Through the Eyes of the Traveling Child – Shahaar and Shama from Selim Family Raasta

Provide us with a little background on who you are, where you are originally from, name, age and what you are doing with your family, any siblings?

• Shahaar:  Hi I am Shahaar, I am 9 and ¾ years old, I am half English, quarter Indian, quarter Bangladeshi. I am travelling and living with my family – my parents and sister – in New Zealand for a year

• Shama:  Hi everyone, my name is Shama. I am 7 years and 4 months. I am originally from Bangladesh but have lived in England most of my life. I am in New Zealand, going to school and painting what I have done so far.
  

(Samiya: Children have lived in England all their lives, but we (parents) are from Bangladesh, Ashique is half Punjabi and I am part Assamese, hence Shahaar’s identifies himself as quarter Indian J)

Where do you call home?

• Shahaar:  I have got England, Bangladesh and New Zealand. I call them all home

• Shama:  Now New Zealand, before England

What do you like most about traveling?

• Shahaar:  The car journeys, and just the adventure itself, you go on lot of adventures.
  

• Shama:  What I like about travelling is the fact that we get to visit new places and learn new things

How long have you been traveling and where have you lived so far?

• Shahaar:  Longer than I can remember and lived in too many places!

• Shama:  Don’t ask me, I have no idea! I have lived in Sheffield and New Zealand.
  (Samiya: They have both travelled to 19 countries in 5 continents and have been travelling on and off since they were 8 weeks old. But actually have only lived in England long-term and now in New Zealand)

What have you learned from your travels thus far?

• Shahaar:  New things! In Croatia I learnt about all the fish that were right underneath us when we snorkeled. In Wat Pho, Thailand I saw the statue of Buddha and learned about Buddhism. In New Zealand, I learnt how to do the Hakka (St Helier’s version of it). There are so many more but I can’t fit them all in this page. In Bangladesh I learnt that fish swim out of the water and can smack you in the face.

• Shama:  As an example, I have learnt about turtles in the sea, and how they camouflage in the rocks, in Lake Bled, Slovenia there were catfish as big as an adult. In the Sunderbans I learnt that crocodiles don’t randomly attack people on the boats. In Venice, everything is expensive.

Tell us about how you are receiving your education?

• Shahaar:  On my travels, I do educational books and read a lot, when I stay in a country for a year I go to school.

• Shama:  Because we go sightseeing and learn all about that country, we learn that way. But when we stay longer in a country, we go to school.

How many languages can you speak and at what level? Was it difficult to learn? 

• Shahaar:  I can speak English fluently. I understand most Bangla (but don’t speak much of it) and I am learning Mandarin in school. I can speak hello in many languages. I also speak a couple of words in Thai.

• Shama:  I can say hello and how are you in 8 languages – Hello, Salaam Alaikum, Merhaba, Ni hao, Bonjour, Bonjourno, Hola, and Sawadika. I speak English fluently, Bangla a little bit. I can sing Happy Birthday in French.

Do you have many friends?  Tell us about them.  

• Shahaar:  I have many friends in different countries. Most of my good friends are from my school in England. One time on a campsite in France, there was a boy who spoke no English and I spoke no French and I played football with him and his friends. We communicated in sign language.

• Shama:  Too many friends! As an example – I have Alex who has been my best friend for many many years. And Eva who I have just become friends with in New Zealand. And then there are friends from Bangladesh – Amani and Ameena.

What is your favorite adventure?

• Shahaar:  In every country there was at least one adventure. For example, in North Italy, our car tire got slashed, strangers helped us out, and we had to call police. In the Sunderbans, I saw crocodiles, I had mud baths. In California, I went kayaking with seals.

• Shama:  When I went snorkeling in Croatia – saw turtles, fish of many sizes and colours, different kinds of seaweed and crabs in crystal clear water.  Also when I went rock-climbing on a beach in Auckland and a rock fell on my nose.

Do you have a favorite game you play when you travel?

• Shahaar:  No

• Shama:  I have got I spy, Guess my number, memory game, and drawing.

Is there anything you miss seeing, having, doing? 

• Shahaar:  Whenever I Ieave a country, there are lots of things I miss about that country.

• Shama:  I miss my stuffed toys.

What is the one thing you are happy you brought with you? 

• Shahaar:  Our magnets and my books.(Samiya – Our only souvenir is a magnet from every country we have travelled to and sometimes from every attraction we visit)

• Shama:  Two things – diary and pen and my teddies.

Where do you want to go next?

• Shahaar:  Brazil, Egypt, Canada and Norway.

• Shama:  China, Egypt and Antarctica., Iceland and Norway to see Northern Lights.

Do you have your own blog or write about your experiences? 

• Shahaar:  I have started a travel photography series on our family blog, where I show travel pictures that I took.

• Shama:  Yes I do! I have my very own art travel section on our family blog and I am going to do a PowerPoint (video) as well.

Thanks for following along!  Do you have a traveling child who would like to be part of our series?  Just let us know.