A precarious life

A few more pics from the trip we took last week. We drove just outside of Dhaka and happened to pass by a bunch of little ponds and canals where people had built all these little stores and houses on bamboo stilts – because of the high floodwater and lack of land in Dhaka, there’s no place else to go, I suppose. What a precarious existence, especially as the waters rise with the annual floods.

Jute Factory

This weekend we saw the jute factory at Kumudini, one of their main income-generating projects that supports the other, charitable branches of the foundation (such as the handicrafts, plus a hospital, nurses college, and more). 

Jute.

Lots of jute!

Cut jute looks like this.

Full length jute looks like this.

Then they bundle it all up and compress it into bundles like this. Ready for export!

Kumudini handicrafts

Today we visited the Narayanganj location of the Kumudini Welfare Trust of Bangladesh, a vast organization here with activities ranging from jute and pharmaceuticals to handicrafts and a nursing college.  We went to see their jute factory – pictures of the jute tomorrow – but we also go to visit the workrooms to see of their handicrafts.

Kumudini Handicrafts seeks to promote the traditional handicrafts of Bangladesh while providing income and empowerment for the 26,000 women employed.  At the Narayanganj location, they are mainly developing new designs and sample products for the crafts, which will be produced by women working from home throughout Bangladesh.  There is also a small training facility where new women handicrafters are trained in the products and designs.  Finally, there is a small showroom here; there is a larger store on Gulshan Avenue.

Below is sari printing – I had no idea all the designs were all hand-stamped!  What time-intensive work.  The dyes they use are all from natural products.

Stamping away…

This is where they get all the different colors.

The actual stamps.

The final product – how beautiful!

Rajshahi: Mangos and More

I traveled to Rajshahi on a very quick trip this week, with barely enough time to snap a few pics. Of course we made time to buy some famous Rajshahi mangos!

The shop where we bought our mangos; getting all weighed out.

Also at the market: lots of bananas and jackfruit.

Planting rice.

Rice in closeup, and some friendly sheep.

Mymensingh, again

I was in Mymensingh very briefly this week and snapped just a few pictures.  It’s a beautiful area, surrounded by rice and jute and brick factories.  (I’m sure there’s more, but I can’t identify all the plants as we drive by!)

The photos aren’t the most polished compositions – as you can tell, I took them from the car – but I felt like they do offer an interesting glimpse at village life.

We’re back.

After an long trip back to the States – and some time here to get back on our feet – I’m back.  Things are more hectic than ever around here, so we’ll see how this blog fares in the future.

Only the most minor news to report.  First, our puppy is suddenly very large!

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Second, today marks our one-year mark since our arrival in Dhaka.  Most pressingly, this means that my work evaluation is due.  As it is most definitely not done, I expect all kinds of fun bureaucratic anxiety in the days to come.

But in the longer view, as we are on a two-year assignment, it’s all downhill from here!  Time in Dhaka is a strange mix – sometimes it flies by, when we’re busiest at work or have fun trips planned.  Other times it’s like a time warp; with no seasons to speak of it can seem like time is stuck.  We’re saying goodbye now to colleaguges its seems like we just met, and suddenly I am one of the most senior staff (in longevity, not in rank) left in our office.  This week I will train the new officers as our other officers transition out.  As I vividly remember my arrival just last year, it’s a bit of a surreal change.

Learning to drive

M is studying to take his Ohio driving test this week (he hasn’t had a U.S. license before).  Looking over the sample test questions today I was struck by the differences between here and there:

Question #7

When two vehicles arrive at an intersection at the same time, which one has the right-of-way when no signs or signals indicate rules?

A. The car approaching from the right has the right-of-way.
B. The car approaching from the left has the right-of-way.
C. The car in which the driver sounds his horn first has the right-of-way.
D. The car that is traveling faster has the right-of-way.

In Ohio, the answer is A.

In Dhaka, the answer is C or D.  Or both just attempt to go at once.

Seriously, I wonder what the process is for getting a driver’s license in Bangladesh?   Luckily, we were able to show our international license and they recognized that as valid and gave us a Bangladeshi license on that basis.  When I first turned 16 and took my driver’s ed course, we were required to complete weeks of classroom instruction and hours of in-car practice with a teacher.  Somehow I don’t think that’s the case in Dhaka.  I believe there is some sort of test, but I’m not sure what it entails.  A little bit more instruction probably wouldn’t be a bad thing.

The cutest.

So, sorry, this has apparently become a blog about my dog.  For a change, here’s some pictures of M with the dog!

Cutest. ever.

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I’m not writing about Bangladesh becuase I’M LEAVING FRIDAY and that’s really all I can think about.  Besides all the hundreds of things I have to do before then, and the fact that inevitably, after I leave, I have to eventually come back.  Sigh.  But, for now, I’m leaving, and it will be completely wonderful.