James & Jess in Bangladesh

Hello everyone! You will have to excuse our silence. New York has been great at gobbling up our time, but we do have a moment to spare tonight to share with you some pictures we've taken and let you know what we've been up to!

Here are a few pictures of our days up at Steamboat. We continued to enjoy the snow and the good company before heading back to Breckenridge for a day and then on to Fort Collins where we stayed with Chris's lovely Mum and Dad and met some more of the family.

Our time so far in Colorado has been fun and relaxing, here are some pics...

Good morning everyone! 

Last night we arrived safely in Colorado, where we are visiting Tim and Chris in Breckenridge. Because of recent events, American Airlines advised that we should be at the airport at least 3 hrs prior to departure - this meant getting up at 4am, but we're glad we did! We managed to be quite near the front of the line (maybe 15th in line...) and it still took us over an hour to get processed. The delays were mostly due to the restricted carry on, meaning each traveller had to try and convince the check in people that their bag was A4 sized...some were more lenient than others, the inconsistency only delaying the process further. We managed to get my bag on and the laptop had to be carried alone, with the case checked in. Once on board we were advised there would be no blankets due to security measures. Then there was the added pain of traveling on a plane where our central isle 80's looking TV didn't work and headphones were charged out at $2. Economy service on AA = poor. We arrived at Dallas and rushed to make our connection, quickly grabbing some donuts as we made our way - it was lunch time, and we weren't expecting much from the Airline. However....! When we handed over our boarding pass the lady gave me back two different ones - we had been upgraded to first class!! Jackpot! The second flight was roomy and accompanied by plentiful drinks, nuts and fresh warm cookies. Sadly, it was about the shortest flight we will make, at just 1hr 40min, but we enjoyed it!

Presumably because the flights were so close together, only James' suitcase made it onto the second plane. But AA was great with the service - a friendly lady helped us get all the details together, found out our bags were coming through on the next flight and arranged for them to be couriered to us. This was a blessing! It meant that the poor courier man had to haul the bags up 2 flights of stairs instead of us. 

Colorado, at least to us, is a winter wonderland. Flying in it was beautiful to see the snow covered plains. Then driving up to Breckenridge (about 1hr 40min away from Denver airport) it was great to wind through hills and Christmas lights. As for Breckenridge itself, it only gets better - our first impression of this little ski town, which is currently bustling due to the holidays - is one of quaintness. Lovely little shops and homes decked out in their Christmas lights - we're looking forward to having a look around soon :D
 
Once here we went to see Chris's family (grandad, aunts, uncles and cousins, numbering nearly 30!) - who have gathered here from I think 3 different locations, for a family holiday. They were all warm and welcoming and it was lovely introduction to America and to Breckenridge :)

We've been taking it easy in Vancouver - while there is plenty to do and see we don't feel we 'have' to see a lot. Here are some photo's to update you on some of the things we have done.

We took a gigantic walk one day - from West Vancouver, over Lions Gate Bridge, into Downtown and across to Broadway...it ended up being about 17km. This pic is looking from Lions Gate Bridge over one part of Stanley Park

Well, it was with great sadness that we said goodbye to the wonderful London yesterday - but also with great excitement as we arrived in Vancouver to spend Christmas with the Kent's.

We haven't ventured out of the house yet, so there isn't much I can write on Vancouver. Instead, I thought I'd add a few more photo's and comments about London.

The question we seem to be being asked a lot is what we saw in London. Well, most importantly, we saw our friends who live there! It was lovely spending time with people we haven't seen in years, catching up on each others lives and generally enjoying each others company - there is nothing quite like the joy of spending time with old friends!

In terms of sites - we did all the typical ones - but for me the top 3 were...

Greenwich - such a cool area - we saw the Royal Observatory and Queens House, learning a fair bit of interesting history - especially from this man...who acted out the history of GMT.

They also had a great market with delicious foods - we love markets!


Covent garden market - we went on a Thursday, when the gourmet food fair was on. For lunch we had the best pies EVER - even better, they were made with free range meat! Although I still opted for one of the vegetarian pies - it sounded far too delicious to pass up! I also loved the cheese tasting - in terms of food, good dairy products were the thing I missed most when living in BD.



