When Kraut goes East

I’ve been here for two weeks now and there are lots of things that are surprising to anyone, who has never been to Bangladesh before. Let me give you four examples:

One:

After arriving, I had to open a bank account. So we went to the bank and had to fill out some forms. If you KNOW somebody, you ARE somebody. There are no structures in Bangladesh, that’s why I have no problem at all to go along with the non-existing system.

We KNOW somebody at the bank, so we didn’t have to wait in line and were treated first (kinda good and bad at the same time).

Plus we were introduced to the vice president. After chatting about where I am from and other irrelevant stuff, he told me all about the facilities of the bank. He was really proud to explain to me their internet banking system. If I apply for i-banking, I can watch my statement online. [WOW!] And the highlight of this year is that I will be able to transfer money from my account to another online. [WOOHOOW!] “What great news I thought” and just nodded my head to show fake excitement.

Rickshaw fare from Mirpur-11 ½ to Mirpur-10: 30 Taka.

Two:

My little cousin Jarrar had to go see the doctor for a regular check-up, so I went along. We had to go to the hospital in Moghbazar. Have you ever seen anyone take off their shoes at the hospital? I did. At the Ad-Din Hospital everyone has to take off their shoes at the entrance, even the nurses. The floor is really smooth and the place looks nothing like a hospital. With all the wood work and lighting, it looks more like a fancy hotel than a place for sick people. Maybe this is the right way for people to become better than all the “white” I know from German hospitals.

Rickshaw fare from Moghbazar to Chowdhury Para: 40 Taka.

Three:

Did you ever think that getting your hair cut in Germany is overpriced? It definitely is not in Bangladesh. I went to the saloon to get my hair cut, a fresh shave and a head massage. The saloon was air-conditioned and sometimes they turn on Bollywood movies for entertainment. Even surprising to me was that most of the guys weren’t even Bangladeshi. They are Bihari people originally from India and Pakisan and speak their own languages as well as Hindi and Urdu. So while you are getting your hair-cut in Bangladesh, you can watch Bollywood movies from India and listen to gossip in Urdu.

All in all the haircut, twice a shave, peeling and head massage cost me 120 Taka (I really didn’t ask for the peeling). To give you an idea, 100 Taka are about 1 Euro.

Four:

Last but not least, when you think everything is going smoothly while writing your blog, there is a power blackout. I can hardly imagine a power outage in Germany, except after severe storms or similar.

From what I remember, I think Bangladesh has electricity to cover only 65 - 70 % of the national needs. That means when I have electricity to use my laptop, somebody else in the country doesn’t. It is not that big a deal yet, but can become annoying, when you are planning to stay for 199 days.