Posts
Kaya has always been a very verbal kid, but he is getting more and more articulate all the time. I love the fact that we can have real, extended conversations about all sorts of things now. I love hearing the way his little mind works things out as he talks. I love the uncensored, uninhibited openness that only comes from a small child... and I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts. So here are a few gems from Kaya:
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Chris: Wait one minute, Kaya. Count to 60 and a minute will be over.
K: One, two, three, four, five, sixty! Daaaaadddddy!!!
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K: "Hey guys, look at me!"
Mama: "Okay, but why are we looking at you?"
K: "Because I look awesome."
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Finally, Kaya has been using some new vocabulary lately. He is fond of the word "randomly." As in, "Hey guys! The lights just randomly went out!" Also, "the fact is." He was arguing with me the other day about whether it was daytime or nighttime in America, and he finally blurted out, "The fact is, it's daytime!" Fine, Kaya, it's daytime.
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Oh, and he did look pretty awesome.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Life is Good:
It’s been a long time since I wrote anything of any sort of substance. I have been able to withstand a coup d’état by Sheela and now I am hoping that you haven’t given up on the blog. The last few months have been absolutely wicked busy with work. I am excited to return to a life of normalcy, (whatever that means in Dhaka). Anyhow, it’s the end of March and I think it is a good time to do some mid-late-year reflection.
Many of you, and “many” would indicate we have more than two readers out there, probably wonder what on Earth we do for fun in Dhaka. Jokingly, I was about to say cow tipping. That’s not too far fetched of an idea since there are cows roaming freely in the streets. We haven’t actually been cow tipping as of yet, but you just never know what can happen in the streets of Dhaka.
Since January 1st I have made a conscious decision to run to and from school each day. Since ole Kayito attends school that would mean he has to run as well. Thankfully we brought the jogging stroller my parents gave us when he was born. Each day we leave at 6:30 (to avoid traffic) and head to school. The run is only about a 1.5 miles, but it is nice to be active. Kaya seems to enjoy it as well. We have done two local races and he always wants to get out and run the race afterwards. He ran home yesterday (about a quarter mile). Running to school is good because we get to have extra time together and we have recently started swimming before school. Running is good. I am however, thinking about purchasing a mask though. Pollution is not good…..
(Animals we have seen on our runs: monkeys, camels, squirrels, goats, chickens, cows, sheep, parrots, dogs and Sheela even saw an elephant in the street!)
Another thing I have been involved in is a coed slow pitch softball league. This has been loads of fun and also at the same time a bit frustrating. My team consists of mostly Aussies, Brits and folks that have never played softball before. One of the highlights for me was when of the Cricketers (a person that plays Cricket), caught a ball in the outfield and got so excited that he held on to the ball and then threw it up in the air, like he would have done in cricket. It’s always something. Good times.
I have been playing Ultimate Frisbee on Tuesday nights at the American school. This has been a great way to meet people and stay in shape. The people that come out to play are great fun and there is always someone new.
My job has me busy busy busy! I don’t often have time to do much else than stay insanely busy. I could bore you with hours of details, but let’s just say I have never worked this hard or as much in my life. I am really enjoying it though. I have an amazing team and some very motivated and qualified PE staff. So, surprisingly, I would list that as one of the things I do for fun.
What I enjoy most is spending time with Kaya and Sheela. We have a tradition of going to the American Club for brunch on Saturdays and I really do treasure these times. The American Club is a great place for families to hang out and “get out of Dhaka.” Kaya and I swim most days, but there are many different options for him. I really just treasure being with the other two members of “Team Hesse.”
Occasionally we get out and about to see a museum or visit some new part of Dhaka, but I pretty much listed the things I do for entertainment. It’s definitely not the States, but it’s good for now. I can’t predict the future, but I would have to say that with the current financial situation all over the world, we are quite content to be living a humble life, saving money and collecting some pretty amazing experiences here in Dhaka.
MY Top 10 list, pro’s and con’s to living here in Dhaka….
What do I like about Dhaka?
