I've been MIA from my blog for over four months. From the looks of it, not much has changed. My post about my flight to Dhaka is still the most popular of my entries. Somehow google keeps directing more and more people to that page every day. Blogspot told me I have a follower; so I guess that's new. Whoever you are, hello. :)
I really haven't felt like writing the last few months. I am still in Dhaka, dealing with the Dhaka traffic on weekdays and the maddening boredom on the weekends. Christmas wasn't too bad. We went to the biggest church in the city. Was pretty neat.
I've stopped looking online for tips about Dhaka. Mainly because there are none. If I have questions, I ask my friends or my coworkers. As much as I didn't want to get stuck in the expat bubble... well, so much for that. Anyway, now it's mostly work (and dealing with the traffic) on the weekdays, and sleeping, getting bored or going out on the weekends (and by going out, I mean going to the expat clubs).
So, that pretty much sums it up. Anyway, I am looking forward to this weekend. Should be fun.
Later.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
08/03/09
I've been MIA from my blog for the past couple of weeks. Here's all that happened in those two weeks
- I got sick.
- I am homesick.
- It rained. A lot. Last week, it rained so much that I was rained in for a day.
- Now it's REALLY hot and humid. Not fun.
- I got wasted last weekend.
I would say that's a pretty uneventful two weeks.
- I got sick.
- I am homesick.
- It rained. A lot. Last week, it rained so much that I was rained in for a day.
- Now it's REALLY hot and humid. Not fun.
- I got wasted last weekend.
I would say that's a pretty uneventful two weeks.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
A dry country
Bdesh is a dry country. No questions about it. I hate drinking by myself, especially if it's in a hotel bar, and in Dhaka, that's pretty much all you can do if your throat's parched from all the heat.
Here is a blog with a list of places in Dhaka where you can get a drink. Pretty small list, right? Note that most of those places are hotel bars. You can go to the American, Nordic, British or other international clubs, but really, all you will do is shield yourself from the reality of Dhaka for a few hours and escape to a secluded bubble. Sure, that's fun (and also necessary from time to time) but that's no way to spend a weekend night.
In my quest to find things to do in Dhaka on occasional weekend nights, I've been trying to figure out if there's an active club scene and what I found wasn't particularly encouraging. The third name in the list I linked to is Privilege, supposedly the hottest club in the country at the moment. Is it really the best club in the country? I have no idea.
When I lived in New York City, we would find a new hangout spot every weekend and the next thing you know, the b&t crowd would show up and before you knew it, the place was no longer considered cool, and everyone would be on the lookout for the next "it" lounge, bar or club. The last time I was there, Pacha was the biggest b&t draw. I have no idea if it's still there. Didn't Pacha replace Webster Hall in that category? I have no clue.
Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I was talking about Privilege and well, it turns out that clubs aren't really all that legal in Bangladesh. Here is a report about cops arresting 113 people from a Dhaka club for "their links to different anti-social activities" which supposedly means they were drinking. Oops. I am not sure which part of the story bothers me more: that people were arrested for the "crime" of drinking, or that only 32 of the 113 people in that club were female, or that only 113 of the club's patrons were drinking? What about the rest of the people in there? Why weren't they drinking? Or maybe the club only had 113 patrons at the time; maybe the club had such a small crowd there because all the cool people had gone to Privilege; maybe the cops hassled the patrons of that club because they weren't a part of the cool crowd. Who knows? Anyway, I am sure they are all hella cool. Or maybe not. How cool could you really be if you were in a club with a 30:70 ratio? The first thing I learned during my gig as a bouncer (pretty short-lived, really, since I only did it my senior year of college for a pretty darn shady club) is that you never let the number exceed 70:30 because then there's too much estrogen in the club and it just gets hella catty but at the same time, you never let the ratio get close to 50:50 either because then there's too much testosterone and there isn't enough eyecandy for the men and they won't buy drinks for the women and that's just not a good situation from a business POV. So, no matter how you look at it, the people in charge of "the Korea and Bangladesh Nightclub" need to rethink their business strategy.
OK, maybe that was too TIC even for me, so I am gonna go back to what this post is meant to be about. Look, you can't stop globalization from happening. You just can't. While you can make laws and try to shield your country from the rest of the world by turning your country into an absolutely dry place where you can only get a drink in a hotel bar or an expat club and where drinking is considered a crime because it goes against the social and religious mores, you can't stop people from doing what they want to do. That's why people will go to Privilege, the Korea and Bangladesh Nightclub and wherever else.
What's happening in Bangladesh reminds me of something similar that happened in Chile a few years ago. Here's a quick history lesson, with my reductionist (and of course, revisionist) take on it. Under Pinochet, Chile went through a major social transformation and turned into one of the more socially conservative countries in South America. Sex ed was banned; abortions were not legal. You weren't allowed to divorce your spouse. Sounds kinda like Bangladesh, doesn't it?
Then the military dictator was overthrown, democracy was restored and the country tried to embrace free market economics. As a result, per capita income gradually increased, and one particular sector of the economy that saw tremendous growth (in fact, one of the highest in the region) was telecommunications. More and more people (and kids) had access to cellphones (and hence, cellphone cameras). They also had increased access to the internet. While the Chilean culture was still pretty conservative, Chileans now had access to foreign movies and TV shows.
Anyway, no matter how conservative a society is, kids are bound to rebel and that's what happened in Chile; they decided to break free from the social mores and it became trendy for these kids to tape their sexual encounters with webcams or their cellphone cameras and then broadcast these videos over the internet.
Believe it or not, that sounds an awful like Bdesh. When I read the last couple of paragraphs to a Bdeshi, without disclosing the name of the country, she thought I was talking about her country.
Now, going back to what we were talking about earlier, as if all that weren't enough, there's a new trend in Chile, according to the NYT.
I am no expert on teen psychology but from what little I've seen of kids, the more you tell kids NOT to do something, the more they will try to do it. Whatever these Chilean kids are doing, that's their (and their parents') business, not mine. What bothers me is that these shenanigans have been almost institutionalized, or so it seems, in Chile.
As you might have noticed from the tone of my blog, I am not uptight; I am pretty socially liberal and I really wouldn't care if these kids were necking in the bleachers. What bothers me is that the Chilean society is still pretty conservative and doesn't believe in sex ed for the most part; it's still at the point where abortions are penalized. So, for these kids to go to these parties and do what they do carries an inordinate amount of risk ranging from STDS to unwanted pregnancies and everything in between.
So, with or without alcohol, these kids are gonna do what they are doing anyway. I can imagine the same thing happening in Bangladesh. I've often heard from the locals that one of the reasons for the ban on alcohol in Bangladesh is that it will lead to activities that are contrary to the social and religious mores of the country. I don't think that's true. Anyway, as the Chilean example shows, even restrictions on alcohol won't stop kids from doing what they do on the Discovery channel. So, why have those restrictions in the first place? It's not like we or the upper echelon of the Bdeshi society don't have access to booze in the first place. It just doesn't make sense to me.
Anyway, I don't mean to offend any Bdeshis with my rant. Whatever I post here are my views and opinions based on what I've experienced during my stay in Bdesh.
Did you all here in Bdesh have a good start to your work week? I hope so. I also hope that you all back at home had a fun weekend.
Here is a blog with a list of places in Dhaka where you can get a drink. Pretty small list, right? Note that most of those places are hotel bars. You can go to the American, Nordic, British or other international clubs, but really, all you will do is shield yourself from the reality of Dhaka for a few hours and escape to a secluded bubble. Sure, that's fun (and also necessary from time to time) but that's no way to spend a weekend night.
In my quest to find things to do in Dhaka on occasional weekend nights, I've been trying to figure out if there's an active club scene and what I found wasn't particularly encouraging. The third name in the list I linked to is Privilege, supposedly the hottest club in the country at the moment. Is it really the best club in the country? I have no idea.
When I lived in New York City, we would find a new hangout spot every weekend and the next thing you know, the b&t crowd would show up and before you knew it, the place was no longer considered cool, and everyone would be on the lookout for the next "it" lounge, bar or club. The last time I was there, Pacha was the biggest b&t draw. I have no idea if it's still there. Didn't Pacha replace Webster Hall in that category? I have no clue.
Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I was talking about Privilege and well, it turns out that clubs aren't really all that legal in Bangladesh. Here is a report about cops arresting 113 people from a Dhaka club for "their links to different anti-social activities" which supposedly means they were drinking. Oops. I am not sure which part of the story bothers me more: that people were arrested for the "crime" of drinking, or that only 32 of the 113 people in that club were female, or that only 113 of the club's patrons were drinking? What about the rest of the people in there? Why weren't they drinking? Or maybe the club only had 113 patrons at the time; maybe the club had such a small crowd there because all the cool people had gone to Privilege; maybe the cops hassled the patrons of that club because they weren't a part of the cool crowd. Who knows? Anyway, I am sure they are all hella cool. Or maybe not. How cool could you really be if you were in a club with a 30:70 ratio? The first thing I learned during my gig as a bouncer (pretty short-lived, really, since I only did it my senior year of college for a pretty darn shady club) is that you never let the number exceed 70:30 because then there's too much estrogen in the club and it just gets hella catty but at the same time, you never let the ratio get close to 50:50 either because then there's too much testosterone and there isn't enough eyecandy for the men and they won't buy drinks for the women and that's just not a good situation from a business POV. So, no matter how you look at it, the people in charge of "the Korea and Bangladesh Nightclub" need to rethink their business strategy.
OK, maybe that was too TIC even for me, so I am gonna go back to what this post is meant to be about. Look, you can't stop globalization from happening. You just can't. While you can make laws and try to shield your country from the rest of the world by turning your country into an absolutely dry place where you can only get a drink in a hotel bar or an expat club and where drinking is considered a crime because it goes against the social and religious mores, you can't stop people from doing what they want to do. That's why people will go to Privilege, the Korea and Bangladesh Nightclub and wherever else.
What's happening in Bangladesh reminds me of something similar that happened in Chile a few years ago. Here's a quick history lesson, with my reductionist (and of course, revisionist) take on it. Under Pinochet, Chile went through a major social transformation and turned into one of the more socially conservative countries in South America. Sex ed was banned; abortions were not legal. You weren't allowed to divorce your spouse. Sounds kinda like Bangladesh, doesn't it?
Then the military dictator was overthrown, democracy was restored and the country tried to embrace free market economics. As a result, per capita income gradually increased, and one particular sector of the economy that saw tremendous growth (in fact, one of the highest in the region) was telecommunications. More and more people (and kids) had access to cellphones (and hence, cellphone cameras). They also had increased access to the internet. While the Chilean culture was still pretty conservative, Chileans now had access to foreign movies and TV shows.
