From the stuffy internet cafe :)

Today is my last day in the...beautiful country of Bangladesh! I can't believe how fast the time has gone! My bags are packed and sitting in the guest house. We'll move over to Domenic and Mary's for tonight.

I don't remember where I left off last post, but maybe I'll try to remember a few interesting bits of info. I don't have my journal with me right now, either.

I've mentioned before the attention we foreigners draw. I could relate any number of stories on the subject. Sometimes we hear things like, "Your country?" and when we say, "America," they usually respond, "Oh! Barack Obama!". Sometimes they try to guess where we're from, and usually guess correctly. But we have heard things like Chinese and Japanese as well.

Waiting for the bus in Khulna to Dhaka, we drew the usual crowd, maybe 20 or 30 laborers with ditch-digging tools. We were the highlight of their day, I'm sure. I'd like to know what they're thinking when they stand there for 15 minutes just watching our every move. Do they get bored, but think maybe we'll do something interesting and they don't want to miss it? Or do they think the way we blink and breathe and shift our weight from one foot to another is so different it's enthralling? You should have seen the way they leaned forward and stared intently at Deborah when she rubbed some lotion on her elbows! I personally thought the guy brushing his teeth with a tree branch was more interesting, but that's just my personal opinion, I guess.

I can't remember the rest of the list of things I'd written down to post about! I think the heat and stuffiness is affecting my brain. And Deborah will be returning to fetch me before too long.

Tomorrow will be a looong day. I leave on Thursday and get home on Thursday, but it will be over 24 hours. Dhaka to Abu Dhabi is about 6 hrs, and Abu Dhabi-London and London-JFK are both 8-9 hours-ish, I think. And that doesn't include lay-overs or travel time from the airport to home! Anyway, hopefully I don't get pegged as a terrorist or have any other troubles! And I'll post more pictures, info, and interesting details when I get home....see you then!

Pictures! And an update

Here is the link to my Picasa web album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/klg7808
I've uploaded the first 181 pictures and it took forever! There are over 500 total, so I'm not sure when I'll have a chance to upload the rest. We're headed to the village tomorrow, and then to another village further down (or possibly up or over, I don't really have any idea). We're going to Gulpalganj, where Protul and Putul's daughter lives, and will be there Sunday night to Monday.

Yesterday, Deborah and I went to Hope House, in a town called Kessapur. Hope House is a girls' orphanage, but the girls aren't necessarily completely orphaned. They're orphans in the sense that their parent(s) can't afford to raise them or educate them. There are 37 living there now. Deborah goes to teach them English. The director, David, used to have problems with the families taking the girls out of the orphanage before finishing high school, so that they could marry the girls off. After 15-year-old twins left to get married, David told the families, "Come and get your daughters now if you want to marry them off young; otherwise no one leaves until they graduate." A few left, but now the girls can at least have freedom until 18.

I only heard the story of two sisters who live there. It's an awful story, but such is life for some here: The girls' father was both a preacher and a police officer. One day, a fellow policeman asked him a few questions about what he did. The father was cautious because of the other man's beliefs, but he did say a little. The next day, a group of m's came to the door and asked for the father. With the whole family watching from the doorway, the man was taken outside and beheaded.

On a little happier note, I'll tell you about the two young gentlemen Deborah and I encountered on the way home. When we got back to Khulna, we took a "van" from the bus station to our neighborhood. First of all, a van is a tricycle with a wood plank over the back two wheels. It's used for transporting goods or up to 6 or so passengers. Deborah and I were traveling alone, though, until two guys who were originally heading away from Boyra suddenly decided they needed to join us and head towards Boyra. Following is a rough sketch of the dialogue, a good example of a typical conversation with a random Bengali practicing English. B is for the Bengali, D is for Deborah.

B: Are you a foreigner?
D: Yes.
B: From which country?
D: America.
B: Name, please.
D: Well, my middle name is Ann.
B: Who is she?
D: My sister.
B: Is she a foreigner too?
D: Yes. (It's very hard not to laugh at them, but it gets better!)
B: Can I have your contact number?
D: No, my father told me not to give it to anyone.
B: Oh, that's difficult.
D: Yes, it is.
B: Do you know some Bangla?
D: A little.
B: Do you think Bangla language is broad or short?
D: It's hard to say.
B: Where did you go this morning?
D: To a village.
B: We saw you leave and wondered where you were going.

