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. !! :)