St Paul's Cathedral - if you haven't seen it, and you're ever in London, then go see it! It is amazing! Photo's can't do justice to the beauty of the paintings and architectural details that are all over this amazing building. We paid the 11 pounds each and ventured to the top of the building - there are 3 level's you can climb to, and the 3rd is definitely worth the narrow staircase climb - incredible 360 degree views of London :)

In terms of the people of London, before arriving we had heard rumors of unfriendly locals. I'm glad to say our experience was the opposite! The last impression of London in our minds is how helpful people were as we attempted to make our way to Heathrow via a bus and two underground trains. At every stage kind people paused, looked at us with our 2 big suitcases, 2 big duffel bags and 2 pieces of carry on each and took pity - we had helpers carrying our luggage up and down stairs and on and off trains every step of the way - thank you London-ers!

And - finally - a BIG thank you to Simon and the Sudell's (the family we stayed with). They made our re-entry into the west and our stay in London wonderful! xox

Sadly, our time in London is drawing to an end... Here's a few photos for you all.

As we continue to explore London we are deeply appreciative of their public transport system. After Bangladesh any form of organised transport, where you can actually fit your knees in behind the chair in front of you, would be considered bliss. However, I don't think its just the contrast to Bangladesh that makes this system amazing. It is so intricate and planned. The combination of subway, overground train and buses - all run by the government, and all operated on the 'oyster card' is great. There are clear maps, the buses come every 5 or so minutes, the website has a 'journey planner', AND the bus/train not only has computerised signs saying which stop your approaching, but also a voice over! It makes navigating the city the easiest experience ever. Yes, Londoners complain about the system - about the time it takes to get from point A to B, about the chaos when the system stops working. But honestly, it is such a detailed and intricate system, its amazing that it all flows so smoothly! It made us laugh on the bus this morning, overhearing so many complain about the 'traffic jam' we were in - James and I were thinking "What traffic jam?? We're still moving!" I guess life in Bangladesh really does change your perspective - like now we think of a 1 to 1 1/2 hours as the normal time it takes to get anywhere - a bit different to Christchurch where traveling for more than 20 minutes makes it a long journey.

Speaking of the impact of Bangladesh. I didn't realise just how much the daily grind of life in Bangladesh had affected me. It's hard to express the changes in myself in the last few days - its lovely to be back in a culture which is organised, logical, time orientated and direct - and to be interacting in English. It's also been great staying with the Suddell's - being part of the family and being able to relax and just be ourselves. It is like having a heavy weight slowly lifted, so many frustrations have been removed. Despite the jet lag and cold weather I feel so much lighter!

We took a trip to Kew Gardens yesterday (in Kew) and spent a good deal of time soaking up one of the most attractive and well-maintained open spaces either of us had seen in a long time. Despite the dreary weather, our spirits were not diminished, and we made sure to get around a good deal of the gardens before closing time. We were most excited at the abundance of playful squirrels and plump pigeons.

We've managed to stock up on a few winter accessories at a marvelous store called TK Max. We've never seen a store like it. Very well-known brands at low, low prices. Just what we needed, really. The weather here is still a shock to the still tropically acclimatised system, but I feel that already it's a bit more familiar. There is a certain charm to wrapping up snugly and braving the cold.

Having made the change between countries rather quickly, I find our situation still somewhat surreal. Everything is being compared to Bangladesh, and everything seems more wonderful and convenient than it ever did before. I know this period of appreciation will gradually fade, but I think there's an insight and sense of humility that will never really leave me.

We arrived in London late yesterday afternoon. The flight over went well, although neither of us managed more than a couple of hours sleep total. So we'd been awake since 7am Dhaka time Wednesday morning to 2am Dhaka time Friday morning....with maybe 2-3 hours sleep. Yet, my body still woke me this morning at 8.30am Dhaka time! I tossed and turned but my brain and stomach were both switched on, so have started my day with breakfast and lady grey tea (soooooo good to have tea variety again!!) at 4am. 

Anyway, London is absolutely freezing. Standing outside literally feels like you're surrounded by ice. But it is nice to have to run on the spot to get warm. At least with the cold you can just keep adding more layers - with the hot there is a limit to how much you can do! We were both surprised at how quick arrival here is - you just walk through 'customs'. No luggage check or anything - not what I was expecting! Simon was there to meet us, and he and the family that he lives with are taking wonderful care of us. Jo (mum of the house) made us fish pie for dinner last night and cake for dessert - bliss! Then we sank into bed - I felt like I was being engulfed into marshmellow bliss - so warm and cosy! It's so nice to sleep with a heavy duvet again!

