Mahbub Akhter: Bangladesh, Immigration, University
Title
Mahbub Akhter: Bangladesh, Immigration, University
Subject
Life History; Immigration;
Description
Mahbub talks about growing up in Bangladesh and coming to Cork to work and study.
Mahbub recalls life a child and talks briefly about a game he played called carom [Carrom]. He describes the family’s diet, consisting often of rice. He studied electrical engineering and chose to come to Cork in 1998.
He found Ireland quiet when he first arrived. He was invited out and observed the country’s pub culture. He is working while studying for a PhD. He likes Cork and talks about how he was welcomed by people.
Note; This interview was conducted as part of the Cork 2005 Project
Mahbub recalls life a child and talks briefly about a game he played called carom [Carrom]. He describes the family’s diet, consisting often of rice. He studied electrical engineering and chose to come to Cork in 1998.
He found Ireland quiet when he first arrived. He was invited out and observed the country’s pub culture. He is working while studying for a PhD. He likes Cork and talks about how he was welcomed by people.
Note; This interview was conducted as part of the Cork 2005 Project
Date
14 December 2004
Identifier
CFP_SR00355_akhter_2004
Coverage
Cork; Ireland; Bangladesh; 2000s;
Relation
Cork 2005 Collection Catalogue Numbers:
CFP_SR00329_mccarthy_2004;
CFP_SR00330_odriscoll_2004;
CFP_SR00331_claffey_2004;
CFP_SR00332_hanover_2004;
CFP_SR00333_desplanques_2004;
CFP_SR00334_bale_2004;
CFP_SR00335_sheridan_1996;
CFP_SR00336_steiner-scott_2004;
CFP_SR00337_rot_2004;
CFP_SR00338_stafford_2004;
CFP_SR00339_odonoghue_2004;
CFP_SR00340_hawkins_2004;
CFP_SR00341_ocarroll_2004;
CFP_SR00342_ikebuasi_2004;
CFP_SR00343_ogeallabhain_2004;
CFP_SR00344_geaney_2004;
CFP_SR00345_wulff_2004;
CFP_SR00346_abdoulbaneeva_2004;
CFP_SR00347_gunes_2004;
CFP_SR00348_fourie_2004;
CFP_SR00349_henderson_2004;
CFP_SR00350_valdman_2004;
CFP_SR00351_carmody_2004;
CFP_SR00352_osullivan_2004;
CFP_SR00353_mahknanov_2004;
CFP_SR00354_oflynn_2004;
CFP_SR00356_walker_2004;
CFP_SR00357_kelleher_2004;
CFP_SR00358_manresa_2004;
CFP_SR00359_wimpenny_2005;
CFP_SR00360_skotarczak_2005;
CFP_SR00361_vermeulen_2005;
CFP_SR00362_owen_2005;
CFP_SR00363_dsouza_2005;
CFP_SR00364_setter_2005;
CFP_SR00365_obrien_2005;
CFP_SR00366_botan_2005:
CFP_SR00329_mccarthy_2004;
CFP_SR00330_odriscoll_2004;
CFP_SR00331_claffey_2004;
CFP_SR00332_hanover_2004;
CFP_SR00333_desplanques_2004;
CFP_SR00334_bale_2004;
CFP_SR00335_sheridan_1996;
CFP_SR00336_steiner-scott_2004;
CFP_SR00337_rot_2004;
CFP_SR00338_stafford_2004;
CFP_SR00339_odonoghue_2004;
CFP_SR00340_hawkins_2004;
CFP_SR00341_ocarroll_2004;
CFP_SR00342_ikebuasi_2004;
CFP_SR00343_ogeallabhain_2004;
CFP_SR00344_geaney_2004;
CFP_SR00345_wulff_2004;
CFP_SR00346_abdoulbaneeva_2004;
CFP_SR00347_gunes_2004;
CFP_SR00348_fourie_2004;
CFP_SR00349_henderson_2004;
CFP_SR00350_valdman_2004;
CFP_SR00351_carmody_2004;
CFP_SR00352_osullivan_2004;
CFP_SR00353_mahknanov_2004;
CFP_SR00354_oflynn_2004;
CFP_SR00356_walker_2004;
CFP_SR00357_kelleher_2004;
CFP_SR00358_manresa_2004;
CFP_SR00359_wimpenny_2005;
CFP_SR00360_skotarczak_2005;
CFP_SR00361_vermeulen_2005;
CFP_SR00362_owen_2005;
CFP_SR00363_dsouza_2005;
CFP_SR00364_setter_2005;
CFP_SR00365_obrien_2005;
CFP_SR00366_botan_2005:
Published Material:
‘How’s it Goin’, Boy? radio series (six thirty-minute episodes, broadcast 2005 and available on the Cork Folklore Project website)
O'Carroll, Clíona for the Cork Northside Folklore Project (2006) How's it goin', boy? Dublin: Nonsuch Publishing.
