Week Two (Part Two): A series of Unfortunate and Fortunate Events (Language partners, Munawars, sick days, Ginger Tea, promises & brishti)

Sunday June 13th :) Friday June 18th

Okay, so, week two… this following week had some ups and downs, but I’m fine and I worked through it!

… And then it was Sunday, and then there were classes, and then we had our FIRST TEST! I wish I could say it was easy, but… nah. It was pretty hard! Now that I have a feel for the “typical” test I have a better idea of what I need to do to study efficiently and hopefully I can get the grades up to where I will be happy with them. After our test we jumped straight into three more hours of class and then hit the streets with our prof Atif to test out our bartering skills with the venders in Narnia. I bought two mangos (Am)! Yum! I believe that I am getting slightly better at this whole “bartering” thing, although I cannot tell if people are truly impressed by my bangla skills or simply stunned that I am clearly Badeshi (a foreigner) and know some bangla, haha. Well, whatever the “true” case may be, I love any opportunity to interact with the locals!

This was also my first week where I got to spend time with my language partner, Konica! The basic idea behind the “language partner” is that IUB (Independent University of Bangladesh) has, in addition to my class-intensive Bangla instruction, paired each student up with a local university student so that we can practice our bangla on a more conversational level and see another side of Dhaka that we might not have otherwise seen. We are required to spend at least fifteen hours a week with our conversation partners.

Konica is very sweet, personable, and down to earth. Although we were both a bit shy at first, by the end of our first day we had both opened up and broke the ice as we started to get to know each other. I think that we will be great friends and I am excited to learn Bangla and further explore Dhaka with her.

Another highlight of my week was getting to spend a substantial amount of time with fellow CLS-er Katie Hasnain. Katie and I have really clicked and I love our time together. Katie is half Chinese and half Bangladeshi. After learning Chinese and spending some time in China last year, Katie now wishes to learn Bangla and connect with the other side of her heritage and family. Katie definitely has a talent for learning languages and she motivates me (even more) to learn Bangla!

I also got to visit my host family from last year (The Munawars)! I definitely miss Diana a lot since she is in the States, but nonetheless it was wonderful to see her family (and Faruk)!!! :)

…And in a moment everything changes… BAM!

Our cute little bunch of fifteen Americans was all nice and fine until we hit the one week mark… tick, tick, tick, tick…… EXPLOSION! Every single person in our group fell ill this week. Apparently it is normal for all participants to fall ill at one point or another, but it was extremely unusual for EVERYONE to get sick at the same time. Granted, the illnesses were slightly staggered for the most part, but this meant that there were always at least two people who were sick at any given point this week, and several trips were made to the nearby (thank goodness) Apollo Hospital.

Stephen and I were the last two to fall ill with “infections.” The doctor did not give me many more details than this.. I apparently had some kind of bacterial infection? All I know is that I slept for 40 hours.. only waking to throw up. I even threw up on my “How to learn Bangla” Book. Of course the running joke that materialized was that this “occurrence” was somehow foreshadowing of my summer and that my body was even “rejecting” the Bangla material. Needless to say, not my finest hour.

It is at this point (if you are still reading) that I shaIl spare you some of my ELABORATE details; however, I will elaborate on my thoughts before, during, and after said unfortunate events. After all, I am a big believer in the act of self- reflection.

As you can probably tell from my post from week one, I was feeling pretty high, happy, excited and on top of things. This unexpected bout of illness brought me low and pretty miserable. At my worst, I even found myself questioning my choice to come to Bangladesh this summer. All I knew was that I was completely miserable and I wanted to be home (Yes, with my mommy). I felt kind of alone. When I woke up the next day somewhat hydrated, and fully medicated I was able to see things more clearly and I realized how foolish I had been to think such things!