Talking to or knowing foreigners is a really big deal here. They are always really giggly and enthusiastic, even if all they said was, "Hello, how are you?". One guy, after such an encounter, declared he was "gladly happy" to have talked to us. Deborah says, "I don't think I've ever made anyone gladly happy before!". While it seems obvious that, if Deborah is a foreigner, then I (as her sister) am as well, there are two reasons where this is a reasonable question. First, 'sister' is a common term for a friend or acquaintance. That's what the neighbor children say when they peer in our windows at night: "Sister! Sister! How are you?" The other part is, he may have thought I looked Bengali, as many here do. Sometimes on the street, people will try to talk to me and are quite confused when Adele or Deborah has to answer for me. Nevertheless, one of the first Bangla words I learned was "badeshi," foreigner. People occasionally use that as a name: "Hey, badeshi!" I also frequently pick it out of a conversation between people on the street.

Before I wrap this up for tonight, I thought I'd share a tidbit (one of my favorite words!) from the newspaper. There was a story about an elderly woman who was hit by a bus. That's no surprise, considering the way they drive here. I'm not really sure why they bother to draw lines on the road. They don't stay between them at all, but drive right down the center unless something bigger comes along in the opposite direction. I'm getting sidetracked. The end of the article states this "elderly" woman's age: 55. I wonder how many 55-year-olds in the U.S. would appreciate that distinctive term! But here, she could easily be a great-grandmother, and probably is at the end of her life.

Well, I must get some things done, then go to bed, but I have started a list of things I don't want to forget to tell you all. Interesting facts and observations and such.

A week in Khulna

Yes, I know it's been forever since I last posted. But, see, the thing is....I hardly know what to write. I've realized I was out of tourist mode and been adjusting to life here as though everything I see and do is normal, and then it because difficult to know what to say because it all seems so...typical.

For instance, a week ago Sunday (I think) we were down in the village of Rajghat (the only friends in the field are an older couple who live there). After meeting, we ate dinner with this couple, Protul and Putul. As an ant crawled across my rice, the thought that floated across my brain was, "I wonder if that's the only one, or if I've already eaten some." At home, I would have freaked out; but here, my reaction was one of mild amusement.

I guess I should tell you what all we've been doing here in Khulna.

Mondays, we have a study with one of Deborah's Bangla tutors, Lipy. She originally planned to enter a convent, but realized that was what she wanted to do, not what God wanted her to do. So now she is studying to be an English teacher. Interestingly, English is the only thing she studies in college. For four years. No other classes.

Tuesdays are free days.

Wednesdays, we go to Rajghat, by bus, for a morning study with P & P. Ma Halder also comes there. She has two sons and two daughters professing, in Dhaka. The village children are soooo adorable! When we leave P&P's, they come running, "Sister, sister!". They give us big hugs and walk with us, holding our hands, to whomever's house we're headed next.

Wed. afternoons, we have a study with man named Thomas. This poor guy is literally nothing more than a skeleton with some skin stretched across the bones. I think he had polio, but instead of affecting his legs like w/ most people, he's really, really thin. Various family members curiously hang around for the study, but they don't really have much interest beyond that, it doesn't seem.

Thursdays are free days (I think. can't remember for sure :] )

Fridays, we visit another young man, Shamir. He is Hindu, but is interested in learning about Christianity. Most of the contacts have already left Hinduism behind and have tried out various other churches before coming in contact with the workers. But this man had never even heard the story of the creation before. Last Friday, he asked how to pray: should he cross his legs like this? or like this? Another man was there as well, but we're not sure whether he's a Hindu or another religion (m). Anyway, I guess we'll have to be careful.

