Thursday, December 2, 2010

Settling

We are just shy of 2 months here in Dhaka. It has been a whirlwind. With confidence, I can say I fit into the "skipped the honeymoon stage" classification. Until now, Dhaka has not been the most hospitable place for us. We arrived to hot hot hot weather, Chris's work has been busy, grocery shopping is well different, we have no car yet, parks and green space really do not exist, etc. I don't think we ever expected it would be easy, and it wasn't.  Sorry, I meant for this post to point out the good things.

This week feels finally like a moving forward time, like a getting comfortable time. Most of our household goods are here, so our apartment feels very homey now. Pictures have been hung on the walls, and we would now be proud to have real company over for a visit. Our car is due next week. We had a nice, rejuvenating get-away to Bali. Ceiba loves school. Chris is getting very comfortable and confident at work. I can walk uptown to the crazy Gulshan shopping circle and know which way to walk, and all without getting run over by a rickshaw.

Today I went out for some Christmas pearls and stopped for some old coins for Chris. The merchant and his son were having their morning tea and invited/insisted I stay to join them. At first I declined with sincere thanks, but gave in when they pulled out a chair for me. In the crowded shop, I found great unexpected company and conversation for a few minutes of our morning. We spoke of Bangladesh and the US, of the metal industry (which they were surprised I had worked in), of ocean shipping, the seasons of the Midwest and of people in general. Upon leaving, I finally had the feeling of comfortableness here in Dhaka. I began to think of how life is getting easier, the market is more enjoyable and how I can see more pleasant moments each day. The cool air, for once, on the walk home reassured it even more.

4 comments:

  1. This post made me smile. Congrats on finding your groove. I hope things just continue to get better and better for you.

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  2. I could have written almost the same things about my experience here. It's hard, but in the end you'll take away mostly the good memories. I'm jealous that you will already have your car; we are still waiting for ours and we've been here over 4 months. Thanks for the honesty; it makes the rest of us in the same situation feel connected.

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  3. That's my NENE. I knew you'd find your way to blend in and enjoy! Yea! Make the most of it while you can, you'll be moving on before you know it and taking memories like that with you. I think the Bali vacation may have done you gooooddddd. Love ya!

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  4. A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
    Winston Churchill

    I read this quote the other day, it made me happy. After reading your post I thought you might enjoy it as well. So glad to hear you've settled in so quickly. How are you plants? Have you gotten any new ones?

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