u/Bumblebee_127

Wow, the World Cup ended a month ago. Pretty hard to believe but let's look back!

Been a New Yorker for a few years now but I grew up watching football as a kid. Ever since it was officially announced that the US would be one of the host countries, I decided that no matter what happens, I'll fulfill one of the biggest dreams of my life with my blood and sweat.

I initially planned to watch only the Brazil vs Morocco match, but then snagged tickets from the resell market anyway when it was suitable.

I watched five matches out of the eight that were hosted in New Jersey. Here's the cost breakdown:

Brazil vs Morocco Group Stage: $1,900 for Category 2

England vs Panama Group Stage: $1,110 for Category 1

Sweden vs France, Round of 32: $1,565 for Category 1

Brazil vs Norway, Round of 16, Hospitality Package: $3,250 (Mine was FIFA Pavilion Hospitality Package - it had unlimited food and drinks, a match day souvenir, and great Category 2 seat)

Spain vs Arg Final: $7,380 for Category 2 - It's crazy that the first World Cup that I watched on television was the 2010 one, where Spain won, and the 2026 WC is my WC that I watched in person, and this time too, Spain won! A full-circle moment for me! Also, witnessed BTS, Justin Bieber, and Shakira perform irl!

Also, I purchased a $20 round-trip ticket for my bus ride between New York City and New Jersey on each match day.

Now if we add up the amount, it looks scary but I've saved for this amount over the years - thru multiple part-time jobs before and during college, and from my job after I graduated. But like some wise Redditor said, "Money is renewable. Memories, not so much."

I also went to the $0 Temporary FIFA Museum in Midtown. Saw a replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy among other great things. I also went to the $0 Fan Fest in Queens and the $0 Rockefeller Center Fan Village.

If you ask me, I don't have any regrets. I made unforgettable memories, saw my favorite footballers irl, witnessed Neymar's last match in Brazil's jersey, my phone's storage is blowing up, met strangers that I'll never meet again, and most importantly, really needed this solo adventure.

Been trying to have some Mimi's FroYo for around a year now because of course I'm not going to wait on an insane line for that (at their SoHo location).

Surprisingly, I noticed today that they have a new location in Union Square that didn't have a line, so I was eager to shoot my shot.

Talked with staff and she offered me a sample of my choice. She said I could grab the cup (16oz size) and get as many flavors as I wanted to, add my choice of toppings, and that the price was gonna be by weight ($1.20 per ounce).

I got three flavors: Tart, Passion Fruit, and Coffee.

I also added three toppings: Granola, Mochi, and Raspberry Syrup.

My total was around $14, which is okay for me because it's not that I spend that much everyday.

I must say it tastes nothing like American yogurt (I mean, of course, they're Australian style) and I liked the taste. The Passion Fruit and Coffee were my favorite. I think their froyo menu rotates.

This location also had seats but they're always taken, and they had sinks to wash hands. Everything was clean and looked good to me.

Do you all remember that old Crown Cement ad, "This is my country's cement. We are very proud, sir" (https://youtu.be/358UIqpyebw?is=radrkKvKr9neYnN6)?

I was a teen back in Bangladesh when it first aired on television. I didn't really understand the significance of that ad then. Even showed it to my dad and made jokes on it.

Now, living in New York City, I bumped into this "Made-in-Bangladesh" T-shirt at one of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Official Merch Stores, and suddenly had a feeling I couldn't describe. I held it and stood there for a few seconds and remembered the ad. I wanted to shout, "It's my country's t-shirt!"

After coming home, I watched that ad and started crying. I don't know why I was crying but it reminded me how far our garments sector has gone. This is also kinda personal for me because my dad was involved as a higher-up in the garments industry back in my hometown of Narayanganj.

My paternal grandpa liked the word, "Noor" (light - 'alo' in Bengali) so it became parts of many people's name in my father's side family. A few years ago, I told my dad that some time in my future, I want set up a garments business with that name, I want to make it a brand that the whole world will know, because I was heavily inspired by Fakir Fashions (very renowned in Narayanganj).