Anyway, no matter how conservative a society is, kids are bound to rebel and that's what happened in Chile; they decided to break free from the social mores and it became trendy for these kids to tape their sexual encounters with webcams or their cellphone cameras and then broadcast these videos over the internet.
Believe it or not, that sounds an awful like Bdesh. When I read the last couple of paragraphs to a Bdeshi, without disclosing the name of the country, she thought I was talking about her country.
Now, going back to what we were talking about earlier, as if all that weren't enough, there's a new trend in Chile, according to the NYT.
It is just after 5 p.m. in what was once one of Latin America’s most sexually conservative countries, and the youth of Chile are bumping and grinding to a reggaetón beat. At the Bar Urbano disco, boys and girls ages 14 to 18 are stripping off their shirts, revealing bras, tattoos and nipple rings.
The place is a tangle of lips and tongues and hands, all groping and exploring. About 800 teenagers sway and bounce to lyrics imploring them to “Poncea! Poncea!”: make out with as many people as they can.
And make out they do — with stranger after stranger, vying for the honor of being known as the “ponceo,” the one who pairs up the most.
I am no expert on teen psychology but from what little I've seen of kids, the more you tell kids NOT to do something, the more they will try to do it. Whatever these Chilean kids are doing, that's their (and their parents') business, not mine. What bothers me is that these shenanigans have been almost institutionalized, or so it seems, in Chile.
As you might have noticed from the tone of my blog, I am not uptight; I am pretty socially liberal and I really wouldn't care if these kids were necking in the bleachers. What bothers me is that the Chilean society is still pretty conservative and doesn't believe in sex ed for the most part; it's still at the point where abortions are penalized. So, for these kids to go to these parties and do what they do carries an inordinate amount of risk ranging from STDS to unwanted pregnancies and everything in between.
“Before, someone would meet and fall in love and start dating seriously here; at a party today, you meet like three people and make out with all three,” said Mario Muñoz, 20, co-owner of Imperio Productions, which organizes some of the larger 18-and-under parties.
On a recent Saturday, about 1,500 teenagers piled into the cavernous Cadillac Club, another downtown disco, for Imperio Productions’ weekly event. The partygoers, many no more than five feet tall, lined up at the bar to buy orange Fanta and Sprite, wearing oversize sunglasses.
Not too long ago, Mr. Muñoz and his brother Daniel were teenagers attending such parties themselves. Now they defend their parties as good, clean fun. Alcohol is not allowed, and cigarettes are not sold, though smoking was widespread among the teenagers at the Cadillac Club. Security guards monitor bathrooms and regularly throw out boys whose groping crosses the line — if the girls complain.
So, with or without alcohol, these kids are gonna do what they are doing anyway. I can imagine the same thing happening in Bangladesh. I've often heard from the locals that one of the reasons for the ban on alcohol in Bangladesh is that it will lead to activities that are contrary to the social and religious mores of the country. I don't think that's true. Anyway, as the Chilean example shows, even restrictions on alcohol won't stop kids from doing what they do on the Discovery channel. So, why have those restrictions in the first place? It's not like we or the upper echelon of the Bdeshi society don't have access to booze in the first place. It just doesn't make sense to me.
Anyway, I don't mean to offend any Bdeshis with my rant. Whatever I post here are my views and opinions based on what I've experienced during my stay in Bdesh.
Did you all here in Bdesh have a good start to your work week? I hope so. I also hope that you all back at home had a fun weekend.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Dhaka University, plus some more blogs I follow
It's been hella busy but boring lately. I haven't had a whole lot of time to travel. Anyway, on Friday, I finally got the opportunity to visit Dhaka University. I've heard a lot about it, about how it's like a public Ivy. In fact, some people have told me that it's the best university in the country. On Friday, I took a rickshaw ride through the university, and I thought I'd share some of my observations with you all.
Dhaka University is hella nice; it really is. It's almost like an oasis of calm in the middle of the ever crazy-busy Dhaka. Despite being so close to the business district, it's a lot less frenetic in there than the rest of the city. The buildings look "colonial", for lack of a better word. If you like old architecture, you'd probably love this place. While we were inside the university, we noticed an entire street lined with stores that sell earthenware. That stuff looked pretty neat, but I decided to stay off shopper mode for the day. There was another street where the entire street (and that street was at least three blocks long) was lined with couples, just sitting on the sidewalk and chatting away, sipping tea and eating street food. It's the first time I've seen a man and a woman holding hands in Dhaka. No lie.
It's easy to think that Dhaka, for being such a socially conservative city, is very gay-friendly, because no matter where you go, you will see men holding hands and walking down the street. I've even seen two men who were dressed alike holding hands and walking down the street; so it's easy to come to the conclusion that homosexuality is accepted in this society. It isn't. Men don't hold each other's hands because they are into each other; I don't know why they do it but supposedly, it's a cultural thing. Anyway, the point is that wherever you are in Dhaka, you won't see couples holding hands or expressing affection, except when you come to Dhaka University. Every expat wonders where the Bdeshi women are, because there's such a huge gender disparity when you go through the streets or malls or wherever in this city. In Dhaka university, I didn't notice that gender imbalance. There was an equal number of women as men in that place.
In my last blog post, Peachy asked me how I've fared in Dhaka so far. Peachy, my answer would pretty much reflects what Lonely Planet says about Dhaka.
I think I have finally started to move to the beat of Dhaka. It took another blogger, Eveline, about a week to do the same thing. I am not sure if there's a need to rush this whole adjustment process, since most expats take a lot longer than I do. I spent the entire 4th of July weekend hearing countless fellow countrymen (and women) bitching about how they could NEVER get used to living in Dhaka. Most of them have lived here a lot longer than I have; so, I don't think I needed to rush this getting-used-to phase. Anyway, speaking of expats, there aren't very many of them in Dhaka; apparently, Dhaka is the least expat-friendly city in Asia, according to some study done in 2007, or so another expat told me the other day. If it's true, I can understand why, but I think if you are gonna live in Dhaka, whether it's for a day or a year or a lifetime, you need to start moving to the beat of this city.
There are two new entries to my list of blogs about living in Bdesh/Dhaka. Both of them are chock full of information. First is Poliphili's blog. I wanted to link two of her picture essays about Dhaka(go here and here), mainly because I haven't been able to upload any of my Dhaka pictures yet. I already told you about Eveline's blog (go here). She works for the UN, I believe, and is working in Africa now. The posts about Dhaka (and Bdesh in general) give you a very vivid picture of what this place is like. Anyway, I would highly recommend both the blogs to you, whether you are looking for more information about this place or you just need some light reading.
Anyway, it's a quarter to eleven and although I'm bored and want a drink, I need to go do some work. I hope you all had a fun weekend.
Dhaka University is hella nice; it really is. It's almost like an oasis of calm in the middle of the ever crazy-busy Dhaka. Despite being so close to the business district, it's a lot less frenetic in there than the rest of the city. The buildings look "colonial", for lack of a better word. If you like old architecture, you'd probably love this place. While we were inside the university, we noticed an entire street lined with stores that sell earthenware. That stuff looked pretty neat, but I decided to stay off shopper mode for the day. There was another street where the entire street (and that street was at least three blocks long) was lined with couples, just sitting on the sidewalk and chatting away, sipping tea and eating street food. It's the first time I've seen a man and a woman holding hands in Dhaka. No lie.
It's easy to think that Dhaka, for being such a socially conservative city, is very gay-friendly, because no matter where you go, you will see men holding hands and walking down the street. I've even seen two men who were dressed alike holding hands and walking down the street; so it's easy to come to the conclusion that homosexuality is accepted in this society. It isn't. Men don't hold each other's hands because they are into each other; I don't know why they do it but supposedly, it's a cultural thing. Anyway, the point is that wherever you are in Dhaka, you won't see couples holding hands or expressing affection, except when you come to Dhaka University. Every expat wonders where the Bdeshi women are, because there's such a huge gender disparity when you go through the streets or malls or wherever in this city. In Dhaka university, I didn't notice that gender imbalance. There was an equal number of women as men in that place.
In my last blog post, Peachy asked me how I've fared in Dhaka so far. Peachy, my answer would pretty much reflects what Lonely Planet says about Dhaka.
Dhaka is more than just a city, it is a giant whirlpool that sucks in anything and anyone foolish enough to come within its furious grasp. (…) A day spent alternating between the filthy river banks of Old Dhaka and the swish restaurants of Gulshan is a day spent seeing the haves and have-nots of the world in crystal clarity. We can’t guarantee you’ll fall for Dhaka’s many charms, but sooner or later you will start to move to its beat and when that happens Dhaka stops being a terrifying ride and starts becoming a cauldron of art and intellect, passion and poverty, love and hate. Whatever happens, this is one fairground ride you’ll never forget.
I think I have finally started to move to the beat of Dhaka. It took another blogger, Eveline, about a week to do the same thing. I am not sure if there's a need to rush this whole adjustment process, since most expats take a lot longer than I do. I spent the entire 4th of July weekend hearing countless fellow countrymen (and women) bitching about how they could NEVER get used to living in Dhaka. Most of them have lived here a lot longer than I have; so, I don't think I needed to rush this getting-used-to phase. Anyway, speaking of expats, there aren't very many of them in Dhaka; apparently, Dhaka is the least expat-friendly city in Asia, according to some study done in 2007, or so another expat told me the other day. If it's true, I can understand why, but I think if you are gonna live in Dhaka, whether it's for a day or a year or a lifetime, you need to start moving to the beat of this city.
There are two new entries to my list of blogs about living in Bdesh/Dhaka. Both of them are chock full of information. First is Poliphili's blog. I wanted to link two of her picture essays about Dhaka(go here and here), mainly because I haven't been able to upload any of my Dhaka pictures yet. I already told you about Eveline's blog (go here). She works for the UN, I believe, and is working in Africa now. The posts about Dhaka (and Bdesh in general) give you a very vivid picture of what this place is like. Anyway, I would highly recommend both the blogs to you, whether you are looking for more information about this place or you just need some light reading.
