Life on the other side

I'm on the move again ...

This time it's Dhaka, Bangladesh.

It's hard to describe what it's like here but I logged into our blog to attempt to do just that and this is what our page looked like:

It was weird to see something familiar in a different way! But that's Bangladesh for you...it changes your view on things you take for granted... like a comfortable home, good food, clean streets, roads without pot-holes...

The moment I arrived Dhaka, my senses were assailed by the pandemonium that is everyday life here and the smell that can only be described as thousands of unwashed bodies. Everywhere I go, it's just teeming with people, cars, rickshaws, buses, autos and lorries. It's estimated that there are more than 20 million people living in Dhaka alone. That's almost the entire population of Malaysia! However, it wouldn't surprise me if half of them live in really squalid conditions. Right outside my 4 star hotel there are beggars and squatter houses. It's heartbreaking to see kids running around naked.

The 5 minute drive everyday from the hotel to the office is an adventure on it's own as my driver seems to take sadistic delight in weaving through the traffic, jolting through pot-holes like he is the King of the Road. The thing is, every other driver on the road also thinks that they are kings of the road! There seems to be no traffic rules here except one: He Who Honks has the Right of Way! I've seen signboards prohibiting honking but no one pays any attention at all and the honking is incessant. In fact, I soon discovered that the horn is the most important part of any vehicle. I noticed that drivers have one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the horn. I guess they didn't learn the 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock rule that the rest of the world was taught in driving school!

Last weekend I went shopping in New Market. It's like a bazaar and it's famous for branded goods at really cheap prices. Bangladesh has many of the western chains that have opened up factories here (cheap labour!). I don't think I've ever had a shopping experience like this before. The place was packed with people doing their Eid ul-Fitr shopping.

Picture of New Market area taken from a local newspaper on the day I was shopping there

I had to let go of my personal space as throngs of people were pressing into me from all directions. Despite the dense crowd, I had one very faithful street kid following me to every shop trying to make himself useful and hoping to earn a few Takas along the way. Although I felt sorry for him, I didn't want to give him anything because I knew that he would have 20 other expectant friends that would suddenly appear if I gave him anything. But shopping wise it was good; I got a couple of Armani, Zara and Marks&Spenser tops for less than RM200!

Food wise, I haven't really eaten much local food accept what the hotel serves. Usually I love to try local food but looking at the cleanliness of this place (or lack thereof), I've been really careful. I've been here 2 weeks and I have slightly more than a week left to go. It's been a big accomplishment that I haven't got diarrhea so far. I hope things continue that way (fingers crossed!)

-Anya-