Mala

This is a little girl I met in Mohakoli the other day. She is autistic. Her name is Mala (which translates to necklace in Bengali).. It was really special for me to be able to spend time with her and talk with her mom in Bangla! I told them about my sister who also cannot speak, and how much joy she brings to me and my family. Mala is one special girl :)

Shamosa nai

A good old favorite of mine! Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgEfYGzojcA&feature=related

Dear Blog Readers,

I think what I love most about my classes this year is the freedom within most of our assignments to reflect on our experiences.  When we are asked to analyze songs or write responses and essays we have the freedom to be creative! Thus, I am independently learning vocabulary that I will need when I want to talk with people about the things that I am passionate about in life!  If I can say "starfruit," but I cannot say autism, human rights, indigenous communities, or compassion, then how could I ever consider myself fluent or proficient beyond basic “survival-bangla”?

I am inspired!

Also, one of my main problems (shamosas) with my bangla has historically been that even if I know how to say something, I get nervous and/or doubt myself and hold back..

Actually though, I am happy to say that I am getting over this! Even in this past week I would venture to say that my bangla has improved dramatically…

I went to visit my host family from two years ago (who I consider family) and it was such a wonderful feeling to be able to converse in bangla about just about anything!

My grades in these courses ultimately will never affect me in any way.. what matters is that I am able to speak bangla!!  .. and, my dear blog readers, I am happy to say that I have made some tangible steps forward : )

As Promised... Here are some pics!

(Inside the Armenian Church that I visited with the CLS crew in Purono Dhaka)

(Corinne, Farida and I outside Ashan Manzil)

(A pic from our visit to Lalbagh Kella.. amar priyo dhakar jaiga :).. actually Lalbagh is also a popular hangout for young couples! In just about every nook and cranny you will spot a pair.  How many can you see in this pic alone?)

Another shot from Lalbagh Kella! Pictured above are all of the intermediate students 

(Me, Corrinne, Farida, and Andrew!)

(Some architectural shots from my field trip to Sonargaou!)

Brishti? Shamosha nai! 

Posing in the rain with Corrinne and Sajia apu :) 

I always love to take pictures of birds :)

I thought this moment was blog worthy..

A Shot of the city from a CNG by day!

CNG by night!

Did I forget to mention that I got married?

Oops! Jokes! :)

Ami bibihito na!

That's all for now.. More to come!

Peace,

M

Ami Margo: Dhaka, proposals, villages, language partners, dreams

Listen to this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8pQLtHTPaI 

And if you want some Bangla:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGSxRYtIBU4

Alright! Here we go!

(I promise to have pictures in the next post)

So, first of all I would like to apologize for not posting.. We had some serious Internet issues at the beginning of my stay in BD... aside from that I am all out of excuses.  If it is any consolation, per usual, I have been journaling! Don’t think that I stopped recording my experiences all together!

At this point I have been in BD for almost three weeks? Wow… how did that happen already..

Where to begin?

So DC was wonderful. We listened to several panels of speakers, and of course met with the ambassador of Bangladesh at the Bangladeshi embassy. 

I also had the chance to meet up with so many friends who all hold different places in my heart… Becca, Nevin, Stephen, Hasan, Alli, and Colin… So many reunions! So little time!

Some from Colgate, some from CLS, and even a high school friend that I ran into on the street!

Oh life, how you surprise me!

 ...

Right off the bat I was struck by the different dynamic that the CLS group has this year.  I realized, as did one of the returners who was having similar feelings, that I was approaching this summer with expectations: Mistake #1

This summer will not be like last summer.

The end.

Once we got over that, all was well :)

Also, we flew through Qatar this year! NOT DUBAI, WHAT?!?

I actually had a pretty horrible experience with the man that I was sitting next to on the connection flight from Qatar… I think from now on I am going to start wearing a ring on my ring finger and telling people that I am married….

Now, three weeks later my current wedding proposal count (for this year) is

(drumroll)……….. 3!

________________________________________________________________________

This next year is quite the trip for me.  I am all over the place traveling and I will not be home until next summer (most likely).  Home shall be wherever my feet are in the moment.  All that is left to do is live in the moment, breathe, and soak it all in.

