Yesterday we traveled out of Dhaka to Baromari, where there is a Catholic Mission that the MCC works with. It was an adventure to say the least. Ethel, Darren, Robin and two local guys who work for MCC went along to drive and help us "badeshis" (foreigners) out. When we got there we were greeted by sisters from the mission, who seem timeless. They were so excited we had come for a visit. The mission is so beautiful, green with lots of palm trees, cows hanging around, and big white ceramic buildings, all very breezy. We were ushered into a room where there were 30 or so children waiting for and giggling at us. They were so cute and curious. I think to them I might have been cute and I know I was curious. The kids danced, sang, played drums and a harmonium with amazing grace. It made me so happy to see children dancing and singing and making music. The gave us a buquet of flowers and kissed our hands. All the songs were in Bangla, until they started singing "THE WHEELS ON DA BUUUS" it was so funny--here I am in the middle of Bangladesh village country and they are singing a universal children's song. I loved it and it made me so excited to learn their songs and to teach them some Camp songs as well. With my new guitar skills, hopefully that will be possible. (so far I know A and E)
We had some coffee (instant) and a cocunut pie that one of the sisters had made from the coconuts right out side. It was delicious and all a bit surreal. Whenever something strikes us as unusual or funny or whatever Darren and I just say "Welcome to Bangladesh..." That was one of those Welcome to Bangladesh moments. There are many moments like that, since I haven't even been here a week yet. Here is a riddle: Think of America. Then think of opposite day. Then picture lots of rickshaws, lots of sweating, and colors, and understanding nothing except for two words. Think of lots of staring. Think of showers right by toilets (squatty ones) and guards guarding everything. Think of amazing interesting markets and tailors and shoe makers. think of more people than you can imagine. Then say, "Welcome to Bangladesh".
After Baromari, we traveled to Mymensingh and I got to see the Mymensingh mission where I will be staying. Sister Miriam greeted me with two kisses and kind eyes. I was just so geeked to be there. We had more tea and cookies, and I tried a bit of my Bangla and they tried a bit of English. We nodded and smiled alot. It is clear that learning Bangla will be a necessity to survive at the Mission. I saw my room. It is pretty big by Bangladesh standards. It also has a Western toilet and shower-only for me. I think that it will be good to have my own space to retreat to.
I saw some of the girls and wanted to just stay and relax and play games with them. It felt so good to be there and without a doubt this will be a good place for me. But I won't be moving into my room for two months. Language school is my primary responsibilty for the first two months. I will meet my host family tonight for dinner at 10pm.
Today we saw a few of the partnerships MCC has with handicrafts and learned about their fair trade values and how partnerships work here in Bangladesh. It was cool to see women working on looms, making rugs, painting paper mache' and carving things. It made me want to sit down and do it too. What an opportunity to see things that end up at 10,000 villages being made and meeting the people who make them and who are in charge. These visits required lots of tea drinking and cookie eating as well. Today I have had 5 tea times.
After we saw the various partnerships we met Mrs. Nat. She's got to be about 87 years old. She has been teaching MCCers English for years and Darren and I will be her 51st and 52nd pupils. She has a masters degree from Australia and has been a teacher in a few different places. I am excited to hear her stories and learn how to communicate.
It's good to see how my days will be spent in the next two months. I will have language study in the afternoons 4-6 and a conversation partner for one hour each day as well. This means that I will have the rest of the day to wander around Mymensingh and visit the Taize community.
Well. internet time is up. more later. yahoo wasn't working...so no emails today. I am thinking of you all lots and thanks for thinking about me too.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Of Tea and Guitars
Tea is a very big deal here in Dhaka. It's sweet, savory and nearly as good as a cup of strong cowboy coffee. This morning we had it during a staff meeting and just now the office assistant brought me a cup, nice and hot. So far today has been lots of meetings and power point presentations--learning who does what at the MCC office and also about some of the development projects they are working on. One big thing is getting safe drinking water, free of arsenic. We listened to Rebecca, who is a bengali woman with a civil engineering degree talk about the different options for treating water as well as dealing with those who have arsenic poisoning already.
