Local guiding may have any meaning to anybody. But it has some very special meaning to me. I feel and realize that meaning from my heart.
How did I join the local guides program?
This is a million dollars question. I did not know anything clearly about the local guides program until September of 2019. But without knowing this program I became a local or Google maps make me a local guide. While I went home from Dhaka sometimes, on the way, I used Google Maps to see my location. Sometimes the the bus stopped in a place, unknown to me, to take gas. I took my mobile and searched for that place. After going home or after one or two days, I got a notification from the Google Maps that I visited that place and I can answer some questions. I gave answers (Yes, No, Not Sure) and got points. Getting points made me interested to answer more. Things were going that way and I was getting the update from Google about level. One morning I got a mail from Google about the application to join the Connect Live 2019. Even then, I did not know anything about the local guides program. I read the mail and visited the Connect Forum. I was lost there and closed the browser quickly. Question answering was going on though for the next few months. Then one day I saw a post on Facebook by one of my known persons who went on a tour from Bangladesh Local Guides and shared a nice post. After seeing that post I recollected my memory on question answering and the mail that I got to apply for CL19. That post made me interested again to visit the website of the Connect Forum. This time I was mentally prepared to cruise the Connect Forum site deeply. I read many posts, rules, and regulations and started my journey as an active local guide. And now I am a living legend (?) local guide in our country. Hahaha!!!
Contributions:
Uploading photos to Google Maps became a major interesting part of me. I took relevant photos of any place which I select to add in the Maps. So far I have uploaded 2K+ photos that have around 650K+ views. I always try to upload a meaningful and relevant photo. My 720 reviews got 320 ratings. To me, writing a review in detail is the main thing. I try to collect all the necessary information and mention them in the review of that place. My pleasure knows no bound when I get a mail from Google saying that “Your review is making a difference.” Real local guides never expect any benefit for his contribution but this kind of mail hugely encourages them, encourage me to work more for the wellbeing of the people. Getting a reply with just “thanks” from the owner inspires me hugely as well. Their reply makes my local guiding meaningful to me. Making lists has become my newest passion. I always research to make a helpful list for Google Maps. So far I have made several lists some of which are given below-
1 Wheelchair Accessible Places in Dhaka
2 Super Shops in Mirpur
3 Pharmacy in Mirpur Area, Dhaka
4 Gas Stations, Petrol Pumps in Dhaka
5 Hospitals and Diagnostic centers in Mirpur
Traveling and eating:
I am very much fond of traveling. After becoming an active local guide my traveling tendency has increased a lot. Attending meet-ups is a source to travel to me. Last February I attended a meet-up 100 kilometers away from my home. I used the bus and speedboat to go to the meet-up venue. It was a thrill to me which I would not get unless I become a local guide. And on December 19 I attended another meet-up more than 40 kilometers away from my home. While I traveled I saw a lot of unknown but beautiful places. I met a lot of kind and good-hearted people who were not possible to meet unless I become a local guide. These journeys have given me a new idea about the natural beauties of our country. Moreover, to collect information for my contribution I frequently travel to nearby places.
[Some foods I ate in meet-ups]
Like traveling, local guiding also means a lot of eating for me. In our local guide community, we like to say that “meet-up means a lot of photos and foods”. This is really true. After becoming a local guide I got the rare chance to test the taste of various foods of our country which I have not seen or tasted before. Local guiding has also given me a chance to present our traditional foods and cultures to the rest of the world through the Connect forum. I am also getting the recipes from other local guides on their traditional and delicious foods.
Friendship: Loving and be loved
Local guiding opens a new door for me to love others and be loved by others. The world of this love has no border. I love local guiding and I also love the local guides, no matter where he/she is from. After becoming local a guide I made an international friend circle through the Connect forum. My friends are from Thailand, Nigeria, Indonesia, Belarus, Romania, India, and Pakistan. We exchange our opinion through the Connect forum post. We wish, we praise we love each other though we have never seen each other physically. Some of my friends express their love to us by a photo or video in their posts. I got this rare chance only after becoming a local guide. On the other hand, we have a Facebook group where our country local guides discuss various things related to local guiding. As a local guide, I am also a member of that group. Group members help each other whenever needed. We have a very strong and warm relationship among us. The bond among the local guides of our country is stronger than any other country and I believe it from my heart. We believe that we have blood relations among us.
[ Photos with local guides as friends and brothrs]
So in the end, I want to say that by local guiding I understand- quality contributing to the Google Maps. Traveling, eating, and taking photos with other local guides as friends. And sharing experience and opinions with other local guides as family members in the Connect Forum. So to me- Local guiding means to become a Global Citizen. Thanks.
. I need to invite friends: 
