Yet another bug (or something) I have to deal with...

Animal/Bug
Originally uploaded by Bangla, Biryanis and Badminton.

Sounding like a fighter plane, the animal/bug hovered outside my window for a few seconds before it actually made its way through the curtains and into my room, while I watched and listened in absolute horror. It was some sort of pre-historic beetle that’s too big for fly spray and too scary to hit with my shoe. I managed to take a couple of close-up photos of it before I locked it in my bathroom and hoped to God it flew out the window. It did, thankfully and is so far yet to resurface.

And, to my utter horror, I was woken suddenly at 3am this morning by a sensation of something running across my legs. Startled, I jumped up, struggled out of my mosquito net and turned on the light. It was a mouse. The first mouse to ever invade my living (and, unfortunately, sleeping) space.

When I look on the bright side, the only thing I can come up with is that at least it wasn’t crawling over my face.

Oh the joys of working in a rural setting

I arrived at the office this morning to find a rather sizeable fish being cut up on the balcony. The floor and Jabada, the cook, were largely covered in blood and guts (although some morsels of the latter were being saved for the stock).

There were people standing around to watch the action.

As I gazed out over the pond and paddy fields below me, I wondered where else in the world you could go to the office and instead of making yourself a morning coffee, you can see a fish being butchered before logging onto your computer.

The Pen Register

In the past 7 months at work, I’ve lost approximately 7 pens. As pens tend to do, they have disappeared one by one, through no fault of my own. They have obviously just grown legs and walked away. And they have obviously done this one too many times according to Alam our accountant/stationery manager. Because today I was asked for the first time to “sign here” on the BACE-CFDP Stock Register. One pen!? Come on! It’s not as if I asked him for a spare calculator or one of those business card flipping devices or anything.

Very Busy

November is a very busy time of year. My boss has been warning me for the last month that he will be absolutely flat out this month.

As I write this, he and I are in the office alone. He is sitting just over there. And he is fast asleep in his chair.

Flat out.

The RAB is your friend or “Team Bangladesh”

They’re dressed in black from head to toe. They sport bandanas, sunglasses, 10-hole black army boots and casually sling fancy-looking modern artillery over their shoulders. They are usually under 30 and a good percentage of them are quite cute.

They are on the streets to keep the peace and bring justice to those who deserve it (or don’t?).

They will not hesitate to commandeer a vehicle on the street if necessary (including at 4am when two helpless foreigners need a cab home after an overnight bus trip and the only one available has a passenger in it).

They are above the law.

They are the Rapid Action Battalion.

Here is a recount of my interrogation by one member of RAB (with absolutely stunning eyes, I might add: “Yes officer! Anything you say, officer!) while travelling in a CNG last week, during Dhaka’s “red alert” week of security for the SAARC Summit:

RAB Officer: Excuse me, your country?
Me: Australia.
RAB Officer: Australia? Do you have a mother and a father?
Me: Yes.
RAB Officer: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Me: 2 brothers. I am the only sister.
RAB Officer: Oh! You are very lucky. What are you doing in Bangladesh?
Me: I am working for an NGO.
RAB Officer: Oh. Where do you live?
Me: Chandpur.
RAB Officer: Chandpur? Are you married?
Me: No.
RAB Officer: Are you carrying any bombs or pistols?
Me: No.
RAB Officer: OK. Have a nice day. God be with you.

Amar Shit Lage

Today was the last day that I will have a shower in my house until the temperature starts to rise again. I will now be resorting to bucket baths warmed up with boiled water. This morning the water was so cold I could hardly stand under it, although I no doubt have little resistance to anything cold at the moment, after seven months of stifling heat.

I just love the face that “shit” means “cold” in Bangla. I have a little chuckle every time someone asks me if I feel “shit”. I like to reply with something like, “Oh, I feel INCREDIBLY shit. I’ve never felt more shit in my life!”, simply to take advantage of the situation.

PS – I also love how people are really willing the winter to come. I’d say it’s about 26 degrees today and I’ve seen 4 people wearing scarves! Raju has been wearing a skivvy for the last 4 days. No shit.

Nitty Gritty

I hate finding rocks in my dhal. It happens on a regular basis.

Oh, the joys of living in a tactless society

1. Raju – a moral dilemma

Me: I wore a sari the other day.
Raju: Oh, you would have been beautiful. Do you know, Tangail saris are the best ones you can get.
Me: Really? Does your wife have any?
Raju: Oh, yes. When I went to Dinajpur, I bought her five Tangail saris.
Me: Oh, beautiful.
Raju: No, she is not beautiful.
Me: WHAT?? How can you say that?
Raju: She is not beautiful, because her skin is very black.
Me: Raju! You can’t say that! Of course she’s beautiful.
Raju: No, she isn’t. But she has a very open mind, so I like my wife very much. I don’t care what she looks like. I like her mind.

Is he living on a higher or a lower level than the rest of us?


2. Nizam – I thought you were my friend!
Text message. Received 20:54, 23 October 2005:

“Don’t sleep so much. U r getting too fat day by day.”

It’s a good thing I’m also getting thicker skin day by day.


3. Shahin – Evangelical Muslim

Shahin: You should become a Muslim.
Me: Why?
Shahin: If you become a Muslim, you can go to heaven.
Me: My religion has heaven too.
Shahin: Yes, but our heaven is very different.
Me: What’s your heaven like?
Shahin: Our heaven is a very beautiful and peaceful place. You will be very happy there.
Me: My heaven is like that too – they could even be the same place!
Shahin: No, ours is very beautiful. If you become Muslim, it will be very good