On the agenda today: Shopping!! James has realised he didn't REALLY consider this aspect of our trip when packing... no comfy pants, no warm PJ's, no thermals!! (I went to the opposite extreme bringing nearly all the clothes I own!!) So we'll be heading out to find some cheap clothes. But FIRST I'm going for a wee journey on my own - to the supermarket! James has opted not to come with me - I'm bad enough in the supermarkets in Dhaka, standing getting excited over the presence of tofu and taking an hour to get round the small area, examining and marvelling over products - I'm not sure how long my time in Tesco's will be, but I just want to 'browse' the shelves and remind myself that cream cheese and sundried tomatoes and whole wheat bread do actually exist!


 

Hello again! We are now in Hong Kong - flight here was great, went quite quickly - I guess we have got used to traveling for more than 15 minutes at a time!

On arrival at Hong Kong we are struck by the cleanliness. It has made me realise that I haven't seen true cleanliness in 10 months... my standards of what I believed to be 'pretty good' had definately lowered. I was rather excited by the presence of sanitizer in the toilet! Welcome back to the west!

Well folks, we're at the airport! I have to say, I thought Christchurch airport was pretty small... Dhaka is smaller. When we arrived we didn't look around - so we didn't realise how boring a 3 hour wait here would be!

It is a real mixed bag - amazingly they have free wireless! Phew, we have found a way to spend our last hour! But on the other hand... we were having a look around the duty free shop and found a man who had made his bed there! Huddled in a corner, shoes off, fast asleep with blanket and pillow! Amazing! Only in Bangladesh??

Well, tomorrow is our last day in Bangladesh. We were discussing tonight how surreal that feels - but then, on reflection, so does the last day before any big event.

Tomorrow we'll spend the day packing, tidying up and ticking off the last of the to-do-list (like printing our e-tickets!! The local printer has been closed for days due to Eid - but should be open tomorrow...). We'll then head out for dinner with a few friends to say some final goodbyes before preparing to head to the airport around midnight - our flight leaves at 3am on the 3rd.

The last few days we've had a great time catching up with lots of people, saying our goodbyes, making sure we have everyone's email addresses and posing for plenty of photos!

One of my favorite times in the last few days was spending the afternoon with my female English students - Farah, Jyoti and Rumana. Farah's family hosted us for an Eid lunch (traditionally beef curry, beef patties and beef prepared in any other way...). They went to a lot of trouble to do a vegetarian meal for us, providing about 7 different main course dishes! The thought of preparing a vegetarian meal can be daunting for many in the west - yet it is more so for people here. To prepare a meal without meat for your guests is in a Bangladeshi's mind's providing guests with a meal that only poor people would eat. For them, serving such a meal is dishonoring the guest. They apologised many times for the 'poor spread' they had provided - but it was truly a vegetarian feast. The fact that they honored our decision not to eat meat and went to such lengths to provide for us blew us away.

James left after lunch, but I stayed on to spend some time with the girls. Farah skillfully decorated us with henna...

This all took a lot of time, both to draw and to dry, providing ample opportunity to just sit and chat. I have been consistently amazed by these girls - their love of life, their care for others, their depth of insight and thought is something I have rarely seen - anywhere. I'm thankful I get to leave Bangladesh with the knowledge that there are strong and thoughtful women here who will go on to do so much good.

We'll we're gearing up to leave Dhaka. We have just 4 1/2 more short (and very busy days) left. It is an odd time, with mixed emotions. There is of course the sadness of saying goodbyes, but then this is contrasted with the excitement about visiting friends and family in London, North America and Brisbane. Then there is the prospect of returning to NZ. Exciting: seeing everyone. Daunting: Sorting out life...(James finding work, me writing a thesis, buying a car, finding a flat, sorting out our involvement in different areas). There is so much ahead in the next couple of months!

On Thursday we had a day which we decided to spend solely on ourselves... we both had dental check ups (no fillings! phew!) and I got my hair cut. Then we had lunch out. We actually stumbled across a place that sold smoked salmon sandwiches and sushi! And then we found frozen yoghurt!! Amazing!! I was quite surprised at just how excited getting my hair cut and eating these foods made me! And that made me think about how many other things I'm starting to get excited about.... vacuum cleaners! washing machines! hot water! road rules that are followed..not being stared at...exercising outside... a zillion different foods... and yes... a lovely pinot and good conversations with friends.