Saturdays, we head down to the village (Rajghat) and stay there for the night. Until this past Saturday, I have successfully avoided both squat toilets (if you can call them toilets!) and eating with my hands. I could have asked for a spoon to eat, but I figured I could give it a try. It's not so bad after I got over the "my hand's getting messy" part, but it is a bit barbaric-feeling. Oh, and to wash my hair Sunday morning....went outside and pumped water from the well into a bucket, then dumped water on my head with a pitcher. If that didn't make me feel like I'd been transported to the 1800s.... :)

Well, I suspect this is getting a bit long, and I need to do a few things before I go to bed, so I'll try to think of more to say soon.

Still haven't figured out how to post pictures; the site's partly in Bangla. I think I'm going to try to set up a Picasa web album and post the link. That might be easiest. I'll let you know when that's up and running.

From the Ostrich...

We are presently floating down (or possibly up) a river somewhere in Bangladesh. At this point, we are probably not terribly far from Khulna. We are supposed to arrive around 9 pm. I feel a little like we've traveled back in time. The steamer is 80 years old, but I feel like we're somewhere in the 1800s. Deborah and I are in a little cabin w/ 2 beds, Adele next door. But you should see 3rd class! The people are all crammed in one open room, with just blankets on the floor. Reminds me of the stories of immigrants to the U.S. traveling in steerage. Anyway, I should catch you up on the last several days.

Our visiting workers at the convention were George Lee and Lorraine Lerwick (U.S.), Beverly Thompson (Can./W. Africa), and Colin Sanders (Aus./Brazil). The rest of the staff consists of Adele Jeske and Deborah Wentz (U.S./BD), Rick Larson (Can./BD), John Watt (NZ/BD/Dubai), Harrison John (Pak./BD), and Jill Reeve (NZ/Pak). There were also two ladies visiting from Aus., Ruth and Therese, and Rick's cousin and his wife, Sheldon and Julie.

The convention starts on Thursday evening and lasts (technically) until Saturday evening, though everyone stays for the Sunday evening meeting. The morning meetings are from 10-12, then lunch, and then most people go home. Afternoon meetings are from 3-5, then there is a tea break, then evening meeting from 6-7. Supper follows. The meals are one floor up from the meeting room; little Bangladeshi men do the cooking and serving. Deborah enjoys how easy preps and clean-up are here! Everything is done in just a few hours.

For over a year, Bangladesh was in a national state of emergency. Part of the deal with that is there's a ban on rallies, etc. However, that ban was lifted Wednesday, and Thursday one of the party leaders arrived in Dhaka. It made a mess of traffic! Adele, Deborah, and I dropped a bunch of stuff off at the brothers' bach on the other side of town for them to send down later. Adele went over early in the day, and warned us that there were major traffic jams. We had been planning on taking everything over in a taxi, but that plan was scratched. Rickshaws can maneuver in and out of traffic easier, so Deborah piled me and some of the stuff in one, then found another for herself and the rest of the stuff. It took me almost 2 hours to get there, when it should've taken 30 minutes max. But, on the way, I got to see the parades of marching men with drums and banners. So anyway, we ate lunch at the brothers', a few of the friends came, and Ruth, Therese, Adele, Deborah, and I left around 3 for a horse-drawn carriage ride and the Steamer.

The carriage ride was a great way to see the city, because Ruth and I sat on the seat right behind the drivers (two adorable little boys). We felt like we were on a parade float. After we all got in and arranged, Ruth commented, "Well, that sure was a traffic-stopper." At least 50 men were gathered around us, staring like they do. And it was like that the entire ride: smiling, waving, asking us to take their pictures, taking pictures of us. I know a little bit better what famous people must go through. Even just walking down the street in front of the bach, a group of young guys got out their cameras and took pictures of me. The same thing happened today. The boat stopped at a little village, so I took some pictures of the men loading and unloading goods. And a group of guys got out their cell phones to take my picture. I guess it's only fair; I took pictures of them, but it felt a little funny :)

Well, that's all I can think of to say for now; maybe I'll think of some other things later. Plus, I imagine this post is getting quite long!

So I guess it's official...

Obama wins the U.S. presidency. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet...

I guess there's so much I could say, describe the place, but I don't know what you all want to hear about :) The plan is for Adele, Deborah, and I to take the Rocket down to Khulna tomorrow. We'll leave sometime in the afternoon and arrive Friday night. The Rocket is a boat. I was going to describe it more, but when I asked Deborah to expound, she said, "It's a boat like you've never seen before. It's...uh...maybe I should let you see it first, then you can describe it." She said we'll feel like we're back in the 1800s, though it is motorized. Anyway, it should be interesting!

