I'm Chittagong living and feeling pretty good! I'm going to break down here some of the nuances of my brand new Bangladeshi life:
Apartment:
The living situation is pretty darn great! All the volunteers live in threes in a building in the Khulshi neighborhood of Chittagong. Ours is huge (built originally for a Bangladeshi family) and fairly modern, and we each have our own bedroom and bathroom (mine did not come with a squat toilet, luckily!). There are some quirks of course like a rock hard bed and things that need to be fixed, my HOT WATER :( :( for one. But I am so thankful to have A/C in my bedroom as well as my own balcony that overlooks a rooftop garden. Said rooftop garden does have some loud chickens, but I guess it reminds me of life in Kosrae. There is an elevator to bring us up and down - apparently the frequent power outages here will guarantee that I will be stuck inside at least once - as well as a 24-hour security guard. We are living pretty much like princesses in these surroundings, thanks WorldTeach!
The Volunteers:
There are eight other WT volunteers here with me in addition to a field director. These women are awesome. Everyone is extremely nice, intelligent, worldly, and thoughtful and has a vested interest in being here to work with the students. I am confident I will have some more amazing friends after this year.
The City:
I have never been in a place that is ANYTHING like this, and it is really impossible to describe what it feels like. I'm going to use lots of caps here. It is CRAZY and overwhelming to be on the streets but so incredible to be surrounded by so much vibrancy. Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world, something that is extremely apparent as soon as I step out of my calm apartment. There are tons of people, rickshaws, buses, and CNG's (small taxis) rushing by, and absolutely no order to it all. I've even seen some cows in the mix. Crossing the street is always a harrowing adventure, and one that I have always completed successfully - SO FAR. Carts and small markets selling delicious-looking fruit, food, and other goods line streets that are covered in water, mud, and trash. I definitely will be coming home with some ratty shoes! The street bustle is accompanied by many LOUD noises - shouting, honking, etc. Walking the streets ignites all the senses, and also involves confronting many beggars, many of whom are small children. I want to help when I see such extreme poverty and need, but it is difficult to know what to do. I'm sure these feelings and experiences will be a defining aspect of my year.
When we're out and about the people stare at us, not in a way that is rude but rather understandably curious: Chittagong does not get many foreign visitors, and so a gaggle of girls yields alot of local fascination. Respect is the most important principle for the people here, and everyone I have interacted with so far has been extremely helpful and kind, minus a few sketchballs. I also really enjoy seeing all the colorful street fashions and can't wait to purchase my own shalwar kameez this weekend. Every trip on the streets is an experience, one that is still a bit overwhelming now, but something I know I will master in time.
Asian University for Women:
This is the reason why I'm here. AUW occupies a compound of several tall buildings in the city, about a 10-minute ride from our apartments. Each morning a van picks us up and then brings us home at the end of the day.
I am being brainwashed with feminism here and soaking it up. Right now we are observing/note-taking at the Women in Public Service Project Institute. AUW was selected to be the first host of this State Department and the Seven Sisters colleges initiative that is aiming to provide training and encouragement to Asian women to be more active in public service. Yep, this is the perfect place for that! In the past two days I have been BLOWN AWAY by the intelligence, eloquence (in a foreign language!), and critical thinking abilities of these women. Select AUW students were invited to attend, including 12 new students from Afghanistan. It has been so inspiring to hear these women speak about their backgrounds and dreams as well as brainstorm practical solutions to the world's problems facing women. I am so excited to get into the classroom with them! Reason of being here definitely reinforced. I seriously have chills/start to tear up pretty much every time one of them gets up to speak. Probably gonna need to learn how to curtail that.
FOOD
Now on to the GUD stuff. We are provided lunch and dinner everyday at AUW's student cafeteria, and I'm lovin' it. Every meal has perfectly-made naan or a tortilla-like bread plus rice and then lots of delicious local or Asian-influenced dishes. Last night's vegetable curry was sublime. Some of the girls are having a bit of a problem with the spice, but not me! We also have a great grocery store right across the street from our apartment building - KHULSHI MART. This will be my go-to this year, and they have a good selection of local as well as imported foods. Getting my diet coke fix will not be a problem. I've also bought some random things like tamarind juice, vegetable samosas, SPICY chili barbecue snack mix, plum nuts (?), white apples, and a spiky green vegetable that I thought was a fruit. Grocery shopping and sampling here is fun.
Dats all for now folks! I'll try to get some pictures up in the next couple days, but I didn't want to make this the longest post evah. For now, I'm counting down to dinner and looking forward to my 8PM bedtime...woo hoo jet lag!
