Ramblings...

I’m sitting on my bed in my “mini-apartment”, as Aara calls it.  The sheet, pillow cases and cover are a gold and burgundy print, the bed shell itself a black metal composite…

There is no bedside table, but rather a single chair in the same black metal, with a gold and red cushion.

I have 4 plants in my room, a couple next to the door, a couple next to the balcony.  Facing the bed is my mini-couch and table, where I work and study… it’s currently covered with books and magazines… Giving, by Clinton, naturally, is at the top of the pile… the GQs and Esquires are a nice surreal touch.

Above the couch is one of my favorite pieces; a world map I picked up in Texas… no, Texas isn’t a Republic on this map, although I have the Texas flag strategically placed just below it…

The map is a nice reminder to keep everything in context; there still remains a big world out there, even though sometimes it may seem small…

A picture of my mother and one of my father take place of honor opposite the entry door.  I have had those pictures for as long as I can remember…

The landlord kindly installed a cupboard in my room before we moved in; prominently displayed on the top shelf are, of course, my Jordans… if you’re not sure what I’m referring to, please Google “Sneaker Freak/ Sneaker Addict/ Jordans”…  For those that know, they’re the Jordan 2-4’s in navy and white…

My little balcony is fantastic; despite requiring daily cleaning because of the dust and pollution, it allows me to sit outside and read in the morning before heading to work… the little coach outside is just big enough to scoot into, feet up on the balcony ledge…

Recently I’ve been a little down in my posts… so to those who have been concerned, please don’t be… though I often write of the challenges, my life here is far from disastrous… I eat like a King, my allowance money being enough to cover not only groceries, but also splurges once a week or so on pizza, Japanese and even beer…

The socializing here is quite extensive; on Thursday nights the Australian club is the preferred hangout for expats, so once a fortnight I try to drop in.  There are parties, dinners and special events happening all the time, not to mention the amazing amount of basketball I’m playing again, both between coaching at 2 different schools, as well as at our local playground.

So it's not all sad and challenging... besides, I didn't come here expecting 5-star luxury...

Blogged with Flock

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dealing with it...

It’s raining today. Sometimes heavily, sometimes just drizzle, but quite constant. I came home this afternoon to more work; our monthly services account was due… and we’ve only been here for 2 days… The gas no longer works… after 1 day… The washing machine… what a nightmare… an hour to fix the tap… The internet service they are offering is awful… and very very expensive. So I asked the building manager, who doesn’t speak English, to refund our deposit and not bother… he then informs me that the 6000 taka we gave has been divided between him and the “house agent”, so he can’t refund it all until the agent gets back to town after Eid… To top it all off, I’m going to have to pull an all-nighter because of all the work I have to do in a very short period of time… And yet, I’m still happy to be here. So far. Update, 9pm. It’s torrential now. The streets here flood after only 5 minutes of rain; the effect of these last 2 hours of rain is starting to worry us… We’ll see what the morning bri...
Read more

Speech to Campbell High Year 10 Graduation...

I've re-written this speech 100 times this week... I struggled with what to tell you, what to impart... let's start with what I won't tell you. I won’t tell you what to do with your life.   While the specifics are always interesting, there is never just one right path or option. I won’t tell you what your profession should be.   What you choose to do in life is never a matter for anyone else to judge or dictate. I won’t tell you what your opinions should be.   Where you end up philosophically is a matter for you and no one else.   I won’t tell you what you should do, what you should think, what you should feel, how you should speak. I won’t tell you to have the next few years of your life figured out.   I certainly didn’t at your age. I won’t tell you to go to university or not, to become a doctor or a mechanic, a teacher or a musician.   I won’t tell you to travel the world or never leave this town. I won’t talk to you about ob...
Read more

Wii...

Almost forgot.  I had dinner at my neighbour's house last night.  He's a great guy named Duane, runs a few fantastic programs around the country, including schools and orphanages.  He's on my softball team, the might Grace Royals, and I teach his kids basketball on Saturdays. He also conveniently lives on the floor above me. Last night he invited me over for chicken parmegiana and apple cobbler, the Bangladeshi version, as well as some NINTENDO WII... Nothing like video games with kids to really brighten your day... Another surreal moment in Dhaka. Blogged with Flock
Read more