Yesterday we ran some errands and I did a bit of shopping. I got two salwar kameez outfits (though one doesn't have the pants part, but rather a skirt) and a sari. The sari shops are overwhelming! There are floor to ceiling shelves with layers and layers of fabrics. It's hard to focus enough to pick out anything. We went to a few shops before I found one I really liked...I felt bad leaving those other stores, though, without buying something from those poor guys, after making them pull out several saris and lay them out, just so I could shake my head and point to a different one. But, alas, I found a lovely blue, green, and black one, so now I just have to take it to the tailor to have the blouse piece made. At the shops, they just have the blouse fabric attached to the end of the sari, because saris are one size fits all, but the blouses are made to fit exactly.

So, what else do you want to know about? I think when we get to Khulna, I can put pictures up. That would be nice, eh?

Quick Update

There's a lot to tell you about the last few days. Instead of one massive note though, maybe I'll say a bit tonight and write more in the morning. First of all, Deborah is much better. Turns out she had two types of worms, which is actually ok, because that's treatable with medicine. For a few days, I couldn't eat much, just some plain rice. The food here is much oilier, and that makes my stomach very angry! At first, I was a bit concerned it was something more, as I was nauseous and slightly disoriented when I stood up after one meeting, and that night I had a high fever. But I slept in the next morning and was ok, except that I still couldn't eat much.

So maybe I'll just tell you all a few of the more interesting things about this crazy city and the lovely people here.
First of all, you risk your life crossing the street. Cars do not stop for pedestrians, and they are mostly unwilling to slow down. Even if you step right in front of them. And the streets are filled with cars, buses, rickshaws, autorickshaws, bikes, carts, etc., all weaving in and out around each other. It's amazing they don't have more accidents. But I have noticed that there really aren't many dent-free transportation vehicles.

Be glad for Sunday mtgs where everyone has a chair! Yesterday, there were about 30 people smashed in a tiny room. Two of the brothers sat on the floor with the kids, and 7 or 8 of us sat on the bed.

Women's Lib needs to make its way to this part of the world. It's actually not too bad here, especially since, as a foreigner, I have a higher status, but this also means I attract much more attention from the men. Everywhere I go, they just stare. The van driver today adjusted his rearview mirror everytime I moved, so he could watch me (I really wish he'd spent more time looking at the road!). But the other thing about this is, I'm technically not supposed to look at them any more than I absolutely have to. Deborah was saying it's best if I just kind of ignore them, even when they smile and try to talk, or else they'll think I'm really interested in them. Bengali girls are rather cold towards strange men, but I just feel really stuck up and rude!

I think I'd better wrap things up for tonight, but one short story first. John Watt is a bit of a case. During testimonies on one day of the convention, he was translating for an older man who was going on and on (they do that here!) about how horrible he's been in the past. So John translated some of that and then said (in his Kiwi accent), "Poor thing. I don't think he's ever done anything wrong; he just feels bad." I had a hard time keeping a straight face, but we had too, especially because the poor guy was so upset! For those of you who know Dan Helenek, John is a bit of a New Zealand version.

I'll try to write more tomorrow.

I have arrived!

Not much time, as I'm borrowing someone else's laptop, but just wanted to give a quick update. I got in last night and Deborah Unfortunately, she's not feeling well, and her fever this morning is 102. So we're not sure right now what, exactly, the problem is, but maybe I'll have more info later.

As I expected, actually being here is quite different from imagining what it would be like. It's not that it's so much different from what I thought, but seeing it in real life is interesting. The traffic is horrendous! As Deborah described it, they see an open spot in the road and they think, "That shouldn't be there." There are no lanes or really any traffic laws, it seems. And I didn't realize they drive on the left, etc., like the British.

I really don't have more time now, but I'll try to write more later.

Before I leave for the airport....

I have just a few minutes to write a quick update before I leave for my flight to Bangladesh.

