Brandon Stanton's Blog, page 127

“Every time I see a machine, I want to open it up and know how...

“Every time I see a machine, I want to open it up and know how it works. I’ve wanted to be an engineer since childhood. I was planning to study mechanical engineering at a specific university, and I was quite confident that I’d get accepted into the school. But my application was rejected. It was devastating. I was at a friend’s house when I found out. Both of us applied, so we checked our results at the same time, but only she was accepted. I went straight home and cried. I didn’t talk to my friends for months. I know that worse things happen to people, but it was a big deal for me. I felt like I’d lost my chance to be somebody. That was three years ago. Now I’m about to graduate from a different school. It took some time, but I ended up making the best of the situation. I’m getting a degree in computer science. It might not be mechanical engineering, but it’s engineering. Every machine needs a computer. So I’m proud of how things turned out. I didn’t get my exact dream, but I made the best of my remaining options.”

(Dhaka, Bangladesh)

“Invention is my hobby. I want to invent all kinds of...

“Invention is my hobby. I want to invent all kinds of inventions. Many things I have invented already. This is my first invention, which is quite small. It is a generator. One motor can generate electricity from the other motor. I will make a bigger one when I get some money. There are so many wonderful inventors. There is a scientist named Dr. Hanson who has made a wonderful robot that can talk. She can’t say her favorite color, but she is still a beautiful robot. Dr. Hanson is a great scientist and wonderful man. I will be a great scientist too. One day I will go to Australia and make a flying car that doesn’t make pollution. I already have the idea in my brain.”

(Dhaka, Bangladesh)

“I started this business two years ago when I was twelve. An...

“I started this business two years ago when I was twelve. An older friend told me that we could make good money selling fruit. We buy the fruit from villages and bring it to the city where it gets a much higher price. My friend is six years older than me, but he couldn’t keep up, so I set off on my own. I work every day. I’ve already made enough money to buy some land. I’m going to build a house and use the rest for farming. My parents tell me that I should be in school. I respect their views, but I also make more money than them. So it’s hard to listen. Plus I’m learning a lot about business. Even though I’m skipping school, I don’t think I’m skipping education.”

(Dhaka, Bangladesh)

“I always sat in the first row. I always had the highest rank...

“I always sat in the first row. I always had the highest rank in class. I wanted to be a teacher, just like my teachers. But when it was time to enroll in grade seven, my mother told me we couldn’t afford it. I cried and begged but she just stayed silent. My teachers were so sad that they offered to pay half of the tuition. But it wasn’t enough because we’d still have to pay for the books and exams. So my mother made me understand that school was not in my luck. I’m still seventeen, but now I’m married and I work as a maid for a family. I wash their clothes, wash their dishes, clean their bathroom. Their house is near a school. So every morning I have to watch the children walk by in their uniforms.”

(Dhaka, Bangladesh)

“My husband passed away when my children were very small. I...

“My husband passed away when my children were very small. I taught myself handicrafts to survive, but it barely earned enough for us to eat. When my oldest son turned eighteen, I found him a wife. I was hoping that she’d help with the household. But she abandoned us after my granddaughter was born. I came home from work one day and found the child alone. I could only get her to stop crying by soaking an apple in goat’s milk. I’ve been raising her ever since that day. She calls me ‘mummy.’ With a lot of hardships I have made her grow. She survives on apples and milk. But I’m old. And when I’m gone, I don’t know who will take care of her.”

(Udaipur, India)

Today in microfashion…(Calcutta, India)

Today in microfashion…

(Calcutta, India)

“I want to be a police. I’ll find the robbers because they...

“I want to be a police. I’ll find the robbers because they have handkerchiefs on their faces. I’ll tell them that it’s bad to steal. And to never steal again. Then I’ll hit them with a stick and their mom and dad will yell at them. And if they don’t listen, I’ll hit them with a stick again.”

(Udaipur, India)

“I’m known for my honesty. My grandfather taught me that it’s...

“I’m known for my honesty. My grandfather taught me that it’s better to carry rocks on your head than to make a dishonest living. I’ve never taken a bribe. I’ve worked in the judicial court for decades and have been offered all sorts of money and gifts. A hospital once offered me an entire floor of their building, if only I’d settle a dispute in their favor. I told them to take it up with someone else.”

(Udaipur, India)

“After we met, I got tired of waiting for him to call. So I...

“After we met, I got tired of waiting for him to call. So I dialed his number, let it ring once, and hung up. When he called back I told him it was an accident. Then we spoke for an hour. Now we’re on our honeymoon.”

(Udaipur, India)

“We’re from different castes so we have to meet in secret. My...

“We’re from different castes so we have to meet in secret. My parents would never approve. When my older sister married someone outside of the caste, everyone stopped talking to her. So we have to be careful. My parents actually know about him. He sent me a bunch of heart emojis once and my Mom picked up the phone. I tried to say we were just friends but she saw the words ‘Darling’ and ‘Sweetheart.’ She slapped me when she saw it. She thinks that we don’t talk anymore. When I’m financially independent, I’ll finally tell her the truth. But it’s going to be bad.”

-Calcutta, India