Images of Bangladesh

Hi There,

I've now been in Bangladesh now for the past couple of days. Just getting settled in with a group of nineteen Afghans on another study tour. It's been excellent thus far. I haven't had a chance to explore a great deal yet, but here are a first couple of images to go off of.

1,500 miles? Last I checked, it took 24 hrs to travel 1,500 miles only if you were doing 65 on the freeway. Oh, I take that back. It also takes that long to fly from Kabul to Dhaka! So much for international connections when you live in a place like Kabul.

150 Million! Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated spaces in the world. Just imagine the state of Wisconsin filled with 150 Million people! It's a number that is hard to even fathom.

Stares. With only a couple of times out and about, my first impression are the eyes that surround me. In Afghanistan foreigners aren't novelties. Here they certainly still are. Folks are all too happy to take a good look and wonder what I'm doing here.

Mangoes! A highlight has been the mangoes. This happened to be my dinner last night and tonight. Simply blissful. Like my friend coined the other day, it must have been a mango. Eve certainly wouldn't have caved for a mere apple!

Great Food. The food has surpassed my expectations and is just fabulous. It's very similar to your typical Indian food. Lots of flavor, though they are taming back the spice for the Afghans.

Rickshaws. They handy transportation vehicles, bikes with a seat on the back, carry up to a family of five. While the participants questioned using these in this day and age, I'm an advocate. When you compare it to wearing a surgical mask in Vietnam with a million motor bikes, I'll take the rickshaws any day.

Development from the Inside. I'll have to do a full post on BRAC, but it is just incredible how a nation has been able to develop from the inside. I believe this should be the model for all countries to follow. With this we wouldn't need development from the outside.

Pull my Tooth. You know it is bad when the first thing participants ask about when they come to another country is to pull their teeth. I've got three participants who have requested for their teeth to be pulled.

Plastic Bags. To end on a happier note, Bangladesh has prohibited plastic bags to prevent environmental degradation. My thought, America should follow their good example!

I think that's all for tonight. More later!

Cheers,

Miel