Pohela Falgun

"Pohela Falgun" means the first of the Falgun month, which marks the arrival of Spring ("Boshonto"). People all over the country welcome the season of flowers. Men and women traditionally wear yellow and orange. Poems, stage plays, dances and songs are being performed, with Dhaka University being the main area of the festivities.

Luckily I had this 13th of February off and my colleague advised me to go to university campus to enjoy this day in a sea of colours. I have never experienced "Pohela Falgun" in Bangladesh before so this was quite exciting to me, as I did not know what to expect.

Dhaka University was full of people - young and old, men and women. Yellow and orange were seen everywhere. People were roaming around, having snacks at the many street vendors, singing songs and just enjoying themselves.

I met up with a friend and ended up at Bangla Academy, where the Ekushey Book Fair (boi mela) takes place every year in memory of the language movement.
Luckily were able to see a live stage play there, which had incredible performances and shadow plays on the side stage.

It seemed that this year Bangladeshis might have had more of a reason to celebrate the arrival of spring, not only because the winter was cold, but it was also politically turbulent...

street vendors

eco-friendly

Hindu shrine

Gate of Bangla Academy

I reminisce

There is a smell of fried egg in the air. It is morning and the fog has disappeared. I pass a street food vendor on the way to the corner, where my rickshaw leaves. He is making breakfast - paratha with egg, daal and bhaji. And cha - one cannot forget the traditional milk tea in Bangladesh.

My rickshaw ride from Banani to Gulshan-2 is 30 Taka. I think it has rained last night as the street is partially wet. Dhaka is warm and dusty. The cold is gone. It is very sunny in the morning but I leave my sunglasses off.
It is supposed to be 28 degree Celsius today - in February. The rays of light shimmer through the trees and lots of little particles flow in the air. The fog has disappeared, Dhaka is dusty.

Here and there people are sweeping the streets. Someone is burning leaves, as the smoke surrounds me as I pass through. The green of the trees is obvious, all year long.

Today I decide not to put any headphones on - no Drake, Bastille, Imagine Dragons or Aloe Blacc. Dhaka is noisy. I don't pay any attention and my rickshaw driver goes straight although he is supposed to take a right, as I told him to drop me off in front of the Police Barrack at Gulshan-2. I give him 30 Taka and get off.

I cross the street and go up the elevator: Floor 11 with a view over the whole circle. Just a few weeks ago people used to march, protest, threw crude bombs and got into fights with the police. Now it seems like nothing has happened.

I arrive at work, switch on my computer but cannot focus; as I am thinking of my trip to Kuakata... I reminisce, I reminisce.

#morningstories

 

The last weeks I experienced the "Bangladeshi winter" in Dhaka. It had been about 10 degree celcius in the mornings in between. Dhaka was freezing cold and foggy. In the mornings we sometimes were covered in clouds, as we live on floor 15.
Flights supposed to arrive and depart at Dhaka airport were being delayed due to the heavy fog. But it's getting better. We are enyoing 22 degree celcius plus during the day ;).

It was so cold, that even the goats weren't asking for grass but for gloves. I met this guy a couple of times on my way to work taking his goats for a walk. And I could see in their eyes their complaint about the weather.

I used to sleep with five blankets in between, some thin and others thinner. But I was okay over night. Our security guards apparently weren't. They wrapped their shawls around neck, head and ears when I left in the mornings.

I can't blame them. The other day on the rickshaw on my way to work, I was wearing vest, shirt, sweater and jacket. I rode along the neighbourhood towards Gulshan-2, when I heard a splash right beside me. While riding under a huge tree, a bird decided to share it's last night meal with me. Too good he missed me!

Once I arrive at work, I have a bowl of German Müsli. It takes me an hour to finish, as I complete e-mails on the side and start the work day. And that is how my morning ends...

exit / bahir

 

The guy who sold Khaled Hosseini

I work at Gulshan-2 circle and I think I have told you about the flying hawkers already. Once you are stuck at an intersection, you will have people walking around the cars selling everything from colourful balloons, plasticware, popcorn and fresh flowers.

And once in a while you find a “flying library” – usually men with stacks of books, selling the latest bestsellers, from Dan Brown thrillers to Jhumpa Lahiri coming of age novels.

As I eagerly buy books and hardly read them, I was intrigued and opted for two Khaled Hosseini novels. I picked them with joy and with joy the salesman told me, that each book was originally 800 Taka and especially for me he was considering 400 Taka. Not the best price, as the shiny covers contain photocopied pages of the original books and were sold for about 120 Taka a few years back.

As you have to start out low I offered less then 200 Taka per book and wanted to see, where we end up. My last offer was 400 Taka in total. With great dismay he rejected my final offer. I wasn’t depending on getting those two books, apologized to have wasted his time and walked off. Instantly I was being yelled after, only to hear another offer from the salesman, wanting to tangle me up. Now he was wasting my time!

I explained to him that 400 Taka was my last offer. If he agrees he can sell his books, if not we will just part ways. He still asked for 20 Taka extra. I refused, got onto a Rickshaw and was about to drive off when he agreed. So I ended up with two novels from Khaled Hosseini for 400 Taka, around 3.80 Euros, that I bought weeks ago. Not a single page has been read, to my shame…