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    • Categories
    • Midlife & the Art of Living
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  • About: Paula
    • Privacy Policy
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    • Contact
  • How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    How to be a Dhaka woman: a witty, affectionate guide to Dhaka life, from traffic, North End coffee and fuchka to Jamdani, theatre, weddings, online shopping, protests and the glorious contradictions of the women who make this city their own. [A small disclaimer before we begin: This is satire, not sociology. There is no single kind of Dhaka woman, and this piece is certainly not an attempt to stereotype the millions of women whose lives, circumstances, beliefs and choices make Dhaka what it is. A Dhaka woman may wear a saree, jeans, hijab or office ID card; she may spend…

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  • The Last Crab Before Australia
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

    July 25, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    Learn how to make Spicy Butter Garlic Crab with butter, garlic, ginger, chili, soy sauce, smoked paprika, and lemon. An easy crab recipe packed with flavour. The bowl arrived at the table looking exactly as a crab dish should. There was no elegant plating, no artistic arrangement, and certainly no attempt at sophistication. The shells were piled high, stained red with paprika and chili, glistening with butter, garlic, and sauce. It looked gloriously messy, the kind of food that demands both hands and leaves evidence of itself on every napkin within reach. I had spent the morning cleaning the baby…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    Traditional jewelry revival

    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

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  • Traditional jewelry revival
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

    May 10, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    From Mughal-inspired statement necklaces to nostalgic kacher churi, explore the traditional jewelry revival shaping modern style in Bangladesh and beyond. I have always loved beautiful jewelry. Not the kind that are with big chunks of asymmetric wood or metal or stones that shouts in colour and size, but the kind that is traditional, artisan—the intricacy of metal, the quiet dignity of silver, small semi and precious stones, the warmth of copper, the softness of pearls resting against skin. When I was younger, I leaned toward traditional designs, but never the overwhelming ones. I avoided anything too large, too bold, too…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    The Last Crab Before Australia

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

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    Midlife Skill Learning

    Midlife Skill Learning: Starting Anew at 50 and Finding Meaning Again

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  • Midlife Skill Learning
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Midlife Skill Learning: Starting Anew at 50 and Finding Meaning Again

    April 10, 2026 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

      Midlife skill learning can transform your 50s into a phase of renewal, purpose, and joy. Discover how learning a new skill adds meaning, resilience, and a fresh identity. Midlife Skill Learning: The Quiet Beginning of Something Else At the threshold of fifty, something subtle shifts. The house grows quieter, the routines loosen their grip, and the roles that once defined you begin to soften. It is not always sadness—though sometimes it arrives that way—it is more like an unfamiliar stillness. A question begins to hover: is this where life slows down, or where something else quietly begins? In this…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    The Last Crab Before Australia

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    Traditional jewelry revival

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  • Bullet Journaling
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Bullet Journal: A Perfectionists’ Guide to Navigate 1 and get absolute Burn Out

    October 17, 2021 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    Bullet Journal, from where is all started. When I was younger, my father would always call me impatient. Whenever we had plans I would bombard him with questions about the duration of the commute, the starting time, the hypothesised arrival time and a million variations of time related questions. Although growing up I would think of myself as impatient as well, with time I realised you can be overly punctual without being impatient. I was not overly eager to get on with my plans to the point of irritability; I just wanted to get things done at the time I…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    The Last Crab Before Australia

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

    July 25, 2026
    Traditional jewelry revival

    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

    May 10, 2026
  • c412e36e 0528 47fe bcca 67e5c959d750 Ghost kitchen or cloud kitchen
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Ghost kitchen or cloud kitchen

    September 1, 2021 - By Tasnia Naureen

    [ Ghost kitchen or cloud kitchen ] Years of living in Dhaka has given me an incredible amount of ups, as well as downs. However, the first time I got out of this country to visit another, there was one thing I found myself missing dearly. Even though other countries have much to offer in this particular area, I still craved the spices and flavours of Dhaka’s food. That might have been about five years ago and since then, Dhaka’s food culture has developed vastly. An increasing number of international cuisines are being introduced to our pallets, from Asian to…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    The Last Crab Before Australia

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

    July 25, 2026
    Traditional jewelry revival

    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

    May 10, 2026
  • LRM EXPORT 30263304237567 20181016 014625991 Rooftop Gardening : Nature and Nurture
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Rooftop Gardening : Nature and Nurture

    August 27, 2021 - By Tahmid Islam

    [ Rooftop Gardening : Nature and Nurture ] It seems as though the pandemic is a black cloud looming over our heads. A cloud that came and never went away. But people never really let that be the end of the world even though it quite literally felt like it. We were quick to adapt, improvise and overcome. It didn’t take long for us to pierce through the impenetrable dark cloud so we could rain some sunshine on ourselves for a change. Our true colors shone and we found our true selves amongst all the hobbies. The most Therapeutic hobby…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

    September 7, 2026
    The Last Crab Before Australia

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

    July 25, 2026
    Traditional jewelry revival

    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

    May 10, 2026
  • 8FF67896 BC81 4320 B330 CD94DFB34704 scaled e1628442523503 The pandemic : A hairy situation
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    The pandemic : A hairy situation

    August 12, 2021 - By Tahmid Islam

    The pandemic has brought out the best and most possibly the worst in all of us, but that does not have to be as bad as it sounds as we probably found a reason to laugh about our shortcomings or small mishaps out of sheer boredom. We have managed to stand taller and be braver than ever in the face of global panic where we were greeted by an unexpected circumstance. Even though we assumed it would wash over in the blink of an eye, it seems to be staying for what feels like an eternity. A couple of years…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

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  • Food Talk – A Community for Food Connoisseurs
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Food Talk – A Community for Food Connoisseurs

    August 4, 2021 - By Aziza Ahmed Paula

    “Where do we eat?” is a common question that leaves us puzzled when planning a day out with  family or friends. Dhaka offers a large number of options, ranging from Bengali cuisine to  Asian to Italian to American. Choosing the perfect place, in terms of quality of food, ambiance  of the restaurant and general service can be a confusing process. All of these questions can be  answered by going through reviews on the Facebook group Food Talk. Food Talk is a niche community of food enthusiasts. It was started by Taskin Rahman, who  recalls his eight year long journey from…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

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    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

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    Traditional jewelry revival

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  • Defining individual style
    Midlife & the Art of Living

    Defining individual style

    July 31, 2021 - By Tahmid Islam

    Defining individual style : Fashion is a major aspect of an  individual’s personality. One can use their outward appearance to express oneself, for example  darker shades for when they feel gloomy and lighter shades for when they feel cheerful.  Although, for some individuals, how they dress might not be a big deal, but for others it is an  art form. Whether they prioritize comfortable over gaudy, or modest over bold, one can be  fashionable while still staying true to their style. This is seen among university students in  Dhaka, where they have more freedom to dress how they want.  A…

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    How to Be a Dhaka Woman — a vibrant collage of Dhaka culture featuring a Dhaka woman, Shilpakala Academy, North End coffee, a local tea stall, colourful rickshaws, fuchka, chotpoti, cultural events and the city skyline.

    How to Be a Dhaka Woman: 1 Guide, 100 Contradictions and Plenty of Courage

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    The Last Crab Before Australia

    Cherished Last Spicy Crab Before Australia

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    Traditional Jewelry Revival: Statement Necklaces, Kacher Churi, and the Return of Ornament

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