These past few months I have grown up a lot.  This year was challenging for me in a lot of different ways and certain situations forced me to reevaluate my commitments and priorities in life.  Not to mention, my first experience of this summer, spent in South Dakota, really pushed me out of my comfort zone in many different ways and has made me a better and stronger person.

______________________________________________________________________________

I love Bangladesh.  Every time I go I learn so much, not only about the country, but also about myself. This is my third time in Bangladesh and I will actually be returning over my winter break with a group of Colgate students to study microfinance (Through BRAC) and the NGO sector in Bangladesh..

People keep asking me why I am going back and why I want to learn bangla?  I am back for a second summer of CLS because I really want to be proficient in Bangla and there is no other way that I would rather be spending my summer! :) I had such an amazing experience last year that I knew I would not be sorry and that this is where I should be.

But WHY am I here?  Because I always become so inspired when I come here! Because Bangladesh is the place to be if you are interested in development at the grassroots level and NGOs! Bangladesh is a breeding ground for NGOs. Some are good, some are bad, some play it by the books, and others are innovative and new. 

Also, my first summer here spent as an intern for Grameen Bank showed me how much more I would get out of my experiences if I could speak Bangla.. relying on a translator really is not good enough.

Do I like Dhaka?  Yes and no.  There are things that I like and there are things that I find challenging.  Do I like Bangladesh? No. 

I love it.

In my opinion, if you come to Bangladesh and spend all of your time in Dhaka then you did not really see the country, and experience culture.

But that’s not all.  There are so many reasons why I am here! I’ll talk more about them in future posts.

_______________________________________________________________________________

For the sake of time (and the time difference since I get up every day at 6 am) I am going to make the next part kind of brief… I promise more posts soon!!!

• I am in the Intermediate Class this year!
• I LOVE the BLI crew :) 

• My language partner this year is Shamima! Shamima shobcheye bhalo language partner! I will post more about her and our adventures.. I want to do it justice and can’t in this post.

• I really want to visit a village in Mymensingh that I stayed at for a week two years ago.. been trying to figure out exactly where I went… (I didn’t speak bangla then so I am facing transliteration difficulties)..

• I am going to the Chittagong hill tracks in two weeks!

• I am going to start drawing again. 

• Made the rounds to Sonargon, Dhanmundi, and Old Dhaka for the CLS field trips.

• I have been leading workout classes every day on the roof at 6am sharp! Ok.. maybe more like 6:10..  I also do yoga in the evenings during the azzan.. and I’m choreographing a dance for the talent show at the end of the summer! If you have any song suggestions, send them my way! :)

• Also, I’ve been busy meeting up with all of my friends here! At this point it is a very substantial amount of people.  Yay for two families on opposite sides of the world!

Lots of adventures! I think this is a decent first post… stay tuned for more!

Peace,

M

(Oh! How could I forget?! My name! This summer the name of choice is Margo)

Ami Bangladeshe fire ashbo!!!

LISTEN TO THIS WHILE YOU READ--> My favorite song at the moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rfE37ekubg

Oh

hello blog! I did miss you quite a bit!

I have returned to my Bangla- Blog with some exciting news.... drumroll......

HOORAY! :) :) :) :) :) :)

I was recently informed that I received the Critical Language Scholarship yet again! buuuut this time I will be studying Bangla at the Intermediate level! :) :) :) :) :)

(Don't worry, I won't use this many smiley faces on a regular basis)

For those of you friends, and strangers, who are just tuning in:

"A program of United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program will offer intensive summer language institutes overseas in thirteen critical need foreign languages for summer 2011.   Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) institutes provide fully-funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for seven to ten weeks for U.S. citizen undergraduate, Master’s and Ph.D. studentsThe CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical need foreign languages."


Check it out!!!  -->  http://clscholarship.org/index.html


I studied Bangla at through this program at the Beginner level last summer.. one of the best things I've ever done or been a part of.  I know that this summer will be very challenging but I am excited to learn, to meet new people, and to return to Bangladesh.