Anyway, it's a quarter to eleven and although I'm bored and want a drink, I need to go do some work. I hope you all had a fun weekend.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Pita bread, monsoon rain and random thoughts
Where can I find pita bread in Dhaka? I found a pita lookalike in a local supermarket the other day; it's a local bread called the naan. There are a few supermarkets near where I live, but I usually go to Nandan and when I want some cheese or maraschino cherries, I go to Agora (about an hour away but that's only because of the Dhaka traffic). Guess what I found in Agora the other day? MANGOSTEENS!!! They were only about $4/lb, which is a steal considering the price is about 8-10 times that back in the US. I prefer these supermarkets to the street vendors or roadside markets because a) all the products are labeled, b) the prices are on the labels and c) I don't have to haggle to get a good deal. On my first trip to Nandan, I got some pasta, olive oil, mushrooms, a can opener and some pistacio ice cream, all for about $11. Not bad, right?
It's been raining a lot for the last three or four days. It's monsoon season here, and I am expecting a lot of rain over the next couple of months. There was a terrible heat wave during my first couple of weeks in Dhaka, but thanks to this torrential rain, it's not suffocatingly hot any more. It rains sideways here; I think I mentioned this before but it's true.
Last night, I watched No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. It was the Vancouver episode, not one of my favorites. If you are interested, the show is on Food & Living (or whatever that channel is called), and it's on at 1:00 am (I think? Could have been 12:30 am for all I know) local time.
Anyway, on to random thoughts:
- Ron Artest to the Lakers: terrible move. Artest is no longer the defender he used to be, and he shoots too many ill-advised 3s for my liking. Look, if you are gonna give an MLE deal to someone, give it to someone who's already shown he can do it for you (i.e. Ariza) and not a headcase who's created problems for every team he's ever played for. Btw, Ariza is a lot younger than RonRon; thought Kupcake might want to know that.
- Don't complain about rush hour traffic until you've lived in Dhaka.
- There's no greater joy than eating a tropical fruit right off a tree. True story.
- Maybe the DST shenanigans worked; maybe it's because the heat wave is no longer here; anyway, the rolling blackouts aren't as bad or as frequent as they used to be during my first couple of weeks here. Or maybe Donny is right and I just got used to those darn blackouts.
- Eating popcorn while you are stuck in traffic: who woulda thunk it? Apparently, some pretty smart Dhaka entrepreneurs did. Teenagers (mostly boys) walk through the maze of vehicles stuck in Dhaka traffic and sell popcorn, water, gossip magazines and trinklets.
That's all for now. I hope you all enjoy the weekend.
It's been raining a lot for the last three or four days. It's monsoon season here, and I am expecting a lot of rain over the next couple of months. There was a terrible heat wave during my first couple of weeks in Dhaka, but thanks to this torrential rain, it's not suffocatingly hot any more. It rains sideways here; I think I mentioned this before but it's true.
Last night, I watched No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. It was the Vancouver episode, not one of my favorites. If you are interested, the show is on Food & Living (or whatever that channel is called), and it's on at 1:00 am (I think? Could have been 12:30 am for all I know) local time.
Anyway, on to random thoughts:
- Ron Artest to the Lakers: terrible move. Artest is no longer the defender he used to be, and he shoots too many ill-advised 3s for my liking. Look, if you are gonna give an MLE deal to someone, give it to someone who's already shown he can do it for you (i.e. Ariza) and not a headcase who's created problems for every team he's ever played for. Btw, Ariza is a lot younger than RonRon; thought Kupcake might want to know that.
- Don't complain about rush hour traffic until you've lived in Dhaka.
- There's no greater joy than eating a tropical fruit right off a tree. True story.
- Maybe the DST shenanigans worked; maybe it's because the heat wave is no longer here; anyway, the rolling blackouts aren't as bad or as frequent as they used to be during my first couple of weeks here. Or maybe Donny is right and I just got used to those darn blackouts.
- Eating popcorn while you are stuck in traffic: who woulda thunk it? Apparently, some pretty smart Dhaka entrepreneurs did. Teenagers (mostly boys) walk through the maze of vehicles stuck in Dhaka traffic and sell popcorn, water, gossip magazines and trinklets.
That's all for now. I hope you all enjoy the weekend.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
I HATE when people don't show up on time
On Thursday, I had a meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. I got there on time but to do so, I had to account for Dhaka traffic and allocated a travel time of an hour and a half. When I finally got there at exactly 11 a.m., I was made to wait 35 minutes, at which point the administrative assistant called the person I was meeting to tell him I was waiting, and the person showed up another 15 minutes later. This meeting has been in the books for a few days. The time for the meeting had been confirmed twice. Why would someone still be so reluctant to show up on time?
As wonderful as Bangladeshi people are, not showing up on time is the one aspect of their personality I just can't stand. You know what time it is; your watch or your cellphone tells you the freakin' time. You know what time you are supposed to be somewhere to meet someone; your notebook or your administrative assistant tells you that. So, when you know what time a meeting is and you know the time too, is it really that hard to just show up... on time?
As wonderful as Bangladeshi people are, not showing up on time is the one aspect of their personality I just can't stand. You know what time it is; your watch or your cellphone tells you the freakin' time. You know what time you are supposed to be somewhere to meet someone; your notebook or your administrative assistant tells you that. So, when you know what time a meeting is and you know the time too, is it really that hard to just show up... on time?
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Man for All Seasons
Today, I went to watch the Bdeshi take on A Man for All Seasons. It's a play about how one man stood up for what he believed in. I saw it not too long ago when Frank Langella (you know... the guy who played Nixon in Frost Nixon) was in it. It's a great play, but I wasn't overly optimistic when I stepped into the theater today mainly because I've seen great plays being butchered by directors who tried to stage them - unsuccessfully - in a culture and a setting different from the ones they were originally written in.
I was very surprised with what I saw today. Whoever played the Common Man is one hell of an actor. The guy playing Thomas More was pretty darn good too; he got the crowd cheering for him a couple of times.
The venue was the National Academy of Fine Arts, which is pretty close to where I live now. I live maybe a mile or so away from the Academy.
Most of the plays staged there are in Bengali, the local language, so if you aren't very comfortable with watching a play in a language you are not very fluent in, or if you are completely unfamiliar with a certain play, maybe this isn't the best option for you, but if you don't mind stepping out of your comfort zone every now and then, this theater could be a godsend. Anyway, in a previous blog post, I whined about how I am always bored in the evenings in Dhaka. Now, I think I've found something to keep me occupied for at least a couple of evenings every month.
I was very surprised with what I saw today. Whoever played the Common Man is one hell of an actor. The guy playing Thomas More was pretty darn good too; he got the crowd cheering for him a couple of times.
The venue was the National Academy of Fine Arts, which is pretty close to where I live now. I live maybe a mile or so away from the Academy.
Most of the plays staged there are in Bengali, the local language, so if you aren't very comfortable with watching a play in a language you are not very fluent in, or if you are completely unfamiliar with a certain play, maybe this isn't the best option for you, but if you don't mind stepping out of your comfort zone every now and then, this theater could be a godsend. Anyway, in a previous blog post, I whined about how I am always bored in the evenings in Dhaka. Now, I think I've found something to keep me occupied for at least a couple of evenings every month.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Gray Davis, daylight savings time in Bangladesh and random thoughts
The Governator never really let us miss Gray Davis, who was generally known for the rolling blackouts during his tenure as the supreme leader of California (yes, I called him the supreme leader; after all, we gotta show those Iranians they don't have a monopoly over this whole "supreme leader" thing). Since the Governator took over, we stopped talking about Davis and I didn't even realize that the guy had completely dropped out of the public eye.
However, since my arrival in Dhaka, there have been rolling blackouts every day, including on the weekends, and so, every day I am reminded of Gray Davis and his sleazy smile. The blackouts usually start around 9:30 am and go on until 8:30 pm or so. Usually, there are 4-5 rolling blackouts a day and they could last for long as a couple of hours or as short as a couple of minutes. On average, half of your work day is bound to be affected by blackouts. Most people here have accepted blackouts as a part of life and so, most businesses (and homes) shell money out of their own pockets to combat the problem. Here is an account from a local English daily about how they do that. The problem with these diesel "generators" is that they are hella noisy, they don't give you a good bang for the buck and they are not good for the environment (and trust me when I - with my avowed distaste of hippies - say that any damage inflicted to the ecosystem here is pushing it just that much closer to a state beyond repair). So, when you look at all the cons, it's hard to come to terms with the fact that "the total market size for generator is Tk 400 crore per year." Tk 400 crore is about $60 million. (Quick math class: a dollar is worth about Tk 70. Tk is short for Taka, the local currency. Crore is a local unit of measure, equivalent to ten million.)
So, unless my math is totally off, that's a pretty staggering number for a country where the average person earns just a couple of dollars a day and has a hard time providing three square meals a day for their families. This is money that's wasted because government intervention has led to an unnecessary yet predictable inefficient allocation of resources. I read a report today (can't find an online copy yet) that talked about the disparity between demand and supply in power generation in this country. The daily demand is about 5500 units (can't remember what units they used), while the output is about 3500 to 3700 units daily. So, what's the government gonna do to address the situation? Are they gonna let the free market decide what happens from here on out? Nope; that would be the sensible thing to do, so of course the Bdeshi government (or the US government, or any government for that matter) wouldn't do that. So, what are they gonna do to solve this crisis? Well, they are gonna institute Daylight Savings Time in the country. To be more accurate, they already did that a couple of hours ago. This step is gonna help save about 200 units, but when there's a shortfall of 1800-2000 units daily, 200 units isn't gonna do a whole lot, now is it? Instead of the usual five hours of blackout every day, we are gonna get four and a half hours of it. Whoop-de-do!
On a brighter note, we are on the same time zone as Bangkok right now. That means I don't have to reset my watch (my phone to be more precise, since no one really uses a watch as anything beyond a fashion accessory these days) when I, hopefully, visit Bangkok later this year. Woohoo!
One more thing that made me go woohoo today was when I was flipping through the channels and saw... wait for it... HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. They were showing reruns (obviously, since the season is over) but I was psyched. I took note of the time and the channel they showed it on, so now I have something to look forward to every week. I also saw promos for Man vs Wild on TV the other day, except they don't call it Man vs Wild. I think they call it the ultimate survival, or something weird like that. Survivorman is on TV too, but at weird times. It's only on when there is a blackout. Maybe Survivorman can do an episode on how to survive rolling blackouts.
Since the NBA finals are over, I don't really have a whole lot to look forward to in terms of sports. It's that time of the year when baseball takes over and bores you to death. The good thing about living in Dhaka is that you don't have to deal with baseball, because they hardly show any baseball games here. The bad thing is that whatever games ESPN broadcasts here always involves the Yanks. I didn't know the Yanks have such a huge fan base in Dhaka.
