First Days

It is my third day in Bangladesh, and I am finally sitting down to write a blog post. I have already been very busy, but today is the weekend, so I can relax a little bit. I arrived Wednesday morning at 4am, and Vanessa, a friend and colleague, picked me up at the Dhaka airport. I moved through customs with no problems since I had already gotten a visa, and waited nervously for my bags for about an hour, while swatting mosquitoes and chatting with a friendly Bangladeshi Canadian. Finally everything arrived, and we left for my new flat with our personal driver. Having your own driver is common and almost a necessity in Dhaka because the traffic is so crazy. It often takes almost an hour to go only a few kilometers, and the drivers are so aggressive. Rickshaws, auto-rickshaws (CNGs), motorcycles, and cars all battle for space amidst a sea of horns.

During my first two days at work, I went to several meetings and got to see several people whom I had met during my last visit in October. The people at the Information, Education and Motivation (IEM) Unit of the Directorate General of Family Planning, where I’ll be working most of the time, are particularly friendly and hard working people. In my experience so far, all Bangladeshis have been so caring and hospitable towards me and other foreign guests. They are always ready to help, whether recommending a place to buy forgotten necessities or giving you an all out tour of the city. Their hospitality definitely makes me think about the way we treat foreign visitors in the US.

We also met with a couple people working on a Hopkins research project in rural Bangladesh, one of whom was a former classmate of mine at JHSPH! They shared their research about the barriers to accessing medical care during obstetric emergencies with us and several members of government. It was very interesting to learn that in Bangladesh there is a belief that strong women are able to endure the pain of childbirth and deliver in their home with their relatives; seeking care at a hospital or from a trained nurse or doctor is seen as weak and shameful. Although the number of women delivering with a professionally trained birth attendant has increased over the past few years, about 85% of women still deliver at home in rural areas. It is important to consider that providing additional services and doctors may not be enough to encourage women and their families to go to a hospital for delivery; there also must be a change in the social and cultural norms.

I’ve been having a lot of fun here already. I’m living with Vanessa until we find another apartment, but it’s been great having someone to laugh and hang out with while I’m still adjusting. Since there was no work today, we decided to do some shopping and exploring. Vanessa introduced me to a store with beautiful clothing made with natural dyes and modern, unique decorations. I think I might be spending a lot of money there! These pictures are from the store:

We got groceries, passport photos, and a new hair dryer because I managed to simultaneously destroy a Bangladeshi outlet and an American hairdryer on my second day. We also stopped by the pearl shop I went to during my last trip, and the same jeweler remembered me. I think Nazrul and I will always be friends.


In the same area a young boy was selling parrots, rabbits, and puppies on a rickshaw cart. We saw an adorable puppy that Vanessa wanted to bring home. It looked like it needed a loving family.

  

After a delicious (and very spicy) lunch of daal and chicken tikka, we headed back home. Tonight, we’ll be meeting Kim for Thai food.  I am having a wonderful time so far.  I love the people and the food and the work that I’ll be doing. I’ll continue to take pictures and write more soon.