Hopefully I will find some time to hop over to India or Nepal as well.

I do have to say, looking back at my posts that I learned a lot last summer; however, I learned and experienced so much more than I ever had time to put down in my posts.  I think in the future I am going to try to post more frequently and perhaps even in shorter lengths..  That way I will not post-pone my posts simply because I did not finish all of the details…

We’ll see how that works out!

Also, I meant to write at least one more post about last summer.  I don't like the sarcastic note that I ended on...

Right now this all feels rather surreal.  

Get ready to follow me and my adventures. I can assure you that it will be anything but boring!

PEACE,

M

This is Bangladesh: Rule # 1 and Rule #2 (rolling blackouts, traffic, onek manush, cha stalls)

 Rule #1 and Rule #2:

As some of my friends here have joked: There are only two rules for us ‘Bedeshis’ (foreigners) here in the ‘Desh’:

1) This is Bangladesh (T.I.B.)

2) Don’t drink the tap water 

When we witness something out of our comfort zone or something that really does not make sense, we simply refer back to rule number one.  “Rule #1” explains it all.  Now, please do not misread my sarcasm as disdain! While I might have faced many “close calls” and many a rickshaw and motorcycle might have swept my side from behind as I walked down the street, this is what makes Dhaka, Dhaka!  The traffic, the smells, the rain, the blackouts, and the unpredictability - I take it all.  It is all part of the experience.   Now, without further adieu, I shall take a few moments to elaborate on some fundamental realities that characterize my life in the 'Desh'... both of the expected and unexpected nature!

Onek manush (a lot of people)…

As currently reported, Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.  To give you some perspective, it is like taking more than half of the population of the United States and stuffing it inside the state of Florida! There are people EVERYWHERE. 

No, but really.

I grew up in a suburb right outside New York City, so the hustle and bustle of city life is something that I have been constantly exposed to. I feel that I am able to be here and not (easily) get overwhelmed because of this “exposure.”  That being said, it still amazes me when I go out into the city and look around at the SEA of people at seemingly EVERY public venue. 


Let’s take an example… hmm.. shopping? Okay!

A few weeks ago I went to nearby with Konica.  I love bargaining shopping in the states and I am good at weaving in and out of aisles that are congested with too many shirts and people. I argue that this “acquired skill” has served me well in Bangladesh.  If you see something you want, you have to be fairly aggressive to push your way past those in your way.  You should also be prepared to quite possibly have to step over a few children or small people in order to reach the item of your desire.  On this shopping excursion I bought the soundtrack and DVD for the Bangla movie Monpura.  I LOVE the songs and I figure that watching the movie will help me practice my Bangla (despite the fact that it is spoken in a dialect).  I’ll let you know how I like the movie, but in the mean time I suggest that you look up some of the songs on YouTube! Totally worth checking it out…

Anyways, on we go!

Black outs

Do NOT be fooled.  The rolling blackouts are a common occurrence that WILL strike at the most inconvenient times of every day.  Whether you have just arrived home from a day in the heat and are wishing to feel the nice breeze of the air-conditioner, you are uploading pictures or blog posts (ha ha) on facebook, or, my personal favorite, while you are taking a shower (which can be extremely inconvenient at night), the power WILL go out… and better yet, you WILL be surprised EVERY.  SINGLE.  TIME!

On average each blackout will last about an hour and they can occur at intervals as frequent as every other hour (and of course, sometimes more frequently).

Coming from a place where having internet 24 hours a day is considered 'the norm', having power every other hour (if I’m lucky) can sometimes pose itself as a bit of a challenge and inconvenience.  Further, I cannot help but feel this constant feeling of “surprise” that I mentioned above.  As if, for some reason, I believed that there would be a day where the power would not go out...

...

