground. I started to run away but he punched me so hard I got knocked out. Now listen to what I have to say. he said in rage. I want you to wear this ring and say the names of your father and your grandfather. he demanded. So I did what he told me to do. After saying the names of my dad and grandpa the rock split and then appeared some steps going down. Now I want you to walk down those stairs and dont touch anything because once you do you will die instantly. he said. You will find some trees with fruits, but I want you to retrieve for me a golden lamp. Once you get it bring it to me. he demanded. Once I went down the steps I saw a big garden with fruit trees. He was right. So I kept walking and I saw the lamp he was talking about. It was beautiful. As I was walking up the stairs my uncle was getting very anxious. Give me the lamp now! he yelled. But I was not stupid I was going to give it to him once I am fully out of the cave. But then he said some magic words and the stone covered my exit. Now I am stuck in here. I was trapped in here for two days. When I tried to clasp my hands to pray, I rubbed on the ring I still got. Doing that this ugly man came out from the ring. I am slave of the ring, and I will obey anything you say. they weird man said.

Get me out of here! I demanded. Next thing you know the earth opened and I can see the sky. I had to walk all the way home. Once I arrived my mom was very mad. Where have you been? she demanded. I was playing outside. Do you have anything to eat? I am starving. I said. No I have no food, and I have no money. I am going to sell this cotton I spun and see how much I can get. she said. Why do you have to sell that? I found this nice lamp. Ill see how much it is worth. I said. I noticed that the lamp was dirty so I decided to clean it. When I rubbed it another ugly man came out of the lamp. My mom fainted, but I knew what do to. Fetch me something to eat. I demanded. Once I said that, the man brought a lot of silver platters filled with food. Where did this all come from? my mom questioned. Dont ask, just eat. I said. From the morning until the evening we stayed at the table and ate. My mom wanted me to sell the lamp but I just couldnt. We lived well for many months. But one day I was walking around town and saw the most beautiful girl in the world walking around the marketplace. I fell in love immediately. I had to know who she was but she left. Hey. Who was that lady walking around over there? I asked a shop owner. Well thats the Sultans daughter. he said. Wow. I just saw the princess! Now I have to have her. I went home to my mom that day, and told her my crazy day. I told her that I have to marry the princess. She laughed. She said there was no way that I can marry the princess when there are more guys waiting in line to marry her too. That made me disappointed. Then I saw the lamp on the table. I knew I had to impress the Sultan and the princess somehow. I summoned

the man from the lamp. I am the slave of the lamp, I will grant whatever you desire. the man said. Build me a palace made of marble and other precious stones. In the middle I want a hall with a big dome and the walls are made of gold and silver. Make sure there is a stable with horses and servants. I demanded. The Palace was done the next day, completed with the requirements I asked for. I told the man from the lamp to lay a velvet carpet from my palace to the Sultans. The Sultan and princess came out right away. They wondered where this carpet led to. I invited the sultan to my new home. He said that my palace was another wonder of the world. I impressed many. I won the hearts of everyone. I finally won the heart of the princess and the Sultan. The princess and I stayed in my palace. After the Sultan passed away I became the new Sultan. I finally lived the life that I wanted. I made my mother happy and everyone was proud of me. Thats the only thing I wanted in life.

Female Ali Reshmin Chowdhury was a fighter. She was also a very hard worker. Her daily schedule would be wake up early in the morning, get dressed, and go to work. She works as a principle at a University. She would come home from work like at 5pm in the evening. Then she would help her two daughters in their study. After her daughters went to sleep, she would cook for them and she would do some cleaning. By the time she went to sleep it would already be passed midnight. Then she would have to wake up early in the morning and do her daily routine again. She would do this from Monday to Friday. During the week she would barely have time to eat and sleep. Her brothers and sisters would tell her to take some days off and eat normally and get some rest. But she would always say that she was fine. My mom would tell her, Sister you need to relax, this much work will affect you later on. But my aunt did what she always does. In 2008 my aunt was feeling really sick, her husband, who is a doctor but works and lives in another city, took her to the local hospital. They said that she wasnt feeling right and they needed to do many tests. She had to go to many hospitals, get checked by many doctors, and had to do all these tests. At the end the doctor said that she has colon cancer. Everyone was shocked by the news. They did not know what to do. The doctor said she should start her cancer treatment, but they do not feel good about doing treatment in Bangladesh as the physicians in Bangladesh are not experienced in cancer treatment. I could never have imagined my aunt getting cancer. She is such a great person. Before getting diagnosed my aunt had a wonderful life. My mom would say that she was very smart and bright. But not only was she smart she was also very friendly. She loved to talk to people. She makes everyone in the room feel good. I always saw my aunt smiling, I never seen her mad or sad. Not only was she friendly she was caring too. She loved to help other people. Especially the

