Okay, to allay everyone's worries: I am FINE. Dhaka is seven hours away, and I am in absolutely no danger from the fire. It is just a tragedy that is indicative of what life is like here, fraught with mishaps and lacking the necessary precautions and infrastructure to deal with such potentialities...
I've had a pretty intense few days. On Friday, we ventured out to the shops and such, and I had my first experience of swarms of beggars. It was a really difficult experience, and I have a feeling it will continue to be that way. There were these two children who decided to follow me around, and they have the biggest deep brown eyes, just like all the kids here. As you know, I'm not usually a fan of kids, but the Bangladeshi children are the cutest in the entire world. These two were fascinated with me, and wanted their picture taken, which I then showed them on the screen of the digital camera. I have a feeling they don't get to see themselves too often, and they certainly don't take pictures frequently. They look so serious in the photo, but the rest of the time they had huge smiles, showing their broken teeth. They spoke no English, but were able to tell me their names, and then they asked me about my tattoo by encircling my arm with their grubby little hands. It was cute. But then, another woman with a crusty stump instead of her right arm came over and started waving her amputation in my face, pulling on my shirt and begging for money. Then, it seemed like I was suddenly suffocated by begging women...Tamanna rescued me and we went inside a shop. They had ice cream, and I wanted to get some for the kids, because I doubt they get it very often (if ever); but, Tamanna had to explain to me that if I do, they will never leave me alone. She said that, although it sounds horrible, one must develop a thick skin and not be a bleeding heart every time you step out into the street. I'm not sure how I feel about this; it seems like it goes against my ethics of letting this place wash over me, and I certainly have never felt so starkly privileged in comparison to these kids running around barefoot and ragged on the street (amusing them with my expensive digital camera), but at the same time, she is right that I'll have no money left if I do what my heart tells me to do. Another ethical consideration is that giving the kids money is just fueling the poverty-driven cycle of human trafficking for begging...you know how in Slum Dog Millionaire (the movie), they show the scene of kids being mutilated or just conscripted for that purpose? It is true, it actually happens here, and you see lots of people with acid burns on their faces, missing arms and legs, or just fingers and toes...I am not exposed to the extreme levels of poverty in the deep slums, as these are pretty much inaccessible and hidden within the warrens of alleyways (don't worry, I won't go looking for them, they really aren't safe), so I guess I will be spared the even more raw sights. For better or worse.
I also got to TA my first class! This is the capacity-building course that Tamanna teaches, and it is the one using the BRAC model. I've collated a lot more material on these subjects, while I'll compile into a condensed form and post it as well. The class was quite fun, and after I introduced myself, the girls asked me lots of questions about my home and about why I wanted to come to Bangladesh, and the main differences between AUW and my school. I also get asked my ethnicity a lot, which is especially interesting because the students come from so many different countries here. As one girl said, I get to learn about thirteen different countries, all in one place!
Today, I also helped grade the exit exams that are supposed to ascertain English proficiency, and progress over the past year. It was a pretty grueling and monotonous task, but I noticed some trends as I was doing it, which were really interesting. Overall, the Bangla speakers (native to Bangladesh and Western India, like Kolkata) did much worse than the foreign students...I'm not sure why, but I look forward to hearing the statistical analysis that arises from this exam.
Overall, I am adjusting well, and I haven't gotten sick from the food. I do already miss cheeseburgers and bland Americana cuisine though...there are some Western-ish grocery stores where I could get (sort of) comfort foods, and I may end up doing that if I continue to lose weight. Tamanna is sharing her mutlivitamins with me, so I'm not too worried about nutrition, and I'm staying hydrated with safe water. The main issue is becoming acclimated to the time zone (it is currently almost 4am here), and I just have no internal rhythm anymore.
I've witnessed the power of the monsoons too...the rain is truly torrential, and very fun to watch if you aren't stuck in it. There are covered balconies from which you can see the downpour, and I plan to take photographs of it from the safety of shelter. I have also felt two earth quakes so far (calm down! don't worry, it's not too bad), but they are more like slight tremors when everything moves strangely, not anything to worry about. Granted, they can be dangerous, but not usually in this time of year, and the other teachers reassure me that they haven't experienced anything of great magnitude.
The mosquitos and cockroaches continue to be a problem, and are probably the some of the worst things I've yet experienced. Despite sprays and such, I am still plagued by both...cockroaches are just utterly terrifying (especially when they are three inches long, and crawling on my nightstand and bed!) but the mosquitos are actually quite dangerous. The daytime biters carry Denge fever, for which there is no medicine or preventative vaccine. All the teachers have had it, so I am hoping I'll escape it but am probably just biding my time until I'm sick. My entire lower legs are covered in bites resembling red welts.
I have more to share but I am really tired, so that's all for now. Later, I'll tell you more about my visit today, to the school in Askar Digghir Uttur Par. I also have my first individual meetings with students tomorrow/today, and I'll get to attend the faculty meeting for the Access Academy also. It is very weird to be considered a teacher, and called ma'am all day! They also call me Ms. Sarah, which is sweet.
I'll post pictures soon too.
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