Source
Cork Folklore Project Audio Archive
Language
English
Type
Sound
Format
1.wav File
Interviewee
Interviewer
Duration
34m 01s
Location
Cork City, Ireland
Original Format
MiniDisc
Bit Rate/Frequency
16bit / 44.1kHz
Transcription
The following is a short extract from the interview transcript, copyright of the Cork Folklore Project. If you wish to access further archival material please contact CFP, folklorearchive@gmail.com
N.O'S: That’s Ireland. So you came to Cork, and what was your first feelings about Cork when you?
M.A: I was flying for nearly fourteen, sixteen hours, I was very, very tired, so I slept for nearly twenty hours, ok then when I woke up – it was in the middle of early October – it was nice Autumn, so I went out of the house to look around (it looked very quiet) and not so many people, but friendly people, hi hello, I went for a walk, it was very enjoyable, I saw some hills, because Bangladesh is very, very flat, so I saw some hill, you know. I stayed for a few weeks near Lough, ok so I move around the Lough, I saw the swan, it was very, very enjoyable!
N.O'S: You noticed the people going for strolls around that area where you were - it’s a very popular area for people strolling, what we call strolling.
M.A: Yeah, ok.
N.O'S: Em how did you go about making contact with others when you came first?
M.A: Yeah, eh I after I first came here, after two days, then I had my first lecture, so I came to my institute (University) and then I met the new people there, yeah I introduced myself, my name and I came here to do a Phd so yeah I found that people were very friendly – many of them they asked me to go for drinks, although I don’t drink, I like to go with them, yeah I went out.
N.O'S: Could you tell me a little about that experience when that happened to you?
M.A: Yeah I remember one of the guys – his name was Keith probably – he asked me to go for a drink, and I said I don’t drink, but then he said it’s ok, you may not drink, but you’re always welcome. So yeah I went with them to the pub – I think it was Costigans probably, very close to work – yeah I saw that there were more people inside the pub than in the street, that it was a bit surprising, but at this moment I’m used to this.
N.O'S: What can you remember about the evening?
M.A: I remember one guy he got completely drunk - we had to carry him home. (Laughs).
N.O'S: That’s Ireland. So you came to Cork, and what was your first feelings about Cork when you?
M.A: I was flying for nearly fourteen, sixteen hours, I was very, very tired, so I slept for nearly twenty hours, ok then when I woke up – it was in the middle of early October – it was nice Autumn, so I went out of the house to look around (it looked very quiet) and not so many people, but friendly people, hi hello, I went for a walk, it was very enjoyable, I saw some hills, because Bangladesh is very, very flat, so I saw some hill, you know. I stayed for a few weeks near Lough, ok so I move around the Lough, I saw the swan, it was very, very enjoyable!
N.O'S: You noticed the people going for strolls around that area where you were - it’s a very popular area for people strolling, what we call strolling.
M.A: Yeah, ok.
N.O'S: Em how did you go about making contact with others when you came first?
M.A: Yeah, eh I after I first came here, after two days, then I had my first lecture, so I came to my institute (University) and then I met the new people there, yeah I introduced myself, my name and I came here to do a Phd so yeah I found that people were very friendly – many of them they asked me to go for drinks, although I don’t drink, I like to go with them, yeah I went out.
N.O'S: Could you tell me a little about that experience when that happened to you?
M.A: Yeah I remember one of the guys – his name was Keith probably – he asked me to go for a drink, and I said I don’t drink, but then he said it’s ok, you may not drink, but you’re always welcome. So yeah I went with them to the pub – I think it was Costigans probably, very close to work – yeah I saw that there were more people inside the pub than in the street, that it was a bit surprising, but at this moment I’m used to this.
N.O'S: What can you remember about the evening?
M.A: I remember one guy he got completely drunk - we had to carry him home. (Laughs).
Collection
Citation
Cork Folklore Project, “Mahbub Akhter: Bangladesh, Immigration, University,” accessed April 19, 2024, https://corkfolklore.org/archivecatalolgue/document/42.