Speaking of huge fan followings I didn't know about, I didn't know that Pete Wentz has such a huge following here. I've seen at least a dozen teenage boys jocking his style. I wish I could have taken pictures, but my camera is officially dead. RIP. I am trying to revive my old brick of a digital camera which has a resolution much worse than most phones these days. Here is to hoping that the rest of my gadgets stay functional until my trip out of Bdesh (to Bangkok, I think, if everything works out).
The rolling blackouts have put a temporary stop to my prepwork for THE list - you know, the list of places to go and things to do in Bangladesh. I'll work on it when the situation gets better or when I get somewhat used to it, whichever happens first.
Anyway, it's a quarter past two in the morning, and I need to get some sleep. I have to wake up in four hours for a nine o'clock meeting, mainly because I have rationed two hours for travel that shouldn't take any longer than 40-50 minutes but because the traffic here (or gridlock, as I like to call it) is so unpredictable that if you wanna get anywhere on time, you have to leave for your destination hella early, even if that means you are gonna sit somewhere and sip a really, really sugary concoction that passes for tea around here for an hour. I'd rather do that than be late, but hey, maybe that's just me.
I know I sounded cranky in this post, but don't blame me. Blame Gray Davis and Daylight Savings Time.
However, since my arrival in Dhaka, there have been rolling blackouts every day, including on the weekends, and so, every day I am reminded of Gray Davis and his sleazy smile. The blackouts usually start around 9:30 am and go on until 8:30 pm or so. Usually, there are 4-5 rolling blackouts a day and they could last for long as a couple of hours or as short as a couple of minutes. On average, half of your work day is bound to be affected by blackouts. Most people here have accepted blackouts as a part of life and so, most businesses (and homes) shell money out of their own pockets to combat the problem. Here is an account from a local English daily about how they do that. The problem with these diesel "generators" is that they are hella noisy, they don't give you a good bang for the buck and they are not good for the environment (and trust me when I - with my avowed distaste of hippies - say that any damage inflicted to the ecosystem here is pushing it just that much closer to a state beyond repair). So, when you look at all the cons, it's hard to come to terms with the fact that "the total market size for generator is Tk 400 crore per year." Tk 400 crore is about $60 million. (Quick math class: a dollar is worth about Tk 70. Tk is short for Taka, the local currency. Crore is a local unit of measure, equivalent to ten million.)
So, unless my math is totally off, that's a pretty staggering number for a country where the average person earns just a couple of dollars a day and has a hard time providing three square meals a day for their families. This is money that's wasted because government intervention has led to an unnecessary yet predictable inefficient allocation of resources. I read a report today (can't find an online copy yet) that talked about the disparity between demand and supply in power generation in this country. The daily demand is about 5500 units (can't remember what units they used), while the output is about 3500 to 3700 units daily. So, what's the government gonna do to address the situation? Are they gonna let the free market decide what happens from here on out? Nope; that would be the sensible thing to do, so of course the Bdeshi government (or the US government, or any government for that matter) wouldn't do that. So, what are they gonna do to solve this crisis? Well, they are gonna institute Daylight Savings Time in the country. To be more accurate, they already did that a couple of hours ago. This step is gonna help save about 200 units, but when there's a shortfall of 1800-2000 units daily, 200 units isn't gonna do a whole lot, now is it? Instead of the usual five hours of blackout every day, we are gonna get four and a half hours of it. Whoop-de-do!
On a brighter note, we are on the same time zone as Bangkok right now. That means I don't have to reset my watch (my phone to be more precise, since no one really uses a watch as anything beyond a fashion accessory these days) when I, hopefully, visit Bangkok later this year. Woohoo!
One more thing that made me go woohoo today was when I was flipping through the channels and saw... wait for it... HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. They were showing reruns (obviously, since the season is over) but I was psyched. I took note of the time and the channel they showed it on, so now I have something to look forward to every week. I also saw promos for Man vs Wild on TV the other day, except they don't call it Man vs Wild. I think they call it the ultimate survival, or something weird like that. Survivorman is on TV too, but at weird times. It's only on when there is a blackout. Maybe Survivorman can do an episode on how to survive rolling blackouts.
Since the NBA finals are over, I don't really have a whole lot to look forward to in terms of sports. It's that time of the year when baseball takes over and bores you to death. The good thing about living in Dhaka is that you don't have to deal with baseball, because they hardly show any baseball games here. The bad thing is that whatever games ESPN broadcasts here always involves the Yanks. I didn't know the Yanks have such a huge fan base in Dhaka.
Speaking of huge fan followings I didn't know about, I didn't know that Pete Wentz has such a huge following here. I've seen at least a dozen teenage boys jocking his style. I wish I could have taken pictures, but my camera is officially dead. RIP. I am trying to revive my old brick of a digital camera which has a resolution much worse than most phones these days. Here is to hoping that the rest of my gadgets stay functional until my trip out of Bdesh (to Bangkok, I think, if everything works out).
The rolling blackouts have put a temporary stop to my prepwork for THE list - you know, the list of places to go and things to do in Bangladesh. I'll work on it when the situation gets better or when I get somewhat used to it, whichever happens first.
Anyway, it's a quarter past two in the morning, and I need to get some sleep. I have to wake up in four hours for a nine o'clock meeting, mainly because I have rationed two hours for travel that shouldn't take any longer than 40-50 minutes but because the traffic here (or gridlock, as I like to call it) is so unpredictable that if you wanna get anywhere on time, you have to leave for your destination hella early, even if that means you are gonna sit somewhere and sip a really, really sugary concoction that passes for tea around here for an hour. I'd rather do that than be late, but hey, maybe that's just me.
I know I sounded cranky in this post, but don't blame me. Blame Gray Davis and Daylight Savings Time.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Hello from Dhaka
This is my first blog post from Dhaka. It took me a while but I am alive and well. Unfortunately, my notebook and my digital camera aren't. Whiskey tango foxtrot. That means there won't be any pictures until I get them up and running. That kinda sucks.
My time here, so far, has been pretty darn hectic. No matter how hard I try, I can't really explain what it's like in Dhaka. It's one of those things you have to experience for yourself. Dhaka is hectic, frantic, always moving, always bustling during the day and there's always something going on and there's always something to see. There's this endless cacophony of noise that's different from anything you would hear in any other city in the world. I've heard the Dhaka traffic being described as organized chaos. To me, it seems like total gridlock. Nothing moves for what seems like hours. Then all hell breaks loose and it's a frantic free-for-all where every vehicle tries to squeeze itself into every available inch of asphalt before gridlock sets in again. Getting anywhere through this crazy Dhaka traffic is an experience in itself.
It's been unbearably hot the last few days but it rained tonight. What a relief it was! By the way, it rains sideways here. It really does. While the rain provided much-needed relief from the heat and the humidity for the people in Dhaka, I'm not sure that's the kinda weather the people in the coastal regions of Bdesh were hoping for, given that those regions were hit hard by a tropical storm a week ago and death tolls are reported to be over 200. The people in this country are a resilient bunch. Every year, there are reports of storms or cyclones hitting Bdesh and every year, tons of people die, many more lose whatever little they own and every year, these people rebuild their houses and their lives and start all over again. I am pretty sure I (or most people I know, for that matter) wouldn't be able to start our lives from scratch year after year, every year. Resilience should be the middle name of every Bdeshi. Seriously.
Something else I admire about the people here is their friendliness. At times, I'm tempted to think that there is some ulterior motive behind their friendliness, but every time, I'm proved wrong and I realize that even the poorest of the poor here - you know, the people who can't offer you anything but their friendship - would do so with genuine intentions and an infectious smile.
That's not to say everyone here has your best interest at heart. A couple of days ago, I had to intervene when a street thug tried to coax a few bucks out of my CNG wallah (a CNG is like a motorized tuktuk, a three wheeler that runs on compressed natural gas, hence the name CNG). I couldn't afford to be late to my appointment, so I stepped out, picked up the guy before I set him aside and bellowed CHALO, to which the bewildered 5'5 thug reacted and moved out of the way as we drove off.
On a different note, I haven't had a hard time adjusting to a different time zone. Not much of a jet lag really. I've been pleasantly surprised at my ability to sleep on time since my first night here and I've been waking up on time too. Today, I woke up at 6 am to watch game 2 of the NBA finals. Live. They show it on ESPN here. What a game! I was screaming my lungs out the whole time. I caught a Yankees game on TV the other day too. Apparently, I get HBO as well, although the programming is quite different (tons of straight-to-DVD movies). I am not sure if they will air the new season of Entourage but I have my fingers crossed.
It's a quarter past eleven at night, and I have to say that this is my least favorite part of every day. How a city that's so alive and noisy and hectic during the day can completely die by 9 p.m. is beyond me. So, between 9 p.m. and the time I go to sleep, I am pretty much left with nothing to do. There's not much of a nightlife here. I've been meaning to go to Bagha but haven't had the opportunity yet. I am not sure I am particularly fond of the others of its ilk. Speaking of Bagha, I have yet to complete my list of places to visit and things to do in Dhaka - you know, the same list I promised to post in my blog like weeks ago. I'll get around to it sometime soon. Anyway, I think that's all for now. TTYL.
My time here, so far, has been pretty darn hectic. No matter how hard I try, I can't really explain what it's like in Dhaka. It's one of those things you have to experience for yourself. Dhaka is hectic, frantic, always moving, always bustling during the day and there's always something going on and there's always something to see. There's this endless cacophony of noise that's different from anything you would hear in any other city in the world. I've heard the Dhaka traffic being described as organized chaos. To me, it seems like total gridlock. Nothing moves for what seems like hours. Then all hell breaks loose and it's a frantic free-for-all where every vehicle tries to squeeze itself into every available inch of asphalt before gridlock sets in again. Getting anywhere through this crazy Dhaka traffic is an experience in itself.
It's been unbearably hot the last few days but it rained tonight. What a relief it was! By the way, it rains sideways here. It really does. While the rain provided much-needed relief from the heat and the humidity for the people in Dhaka, I'm not sure that's the kinda weather the people in the coastal regions of Bdesh were hoping for, given that those regions were hit hard by a tropical storm a week ago and death tolls are reported to be over 200. The people in this country are a resilient bunch. Every year, there are reports of storms or cyclones hitting Bdesh and every year, tons of people die, many more lose whatever little they own and every year, these people rebuild their houses and their lives and start all over again. I am pretty sure I (or most people I know, for that matter) wouldn't be able to start our lives from scratch year after year, every year. Resilience should be the middle name of every Bdeshi. Seriously.
