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