The Field and the Flood

When international development professionals say they are working "in the field" it means they leave the home office behind and go to a place where the people their programs serve actually live.  It's easy to feel disconnected sitting in an air conditioned country headquarters, and I've been appreciative in the past couple weeks to make two field visits - one to a flood emergency in the southern district of Kalutara, and another to conduct interviews for a project proposal in the eastern district of Batticaloa. I'll speak about Kalutara today, as it really deserves its own post.

Kalutara is only about an hour south of Colombo, and was hit badly on June 1 by monsoon rains that came after a long drought - causing 26 deaths and over 17,000 Sri Lankans to be displaced from their homes. It's not an emergency that got much international coverage, but a devastating one all the same. Our job was to conduct a rapid needs assessment of the situation to have the knowledge to target our response. Save the Children not only provides humanitarian relief (food, tarps, water, etc.) during such emergencies, but also is looked upon to lead the education response for children. Schools are often closed for extended periods of time, meaning that children miss instruction and tests. In this disaster, the Ministry of Education asked us to provide kits to replace lost school materials.

Along with two colleagues I traveled to the district and visited local government offices overseeing the distribution of dry goods, a shelter in a Buddhist temple for displaced families, and a town that had been separated by a flooded rice paddy. We saw children, dogs, and adults taking small boats across the paddy, and we took a ride as well to survey the extent of the flooding. We interacted with numerous people who spoke of the hardships they are currently facing: flooded wells that mean they do not have clean drinking water, lost crops that will yield extended economic shocks to their families, and destroyed possessions.

Flood waters cover ride paddies, ruining this year's harvest

A woman shows us the water line on her home

Children paddle onto the once-paddy, their town separated by the floodwater

People gather outside a local shelter for displaced families, their homes still at risk for landslide

Most saddening was visiting a community on a hillside that is at constant risk for landslides when it rains. This disaster took the lives of two small children, who were trapped in a house that was destroyed when the landslide came. Even the local elementary school is not safe. A young man at the shelter told us that families are nervous for their children's safety every time it rains even a bit.  The school is mostly attended by poorer families, as richer families are able to send their children elsewhere. The school has been in its current spot for 78 years, and the village's campaign to have the school moved has thus far not been successful.

Exploring with my own dusty feet, or on three wheels

Today is a Buddhist and public holiday here - the Poson Full Moon Poya Day, which celebrates the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka from India. Thus, I have a nice little break from the office and am spending it in a local coffee shop with a (somewhat weak) ice latte, A/C, and free wifi.

The prevalence of coffee shops, restaurants, parks, and other public gathering spaces here stands out as a clear contrast to life in Bangladesh. While the Colombo streets can sometimes still shock the senses, there are more places to go and easier ways to get there. When I can't take the heat I hail one of the ubiquitous three-wheeler open air taxis, or more accurately one hails me. Many of the taxis here have meters (oh happy day!). Determined not to be hoodwinked, my normal procedure is to ask if the driver has a meter and then wait while he turns it on before I hop in. The cost of a meter taxi is 50 LKR (about $0.40) per kilometer - I can get most places in the city for no more than $2. Most of the drivers speak at least a bit of English, and now that I know my way around a bit I can direct with "right" and "left." So via my own feet or on three wheels, I am mobile.

Colombo is a sprawling metropolis of about 4.5 million people - no other cities in this country come close to its size. There is no clear city center, rather neighborhoods designated by both their own number and name that seep into eachother. I live and work in Colombo 5, also known as Havelock Town. I'm a short walk to Galle Road, the main thoroughfare running parallel to the sea. On this road one can find numerous shopping centers, small stores, local and international restaurants, at least one movie theater, and lots of construction. Colombo is certainly "developing" in the technical sense of the word. A major project seems to be building a consistent sidewalk for the length of Galle Road, which means that pedestrian ways can currently get a bit interesting. Dusty feet, I haz them!

When I step outside here, the first thing to hit me is the humidity. It hovers around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but add extreme humidity to that and you've got a sticky situation. Even if I only walk the short distance to the office, I arrive with a sweaty face. The next thing I notice is how tropically beautiful this place is. Large, green leaves and flowers of deep yellows and reds creep out from fences and line the streets. I often play "spot the fruit" when I am walking and try to guess what is growing on a particular tree. In contrast to the frenetic rush of the main roads, the neighborhoods here exude a quiet calm that is only punctuated by birds chirping and the occasional three-wheeler dropping off or vocally trying to pick up.