Something else I admire about the people here is their friendliness. At times, I'm tempted to think that there is some ulterior motive behind their friendliness, but every time, I'm proved wrong and I realize that even the poorest of the poor here - you know, the people who can't offer you anything but their friendship - would do so with genuine intentions and an infectious smile.
That's not to say everyone here has your best interest at heart. A couple of days ago, I had to intervene when a street thug tried to coax a few bucks out of my CNG wallah (a CNG is like a motorized tuktuk, a three wheeler that runs on compressed natural gas, hence the name CNG). I couldn't afford to be late to my appointment, so I stepped out, picked up the guy before I set him aside and bellowed CHALO, to which the bewildered 5'5 thug reacted and moved out of the way as we drove off.
On a different note, I haven't had a hard time adjusting to a different time zone. Not much of a jet lag really. I've been pleasantly surprised at my ability to sleep on time since my first night here and I've been waking up on time too. Today, I woke up at 6 am to watch game 2 of the NBA finals. Live. They show it on ESPN here. What a game! I was screaming my lungs out the whole time. I caught a Yankees game on TV the other day too. Apparently, I get HBO as well, although the programming is quite different (tons of straight-to-DVD movies). I am not sure if they will air the new season of Entourage but I have my fingers crossed.
It's a quarter past eleven at night, and I have to say that this is my least favorite part of every day. How a city that's so alive and noisy and hectic during the day can completely die by 9 p.m. is beyond me. So, between 9 p.m. and the time I go to sleep, I am pretty much left with nothing to do. There's not much of a nightlife here. I've been meaning to go to Bagha but haven't had the opportunity yet. I am not sure I am particularly fond of the others of its ilk. Speaking of Bagha, I have yet to complete my list of places to visit and things to do in Dhaka - you know, the same list I promised to post in my blog like weeks ago. I'll get around to it sometime soon. Anyway, I think that's all for now. TTYL.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Bangladeshi Mariah
I woke up at 4 am today. I have no idea why. It's almost like I am jetlagged, but I am still home, and I haven't left for Dhaka. So, what woke me up? I have no idea. Fun fun fun.
I tried falling back asleep but it didn't work, so I figured I would youtube for a little bit. That's when I remembered that one of the Dhaka people I have been emailing back and forth with sent me some Bangladeshi music, and I figured I'd embed my favorite song of the bunch.
The girl is almost like a Bdeshi Mariah Carey. Almost. She's a thick girl, kinda like Mariah, and the first thing I thought of when I heard the song was: hmm that sounds like Mariah. I don't know why. Mariah... she could hit a high note back in the day. Not any more though, which is kind of a shame.
Of all the Bdeshi music videos I watched today, I think this one is my favorite of the bunch. Not that the song is super awesome or anything, but it's just that I don't dig the rest of the music she sent me. Maybe the Bdeshi local music is more of an acquired taste; maybe Bdeshi music is not for everyone. Or maybe I just haven't been exposed to the good stuff yet which, in my opinion, is a much better explanation.
Speaking of music that isn't for everyone, the new Passion Pit album is out already. I have been listening to their song Sleepyhead for like months now. I am saving the new album, Manners, for the Dubai leg of my flight to Dhaka, and really, there isn't a better distraction when you are on a 13-hour flight than an album you've been dying to hear for months.
Here's the video for Sleepyhead.
I've been playing around with the layout and the setup of the blog. Today, I figured I would try video embedding and see if it works. Another thing I've trying lately is this cool little app called statcounter. Statcounter tells you how many people - and when it says people, it means real people and not google bots, yahoo spiders or any other creepy crawlies - have visited your blog. Well, it turns out that quite a few people in Bangladesh (and a rare few in the US, from places all over the map, like California, North Carolina and Florida) have been reading my blog. Most of you have come back to read all the updates, which is a good thing. The more of a following you have on the blogosphere, the more you feel encouraged to update on a regular basis, so I am definitely psyched.
Well, if there's anything you, my readers, would want me to blog about, or if you have any suggestions on how I could improve my blog, please let me know. Donny had some great advice in a comment he left in my last blog post. Elaine, Kristin, Ihtisham and Ishy were very helpful in answering some of the questions I had asked in previous posts about Dhaka. A BIG thank you to you all.
I plan on uploading some videos on my blog when I'm in Dhaka. From what I understand, upload speed might be a bit of problem there, but I'll try regardless.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed the music, and have a delightful weekend.
I tried falling back asleep but it didn't work, so I figured I would youtube for a little bit. That's when I remembered that one of the Dhaka people I have been emailing back and forth with sent me some Bangladeshi music, and I figured I'd embed my favorite song of the bunch.
The girl is almost like a Bdeshi Mariah Carey. Almost. She's a thick girl, kinda like Mariah, and the first thing I thought of when I heard the song was: hmm that sounds like Mariah. I don't know why. Mariah... she could hit a high note back in the day. Not any more though, which is kind of a shame.
Of all the Bdeshi music videos I watched today, I think this one is my favorite of the bunch. Not that the song is super awesome or anything, but it's just that I don't dig the rest of the music she sent me. Maybe the Bdeshi local music is more of an acquired taste; maybe Bdeshi music is not for everyone. Or maybe I just haven't been exposed to the good stuff yet which, in my opinion, is a much better explanation.
Speaking of music that isn't for everyone, the new Passion Pit album is out already. I have been listening to their song Sleepyhead for like months now. I am saving the new album, Manners, for the Dubai leg of my flight to Dhaka, and really, there isn't a better distraction when you are on a 13-hour flight than an album you've been dying to hear for months.
Here's the video for Sleepyhead.
I've been playing around with the layout and the setup of the blog. Today, I figured I would try video embedding and see if it works. Another thing I've trying lately is this cool little app called statcounter. Statcounter tells you how many people - and when it says people, it means real people and not google bots, yahoo spiders or any other creepy crawlies - have visited your blog. Well, it turns out that quite a few people in Bangladesh (and a rare few in the US, from places all over the map, like California, North Carolina and Florida) have been reading my blog. Most of you have come back to read all the updates, which is a good thing. The more of a following you have on the blogosphere, the more you feel encouraged to update on a regular basis, so I am definitely psyched.
Well, if there's anything you, my readers, would want me to blog about, or if you have any suggestions on how I could improve my blog, please let me know. Donny had some great advice in a comment he left in my last blog post. Elaine, Kristin, Ihtisham and Ishy were very helpful in answering some of the questions I had asked in previous posts about Dhaka. A BIG thank you to you all.
I plan on uploading some videos on my blog when I'm in Dhaka. From what I understand, upload speed might be a bit of problem there, but I'll try regardless.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed the music, and have a delightful weekend.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sports and TV shows
As you might have noticed, I haven't been posting on a regular basis in my blog. The main reason for that is because I want this blog to be a depository of information so when someone wants to take the same giant leap as me and move to Bangladesh, they would at least have some idea of what they are getting into. Another reason is that I want this blog to be about Bangladesh and my experience in Bangladesh. Since I am not there yet, all I have are a ton of questions, and no real answers, and I won't really have those answers until I am there myself. So, the regular updates would have to wait until I get to Dhaka.
I've read quite a few blogs that have given me a sense of how things are in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I kind of know what to expect when I am there. For instance, one of the blogs I was reading the other day was talking about following football scores online in Bangladesh. It's one of my favorite blogs because the writer is just so meticulously thorough about every little detail you feel like you are there with him. When I can find a link to that particular blog post, I'll share it with you all. Anyway, the point I was trying to get at is I love football and when I say football, I mean football of the NFL variety, not soccer. I am surprised that not a single blog about Dhaka or Bangladesh in general mentions watching football games. Is it because none of the games are aired over there? Are they, perhaps, available only on pay-per-view channels? Someone please shed some light on this. Also, what about the NBA? The NBA finals will start around the same time I move to Dhaka, and I'd like to be able to watch them, if possible.
I don't watch much TV. I watch football and basketball games, and watch a handful of shows (but usually only if they are on when I happen to turn the TV on). I really only watch Entourage, How I Met Your Mother, South Park, Man vs Wild and No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. I told you I only watch a handful of shows. See?
Are any of these shows aired over there? Do any of you watch TV when you are in Bangladesh? You know, for all the different things I've read people blogging about, TV shows in Bangladesh are completely ignored. I have no idea why. Is it because everyone is too busy to watch TV, or is it because the shows there are crappy? Or maybe it's because most expats aren't familiar with their TV shows. I have no clue, but I promise I will post about my experience when I am in Bangladesh.
Oh yeah, one last question before I sign off, and this one's completely unrelated to football or basketball or TV shows. The question is about blogging etiquette. I've added a bunch of Bangladesh blogs to my list of favorites, and whenever they are updated, I get a notification. Usually, I'd read them and comment, but now, I am not so sure if that's proper blogging etiquette. For instance, I just noticed that I am the only person to comment in like two consecutive posts in a blog; there's a new post and I want to comment on it, but I am not sure if that's appropriate blogging protocol. So, what do you all think? I have a feeling I am overthinking this, but since I am new to the world of blogging, I'd rather overthink a minor problem than cross a boundary I'm not supposed to. Know what I mean?
I've read quite a few blogs that have given me a sense of how things are in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I kind of know what to expect when I am there. For instance, one of the blogs I was reading the other day was talking about following football scores online in Bangladesh. It's one of my favorite blogs because the writer is just so meticulously thorough about every little detail you feel like you are there with him. When I can find a link to that particular blog post, I'll share it with you all. Anyway, the point I was trying to get at is I love football and when I say football, I mean football of the NFL variety, not soccer. I am surprised that not a single blog about Dhaka or Bangladesh in general mentions watching football games. Is it because none of the games are aired over there? Are they, perhaps, available only on pay-per-view channels? Someone please shed some light on this. Also, what about the NBA? The NBA finals will start around the same time I move to Dhaka, and I'd like to be able to watch them, if possible.
I don't watch much TV. I watch football and basketball games, and watch a handful of shows (but usually only if they are on when I happen to turn the TV on). I really only watch Entourage, How I Met Your Mother, South Park, Man vs Wild and No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. I told you I only watch a handful of shows. See?
Are any of these shows aired over there? Do any of you watch TV when you are in Bangladesh? You know, for all the different things I've read people blogging about, TV shows in Bangladesh are completely ignored. I have no idea why. Is it because everyone is too busy to watch TV, or is it because the shows there are crappy? Or maybe it's because most expats aren't familiar with their TV shows. I have no clue, but I promise I will post about my experience when I am in Bangladesh.
