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!

Day Trip Week Three (Part One): Sonargon! (Lots of green, Village life, Sari weaving, Photo-shoots, Football)

Hi Everyone :)

Check out my older posts! I have added pictures! Hooray!

I am sorry that I have not posted for so long. Obviously, lots and lots has happened since my last post so I shall do my best to fill you in.  To do so, I am going to do this in installments… Alright, ready?  Here we go:

End of Week Two/ Start of Week Three:

         Our Day trip for week Two was to Sonargon.  Sonargon is a relatively nearby village that is known for its production of the hand-woven jamdani sari.   Jamdani woven products are rich in traditional Bengali culture and tradition and are the product of lengthly hours of patient and dedicated handwork.   Our first stop was Rupshi.  Here we had a chance to observe the process by which the famous jamdani saris are produced.  As we walked through the winding dirt paths of the village we passed by large production rooms filled with machinery that prepare the various colored threads for weaving.

            We then spent the duration of our time in Rupshi mingling with the jamdani weavers and viewing the fruits of their labor.  The weavers were all situated in a small and dimly lit hut.  There were several weaving stations all within close proximity of each other, and with two men positioned at each weaving station.  Being the lively and adventurous group that we are, we all jumped at the chance to climb down into the weaving stations and learn to make a few stitches from the professional weavers.  I found that I posses an uncanny talent for jamdani weaving, and that really, it is as easy as eating a piece of apple pie! JUST KIDDING, this is what really happened:  after a bit of maneuvering and carefully planned movements of descent as I climbed down into the weaving station (careful not to bump into the nearby weaving stations) I began my first attempts at weaving a jamdani sari.  Let me be the first to tell you, this is NO easy feat!  The threads are SO CLOSE that you must squint very hard and weave a small metal hand tool back and forth small and precisely calculated distances.  The weavers do not use a guide of any kind as they have memorized all of the weaving patterns.  My weaving partner had to hold my hand the whole time to make sure that I wouldn’t mess up.  I am proud to say, however that by the end of my 15 minute jamdani sari-weaving session that I was able to make one or two stitches by myself! 

            I thought that our trip to Rupshi was extremely special.  I loved the feeling of being in a village.  I loved the green, the clear skies, the animals, the people, and the feeling of remoteness.  Leaving Dhaka brought back many memories from my time in Bangladesh last summer interning with Grameen, and my many village-stays.  I can’t wait until I can speak Bangla so that I can come back and use it in the villages.

            Before long we were on the road again and arriving at our next stop in Sonargon to explore two museums on the history of Sonargon.  The literal translation of Sonargon is ‘golden village.’  Under the Muslim rulers of eastern Bengal, Sonargon used to be the main center for commerce and administration.  It is situated in what is now the Narayangani district and is about 27 km to the southeast of Dhaka.  Sonargon’s grandness and stature have survived only in name.  What remains are ruins and remnants of a once gleaming city. 

            I had fun running around the museum with my fellow students looking at the artifacts (mostly examples of items that used to be traded) and snapping photos in the unique aged, and elaborate ruins.  In some of our free time that we had to roam around, the boys managed to find a football (soccer game) with some locals that they willing joined!  Expect a post with my thoughts about the world cup... If I open that can of worms now I will NEVER finish this post! haha

        This “photo shoot” of sorts then continued as we advanced to Panam City, ruins from what used to be the accommodations of the upper-middle class.  Despite their looks, we quickly learned that these “ruins” are actually inhabited!  We had a great time mingling with the locals and exploring the “city.”  Many of the CLS-ers even stopped for a quick cup of tea at a cha stall before our departure.

            Our last stop for the day was  the Goaldi Mosque.  After hearing a lecture on Islamic architecture (which I unfortunately missed due to illness)  this trip was meant to show us some of the unique architecture that one can find in Bangladesh.  It was a short visit, yet another perfect end to a more than eventful day!

Stay tuned for more pics and recent posts!

A woman I met when we arrived in Rupshi.

A man working in the fields. 

Two men hard at work weaving a Jamdani Sari.

I give weaving a try!

Weaving a Jamdani Sari is no easy feat!

A group pic!

Some kids I befriended in Panam City!

In front of Goaldi Mosque!