I've been craving a creative outlet here. Darren, who is a guitar extrodinair knew that I've been wanting to learn how to play. So today he found a guitar for me to learn! I am so excited and think that this will be a wonderful way to express myself and process and relax. I've been listening to lots of music, and coloring and also doing crosswords. These along with exploring the city last night have proven to be very rich and colorful times of learning and absorbing what is going around me here. I am beginning to realize that I'm not in Kansas anymore. I am in Bangladesh, learning, wondering, exploring, sweating, and loving it.
I am excited for the adventures to come and grateful for the last three days of taking it all in and first experiences of Bangladesh life. The rest of the day is free, which I am excited about. It's going to be so good to not be in structured meetings.
Tomorrow I will get my 3 salwar kameezes from the tailor--you guys would laugh and know that I am in my element with alllllllllllllll the colors and fabric and scarves and bells and maybe even whistles on clothes. I may never wear jeans again. Matching means nothing here and it's all about the contrast. I'll try to post some pictures to give you the full effect later.
Peace.
Cicely
I've been craving a creative outlet here. Darren, who is a guitar extrodinair knew that I've been wanting to learn how to play. So today he found a guitar for me to learn! I am so excited and think that this will be a wonderful way to express myself and process and relax. I've been listening to lots of music, and coloring and also doing crosswords. These along with exploring the city last night have proven to be very rich and colorful times of learning and absorbing what is going around me here. I am beginning to realize that I'm not in Kansas anymore. I am in Bangladesh, learning, wondering, exploring, sweating, and loving it.
I am excited for the adventures to come and grateful for the last three days of taking it all in and first experiences of Bangladesh life. The rest of the day is free, which I am excited about. It's going to be so good to not be in structured meetings.
Tomorrow I will get my 3 salwar kameezes from the tailor--you guys would laugh and know that I am in my element with alllllllllllllll the colors and fabric and scarves and bells and maybe even whistles on clothes. I may never wear jeans again. Matching means nothing here and it's all about the contrast. I'll try to post some pictures to give you the full effect later.
Peace.
Cicely
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Of rice and rickshaws
I made it safely. Today's my 2nd full day in Dhaka. I don't have a ton of time to write right now...but I've eaten lots of rice, with my hands of course, gotten some fabric at the market for my salwar kameez, went to the tailor to have my salwar kameeze (plural) made, ate in a bangladeshi home where the hospitality blew my mind, been on a couple rickshaws, have sweated a fair amout and have felt more alive than I have felt in a long time....
Life on the other side of the world is gritty, beautiful and is proving to raise lots of questions. it's good.
Details of the moment: I will be staying in Dhaka until Tuesday, then I will head North with other MCCers to my host family's home (where apparently they have gotten new furniture, painted their house and cleaned everything thoroughly for my arrival!), and I will also see some of the Agriculture programs the MCC has further north as well...lots of orientation and conversations and questions...and I am definately still getting over jet lag....
I'll write more later when I feel less pressed for time..
Thanks so much for your emails and comments....means more than you know.
peace.
Cicely
Life on the other side of the world is gritty, beautiful and is proving to raise lots of questions. it's good.
Details of the moment: I will be staying in Dhaka until Tuesday, then I will head North with other MCCers to my host family's home (where apparently they have gotten new furniture, painted their house and cleaned everything thoroughly for my arrival!), and I will also see some of the Agriculture programs the MCC has further north as well...lots of orientation and conversations and questions...and I am definately still getting over jet lag....
I'll write more later when I feel less pressed for time..
Thanks so much for your emails and comments....means more than you know.
peace.
Cicely
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Hong Kong with Emily!
It's true friends, I am in HK with Emily. It's so bizarre, normal, and fantastic to see her. and currently I am drinking my last latte for a year. I keep thinking that THIS is my last...but now I truly think that this is my last one... ah, addiction...
My flight went very smoothly from Portland to San Fran... and the flight from San Fran to HK was 12 hours... and I slept most of it, given that I didn't sleep the night before. There was a very helpful, motherly type sitting next to me who gave me all kinds of travel tips and stories about China and HK. She even let me borrow her cell phone to call Em and tell her my plane arrived early.
