Blogs from Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asia - page 6

Although living in Dhaka can be tough at times, there are some great things about it, for me. I fully realise some points in the list below can't be enjoyed by everyone in B'desh whether as a tourist or a resident, but there you have it. I'm well aware I'm incredibly lucky to be in this country and enjoy so much of it in ways many millions of people here can't due to not being British/white/able to earn a half-decent salary (I work at a local school and earn a local salary, but I know it's still more than the majority)/other factors I'm well aware of. I'm just trying to defend myself a bit here as I've had a few comments about this particular blog entry along the lines of how I sound elitist/prejudiced/patronising etc etc, ... read more

And the answer is to stare! Yes Bangladesh is certainly a country of starers... But it is friendly and curious stares and when you flash the gazers a smile, you will see a sea of smiles returning... Give them the Muslim greeting of Salaam Alaikum and you will have made a thousand friends! Not many tourists go to Bangladesh, which is unfortunate, because it has a lot to offer... Friendly locals, historic sights, beaches, beautiful and serene countryside’s, and an interesting culture... On top of this the country is a lot cheaper than India... Bangladesh is also a country of cycle rickshaws... Yes, here the cycle rickshaw rules the street, not the car... This makes the smaller town pleasantly quiet, with only the ringing of the rickshaws to disturb the peace... And of course Bangladesh is ... read more

Asalaam alaykum (greetings). Haven't written for a while as life has been extreeeeemely hectic for me ever since I started my new job, but here goes another update on life in Bangladesh... Let's start with recent (ish) news. A few weeks ago there were some demonstrations, riots, in downtown Dhaka. There has been a military presence at the university for several months ever since the interim government has stepped in. The students there (and this was echoed all over the country) were demonstrating against this presence, so there was tear gas, fights and general mayhem between civilians, students and the military. This meant that the whole city pretty much shut down for a couple of days as there was no internet, and no phone lines including mobile reception. The government also imposed a curfew all day ... read more

Blogger Dougo Right. So, here I am sitting in the living room of our apartment in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The power has gone off as it has at about 7pm every day since our arrival. Every few minutes the lights will surge as the backup generator kicks in and sends power to our apartment. The Uninterrupted Power Supply or UPS as we have quickly learned, is pretty good. We can still turn on the fans above me and our room, as well as a lights in all rooms but the kitchen. No TV and no refrigerator though. The latter could pose a problem. Anyway, as you can see from the photos Bec took a couple of days after our arrival, our apartment is massive. So massive that yesterday I went and got a quote for pool ... read more

After being so good about keeping up with writing update, I totally neglected it after the first few days in Faridpur! We've been working extremely hard! Oh well, no one really needed *that* much detail! (and if I repeat myself, I apologize!) The week between my last update and when we finished working at that field site and returned to Dhaka this past Sunday (the 29th) was pretty much just filled with lots of work! My two field officers are doing an amazing job! I've randomly selected households that we will interview. But, I can offer no help in locating the person, in fact I offer no help at all. While they are in charge, I just tag along, drawing a crowd, and looking out of place. I entertain the women and children with my ... read more