When I am not exploring the city solo or with friends or traveling in the field I am either at work or at home. I continue to really enjoy my job and will post details about my field visits to Kalutara and Batticaloa soon. And my apartment here is huge and grand, if in a somewhat strange way. I have a spacious kitchen, dining room, living room, and two bedrooms to myself, all decorated in a 1960s Grecian villa style. There are lots of quirks (including a plethora of light switches that lead to nowhere, a currently dysfunctional fridge, and occasional critter friends), but overall it's a fine situation.

Oh, and what am I eating? Lots of fruit, for one. My fruit-adoring eyes have been a bit bigger than my stomach, and I need to curtail my purchases. But that's difficult when I see this every day:

Rambutan and Durian

For lunch there's the typical rice and curry packet. This consists of a whole lot of rice with various vegetable dishes and sometimes spicy fish wrapped up in plastic and paper for quick eating. Dinner curries can be more elaborate with crab, prawns, or other proteins and lots of "sides" that put Popeye's to shame. People keep asking me here if the food is too hot for me, but I always explain that I grew up on Cajun food and like the spice! Regardless, I am sure they still tone it down a bit. Other traditional dishes that I have enjoyed include "string hoppers" - clusters of rice noodles that are dipped into a sauce, "egg hoppers," - think a crispy crepe with a softly fried egg in the center, and "pol sambol" - a mixture of coconut flakes and spices that is typically served as a garnish for curries. It's all pretty tasty :)

Egg Hopper with Pol Sambol

Crab curry with all the fixins. Sure glad I know how to take those bad boys apart.

My Welcome from Colombo: Rice & Curry and Fingers Like Sausages

This weekend marks my second in Colombo, and I decided it was time to put fingers to keyboard again and record some of my summer experiences in spicy, beautiful, and very hot Sri Lanka. It’s so hot here that after a two-hour walk in the city last weekend said fingers swelled to the size of sausages and I began experiencing symptoms of heat rash. I’m currently writing from my apartment with two fans whirring. My place comes equipped with A/C, but as electricity costs are exorbitant here I often just try to sweat it out.  In any case it’s much preferable to DC cold.

I'll provide more explanations later of my first impressions and what it's like to live here, but for now some images from my first few days:



So what exactly am I doing here? I’ll be on this tropical teardrop for the next two months doing an internship with Save the Children, an international NGO focused on child rights – an important topic here following the end of the civil war in 2009.  My office is in Colombo, the capital city, but I will have many opportunities to travel to the field. And after one week I can definitively say that I will learn alot this summer. I've been quickly involved in the research and writing of a major project proposal, included on a number of meetings to learn about and contribute to STC initiatives here, and tasked to go to the field last Thursday to conduct a rapid assessment of a devastating flood in the South (post to come). Tomorrow I'll head to Batticaloa (via   overnight bus womp womp), a city on the east coast, to conduct a couple days of interviews and research for the proposal I'm assisting on. My colleagues have been more than friendly and inclusive and there's endless free tea, an office cat, and a very kind and tiny lady who picks up a rice and curry lunch packet for me every day. Another bonus is that my office is a mere two minute walk from my apartment - I'd say that's probably the best commute I'll ever have.

Last night I learned from a friend that Sri Lankans (like Louisianans!) use their hand to show people where cities are on this island. Bring all your fingers together and squint your eyes a bit and you’ve got this shape:

Sri Lanka is about half the size of Alabama with the Indian Ocean to its west and the Bay of Bengal to its east. India is to the very close northwest. Before I arrived I heard rave reviews of its sandy beaches, lovely tea growing regions, copious tropical fruits, sinful food, and friendly people. And while my primary purpose of being here is to improve my knowledge and skills as a development professional, I certainly plan to imbibe in all of those things.

And did ya know? The Arabic name for Sri Lanka is "serendib," which is the basis for the English word serendipity. It's probably my favorite word and concept in English, and I will certainly make note of any serendipitous experiences to befall me here :)

Endings

I've thus far failed to write accounts of a wonderful trekking experience in Nepal and an unexpected opportunity to visit India for AUW Admissions, but this video really encapsulates what this year has been about:

From "You are my Sunshine" by the AUW Pearls

It will be so difficult to finally say goodbye to these special ladies, who have inspired and fulfilled me in a way that I will never forget. It has been an honor to teach (and learn immensely from) them this year. They surprised me yesterday during a party at my apartment by gathering to sing a modified version of "You Are My Sunshine" - little did they know the song comes from my home state!

