Giving thanks like a Bengali Barbie

To make a long story short, I had to return to the good ole USA unexpectedly to have my gross tonsils removed (they were certainly not suited to life in a developing country, even if I am). So home I went! I spent about a month back in Baton Rouge, first dealing with said health problem, then recovering from the surgery (my first!) and finally having a little while to enjoy being there. It was my first Louisiana fall since I left for college seven years ago, complete with some moderately chilly weather. I ate lots of avocados, drank many a fountain Diet Coke, appreciated not being a total anomaly and having freedom to move around, and spent lots of time with family (including a cute weenie dog). Then I started the looong trek back with a bonus oh-so-joyful meetup with one of my best friends in beautiful Los Angeles.

So on this sunny, crisp Wednesday after Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my good health, for family and friends who welcomed me home, and for the chance to return to Bangladesh and to the most fulfilling, energizing job I have had so far.

I am also thankful that two weekends ago I had the opportunity to see a lovely Bangladeshi farm! We were invited to the  family farm of a Bangladeshi friend and had a great day hiking through the tropical hillside to a lake and then back through a creek. It was refreshing to be away from the city and so interesting to see so many kinds of tropical fruit trees like JACKFRUIT trees and rubber trees. The farm is a working farm and actually siphons off the white sap from the rubber trees and combines it with an acid to make...rubber. I had never really thought before about how rubber was made, really.

Some photos of the glorious day (check out that critical cow eye!):



Last week, Thanksgiving week, was full of school work. But it ended with TWO great Thanksgiving dinners. On Thursday night I gathered with the small group of faculty from the Access Academy for a traditional dinner complete with stuffing, pumpkin and pecan pies, and candlelight. Then, on Friday, the other girls and I decided it was SARI TIME. We spent a fun afternoon doing makeup and hair prom-style and then went to a salon to have our saris wrapped (very.complicated.) I spent a hilarious 20 minutes surrounded by Bangladeshi women getting the full works for weddings while being fussed over by a salon worker, who did not hide her disgust that I was a total sari novice. But I loved every minute of it. Then we fawned over eachother's saris and took tons of glam shots. So fun. The rooftop faculty Thanksgiving dinner that followed was quite enjoyable, too.

So on this Wednesday after Thanksgiving I am grateful for three more things:

Wonderful students at AUW who inspire me every day

Good friends to share this experience with...

lots of friends!

And finally, the once in a lifetime opportunity to look like a Bengali Barbie!