Yesterday morning I headed off to an out-of-the-way shop, the Antique Museum. The name is misleading, as it isn't a museum full of antiques, but rather a filled-to-overflowing warehouse of imported and local objects...aladdin lamps, arabic coffee pots, pashminas, etc. I walked up and down dimly lit, cramped aisles of goods. Very interesting place, lots of great finds. It's interesting because a lot of tour books don't have this place listed, and even my taxi driver didn't know where it was. It's back in the industrial area, amongst factories and such. Hard to find, but worth it.

In the afternoon, I walked to Jumeirah Beach Hotel, where my ride came for the Desert Safari. Awesome experience, I highly recommend it! We drove about an hour out into the desert, to a private desert conservation area. Here, we stopped for pictures of the dunes while the driver let air out of the tires. This was in preparation for "dune bashing." We drove up and down the steep dunes, over narrow ridges, and around sharp curves. This is especially terrifying, since driving in sand is a little like driving on ice: the driver doesn't necessary have precise control over the SUV. But it was a lot of fun...and I had the best seat: shotgun!

Then we stopped at a camel farm, where the camels were being herded off to dinner. Those animals are huge up close...especially the one that headed start for me! Cool pictures here, as the sun was setting over the dunes.

Next stop, the dinner place, which appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the desert. Low lighting set the atmosphere, and we sat Arabic-style: on cushions on the ground. Dinner was traditional Arabic food which was excellent. And then a belly dance performance. As the evening was winding down, they turned out all the lights in the camp and we laid back for some star-grazing....which was incredible! No light pollution here.

Got home around 10-10:30 and had a chance to call Mom....she didn't recognize my voice at first, and then had the nerve to say, "Ashley?". Hmph. Well, I need to finish scrunching the last few things in my bags; the taxi will pick me up in about 40 minutes, 10:30, for a 20-30 minute drive to the airport. Flight leaves at 1:15pm, and I should arrive in Bangladesh about 7:30pm local time, 9:30am E/8:30am C. See you in Bangladesh!

P.S. I hear you all are waiting for pictures...wait a little longer, I promise they're coming! I just don't have the time right now.

Sunday

I wanted to go to the beach one last time before I leave. It's such a beautiful, relaxing beach. When I got hungry for lunch, I decided to head down to the grocery store, because I needed to get a few things before leaving anyway. Well, let me tell you, a few blocks is forever in 100 degree weather! I ended up buying chips, and peach juice, and candy, and things that were not on my list, but I was so hungry everything looked good. Originally planning to go back to the beach, I opted for the house instead, since it was much closer. Sunday afternoon I intended to get my things in order so I could pack, but when I laid down "for a few minutes," I didn't wake up until almost 5. Oops. Time to get ready for meeting, eat, and leave at 6:30.

There were four American ladies in the meeting, probably 50s or 60s. They travel every year, and they've been all over the world. I hope that's me in 30 years! Glenda and I took them to their hotel, so they wouldn't have to take a taxi all that way. We were originally planning to drop them in a busy area closer to their hotel, but we ended up finding their hotel alright. Actually, at one point, they all hustled out of the car from all directions and started to jump in a taxi at a red light, but the driver said not to bother, the hotel was right around the corner. So they all scurried back in the car. Looked kinda funny. The people in the cars around us were laughing!

Home again, finally. Hung up my laundry and went to bed!

Uh-oh...starting to slack...

Haven't posted since Wednesday. Plus, I've realized I haven't introduced you to the lovely Kadir family. Oops! Gaith and Glenda are the parents, then Jay (8), Zane (7), and Aleaha (3); and Marilyn is their housekeeper/nanny/not sure of her exact job description. They are a great family, very welcoming/hospitable, and the kids are adorable!



So, now we have to backtrack to Thursday. In the morning, Gaith and I took Jay and Zane to school and hung around until the "UN Day" festivities began. It's awesome how much cultural exposure they get: the day began with a parade of flags carried by student reps from all the different countries from whence they come. Over 70 countries, in about the same size elementary school I went to.

Afterwards, Gaith dropped me off at Atlantis on the Palm. It's a huge resort/waterpark/aquarium, but I just wanted to see the aquarium. It's built to resemble the ruins of the lost city of Atlantis, so the whole thing is really cool.