I met a Mexican guy in the portland airport. He works for America West in Porta Vallerta..and says if I want to visit, he can hook me up with some cheap flights and accomodations. but all I know is that his name is Hector, so that plan might not work out.
Feelings of the moment: excited, nervous, tired...am I dreaming?????
peace.
Cicely, the international extrodinaire
My flight went very smoothly from Portland to San Fran... and the flight from San Fran to HK was 12 hours... and I slept most of it, given that I didn't sleep the night before. There was a very helpful, motherly type sitting next to me who gave me all kinds of travel tips and stories about China and HK. She even let me borrow her cell phone to call Em and tell her my plane arrived early.
I met a Mexican guy in the portland airport. He works for America West in Porta Vallerta..and says if I want to visit, he can hook me up with some cheap flights and accomodations. but all I know is that his name is Hector, so that plan might not work out.
Feelings of the moment: excited, nervous, tired...am I dreaming?????
peace.
Cicely, the international extrodinaire
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
44 lbs
I'm at my Grama and Grampas house in Portland, OR, up early because of jet lag/ crazy sleep schedule over the last two days. It feels good to be up and looking out at their garden, blueberry bushes, their huge German shepard-Brutus, and using their dial up internet. I'm here in Portland, (which is synonymous with heaven) until Wednesday at 3 am, when I will begin the last leg to get to Dhaka, Bangladesh.
On Friday, which was our last day of MCC training, I found out that I would only be able to bring 44lbs total with me to Bangladesh, because "Dragonair"--the airline that will bring me from Hong Kong to Dhaka only allows that much weight. I had two bags--my hiking backpack weighed 38 lbs and my other suitcase weighed 47 lbs. SO. I was going to have to eliminate 40 pounds of stuff. Good thing my dear friend Alaina was there to help me...She lives in Philly, and since I was flying out of Philly I got to chill w/ her for the evening on friday....she even showed me downtown, the art museum and what the heck "water ice " is...(it's sort of like a creamsicle, philly style) anyways, after dinner, water ice and a tour we headed to her house to figure out which 40 lbs would have to go.
I was not too stressed out about losing 40 pounds...in reality that is probably more than I need, and I don't want to be this American tourist with tons of stuff and nowhere to put it. It is an adventure. I also think it will be good for the soul, this year is already teaching me things I did not expect to learn. Like intense simplicity. is that an oxymoron?
I put in some music, Franz Ferdinand followed by some Ben Harper to help us get started. But wait, who has a scale? hmmmm. Alaina had to go and ask her 94 year old neighbor for a scale, and after she didn't come back for about 15 minutes I was thinking this story could end up on a show like Dateline--about a girl who never came back from looking in her neighbors basement for a scale. I digress.. We ended up buying a scale at Rite Aid, only to come back to the 94 year old neighbor yelling and pounding on her door, scale (from 1930) in hand. Awkward? a little.
By this time it is 11pm and we have not even started the process. So we begin. At first its easy to see which sorts of things to eliminate: heavy shampoo, hand sanitzer, a huge bottle of lotion, clothes I won't wear in a muslim country...then we start a "maybe pile" All this time we are weighing things separately, and Alaina is keeping a list, b/c she's organized. I am working on getting rid of papers I won't need in Bangladesh, when the "maybe pile" vanishes. She tells me that my toiletries weigh 1/3 of the total weight limit, without the "maybe pile." I start to feel slightly high maintence. And I am not even taking any hair products, make up or lotion.
We then work on my clothes. I won't need many because I will be wearing a shalwar kameez most of the time. But only one pair of running pants? (I only brought 2 to begin with) Now I have to get rid of some underwear? apparently yes.
(less underwear is good for the soul)
Anyway we finish my hiking backpack, and move on to my carry on,which has books--none of which I can bear to part with. My carry on can only weigh 11 pounds...and I was hoping to buy some other books at Powells on Tuesday. grr. I can't do it. Then I start thinking about me moving into the village with tons of books, and fancy ideas, coming to "serve" thinking that I need all this stuff when most of Bangladesh is in incredible poverty...and I gain some perspective...but not too much because I am still thinking of buying more books and paying extra for my carry on. I think I am fearful that I won't have any outlets, and books are cathartic for me. I already feel like I did not bring enough music, also an outlet...and I am down to one pair of running pants, running is also an outlet for me. Maybe I will learn to deal with stress in another way this year. Maybe I will drink my fears and stresses away with chai tea instead....