1. Not having to worry about money.
2. Seeing Kaya so happy.
3. Experiencing another culture.
4. Being so close to other countries and consequently being able to travel.
5. My job.
6. Running to and from work.
7. The American Club and the $3.30 Guiness they sometimes have.
8. Sheela not working full time and being able to do stuff for herself.
9. Meeting so many really interesting people from all over the world.
10. Not having fastfood, cable TV or constant media trying to convince me to be or look a certain way.
What isn’t so pleasant about Dhaka?
1. I really miss my dog Bunte
2. POLLUTION
3. Poverty and seeing kids on the streets.
4. Having those kids and homeless people constantly beg for money.
5. Lack of space to do outdoor things, i.e. trails to run or a variety of parks to play at
6. People staring at us all the time.
7. Daily Blackouts
8. Slow internet
9. Being surrounded by people all the time.
10. POLLUTION
Many of you, and “many” would indicate we have more than two readers out there, probably wonder what on Earth we do for fun in Dhaka. Jokingly, I was about to say cow tipping. That’s not too far fetched of an idea since there are cows roaming freely in the streets. We haven’t actually been cow tipping as of yet, but you just never know what can happen in the streets of Dhaka.
Since January 1st I have made a conscious decision to run to and from school each day. Since ole Kayito attends school that would mean he has to run as well. Thankfully we brought the jogging stroller my parents gave us when he was born. Each day we leave at 6:30 (to avoid traffic) and head to school. The run is only about a 1.5 miles, but it is nice to be active. Kaya seems to enjoy it as well. We have done two local races and he always wants to get out and run the race afterwards. He ran home yesterday (about a quarter mile). Running to school is good because we get to have extra time together and we have recently started swimming before school. Running is good. I am however, thinking about purchasing a mask though. Pollution is not good…..
(Animals we have seen on our runs: monkeys, camels, squirrels, goats, chickens, cows, sheep, parrots, dogs and Sheela even saw an elephant in the street!)
Another thing I have been involved in is a coed slow pitch softball league. This has been loads of fun and also at the same time a bit frustrating. My team consists of mostly Aussies, Brits and folks that have never played softball before. One of the highlights for me was when of the Cricketers (a person that plays Cricket), caught a ball in the outfield and got so excited that he held on to the ball and then threw it up in the air, like he would have done in cricket. It’s always something. Good times.
I have been playing Ultimate Frisbee on Tuesday nights at the American school. This has been a great way to meet people and stay in shape. The people that come out to play are great fun and there is always someone new.
My job has me busy busy busy! I don’t often have time to do much else than stay insanely busy. I could bore you with hours of details, but let’s just say I have never worked this hard or as much in my life. I am really enjoying it though. I have an amazing team and some very motivated and qualified PE staff. So, surprisingly, I would list that as one of the things I do for fun.
What I enjoy most is spending time with Kaya and Sheela. We have a tradition of going to the American Club for brunch on Saturdays and I really do treasure these times. The American Club is a great place for families to hang out and “get out of Dhaka.” Kaya and I swim most days, but there are many different options for him. I really just treasure being with the other two members of “Team Hesse.”
Occasionally we get out and about to see a museum or visit some new part of Dhaka, but I pretty much listed the things I do for entertainment. It’s definitely not the States, but it’s good for now. I can’t predict the future, but I would have to say that with the current financial situation all over the world, we are quite content to be living a humble life, saving money and collecting some pretty amazing experiences here in Dhaka.
MY Top 10 list, pro’s and con’s to living here in Dhaka….
What do I like about Dhaka?
1. Not having to worry about money.
2. Seeing Kaya so happy.
3. Experiencing another culture.
4. Being so close to other countries and consequently being able to travel.
5. My job.
6. Running to and from work.
7. The American Club and the $3.30 Guiness they sometimes have.
8. Sheela not working full time and being able to do stuff for herself.
9. Meeting so many really interesting people from all over the world.
10. Not having fastfood, cable TV or constant media trying to convince me to be or look a certain way.
What isn’t so pleasant about Dhaka?
