Shahpur Bazaar

Shahpur is still “Amar Shahpur“. I was fortunate enough, to spend the Eid Holidays in the most relaxing and peaceful environment with my aunts, uncles and my cousin brother Jarrar.

What fascinated me is that people pretty much lead their daily life according to sunrise and sunset on the countryside. They get up very early and once it is dark outside, they gather in their homes, watch TV, have dinner and go to bed early as well.

Somehow, I adapted to that schedule immediately. I got up before 7 a.m. and before breakfast I was off to visit the local bazaar. It was a lot of fun, taking a walk in the mornings and then sitting down at one spot of Shahpur bazaar and watching the people come and go; bringing items to sell or going back home with fresh milk, vegetables and fish. So after basically spotting people and the vivid market life, I went off to take a look around myself. This intrigued me to buy fresh vegetables, sweets, toys and drinks during a couple of morning visits. My bazaar spotting contained lots of conversations with local people, such as the development of the milk prices the previous few days. And from time to time, people came up to me, had a quick chat, because they knew who I was: the grandson of Hiron Doctor.

Milk prices went down to 70 Taka

I bought him candy. Trust me, he can smile!

Paan Wallah

Little fish

Tea/chai - very important in Bangladesh

“Abbu, current chole giyeche?”

So here I am – five days in Dhaka already and it seems like I have never left! Things are the same and things have changed totally. It seems like traffic has become worse and then on the other hand, it wasn’t that good two years ago. So, bad traffic remains bad traffic.

The flight to Dhaka via Istanbul was quite exciting. My fist time in business class and my first time enjoying the lounge at Istanbul airport. Sarah, my colleague from Germany, and I thought we were late getting our connecting flight to Dhaka. After an enjoyable lounge time, we figured that we had to hurry to the gate. A quick walk turned into a quick run, until we finally reached the gate. Apparently we weren’t that late, since there was a crowd of people waiting for a bus to take us to the airplane. So when it was our turn, it was the third and last bus and we were last to board.
We had an overnight flight but I could hardly sleep. And I couldn’t keep track about the remaining flight duration and the distance to Dhaka, as the main screens were all shut off. So I spent my time, watching outside the window and inside the plane and outside the window and… until I saw something amazing. Lightning in the clouds in the pitch black night illuminating the sky for a second. Beauty!

As we finally reached Dhaka at 5am, Sarah, who is staying 1,5 months in Dhaka, had no trouble whatsoever getting through immigration. When it was my turn to get my immigration stamp, things weren’t so smoothly anymore. I am staying in a shared apartment this time, with a guy from Germany and a guy from America. So the address of my apartment all of a sudden didn’t exist, according to the immigration officer. After some back and forth, we found a compromise and I was able to join Sarah, who in the mean time picked up all of our luggage (which was mostly mine by the way).

I live in this huge 220 sqm apartment. And to keep it organized, we have a maid. Us three, we are chilled people – so I think is the maid. A little too chilled for my taste :).

On my first day I didn’t want to sleep during the day after arriving. So I decided to visit my grandmother in the area where I stayed the last time. My old barber shop was also there. I took advantage of it and got a haircut and shave. Sitting in the air-conditioned room with cable TV, the power all of a sudden went out. This little kid, that was waiting to get her hair cut (but only in the front, not in the back) asked her father “Abbu, current chole giyeche?” She basically asked her father, if the power went out. And it did, and it will do a whole lot more.

My fist days of work were great. We had such a nice welcome. And commuting from home to work is really easy. All dressed up on my way to work, I was inside the elevator with our maid. So to make conversation from the 15th floor to ground floor I looked in the mirror inside the elevator and asked her how I looked like. She said “hamsum”. And I just thought “welcome to Bangladesh…”.

Rickshaw fare from Banani to Gulshan-2: 30 Taka, 25 Taka if you are down to bargain.

At Istanbul Airport business class lounge

Getting a propper shave...

Where the work is at.

Apartment view 1

Apartment view 2

Master of Puppets

I am still wondering, whether it is a cow or the devil...

Picard since 1928

Before coming to Bangladesh, I didn't know the brand Picard from Germany. Apparently, my interests were in other fields than leather bags, which cost up to 200 Euros. As Picard is a member of the chamber I intern at, I decided to go on a trip and visit them.

Taking along my fellow intern Matteo and our counterparts from the German Embassy, we went on to see, how those high quality (and high valued) bags were manufactured in a factory about an hour drive north of Dhaka.

As I was told, about 70% of all Picard items are manufactured in Savar. Walking around the premises, we were able to see how little wallets to large executive bags were made. Skilled workers sit in groups at workstations and are headed by a group leader. From coloring cutting edges to the quality control of ladies purses, we got an insight on what different stages a bag needs to go through until it is ready for shipment.
Besides the regular training the employees get, the company has a medical station and provides day care for babies and young children for free.

Too bad though, that there wasn’t a company sale going on, since all items were shipped to Germany for the next Christmas season...




A couple of hundred Euros?

 




exclusively made for the Japanese market

 




Can I have all of these, please?

 

Rickshaw Art - 400 Taka discount

A week and a half ago, five friends and I went to have a tour through Old Dhaka (pictures will follow). The trip was great, we've seen loads of things and realized, that shops are closed on Fridays. Not all of them remain closed, but as we were on the hunt for Rickshaw Art, we were eagerly looking for theses special stores who keep these special items. Since it was the second time for some of us to come to Old Dhaka, Rickshaw Art was definitely on people's shopping list.

Bangsal Road in Old Dhaka is a great place to get an exceptional souvenir, that reflects the hectic, noisy yet colorful and special way of life in Dhaka. Rickshaw Art, painted either on PVC or tin, is fairly cheap and a unique gift, since it is hand-painted.

After checking almost every open store in Bangsal Road, we were somehow forced to move on unsuccessfully and end our hunt. While managing to arrange Rickshaw's for our next stop "Lalbagh Fort", this one shopowner approached one of us and told us that he'd open his store especially for us. Apparently word of mouth let people know that five white and a brown kid were looking for an exceptional souvenir to take home.

After picking the colorful paintings of our choice came the fun part: bargaining. With a very special (tourist)price of 650 Taka only per piece, the salesman wanted to rip us off with a big smile on his face. He had one advantage: he was the only one selling Rickshaw Art that day. Me talking Bangla to him, explained him, that these white people would bring him more customers and that he should lower the price. I promised him I would convince them to accept his offer. However, as sneaky as I am, I told my friends in German, that he was going to give them an offer that they had to reject and told them a lower price they should stick with. At the end of this fun game, we ended up at I think 250 Taka per painting. Yet fewer paintings can now be seen in Dhaka attached to the back of a Rickshaw riding through Dhaka, but hopefully soon as decoration in European appartments.

My souvenir