It’s been more than two weeks since the Bengali New Year on April 14th, making it not nearly as new or exciting as it would have been if I had managed to post something about it in a more timely manner. In the spirit of celebration, however, let’s just pretend. Put on something red and white (and throw in some yellow, if you’re more courageous), and imagine that you’re ringing in the new year with outdoor cultural programs, family visits, and lots of eating—all on a festival appropriate 100 degree day. We started our morning in an upper-middle class manner with our boss from Save the Children, Shahana Apa (because of her age and professional seniority to us she is always addressed publicly with “Apa,” which means older sister). After Shahana helped me re-tie my sari
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