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.
Monday, May 4, 2009
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Some packing suggestions from an expat who has lived in the 'desh for 2.5 years... if I were in your shoes I would bring:
ReplyDelete--shoes! Bangladeshis have small feet. Unless you are under 5'8" tall, you will probably need to bring your own shoes from home. (Flip flops or other sandals are best because you need to take your shoes off whenever you enter a building)
--headlight. The power goes off quite frequently here and this is great for reading, avoiding your furniture, etc.
--books. There is not a great selection of English books here. Whenever I go home I always come back with a suitcase full of books.
--toiletry items you can't live without. They have soap, shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste here, but if there are other brand items you want, you should bring them with you.
--food you can't live without (like m&ms, gummy bears, sun dried tomatoes, whatever). There are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables here, but the selection of western cuisine is quite limited.
--corkscrew. You can buy alcohol in some places, but there is no place in BD where you can buy a corkscrew!
--electronics. camera, laptop, ipod, etc. You can't get good quality electronics here.
Just a few ideas to get you started...
Good luck on your journey! Bangladesh is an amazing country!
I'd agree with all Kristin says accept for the electronics part. Many electronics are substandard quality, but you can buy some internationally recognized brands here as long as you pay a bit more. I recently bought a Toshiba laptop with an international warranty that was assembled elsewhere in Asia.
ReplyDeleteI'd also add to her list and say bring your favorite vitamins as the selection here is limited and pricy. Maybe those are the key words here, selection for many things we are used to in the West is sketchy and frequently pricier than American prices!
Hi, You picked a great name for your blog. I am sure many people will follow your journey with great interest. Good luck with your move.
ReplyDelete(btw, right now I am wishing I had brought a lot of balsamic vinegar - you can get EV olive oil here - for the salad days of summer :-) )
Ihtisham
Kristin, that's a great list. I went shoe shopping after reading your comment. Haha. Thanks so much for the help.
ReplyDeleteElaine, a trip to GNC is next on my to-do list.
Ihtisham, thank you very much for the kind words. I'm gonna look into what kinda food I can bring with me (including some good balsamic... thanks for the tip) without going over whatever the weight restrictions the airlines might have.