Now that I've done all this vacationing... I guess the question is how is life in Dhaka?
I know I've said it before, but the traffic is getting truly unbearable. Today I got dropped off at Avera, a local salon/spa, to get a manicure and pedicure, and James went with our driver to pick up raita and naan from a local Indian restaurant, about a mile away. It took them 35 MINUTES EACH WAY. I ended up standing outside Avera, bored and unable to play with my Blackberry for fear of messing up my nails. It was depressing.
Otherwise, it's all good. I was on the radio today to talk about exchange programs. Hopefully I didn't sound like too much of a rambling idiot. We have a busy few weeks coming up, so there should be a lot going on pretty consistently.
And the weather is nice now! Perfect temps in the 70s every day. Of course, this time of year also brings extra mosquitoes and people burning trash to stay warm (even though IT'S NOT COLD, PEOPLE), but hey, I take what I can get.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Things I love about Australia
1. Drinking the tap water. We've been over that already.
2. Hanging out next to Sydney Harbor drinking with a few hundred of our new friends:
3. Two words: Tim Key. Two more: The Slutcracker (yes, that's the name of his new show). Nothing like a good piece on dew.
4. Free outdoor music festivals held in clean fields where we got to listen to soul legends free of charge? Imagine that! Glee:
5. Did I mention I want to move to Sydney?
6. They had Mexican food! And Polish food! And Italian food! And oysters! Smoked salmon! Goat cheese! And some Asian food but I wasn't really focusing on that. Lots of food.
7. Wine wine wine wine wine wine wine.
8. This is in Sydney. Sure, I love New York and think it's the best city in the world... but it really gets you thinking because this one has a freakin' beach in it. Actually, make that like fifty freakin' beaches:
9. Oh hello there, Mr. Wallaby! Nice to see you!
10. The open road, as seen from the driver's seat of a spiffy (though not particularly talented at going uphill) Toyota Yaris.
11. Did I mention oysters? That was really all I needed.
12. People drink sparkling wine everywhere! And occasionally with oysters!
13. Movie theaters that bring the beautiful beautiful visage of George Clooney to my eyes.
14. Wine bars. This is an addendum to #7.
15. Men at Work. I think we can stop there, confident in our case.
2. Hanging out next to Sydney Harbor drinking with a few hundred of our new friends:
3. Two words: Tim Key. Two more: The Slutcracker (yes, that's the name of his new show). Nothing like a good piece on dew.
4. Free outdoor music festivals held in clean fields where we got to listen to soul legends free of charge? Imagine that! Glee:
5. Did I mention I want to move to Sydney?
6. They had Mexican food! And Polish food! And Italian food! And oysters! Smoked salmon! Goat cheese! And some Asian food but I wasn't really focusing on that. Lots of food.
7. Wine wine wine wine wine wine wine.
8. This is in Sydney. Sure, I love New York and think it's the best city in the world... but it really gets you thinking because this one has a freakin' beach in it. Actually, make that like fifty freakin' beaches:
9. Oh hello there, Mr. Wallaby! Nice to see you!
10. The open road, as seen from the driver's seat of a spiffy (though not particularly talented at going uphill) Toyota Yaris.
11. Did I mention oysters? That was really all I needed.
12. People drink sparkling wine everywhere! And occasionally with oysters!
13. Movie theaters that bring the beautiful beautiful visage of George Clooney to my eyes.
14. Wine bars. This is an addendum to #7.
15. Men at Work. I think we can stop there, confident in our case.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Bali, in photos
So going back to our delightful (seriously, I was squealing in delight for three weeks straight) vacation. Way back to Bali, which was the first week of our journey. We began our trip in Ubud, the cultural capital of the island and a sort of paradise for the high-minded tourist who's not particularly obsessed with being in a place no one else has discovered and in fact enjoys a nice restaurant and some upmarket shopping now and then.
We did a walk through the rice paddies outside the town center on our first day, and it really was a nice introduction to Bali. We'd walked about seven minutes from the absolute most crowded part of town and were already out in working rice paddies with few people around (though oddly, we did manage to run into another Dhaka expat right in the middle of it all). Suddenly, there we were:
In fact, I am not sure we ever quite recaptured the feel of that first day throughout the rest of the trip. Though the day I wrote about earlier, in the car with the Bob Marley climbing up into the hills in Penelokan, was pretty magical in its own way. Plus, we met our new Japanese friend, Kaneshiro, who seemed delightfully oblivious in the midst of all the touts at Besakih, the most sacred and most obnoxious temple on the island. Here he and James frolic about in their sarongs (not pictured):
One of the sights I most enjoyed was the old court at Semarapura, which was really lovely in its way, right in the middle of a bustling small city and surrounded by busy streets. Our pictures weren't great though. We also enjoyed seeing the Holy Spring Temple on a festival day, with lots of worshipers splashing happily about in the holy pools. From our base during the last four nights in Seminyak, we visited Tanah Lot Temple, which was crowded, small, and inaccessible due to high tide--definitely a disappointment (though my extremely painful sunburns may have contributed to my sour mood that day).