Oh yeah, one last question before I sign off, and this one's completely unrelated to football or basketball or TV shows. The question is about blogging etiquette. I've added a bunch of Bangladesh blogs to my list of favorites, and whenever they are updated, I get a notification. Usually, I'd read them and comment, but now, I am not so sure if that's proper blogging etiquette. For instance, I just noticed that I am the only person to comment in like two consecutive posts in a blog; there's a new post and I want to comment on it, but I am not sure if that's appropriate blogging protocol. So, what do you all think? I have a feeling I am overthinking this, but since I am new to the world of blogging, I'd rather overthink a minor problem than cross a boundary I'm not supposed to. Know what I mean?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Airbus 380, transit in Dubai and a last hurrah
This post has been edited to include the aftermath of the flight and my experience with Emirates and the Dubai International Airport. The first half of it was written before I left the US. The second half was written within weeks of my arrival in Bdesh. Since my camera is no longer functional, as I mentioned in another blog post, I lost - along with other things - all the pictures I took during my trip from New York City to Dhaka, Bangladesh. So I apologize for not being able to do the photo essay I promised in the first half of this post.
========
As you all know, I will be flying to Dhaka, Bangladesh soon. The itinerary looks a little messy and complicated, so I will spare you the details and just get to the crux of this post: the journey from New York City to Dubai aboard Emirates' Airbus 380, and the long wait for transit in the Dubai airport.
Currently, Emirates operates its flights out of NYC to Dubai on two different 'planes: the Airbus 380 and the Boeing 777. They started flying the airbus on this route only about a year ago. Due to financial constraints, however, the airlines will pull the airbus from the NYC-Dubai route effective June 1. You know what that means? That means I will be flying on board one of, if not, the last Emirates Airbus-380 to fly from NYC to Dubai. Pretty nifty, eh?
After all this talk about the Airbus-380, you must be wondering what the big deal is. I mean, isn't it JUST another aircraft? Short answer: no.
If you have ever flown on international routes (and I know you all have), you traveled on a wide-body (and by wide-body, I don't mean "junk in the trunk" but rather the industry jargon used to indicate an aircraft with multiple aisles) like the Boeing 747 or a smaller Airbus. The Airbus-380, in contrast, is HUGE. It is, by far, THE largest passenger aircraft in the world. How much bigger is the Airbus when compared to, say, the Boeing 747? Well, since we were talking about wide-body aircrafts and junk in the trunk earlier, let me use that analogy; to be honest, I am only borrowing the analogy my girlfriend used, and yes, I am aware that she is a certified perv. If the 747's junk in the trunk were comparable to Kristen Bell's, the 380's would compare to that of Andress Soares. In other words, the 380 dwarfs any other passenger aircraft in size.
The 380 is a double-decker aircraft. The cattle class seats 399 people. Say that with me. 399 people. Just in cattle class. Here's a quote I snagged from the internet about what a behemoth the 380 is.
Now, I am no aviation nerd, but that seems pretty darn big to me. You are probably wondering at this point that maybe all that Emirates has to offer are those humongous 'planes, but apparently, you'd be wrong. I am thinking of doing a photo essay of my trip to give you all a better idea of what the flight is like. That would probably be a better idea than me rambling on for a thousand words.
As for now, I'll just tell you what I've heard (and read on the blogosphere), that Emirates offers one of the better services on flights from the US to Bangladesh, that on cattle-class the seats are slightly bigger and more comfortable than in almost all other airlines, that there is a large selection of on-board entertainment options (a movie library with 500 titles, in multiple languages, along with a varied music library, a bunch of TV shows, a video games console where you can play pong - yes, pong - and a tail-mounted cam which shows you what the heck is going on outside the 'plane), that there is mood-lighting and sound (so there are stars on the roof of the cabin at night and you wake up to the sound of birds chirping in the background by morning). There are, supposedly, USB ports in every seat so you can hook up your iPod or your laptop to your inflight entertainment system. That's freakin' awesome!!! That's so awesome it required three exclamation marks.
What's not so awesome is that I am supposed to spend six freakin' hours in transit in Dubai. The new terminal (Terminal 3) is terrible, or so I have heard. Don't believe me? Check out what the reviewers on airlinequality.com have to say about how bad the airport is. The 'planes drop you off on the tarmac and it takes you anywhere from 15-45 minutes to get into the terminal, then it takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours to get through security, and when you have finally done that, you find out that the terminal is overcrowded, that there aren't enough seats for everyone, that there are people sleeping on the floor of the terminal, that there aren't enough toilets for everyone and the ones that are there are dirty and smelly. On the bright side, you can shop for hours in the plethora of duty free shops in the terminal and overpay for pretty much anything. Weeee!
Since I wouldn't have showered for a little over 24 hours when I finally get to the Dubai international airport (the 12-hour flight from NYC to Dubai, plus another 12 hours or so between the time I leave home and get on board the flight to Dubai), I figured I'd google and see if there's any possibly way I could get under some water in Dubai (don't waterboard me, bro). Apparently, I have a few options.
First, there's the gym. It's supposedly called G-force. For $13, you can buy an hour-pass so you can work out and then use the shower in the gym. Then there's the spa at the airport hotel which, according to online reviews, lets you use the shower for 44 dirhams (or about $12 if my math isn't off). Hmm... gym or spa? Spa or gym? I think I'd have to go with the gym option. The caveman inside of me wouldn't let me use a shower in a spa when there's one in the gym next door.
After the shower, I figure I'd head over someplace where I can sit and relax for the remainder of my time in Dubai. I used google, again, and turns out anyone can access this pay-lounge; it's called the Marhaba Lounge and there, you get internet access and all the food and drinks you can consume - all for $42. They used to charge $21 even a couple of years ago, according to the different websites I've checked, but those sneaky bastards upped the rate because really... where else are you gonna go if you have to spend hours upon hours in that God-forsaken airport? I am ballin' on a budget, so the Marhaba Lounge it is for me. If you are ballin' outta control, unlike me, you could just spend your time in the Emirates Lounge, which is pretty spiffy, or so I have been told. I would rather spend 40-odd Dollars then shell out an extra 8 grand just to use a spiffy lounge, but hey, maybe that's just me.
Here's where you (that's right; all eleven of you) can help me. If you have flown Emirates before (I haven't) or if you have been to Terminal 3 in Dubai (I haven't) and have used any of the showers or lounges I mentioned, please let me know how your experience was. Would you recommend that I go to a different lounge, or not go to any lounges at all? What about the shower facilities? Anything I need to know about Emirates and the NYC-Dubai flight?
This has been a terribly long post. I hope you all in Bangladesh are enjoying your weekend. I know it's Friday morning over there already. I have one more day until the weekend, and I must say I am jealous that you all get to enjoy the weekend before I do.
=======
It's been a few weeks since my trip, and I finally got the time to update my blog about my experience with Emirates and the Dubai airport.
My flight to New York City wasn't too bad. I had a few drinks before my flight, so I wasn't too bothered by flying in a puddlejumper. I flew into JFK in the evening and immediately headed to Emirates' terminal (terminal 4, I think?). There was a looooooooong line to check in. Where I went wrong (and this is the one mistake you all should avoid) was not reading the signs. There was a line for people who weren't checking in any bags or who had already checked in their bags at another airport. I didn't see that line and ended up waiting about 45 minutes. It would have taken me 15 minutes, tops, in the other line.
What I found interesting was just how predominantly male that whole area was. I saw maybe 50 women in that whole area, where maybe 300 people were checking in for multiple Emirates flights at any one time. This ratio got worse and worse the closer I got to my destination: Dhaka. In Dubai, the male-female ratio was even more skewed and when I finally arrived in Dhaka and was picking up my bags, I realized just how few women there were around me. Anyway, now on to the flight.
The aircraft - an airbus 380 - was pretty new. The seats were hella spacious. There was plenty of leg room. In comparison, there wasn't as much leg room during my flight from Dubai to Dhaka on board a Boeing-777 (I think it was a 777 but I am not totally sure as it has been a few weeks since the flight and my memory of it is pretty hazy).
The aircraft and the amenities on board pretty much matched my expectations prior to the flight. Everything I mentioned in the first half of my blog post, from the entertainment system (it's called ICE) to the stars glittering on the ceiling of the 'plane at night, were exactly as the other online reviews described them. The crew was very professional. I never really had to wait for a drink. Speaking of drinks, Emirates doesn't charge you for them, unlike American, Continental or any other domestic carrier. The only time you pay for something is if you order champagne, and even that's like $5 a glass. And really... who is gonna order champagne during a 13-hour flight? What exactly would you celebrate? Being stuck in a seat for 13 hours?
The food was great for airlines food, and the crew keeps feeding you every few hours. I did get some sleep during the flight, so to be honest, I wasn't completely drained by the time we arrived in Dubai.
In Dubai, we were herded through a gate, single file, where our body temperatures were scanned to make sure we weren't sick with swine flu. The airport was brand spanking new. However, you could tell that whoever built the airport didn't mind spending money on it but they sure did mind spending some time thinking about how it should be built. There weren't enough toilets or drinking fountains in the airport, which means that there were people crowding around every toilet and every drinking fountain. There were cellphone charging stations but there were only six outlets in each station. Sometimes, each gate had its own charging station but sometimes, I noticed that two adjacent gates had to share one station. So, what inadvertently happened was that whoever could plug in their notebook/cellphone/gadget into the outlet first would hog the station the entire six (or however many) hours before the flight. I ended up walking to another end of the terminal and plugging my stuff into the outlets there.
Anyway, since I saw those huge crowds around the toilets and since I was gonna take a shower anyway, I figured I'd find the gym and use the facilities there. I had to ask around and at first, no one seemed to know what I was talking about, until I met three Filipino girls who told me to take the elevators up to the 5th floor. The elevator is in the middle of the main concourse, and it's hard to miss. When you get off the elevator, go along the hallway to your left and you will see the reception area for the G-force gym. Inform the person at the counter that you wanna use their shower. Usually, all prices in the airport are quoted in Dirhams (the local currency), so make sure to ask for a quote in Dollars and they will usually tell you right on the spot. Only once did I see somebody use a calculator to figure out how much I owed them. I paid $13 for the shower.