It's about 6am in the morning. I wake to the eery sound of the Azan. Today is Korbani Eid. The Azan seems to go on for extra long today - or it could just be my imagination. I decide to get up and as I walk into the kitchen I can smell the familiar smell of cows. This is not surprising, there is, after all one currently living in our front yard. I battle in my mind - I am torn between the desire to pretend that today the streets of Dhaka are not one big slaughter house - and the desire to see.

I make the decision to stay inside. I am told that the cows will be killed around 7am. Phew I think - knowing that we will need to leave home about 10am to go to team meeting. My 'phew' did not last... at 9.50 we depart the house. Ropes are being prepared, legs tied together, knives sharpened. "Walk quickly" I say to James - neither of us want to see the actual slitting of the throat. We turn the corner - blood lines the streets, cows are in various stages of the process. We continue to walk as fast as we can, unable to see any rickshaws.

Now as I sit, writing I can smell something like skin burning... I don't know if that's actually what it is, but whatever is burning is gross. All I can say is I'm glad we don't eat meat and glad that all those who have invited us to their homes know we don't eat meat... although we did have to clarify that YES, beef is meat, and YES, chicken is meat as well.

Here are a few odd observations I've made during our time in Dhaka (there's too many to recall):

Store-front signs:

"Snakes and Treats" (evidently no snacks available there)

"Man-Hearts Furniture" (morbid)

"Dominous Pizza" (not quite)

Advertisements:

"Kickapoo Fruit Juice" (interesting...)

"Mysterious Broadband" (no doubt mysteriously slow)

"Join Bangladesh Air Force - Become a Patriotic Arrowhead" (um... no)

The thing about the bargaining system is that you seldom walk away feeling like you've gained the upper hand. It's very rare indeed (especially for western tourists) to gain any sense of satisfaction from a good old-fashioned haggle. Having almost no conception of what constitutes a 'fair' price in most instances (which is a grey area at best anyway), the tourist immediately falls into the 'rookie' category, pitted against the street-hardened 'veterans' of Dhaka's marketplaces.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've walked away from a shop/CNG/rickshaw and not wondered if I could have gotten away with paying a little less. And I don't even consider myself a tourist anymore.Sometimes I'll even wonder if I should have paid a little extra.

To paint a picture, here's a recent example of one of the many bargaining situations I find myself in each day:

The other night I was in need of transport back to Mirpur. Being well after dark and about a 45-minute journey from home, I was somewhat eager to get moving.

After repeated refusals from about a dozen CNG drivers unwilling to venture that far, I found a chap who was willing for 200 Tk. (about NZ$4). Not bad, but it's actually about a 130-Tk. trip if you go by the meter, which few do.

So I decided to try my luck and see if I could better that price elsewhere. More refusals.

From nowhere an observant taxi driver approaches me bidding 220 Tk. Now, don't get the wrong idea here. When I say 'taxi', I don't mean the kind of taxi you might expect to see in NZ. Picture the worst-condition car you've ever seen on the road and you're starting to get the idea. Subtract from that windows, suspension, seatbelts and a radio.

Anyway, 220. If I had been in a familiar part of the city, in daylight, I would have kept walking right past this fellow. But I wasn't.

Still not entirely content with getting ripped off quite that much, I decided to play this chap a little. I told him that the CNG driver over there was willing at 200, to which he exploded into something about a taxi being far superior to a CNG. This is a common misconception. At this, I casually slung my bag, turned and started towards the CNG. Well, the taxi driver folded faster than Superman on laundry day, proclaiming that 200 was quite satisfactory after all. Indeed.

And so it was that for the briefest of moments I gained the upper hand, of sorts. I savoured the victory of the battle, knowing full well in the back of my mind that this chap had thoroughly won the war.

A transformation has occurred!

29th October...



30th October...

As many of you will know, our accommodation while here in Bangladesh has consisted of looking after other people's places while they have been away. This has worked out really well and in the end there was only one week - this week - where we were homeless. As such, we decided to take a week off and head down to a place called Malumghat - it is an hour north of the famous Cox Bazaar.

The bus trip down here was epic - we left the apartment at 8.30am and arrived at the guest house at 9.15pm. We did have a couple of stops, one at 2pm for 'lunch' - we were starving by then! and one at 8pm for 'dinner'. These 20 minute stops were just enough time to order and quickly eat our food - so the stiffness of sitting in the bus wasn't really relieved! We were exhausted by the time we got here - so it was a quick bit of unpacking and straight to bed.