Next stop, the Marina. This is where all the big, fancy yachts are. The man made marina comes into the city and is surrounded by skyscrapers. A nice place to sit and relax, take pictures, etc.

After spending a while here, I went home, changed, and headed off the the beach for a few hours.
And so ended Thursday.

Friday Bible study at 10:30. Then we met up with Gaith to do some shopping at Festival City, which is a huge mall. Spent most of the day here. About 7ish, Glenda took Aleaha home (she was exhausted, poor thing!) and Gaith, Jay, Zane, and I went to Creek Park. This is a huge public park along the Creek, with a beach, bbq pits, etc. We saw a lot of Arabs who come in big groups, but sit separately....women don't socialize with men. Sometimes the groups shared a picnic dinner, but mostly they shared shisha, flavored tobacco. After playing soccer for a while, we headed back home; it was already 10:30.

Yesterday was an awesome day! Glenda had to work on her painting project, but the rest of us went to Hatta, an old style village from Dubai....all desert here. The 4wheelers were so much fun! Stayed there for almost an hour, then onwards. Passing through parts of Oman, we saw rugged mountains much different from the Appalachians. We drove down a bumpy, unpaved trail back to the springs, where we actually saw water. Most everywhere else is all dried up for the winter.
On our way to the village, we stopped at an Iranian bakery for delicious bread.
Gaith joked that the village looked some much like where he grew up, in Jordan, he was getting homesick. So it was really cool to see that. He even said that people still live like that in parts of Syria, Saudi Arabia, etc. today.

When we got home, Gaith whipped up a scrumptious, authentic Arabic meal. He told me the names of everything, but of course, I forget. There were two kinds of hummus, an okra dish, and the meat. Delicious!

After dinner, I played hide-and-seek and school with the kids, then read them a story. And then it was morning!

Tuesday and Wednesday

As I mentioned, Tuesday morning I called Andre, one of the friends here in town, to see if he wanted to go with me to see some part of town. He is from Brazil, has lived in Minn., and for the past 8 months (I think) has lived in Dubai. He wanted to go to the Dubai Museum and the nearby souks: textile, gold, and spice. After waiting for almost an hour for the right bus to take me to that part of town, it passed without stopping. So it was lunch time by the time I met up with poor Andre. We ate and then went through the Museum. Afterwards, we wandered around the streets, through the souks. I was glad Andre was along to remind to take pictures. He's really into photography, so he took pictures of everything. Sometimes I get so caught up in looking at everything around me I forget.



You would think I wouldn't know anybody in common with someone from Brazil, living in Dubai. But, as it turns out, he knows the two other Brazilians I know (Josh, Philly; Marcio, NJ/now FL) Josh Leclair from Wisconsin, and Rachel Henderson, who is going to the same school as Ashley in Ecuador. Interesting!



Today, I woke up tired. I didn't sleep as well last night, which is usual for me, but I hadn't been having any trouble the last few nights. So when I woke up around 7:30, I decided just to hang out here for a while and go to the beach. The beach is just a ten minute walk from the house, and it isn't crowded at all. It's right beside the Burj Al Arab, the world's only 7-star hotel, shaped like a sail. I can only afford to lay on the beach and look at it from the outside. The water is nice and warm, not frigid like the N. Atlantic.

This evening, I had dinner with the family, played with the kids for a while, and now I need to decide what to do tomorrow. Hmm......

Monday Update

For the first time, the dawn prayer call woke me up. There is a mosque close to the Kadirs home; actually, there is a mosque close to everywhere in Dubai. In some parts of town, you can actually here prayer calls from multiple mosques at the same time. Though I was up early, I didn't leave the house until 9:30. I opted to take the Big Bus Tour around town. The first bus at the closest stop arrived at 10:00. So I walked a short way down Al Thanya to Jumeirah Road, but didn't see a sign or any indication where, exactly, the bus would stop. So I called the company and was told I had to pick it up for the first time at the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Luckily, that was just a short taxi ride away, and I was able to catch it there on time.

