Blogs from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asia - page 4

Hello, the monsoon has begun and the rain is amazing. An umbrella makes you feel like you are at least protecting yourself a bit, but the rain comes from every direction and I am wet in no time. Add to this that the most frequent mode of transportation is cycle rickshaw. The rickshaw drives give you a piece of plastic to cover yourself with, however when they hit a pot hole or the car next to them hits a pot hole it is really a waste of time. I went into Old Dhaka with the VCC students, a student from Simon Fraser University and the VSO volunteer. We hired a van and driver from the university to carry the 7 of us around and it was a good thing. The drive from Uttara where we live ... read more

Well, we finally made it to ICDDRB, the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research of Bangladesh despite all of the hartals that constantly disrupted our plans. There we spent a day observing the different areas of the centre including the emergency triage station, which was somewhat of an overwhelming place. People of all ages who are suffering from extreme dehydration due to diarrhea are brought to the centre for assessment & treatment. Some of the people are so dehydrated that their eyes are completely sunken and their speech and muscle movement is severely impaired. They honestly look like they are just going to collapse and die right there in front of you. The nursing staff is so efficient though, as soon as these individuals enter the centre they are rushed to a cot where an IV ... read more

It takes time to adjust to heat, humidity and smells of Dhaka. The City slows down between 2 AM and 4:30 AM then it is call to prayer. The sounds from my bedroom window begin most mornings at 0700 and are those of industry - primarily construction. The sound of hammer hitting brick and sand being scooped into a bag. There are very conversations heard on the work site outside my window. My "apartment" is a room with two twin beds, one with mosquito netting and a bathroom. There is a common sitting area and a common kitchen. Breakfast is one I prepare, usually a cup of STARBUCKS coffee (yes I brought two pounds with me)and eggs. The mango fruit is wonderful and fresh and there are varieties I have never heard of before. The road ... read more

Since my last blog it’s been quite the opposite as it was before... I have been keeping extremely busy! In the days that followed I spent a great deal of time at the University and even got to assist one of the medical-surgical course instructors with her lecture. At the end of that week I travelled outside of where my home base is in Uttara and headed to Savar for an entire week. There was very limited internet access there, hence the gap in blogs. The name may sound familiar to you, as it was the town where the garment building collapsed. It is also the area where one of the most renowned Bangladeshi health facilities exists – CRP (The Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed). The centre opened in 1979 and is the only ... read more

It's only been a few days, but I know many of you are wondering if I made it okay and how things are going so far... After the longest journey of my life, I finally made it! There was a hartel (general strike) the day I arrived, so pretty much everything was shut down. Thankfully the airport still continues to operate during hartels, and rickshaws are still cycling people to and from. A hartel is usually organized by a political party to allow the people of Bangladesh who are in favour of their views to demand change over certain laws and government operations. Lately, there have been many as an election is quickly approaching. As some of you are aware, there have been recent hartels that resulted in violent activity. I know that worries you, but ... read more