I am ANYTHING but alone here. What about the teachers on call who made sure that the program manager knew what was going on? What about the people who escorted to me to and from the doctor with warm smiles and as much time as I needed? What about the cook, Milan, who made me tea, and gave me bananas and his phone number in case I had any problems? And what about MY FRIENDS??? One of my flat mates, Nate had some kind of relapse the night that same night so when I finally emerged from my room feeling somewhat better we talked for a while with Stefanie who came down from her apartment upstairs equip with two bottles of sprite and the fixings for Ginger Tea! Not to mention that all of this happened after two of the teachers and Katie had already stopped by to see what was up…. In fact, looking back, it is amazing how much of a family we are considering that it has only been two weeks…Adversity makes you stronger? :)

SO yes. I am feeling stronger, and my thoughts are much clearer.

To conclude this week’s reflection I shall leave you with some words from a conversation I had with my language partner, Konica:

Just yesterday Konica asked me, “Why Bangla?” I thought that, considering the places where I found my mind wandering this week, you all might be interested to know the gist of what I said…


Why Bangla? ….because I am going to come back. Because I came here on a whim and I fell in love with the mystery and the essence of a world, culture, and plethora of people that I never knew existed. Things might be hard, but it gives me hope for my life and work in the States. I need more of a global perspective on issues like poverty if I truly want to do something substantial, tangible, and sustainable to help Native Americans in the United States. But no, it is not all about me and MY work, it is also about them. I think that as a country, Bangladesh is somewhat underappreciated and underestimated in this world. I decided after I came here last year that I wanted to make an investment to learn more about this culture and people. I want to come home to the States and tell people about my experiences here, and yes, I want to continue to come back. Who knows? Maybe I will inspire others to take my same trek to the other side of the world to experience something new. Maybe they too will come to Bangladesh?

Someone once said to me that Dhaka is all about the people. If you do not remember the people, then you do not remember anything.

It is true. I do not see the dirt or the pain, I see the people. My daily adventures are the people. I love the people. I am learning from the people. I want to maintain my existing relationships here and I want to continue to build new ones. I have a family here as the Munawars have graciously accepted me into their home and their hearts. A second, beautiful family.

I am a Munawar, and I am Margaret- Maggie- Margo- Mishti- Dowling (Munawar) Dunne.


And so the week finally has come to a close! It was anything but easy, but I made it through once again.

Ta ta for now!

A Golapi (Pink) Day with Katie Hasnain!

A quick pic with Konica! :)

Week Two: Part One!... Day Trip to Old Dhaka

Hello all! :)

As per usual, I have tons and tons to report! This is a Two-Part Post since I have been lacking in the blog department recently…

Short (choto) Version:

Current Studies: Reading Script, counting numbers through 100, Present & Future Tenses AND verb conjugations!:) Also learned vocab. this week for bartering, colors and body parts.
Health: Mortamurti (so-so)… I experienced my first health low point this week. I’m all better now though (thank goodness)!
Life: Life is exciting right now! :)

And here come the.... drum roll… Elaborate DETAILS (and deepest, darkest secrets)!

Okay, okay… Maybe I’m kidding about the “secrets” part. After putting myself out here I have to leave SOME thoughts to myself :)

Part One:
Saturday June 12th: Day-Trip to Old Dhaka (Lal Bagh Fort, Ahsan Manjil, Dhakeshwari Temple)

And so week one officially came to a close with our CLS day- trip to tour Old Dhaka. We have a day-trip scheduled for each Saturday in which we travel to a pre-determined destination guided by our team of Bangla teachers and students from all levels (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced). In other words, a day that is sure to be filled with FUN and both planned (and unplanned) surprises!

Our first stop in Old Dhaka was Ahsan Manzil. Ahsan Manzil, was once the residential palace of Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani, and there after was witness to many historical events of Bangladesh including the rise of the Muslim leaders of East Bengal. Ahsan Manzil has since been turned into a museum. It is enormous and strikingly beautiful to say the least, and is considered to be one of the most significant architectural monuments of Bangladesh. The interior of the building is caked in marble and filled with artifacts and trinkets. I could not help but be struck by the difference in manner between US museums and the few that I have been able to visit in Bangladesh. Few of these historic “artifacts” had glass casings to both preserve and prevent them from being stolen. After touring the many rooms of the palace, we found ourselves on the roof where we took pictures and enjoyed the beautiful view of the beautiful, green gardens surrounding Ahsan Manzil in stark contrast with the surrounding, crumbling residencies of Old Dhaka.

