Blogs from Bangladesh, Asia - page 6

Commutes are the most mundane part of our lives, and yet in each country I live in I find them fascinating. Traveling in other countries I ask people not what they do, but how they get to work. Many people tell me that they live nearby and walk to work, or even better, that they live upstairs from their shop and just have to walk downstairs in the morning. An easier commute, yet worse option in my opinion, is to sleep at work and not have another home. Living in the US, I invariably drove my own car to work, often eating lunch at my desk. In Morocco I walked to work, walked home every day for lunch and walked back again in the afternoons. I enjoyed walking home in the evenings until somebody tried to ... read more

This is my second year living in Dhaka and I have certainly settled into a routine here, but the city still surprises me. I have learned not to take anything for granted. I was away for two months this summer, but now after a couple weeks of getting back into life and work here, I went out on a little trip around the city. Some of these photos are of markets in Dhaka, some are of rivers and areas near the city. All of them were taken in one day. We started at 8am and I didn't get home until 8 that night. It was quite a day. This blog is also available on www.heatherjasper.com... read more

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