Continuing to Adjust

I’m continuing to adjust. I feel a bit better after getting some sleep last night – the first night I barely slept, if at all. I just lay in a puddle of my own sweat, constantly swatting at real and imagined bugs. We do have mosquito nettings, but a few always seem to get trapped in there with you.

Yesterday evening we decided to take a walk into the nearby village area. Out here, we are even more of a spectacle than in the city, so the staring is intense. And it is not just a regular stare. To give you a sense - Michael, my fellow basic trainee, said it was as if Brad Pitt were walking by - and I corrected him, it is as if Brad Pitt had a third arm coming out of his chest, and were walking by. If you can imagine, that is the type of stares we get: amazement, but also confusion, and perhaps sometimes horror.

And that is not to say people are unfriendly. Once we talk with people, or come into their homes, we are treated as honored guests - especially among the poor women borrowers of Grameen. Our visit is a big deal for them, and it is an honor for them to receive us. Hospitality is very important in Bangladesh.