Small things

It is very easy for me to tell you all the crazy things, the blur that was my first experience of Bangladesh. I am beginning to notice and appreciate the small things now, which makes me happy.

A list of my favorite, unnoticed (at first) things here in Bangladesh, in no particular order of importance: (could that be anymore wordy??)
-people take showers in the rain, even in cities.
-small lizards are everywhere and are cute and zippy
-a cup of tea is the solution for most things. stressed? Have some cha. teary? have some cha. sweating? here have some hot cha to make you hotter
-palm trees
-the Mandhi people--from a tribe up north are kind--treat me better and with more respect that the general population on the street who only blast their 4 english words at me.
-eating with my hand (only the right one)--this makes eating truly a 5 senses experience
(okay, maybe not hearing)
-the lightning fills the sky all around
-stargazing
-Taize, a community of monks and boys in their late teens and early 20s-creates space and sometimes peace in my life. Prayers are 3 times a day. I go about 3 times a week and then share a simple meal of curried veggies and rice.
-the river in the evening
-people sing alot here and ask me "sing please, you"
-walks
-learning guitar
-my sweat is starting to smell like tumeric and garlic
-no planning needed, just show up
-small cha dokans -tea shops--the tea is black tea with sweetened condensed milk and sugar. mmm. sweet delight.
-shops are open late and everything is only a 5 minute rickshaw ride away
-sweating--(yes, it does have an upside) do you know how good my skin and hair look? no processed foods, tons of sweating, lots of water equals healthy skin.
-the smokey smell in the morning as the store owners are starting their grills for the day
-the call to prayer
-colors, smells, fabric, paint, everywhere
-I have lots of free time for all my hobbies
(side note: Darren and I cannot figure out what hobbies people have here--we think they should begin to build weather kites)
-fishing ponds
-"corner stores" everywhere
-everything is reused here--I was walking home from Bangla yesterday and saw a huge pile of the plastic part of flip flops, waiting to be reused
-tailored clothes
-handmade sandals, just how you like them
-lassee (a yogurt sweet drink)
-ceiling fans
-people are happy with the basics. Even my host family, who is upper middle class, have a smallish place by NA standards, but are very happy and make good use of the space
-interesting architechture-left over from the british and also all the mosques
-the way I have time for conversations, over tea of course
-the market with all sorts of fresh fruit the store owners sitting in the middle of the produce, I even found tomatoes yesterday. :)

Bangladesh is feeling like home, I am amazed at how adaptable we humans are. It's a good place for me to be, to learn and to question the things I have always thought.

peace.
Cicely or "shish" (they don't really say "s" here, so my name comes out "shish)