When I mentioned to people that I was going to Bangladesh, most people would ask why. The answer is because I have a friend who is working there for two years. I knew I would be in India and after that I’d be heading to Southeast Asia, so it wasn’t too far out of the way to go visit her and I’m glad I did. It was quite an experience. I knew I was in for a treat when I was the only woman on the entire plane. Granted the plane wasn’t full, but there were still over 100 men on it and then there was me. I was also the only Westerner. Thirdly, this was the first flight for many of the men on the plane. This was obvious when they would try to store their luggage in the aisle (you can do it on trains so why not planes, right?) and they would get up and meander around during take-off. The flight attendants seemed used to this behavior and they were quite patient in explaining why luggage had to be stowed correctly and why people had to stay in their seats. Once in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I was walking through the airport and was still the only woman. It was bizarre. Then I had to get my visa and go through immigration. That took over an hour. I did finally see one or two other women walk by as I was waiting so that was a bit reassuring.
Once out of the airport I found my friend, Tami, and we went to her house. In Bangladesh, women have to be covered including their ankles so they wear the salwar kameez which kind of looks like a really long baggy T-shirt and it’s worn with a scarf. Tami had some extras so that became my uniform for the three days I was there. We went to the center where she works and played with the girls there. After that we went for some pampering. She got a foot massage while I got a pedicure and some henna.
The next day she was sick so she didn’t go out. I went out with her roommates a bit, but for the most part, I just hung around her apartment. The third day was elections so we weren’t supposed to leave the apartment. Most things were closed including the center where she works so we just hung around the apartment all day watching movies. On the last day, my flight wasn’t until 1:30 pm so we went to the center before heading to the airport. It was a great visit after all. It was quite relaxing and it was great to see someone from home. I’m glad I went to Bangladesh!
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