The first half of the ride, I didn't need to get off the bus at all, as it was things I had already seen, and I really just needed to connect up with the other route that would take me around the other side of town. However, they do a running commentary of the area, which was really interesting. The first stop I alighted was the Dubai Museum, housed in the old Al Fahidi Fort. Didn't spend much time here, as I was trying to make a 3:30 dhow river cruise. But I got some great pictures of the outside, the fort.

The old Bastakiya section has been preserved to show visitors how Dubai used to look. Some of the buildings have restaurants and such in them, but the place was all but deserted. It was like walking through a ghost town. But the buildings were really cool.

Next, the Gold Souk. People from all over the world come here to buy gold because it's sold for just a little more than market value. Labor to make jewelry is so cheap, but the finished products are really intricate and beautiful. But the souk...well, I got entirely lost. I left the market from a different place than I entered, and thought I could find my way back. But the streets zig-zag into alleys, etc., etc., and I never found my way back to the bus pickup spot. However, I did manage to find the Creek simply by following what I felt must be the right direction. Unfortunately, by this time it was way past the 3:30 dhow cruise. So I ate dinner and waited for the 5:3o one, which actually was better because the sun was setting and it was really picturesque. I feel like the days should be really long, with sunset more like 9:30, because it feels like summer. But it's actually fall, so it's dark by 6 or 6:30.

The unfortunate part is, the cruise got back around this time, which is too late to catch the Big Bus Tour bus back to the right neighborhood. So I crossed the river in another dhow and walked to the bus terminal. It was crowded, but I only counted 2 other women. But this meant that the pushing, shoving, foreign laborers who made up the other passengers for my bus let me board first, and stood so that I could sit. Chivalry is not dead here! I actually had no idea what stop to get off, but at my first glimpse of the Burj Al Arab, which is close to the house, I decided it was about where it should be, so I got off. Sure enough, I was right back at Al Thanya and Jumeirah Beach Road, just a ten minute walk home. When I got there, I played Memory with Aleaha (3) using half the cards. She won.

I think I'll write about today in the morning. It's only 9pm, but I've done a lot of walking today and I'm tired.

Sunday Morning Mosque

I started Sunday off by visiting a mosque. The Jumeirah Mosque is the only one in town that allows non-Muslims to enter. Plus, the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding gives talks about the mosque and the Islamic culture. Before we were allowed entry into the mosque, women were given abayas and headscarves to wear, and men who had bare arms or legs were also given long garments. The women claim that abayas are not as hot as they look, that the thin material allows the breeze, and that it actually protects them from the sun. They are lying. At least about not being hot under there. Standing in the shade wearing my abaya, sweat was dripping down my back. And it's not even the hottest time of the year. But this gave greater effect to the first part of the ritual of going to a group prayer at a mosque, wadhu. This is where they wash their hands, mouth, face, ears, arms, and feet, in that order, three times. Then they are clean enough (mentally and physically) to enter the mosque, as long as they take off their shoes. So we did this too. Inside, Nassef and Latifah told us about Islam and its culture. There is a lot I could tell you about that, but I don't want to bore you/write a book :)



After the Jumeirah Mosque, I visited the Ibn Battuta shopping mall. I didn't really need to do more shopping (though I did buy a pair of shoes...oops!), I really just went to see the mall itself. Glenda and I were talking about this later. In the U.S., you wouldn't think of going to a mall to see the mall. You go to shop. Actually, the malls themselves are usually rather ugly. But here, the insides and outsides of the malls are really cool architecturally. Ibn Battuta mall is named after....Ibn Battuta. He was an explorer who travelled to China, India, Persia, Tunisia, Egypt, and Andalusia. I know this because each of the six sections of the mall are modeled after these places, including the outside of the building. So I went to see the mall, walk around, and take pictures. And buy an awesome pair of dark red heels.



After the mall, I went home to get ready for the 7:30 Sunday meeting (leaving at 6:30). Something I realized: 7:30pm here is 11:30am Eastern, 10:30am Central. So even though the meeting is at night here and morning there, we were all going to meeting/in meeting about the same time.



Well, that's all for now; I have plans to meet someone somewhere soon (Andre, Dubai Museum, 11-ish) and I need to get ready. I'll update on yesterday and today later, hopefully.