The toilets are in a separate part of the floor from the shower area. I didn't want to venture into the crowded toilets in the main concourse, so when I first talked to the girl in the front desk of the gym, I asked her where the toilets were and she pointed me in the right direction. As far as the showers go... look, if you are finicky or a woman, the shower might not be good enough for you, but I am a man and after a 13-hour flight, I could have showered on the streets of Dubai and I'd have been fine. Anyway, here's what happens after you pay the front desk attendant. You are taken past the gym area (the gym is pretty inadequate, by the way) and down another hallway to where the showers are located. Each individual shower area has a door which you can lock behind you. Once you step in, there's a box (which, by the way, looks like an oversized clothes hamper with a lid) where you are advised to keep your belongings so they don't get wet. Next to that box is a glass door. Although the glass door is supposed to stop the shower water from flowing out, it doesn't because there's a thin line below the glass door through which the water can overflow into the area where the box is. The box is raised a few inches off the floor, so make sure you keep your belongings inside the box, and not on the floor. There are hooks on the wall for your clothes, but you are probably better off keeping anything that you think might fall off the hooks in the box. Whatever you might need to shower is provided, from bodywash to shampoo and conditioner to shaving gel to toothpaste to multiple towels to a robe. If you are finicky, feel free to bring your own brand of stuff, but since carrying any kinda liquids or gels on board 'planes is a hassle these days, if you are like me, you would probably do fine with what's provided by G-force in their showers.
After a long, relaxing shower, I gathered my stuff and took the elevator down to the main level. I didn't bother paying for the Marhaba lounge since a) there was free internet access inside the terminal and b) I wasn't really hungry. If you are hungry, maybe $44 for an all-you-can-eat buffet and a quiet place to sit might be a good deal for you, but I could find a quiet place to sit in another end of the terminal and I sure wasn't hungry after the Emirates crew kept stuffing us with food over and over and over during our 13-hour flight.
I am not really much of a shopper. Most men aren't. Even I was impressed with some of the duty free shops in the airport. You could buy booze for much cheaper than you could at Costco. Seriously, if you are gonna go to a dry country like Bdesh, you might wanna buy some quality booze at a decent price from the duty free shops. I sure did.
Anyway, this update was long overdue. I noticed that a lot of people were checking this page for updates, so I apologize for taking so long.
========
As you all know, I will be flying to Dhaka, Bangladesh soon. The itinerary looks a little messy and complicated, so I will spare you the details and just get to the crux of this post: the journey from New York City to Dubai aboard Emirates' Airbus 380, and the long wait for transit in the Dubai airport.
Currently, Emirates operates its flights out of NYC to Dubai on two different 'planes: the Airbus 380 and the Boeing 777. They started flying the airbus on this route only about a year ago. Due to financial constraints, however, the airlines will pull the airbus from the NYC-Dubai route effective June 1. You know what that means? That means I will be flying on board one of, if not, the last Emirates Airbus-380 to fly from NYC to Dubai. Pretty nifty, eh?
After all this talk about the Airbus-380, you must be wondering what the big deal is. I mean, isn't it JUST another aircraft? Short answer: no.
If you have ever flown on international routes (and I know you all have), you traveled on a wide-body (and by wide-body, I don't mean "junk in the trunk" but rather the industry jargon used to indicate an aircraft with multiple aisles) like the Boeing 747 or a smaller Airbus. The Airbus-380, in contrast, is HUGE. It is, by far, THE largest passenger aircraft in the world. How much bigger is the Airbus when compared to, say, the Boeing 747? Well, since we were talking about wide-body aircrafts and junk in the trunk earlier, let me use that analogy; to be honest, I am only borrowing the analogy my girlfriend used, and yes, I am aware that she is a certified perv. If the 747's junk in the trunk were comparable to Kristen Bell's, the 380's would compare to that of Andress Soares. In other words, the 380 dwarfs any other passenger aircraft in size.
The 380 is a double-decker aircraft. The cattle class seats 399 people. Say that with me. 399 people. Just in cattle class. Here's a quote I snagged from the internet about what a behemoth the 380 is.
"Just how big is [the Airbus A380]? The KLM Boeing 747 next to it looked dinky, and the American Airlines Airbus A300 that taxied past looked like a Smart car alongside a Hummer. Despite its size, the A380 is said to be quite nimble, very fast and a dream to fly."Here is a picture which will give you some idea about how ginormous the Airbus 380 is. The picture is copyrighted, so I linked it, instead of posting it in my blog.
Now, I am no aviation nerd, but that seems pretty darn big to me. You are probably wondering at this point that maybe all that Emirates has to offer are those humongous 'planes, but apparently, you'd be wrong. I am thinking of doing a photo essay of my trip to give you all a better idea of what the flight is like. That would probably be a better idea than me rambling on for a thousand words.
As for now, I'll just tell you what I've heard (and read on the blogosphere), that Emirates offers one of the better services on flights from the US to Bangladesh, that on cattle-class the seats are slightly bigger and more comfortable than in almost all other airlines, that there is a large selection of on-board entertainment options (a movie library with 500 titles, in multiple languages, along with a varied music library, a bunch of TV shows, a video games console where you can play pong - yes, pong - and a tail-mounted cam which shows you what the heck is going on outside the 'plane), that there is mood-lighting and sound (so there are stars on the roof of the cabin at night and you wake up to the sound of birds chirping in the background by morning). There are, supposedly, USB ports in every seat so you can hook up your iPod or your laptop to your inflight entertainment system. That's freakin' awesome!!! That's so awesome it required three exclamation marks.
What's not so awesome is that I am supposed to spend six freakin' hours in transit in Dubai. The new terminal (Terminal 3) is terrible, or so I have heard. Don't believe me? Check out what the reviewers on airlinequality.com have to say about how bad the airport is. The 'planes drop you off on the tarmac and it takes you anywhere from 15-45 minutes to get into the terminal, then it takes anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours to get through security, and when you have finally done that, you find out that the terminal is overcrowded, that there aren't enough seats for everyone, that there are people sleeping on the floor of the terminal, that there aren't enough toilets for everyone and the ones that are there are dirty and smelly. On the bright side, you can shop for hours in the plethora of duty free shops in the terminal and overpay for pretty much anything. Weeee!
Since I wouldn't have showered for a little over 24 hours when I finally get to the Dubai international airport (the 12-hour flight from NYC to Dubai, plus another 12 hours or so between the time I leave home and get on board the flight to Dubai), I figured I'd google and see if there's any possibly way I could get under some water in Dubai (don't waterboard me, bro). Apparently, I have a few options.
First, there's the gym. It's supposedly called G-force. For $13, you can buy an hour-pass so you can work out and then use the shower in the gym. Then there's the spa at the airport hotel which, according to online reviews, lets you use the shower for 44 dirhams (or about $12 if my math isn't off). Hmm... gym or spa? Spa or gym? I think I'd have to go with the gym option. The caveman inside of me wouldn't let me use a shower in a spa when there's one in the gym next door.
After the shower, I figure I'd head over someplace where I can sit and relax for the remainder of my time in Dubai. I used google, again, and turns out anyone can access this pay-lounge; it's called the Marhaba Lounge and there, you get internet access and all the food and drinks you can consume - all for $42. They used to charge $21 even a couple of years ago, according to the different websites I've checked, but those sneaky bastards upped the rate because really... where else are you gonna go if you have to spend hours upon hours in that God-forsaken airport? I am ballin' on a budget, so the Marhaba Lounge it is for me. If you are ballin' outta control, unlike me, you could just spend your time in the Emirates Lounge, which is pretty spiffy, or so I have been told. I would rather spend 40-odd Dollars then shell out an extra 8 grand just to use a spiffy lounge, but hey, maybe that's just me.
Here's where you (that's right; all eleven of you) can help me. If you have flown Emirates before (I haven't) or if you have been to Terminal 3 in Dubai (I haven't) and have used any of the showers or lounges I mentioned, please let me know how your experience was. Would you recommend that I go to a different lounge, or not go to any lounges at all? What about the shower facilities? Anything I need to know about Emirates and the NYC-Dubai flight?
This has been a terribly long post. I hope you all in Bangladesh are enjoying your weekend. I know it's Friday morning over there already. I have one more day until the weekend, and I must say I am jealous that you all get to enjoy the weekend before I do.
=======
It's been a few weeks since my trip, and I finally got the time to update my blog about my experience with Emirates and the Dubai airport.
My flight to New York City wasn't too bad. I had a few drinks before my flight, so I wasn't too bothered by flying in a puddlejumper. I flew into JFK in the evening and immediately headed to Emirates' terminal (terminal 4, I think?). There was a looooooooong line to check in. Where I went wrong (and this is the one mistake you all should avoid) was not reading the signs. There was a line for people who weren't checking in any bags or who had already checked in their bags at another airport. I didn't see that line and ended up waiting about 45 minutes. It would have taken me 15 minutes, tops, in the other line.
What I found interesting was just how predominantly male that whole area was. I saw maybe 50 women in that whole area, where maybe 300 people were checking in for multiple Emirates flights at any one time. This ratio got worse and worse the closer I got to my destination: Dhaka. In Dubai, the male-female ratio was even more skewed and when I finally arrived in Dhaka and was picking up my bags, I realized just how few women there were around me. Anyway, now on to the flight.
The aircraft - an airbus 380 - was pretty new. The seats were hella spacious. There was plenty of leg room. In comparison, there wasn't as much leg room during my flight from Dubai to Dhaka on board a Boeing-777 (I think it was a 777 but I am not totally sure as it has been a few weeks since the flight and my memory of it is pretty hazy).
The aircraft and the amenities on board pretty much matched my expectations prior to the flight. Everything I mentioned in the first half of my blog post, from the entertainment system (it's called ICE) to the stars glittering on the ceiling of the 'plane at night, were exactly as the other online reviews described them. The crew was very professional. I never really had to wait for a drink. Speaking of drinks, Emirates doesn't charge you for them, unlike American, Continental or any other domestic carrier. The only time you pay for something is if you order champagne, and even that's like $5 a glass. And really... who is gonna order champagne during a 13-hour flight? What exactly would you celebrate? Being stuck in a seat for 13 hours?
The food was great for airlines food, and the crew keeps feeding you every few hours. I did get some sleep during the flight, so to be honest, I wasn't completely drained by the time we arrived in Dubai.
In Dubai, we were herded through a gate, single file, where our body temperatures were scanned to make sure we weren't sick with swine flu. The airport was brand spanking new. However, you could tell that whoever built the airport didn't mind spending money on it but they sure did mind spending some time thinking about how it should be built. There weren't enough toilets or drinking fountains in the airport, which means that there were people crowding around every toilet and every drinking fountain. There were cellphone charging stations but there were only six outlets in each station. Sometimes, each gate had its own charging station but sometimes, I noticed that two adjacent gates had to share one station. So, what inadvertently happened was that whoever could plug in their notebook/cellphone/gadget into the outlet first would hog the station the entire six (or however many) hours before the flight. I ended up walking to another end of the terminal and plugging my stuff into the outlets there.
