ame111_podcast

Zaina shares her experience of being a contestant on a Bangladeshi reality TV show. She initially doubted her chances but submitted an audition video and was selected. She traveled to New York with her family for auditions, faced chaos and long waiting times, and performed with a live band. Despite feeling unprepared, she received a positive response from the judges. Later, she had a bad experience at a restaurant due to her peanut allergy. Despite feeling unwell, she went to the auditions the next day and was selected as one of the finalists. She was surprised and excited to learn that she would be going to Bangladesh for the final rounds. Zaina encourages others to try even when they feel they have no chance. She teases more drama to come in the next episode. Hey everyone my name is Zaina and welcome to Desi Talks, a podcast where your resident Bangladeshi American drones on and on about her life experiences. Today's episode is called a day in the life of a contestant on a Bangladeshi reality TV show part 1. Spoiler alert I was crowned the champion. Now let's start from the beginning. How did I even get here? This part is kind of boring so I'll try to speedrun it. Basically someone told me about this new singing competition that RTV, one of the major channels in Bangladesh was starting. Except this time they were starting it here in the US because this competition was going to be specifically for Bangladeshi Americans. I quite literally laughed it off. Not only because I thought I had no chance but also because they said to send any audition videos through whatsapp to someone named Mr. Olive. I'm gonna be honest I thought it was a scam but my parents pushed me to actually submit an audition video. I mean who could it hurt? And next thing I know my video is posted on their official YouTube channel. Fast forward a bit and Mr. Olive texts me back and says that I've been chosen to audition in New York. Again I laugh it off. Who's gonna pay for this New York flight huh? Joke's on me because suddenly I'm in a motel in New York with my entire family. We had three days of auditions originally which they changed to two days the week before. A very telling sign of the absolute chaos that was about to ensue. We get to the auditions and the waiting room is filled with people. I'm talking people with their entire husbands, wives, children and fun fact the parents are the ones auditioning not the kids. But mind you this show was called RTV Young Star USA but who am I to say anything. Anyways we get there at 9 a.m. and I don't audition until 6 p.m. I walk in and there's a live band. I have never performed with a live band so I immediately start stressing. The judges ask me what song I'll be singing but when I tell them my song choice one of them goes no why would you do that song you should do this other song instead. Do you know it? I did indeed know it but I definitely have not practiced it at all. I basically blacked out during the audition and I quite literally have no idea what I sang but somehow I got a yes card from the judges and was told to come back the next day for the next round. We finally headed out for our first meal of the day at 6 p.m. and decide to try this super popular new Bangladeshi restaurant. Now fun fact I'm allergic to peanuts and this is important information trust me and let me also remind you that I had auditions the next day if you can see where I'm going with this. Tell me why I walk into that restaurant and ask them if any of their dishes have nuts in it and this waiter looks me dead in the eye and tells me that everything on the menu has nuts. I'm flabbergasted. Nuts? In every single dish? In this economy? He finally comes back and says yeah unfortunately all of our dishes have nuts except the seafood. I double-check and ask if the shrimp dish has nuts in it and he tells me nope definitely no nuts in the shrimp. Like a fool I trust him and I say perfect I'll go ahead and order that. Famous last words. The food comes out and looks amazing so I immediately dig in. I eat about three bites before I'm like this feels a little weird and then I start feeling the allergic reaction beginning to form in my body. Now one thing about me is that I hate feeling like a burden or inconvenience in people so I would quite literally rather suffer and my mom's best friend and her husband had joined us for dinner and I didn't want to create a scene so naturally I just text my sister who was sitting right next to me and ask her if she has any Benadryl. She hands me two but five minutes later I run to the back and vomit all over their bathroom. Serve them right for lying to me. I mean I'm just a girl you know? So unfortunately we cut dinner a little short and head back to the hotel. I'm laying in bed scratchy voice and barely able to talk and my mom hits me with the okay Xyna practice your song for tomorrow. Practice my song? She had her mind? I end up falling asleep instead convinced that my chances at this competition were obliterated anyways so why should I even try and next day the auditions begin. Again get there at 9 a.m. my auditions around 5 p.m. but then they told us to stay there until everyone had finished so they could give the final results. By the time it finishes it's midnight and they finally call us on stage to film the last portion. There are 20 finalists left. We all line up scared and honestly not knowing what to expect. They call one name then they call mine second then four more names. The six of us step forward and I could practically hear the dramatic sound effects of the zoom-ins they were going to add on these clips but we stand in silence for a few more moments until they finally announce congratulations the six of you are coming with us to Bangladesh for the final rounds. I quite literally grabbed my chest. I could not believe it. I walked down from the stage to all of our families jumping in excitement. Congratulations being passed around left and right. They choose six more from the lineup and announced that they will also be joining us and the night finally ends but more importantly this journey finally begins. Throughout so much self-doubt somehow I already made it this far. This just goes to show the power of trying. Just try even if you think you have no chance at all. Who knows maybe you'll win a singing competition too. Join me in next week's episode a day in the life of a contestant on a Bangladeshi reality TV show part two to hear all about the Bangladesh portion. Trust me it gets even better with a lot more drama.