I'm in final countdown mode now: 7 days until Commencement (finally! the pressure's been on!) and 8 days until my departure from Bangladesh. Then it's travel time - I'll be hopping around in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam for about six weeks before returning to the US for graduate school at Georgetown in the fall (and some summer fun with my sister and my cats!). I have no idea how to end this post, or how to leave AUW, so I'll just stop writing now.

Hartal!

An email from AUW security:

"Dear All,

It is for your kind information and required action please. Today 28 February 2013, the political agitation went bad due to Hartal. As a follow up of today's situation, agitated political party has called upon 02 days continuous 48 hour Hartal on 3rd and 4th March 2013. Beside this Hartal announcement there is a previously declared "agitation demonstration" on tomorrow 01 March 2013 after 1 pm.

Situation:
1. Tomorrow is Friday and political group has announced agitation demonstration throughout the country which may lead to hostility.
2. Sunday 03 Feb 2013 and Monday 04 Feb 2013 are called Hartal for spontaneous 48 hours.

Suggestion: Keeping in mind the previous Friday incident and recent style of demonstration, following are to be adhere for safety and security for the student, faculty and staff.

     a. Tomorrow Friday 01 March 2013; Student should not remain out side of AUW after 1300 hours (01pm).

     b. During 48 hour Hartal on 04 March 2013 and 05 March 2013, day scholars students should be escorted by their Father or Mother while coming at AUW and going back to their home. Other students will not be allowed to go out of AUW campus.
     
     c. For other staff and faculty, separate instruction will be issued about their movement.  

All members of AUW are requested to remain alert on moving outside of their home. We will keep you informed through mail and text messages, when ever it will be necessary. 

Thank you for your kind cooperation."

Pretty much every week since winter break ended, like clockwork, a hartal has been called in Bangladesh by one of the political parties. What this means is that businesses and offices shut down, transportation stops (except those ever-industrious rickshaw drivers!), and on many occasions there are protests. Most are peaceful - but for the last week things have been heating up, with some violence occurring in Chittagong yesterday. It's all related to a war crimes tribunal that's currently deciding the fates of people convicted of war crimes in the 1971 Bangladesh war of independence.

CNN has a story here and my lieblings newspaper has a story here.

And The Daily Star, a Bangladesh newspaper, probably has the most up-to-date information (at least for us English speakers).

I want to emphasize that I personally have not witnessed any violence, and I am totally safe. There have not been protests in my neighborhood, and AUW is absolutely capable of protecting its faculty. They keep us well-informed about what we should do. We usually still hold classes on hartal days, and AUW sends a van for us at 6:30am (hartals are usually dawn to dusk). We then return home via van at nighttime when the hartal is over. Some days I've skipped the early morning van to rickshaw in to school later, and the streets between my apartment and AUW have been totally fine, even peaceful and pleasant without the usual cacophony assaulting my ears. Definitely not looking forward to the continuous 48-hour hartal on Sunday and Monday, though! We haven't had one of those before.

I went to the grocery store this morning to stock up - could be a long time before I see the sun again. Due to the called "agitation demonstration" today I will have to remain inside my apartment from 1pm until...who knows? Luckily I have nice roommates to keep me company, a good book to read, graduate schools to obsess over, and several recipes I want to try :)

Busy as a Bangladeshi Bee

Enough about work! My social life has also become much busier this semester, largely due to the fact that WorldTeach has made some great local friends. It has been so nice being a part of a larger group and getting to know Bangladeshis. The group has also been extremely generous in inviting us to many events in Chittagong, like weddings! For those who aren't familiar, Bangladeshi weddings are elaborate, week-long affairs with many events. So far I have been to a reception and the groom's Holud. Still not yet the actual wedding, haha.

At a reception, the now-married bride and groom sit on a stage
(for hours!) to receive and take pictures with their guests

Wedding time = sari time. Love!

A tradition at the groom's Holud is to feed him cake.
Obviously, I was very amused by this.

Elaborate Holud decoration.

Families spend exorbitant amounts of money on all the wedding events, and the ones I have been to have been quite the elaborate affairs. Thousands of guests is the norm, which makes sense considering family size and population density here. Many weddings are still arranged, which I have been fascinated to learn more about also. While it's easy for me to criticize that with my Western lens, and it certainly is not how I see my own life going, for many people here it's just the accepted way of doing things. In some cases, I've learned, the couple is told about the arrangement (without having met eachother) a mere week before the wedding events start.

