Dhaka day 2...

I am completely and utterly exhausted. I have been going round Dhaka all day and getting ripped off by the CNG (baby taxi thingies) all day long. IT really pisses me off too because Peace Corps dropped us off in Dhaka for 2 days with no money. They were expecting more of us to drop out and so are over budget. How typical US government. Blehhhhh!!!! It has been an adventure to be sure and I just got back to the hotel. They are of course working on the airconditioning unit in my room so I cannot take a shower or relax because there are dirty tools all over my bed. Yay. So I took over the computer here in the hotel and I refuse to pay the new "bideshi" charge!! I will be glad when Ramadan is over too because EVERYONE uses it for an excuse to over charge you. You must pay more to me because it is Ramadan and there are poor people suffering. Yeah there are and you my friend are not one of them and I am obviously not a muslim. Anyway I am frustrated too and so tired. When you go out onto the streets of Dhaka you are asaulted by begger children. They mad rush you begging for money. You are also followed by CNG drivers and rickshaws. Not to mention the repeated hoots and hollers from the packs of young Bangladeshi men who roam the streets everywhere.

So after hours of shopping for trinkets with Katherine we decided to buy some and find some alcohol. Now let me tell you what a feat this was. We had to find the foreign liquor store which not too many Bangladeshis know the location. Katherine and I got dropped off in a wicked scary neighborhood slum. We had to call one of the B7 volunteers that we know to help us find the store. So after blocks of walking and turning down a back alley we found it. And I have in my possession a bottle of red wine!!!! Praise Allah! I also have a big blister on my foot. Most of the CNGs want to charge you outrageous sums to drive your white American butt around. Which is fine except I am a PEace Corp volunteer making a Bangladeshi wage.

I also ate at a really scary burger place and I am still waiting to see if I will get food poisoning. Anyway, I am exhausted and I am going to go up to my room to drink some wine now. I feel kinda scared too. In 2 days I will be cut loose. Alone in my site far from the PEace Corps office. The language is different and my host family is still uneasy with me. It is really alot to deal with. Sometimes I just feel like hiding, though I do not know where this would be possible in Bangladesh and besided I would have to come out to do important things like pee.

Tomorrow I go to the Embassy and swear in. I guess I will give myself 3 more months at site to see how things go. If I cannot adjust better I can always come home. MAny of my fellows think we will be evacuated anyway as the Bird Flu is looming and the Bangladeshi elections are coming up. Part of me kinds secretly wants to be evacutated. Then I could come home and blame PEace Corps and not my own lack of strength and courage. So yeah Dhaka sucks. Did I mention that? So wine,..........

M