After a quick drive through Dhaka University and lunch at renowned restaurant Khosboo, we arrived at our next (and my FAVORITE) spot: Lalbagh Fort! Lalbagh Fort is an incomplete Mughal palace fortress constructed in 1678 AD and located in the southwestern part of the old city. I say “incomplete” because the ruler who oversaw the commission, Shaista Khan, abandoned the project after the death of his daughter, Bibi Pari (Lady Fairy). The inside the walls of the fort are rich gardens and a trio of buildings (a mosque, the tomb of daughter Bibi Pari, and an additional residency).

Although Lalbagh Fort might not be “finished” it is easily one of the most beautiful and special places that I have visited in Dhaka city. It is a little peace of Bangla heaven; a world away from this world, and a place that I hope to visit again some day. As we stepped onto the grounds of Lalbagh Fort my friends and I came alive! We ran through the artsy pathways aligned with flowers taking pictures, chatting in “Banglish” and soaking in the scene. After a long week filled with a whirlwind of work and emotions, I enjoyed this time to hang out with my teachers outside of the classroom and bond with the CLS-ers in a new and truly wonderful place.

My favorite moments from Lalbagh include:
1) Hanging with everyone from the highest part of the fort and causing a scene as Jodi tried to get everyone to partake in a Bangladeshi –dance- sesh.

2) Testing my conversational skills with a beautiful group of Bangladeshi sisters (young and old). The girls were patient with my speech, and in return the youngest member of the bunch serenaded me with the national anthem of Bangladesh. She was so good that I got chills. This is a memory I will never forget.

We ended the day with a little rest and relaxation at the Dakshineswar Hindu Temple. Apparently, this temple is dedicated to Kali, the goddess of time and change and the wife of Shiva. I am always up for any visit to a religious venue, and this was the perfect, peaceful way to end the day.

I hope the next day trip is just as wonderful!:)

Our First Stop at Ahsan Manzil!

Our Second stop at LalBagh Fort!

A quick pic with fellow CLS-er Stephanie Nudelman!

This picture is the group of sisters that I mentioned in my post.  The young girl in the center with the brown bangles serenaded me with the national anthem of Bangladesh.  A memory that I will never forget :)

I really, truly love this place.  Khub Shundor (Very Beautiful)!

The altar dedicated to Kali (goddess of time and change) at our last stop, the Dakshineswar Hindu Temple.

Week One: Bangla, Rickshaws, & Friends

Hello all! :)

Life Update: I have officially concluded my first week of classes AND I have all of my luggage!

Name Update: Currently people have been referring to me as Margo or Margaret.. whichever way the wind takes them! I basically respond to anything that begins with an “M.”

Health Update: No ailments so far! I have been drinking LOTS of water (pani) to make sure that I stay Hydrated!

Thoughts:

Classes are HARD and I get lots of work but I am motivated by the prospect of being able to roam the streets of Dhaka and converse with people on a deeper level. It really is true that there is no better way to learn a language than to be immersed in the culture where it is spoken. There are countless opportunities for me to practice my language proficiency and skills. Whether this means practicing to read the script on store signs and packed items or chatting with the chai wallah and door gaurds, there are people who are accessible and willing to help me with every step along the way in my quest to gain a legitimate level of proficiency of Bangla. I try as often as possible to engage in conversation with people who have poor English skills (or are willing to speak to me only in Bangla) so that I can improve my conversational capacity. I spent SEVERAL hours this week practicing my bangla with the door gaurds of my apartment building. Joined by Jodi and Nate (my flat mates) we went down to the garage at 10pm or so and talked for 1-2 hours in ONLY Bangla! This opportunity has been invaluable as I have not only improved, but also I have made friends who want to help me and look out for me.