My dad told me, "I don't have a son. Who will take care of the business?"

My dad has always given me independence. After that day and those words, I scraped that idea of mine. I scraped that dream of mine. I realized there's whole lotta a difference between giving independence and giving encouragement.

He never gave me encouragement.

I thought my dream of representing Bangladesh died that day with those words. But I was wrong. That dream was just dormant, especially after spotting this T-shirt.

Thank you for the amazing experience in Hudson Yards! Every diehard football fan would absolutely love this!

As a New Yorker, I feel lucky to live in the great city with so much happening! I did make a reel out of it, but it probably counts as self-promotion, so I didn't post it.

At the end, I picked the clear bag, because I really need it this Saturday for Brazil's match, and the keychain is my souvenir from this wonderful activation. Thank you again! 💗⚽💯

Bonus: There's an art activation of a football ⚽ near the Hisense activation, so including it here as well!l

The Queens Night Market Season is back! I wanted to drop my tops from 2025. It's just so hard to pick less, so please bear with me...

[1, 2, 3] Burmese Bites - Halal
Ohno Kauswe w Chicken and Egg: Burmese style ramen; very rich and uses coconut milk.

Keema Palata: Crispy fried bread pockets w chicken filling. Comes w a cucumber-based sauce.

Roti Canai w Chicken: Flatbread (cut into smaller pieces) w Chicken Curry

[4] Cambodia Now

Steamed Fish Amok w White Rice *(they use shrimp paste in this dish)*: 10/10 - the fish is creamy!

[5, 6] Playground City - Vegetarian - Indonesian -

Fried Corn Fritter: Crispy, crispy, crispy!

Vegan Tahu Isi: Fried tofu pockets w noodles and veggie filling *(comes with a peanut sauce; if you don't want the sauce, just tell them)*

[7] The Knish - Forgot which country

Vegetarian Knish: Potato-Garlicky Greens - light and lovely appetizer; w your choice of sauce

[8] Alexis Caribbean - Guyanese

Fried Basa (Fish): so damn good! I added the super spicy hot sauce - warning, if you can't handle heat, skip the hot sauce, I repeat!

[9, 10] Enfes NYC - Halal - Turkish

Vegetarian Gozleme: Flatbread w spinach and potato filling.

Chicken Shawarma: Chef's kiss! Finished in 3-4 bites.

[11] Trini Treats Queens - Trinidad & Tobago

Vegan Doubles: 2 pcs fried flatbreads topped with chickpeas, 2-3 different kinds of sauces and cucumber - an absolute delight for everyone!

[12] Hello Moon Man - Dessert

Cadet Combo: Sampler of three desserts ($15); 10/10 for all three

Vegan Coconut Pancake

Baked Cassava Cake w Ube Jam

Pandan Kaya Toast

[13] Transylvanian Twister Cake - Dessert

Twister Cake w Vanilla Ice Cream - made by legit twisting the dough and then coated in sugar before cooking

(topped w your choice of ice cream & sprinkles - you can pick whether you want marshmallow inside or not *the marshmallow contains gelatin, pork-derived*)

[14] Salt Fish Shack - Bajan Cuisine

Sorrel Lemonade: Bold, slightly spicy drink

[15] Chickn Rotonda - Filipino

Calamansi-Ade : Refreshing, tangy drink. Calamansi is a citrusy fruit.

[16] Tacos el Guero - Latin American

Soursop Drink: Refreshing and cools you down

_____

Some captures from the 2026 Bangladesh Parade that took place on Sunday, May 17, 2026 (NYC time) in Jackson Heights, Queens *(Reddit didn't allow me to post vids)*

Heard songs from our 1971 Liberation War, witnessed our true cultural representation and messages of unity. Felt so proud. Also caught a glimpse of our living legend, Chanchal Chowdhury and the sweet Richi Solaiman.

No matter how many US passports I get, no matter how awful things get back home, I'll always want to be born as a Bangladeshi in every universe. May Bangladesh be saved from religious bullshit and stupid politics. Long live! 🇧🇩