Dui Mash Shaturiai: 2 Months in Shaturia

Hi Everyone! So I've been living in Shaturia now for almost 2 months! It has been a struggle, to say the least. I think that I put off writing, because I didn't want to be completely negative in my first village post. I wanted to be able to say that things are at least improving, which they are.

I'm not really sure where to begin. I guess I'll start by saying that life here is difficult. There is no mistaking that fact. Life is also incredibly different from my life in the U.S. and even my life in Dhaka. Village life is slow. I'm constantly fighting my impatience at every turn. Nothing happens on time and nothing happens quickly.

Shaturia is beautiful. On my rickshaw ride to school I pass rice paddy after paddy field, other crops, green open spaces, ponds, countless tin huts (the typical home of a villager here), a gorgeous variety of trees, 2 rickety bridges, and a collection of absolutely adorable baby goats hopping around on the side of the road.

I live in an apartment with my friend Lauren. Our apartment is spacious, with concrete floors and 2 balconies. The conditions are the best Shaturia has to offer, but are a far cry from what I'm used to. For example, power is out anywhere from 5-12 hours per day. For the first month and 1/2 we would do everything by candlelight (which is charming at first, but quickly becomes old). We finally purchased an incredibly costly backup power supply (IPS), but before that we would sit in the heat with no fans and no ventilation (windows here have no screens and mosquitoes swarm at all hours of the day and night, so we mostly keep them closed). Things are better now that we have our IPS. We can use a fan all night as long as we don't use lights (so strange to be rationing power!).

Another struggle is water. The groundwater here has an incredibly high heavy metal content (with iron and arsenic at the top of the list). So, we get distilled drinking water from a nearby town, but must boil it for 30 minutes to ensure it's free of parasites etc. For the first month our tap water would run out every other day, so we had to pump the tube well in order to start the motor that brings water to our rooftop tank (although, the motor only works if there's power, so we sometimes end up with no water AND no power). I must say that pumping that tube well for 10 minutes, I can't help feeling like I am a frontierswoman (think Little House on the Prairie).

The other noteworthy difficulty is the bathroom (I'm sorry if this is crude or disgusting, but it's worth mentioning). I'll say it in 5 words: squat toilet and bucket showers. I've included a picture in case anyone has not had the pleasure of being acquainted with a squat toilet.

Okay, so the living situation has made up a huge portion of my struggles these last 2 months. I am finally getting used to doing things here and hardly notice how different things are anymore. I can't imagine what a shock it will be to return home and find AC, a normal toilet, unlimited power, fast internet, and a hot shower waiting for me! While I know it will be glorious, it is actually difficult to conceive of going back to my comfortable life at home knowing that half the world (or more?) lives in such destitute poverty. 60% of Bangladeshis never have power in their homes. It is a very humbling (albeit miserable) experience to sit in the dark in the heat and realize that this is the reality of many people's existence all around the globe. Understanding what it means to live without light and fans (not to mention food and water) is something incomprehensible until you have actually done it. I certainly did not realize the full implications when I read about these conditions in the past. I feel guilty and uncomfortable with the idea of going back to my sheltered and privileged life, unsure if conditions will ever improve for people here.

One thing I really want to work on is befriending more villagers. My interactions with villagers have been quite limited, unfortunately. It is incredibly difficult to have meaningful interactions with people. So far I have chatted with 2 or 3 women, befriended one rickshaw-walla (I'm a regular customer now), and have gotten to know a few local shopkeepers. Most people here have never seen a foreigner before. Some people are afraid of us, some laugh, and some stare. Others are overcome with excitement and yell out any random English words they know or various other noises. Many people stare and point and yell, "BIDESHI!" (which means foreigner). Most women our age spend most of their time in the home so we rarely get a chance to talk to them.

Unfortunately, many of our interactions are with either young men (often sleazy) or older creepy men. Many of the men take pictures of us on their camera phones as we pass by (surprisingly common here) or try to follow us, desperate to have a word in English or Bangla and find out where we are from. While I fully understand their curiosity, it is difficult not to become weary of being treated like a spectacle. I try to take it all in stride, because I know that my being here is incredibly unusual and that we are all learning how to get along with each other. I must say, though, that every time I go to the market a crowd of 20 men will form within 2-5 minutes. They stare at me with fascination as I bargain with the shopkeeper and they fill each other in on the action as each new observer arrives (just like people watching a sporting event). It's actually quite funny, because I can understand what they are saying (it's moments like these that I feel as though I live in a David Sedaris novel):

Villager 1: "Where does she live?"
Villager 2: "She lives in Shaturia."
Villager 1: "How many months will she live here?"
Villager 2: "6 months."
Villager 1: "Which country?"
Villager 2: "America."
Villager 1: "What is she buying?"
Villager 2: "Eggplant and tomatoes!"

All in all village life is interesting. I must say, one of the most difficult parts of being here is the boredom. I only teach 2-3 days a week, which leaves 4-5 days of doing nothing. There is literally NOTHING to do here. No cafes or restaurants, no places to go shopping, only one road on which to walk, no friends to talk to (besides Lauren, and thank God she's here with me). I've been doing plenty of reading, watching TV on my computer etc., but these activities get old after a while. I've tried drawing and doing yoga, but there are still too many hours in the day. As someone who thrives on leading a busy life, the boredom is truly challenging for me. I am looking into volunteering at a local NGO about 45 minutes away, so we'll see if that works out. I also end up going back to Dhaka for many weekends (which is a hellish trip on 2 different hot and crowded buses that takes about 3-4 hours in total). All in all I'm making do with what I have, but I'm constantly looking for things to keep me busy (thank God for the internet!). Also, I'm totally open to suggestions for new hobbies/activities. Any ideas?