And there are always events going on at AUW. A couple weeks ago I attended a conference organized by the Speak up Against Violence Against Women club (and my lovely roommates!) that brought students as well as men and women from the local community together to talk about the terrible and ubiquitous issue and propose solutions. Then there was a week of Lunar New Year events, including a "food fun fair" where I unfortunately did not get enough food because I could not win tickets :( And yesterday was International Mother Language Day, a national and university holiday. Students marched in the morning to the Mother Language Monument in Chittagong and then put on a cultural show, complete with singing, dancing, and drama. The day is a significant one especially for Bangladeshis, due to the struggle to maintain Bangla as their official language during rule by Pakistan in 1952.

At the start, the new semester also brought the opportunity to escape the Chitty for some nature. It's always nice to be somewhere where you don't wake up to large trucks blasting music early in the morning. WorldTeach sponsored a trip to Bandarban, a region in the hill tracts close to the border with Burma. It's a mere two hours drive from Chittagong but a completely different world (a world that is strictly guarded by the Bangladeshi military). There are mountains and valleys and a lovely river. We spent two days there doing mid-service retreat activities, hiking, and visiting a temple and a Burmese market. I'm always extremely impressed with the beauty of Bangladeshi nature, when I'm fortunate to be among it.

A creature of nature aka a HUGE spider - eeep!

Happy to have such a lovely view behind me.

The Golden Temple!

Ladiez of WorldTeach

View of a lovely valley.

That's me!

Meghan and I, surrounded by peanut fields!

We're on a boat!

Women we passed on our boat ride.

View from the highest point in Bandarban.

Making friends.

Soaking up the sun.

Updates from the Chitty

After almost one month away in beautiful Thailand and Burma, it was time to return to the DESH for semester # 2. I was ready to hit the ground running, but my arrival at the Dhaka airport (the place my fellow volunteers refer to as "the gateway to hell" and "the place where mosquitoes come from") slowed me down a bit.

It seems I had picked the weekend of the second largest gathering of Muslims in the world (!) to fly back into Dhaka, and that was evident as soon as I stepped off the plane and tried to go through customs. Chaos. I stood in line amidst the crowds for something around 2 hours, not sure the entire time if I was actually in the right line. It was hot, I was tired of standing and desperately needed water. Wahh. After I made it through, I found that my domestic flight back to Chittagong had been delayed 6 hours because of "morning fog." As soon as I went outside, I was called out to and stared at by throngs of men who gather to hustle the incoming passengers.

Vacation decidedly over, I allowed myself a few moments to feel lost in culture shock before sinking into a (very uncomfortable) chair, adjusting my orna (scarf), and realizing that I knew about 10 people waiting for the delayed flight. Oh, what a difference 6 months makes! How lovely to have friends. The rest of my wait was pleasant and interspersed with conversation, trips to purchase and guzzle bottled water, and "This American Life."

This semester I'm keeping busy. I'm continuing to to teach the fabulous Pearls in Language & Composition. They've just turned in an argumentative essay and I'll be starting to grade them tomorrow when this 3-day weekend ends. I've been so impressed by the incredible improvement I've seen in many of my students' writing and am looking forward to 9 more weeks teaching them. That's right, only 9 more weeks! Classes end May 2, and graduation is May 18. Time is flying!

I'm also tutoring at the writing center, where I'm leading several workshops on project management (da details, I haz them!) and am TAing for a qualitative research methods course, taught by a lovely, intelligent, and caring professor who focuses on gender issues like violence against women. It's a great refresher on research for me and should provide a nice transition to grad school. All of my apps are in (whew!) and I'm excited to have an acceptance from one great program in Boston already, with hopefully more to come. I should know everything within one month. As much of a dork as it makes me, I just love this whole process.

My other responsibilities at the university include advising the student magazine ("The Spectrum" - what a great name!) and serving on the Commencement Committee, where I'm helping to plan the first graduation ceremony. AUW has now been open 5 years, and the first class will graduate this spring. It's going to be such an exciting moment for the university and it's students, and I'm happy to put my proclivity for planning to good use. I've also spent the last few weeks helping to plan a retreat for the Access Academy students, which successfully happened last weekend at the new campus site. Standing by a bonfire while the girls lit candles and said wishes for their futures is an image that don't think I will soon forget from my time here. The s'mores weren't bad either :)