As far as the instruction, aside from moving at a fast pace, it is clear that all of the instructors want to do everything they can to help us learn. In an average day I have four classes taught by three different professors: alphabet, style, grammer, conversation. Each teacher has a different teaching style and while this can be somewhat frustrating at times, I have found that in the office hours they are more than willing to sit down with you and help work out your problems. The main problem that teachers and students of Bangla face is that there are VERY few credible teaching resources. The main reference book that we are using is actually catered to Kolkota Bangla (not Bangladesh Bangla) and thus not everything in the book can be taken as truth. Our teachers have made many of their own worksheets and we mainly rely on the notes that they give us in class.

In just a few short days, I, along with my fellow CLS-ers have learned to read and write the Bangla script as well as some basic grammar and tons of vocab. Now I know what you must be thinking: Really? That sounds like A LOT of material, and aren’t you going to be there for ten (dosh) weeks? Answer: YES! And YES!

The workload is steadily piling up and there is a pressing need to keep up with the class and meet the academic standards of the program. It is somewhat challenging to find the balance between mingling with my new friends, exploring Dhaka, chatting with our Bangla neighbors, and also being prepared for all forms of in-class evaluations. We have our first test on Sunday (after our full-day trip to Old Dhaka).

I am staying in Baridhara, an affluent community which is surrounded by an opaque fence. My friends and I have taken to referring to it as “Narnia” because Baridhara is relatively calm, clean, and peaceful, but the second you walk through the door to the street life… BAM! Dhaka city life IN YOUR FACE!! Why Narnia? Because walking through that door is like walking into another world. I did quite a bit of exploring in Narnia all week long, and it was not until the end of the week that I made my way out into Gulshan 1, Gulshan 2, and Bonani for a better taste of Dhaka.


In addition to morning classes which end around 1, we are expected to come back in the afternoons one to two days a week for additional lectures and small trips. This past week we had a series of orientation lectures including but not limited to: a panel discussion with former Peace Core volunteers and Boren Fellows (also former participants of CLS), a security briefing from the US Department of State, a lunch date with our instructors to practice our restaurant vocab, and a lecture from an esteemed professor from North South University on Hinduism in Bangladesh.

It was interesting to hear a religious lesson from a foreign teacher. After the talk, I sat down with him and told him about my plans to either major or minor in religion and my reasonings for doing so. I am not so much interested in Theology as I am in the study of the different religions in the world, their similarities and differences, and how religion has both shaped cultures overtime and caused uprisings and misunderstandings. (Unlike my brother Sean who remembers everything he has EVER learned haha) I am not one of those people who can remember all the important names, dates, and historical events that have occurred throughout history, and I realize that I will never know everything about the politics and cultures of every country around the world (including my own). That being said, I feel that by studying religion in all forms and placing it in the societal contexts in which it functions, I am better able to understand HOW to learn about other cultures. I have also become aware of the pressing need for patience and religious literacy and dialogue to ease some of the cultural tension we have going on in the world today. This year, I come back to Bangladesh with tools to be more culturally sensitive due to my deeper understanding of Islam.

Next week I will meet “my conversation partner.” CLS has essentially hired a Bangladeshi to be my best friend and show me a side of Dhaka that I would not have otherwise seen. I also hope to meet up with my host family from last year, some of my Colgate friends who are in Dhaka for the summer, and at some point shuffle off to Mirpur to visit my good friends at the Grameen Bank headquarters… I can’t wait!!!:)

I am happy to be here and I am taking life as it comes day by day. My close friends can attest that I am a girl who lives by a carefully planned schedule (and I have always chosen to make it this way). There are so many things that I want to do in this life that I try to make as most as I possibly can out of every day. Because of this, I can sometimes find it hard to just “go with the flow” and let life happen. Dhaka is forcing me to work on this. My life and experiences here are completely unpredictable and I NEVER know what new experience each day will bring. I am finding a sort of thrill in this inescapeable element of unpredictability. Maybe it really is okay to let loose every now and then… maybe I don’t always HAVE to know where my day is going to end. After all, what is the fun in that?

As the fortune cookie I ate the day before my departure so perfectly said:

“You only live once, but if you do it right once is enough.”

Although I do not know where I will end up, I feel confident that I am “doing it right” this summer, and I already feel myself growing from this.

PEACE,
M

Katie and Holly Anne walking through the Baridhara gate, and entering Narnia.

