So what have you been up to?!?



The view from our apartment before engaging in hectic Dhaka city life



Hey young world,

long time, no hear! All is fine in good old Dhaka. Well, almost - but I will get to that in a minute.

My daily routine on weekdays on my way to work is waiting for the lift in the mornings. And when the lift arrives it means riding in snail speed until we arrive on ground floor. I know, first world problems in a third world country. But the complex I live in is so huge, that it takes forever to get out of it.

With around 80 flats here, there is a bunch of security guards lingering around downstairs. Their job is basically to sit around, pick their nose once in a while, get up when you pass them and salute you. Therefore walking out of the apartment complex is prolonged by greeting at least four security guards back on my way out.

I feel uncomfortable most of the times. It is truly unnecessary for them to get up. But then I think, they don't have anything to do all day long and this might be the most exciting thing about their job.

Work has been different lately, as we are not able to visit factories as frequently as before. There is a smell of political disagreement in the air, that hinders business.



A small procession at Elephant Road



Bangladesh is in a mode of turmoil right now. For weeks national strikes have been called by the opposition (3 to 4 days), as we have upcoming elections early 2014. Barely any cars, busses or CNGs fill the streets of Dhaka. Some get lit on fire and everyday you hear that at least a handful of people die due to political violence somewhere in Bangladesh. I have heard a few crude bombs go off myself around the Gulshan/Banani area and seen this huge cloud of smoke over the city, when probably a vehicle was lit on fire.

Crude bomb blast at Gulshan-2

We've been safe so far but everyone's affected by the strikes called "hartal". We can't go on factory visits and have trouble shipping our goods out of the country. The little people, relying on an everyday income, suffer the most! The longest hartal during the last four years, it lasted 84 hours, just ended today. I guess somehow life will be back to normal tomorrow... So what have you been up to?!?

From the heart (the hate edition)

I hate mosquito bites. I hate sweaty arm pits on the bus. I hate sweaty arm pits of other people on the bus. I hate Chips that taste like crap. I hate the burning sun at 8 am like it is 3 pm. I hate ants on the dinner table. I hate uneven sidewalks. I hate puddles. I hate "Torko" - well most of the time. I hate bananas with dark spots. I hate time shortage. I hate Ferrero Rocher for 9,50 €. I hate power shortage. I hate power shortage while taking a shower. I hate banks, that can't handle cheques from a different branch of the same bank. I hate the misuse of power. I hate oily food. I hate a stomachache. I hate overtime. I hate too hot food, so hot that your tongue becomes numb. I hate being confused about weekdays and weekends. I hate waking up before 8 am in the morning. I hate waking up before 8 am in the morning on the weekends. I hate being fed til I can't eat no more. I hate "Hartal" - strike actions. I hate going to work on "Hartal". I hate people underestimating Bangladesh. I hate foreigners thinking they are superior to Bangladeshis. I hate that every snack item at the store is either made from milk, dough or lentils. I hate smiling at people that I have never met, will never meet again and shouldn't have met in the first place. I hate blithering idiots. I hate not getting enough sleep. I hate not being able to decide what to have for lunch. I hate having to bother about nonsense. I hate noise pollution. I hate Bangladeshi chocolate. I hate the smell after accidentally stepping on a lizard. I hate hitting my head while standing inside the bus. I hate sweating after taking a shower. I hate being yelled at on the phone, after offering somebody something for free and being told that I should have come to them earlier. I hate that good restaurants are so expensive. I hate to hate. I hate not being able to blog more. I hate writing this blog entry on the crowded bus, being hungry on my way after 10 hours of work.