In my last post I talked briefly about the hype, enthusiasm, and zest that was sparked in Dhaka by the World Cup.  Now, being the smart cookie that I am, I know what question you must find yourself asking: “But WAIT! How can everyone consistently watch the football (soccer) games when there are these ‘rolling blackouts’?”  I shall tell you, my friends, that this is a very valid question to ask; and it is at this point that I shall take a few moments to relay a small anecdote…

One of my first Friday nights in Dhaka I was hanging out with a couple CLS-ers watching a football game.  Honestly, I do not remember which teams were playing, but I think that one of them was either Argentina or Brazil (the two Deshi favorites)!  Anyway, someone was about to score a goal and, surprise, surprise, the power went out!  Frustrated, and of course, “surprised” we then decided to head out into Noda Bazaar (aka: Narnia) to check out the scene and possibly grab some food.  Everything was nice and dandy until we saw a scene that made us look twice.

Despite the fact that seemingly no one in Baridhara had power, there was one tinie, tiny cha stall located directly outside the Baridhara gate that DID have power!  Better yet, the stall was equipt with a T.V. and currently being shown was the football game that we had left behind.  Surrounding the stall was a pack of easily 30-40 spectators.  How could this be?  Well, there was a man standing on top of the cha stall fiddling with the power lines and a pair of metal pliers in hand.  The Deshies had taken matters into their own hands and channeled power to this cha stand despite the fact that no one else in the region had power!  Rule # 1 stands strong! T.I.B. (This is Bangladesh)…  Where there is a will, there is a way!

Traffic

The traffic (and driving in general) here is unlike anything you have ever seen.  Every now and then you will find a traffic light or two, but they might as well not be there at all since no one pays attention to them.  The concept of "lanes" does not exist on the roads of Dhaka.  Driving is best described as a free for all competition! "Survival of the fittest!" or shall I say, fastest and smallest vehicle with the loudest horn?

While last year the driving might have overwhelmed me at times and kept me on my toes, this year I have found the driving to be less of a shock.   In fact, I have found within myself a level of omnipresent calmness that I did not know existed. Just yesterday, a car came millimeters away from running over my foot, yet I barely flinched.  Better yet, I laughed.  I continue to walk on the sidewalk even when there is a motorcycle heading straight at me. I have to have some faith that he will dodge me at the last second, right?  That’s kind of the way it goes here.

What is life without some jumps?  What is life without some risks?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CF7sER73TY




That's all for now!  Stay tuned for more thoughts/ life updates!


Peace,
-M

They'll call me Freedom Just like a WAVING FLAG!

“Was that the call to prayer? No! That was the call to world cup!”

You would think that it was Olympics time.  The amount of enthusiasm for two opposing teams (either Brazil or Argentina) truly brought Dhaka city alive.  The Dhaka favorites? Brazil and Argentina!  There are flags waving from every lamp post, car and store or building.  I have even seen Argentina flags that are as large as entire residencies and buildings!  It is (was) a common sight to see people crowded around every TV in public spaces like stores, streets or chai stalls. 

Even though the World Cup festivities have nowcome to a close, the flags are still draped all over the city.  I thought that I would share some photos that I have taken to give you a taste of the atmosphere.

Week Three (Part Two): moshas, saris, mosques, and a balcony

Week Three (Part Two):

Short (choto) Version:

Current Studies: We have now learned EVERY tense! We learned five tenses this week! Ah! J Also learned vocab. this week for family members, occupations, fruits, vegetables, days of the week..

Health: Ami bhalo achi! ( I am doing very well!) No complaints!

CLS Trip: Sonargon

Life: Lots of thoughts…

Big (Boro) version:

I am fully recovered health wise.  Despite the moshas (mosquitoes) who apparently think that my blood is the sweetest and insist on biting me no matter what extreme measures I take to push them away, all is well.  I did finally get a purple (beguni) mosquito net up, and now, two weeks later I can confirm that it has helped my situation substantially!

Week three was a whirlwind filled with grammar!  We learned five tenses (one each day) that were all to be on our next test.  I have been experimenting with different ways of studying and organization to find the best way for me to succeed! …easier said than done haha.  At the end of the day, I can practice my vocab and grammar by talking it out for as many hours as I want, but a lot of the material that I am being given at this point (ie. Verb conjugations and grammar rules) require some hard-core memorization, and this I need to do on my own.  I came to realize that while it might be fun to run around exploring the city and such, I do need to make sure I manage my time so that I can put in enough hours to drive all these lessons home and solidify what  we are learning in class.  Yipee! Learning Lessons!

