The Sunni Side of Life

Hello Everyone...

I am sorry for failing to update you over the past week or so. I tried a few times to access blogger, but the connection was too slow. Plus, I've been pretty sick since getting back from Chittagong on Sunday morning. I'm running a fever and it hit 104 F yesterday! The doctor said its "nothing serious" and gave me some meds. I'm still pretty paranoid because in Bangladesh, typhoid is technically "nothing serious" since people get it all the time. Yikes. I feel better today. The oppressive heat isn't making things much more comfortable, though.

The wedding in Chittagong was nice. I spent more time lounging around in the air-conditioned hotel room than rejoicing at the wedding, but it was a much-needed break. I got to visit the famed Potenga beach one day, and caught the Bengali new year festivities on Thursday. The crowds were inexplicable (and clearly romantically deprived given the groping I endured). April 14 rang in the new Bengali year 1412. I asked many Bangladeshi people what year it was on that calendar and no one guessed right. There are 3 calendars in use here: Western, Islamic, and Bengali. No wonder people are constantly late in Bangladesh.

Sunday I got to spent the day with rickshaw artist Ahmed bhai. He took me around his neighborhood a bit and showed me a beautiful Shi'a shrine that is being re-built by the Iranian government. I am commissioning several works from him for our "Rickshaw Art Exhibition" in the US this year.

I finally bought a burqa. I have pictures I'm trying to post right now. I haven't worn it around much, but I'm hoping to pull some interesting antics in it. It's too hot to even look at it these days. I'm trying to start a separate blog devoted specifically to the burqa called "The Burqa Chronicles." Does anyone know how to do that?

I better rush. I'm off to a seminar on domestic violence at the Sonargaon Hotel. US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas is speaking there. It's so funny...Bangladeshi people always refer to him by his full name, as if it were a single word. "harrykaythomaas is coming, harrykaythomaas very nice, etc." Never "Ambassador Thomas" or just plain "Harry."

ciao for now.

TKP