For my 25th birthday, I requested a brand new laptop, complete with Windows Vista and a second monitor for dual screen work. It would be my tool before I embarked upon my new MCSE training (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) in London. Being of Bangladeshi origin many of my female relatives found it odd that I had chosen this course and not something like teaching, law, medicine or marriage!



My parents are what I would describe as 'village-people'. Although they have lived in the UK for over thirty-five years, they have always been so very unfamiliar with all things technological and treat modern technology as if it is a magical gift from God. So quite naturally, I did not expect them to understand what MCSE training is and what it entailed. They would ask me things like Is it a degree? Is it a vocational course? Will you need to use screwdrivers? How they managed to get me, the right laptop baffled me!

At the time I was 25, I was considered very old in Bangladeshi standards; according to some of the elders in this community, I should have been married or at least engaged. Of course, not everybody in this culture follow this tradition, but the few that do tend to be very vocal about their opinions on unmarried young women in their mid twenties. Most of my relatives find it unusual how I have not even thought of settling down and raising children. Instead, I decided to quit my job in the social sector and start afresh enrolling onto an MCSE training course.

For years, I had been interested in furthering my knowledge of computers, the internet and all things technological. I bought my first desktop computer in 2003, buying all the parts separately from EBay. I had no idea how to assemble it all and so I had asked a friend to do this for me, installing Windows XP and a few games for leisure. Next, I managed to buy a good broadband internet package, adding to the list a much-needed wireless router.

After a while, I became more knowledgeable on basic computer maintenance, using the internet, updating my computer, even defragmenting my hard drive and managing to resolve minor problems regarding internet connection. It was through learning how to network different computers together through Local Area Network (mainly for playing shoot out games against each other)that I became more interested in system engineers, who dealt with information system solutions, computer network infrastructure and network security.

I was not too keen on studying for another degree, although the idea seemed tempting. It was by accident that I stumbled across a few I.T training courses and the MCSE training had caught my eye. It was a short course and covered everything I needed to become qualified as a systems engineer. When explaining all of this to my parents, emphasizing that I was bored with my job and wanted to do something else, the first thing that came into their heads was how long would this course take me and when would I have time to think about settling down?

One can only imagine my frustration and anger at this point. However, I decided to be diplomatic by stating that a potential husbands would be more interested in a wife who is happy in her job and successful in her career. My parents would never dream of putting me through an arranged marriage, but they were concerned about me heading towards a life of spinsterhood.

Well eventually, they came around to the idea of me choosing an I.T training course over marriage. After I had completed the course, I got in touch with a friend who worked for a company as a web developer. He managed to land me a temporary contract in the same company, which eventually lead to a permanent position. It took me a year to get to this stage, with many people telling me that it was not worth the effort and trying their very best to introduce me to potential suitors.

Now I receive phone calls from those same relatives asking if I could resolve their computer problems or wanting advice on what computer to purchase. Naturally, I offer my services always with a price tag! As yet I have not heard any further comments about being unmarried, but I have often chuckled at hearing people telling me that I had made the right decision and that marriage is overrated - these are the very people who tried to play match maker!