The second half of our trip seemed to be, perhaps due to an accident of geography (we were on the western part of the island), all about sunsets. Here I am am, soaking one in at Ku De Ta, the almost obnoxiously popular hotspot of the moment in Seminyak:
Seminyak felt vaguely like South Beach and perhaps wasn't the Bali we had come for. But it's definitely a place that can be magical, if you can only grasp those moments and not let them get away--easier said than done when you're surrounded by hordes of bronzed, well-lubricated Australians out on the town in one of the beach resort areas. If we had to do it again, I think we would stay at Ubud and one of the quieter beach towns--we've heard great things about Amed and Lovina.
We did a walk through the rice paddies outside the town center on our first day, and it really was a nice introduction to Bali. We'd walked about seven minutes from the absolute most crowded part of town and were already out in working rice paddies with few people around (though oddly, we did manage to run into another Dhaka expat right in the middle of it all). Suddenly, there we were:
In fact, I am not sure we ever quite recaptured the feel of that first day throughout the rest of the trip. Though the day I wrote about earlier, in the car with the Bob Marley climbing up into the hills in Penelokan, was pretty magical in its own way. Plus, we met our new Japanese friend, Kaneshiro, who seemed delightfully oblivious in the midst of all the touts at Besakih, the most sacred and most obnoxious temple on the island. Here he and James frolic about in their sarongs (not pictured):
One of the sights I most enjoyed was the old court at Semarapura, which was really lovely in its way, right in the middle of a bustling small city and surrounded by busy streets. Our pictures weren't great though. We also enjoyed seeing the Holy Spring Temple on a festival day, with lots of worshipers splashing happily about in the holy pools. From our base during the last four nights in Seminyak, we visited Tanah Lot Temple, which was crowded, small, and inaccessible due to high tide--definitely a disappointment (though my extremely painful sunburns may have contributed to my sour mood that day).
The second half of our trip seemed to be, perhaps due to an accident of geography (we were on the western part of the island), all about sunsets. Here I am am, soaking one in at Ku De Ta, the almost obnoxiously popular hotspot of the moment in Seminyak:
Seminyak felt vaguely like South Beach and perhaps wasn't the Bali we had come for. But it's definitely a place that can be magical, if you can only grasp those moments and not let them get away--easier said than done when you're surrounded by hordes of bronzed, well-lubricated Australians out on the town in one of the beach resort areas. If we had to do it again, I think we would stay at Ubud and one of the quieter beach towns--we've heard great things about Amed and Lovina.
Oops
Bangladesh is playing host to the 11th South Asian Games, which started yesterday. Fun story: you know how when you're in a sketchy elevator, you're scared it might hurtle to the ground, but then you remember that that doesn't really happen? Well, except in Bangladesh, and in this case, much of the Nepali team was board. Embarrassing, to say the least.
Vacation indecision
My life doesn't feel complete unless I'm planning a vacation. You'd think, since we got back from the last one a week ago today, I'd be content resting in Dhaka without travel plans. But apparently that's not my style. The problem is, for once in my life, I have no idea where I want to go.
Well, I know we want to go to Bhutan, but only for a few nights, and there is not much to plan, since we have to book through a tour company that arranges all the details. Though this, too, is getting complicated since we can't figure out when to go.
But I do want to do one more week-or-two-long vacation before we leave the region, and nothing is emerging as a clear front-runner.
I think Sri Lanka is a clear choice, since it's a country we haven't been to--in fact, once we hit Bhutan, it will be the only South Asian country I haven't visited, other than the ones that are currently war zones (you know, it hasn't been a war zone for a few months now). Plus, a friend is moving there for a posting, so we'd have a nice home base. But James, on the other hand, has pesky principles and is uncomfortable traveling there with the current post-war situation. Sigh.