Getting some help from some friends! :)

Most of the Chai wallahs that I have seen are men, so it was a pleasant surprise to stumble upon this nearby stall.

Fresh fruit from the nearby market!  Buying fruit is a great way for me to practice my bangla skills in a practical way!

Stipend number one: Yep! That's your tax dollars!!!

Amar nam Margaret. Amar desh America : What's in a name?

You may know me as Maggie, the name I have used since birth. In Bangladesh, however -- this time -- I will be known by my birth name, Margaret.

On my last trip to Bangladesh I assumed that people were struck by my friendly demeanor when I introduced myself as Maggie, and when they asked me to repeat my name over and louder, the response was always chuckles. Because the Bangladeshi people tend to be so polite, however, it took me about 3 weeks to (awkwardly) learn that each time that I repeated my name louder and louder I was announcing myself as a prostitute -- in the colloquial form – most closely translated to English is “Hoe.” The moral of the story: not all names translate graciously from one language to another.

So, this trip, I will be known as Margaret, and henceforth, I will no longer be labeled as such. Since I will be studying Bengali on this trip, hopefully I will learn before the end of three weeks if the name Margaret translates to something worse than Maggie!

So, our gang of 15 CLS recipients (more on that later) departed from DC (where we attended an orientation and had an exciting introduction to the Banglaseshi Ambassador and State Department officials). The program itsself aside, I am looking forward to getting the know the other people on this trip. Each student is more amazing than the next, and each person is not only well-traveled, but also well-lived. It is motivating (to say the least) to be surrounded by so many super-stars, and I know that in the upcoming weeks I will be pushed to learn more than I ever thought I could.

My roommate for orientation ended up being Stephanie, the only person I really talked to before my arrival. Although I will not get to share my flat with her in Dhaka, I have loved our conversations in which I have learned more about her and why she wants to learn Bengali. Stephanie spent a great deal of time in Kolkata, India last year working with an NGO that helps women. She hopes to return to Kolkata to resume her job teaching English to young indian girls, and this time to be able to both be able to communicate with them on a deeper level and also to help with sex-trade prevention.

Our first night in D.C., after a quick meet and greet in the hotel lobby we were free for a night on the town to use as we wished. Our group collectively decided to go out to dinner together, and it was not long before we had decided on a small ethiopian retaurant. I am a pretty adventurous eater so I am always up for anything, but it was interesting to see how everyone else was also up for the same family-style meal to be eaten by hand!

The next day of Orientation made me realize how lucky I am to be here. The State Department is being very generous with our stipends and is paying for all living and transit expenses. Perhaps the highlight of my day filled with speakers and workshops was our trip to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington D.C. where we got to meet the Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States, H.E. Akramul Qader. We finished the day with dinner at the Old Abbot Grill where I got the chance to further mingle with the CLS recipients.


Excited and ready for our summer to really begin, we embarked for the airport at 5:00 in the morning for the first of our three planes: D.C. to NY, to Dubai and finally, to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

It was curiously comforting to return to the City of crazy pollution, crazier traffic, extreme poverty and chaos. In contrast to my arrival last year, when I was overwhelmed by everything new, this time I was surprised to find that I felt immediately at home and anxious to look up old friends and college classmates who are home for the summer in Dhaka.

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK! :)

First priority, however, is to get settled into my apartment, along with two other students. This summer’s accommodations are much better than the “hotel” where I was initially housed last summer and we are located in a much more wealthy part of the City. I am currently in my Dhaka apartment flat where I will be living for the next ten weeks. Each flat has a large common area with a T.V., computer, and printer. Three students share each flat, each with their own bedroom and bathroom. The accomidations are also air-conditioned.

The only minor bump in the road so far is that one of my bags was lost in transit. You win some, you lose some? I have just received word that it was located and should arrive tonight so I am not worried! After all, it's all part of the adventure.

Today is my first day of classes and I am leaving for breakfast in ten minutes so I shall end my thoughts here. There is much MUCH more to report so stay tuned!!!

Isn't is just amazing how life takes you places?

Peace,
Maggie

                         Here is an [almost complete] group picture from our night out in D.C. !! :)