Summer 2016

Hafsa Mamun

I was definitely expecting a better summer this year. It wasn't completely terrible but it could have been better. I wasn't able to go out much right after school ended because the month of Ramadan was taking place until July 16th. Since, I was hungry most of the day, I had no energy to go outside or do anything. However, I had to go to work during the weekends. I had been offered a job at Dunkin Donuts right before school had ended. I would work from 7 am- 4 pm  every weekend. It was not easy the first few days. I was really nervous to approach customers and was pressured to do things in a timely manner. But, I got the hang of it a few weeks later. It was a great experience because I got to do something out of my comfort zone. The worst part of it was dealing with complicated customers. The few people that wanted everything perfect. No matter how hard you try, it was very hard to please those few customers. However, this position allowed me to grow more patient. If a customer was not satisfied with their order, I would try my best to make it the way they wanted. It just taught me to be more flexible and it gave me a chance to view different personalities. Anyways, after a long day at work, I would come home tired and drained with a empty stomach. These were the days I would really look forward to breaking my fast and eating all the good food my mom had made. Ramadan was a very special month for me because it had just created peace within my family and in my heart. But, I was also very exciting as Eid started approaching closer and closer. It had finally arrived and on this day all my family and friends got together for a huge feast. Everyone had good clothes on and were dressed very nicely. All the kids and teens were very cheerful every time they would receive money as a gift and blessing from someone. My siblings and cousins used their money to go and buy all the candy and sweets they wanted. It was a very lively environment. It was most exciting because my cousins wedding day was coming closer. So all of my family was preparing for the big day. We were busy in buying gifts, making invitations, creating the itinerary, and so on.

Traditional weddings in Indian culture lasts for three days. The festivities and celebrations had began on August 4. On this day the bride applied mehndi (henna) and all the women got together to dance and sing.

My beautiful Cousin, Saleha

The second day was the Nikkah (wedding) day.

The Bride and Groom

The final day was on August 6. This was the reception day. It was also the most exciting because it was the big day. It was the most enjoyable day and it took place in Long Island.

The wedding was probably the highest peak of my summer. It was so much fun and I really wish I can go back.


After the wedding I started working three days a week and started shadowing a dentist twice a week since that's the field I want to go to. Shadowing was a unique experience because I got to view every thing first-hand. I was like a assistant to my dentists. He would make me familiar with all the instruments that he was using and I would see him clean peoples teeth. This has just raised my interest in this career.

Finally, during labor day weekend my family took a trip to Buffalo. I went to the Niagara Falls and did some shopping at the mall. It was just a final mini vacation we took before school started. It was bittersweet because we didn't like the idea of summer ending but we also enjoyed the long road trip.

My summer was not as boring as I thought it would be but, I was hoping for more trips and fun. The wedding and the trip to Buffalo was probably my favorite part and I really wish I had a time-machine so I could repeat everything all over again.

I will really miss all this as soon as school starts and as the stress to applying to colleges begin. Therefore, I am grateful for my summer.