1. I really miss my dog Bunte
2. POLLUTION
3. Poverty and seeing kids on the streets.
4. Having those kids and homeless people constantly beg for money.
5. Lack of space to do outdoor things, i.e. trails to run or a variety of parks to play at
6. People staring at us all the time.
7. Daily Blackouts
8. Slow internet
9. Being surrounded by people all the time.
10. POLLUTION
Friday, March 27, 2009
Welcome back Cool Papa!
It has been a great eight months thus far and we have definitely had our ups and downs. There are many great things about living in Dhaka and of course there is always the flipside as well. I was thinking the other day about coming up with a “top ten things that prove you are used to living in Dhaka.”
I could only come up with four.
1. You are excited when you only have two blackouts in one day.
2. You are happy when you blow your nose and the tissue isn’t totally black.
3. You think instant coffee (Nescafe) actually tastes good.
4. You get mad at your rickshaw walla for not going the wrong way on a one-way road.
I am sure I could come up with a few more, but the fact that I haven’t been able to rattle off ten right away is probably a good indication that I will never get used to living in Dhaka. It’s always something new here and to tell you the truth, I kind of like it.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Winter Cooking, Part II :: by mama
I've been seeing leeks in the grocery stores recently, which has been an unexpected surprise. Like strawberries, I think these are only around for the expats. (Thankfully, though, they are a lot cheaper.) Are leeks still in season now in the States? Or is their season over? I cannot remember exactly. Just in case they are still around, I thought I'd post a recipe that we enjoy, so others can try it as well.
I wasn't sure how Kaya would react to leeks. He is usually a very good eater, but I remember not being too crazy about leeks as a kid, and I thought he might feel the same. So I started out making a very basic leek and potato soup, which I was pretty sure he would like. That went over well, so I moved on to this dish, fettuccine with leeks and white beans, from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. I used homemade vegetable broth instead of chicken stock and increased the amounts of everything to accommodate a full pound of pasta. This is not "everyday food" for us, by any means, because fresh cream is not easy to come by around here. But it is good food; even Kaya thinks so.
I just noticed that the only two dishes I've posted about so far have been pasta + beans + a vegetable + dairy. Oops. We really do have more variety in our diets, I swear. And we don't eat that much dairy. My goal for the next recipe: a vegan dish with no pasta. No promises about the beans or veggies!
I wasn't sure how Kaya would react to leeks. He is usually a very good eater, but I remember not being too crazy about leeks as a kid, and I thought he might feel the same. So I started out making a very basic leek and potato soup, which I was pretty sure he would like. That went over well, so I moved on to this dish, fettuccine with leeks and white beans, from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. I used homemade vegetable broth instead of chicken stock and increased the amounts of everything to accommodate a full pound of pasta. This is not "everyday food" for us, by any means, because fresh cream is not easy to come by around here. But it is good food; even Kaya thinks so.
I just noticed that the only two dishes I've posted about so far have been pasta + beans + a vegetable + dairy. Oops. We really do have more variety in our diets, I swear. And we don't eat that much dairy. My goal for the next recipe: a vegan dish with no pasta. No promises about the beans or veggies!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Square one... or 72
Following the untimely demise of my old sewing machine, I decided that I might as well buy a new one locally. This was a pretty simple process, since I could only find only one store here that sells sewing machines (the Singer store) and there were only two models in the store (manual or electric). Sewing machines are basically an afterthought for them, back in a corner past the microwaves and refrigerators and computers and, oh look, the motorcycles. Singer makes motorcycles, who knew? Not me. Anyway, after you pass all that, you get to the two sewing machines. And yes, I did momentarily consider getting the manual one... but I quickly came to my senses and ended up with this number:
It is a very simple machine, and not quite the same sewing experience as my Bernina with its 20+ stitch options and computerized screen. However, unlike my Bernina, it actually works. Turns out that's a pretty helpful quality in a sewing machine.
So, you must be wondering, what did I make first? The responsible thing would have been to make a cover for my machine, to protect it from the black dust that ends up everywhere. (I opened an empty drawer the other day and found a layer of black on the bottom. How does it get in there? I do not know.) There is even a pattern on the Spool website, which I was ready to use, until I got distracted by something else on their site. And so I have ended up with this:
The printed fabric is part of my Christmas present from Chris, which was a big stack of fabric and sewing supplies from Tokyo. The solid cream fabric is a handloomed cotton that I found at Sally Ann, the Salvation Army's store here in Dhaka. I really liked the idea of combining the industrial, machine-made fabric with the handwoven local fabric... and it was fun to put these together.