Favorite Activitiy: Shopping

Especially in Dubai. Perhaps you've heard of the Mall of the Emirates, the place with the indoor ski slope. Shopper's paradise. You should be impressed that I limited my purchases to a 219 Drh dress, a "Pictorial Souvenir of Dubai with an introduction by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum," and lunch. The mall is relatively Westernized with many of the same stores as those at home. Major differences: Men's and Women's Mosques complete with prayer calls broadcast over the PA, Ski Dubai, and the wide variety of attire (abayas that only show the eyes, the Salwar Kameez of India, Western clothes with a head covering, and comparatively skimpy Western wear).

After the MotE, I took a taxi to the Souk Madinat Jumeirah. It's a fairly new construction but replicates an ancient Middle Eastern marketplace. It's all indoors, yet the layout is like winding alleys. There are also a bunch of outdoor restaurants that overlook the canal, made to give the place a Venetian feel. The Madinat sells a lot of high-end souvenirs and many stores sell antique home furnishings. And I can't leave out the store that exclusively sold bongs. Not that I know what they are.

After the SMJ, I took a tragic taxi ride. I asked the driver if he knew where the Choithrams was on al Wasl road. He said nahm, yes. Though I had a map with me, I was relieved. So I relaxed in the back and wrote some things down in my journal. But when we got to Choithrams, I was no longer relaxed. It didn't look anything like I remembered. Turns out there are two Choithrams on al Wasl road. And it's a reeaally long walk in between the two. And it's hot. Even here in the house, at 8:30pm, it's 82. Blah. At least it was after the sun went down, because then it would have been more like 110. Should've been more specific and shown him the handy map Glenda drew me. I'll know for next time.

Before I collapse....

just wanted to let you all know I've arrived safe and sound. My flight from JFK was pretty empty, so I could stretch out on two seats. This was not so on the London-Dubai flight. Instead, I sat beside an.....interesting British man. He was very friendly, but, for instance, when we finished our breakfasts at about 8, he said that "eight is a great time for whiskey." Unfortunately for him, this meant that he had a bit of trouble standing on the airport bus. Very amusing for the rest of us. But, together we solved the world's problems on the plane. He liked to talk, I think. However, there isn't too much more I can repeat of what he said. Let's just say he had an interesting way of expressing himself. The gentleman sitting diagonally from me said at one point, "Has he been talking like that the entire trip?" Thankfully, no.

Anyway, I met Glenda at the airport here in Dubai at 9:10. It was already 90 degrees. Welcome to the desert. The Bible study here is Friday mornings at 10:30, so we had some time to go to a breakfast place and relax beforehand. Interestingly, the work week is Sunday to Thursday. So today is like a Saturday at home. And Sunday morning meeting is Sunday at 7:30pm. So that'll be a bit different.

I've just a lovely shower and now I think I'm going to sign off and take a nap. The Kadirs are planning a picnic dinner around 6, so I have some time to relax. And you all are cutting into that time! So I'm going to crash now, and I'll keep you posted about some of the things I'm going to be doing around Dubai in the next few days.

Katia

....two days....

I have never enjoyed letting people read things I've written. But, in the interest of keeping people informed of my "adventures," I have agreed to keep a blog. I can promise you it will not be a literary masterpiece. I can't guarantee daily updates (sorry, Mom) but I will try to keep up as much as computer/internet access allow.

Travel Details....
Departure - October 16th, way too early in the morning (plan to leave the house at 2:30ish)
~in Dubai from October 17th to the 28th
~in Dhaka from the 28th to the 4th of December

First bit of excitement:
I was not originally planning on spending time in Dubai. But after meeting Ginger Meadows' sister, Glenda, I was persuaded to stay and tour the city. Very cool city, very cool opportunity. Glenda invited me to stay with her, and we exchanged info. I tried once back in August to email Glenda, but no response. Tried again at the beginning of October. No response. The problem turned out to be spam filters. Anyway, long story short, I didn't know until early this morning if I would have a place to stay in Dubai. Though I tried to convince myself that everything would work out fine, I'd either find another way to get ahold of the Kadirs or find somewhere else to stay, I have to admit....very glad I finally heard from Glenda.

I suppose that's all I can bore you with for now :)