Dhaka

WARNING: This is a super long, not uber exciting blog. You may get bored, fall alseep....may want to grab a pillow before you start :)

5:15 a.m. I am mysteriously awoken….why are we getting up so early??? As my cold shower awakens me, the realization sets in. OH YEAH! WE’RE GOING TO DHAKA! A total of 11 people(including 3 kids) are going on the trip to the capital for a few days and I’m excited! Lisa, Grammy and I each take a kid on our lap and putt-putt out to the bus station. By 7 a.m. I am on my first Bengali bus with Danny on my lap, beginning the 7-hour ride to the capital. It is such a treat for any of the kids to get outside the orphanage, these 3 kids were just enthralled at everything they saw out the window!  Danny is about 8 years old, speaks very good English, and was very faithful in giving us a narration of everything we passed. “Sugar cane! Truck! Boat! Fishing! Airplane! Train track!” And every time he saw a train he would stand up with his face intently pressed against the window yelling, “Train! Stop! I want to ride you! Train! Stop!....” It was adorable, and I was absolutely loving travelling with these kids J

After a stop to taste our first nann, we arrive in Dhaka. While the kids get their dental work done, we go with Grammy to experience our first Bengali market.  A few hours later we are still wandering around a maze of small shops squished so close together I could barely stretch my arms out to each side while walking down the aisles separating the rows of shops. After dark we meet up with the kids who, now that they had their teeth pulled, just get to enjoy the rest of the trip! A group splits off to see a doctor and we go with Grammy to a “mall”, 5 stories of enclosed, air-conditioned shops. A few pairs of shoes later we finally take the kids back to the dental clinic where we will be staying. Thankfully the Waids are staying with another friend so there are only 9 of us to share 3 beds J But that also means we get to give the kids bucket baths and get them to bed! I had fun with that J

Next morning we have the kids up, ready, and fed by 7:30 a.m. because we are going to another market, the BongoBazar! Getting stuck in traffic on the way is only the first of many experiences that day. Cars are so close together you can stick just your finger out the window and touch the car next to you. In that traffic we discovered how small 5-year old Tiesha’s bladder is and how easily Bengali’s get carsick! Tiesha had to pee, but the cars were too close to open our door so she peed her pants on the seat beside me. Then Deborah (also about 5 years old), without any warning, just upchucked all over the van floor. It was a surprise to all of us! We have nothing to clean it up with….oh wait! Buy a newspaper from the paper man wandering through the traffic! We spread the leftover sheets on the floor as a precautionary. Then Tiesha had to pee again. Somehow our driver managed to get over to the outer lane this time where I could hop out of the car with her and let her go on the side of the road. We get back in the car, and a few mins later Tiesha upchucks, missing the newspaper we had down for Deboarh. Then Deborah pukes on the paper again…the poor girls looked so miserable I felt so bad for them, but also just a little grossed out at what they were giving us to clean up J

We make it to BongoBazar which turns out to be a huge, dirty, super super squished collection of shops—2 people shoulder to shoulder could not even fit in the dirt paths between these shops! It is here that I am blown away with Grammy’s shopping stamina. She spent ALL DAY LONG in that market bartering for shirts, pants, leggings, sweaters, shoes, and belts for all the kids at the orphanage. Just trying to keep up with Grammy and keep track of the kids made for a crazy day! Such small spaces packed with so many people touching and talking to the kids became a little nerveracking after some guy started walking off with one of the girls! Luckily Grammy noticed, grabbed her back, “Oh no you don’t take our little Deboarh!” Aiish! Markets can also be quite entertaining. In the shoe market a transvestite walks by and waves, “Hello!” we reply, “Hi!”, then he/she continues, “I am half ladies!” and keeps walking. Bahahaha everyone around that understood that English was laughing for quite awhile J

I could go on and on about experiences there, but I must wrap this up soon. We split up for the journey home the next day, Grammy, the 3 kids, 3 other girls and I left at 5:30 a.m. in the van packed with all the blankets, sweaters, shoes, and other clothes for the kids we had bought. Squished on a bench seat with the 3 kids, I was thankful only one of them got carsick on the way back! We were expecting it this time, so we had what we thought were some waterproof bags…we soon found we were mistaken when Tiesha puked and it all came out the bottom of the bag onto the floor anyways! Poor girl’s tummy hurt so bad she couldn’t keep still in the car, but that talented little girl did manage to miss the bag and puke on my hand instead. Haha! Is this what mothers have to deal with? I sure felt like one cleaning up after them, bathing them, and getting them in bed that trip…and I’m loving them like my own kids more and more everyday. J Well, I hope this gives you a taste of Dhaka life! It was exciting, but it sure felt good to come back home…BanglaHope feels like home now J