Anyway, since I saw those huge crowds around the toilets and since I was gonna take a shower anyway, I figured I'd find the gym and use the facilities there. I had to ask around and at first, no one seemed to know what I was talking about, until I met three Filipino girls who told me to take the elevators up to the 5th floor. The elevator is in the middle of the main concourse, and it's hard to miss. When you get off the elevator, go along the hallway to your left and you will see the reception area for the G-force gym. Inform the person at the counter that you wanna use their shower. Usually, all prices in the airport are quoted in Dirhams (the local currency), so make sure to ask for a quote in Dollars and they will usually tell you right on the spot. Only once did I see somebody use a calculator to figure out how much I owed them. I paid $13 for the shower.
The toilets are in a separate part of the floor from the shower area. I didn't want to venture into the crowded toilets in the main concourse, so when I first talked to the girl in the front desk of the gym, I asked her where the toilets were and she pointed me in the right direction. As far as the showers go... look, if you are finicky or a woman, the shower might not be good enough for you, but I am a man and after a 13-hour flight, I could have showered on the streets of Dubai and I'd have been fine. Anyway, here's what happens after you pay the front desk attendant. You are taken past the gym area (the gym is pretty inadequate, by the way) and down another hallway to where the showers are located. Each individual shower area has a door which you can lock behind you. Once you step in, there's a box (which, by the way, looks like an oversized clothes hamper with a lid) where you are advised to keep your belongings so they don't get wet. Next to that box is a glass door. Although the glass door is supposed to stop the shower water from flowing out, it doesn't because there's a thin line below the glass door through which the water can overflow into the area where the box is. The box is raised a few inches off the floor, so make sure you keep your belongings inside the box, and not on the floor. There are hooks on the wall for your clothes, but you are probably better off keeping anything that you think might fall off the hooks in the box. Whatever you might need to shower is provided, from bodywash to shampoo and conditioner to shaving gel to toothpaste to multiple towels to a robe. If you are finicky, feel free to bring your own brand of stuff, but since carrying any kinda liquids or gels on board 'planes is a hassle these days, if you are like me, you would probably do fine with what's provided by G-force in their showers.
After a long, relaxing shower, I gathered my stuff and took the elevator down to the main level. I didn't bother paying for the Marhaba lounge since a) there was free internet access inside the terminal and b) I wasn't really hungry. If you are hungry, maybe $44 for an all-you-can-eat buffet and a quiet place to sit might be a good deal for you, but I could find a quiet place to sit in another end of the terminal and I sure wasn't hungry after the Emirates crew kept stuffing us with food over and over and over during our 13-hour flight.
I am not really much of a shopper. Most men aren't. Even I was impressed with some of the duty free shops in the airport. You could buy booze for much cheaper than you could at Costco. Seriously, if you are gonna go to a dry country like Bdesh, you might wanna buy some quality booze at a decent price from the duty free shops. I sure did.
Anyway, this update was long overdue. I noticed that a lot of people were checking this page for updates, so I apologize for taking so long.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Pecan pie, my state of mind and assorted ramblings
Tonight, I had the best pecan pie EVER. When my girlfriend asked me what I would miss when I move to B-desh, I said I would miss pecan pies. No really, that's what I said. I think I might be in a little bit of trouble.
Moving is never easy, and when you move thousands and thousands of miles away, it makes you doubt your decision every step of the way. I've experienced the whole gamut of emotions, from excitement, joy and the thrill of adventure to sadness, confusion and anger over my sudden bouts of tropophobia. Just the other day, I went shoe shopping, and it annoyed the heck out of me that I have to leave my white Skechers here, because I just can't wear them in the B-deshi monsoon season. They will get mud all over them and that's just not a good look.
Goodbye, white Skechers. I'll miss you.
On an unrelated note: I was trying to look for information on movie theaters in Dhaka, and guess what I came across?
http://www.cineplexbd.com/schedule.htm
That's the schedule for a movie theater in Dhaka. When I move there, I can watch unforgettable movies like the Forbidden Kingdom, Rambo-4 and D-War for less than the price of a slice of pecan pie. Woohoo!
I think I might have a blog post with links to all kinds of useful information on Dhaka (that's where I'd add the link to the movie theater's schedule). I'll add whatever useful links I can find on the internet (things like restaurants, banks, nightlife, how to get around Dhaka, maps... pretty much anything) and I'd appreciate help from you, my fellow bloggers, if you could add to the list.
Moving is never easy, and when you move thousands and thousands of miles away, it makes you doubt your decision every step of the way. I've experienced the whole gamut of emotions, from excitement, joy and the thrill of adventure to sadness, confusion and anger over my sudden bouts of tropophobia. Just the other day, I went shoe shopping, and it annoyed the heck out of me that I have to leave my white Skechers here, because I just can't wear them in the B-deshi monsoon season. They will get mud all over them and that's just not a good look.
Goodbye, white Skechers. I'll miss you.
On an unrelated note: I was trying to look for information on movie theaters in Dhaka, and guess what I came across?
http://www.cineplexbd.com/schedule.htm
That's the schedule for a movie theater in Dhaka. When I move there, I can watch unforgettable movies like the Forbidden Kingdom, Rambo-4 and D-War for less than the price of a slice of pecan pie. Woohoo!
I think I might have a blog post with links to all kinds of useful information on Dhaka (that's where I'd add the link to the movie theater's schedule). I'll add whatever useful links I can find on the internet (things like restaurants, banks, nightlife, how to get around Dhaka, maps... pretty much anything) and I'd appreciate help from you, my fellow bloggers, if you could add to the list.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The packing conundrum
Things have slowly started to fall into place. I will be moving to Dhaka in late May. I have all but bought the plane ticket. Now begins the arduous process of packing and deciding what to take with me and what to leave here.
If you were in my shoes, what would you absolutely take with you to Dhaka? I mean, is there anything that cannot be purchased there or be replaced? As always, tips/suggestions/helpful advice is much appreciated.
If you were in my shoes, what would you absolutely take with you to Dhaka? I mean, is there anything that cannot be purchased there or be replaced? As always, tips/suggestions/helpful advice is much appreciated.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Sushi, bubble tea... and lamb chops
What a terrific Saturday afternoon!
I was dragged out of bed a mere three hours after I fell asleep, only to go to my favorite sushi joint in the area. We had some great sushi (the uni was out of this world) and a fantastic conversation about Bangladesh. Then we drove around, did some shopping (got some lamb chops from the butcher's) and decided we want some bubble tea. So, off to a Japanese tea house we went. Although they had a pretty diverse menu, I was reminded of the tea gardens in northern Bangladesh and I can't wait to go there and try, among other things, the five-color tea. I've heard it's amazing.
Now, here's where I need your help. Please recommend some places in Dhaka where I can get: good sushi, bubble tea, lamb chops.
Until next time...
I was dragged out of bed a mere three hours after I fell asleep, only to go to my favorite sushi joint in the area. We had some great sushi (the uni was out of this world) and a fantastic conversation about Bangladesh. Then we drove around, did some shopping (got some lamb chops from the butcher's) and decided we want some bubble tea. So, off to a Japanese tea house we went. Although they had a pretty diverse menu, I was reminded of the tea gardens in northern Bangladesh and I can't wait to go there and try, among other things, the five-color tea. I've heard it's amazing.
Now, here's where I need your help. Please recommend some places in Dhaka where I can get: good sushi, bubble tea, lamb chops.
Until next time...
Guess who is moving to Bangladesh?
That's right. This guy.
Bangladesh, or B-desh for short (a term lovingly used by most expatriates), is a small but densely populated country in South Asia. It's the size of Wisconsin but the country's population is about one-half of that of America's. Ain't that something?
The Bangladeshis call America "bidesh" or a foreign country. So, if I were to mix expat lingo with the local vernacular, I would say that I would be moving from "bidesh" to B-desh. Bidesh to B-desh. Hence, the name of my blog.
I am looking forward to moving there. There is, however, one small problem. I hate long flights. No, let me rephrase that. I really, really, really hate long flights. Epecially those that seem to go on forever and ever. My flight from here (here as in the midwest) to Dhaka, Bangladesh is definitely gonna be one of them. As it looks right now, I would have to fly from here to New York City, then change planes to hop aboard a cross-Atlantic flight that will dump me off somewhere in Europe, where I will have to catch another flight to a destination in the middle East or South East Asia, where I will have to change flights one last time before I arrive in my destination, Dhaka. The trip is estimated to take well over 24 hours. Just like any other normal person, this flight shmight is the one aspect of this whole venture that I am not looking forward to.
Since I only recently decided that I'm moving to Dhaka, I haven't had the opportunity to buy my ticket. I am kinda winging it, but as it looks right now, I should be moving sometime in the next 6-8 weeks. It's gonna be a hectic 6-8 weeks, that's for sure.
This blog is my account of the entire process, of digging up my roots in the US and transplanting my entire existence to a country eight thousand miles away. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I do.
Bangladesh, or B-desh for short (a term lovingly used by most expatriates), is a small but densely populated country in South Asia. It's the size of Wisconsin but the country's population is about one-half of that of America's. Ain't that something?
The Bangladeshis call America "bidesh" or a foreign country. So, if I were to mix expat lingo with the local vernacular, I would say that I would be moving from "bidesh" to B-desh. Bidesh to B-desh. Hence, the name of my blog.
I am looking forward to moving there. There is, however, one small problem. I hate long flights. No, let me rephrase that. I really, really, really hate long flights. Epecially those that seem to go on forever and ever. My flight from here (here as in the midwest) to Dhaka, Bangladesh is definitely gonna be one of them. As it looks right now, I would have to fly from here to New York City, then change planes to hop aboard a cross-Atlantic flight that will dump me off somewhere in Europe, where I will have to catch another flight to a destination in the middle East or South East Asia, where I will have to change flights one last time before I arrive in my destination, Dhaka. The trip is estimated to take well over 24 hours. Just like any other normal person, this flight shmight is the one aspect of this whole venture that I am not looking forward to.
Since I only recently decided that I'm moving to Dhaka, I haven't had the opportunity to buy my ticket. I am kinda winging it, but as it looks right now, I should be moving sometime in the next 6-8 weeks. It's gonna be a hectic 6-8 weeks, that's for sure.
This blog is my account of the entire process, of digging up my roots in the US and transplanting my entire existence to a country eight thousand miles away. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I do.
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