First day of class

I know that we’ve been here for less than two days, but it feels like much longer. I think the lack of internet has made the transition from America to Bangladesh smoother than it otherwise might have been. Now the Internet is finally set up, and I’ll be updating this blog as often as I can.

Today was our academic orientation. This means we got our syllabi and schedule, and were made aware of classroom rules. Almost every Saturday is scheduled as a group trip to some important site(s) in or around Dhaka city. This Saturday, we will be going to Old Dhaka; next week we are scheduled to visit Rupshi, Sonargon, Panam City, and the Gowaldi Mosque; week 3’s trip is to Dhaka University, the Liberation War Museum, and Ferdousi Priyobhashini’s Home/Studio. We will also be given lectures on various aspects of Bangladeshi history and culture each week; tomorrow, it is on the history of the Bangla language, next week on Muslim architecture, and the 3^rd week on the Liberation War. We’re meeting our conversation partners for the first time next Sunday.

I’ve found that using a word or construction in a practical way is really, really helpful in solidifying my knowledge of it. Sure, I could memorize the word for banana (kola), or I could just use it to ask for one a couple times (kola dao). It’s the response from people who are more knowledgeable than me that really helps. The Intermediate students are very helpful in teaching words and phrases around the breakfast table, so my knowledge of Bengali food words is substantially larger than for any other category.

After the orientation session and receiving our stipend, we split up into groups for our first class. We learned basic greetings and exchanges such as How are you (Apni kemon achen?)?/ I’m fine, you? (Ami bhalo achi, apnar?) The common greeting in Bangladesh (and other predominantly Muslim areas) is the same as in Arabic, so I already knew at least one exchange. Our next class was learning the vowels from the alphabet, taught by the grammar teacher Shanta.

We then went to a nearby photo studio to get passport pictures taken. In Bangladesh you need them for everything, including signing up for a cell phone. Mental note to bring lots of them next time I travel. We went back to the University Campus and met some of the Bangladesh Fulbrighters; all of the information about Fulbrights is proving to be very useful, since I’m deciding which Fulbright to apply for. One of them had some good ideas for possible research topics.  I’m becoming very interested in the English-Teaching Fulbright, however, as a way to gain more immersion in the culture by having a solid job and possibly a research project as well.

Through a strange set of circumstances we were left to take rickshaws home. This was particularly an adventure since we beginning students had not yet learned how to direct a rickshaw, and most rickshawallahs do not know English. We had to split up into pairs, with each one having one person who could speak some Bengali. Farida and I got back home alright, but it was mildly terrifying to be in an open rickshaw in Dhaka traffic. My rickshaw lesson is on Thursday, so after that I will be taking them everywhere. After two weeks we will even have to take them to class in the morning.

Guess what we had for dinner tonight? Fish (mach)! And rice (bhat), potatoes (aloo), dal, vegetables, and, for dessert, am (mango). Delicious!