Litte Accident

Well, I have not told some of you that I had an accident last week. I am totally fine and traveling to Kolkota. Anywhere the reason I am sharing this which I didnt want to sharing is because, this accident had opened my eyes. First of all, women are not threatened but having false statu statements about them being well respected when they are at home or not riding a motorcycle or are they that poor to be out on the streets riding motorcycle which they were told. So back to my accident that occured a week a go. It wasnt my fault, but I was left alone on the road. The road was quite frankly full of men no one came for my help. So I got up and lift my motorcycle and started it. How amazing ha...I was happy that I was ok, and that I was able to ride it back. But this made me raise questions like what would have happened, if it was a serious accident? would that make the men to come for help. I mean...I dont really know. So I went back to the office and asked my boss about what had happened and he sad that in this culture men are not allowed to touch a woman. So thats so scacry dont you think. I am right now seeing what the women here are seeing. First I thought, they just have to come out of it, but no, not when its a physical and mental fight the women have to put up with, it takes energy, time, money and support. Two weeks ago, the whole MCC Bangladesh had a training on gender issues and talked about nurturing the women. Really how can we do that? This is my question now. After that I have talk with a particular lady, about how she is handling this struggle. She mentioned that we women who are out there are strong ladies. There are things that we have done which most women here have not done, and we want to do more but we can only do if only our bosses, male co-workers and our husbands (families) are with us helping develop more. So I mentioned that they (ladies) have to be mentally prepared and that also they are competing with the male opponents in terms of crimbing the position, so they have to be ready for that. So now is my question left unanswered and that is how can we nurture the ladies. To be mentally strong to withstand the culture and with the competition with the hierachy position especially with the men.

Two hours van ride

Two hours van ride

Two hours van ride I go. Left Dhanjuri Catholic Mission at one pm. came out I at the gate and waited the van. A brown copper bag was laid just for me. I appreciated after ten minutes ride. So I asked the Van driver, does he knows the road to my next stop which is Khalipur and responded with a head shack as a yes. So I went and sat as comfortable as I could till after ten minutes of ride, I thought may be I made a mistake to hire the van. By the way, van for those of you don’t know the van I am talking about is a three wheeled transport similar to a rickshaw except that it has a flat form for sitting and is made for rough roads, so I don’t regret the ride but, I should say that it was a rough ride. It was going to be an hour of rough ride, which I saw later after an hour. So the van went swish, swish as it continued its motion. The fields were filled with golden brown ready for the harvest. I saw in the distances motion of heads of men going up and down was just an indication that harvest had started or rather to completion. Pass through canopies of bamboo as tall as the sky. I thought, were are the people, men that we talk about in Bangladesh, saw two or three school girls walking with books or scattered around or kits in their hands as they started laughing when they saw a lady with sunglass with two bags of course sitting down uncomfortable which I hope they didn’t see that sign. So I put a smile and gave a little wave and they all wave back with more laughter. So I continued my ride, wishing that time would fly and so to get there fast. But it seemed so forever, I thought of singing but decided not to after an hour and thirty minutes ride finally came to a stop and hip hip hooray I arrived, gave a fair amount of money for the save journey and wished him save travel back for I know the person and my bags were helped carried by this awesome man of Khalipur to my rest home.

Men is more wanted than women in the Muslim World

Men is more wanted than women in the Muslim World
Country like Bangladesh or another Muslim country wants many boys then girls in their families. This kept me thinking as woman. All I have been thinking was that the men are greedy, selfish and self center manners since I arrived here. And it took me a while to see the real reason why boys/men is wanted in the family. Every where I go, Shops, markets, rickshawals, drivers from big trucks to CNGs, on the road, is all about men. Even in the village, men are working double hours job working from sunrise to sunset and yet come home and go shopping. Old men ranching, young men with hoes and middle age men in rice field harvesting or planting. The Beautiful princesses stay in their homes relax and wait for the princes to come home and take them to go shopping. MMMM.... don’t you think this is one sided. I shouldnt blame the women but this is how it has been since, this is their culture. Well, in the Muslim world it is said that women are more respected than men. I really dont know whether this is true, but Ill go with it for now. Just from hearing stories from some of my friends, women are well protected by their laws and are greatly valued. Just to clear this sentence that during marital ceremonies the man agrees to pay the woman great sum of money according to the type of job the man does. This money is paid in installment as time goes by to the women’s use. This money is decided by Muslim leaders accordingly as I have mentioned. If something happens and the man decides to leave the lady then he has to pay that agreed amount before he leaves her. And I can see as bad side and good side. Good side is that there will be no divorce but on the other hand the man might decide to do some much damage to the woman because he can do get away which I have seen a lot here.