We've also considered visiting a part of India we haven't seen before. James is all for Rajasthan, which I am sure is very interesting, but I imagine would tire me out--too many touts, too much hassle, too many judgmental tourists still enthralled by how very special they are for being in India (those people never make it over to Bangladesh--thank goodness). I, on the other hand, am voting Kerala, but am plagued by a massive sense of indifference toward the whole endeavor.
Now James is trying an extremely sneaky tack, which is to suggest we go to Thailand, even though we had initially decided not to go to Southeast Asia, since all those destinations would be accessible once we're in Beijing. Normally I like to go places I haven't been, and I've been to Thailand (he has not). This is sneaky, however, because he knows I LOVE Thailand and can probably be talked into it, even though it will help him catch up to me on number of countries visited--and I don't want that gap to ever be closed :)
Any thoughts? I need ideas.
Well, I know we want to go to Bhutan, but only for a few nights, and there is not much to plan, since we have to book through a tour company that arranges all the details. Though this, too, is getting complicated since we can't figure out when to go.
But I do want to do one more week-or-two-long vacation before we leave the region, and nothing is emerging as a clear front-runner.
I think Sri Lanka is a clear choice, since it's a country we haven't been to--in fact, once we hit Bhutan, it will be the only South Asian country I haven't visited, other than the ones that are currently war zones (you know, it hasn't been a war zone for a few months now). Plus, a friend is moving there for a posting, so we'd have a nice home base. But James, on the other hand, has pesky principles and is uncomfortable traveling there with the current post-war situation. Sigh.
We've also considered visiting a part of India we haven't seen before. James is all for Rajasthan, which I am sure is very interesting, but I imagine would tire me out--too many touts, too much hassle, too many judgmental tourists still enthralled by how very special they are for being in India (those people never make it over to Bangladesh--thank goodness). I, on the other hand, am voting Kerala, but am plagued by a massive sense of indifference toward the whole endeavor.
Now James is trying an extremely sneaky tack, which is to suggest we go to Thailand, even though we had initially decided not to go to Southeast Asia, since all those destinations would be accessible once we're in Beijing. Normally I like to go places I haven't been, and I've been to Thailand (he has not). This is sneaky, however, because he knows I LOVE Thailand and can probably be talked into it, even though it will help him catch up to me on number of countries visited--and I don't want that gap to ever be closed :)
Any thoughts? I need ideas.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Food, other matters
Has anyone ever had a Feast bar? We don't have those in America, but randomly our Commissary has a lot of British food right now. And I just had my first Feast bar. I just want to put it out there: Feast bars are awesome, and I really, really like to say the word "feast."
Speaking of feasts... take a look at that cracklin:
That is the beautiful, exquisite, crispy skin of a suckling pig, served up at the famed Ibu Oka in Ubud, Bali. I'm just saying, that's like taking a little bite of heaven there.
I could use some of that right now. I forgot to tell my housekeeper to cook something and have been reduced to eating Goldfish crackers for dinner tonight. And not even the cheddar kind--original! Oh well. I am heading to a friend's place now and have high hopes for some snacks there.
Tomorrow is James's birthday. Sadly, I am running extremely behind on planning anything and haven't even ordered his presents yet. On the up side for my track record as a not-evil spouse, I do plan to make him this chocolate-bourbon cake tomorrow.
Speaking of feasts... take a look at that cracklin:
That is the beautiful, exquisite, crispy skin of a suckling pig, served up at the famed Ibu Oka in Ubud, Bali. I'm just saying, that's like taking a little bite of heaven there.
I could use some of that right now. I forgot to tell my housekeeper to cook something and have been reduced to eating Goldfish crackers for dinner tonight. And not even the cheddar kind--original! Oh well. I am heading to a friend's place now and have high hopes for some snacks there.
Tomorrow is James's birthday. Sadly, I am running extremely behind on planning anything and haven't even ordered his presents yet. On the up side for my track record as a not-evil spouse, I do plan to make him this chocolate-bourbon cake tomorrow.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Back, bronchially-challenged
Whew! Long blogging hiatus there. For all those of you who were waiting on the edge of your seats for more (Hi, Mom! NOT. Because I don't tell my mother I have a blog because that's a surefire path to feelings of worthlessness. I stopped giving her my papers to proofread in fourth grade after I couldn't handle the red pen anymore... it looked like my book report on Santa Anna and the Mexican-American War had bled to death. Along with my fourth-grader self-esteem.), here I am!