poor people in Bangladesh. She would always help the people in her city and in the villages. My mom said she had so many plans she wanted to do. I heard that she wanted to build a school for the kids who couldnt afford it. She is such a great person. This is why I was shocked when I heard the news. How could she do all these nice things and then be diagnosed with cancer. Now they had to take my aunt somewhere to be treated. They didnt want to do it in Bangladesh, so they went to India. Her older sister and her husband took my aunt and went to India for her treatment. They went to the hospital in Mumbai, India. The hospital checked her again and did a surgery on her. They removed part of the intestine that was a tumor. After the surgery the Doctors in the hospital told her that she need to recover from surgery before they can start the chemo therapy. She couldnt stay in India anymore because her brother in law visa is going to expire. So they talked to the Doctors and told them that will buy the chemo medicine and go back to Bangladesh and start taking chemo therapy over there. That was the biggest mistake the family did. In Bangladesh when she started the chemo the Doctors could not give her chemo properly, they made her condition much worse. She could not eat at all and she started to lose more weight. So my mom decided to go to Bangladesh and take her sister to Bangkok, Thailand for treatment. They have some very good cancer treatments Hospital in Bangkok. My mom stayed with here for about 6 months and my aunt started to feel better in Bangkok. My aunt would always worry about her two daughters. She would always tell my mom that when she goes back to Bangladesh she would teach her eldest daughter how to take the big government test in Bangladesh. She felt way better when she was in Thailand. After her treatments were done in Bangkok the doctors said she is good enough to go back. She was good enough to live in Bangladesh and do therapy there. So they decided to go back to Bangladesh. My mom said they had so much fun in Bangkok. They got to travel there and they got

accustomed to the life style. My aunt seemed to like it there. They liked the neighbors around their apartment. They even meet some Bangladeshis over there. That made them feel like as if they were still in Bangladesh. My mom said they would go shopping every day to buy their brothers, or their mom gifts. My mom told us that my aunt couldnt wait to give her daughters the new dresses she bought them. She said she wanted to see the look on their face. My aunts daughters mean a lot to her. While my mom was over there, my grandma was here with us taking care of us. My grandma now cant wait to go back and see her daughter. My mom came back to USA on June 30, 2011. When my mom came home, my grandma was asking a lot of questions about her daughter. My mom said she was doing better than ever. Her health was great and she can now do treatment in Bangladesh. The trip for my grandma to go back was July 10th, 2011. A day before my grandmas flight to Bangladesh my dad got a call from my uncle who is the younger brother of my mom. He called my dad and told him that my aunt condition got worse a night before and she passed away. My Dad and my uncle decided not to tell my Mom and my grandma about my aunt passing away. They thought that since my grandma is going all alone they do not want to give her the bad news. At the airport my mom wanted to go with my grandma to Bangladesh also, because she wasnt feeling good. At the time they didnt know about the news of my aunt passing away. So my dad sent both of them back home. I did not know about the news either. I was really excited that my mom and grandma were going back because that means I can do whatever I want. When my dad, sister, and I were waving them good-bye I was in a great mood. Then at the airport my dad told me about the sad news. This was the first time someone close to me has passed away. When my dad told me I felt very bad. I felt so bad I just stayed quiet for the rest of the day. My mom and grandma found out when they

landed, because they had to take another airplane to Coxsbazar, Bangladesh. Over there that is where the burial took place. I felt bad for my grandma because she didnt get to see her daughter before she passed. She was really excited to meet her too. My aunt never got a chance to live her life completely. But she was a hero to her community. When she died everyone in the college felt bad. She only had cancer for two years and passed away when the average life expectancy is five years. My aunt had big dreams and she never got to accomplished them. She was a fighter through all of this. She really is an inspiration to the family and to the people in her community. My aunt really never got to see her daughters before her life ended. She didnt even give them their gifts from Bangkok. She wanted to see if they loved the dresses or not. But I guess she will have to see them from heaven. My aunt really had to struggle throughout her life. But she knocked them down and went on to the next round. But due to unfortunate events she got knocked out before the final round. The news of her death got to a local newspaper in Coxs Bazar. Even in the photo of the article, my aunt was still smiling. She proves that when bad things happen you can forget about it, wait and smile for tomorrow. Even though she passed away, we will try not to let it affect us, but just carry on and be happy for all of her achievements. My aunt reminds me of Muhammad Ali so much. Not because, she can fight and last through many rounds, but she has the same mindset as him. Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. (Muhammad Ali) My aunt always would spare time for others, even if it cost more than needed. She thought that not helping others was selfish. Just like Ali she believed in helping others, not by doing charities, but by being there for them, so if they fall you can help them back up. She did things that no one will forget and she will never be forgotten.

