Willholmes16

Well, this week was the week of the ADF! And what a full on week it was. Sunday, i was back at school rehearsing from 5pm until 8pm, Monday i had half a day at school then rehearsals from 2 until 6. Tuesday we had the day off due to a national strike organised by the BNP for some political reason i can't get my head round. Then, Wednesday was a normal day of school and finally, i had Thursday morning off until 1:30 where i went into school for the performances!! I really didn't know what to expect from the shows. My piece was only a small part of a much bigger 2 hour show - all based around the concept of Festivals of the World. I was directing a short drama based around the ... read more

Sorry all for the lack of blogging over the past week or so. I was waiting and waiting until i had anything interesting to say...then i was ill, after that my modem died. If there's one thing i've learnt, its that in Bangladesh, me and technology do not mix!! So i shall start from the last blog! We arrived back from Srimangal to Chittagong as a ghost town. As it was Eid-ul-Azha on Wednesday 16th, huge numbers of people were travelling out of the big cities and back to their ancestral homes in villages across the country. Those that stayed had in store for us one of the weirdest scenes i have ever seen. This Eid was all about sacrifice and slaughter, families bought cows and goats and marched them along the streets. On the morning ... read more

I have just returned from a spectacular holiday in Srimangal, the tea capital of Bangladesh and, as the title suggests, one of the most relaxing and serene places in the country - if not the world! I urge anyone coming to Bangladesh to give themselves sometime to go and just be among the wildlife, people and scenery. Day One The trip started with a seven hour train journey from Chittagong to Srimangal. We decided to take a day train so that we could see the scenery the train passed through. Arriving at Chittagong railway station, the train was, naturally, delayed. So we sat and became perhaps the biggest tourist attraction in the place - we were met with the usual open-mouthed stares and the common questions of 'What is your country?' and 'Where are you going?'. ... read more

As i hurtle into the second half of my 3 months here, i thought a time of reflection on the previous six weeks would be appropriate. So, here follows a list of rules and discoveries that must be followed by anyone coming to Bangladesh. 1. If you want something doing, ask four times. Or do it yourself This is particularly prevalent if you are working whilst here. At no point in these six weeks at CGS have i asked for something once, and got it straight away. Booking the school minibus is a great example, involving four or five phone calls or visits to the head, being told wildly different timings or reasons why i can't have the minibus, only to discover that it has been booked and will come. At which point i wait downstairs ... read more