We landed last night in Dhaka after our three-week Bali and Australia extravaganza. The trip was excellent. The return, however, has been less than glorious, especially with today's diagnosis of bronchitis. I mean, I had a nasty cough the last few days down under too... but somehow it didn't seem so bad in sunny Sydney. In gray Dhaka? A different story.
But fashion-wise, this is my favorite time of year in Dhaka--winter is the season of the scarf wrapped around the head, the ski mask, the puffy parka, and, my favorite, the sweater vest. I tried to explain to one colleague that in the U.S. we consider sweater vests to be a rather grandfatherly look. I just got a blank stare back and was told that it is an excellent garment for keeping one's torso warm without overheating the arms. Well, touche.
Anyway, expect photos and vacation updates soon. Some of the best parts of Australia were the little things. Like being able to rinse my toothbrush in the tap water. Sheer gloriousness. Don't understand? Try living in Bangladesh for a while.
Also, very sad news while we were away. Of course the earthquake in Haiti was huge news and a devastating catastrophe. It was weird being in out-of-touch vacation mode through all that and just seeing snippets of news. Really sad news for the Foreign Service: the Cultural Affairs Officer there was killed when her home collapsed. Once again, reminded me that we are called to live in tough places and endure tough things, and there is real risk in that.
We landed last night in Dhaka after our three-week Bali and Australia extravaganza. The trip was excellent. The return, however, has been less than glorious, especially with today's diagnosis of bronchitis. I mean, I had a nasty cough the last few days down under too... but somehow it didn't seem so bad in sunny Sydney. In gray Dhaka? A different story.
But fashion-wise, this is my favorite time of year in Dhaka--winter is the season of the scarf wrapped around the head, the ski mask, the puffy parka, and, my favorite, the sweater vest. I tried to explain to one colleague that in the U.S. we consider sweater vests to be a rather grandfatherly look. I just got a blank stare back and was told that it is an excellent garment for keeping one's torso warm without overheating the arms. Well, touche.
Anyway, expect photos and vacation updates soon. Some of the best parts of Australia were the little things. Like being able to rinse my toothbrush in the tap water. Sheer gloriousness. Don't understand? Try living in Bangladesh for a while.
Also, very sad news while we were away. Of course the earthquake in Haiti was huge news and a devastating catastrophe. It was weird being in out-of-touch vacation mode through all that and just seeing snippets of news. Really sad news for the Foreign Service: the Cultural Affairs Officer there was killed when her home collapsed. Once again, reminded me that we are called to live in tough places and endure tough things, and there is real risk in that.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Bali days
Greetings from Bali. I admit, I was one of those people who read Eat, Pray, Love and decided I needed to come here and make peace with the world, though not, sadly, in the arms of a sexy Brazilian man the way Liz Gilbert did. The first few days, however, were not exactly the peace I had in mind. Ubud, while filled with cute boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, was also filled to the brim with New Year's revellers from every corner of the globe, though primarily Australia, Europe, and East Asia. Going out to dinner is a giant battle with one's self-image here, as the next table inevitably holds a gorgeous, stick-thin blonde with legs the length of your entire body.
But yesterday, in a quest to get out somewhere, we took the government travel agency's tour to the crater rim of the volcano (Mt. Batur), as well as to a few temples (including the most holy, and least pleasant, Besakih). At some point, we (meaning me, James, our matter-of-fact Balinese driver, and the extremely eccentric Japanese man who joined the tour) were winding steeply uphill on a narrow, pothole-ridden road ("If we go this way, no entrance fee!" enthused the driver), listening to, of all things, Bob Marley. Note: The Balinese LOVE Bob Marley. You hear his music everywhere. Mysterious but not, really, given the attitude toward life here. Anyway, at some point, I think I found the Bali I was looking for. When Bob Marley told me, "Everything's gonna be all right," I decided to believe him.
But yesterday, in a quest to get out somewhere, we took the government travel agency's tour to the crater rim of the volcano (Mt. Batur), as well as to a few temples (including the most holy, and least pleasant, Besakih). At some point, we (meaning me, James, our matter-of-fact Balinese driver, and the extremely eccentric Japanese man who joined the tour) were winding steeply uphill on a narrow, pothole-ridden road ("If we go this way, no entrance fee!" enthused the driver), listening to, of all things, Bob Marley. Note: The Balinese LOVE Bob Marley. You hear his music everywhere. Mysterious but not, really, given the attitude toward life here. Anyway, at some point, I think I found the Bali I was looking for. When Bob Marley told me, "Everything's gonna be all right," I decided to believe him.
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