But why are they not covering pillows, you may ask? It's because I messed up the measurements, and they are now the wrong size. Among people who know me well, this will be a surprise to exactly nobody. I have two engineers and a physicist in my immediate family, and I can barely do basic math. The amount of math involved in figuring out the measurements for all of these little squares was clearly beyond my skill level. Next time I will enlist someone who can actually add to help me with my sewing projects.
In the meantime, now what? I could get pillows custom made to measure, but that would be ridiculous and way too embarrassing. I could make these into something else, but what? A quilt? A table runner? Or, here's an idea, maybe I'll make them into a sewing machine cover. Stay tuned...
It is a very simple machine, and not quite the same sewing experience as my Bernina with its 20+ stitch options and computerized screen. However, unlike my Bernina, it actually works. Turns out that's a pretty helpful quality in a sewing machine.
So, you must be wondering, what did I make first? The responsible thing would have been to make a cover for my machine, to protect it from the black dust that ends up everywhere. (I opened an empty drawer the other day and found a layer of black on the bottom. How does it get in there? I do not know.) There is even a pattern on the Spool website, which I was ready to use, until I got distracted by something else on their site. And so I have ended up with this:
The printed fabric is part of my Christmas present from Chris, which was a big stack of fabric and sewing supplies from Tokyo. The solid cream fabric is a handloomed cotton that I found at Sally Ann, the Salvation Army's store here in Dhaka. I really liked the idea of combining the industrial, machine-made fabric with the handwoven local fabric... and it was fun to put these together.
But why are they not covering pillows, you may ask? It's because I messed up the measurements, and they are now the wrong size. Among people who know me well, this will be a surprise to exactly nobody. I have two engineers and a physicist in my immediate family, and I can barely do basic math. The amount of math involved in figuring out the measurements for all of these little squares was clearly beyond my skill level. Next time I will enlist someone who can actually add to help me with my sewing projects.
In the meantime, now what? I could get pillows custom made to measure, but that would be ridiculous and way too embarrassing. I could make these into something else, but what? A quilt? A table runner? Or, here's an idea, maybe I'll make them into a sewing machine cover. Stay tuned...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Food News :: by Mama
As is probably evident by now, food is a big part of our lives here in Bangladesh. There is no one grocery store that has every food we buy, so we end up devoting substantial chunks of time to traveling around, buying a few things here and a few things there, until everything is crossed off our list. Also, being accustomed to all-American, supersized packages of bulk goods from Costco, we have found the standard package sizes here to be woefully inadequate for our needs. We were constantly running out of things, until we adopted our own version of the Costco mentality and started stockpiling multiple packages of basic necessities. Chris has accused me of acting as though I am preparing for the Great Depression, but at least we don't run out of things any more.
The strange thing is, it seems that almost every time I go shopping for food, I find something new that I have never seen before in Bangladesh. I don't really understand where these things come from, but they just appear and, sometimes, disappear just as quickly. Here are a few of the discoveries we've made recently:
1. Strawberries, locally grown! I totally did not see this one coming, especially since tomato and zucchini season is just ending. Since when do strawberries come after tomatoes? Since we live in Bangladesh, apparently. Clearly they are only being grown for the expat market -- and are priced accordingly, at about US$3 for half a pound, yikes! -- but we could not pass them up. Kaya had been asking for strawberries just a week or two before these appeared. Lucky boy.
2. Tahini (and ketchup from Thailand, which is not new but came home in the same bag and ended up in the photo). Tahini was on my list of food to bring back next summer, and now it is here! Now I just have to get around to making some hummus with it.
3. Chocolate chips. Mmmmm. I didn't actually find these in a grocery store. A friend gave them to us before heading back to the States for her maternity leave. She had sent them in her air shipment last August and hadn't used them yet! Thank you, Misti. Your chocolate chips are gone.
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