They See Me Rollin Looking back at my childhood, I have grown so much since then. During a few years I have meet many people in my life. Some of these people influenced me in many ways. They influenced me in a good way, and I got influenced in a bad way too. But all the same I respect each person who has. They mean a lot to me and without them I wouldnt be who I am today. Some would say that it was a good thing and some might argue that it wasnt. But it is too late, I am who I am and I wont change. Unless I have been influenced again. But looking back at my life, I want to say that my cousin, Seeum Talukder, was the biggest influence. So big it changed my life. In fourth grade I would consider myself as the smartest kid in my class. Whenever we had homework all my friends and classmates would ask me for help. I thought I was the coolest kid in my class. But in reality I was almost at the bottom of the food chain. I was known in my fourth grade class, but no one even knows my name outside of my class. There were five fourth grade classes and I was only recognized in one of them. All my friends were good at something for example my friend Chad was known as the athletic one, who can conquer in any sport. My friend Mark was the funny one and my friend Brandon was the short kid that can break dance. Everyone had a nickname and I was just there. I was just the guy they would just hang around with them at school. I was the weakest member in the gang. If you can compare my group, to others I would be the Martian Man Hunter of my group. While the others would be Superman, or Batman, and maybe even Flash.

One day I went to a party, and I met this guy. His name was Seeum. After meeting him, my life wasnt the same. I remember the exact conversation we had. Looking back I kind of acted like a geek back then. Whats up, young blood. he said. Hello. What did you call me? I asked puzzled. Oh I thought you knew what that meant. Sorry, about that. How old are you? he asked while laughing. I am nine years old. And how old are you? I asked. I am 13 years old. he said. Wow youre super old! I said amazed. Um thanks? he said. I guess he was confused on how amazed I was. I like your shoes. I said. He had some nice Jordans, but I didnt know what they were called back then. Thanks and I like yourumsandals? he said. Are those your grandpas or something! he said while laughing. No. Actually my mom bought them for me. She said they will make me look older. I said defensively.

Well they make you look like you just came back from the retirement home cuz. They also make you look like you just got off the plane from Afghanistan or something! he said laughing. I didnt know what that meant but I laughed too. He was a great guy and a cool guy to listen too. He told me information I never knew about. (But I cant tell you about them because I might get into trouble). Even though he was four years older than me I liked hanging out with him. Then he introduced me to something I never even heard about. It was called hip-hop. I remember the first song he played for me it was Ridin by Chammilionaire. After I heard the song I found a new meaning to life. I came to school with my iPod and let all my friends listen to that song. I would always act like I was a rapper, I would walk with a limp, I would always say yo before I stared talking and I would always recite a few lines from my favorite songs. Thats when I would wear a lot of urban clothing brands. So my friends called me, Juke Box because I would always recite lyrics and rap a few songs for them. From that point on that name stuck on me. I was getting high fives from people out of now where. I started wearing Nikes and Jordans in fourth grade too. So forth grade was really my year. I would like to thank Seeum because without him I dont know where I would be. Being introduced to rap really did change my life in many ways. Without it I wouldnt have a passion or something Im proud about. Then in eighth grade I came to Stockton Collegiate International School. I was very mad because it took me a while to become known At Great Valley and when I finally was cool with a lot of people, my parents just moved me to another school. So I was basically back at square one. I meet Sam Sirota on the first day here at SCIS. He was cool to talk to but we had nothing alike. Then I meet this guy named Richley Gatewood. He was easy to talk to and we became cool ever since. What made it cooler was that he lived right down the street from me. We were also in

common because we both lived in Weston Ranch and we had a lot of mutual friends. (Proven by Face Book.) Then after a week school began I met Bruce Yang. I was super cool with him back then. So all four of us decided to do rap battles, since we all loved listening to rap. We all liked to rap so why not see who was better. We would do this every lunch. We even had a tournament to see who the best was. It ended up being Richley and me in the finals. Somehow Richley won it. I was robbed a championship but it was ok. We did rap battles so much that we would draw a crowd. We even recorded them and put them on You Tube. We were known for writing raps, that when we would write them in class we would get them confiscated. In freshmen year of high school at SCIS we lost a bro. Sam didnt come to SCIS for freshmen year. But we still had our tournaments. And yet again Richley got the championship over me. After that we got a little serious about rap. We thought since we have so much good lyrics lets write a song and record it. And the perfect opportunity showed up. We had to do a project for English and we decided to write a song and record it. We went to Richleys older step brothers house. He was also a rapper who recorded many songs. After recording the song we felt proud. After the song was published on You Tube, we find out that a lot of people liked it. So we decided to make a mix tape. We dont know when it will come out but it will come out soon. Hip-hop has changed my life in many ways. I never had so much passion for something before. It made me proud when I would hear a new song from my favorite artists and made got me inspired to get a song published. I would say that hip-hop was my first true love. I would

always defend for hip-hop and prove that its not all bad. It gave people like me a life and something to stand by.