…and yes, friends, and strangers, I am happy to say that my work is finally showing some tangible progress!  Things are finally “clicking” and I am able to have some pretty substantial conversations (my language partner Konica can attest to this). 

Another exciting event of week three was that I FINALLY got to meet up with some Colgate people! Hooray!  We went to a comedy club that is located just a few blocks away from me in Baridhara (I had NO IDEA that this was there) and then out to coffee.  I was not surprised, since I was the only white person at the venue I became a “target” for about half of the show, but jai hoke (whatever), it was all in good fun! It was really nice to see a familiar face and have a fun evening!

After our big trip to Sonargon the previous week, weekend #3 did not have any ‘large’ trip out of Dhaka, but we did have an exciting time nonetheless!  The director of the program, Tony Stewart, finally arrived in Dhaka! Some health complications had prevented him from flying over with us but now that he is here we are glad to have him and look forward to getting to know him.  We attended both a large welcome reception for him at his flat on Thursday and then again reconvened on Friday for a series of art showings at different studios in Dhamondi followed by a party at a artist’s home.  Of course, the girls all took this as an opportunity to break out the saris and party with style! I wore a new red sari that Konica helped me pick out. 

Weekend three also included a trip to a mosque in Baridhara for the Friday service.  I really enjoyed the trip to the mosque.  Since I got here I have wanted to attend a service, but it is not something that I felt I could do on my own.  In Dhaka it is not a standard thing for all women to attend the mosque and most woman pray at home.  When we went inside the mosque there were two separate entrances (one for the men and one for the women).  The men then entered a large carpeted room where the Imam led the service, and the woman went upstairs to a separate room where we could hear the Imam over a loud speaker.  The service was spoken in both Arabic and Bangla.  I could understand words here and there, but for the most part I did not understand what was said in the service.  There were only two other woman in the room, but they were very nice and were more than willing to talk to us, answer questions, and tell us about Islam and their own religious experiences and beliefs.  In addition, at one point of the service they helped lead us through all of the different ritualistic postures, and required hand motions.

I plan to take a course at Colgate in the fall on the role of woman in Islam, so I have been trying to have as many conversations as possible with different woman who identify with Islam.  I have found, however, that not all women feel comfortable talking to me about this and that it can be a rather delicate subject at times.  For this reason, I found this trip to the mosque especially enlightening and as a valuable opportunity for me to get an “insider’s view.”

At the end of the service there was a time for personal prayer and reflection.  I took this time as an opportunity to clear my mind, relax, and yes, smile.  So much happens every day here (as can be attested by the fact that I have gotten so far behind in my blog posts)!  For this reason, I believe that it is that much more important to remember to take the time to reflect, take a deep breath, and slow down every now and then.

I smile and laugh a lot.  I smile when I wake up every morning because it is my favorite time of day.  For those first few moments nothing is wrong, all is good, and there lies the possibility that almost anything could happen.  The fact that most days nothing of this spectacular genre happens matters not one bit; the possibility is always there.

No matter when unfortunate events a day might bring I always try to find a time to smile and be happy for what I have.  Life is short, you have to remember to look around you.  Look out a window and see something new.  Also, with each new surrounding I try to pick one living thing or space to remember and to notice.  It can be a flower, a tree, or any space.  I watch it grow, watch it weather, change, and be used in different ways.  I try to notice that which is not noticed.

My current spot is the corner of the balcony on our flat.  I love watching how it is used as a space.  Birds frequently perch and we have started to air dry some of our clothes out there.  It seems that every time I look out there, there are different types of birds in different numbers!  I find it hard not to smile as I watch these birds hopping around.  For these few minutes every day, I clear my head and simply watch “our” birds.  *Smile*, *sigh*  :  )

…And so concludes week three! A bit of a slower pace, but I didn’t mind this one bit!

PEACE,

-M

A pic with the artist!

A Group pic!

The birds on the balcony!