Have you ever had moments that you will forever remember? Of course you do. It happens to all of us. Mostly it comes around times of tragedy (where were you when JFK was shot or on 9/11). Sometimes it comes at good times (like the memory of getting a new bike for Christmas!). This week I've had two "moments" to remember. One or both might be classified as tragedy or good times.
The first happened while I was getting a haircut on Saturday. I was sitting there as usual. The barber was working his way from the left side of my head where he always starts to the right side. Suddenly he stopped and began poking at the side of my head while staring quite intently at it. I asked him what was up? He responded, "paca." I thought he might have meant, "poca" which means bug. I thought, "oh great! now I have head lice!" He managed to catch it on his scissors and show it to me after a bit more poking. It was a white hair! It was only then that I understood he meant "paca" as in "spoiled" or "not good." Bengali people don't normally like white hair and will do anything to avoid it. This was my first gray hair.
The second happened on Sunday night. Again, I was at home doing my usual thing. Just whipping up a batch of frosting for some cake that I had made. All of the sudden my fridge starts shaking and I'm thinking to myself, "that stupid compressor motor is vibrating awfully hard." Then it gets worse and I notice that everything is shaking! Then I finally realize that this is an earthquake. You better believe I got my butt out of that house pretty quickly when I realized that. Buildings in Bangladesh aren't known for being well built and there is something about several tons of brick and concrete that I don't particularly care to be smashed under. I vividly remember walking pretty fast down the hallway leading to my front door while everything around my seemed to look like Jello. Those few moments as my landlord, neighbor, and I scrambled outside got my heart to pumping pretty good.
Those are a few moments I'll probably never forget. Have any you want to share with me?
The first happened while I was getting a haircut on Saturday. I was sitting there as usual. The barber was working his way from the left side of my head where he always starts to the right side. Suddenly he stopped and began poking at the side of my head while staring quite intently at it. I asked him what was up? He responded, "paca." I thought he might have meant, "poca" which means bug. I thought, "oh great! now I have head lice!" He managed to catch it on his scissors and show it to me after a bit more poking. It was a white hair! It was only then that I understood he meant "paca" as in "spoiled" or "not good." Bengali people don't normally like white hair and will do anything to avoid it. This was my first gray hair.
The second happened on Sunday night. Again, I was at home doing my usual thing. Just whipping up a batch of frosting for some cake that I had made. All of the sudden my fridge starts shaking and I'm thinking to myself, "that stupid compressor motor is vibrating awfully hard." Then it gets worse and I notice that everything is shaking! Then I finally realize that this is an earthquake. You better believe I got my butt out of that house pretty quickly when I realized that. Buildings in Bangladesh aren't known for being well built and there is something about several tons of brick and concrete that I don't particularly care to be smashed under. I vividly remember walking pretty fast down the hallway leading to my front door while everything around my seemed to look like Jello. Those few moments as my landlord, neighbor, and I scrambled outside got my heart to pumping pretty good.
Those are a few moments I'll probably never forget. Have any you want to share with me?
4 comments:
Yes, the time you were born and afterwards I looked down and had manure on my feet. You were almost born in the barn! You had to ask, Mom
I don't think I'll ever forget being stranded with you and your brother at the Kathmandu airport 2 years ago on my birthday.
When you got down on one knee and asked me to marry you at 11pm on the 26th August :)
I'm a little late here, but one thing I will never forget is having my heart stop and my instincts flare when I lost Noah one day. He was normally afraid of the dark at about 20 months old. One day he went to go get some toys from his room and at that age, I didn't leave him alone very long. So about a minute later I call for him and there is no answer. I go and look and he is no where to be seen. I search the house in about 2 minutes the whole time calling for him which is rising in pitch with every "Noah". I am just about to go outside even though all doors and windows were locked. I grab my phone to call the police and I hear, "mama" real quietly from his bedroom. That child had squeezed into his over crowded closet and shut the door and hid from me. Moments that make your heart stop are moments you don't easily forget. Micah just pulled the same stunt last week except he hid in my closet this time playing with my knitting yarn.
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