Malaysia etc.

Okay, I know I haven't written in forever. The longer I waited to write, the more difficult it seemed to try to update everyone on all that has happened in the last 2 months. So, my apologies regarding the delay, and I'll do my best to recap the last few weeks. Also, sorry if this post in incredibly lengthy and verbose (a lot has happened!).

On November 25th I went to Malaysia with 3 other Fulbrighters and 2 of our friends. We took a red eye flight from Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital. The city is pristine and organized (two things Dhaka is not). KL is also incredibly diverse; it has significant Chinese and Indian immigrant populations. The cool thing is that city feels very integrated, rather than being segregated based on racial lines. KL's diversity also manifests in the fabulous array of food available. Our first night, which coincided with Thanksgiving, we ate at this amazing Italian restaurant called NeroVivo. Feeling deprived of cheese and authentic Italian food, I stuffed my face with what was easily the best gourmet pizza I've had in all of Asia.

Our hotel was in the middle of Chinatown, which transformed into a bustling market of cheap goods and knock-off purses by night. We had a chance to explore the tourist attractions of KL, including the Central Market, the Petronas Towers (they used to be the tallest in the world), the King's Palace, the National Monument, and the National Orchid Garden (which was truly gorgeous).

We also made the short trip outside the city to the Batu Caves, where we visited Hindu temples, climbed 200+ stairs, and explored the inside of the caves, which was filled with Hindu statues carved into the cave walls. It was all very Indiana Jones-esque, especially the part where we maneuvered our way up the stairs through an obstacle course of menacing monkeys.

Malaysia was also an oasis of consumerism. I'm sorry to admit it, but after spending 2 coffee-deprived months in Dhaka I was actually happy to see a Starbucks (and that's saying a lot). Malaysian malls are monstrous, easily 10+ stories tall. They have all of the international and local brands and everything is very pretty. Plus, the air-conditioned comfort of the mall shopping experience is somewhat lacking in Dhaka. Needless to say, I kind of had a field day shopping.

KL is a great city in its own right, but for me it provided certain comforts of home that I had been sorely missing. Among these were sidewalks, public transportation, traffic laws, clean streets, open spaces, being out after dark, access to a diverse spread of cuisine, coffee, and the freedom to wear whatever I wanted. While I do love wearing the shalwar chemise (typical women's dress consisting of shalwar pants, a longer kurta top, and a scarf called an orna or dupata worn to cover the chest), after more than 2 months the initial charm is starting to wear off. The outfit is typically comfortable and does reduce the staring significantly. However, I'm constantly fighting with my orna, which is usually around my neck either too tight, uneven, or falling down about to get stuck in the wheels of a passing rickshaw. This is not to say that it doesn't have its perks. The orna can be incredibly useful, thrown over one's head if it starts to rain, or used to breathe through if one passes a particularly disturbing smell (also not uncommon here). For the most part I am learning how to peacefully coexist with my orna, but it takes practice.

So things have been going well for the most part here in Dhaka. I’ve been continuing my Bangla language study, which is coming along nicely. After many weeks my speaking capabilities are starting to improve dramatically so that I can usually get through a conversation, even if I’ve missed a thing or two and my verb conjugation is not perfect. It feels good when I’ve successfully conversed with a shop owner, read Bangla at random, or bargained the hell out of someone in overcharging me because I’m so obviously a foreigner (and yes, I do pride myself on my bargaining skills). Bangladeshis tend to be extremely excited and encouraging about my speaking Bangla, which is great.

In Dhaka in particular, Bangla has been very English-ized (I’m sure there’s a proper word for this) so it is easy to rely on the crutch of English words when my Bangla fails, although I won’t necessarily be able to do in the village. Interestingly the hybridizing of Bangla-English is actually a national trend here. Words such as “hashpatal” (hospital), “offish” (office, a personal favorite of mine), and phrases such as “ami tomake miss korbo” (I will miss you), have been adopted by Bangla and are even written in Bangla characters. It’s quite sad to see certain Bangla words, which are often extremely beautiful and meaningful (although viewed by Bangladeshis as too serious or poetic) fall out of use.

Learning Bangla has truly been a window through which I can better understand Bangladeshi culture and people. The language itself is very much a part of the culture and being able to speak it has allowed me to make more meaningful connections and have incredibly valuable and interesting interactions. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to learn Bangla these past months.