The last couple of days here have been amazingly relaxing. Quiet breakfasts in the gazebo, relaxing afternoons in the swimming pool - which we have had all to ourselves! Lovely walks along the brick path, nicely shadowed by looming trees. I even went for an early morning run yesterday! Unlike Dhaka it actually cools down here and in the morning is lovely and cool - making it a double treat of exercising outdoors AND being able to breathe in fresh cool air.

Here are some pictures we've taken on a couple of our walks... we can hardly believe we are still in Bangladesh!






Best of all is the sound of nature. The guest house is at the very back of a large section that has a hospital, school etc at the front. As such it is removed from the road and the traffic...there is literally just the sound of nature! 

Apologies for the blatant lack of blogging everyone. Consider this the revival. Here are some very typical shots I snapped recently while out and about in Mirpur and Lalmatia in Dhaka. Enjoy!

Well, we've been back in Dhaka for a couple of weeks now. We've traded clean air and lush green jungle scenery for smog and concrete once again. Definitely the first thing that hits you when you re-enter Dhaka is the pollution - and the noise. We're now living in an apartment that belongs to some friends. They have returned to the US for a few months on holiday, so we are lucky enough to be borrowing their very spacious three-bedroom, three-bathroom place in Lalmatia. The showers even have hot water! Not that I always feel like a hot shower, but it's nice to have the option. Perhaps the best thing though is the high-speed broadband connection - plus it's free! Also, the power situation here is much, much better than in the village. Instead of losing power for random intervals three to four times per day, we're lucky if we notice more than one power-cut here lasting longer than an hour! Some of the apartment's wiring is connected to a backup generator, too, so if we do lose power we have at least two fans and some lights still working.

Just around the corner we're now spoiled for choice with several small supermarkets available. You will never truly appreciate a supermarket until you have wandered the back-lanes of a Bangladeshi bazaar. The heat, the smells, the people! And there ain't no trolleys. Anyway, the supermarkets offer a lot more choice - at a slight premium of course - and they make shopping much easier.

I have resumed English teaching in Mirpur but I'm still trying to figure out the bus system. Now that we're no longer living a few minutes' walk from the school, getting there is a lot more time-consuming. Also, buses here are definitely not designed for taller people. It's tempting to just catch a CNG, but the cost of commuting adds up far too quickly. At least with the buses you don't need to bargain (more blogging on bargaining soon).

Hope everyone's well back home.

As if roaches, fire-ants and mosquitoes weren't enough to worry about, this fellow has been showing up in some unexpected places recently. He's big, but make no mistake, he can move. Normally spiders don't faze me, but I find myself keeping a healthy distance from this one. At some point I'm probably going to have try to catch and release him.








In other news, a creepy-crawly of the digital kind managed to wipe out most of our computer last week. Definitely the most malicious virus I've ever come across. It replicates across hard and removable drives, embedding itself into all of your executables, including .zip archives and screen-saver files among a host of others. So even after I re-formatted my main hard-drive, the virus re-infected the whole computer again when I went to re-install my programs form the backup drive! The virus also takes control of your internet, restricting access to email servers and anti-virus-related websites. It simultaneously connects you to a remote server and your PC essentially becomes a re-director for spam and who knows what else. Oh and it also acts as a trojan, opening a back-door for Mr Hacker to find his way into your files. Eventually, I couldn't even boot my computer successfully into Windows Safe Mode. In the end I had to remove as much of the virus I could through a Linux-based rescue boot-disk and then manually and painfully delete almost all of my program installation files, just in case. At least all of those files were replaceable, but if the virus had targeted .jpeg and .doc files for example, we would have lost irreplaceable data. The reality is that backing up your valuable files to your second hard-drive or even a removable hard-drive is next to useless if a virus breaches your defences - and they are getting increasingly sophisticated. Regular backups to CD/DVD, web-based storage, or preferably both, would be wiser.

Late yesterday afternoon we took a stroll around Joypara. I thought I'd post some of the pictures taken, so you can get more of an idea of the surroundings here :)

Last week we shifted to Joypara, a small community 2 hours south of Dhaka. We will be here for 8 weeks taking over the teaching responsibilities of Jim and Elaine while they're away spending some time with their kids. The travel went smoothly, despite our responsibilities meaning that James and I had to travel down on two separate days. We were glad that the bridge was fixed, as the week earlier our new next door neighbour had been asked to make a 10 minute walk through the river... she refused, knowing alternative ways around and where to find transport– but, with our lack of Bangla we wouldn't have been so lucky.