Apartment:
The living situation is pretty darn great! All the volunteers live in threes in a building in the Khulshi neighborhood of Chittagong. Ours is huge (built originally for a Bangladeshi family) and fairly modern, and we each have our own bedroom and bathroom (mine did not come with a squat toilet, luckily!). There are some quirks of course like a rock hard bed and things that need to be fixed, my HOT WATER :( :( for one. But I am so thankful to have A/C in my bedroom as well as my own balcony that overlooks a rooftop garden. Said rooftop garden does have some loud chickens, but I guess it reminds me of life in Kosrae. There is an elevator to bring us up and down - apparently the frequent power outages here will guarantee that I will be stuck inside at least once - as well as a 24-hour security guard. We are living pretty much like princesses in these surroundings, thanks WorldTeach!
The Volunteers:
There are eight other WT volunteers here with me in addition to a field director. These women are awesome. Everyone is extremely nice, intelligent, worldly, and thoughtful and has a vested interest in being here to work with the students. I am confident I will have some more amazing friends after this year.
The City:
I have never been in a place that is ANYTHING like this, and it is really impossible to describe what it feels like. I'm going to use lots of caps here. It is CRAZY and overwhelming to be on the streets but so incredible to be surrounded by so much vibrancy. Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world, something that is extremely apparent as soon as I step out of my calm apartment. There are tons of people, rickshaws, buses, and CNG's (small taxis) rushing by, and absolutely no order to it all. I've even seen some cows in the mix. Crossing the street is always a harrowing adventure, and one that I have always completed successfully - SO FAR. Carts and small markets selling delicious-looking fruit, food, and other goods line streets that are covered in water, mud, and trash. I definitely will be coming home with some ratty shoes! The street bustle is accompanied by many LOUD noises - shouting, honking, etc. Walking the streets ignites all the senses, and also involves confronting many beggars, many of whom are small children. I want to help when I see such extreme poverty and need, but it is difficult to know what to do. I'm sure these feelings and experiences will be a defining aspect of my year.
When we're out and about the people stare at us, not in a way that is rude but rather understandably curious: Chittagong does not get many foreign visitors, and so a gaggle of girls yields alot of local fascination. Respect is the most important principle for the people here, and everyone I have interacted with so far has been extremely helpful and kind, minus a few sketchballs. I also really enjoy seeing all the colorful street fashions and can't wait to purchase my own shalwar kameez this weekend. Every trip on the streets is an experience, one that is still a bit overwhelming now, but something I know I will master in time.
Asian University for Women:
This is the reason why I'm here. AUW occupies a compound of several tall buildings in the city, about a 10-minute ride from our apartments. Each morning a van picks us up and then brings us home at the end of the day.
I am being brainwashed with feminism here and soaking it up. Right now we are observing/note-taking at the Women in Public Service Project Institute. AUW was selected to be the first host of this State Department and the Seven Sisters colleges initiative that is aiming to provide training and encouragement to Asian women to be more active in public service. Yep, this is the perfect place for that! In the past two days I have been BLOWN AWAY by the intelligence, eloquence (in a foreign language!), and critical thinking abilities of these women. Select AUW students were invited to attend, including 12 new students from Afghanistan. It has been so inspiring to hear these women speak about their backgrounds and dreams as well as brainstorm practical solutions to the world's problems facing women. I am so excited to get into the classroom with them! Reason of being here definitely reinforced. I seriously have chills/start to tear up pretty much every time one of them gets up to speak. Probably gonna need to learn how to curtail that.
FOOD
Now on to the GUD stuff. We are provided lunch and dinner everyday at AUW's student cafeteria, and I'm lovin' it. Every meal has perfectly-made naan or a tortilla-like bread plus rice and then lots of delicious local or Asian-influenced dishes. Last night's vegetable curry was sublime. Some of the girls are having a bit of a problem with the spice, but not me! We also have a great grocery store right across the street from our apartment building - KHULSHI MART. This will be my go-to this year, and they have a good selection of local as well as imported foods. Getting my diet coke fix will not be a problem. I've also bought some random things like tamarind juice, vegetable samosas, SPICY chili barbecue snack mix, plum nuts (?), white apples, and a spiky green vegetable that I thought was a fruit. Grocery shopping and sampling here is fun.
Dats all for now folks! I'll try to get some pictures up in the next couple days, but I didn't want to make this the longest post evah. For now, I'm counting down to dinner and looking forward to my 8PM bedtime...woo hoo jet lag!
love da blob - Juls BAGULS
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