so I hear a picture is worth a thousand words

I think for this entry I just wanted to post pictures, but I've been thinking about something lately.  Maybe it's because of all the books I've been reading, but remember back to high school days when you had characters described as either flat, foil, round, dynamic or static?  I only mention it because in truth everyone is a dynamic character, people have feelings and emotions and their actions are never fully predictable.  And yet not everyone is a round, dynamic character to us.  Think of the person you meet just once or those people you interact with in the same setting every time.  They may be the most interesting person in the world, but you would never get to know that.  I think about the CNG driver who drove me here to the coffee shop, the only interaction we'll prolly ever have is the one in the morning.  He wanted 150 taka from me and I bargained him down to 120 taka.  Then after he drove me here, I paid him and said thank you.  That's it.  He may or may not have a family, he prolly has a lot of interesting stories, but I'd never get to learn or know about any of them.  But, I don't think that's the bigger point- I sometimes wonder why I don't want to get to know the stories of other people.  In the CNG I was just annoyed of the traffic and just wanted to use the internet here as quickly as possible.  This may be a bad example, but there are people I've known for a while who are just flat to me.  I only see them as a one-sided person- friends boy/girlfriend, classmate, co-worker, whatever.  I think it's just awkward for me to think of myself as a flat character in the eyes of others- because I'd like to believe I am a round, dynamic person.  I think I'm afraid of just becoming a flat person in your eyes and in your life.  That's all.





But, on a totally different side note... MORE PICTURES!!!!!!!

Playing Carrom in the village

TEA (I've become a huge fan of the tea in the villages)!!!!

Women in the center is the leader of the Centre (catch that?)

A Handloom Factory

new best friend

told you we were best friends

I'm really bad at this whole updating thing aren't I?

Well I have some good news..I finally found a place in Bangladesh where I can get decent internet connection- almost to the point where I think I can even download something if I want to.  It's of course in the posch part of town where the locals speak english and the foreigners try to speak bangla.  It's an awkward mix if you truly think of it, luckily for me I don't.  I've been at this coffee shop for almost 6 hours now and have only gotten one coffee and one brownie.  I'm beginning to slightly feel guilty for just now stealing their internet, but it really is the only way for me to get any work done.  Things are going alright here, nothing too amazing..actually that's a lie.  I had whitecastle last week.  Met a really awesome guy who works for the US Embassy, who took some friends and I back to his place and reminded me of how great home is.  God, I cannot wait to go home and take a long hot shower while eating a 4x4 from In N Out.  Yes, I really do plan on doing both at the same time; you can watch if you want to, but I'd probably have to charge now that I'm broke.  Broke!

(Side note: There is a table with 2 girls who keep glancing at me because I think they're shocked that I'm basically wearing pajama's in a fairly fancy coffee shop, I, however, can care less.  I've really started dressing down here and just speak english if anyone tries to talk down to me.  I think it's rude, but at times I feel like such a local that I just do it- I've even begun to haggle with the rickshaw drivers here).

I should probably pay my bill sometime soon.  Going out to dinner with some friends in a little bit.  I'm pretty hungry considering I've only eaten a brownie in the past six hours.  I don't think I truly realized that because I've just been so obsessed with this internet connection.

It's interesting to be at a coffee shop for so long, you see people come and go and wonder what they're doing and who they are.  It's making me think all of this is nothing more than a memory that will disappear from me years from now.  I wish I could hold onto all of my memories, but then I wonder what I'd try to live for.  I remember I've always told people that people are to a certain degree replaceable.  I think I say that to shield myself of having to get too close to people in case they ever chose to leave me.  I'm usually the one doing the leaving, don't really have too many people in my life who've left me.

I've been doing a lot of inward thinking lately, since I pretty much have this week off to take care of my life and prep for my new assignment for the month.  I'll be working in the social-business side of the organization and hopefully be part of a multi-million dollar deal- for me.  jk.

A part of me is also ready to come back home.  I kinda want to be surrounded by family and friends right now.  I can use some hugs.

This post is sounding way to emo- I'm not sad or anything, I think I've just hit a wall of sorts.  I need to refocus, gather up some energy and hit the ground running again.  I hope you're all doing well and thank you to those keep tabs on me through fb messages and e-mails.  You don't know how much they mean to me.

Heart you all.

-Mahbub

OH SHIT. HERE ARE SOME PICTURES!!!!!!!!

Friends and I at a Puja Festival

Rickshaws!

My friend Yao and I

I am alive (still)!

I apologize for not updating more frequently, but it really is a pain to go online in Bangladesh.  I've also been spending plenty of time in rural village areas where there is no internet connection and as I found out yesterday, neither phone connection.  Well more specifically my phone- as my wireless carrier didn't reach the village we spent our overnight trip in.  But, yea a few snips of life, I spent a full 5 days immersed in village life last week and I have to say, it really was one of the best experiences of my life.  Not sure if it was the people I met or just the fact that I could get away from city life- but it was great.  Travelled around meeting the many borrowers of Grameen Bank and hearing their stories and how they've used the loan money they have received.  There were some fantastic stories of how women first received a loan of about 20-30 dollars and now that their business have grown and expanded they can take out loans worth 700-1000 dollars.  I know that doesn't seem like a lot to us, but you can do a lot with a thousand dollars here if you invest it properly.  I also got to see struggling beggars who don't have proper businesses, but receive a loan of about 20 dollars to start maybe buying a chicken or toys to sell to children so they can make profit and stop having to beg.  It's a pretty interesting organization since they're so big in the country.  Like this week I got to tour they farmed fish ponds and a yogurt factory.  It was really good yogurt- it's a partnership with danone yogurt where the yogurt provides something like 30% of essential vitamins and minerals a child needs in their youth.  I'm still sort of perplexed about their loan repayment stat (nearly 98%) and funny accounting (paying their own organization to conduct tasks that should be done in-house),  but am glad there is an organization in Bangladesh that is doing something for the poor- since the government here is either incapable, or unwilling to do so.  But, when I'm not busy with my internship, I've done some good sightseeing of the country so far.  I really like the interns that I'm meeting- they all seem quite open, diverse and cultured- it reminds me of DC.  I think we have plans to visit a national forest, the old capitol and some other tourist destinations in the upcoming weeks.  Maybe I can take some pictures and post em.  Don't count on that though since the internet here really does suck.  I'm thinking of maybe having a slideshow party when I get back.  Oh, I'd like to thank everyone for wishing me a happy birthday again- it really does mean a lot to me to know you guys haven't forgotten about me..haha.  Wow, I'm like really bad at writing in a blog- it feels like I haven't written anything exciting or interesting, so I think I'll stop.  I'll update hopefully sooner than later about anything else new that pops up.  


PS. I'm still unmarried so whoever has their money on me coming back married, you're gonna have to wish a lil harder.