We have quickly settled in here – helped a lot by Jim and Elaine's hospitality and the reassurance of having English speaking, Bangladeshi friends (who we already knew) next door. Its so refreshing to be out of the city, with its crowds, traffic, pollution and noise. But, Joypara does has its own little quirks – like our back yard being the rubbish dump for surrounding houses, power that is completely unpredictable and inconsistent and humidity that seems twice as bad as the city (maybe because of the nearby river and lots of vegetation??). Never-the-less, our first week here has been refreshing and encouraging.

The view looking right after stepping out the front door

Backyard/rubbish pit

 

Looking right from the rubbish area, this is the water pump. Don't worry, we do have taps and an electric pump, but this comes in handy when the power is out. The housekeeper's job though, rather than mine (phew!)

Our building... there aren't many multi-level buildings, so it stands out a bit!

The day before I came down, James and others associated with the technical training center (which teaches English and electrician skills) headed out for a boat trip – I have pinched a couple of Jim's pics from facebook. They had a great time, playing volleyball, singing, eating and relaxing.

James is always forced to play at the front, ready to use his height as an advantage to spike the ball down

In other news, it was my 22^nd birthday on Thursday, and while it was strange being away from home I did have a nice day. Actually, the celebrations were extended, with birthday treats beginning in Dhaka. My mum sent me some money to treat myself – and it went a long way! I had a lovely facial... which lasted a whole 90 minutes, and included about 5 different treatments to my face, and two to my legs, feet, arms, hands and back!! All for about NZD$12! Following the facial I got my nose pierced – yes it hurt! With the immediate pain being followed by a dull headache. But that allowed me the excuse of getting mishti (Bengali sweets) to take my mind off it ;) On my actual birthday I was treated by Elaine to home made chocolate brownie. In the evening we all went out for dinner to a local restaurant. James also got me a lovely smaller nose stud to put in when I can finally change it over :) All this was topped off by having enough power to skype mum. It was strange being away from home - and sad missing others' birthdays too - but the efforts of those here and at home meant I had a wonderful day. 

Another Sunday had rolled around, this one with much anticipation – for we were off to Fantasy Kingdom with our friend Lizy.

Fantasy Kingdom is the 'world famous in Bangladesh' theme park. We started off at mid-day, catching a bus for a cheap 30 taka each for the one and a bit hour journey. When we got there we were met with a queue – of about six people. We entered through the gates and saw a deserted arena, where events can be held. We continued walking and soon found our way to the rides. There were no queues, in-fact, there were probably only about 20 people in the whole park! I was nice not having to queue, but also meant it didn't really have the atmosphere of fun and laughter that usually characterises an amusement park – it was a bit spooky. We bought an all-inclusive ticket that allowed us to go on each ride once (except the water tunnel one, which we weren't keen for anyway considering the green murky-ness of the water!). The first one we chose was named 'Vortex'...ohhhh we thought, wonder what that is?? Entering, we walked into darkness, and when our eyes adjusted we saw we were supposed to follow a path highlighted by glow-in-the-dark paint. We did so, only to quickly discover the end of this 'ride' was simply seeing some glow in the dark stars, walking over a vibrating bridge and then through a tunnel... luckily the park improved substantially! There was only one other real disappointment which was the “Igloo”. We weren't sure what to expect, but thought it would be kinda cold and maybe have some pictures and information on Igloo's. Not so – we entered, into an almost pitch black room, with a moldy smell, with loud distorted music...there was also some ice in a 'pond' in the middle of the floor and some mist coming from the roof. We stood there for a moment then walked back out again – oh well, like I said, there were only 2 real disappointments, among about 8 other good rides.

There were three rides that were the real highlights for me – the roller-coaster, which although short in length produced a substantial amount of screaming from me – my first roller-coaster ride I may add! Then there was a ship ride, which pulled back upwards until we were almost vertical facing downwards and then plummeted down and went up the other side, so that we were again vertical but with backs facing the ground. This ride perhaps should have scared me, but the combination of that great plummeting stomach feeling with the facial expressions of one terrified young lady had us in hysterics. The final ride which gave me much satisfaction was the 'magic carpet'. I got onto this ride thinking it was going to be peaceful – thinking it was a bit of a sea-saw, just moving gently back and forward. However, just before the ride began James carefully tucked his foot through the strap of the bag at his feet and commented, “ I think this one goes round in a 360”.... I think the terror was obvious in my face because he quickly followed up with “don't worry, not 360 as in upside-down”. I quickly explained what I thought the ride was and he started to laugh. The ride then began and continued with much screaming, until, suddenly it stopped at its peak high in the air and I began saying “no, no, it can't go forward now, no, no, nooooooooooo”. It did go forward and, my logic defied, I did stay in my seat. The adrenaline was definitely enhanced by the lack of knowledge of what was to come, I'm glad I didn't know or I wouldn't have had the guts to get on – but in the end it was great!

