So I am now almost exactly two months from my return journey. After the 9 months that have passed it seems like not long at all and my mind drifts more and more frequently toward that day. As such, I have begun making a list of things that I will be leaving behind to help me remember when they are far away and I wonder if I dreamed this year. Some of these things I will miss dearly, others I can hardly wait to free myself from, but most are a little of both. I often find myself thinking how something drives me crazy, but then the idea of it not being there makes me a little sad. You know what I mean. It has become standard for my sister and I, when experiencing many of the things on this list to give a little sigh and say "Oh Bangladesh."
1. The constant jingling of bicycle and rickshaw bells.
2. “Announcer” rickshaws blaring out music, advertisements, or community news at all hours of the day and night.
3. Random groups of people riding by in large trucks shouting.
4. Riding in rickshaws and haggling over taka.
5. My bathroom floor always being wet because they don’t have separate shower areas here.
6. My digestive system not being crazy (I’ll spare you the details, but man, this is definitely something I am excited to leave behind).
7. Conversations of crazy mixes of Bangla and English… and speaking in English slowly, loudly, and without contractions (i.e. “NO I AM NOT HUNGRY”).
8. Bangladeshi food… and having some one else make it… and on the flip side, American food, and getting to make it myself.
9. GIANT spiders.
10. GIANT mosquitoes (now that I think about it you could really just have a whole list of insects here…).
11. The panic of realizing I just accidentally stepped out my door without my orna on, and our guard turning the other way and pretending he hasn’t noticed anything.
12. All the green and the blue (i.e. coconut trees, mango trees, litchi trees, rice patties, rivers, streams and ponds, EVERYWHERE, oh, and rain).
13. Sweating. All the time.
14. Knowing that when I walk down the street everyone notices me… and the occasional excitement of having men burst out into love songs when they see me coming.
15. Going to 15 different tiny shops to find item I need.
16. Hearing gossip about who had a “love marriage.”
1. The constant jingling of bicycle and rickshaw bells.
2. “Announcer” rickshaws blaring out music, advertisements, or community news at all hours of the day and night.
3. Random groups of people riding by in large trucks shouting.
4. Riding in rickshaws and haggling over taka.
5. My bathroom floor always being wet because they don’t have separate shower areas here.
6. My digestive system not being crazy (I’ll spare you the details, but man, this is definitely something I am excited to leave behind).
7. Conversations of crazy mixes of Bangla and English… and speaking in English slowly, loudly, and without contractions (i.e. “NO I AM NOT HUNGRY”).
8. Bangladeshi food… and having some one else make it… and on the flip side, American food, and getting to make it myself.
9. GIANT spiders.
10. GIANT mosquitoes (now that I think about it you could really just have a whole list of insects here…).
11. The panic of realizing I just accidentally stepped out my door without my orna on, and our guard turning the other way and pretending he hasn’t noticed anything.
12. All the green and the blue (i.e. coconut trees, mango trees, litchi trees, rice patties, rivers, streams and ponds, EVERYWHERE, oh, and rain).
13. Sweating. All the time.
14. Knowing that when I walk down the street everyone notices me… and the occasional excitement of having men burst out into love songs when they see me coming.
15. Going to 15 different tiny shops to find item I need.
16. Hearing gossip about who had a “love marriage.”
17. Scented facial tissue that I swear has been dipped in men's cologne.
18. Arguing with “servants” trying to get them to stop calling me “madam.”
19. Trying to explain why I am not married and why "no I am not interested in marrying you” (although especially since I live in Abilene and my age is breeching the legal Church of Christ limit this problem may follow me home ;-).
20. Ezra. I can’t say more about that or I’ll turn into a worthless puddle of sentimentality.
Whoops, it’s too late. The list will have to stop here for now.
18. Arguing with “servants” trying to get them to stop calling me “madam.”
19. Trying to explain why I am not married and why "no I am not interested in marrying you” (although especially since I live in Abilene and my age is breeching the legal Church of Christ limit this problem may follow me home ;-).
20. Ezra. I can’t say more about that or I’ll turn into a worthless puddle of sentimentality.
Whoops, it’s too late. The list will have to stop here for now.
This was a pretty fun read :) I'm pretty excited about having you back in just a couple of months. A year goes by pretty darn fast.
ReplyDeleteWe can work together to come up with good explanations for not being married. College Station is a little like Abilene in that soooo many people get married right outta college or expect to meet their spouses in college. Almost no one my age sticks around after they graduate unless they're married. Seriously, most of the people my age at church (or older) are married or moved away. I'm sure you can relate.