We are nearly successful in making the 44 limit, but then forgot my shoes: one pair of running shoes, 2 chacos. 4 lbs. That issue has not been resolved. yet. My back pack weighs 48 lbs, according to the scales at the Philly airport...I am not sure how that will resolve itself.
For the time being, I am content to be out of orientation, at gramas, about to make some cowboy coffee.
Hope you all are well.
Peace.
Cicely
On Friday, which was our last day of MCC training, I found out that I would only be able to bring 44lbs total with me to Bangladesh, because "Dragonair"--the airline that will bring me from Hong Kong to Dhaka only allows that much weight. I had two bags--my hiking backpack weighed 38 lbs and my other suitcase weighed 47 lbs. SO. I was going to have to eliminate 40 pounds of stuff. Good thing my dear friend Alaina was there to help me...She lives in Philly, and since I was flying out of Philly I got to chill w/ her for the evening on friday....she even showed me downtown, the art museum and what the heck "water ice " is...(it's sort of like a creamsicle, philly style) anyways, after dinner, water ice and a tour we headed to her house to figure out which 40 lbs would have to go.
I was not too stressed out about losing 40 pounds...in reality that is probably more than I need, and I don't want to be this American tourist with tons of stuff and nowhere to put it. It is an adventure. I also think it will be good for the soul, this year is already teaching me things I did not expect to learn. Like intense simplicity. is that an oxymoron?
I put in some music, Franz Ferdinand followed by some Ben Harper to help us get started. But wait, who has a scale? hmmmm. Alaina had to go and ask her 94 year old neighbor for a scale, and after she didn't come back for about 15 minutes I was thinking this story could end up on a show like Dateline--about a girl who never came back from looking in her neighbors basement for a scale. I digress.. We ended up buying a scale at Rite Aid, only to come back to the 94 year old neighbor yelling and pounding on her door, scale (from 1930) in hand. Awkward? a little.
By this time it is 11pm and we have not even started the process. So we begin. At first its easy to see which sorts of things to eliminate: heavy shampoo, hand sanitzer, a huge bottle of lotion, clothes I won't wear in a muslim country...then we start a "maybe pile" All this time we are weighing things separately, and Alaina is keeping a list, b/c she's organized. I am working on getting rid of papers I won't need in Bangladesh, when the "maybe pile" vanishes. She tells me that my toiletries weigh 1/3 of the total weight limit, without the "maybe pile." I start to feel slightly high maintence. And I am not even taking any hair products, make up or lotion.
We then work on my clothes. I won't need many because I will be wearing a shalwar kameez most of the time. But only one pair of running pants? (I only brought 2 to begin with) Now I have to get rid of some underwear? apparently yes.
(less underwear is good for the soul)
Anyway we finish my hiking backpack, and move on to my carry on,which has books--none of which I can bear to part with. My carry on can only weigh 11 pounds...and I was hoping to buy some other books at Powells on Tuesday. grr. I can't do it. Then I start thinking about me moving into the village with tons of books, and fancy ideas, coming to "serve" thinking that I need all this stuff when most of Bangladesh is in incredible poverty...and I gain some perspective...but not too much because I am still thinking of buying more books and paying extra for my carry on. I think I am fearful that I won't have any outlets, and books are cathartic for me. I already feel like I did not bring enough music, also an outlet...and I am down to one pair of running pants, running is also an outlet for me. Maybe I will learn to deal with stress in another way this year. Maybe I will drink my fears and stresses away with chai tea instead....
We are nearly successful in making the 44 limit, but then forgot my shoes: one pair of running shoes, 2 chacos. 4 lbs. That issue has not been resolved. yet. My back pack weighs 48 lbs, according to the scales at the Philly airport...I am not sure how that will resolve itself.
For the time being, I am content to be out of orientation, at gramas, about to make some cowboy coffee.
Hope you all are well.
Peace.
Cicely
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