The weather was kind to us and it only started to rain after we had been on all the rides. So we went into one of their food outlets for an early dinner of pizza and chips - amazing tasting and cheap! Full and content we made our way out into the rain (which had eased a little bit, but had already flooded to ankle depth) and to the bus stop. A damp trip home, and just as adrenaline packed as the roller-coaster (its quite strange the way bus drivers here seem so intent on playing chicken with each other!).

Last week - in an effort to maximise our day off - we headed to Old Dhaka, an area in the south of Dhaka City. It was chaos, to be honest. It was what I had expected all of Dhaka to be like: an enormous number of people, narrow streets and crawling traffic. With the Lonely Planet guide in hand, we headed to a street called Hindu street. Sadly, it was a bit of a disappointment. We spent most the time avoiding being hit by rickshaws as we tried to find some interesting shops, but without ever stepping into a shop, we were at the end of the street and not keen to fight our way back down it. Next stop was a market where rickshaw parts were sold. We went there in search of rickshaw art, and after stopping a few "uncles" (you can call anyone who looks a bit older than you and reasonably respectable an uncle), we managed to find some art. However, we were sorely disappointed with the steep asking price (and boy did we try to bargain!), so came away with only one piece of rickshaw art. By this time it was well past lunch time, so we headed to a local pastry shop - with no seating. We continued on and had a kind old lady lead us to a local Bangladeshi restaurant. Inside there was a good flow of people and most seats were full - a good indication of quality and to some extent hygiene. Food was tasty, filling and an amazing 110 Tk. (NZ$2.90) each, including a Coke!

Food in stomachs, it was time to head to the renowned "Banga Bazaar". This is where a stack of western clothes are sold at low, low prices. I did end up buying three tops and a pair of pants - a little difficult to check sizes, but two ladies assisted me to pull pants on over the top of my baggy shalawa pants. They were especially careful to make sure my orna was suitably covering my chest. We had a small band of 'helpers' who immediately attached to us when we got there. My primary helper was a lady who spoke English very well, and did get me some good prices (it's amazing how quickly pants for 2500 Tk. can come down to 1000!). However, some of our other helpers were a bit too pushy in the way they tried to make the sale, and we were soon feeling pretty claustrophobic. It's hard work shopping in such an environment - every two metres is a new shop, which comes with shouts of "sister, sister, sister! Come, come, look, look, Teeee-shirt!".

It's safe to say it was a tiring day, yet we will return. But next time we will have more of a plan of what we want and we'll try and convince (probably in vain) everyone but one helper to let us shop in peace.

We have also been able to have another weekend away visiting some other projects and friends in Rajshahi. Again, it was blissful to be out of the traffic of Dhaka. The vehicles in Rajshahi are primarily rickshaws. The absence of horns and hot fumes was a huge contrast. The four of us (James, me, Caroline and another teacher) made our way up on a bus. The buses we catch around Dhaka are small (James barely fits his legs in) - so we were a little apprehensive about a five hour journey! However we were pleasantly surprised when we got on and found plentiful leg room - more like the leg room at palms reading cinema (for those in Chch).

The journey was mostly nice, except for poor Caroline, who had her hand resting out the window just as the man in front threw up...apparently Bangladeshi's don't handle travel so well - vom down the side of buses is not an uncommon sight. The only other negative was that we got a flat tire - the tire just outside my window seat - so some rude men stared at me for a good 15 minutes before I decided to leave my seat in order to restrain myself from correcting their bad manners.

We relaxed the 1 1/2 days away by going for a couple of walks, visiting the English center there, meeting other foreign couples and kids, playing games and reading. A perfect break! We ended up coming home by train - air conditioned, first class train! Not sweating for a whole 6 hours was great :D When we walked onto the train we all started shivering and thought that the temperature was far too cold. It is amazing how quickly the body adjusts to the cold - we were all very comfortable within ten minutes. The transition back to the heavy heat of Dhaka was hard, but the benefit of so long in A/C outweighed the negatives of readjusting.

