After Dhaka

Arrived in Singapore at 0545 today. Disappointed that the cute flight attendant who served my section on the way to Dhaka was not on duty this time round :( But hey, maybe he was serving the same section of the plane (my usual favourite - the back of the aircraft)? I wouldn't know because ... WE WERE IN BUSINESS CLASS ! Wah ha ha ha ....

The flight last night was overbooked so SQ opened its business class to economy passengers. Everything remained as economy class, except for the seats, which was really what I cared for. And because we had already checked out of the hotel in the morning and were afraid of traffic jams and time consuming security checks at the airport, we set off 4 hours before our flight and arrived at the airport 3 hours early. That's how we got "upgraded" - if we had been late, the business class cabin would have been filled up in no time.

This rare opportunity to travel in SQ's Raffles Class cabin was a truly enjoyable one. I slept like a baby but alas, the flight time was too short. Nevertheless, sleeping time was maximised because meals were served and cleared very quickly so that it was lights out for almost 3 hours of the approximately 4-hour flight.

Final notes from Dhaka:

18 November 2007, 20:28

That's it. I've finished fieldwork for Across Asia Phase 2. A little sad now cuz there's no more traveling and it's back to mundane days at the office. And the report writing and countless checkpoints and presentations ... Grrrr!!!

Have managed to do a little shopping around Dhaka yesterday and today. Like Lonely Planet says, this is not a tourist-oriented city and hence it's difficult to find tourist souvenirs. It's just fine with me cuz that's really the last thing I want. That also means that whatever I find would be something that the locals buy, giving me more insights into their unique culture and everyday life.

We were on our way to meet a respondent the previous day when the rows of shops along the New Elephant Road caught my eye (the name alone is enough to pique my interest cuz I'm a real sucker for anything elephant). See, the office is starting a "hat project" - we are to collect hat from every country that we travel to. So I saw some gorgeous turbans in those shops along the NER. They are the "pagri" which men wear on their wedding days and boys on their birthdays. Very dressy headgear with embroidery, brocade, lace and stones. So I had to get one for the project since the regular Bangladeshi men or women do not wear any traditional hats or caps.

So I returned to the NER yesterday morning since we didn't have any respondent to meet till 3 pm. Took the auto rickshaw there for only 30 taka but I was convinced I was being fleeced already cuz thee distance was quite short. I had the good mind to walk back when I was done with the shopping.

But like any such markets in Delhi or Karachi, I soon got sucked into the labyrinth of streets and lanes displaying a wondrous collection from household items to jewellery and clothing to books! YES, I was so impressed to find a street with vendors selling nothing but books in Bengali and English. There were fiction novels to college texts, some were very old. But I'm glad there's a book culture going on in this city (as we saw a mobile library on the way to Farmgate later to meet our respondent who turned out to be a very sensible boy in love with life and books).

Well, back to hats. So I found the pagri I wanted and bargained for it. Closed the deal at 60% the offer price. Since this is not a tourist-friendly place, I'm not very sure if prices had been marked up but I think what I paid was probably fair and would be what local people would go for. I didn't walk much before I got attracted into another shop and thought, hey, maybe I should get another for my own keepsake. My sis' favourite teddy bear can wear that. Haha ... that bear has already assumed a personality of its own and is very often the star of our jokes (I shall introduce my family of toys, each with its own personality, some other time). The pagri will look smashing on him (he also has Mickey the Apprentice hat from Disneyland :)

I was also keeping a lookout for kurtis or the salwar kameez as Lonely Planet reports that some are selling for only 150 taka, although that's at the New Market. There were plenty but the designs were too loud for my taste. So I continued scouring the vicinity for a while and came into the "pets" lane. And I freaked.

I have a very soft spot for animals, especially in countries where people are finding it hard to survive, what becomes of the animals? I really hate to think of that but when I was walking down that street, that's all I thought of. How many were dying there in their cages bathed in their own excrements there as I strolled by? And no thanks to the wailings of the dogs either.

I quickly got out of there, hailed a rickshaw and told him to take me to the hotel. This is another rare experience for me because I haven't been on rickshaws of any kind since Primary 4 when mom started putting me on the school bus instead of "black uncle"'s trishaw because he was getting too old and fragile.

However, it soon appeared he had heard me wrongly for he took me to Central Hospital instead of Sheraton Hotel. I pitied him for there was so much leg work involved. So when we finally got to Sheraton, I paid him 50 taka, which I thought was quite a lot for a rickshaw ride. He demanded more. I added another 20 taka and he still refused to accept it. Quite obviously he was trying to rip me off. Thankfully, some locals came around and told him to buzz off. At that point, I felt a little guilty because I wasn't quite sure if what I paid had been fair to him but after checking, I'm now quite sure that 70 taka (USD1) can go quite a long way in Dhaka. I was probably his most profitable customer that day.

We had dinner last night at a local restaurant called the Kasturi, which according to Priya serves home-cooked food. The food was very yummy and the price was jaw-dropping. For the price of one miserable meal I had the last few nights at the Sheraton, it feeds five at the Kasturi. Amazing. We followed our meal with some local desserts at a nearby dessert shop. They were all too sweet for me but there's one which I quite liked. It's like little balls made of rice flour that the Chinese have but instead of swimming in ginger broth, this version is covered in creamy milky sauce. Quite yummy!

19 November 2007, 18:00

Our last field today was to a village about 45 minutes from the city. Right after that, we sent Kajal, our moderator from Calcutta to the airport (it's quite strange that the core team is from India. The Dhaka team seems to be in charge only of recruitment and logistics) After that, the local researcher Tanzana brought me shopping for kurtis which are locally known as "fuwar" (sp?). The first mall that she brought me to didn't have any amazing designs but the prices were considerably lower.

The second one, called Aarong, was where the good stuff were. It's Bangladesh's leading handicraft centre and I guess, she knew that the prices were higher so that's why she had brought me to the first mall. It's not where people go for their daily wear, only for special occasions like the Eid. That explains the quality of the kurtis that I found there. I eventually bought 2 pieces, a total of SGD50 which I think is very pricey by Bangladeshi standards but they are really pretty so I think it's a great buy. They fit me better than the one I got in India.

Tanzana is a great lady who is very open. Well, she had come from a family that's more open than the average Bangladeshis who are strapped by religious observance, with a freedon fighter father. It's been quite insightful chatting with her. This is a country where its people have the ideals and definitely the potential to excel if only the decision makers of the country had given them the chance. Tanzana was comparing Bangladesh to India and it's interesting to hear her view that the progress of India had much to do with leaders who at least respect the people while those in her country don't, although corruption is rife in both countries. That's where the difference lies so I wonder when Bangladesh can begin to make any real economic progress to mitigate the sufferings of its people in a country that is already fraught with natural disaster. (According to Tanzana, people from the rural parts are moving into Dhaka after the cyclone to find work, rebuilding their lives as rickshaw pullers, earning from hand to mouth.)

I wish this country well as I prepare to leave on the midnight flight. It's been a very humbling experience and I do hope to have the chance to return one day and visit the recommended nature haven Cox Bazar (sp?)before the tourists flood it when Bangladesh finally picks up its pieces. Having come here, I'm intrigued by the history links of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. I shall find out more ...

Alrighty, signing off for now as we leave for the airport in 15 minutes. Hope it'll be the cute flight attendant we had on the way here last week on duty tonight. He he ...