Anywhere back to my wanting men/boy more than a girl is because (this reasoning is totally my opinion and it does make sense to me) men are the bread earners for the families. This I have seen so far. Some of you will disagree with me.. so to say that please do write what you think in the comment box. In towns or small towns still it hard for a woman to get/find job therefore it is understandable that men provide for the family but how about the village life. Yes, I have seen trial areas women work hard, just remember I am talking about the Muslim world, where women can help the men more work with little time they have. Both of them can get more work done then one person. The women can water the plants or break the dirt with hoe or .... so here I pen off but ..not completed.

Making Decisions

Making Decisions
I have been living in Bangladesh for almost a year now and I should say that I have no good thing about it. When January 3rd comes will be my first anniversary here in Bangladesh. All I have negatives only. Most of you, who read my blog, have seen or read the bad sides only. Well, I have been thinking about this for a while and have decided for my next two years, I want to say good things about this place, the people, the culture, food and everything. I am praying for long suffering and increase patience’s in my life. I pray for love and self control, pray for strength to take me day at a time. When I am faced with dislike, I want to bless them. I want to be a living testimony now. Lord, I once again pray that you will continue to provide and extend your sufficient grace to take me through. Lord help me to be a salt and a light, let my light grow brighter as evermore. Let me be a salt that doesn’t loose its taste or goes bitter.... Amen

Those of you who are going though the same process or have gone through it and haven’t decided to change it or have similar cases but not exactly the same why do you do the same, pray for greater love, patience and humiliation.

Peace

Motorcycle ride for 2 hours

I had a rabbit nest box to deliver to Namuja. Its about two hour both ways. So today I decided to take my motor cycle out there. Some of you have seen how crowded the streets with ricksha, well I feel like I am The Pro...I gave no space to anyone..heheheh..no actually I gave way to the big guys, its so hard to keep going when they are right at your tail and having loud noise. I now know that I can drive safely. Comments that I got were not bad, like apa go right or apa go left...that feels good. I dont know what thee next ride will be like, hope to be just like today. So I delivered the box and hope to do more sinces it well fits the housing design. Before, this ride I had a Bangali friend who gave me a surprise visit and stayed home with me last night. It ok, till she kept pestering me to go to her village during EID, which I told her, I will think about it but she doesnt get it. I know this is Bangladesh and I have to be firm about what I say but...she just have ro respect my rights. This is making me dont like the people sometimes. So, this is say that I have been speaking Bangla whole night and the morning till at 10 am she left. I am relief right now and even better with my motor ride....ye.double koodos to myself.

Today is my holiday (weekend, Saturday), I am suppose to be resting have decided to go visit my project area. Around 2pm, I left and got there at 3 and have discovered that one of my rabbits was very sick. I watch it crying out, I have never hear or seen, Rabbits cry and I did today...I am so sad right now because I know that it is going through alot of pain and evetually die. My Assumption is that it is attacked by the tape worm and it has got into the brain. The story I heard from the farmer who take care of the rabbits is that they found it last night around 10 pm paralysed. Today, it didnt move but was just lying down and peed itself on its legs, how terrible is that. In the past years I have fallen in love with vegetables just because they dont move or make a sound so that I cannot be touched by their emotions..anywhere right now I dont know what to say about animals and with my position with the animals...So while I am writing this maybe I am lossing it or may be tomorrow but hoping for miracles to happen because in literature there is no cure for this parasite attack... and I am say a short pray for its life.

Also today is day when I felt winter is near. Its so cold the temperature went down to 75F and this afternon's wind cold.

lap being a seat

Ok, Bangladesh has good staff happening, but doesnt happen during my travel. Here is another story happened today, on a CNG. Coming form Namuja, I was sitted in the middle back seat guy on my left and women with her son on my right. After traveling for 20 minutes, one of the guy in the front seat was dropped off. Its the custom here that women are not allowed to seat at the fron seat, rather its me that I have seen women sitting at the front seat, because I have sat in the front seat once. So an elder lady walked to the drive to drop them off at the next drop off place. Ok, I am using "them" which I realised three full grown adults later when they came in to sit. So the guy next to my left moved to the front to make space for the lady, and there came one, two and three very elderly ladies. I just opened my mouth, because those of you know how a CNG looks like, yeh, it was packed. There were five full grown adults and a kid of may be 9 or 10 years old on his moms lap. So I made the allowance for the 2nd lady to sit on my lap since there was no space. What a day today.. sometimes thats how crowded I travel. Anywhere, Bangladesh is not that bad, may be... I think there are some good sides of Bangladesh, I am still discovering. So lady and the kid got off later and I had little space to seat but, the lady was sitting on my lap.