We have had the privilege to visit several projects in the last few weeks. One was a project that supports pregnant women and mothers with young children. All of these ladies and children live on the street, all either beg or prostitute themselves for money. The program gives them a place to come during the day, acts as a referral system to other accommodation and health support, provides subsidised lunches, the resources to shower, basic medical care, some day care for the kids and informal education for the ladies. The aim is to intervene with the mothers, moving them to a mindset and skill set where they can work. Through this, the hope is to give the children a better future. For, the cycle is such that without intervention it is more than likely that these children will remain on the street - the girls will likely turn to prostitution and the boys to drugs. I meet today the youngest at the center, a 12 year old girl, she is a clear example that the sex industry is all to easy to fall into. She has been working the street for three years, since she was 9 - she gives the money to her family, easily making five times what she would as a full time housekeeper. She has 4-6 'clients' a night. It broke my heart meeting this girl - she was what you would expect - exhibiting the typical attitude of children who have not been treated rightly - the same attitude that kids who have been taken away from their parents into state care exhibit. I can only hope that the efforts of the women at the center work. They are trying to be a loving family to her, a family that cares enough to say that the money isn't worth it. 

A friend of mine manages the project and asked if I could come and record some of the ladies stories, for, like all good projects, they need more money to expand. Talking to the ladies (with a translator of course!) it was evident that many had given up hope for themselves - they all were appreciative of the services offered, but more than anything they were there for their children. They expressed desires to work not so that they could have a more comfortable life, but so that they could send their children to school - so that their girls would not have to turn to the street work that they had to. Their pasts were sad - orphaned, abandoned, abused and/or left by their husbands. One lady had large burn scars, inflicted by her husband, on her face and arms, and likely under her clothing too. These ladies were in this situation because they had never been given the skills or education necessary to be independent. They had relied on males, and these males had abused and let them down.

It has been great to visit a few times. The first time we were met with quiet staring faces. Slowly the ladies began to return my smiles, and the children have grown to know us. The second visit is when I started to hear of their life stories. I took my camera and instantly friendships were formed. The ladies eagerly asked if I would be able to take pictures of them and their children, they have no pictures and would treasure a family portrait. So, one by one the small families came into the sitting area - actually by the end it was a very crowded room with everyone pushing to get in pictures! We visited again today, as 4 of their 6 staff are away and we thought we'd go to help entertain the kids. The first thing the mums asked was if we had printed their family pictures - will have to make sure that's done for next week!

In the meantime, situations such as these make me appreciate more and more the ease of my own life and make it clear that one thing seems to hold constant across class and culture - the love of mothers for their children. (Love you mum! xo)

Once again, you must excuse our slackness at not updating news sooner. Life certainly seems to get increasingly busy here. We have stopped having such an intense schedule of language learning and are both now meeting up with separate tutors for only a couple of hours a week. In one sense it is nice now having the freedom and flexibility to be involved in many different things. On the other hand, it is hard having such an open schedule - it requires me to constantly stop and think, "what's next?" For although it is easy to sit down and fall asleep, the reality is that there is always work that should be being done.

Well, bullet point updates?

- James is well, it has been nearly 3 weeks since he was last sick. Its lovely to have him back to normal, although a few kgs lighter. Never mind, the mini oven we have recently acquired is working hard to produce delicious baking - so he'll gain back any loss in no time I'm sure!

-We have a new flatmate, a girl my age from Northern Ireland named Caroline. She is in Bangladesh for at least 3 months, and is hoping for a visa extension so she can stay until August. Her arrival has been interesting - for with half of our team away in Aussie for a wedding we were given the responsibility of taking her through 2/3 of the orientation material. It will come as no surprise to you that we found this rather strange, since we ourselves are new-bees and feel we don't have too much knowledge or wisdom yet. Never-the-less I think the sessions were helpful and it is surprising how much you learn in so little time!

- Easter: it was very different having Easter away from home, and again we were acutely aware that the rest of our family were gathering together to enjoy each others company - there were a few pangs of homesickness. As for our adventures, we went to a dawn service on the steps of parliament, where around 5000 were gathered! Although we didn't understand anything (it was in Bangla of course), it was still very encouraging to see so many people gathered to celebrate Easter. Leaving parliament we ran into friends (the same friends who took care of us when James was sick). They invited us all back for a cooked breakfast - it was great, both the food and the company. To top the day off Caroline had especially bought mini Cadbury Easter eggs from Ireland :D