We arrived in Chittagong last Sunday, and we have been chauffeured around like royalty ever since. Neither our hosts nor we have been eager to walk anywhere. It is an understatement to say we are feeling a little claustrophobic. Our greatest joy in traveling is to get out and “walk the city.” Yet, a van is waiting for us (and all the staff who live in this compound) at 8 am to take us the 4 blocks to the University, and it is there in the evening to take us to dinner. The driver waits for us until we finish, then brings us home. Yesterday, the power was off at the office, so we actually had to walk the 6 flights of stairs. That is more than either of us has done in over a week. I thought I was going to have a stroke.
We are staying in a 3-bedroom, 3-bath faculty apartment in a very secure building. It has the essentials, sort of, and our host stocked the refrigerator with a few items: peanut butter, Nescafé, bread, and milk. There is a dining room table, a decent bed, couches that we haven’t sat on, and spare furniture piled in a corner in the living room. The floor is tile over concrete and wicked slippery when feet are wet. There is a water cooler, an iron that doesn’t work, and a TV we haven’t turned on. When it rains, hard water pours down the wall beside the toilet, but that is okay because there is a drain in the floor.
We are still struggling with jet lag, so we are up about 4:30 am for the first call to prayer, then tea and toast. Yesterday we broke out the Nescafé. I haven’t decided yet if I miss my morning coffee more than my evening glass of wine, but the lack of both has made for some cranky moments. When we hit the Dubai airport, I am going to have a latte in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, and when I finish them, I am going to order another of each.
Because it is so ungodly hot and humid, the apartment and the office are closed up tight. Heavy curtains on the windows that themselves are barred. Some rooms have air conditioners that keep indoor spaces comfortable. Yet the power goes off multiple times during the day. Every major building has a backup generator that comes on within a few minutes, but the air conditioners and the hot water tanks aren’t on the generator. The few moments between the loss of electricity and the switch to generator power are dark throughout the day.
It rains every night and often throughout much of the day. Today, when we asked how it is here after the monsoons, we were told it is “simply miserable”. After 6 straight days of work, all of us (the staff we are working with arrived from the States when we did and they have been slogging through the same jet lag) thought that was the funniest thing we had ever heard and laughed heartily for some time. Apparently, the temperatures and humidity in August and September are brutal. Note to self: don’t come here during the monsoons, don’t come here when the monsoons are over.
In Chittagong, there are approximately 330 eateries, yet only 15% meet basic health standards according to a survey done here. Food choices are limited. There is one upscale hotel that serves alcohol. The night we ate there, I got sick, so we ate at the same restaurants or had food delivered from them every day.
Last night, we decided enough is enough, and we walked half a mile to the market to go grocery shopping and cook
for ourselves. Have I mentioned how difficult it is to get around here? Well, if I have, then it warrants mentioning again. To walk is certain suicide. Imagine every possible obstacle in your path that you have to step over, around, dodge, or duck under—all with people pressed in on all sides and vehicles of every type honking and coming at you in all directions. Add to that monsoon muds washed down by the rain, and it is simply stressful.
Yet we walked and shopped. Kevin got a piece of fried chicken and a packet of soup mix. I got a box of Mac & Cheese. We found some vegetables and fruit, and picked up some yogurt and orange juice for breakfast. We made it home safely with our goods, kicked the resident cockroach out of the kitchen, and made a feast. Tonight is leftovers. The future is bright!
