You can only be out of your own home to know how the world is. The food, culture and lifestyle is different. You have to adjust and adopt without loosing who you are; and what your identity is. The culture in Bangladesh is highly respected, and I am adjusting to alot of things.
To start.....
The week starts on Sunday. Weekends are Friday and Saturday. Holiness meetings are on Friday mornings. I am still getting used to this International shift.
In regard to culture, in some communities, a woman cannot get out of the house without a scarf, its dishonoring your chest. In the Muslim cultures, a woman has to cover her head all the time, and sit with feet behind, never in front. People also avoid pointing toes at others, its considered as disrespect. Most people say, in some cultures, one is not allowed to stand on papers, because you would be dishonoring the goddess of education, but its still not certain where that is from!
Most if not all meals are eaten with hands. The meal is brought to the table, one person serves everyone. It begins with rice and vegetables, you eat half the rice off your place with the veges, then start adding either a piece of chicken, fish or any other meat available. Everything is eaten in stages. After the meat e.t.c you finish with the Dhal. Most people make a 'swamp of rice' with the Dhal, and it also helps clean the plate. In all meals, everyone loves to have fresh chili, lemons and salt. I have figured out why we need salt at every meal, because the chili from the meals have burnt peoples taste bugs, that you cant taste the food anymore. The Salt brings out the flavor!!
As a team in the process, we have one meal together sitting down on a Matt. Roni is always the first one to get the mats organized and 'set the table' The only time we tell each other stories and catch up on events. Great moments......
TRANSPORT....
The transport system ranges from walking to flying. Major transport systems are roads and trains. Rickshaws are the order of the day, especially in the urban areas as well as the Tuk tuks. Alot of people take trains and buses too, but I have also heard that there are some buses that have massage buttons, some have DVDs too; it depends on what you can afford. I sat on a rickshaw once and I saw this skinny guy, panting and panting as he cycled and I felt very sorry for him. His brown shirt was all white at the back from the sweat, I told my team-mate that I dont really right about this, but he said, they are used to that work. I thought for a moment that he was actually producing salt. There are times I have seen three people sitting on a rickshaw and one guy struggling to carry them across a hill. Its a heavy duty task, but its normal.
In the rural areas where we are staying, we use an 'open engine' Ricksaw/truck version. I have seen all kinds of transport systems here that I have believed man can do anything or people here are living in a different century altogether. King Solomon the wise, said that... he has seen something else under the sun... I feel like saying those exact words. Its unbelievable..you have to see it to believe! Its a different century of invention and technology. As long as anything can move'put an engine to it...thats the motto!!! The Bangladesh people are very creative and I admire that strength. When you walk in the community, you see cowndung hunged on sticks ( the way we do kebabs or mshikakis) but that would be the heating system for cooking meals. Nothing goes to waste in the community!
In every homestead, there are small dams. These dams are for bathing, washing dishes, cleaning clothes e.t.c e.t.c. Everyoby bathes with their clothes on, since its an 'open' bathing system. Most women clean themselves in the evening, change clothes.
Women dont walk outside by 7pm, but men would be sitting in bars, and on the roads doing business and catching up with friends, a usual sight, in most parts of the world.
We have been crossing the Ferry every time we have travelled to Jessore, they are also in different classes, it takes nearly 3hrs if you are not on First class, but it was an experience for me.
It still unfolds...watch out for Part II
No comments:
Post a Comment