Challenges...

I think I'm finally starting to realize why MCC allows Bangladesh workers to have a few extra perks. Up to this point I can't say I thought it was bad at all. I guess I'm just starting to realize how when I step out that front gate I'm at the mercy of the world around me. The difference between an amusing adventure and an exhausting task is minuscule. It all depends on the luck of the day. Don't get me wrong, most situations are very manageable, just draining too.

A story...

So on Friday 4 of us decided to go to a local "park" (in reality just a bare patch of grass in the city that everyone uses for everything) to throw a frisbee around. Soon we got invited to play cricket with them. We were all at least moderately excited. None of us had ever played before. It is an interesting game, rather slow at times but only in that it is about the same speed as baseball. We played 2 what I will call innings. A crowd gathered as we played. There we probably about 100 people watching us. During my teams second at bat one of them started talking to me. His line of questions went about like this:
What is your name?
Where are you from?
How old are you?
Where do you live?
How long will you stay here?
Are you married?
Do you have a girlfriend back in America?
Why not?
Will you pursue a Bengali girl?
Do you want me to find you one?
Can I have your phone number?
Why not?
We are friends right?
Can I have your phone number?
You are rich and I am poor. May I have your phone number?
I live at this school will you come visit us sometime?
Where do you live?
May I come visit you there?
May I have your phone number?
Why not?
Will you come back here tomorrow?
May I have your phone number?



Most situations aren't quite this intense but I wouldn't say that they ever stray very far from those exact same questions.

Our future house is coming along nicely. We went out and visited the site today. They are waiting on the brick maker so they can build the walls but it appears the foundation is pretty well done. In the mean time we had them start digging the holes where the septic tank and rain water collection tanks will be.

All of us MCC foreigners in Bogra did a Potluck meal yesterday. It was quite tasty but 3/5 of us made dishes with potatoes in them. I made potato soup. We ate good and had a fairly good time making it all. We have lots of leftovers which we will slowly but surely break into over the next week or so. It's always nice to have a change of pace from what we regularly eat here. Maybe I'll talk about food in the next post.