Snapping it up

The last few weeks have been packed with fun!!  And as it happens, I've had my camera with me for many of them.

I went to a wedding.   In a white dress!

In Feni, after visiting the amusement park, we stop for snacks
and a stroll at a local pond.  It is way calm.

Feni, Feedi, Fici

Translation from "Latin": We came, we ate, we had fun.

Over the last few months, Shazzad designed a series of murals for a new amusement park opening in place called Feni.  Now that the hard work is over and the park is open, we organized a road trip to go check it out.

wherefore Art thou, Dhaka?

The second Dhaka Art Summit took place this past weekend.  The bright pink advertisements all over the streets claimed that it is "the largest art event in South Asia."  I'm always skeptical of these types of statements (recently a mall opened here calling itself the "largest mall in Asia," but right now it's mainly a food court and a lot of empty space).

In any case, we went to the 2012 art summit, so it seemed natural to go to this one.  One major difference was that the objective this year seemed to be exposing Dhaka to the rising artists of South Asia (Pakistan, India, Nepal, etc) rather than showcasing local artists.

#tweeting from the Art Summit

I'm still not much of an art person, but I'm trying.  The installations usually prove to be too much for me--there was a mainly naked man painting himself and the wall with shoe polish, and it just looked like insanity to me.  But here they call it art.

All we're missing is a ball.  Get it?  Basket. Ball.

I probably watched Shazzad looking at art,
more than actually looking at the art itself!

Glad I went, but I'm content with the gallery I have at home!

The latest addition to the home collection.

Popcorn makes everything better

Chaos as usual on the Dhaka highway.  Almost makes
you crave for the empty roads of hartal days.

For the past few weeks, Bangladesh has slid back into its normal routine.  The political chaos died down surprisingly fast after the election, and people leaped at the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with peace.  Violence was just one problem; the threat of violence affected a much higher number.  Indirect consequences included:

• Banks stopped refilling ATMs, and outside of Dhaka, some banks refused to let people cash checks
• Gas stations lacked fuel
• Farmers couldn’t get their produce to the markets, so food prices went up quickly
• Fertilizer, crucial during planting season, couldn’t be delivered everywhere
• People stopped going out for fun and only shopped for necessities; restaurants and shops were hit hard.  Many struggled to make their rent and pay workers.

Experts estimate that the political violence and strikes cost the economy $6 billion last year.

I live within the diplomatic zone and work just beyond its border, so my life was less affected than most.  The main change was that my life reduced to a tiny radius, encompassing just the office and the diplomatic area (thankfully North End Coffee shop was within there).  So for two months, I barely saw Dhaka, much less traveled beyond.  My only foray out of my designated “safe zone” was to go see Catching Fire at the movie theatre one morning right before Christmas.

Playing tourist in Old Town

So as you may have seen in the news, in November and December, Bangladesh suffered some serious political violence.  In the last week, it's calmed down immensely and at least for the time being, people can settle back into a normal routine.
One of the things I missed the most during the hartals was the ability to move around.  So I was excited to learn that some friends were planning a sightseeing trip down to Old Dhaka this morning. I love that part of the city for its feeling of permanence.  There are few structures in my neighborhood that are more than 10 years old (and new ones popping up on every corner!), whereas Old Dhaka emanates history and longevity.  It also bustles in a way that Gulshan and Banani don't; the density of business, people, movement is on another level.
If you don't know it well, Old Dhaka is a labyrinth.  There are few signs and landmarks.  So you can make an intinerary, but be prepared to let Old Dhaka have the last say.  Today we wandered through the spice market, had a cup of tea in Sankaria Bazaar (Hindu Street), bought some souvenirs on Bangsal Road (where one can buy rickshaw art), and finished up with huge lunch at Star Hotel, and dessert at Green Sweets.  A good day.

See more photos in this album.

Best books I read in 2013

As requested by Robert….

Non-fiction

A problem from hell by Samantha Power. Prepare to be immensely depressed and infuriated.  Power systematically dissects genocide after genocide, exposing the intense unwillingness of world powers to see it and act. But also many stories of courageous individuals who made the difference by dogged and often dangerous efforts to force leaders out of denial.

How we do harm: a doctor breaks rank about being sick in America by Otis Webb Brawley and Paul Goldberg. Extremely readable narratives on what’s wrong with the health care system.  Reads a bit like Atul Gawande, but with a different personality and set of experiences.

Made to stick: why some ideas survive and others die by Chip and Dan Heath.This is the best book on communication I’ve ever read.  Highly recommend it to anyone who ever writes or speaks……yeah, that good.  By the same authors as Switch, which I also read, but did not like near as much.

Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking by Susan Cain. There’s a TED talk that gives a decent overview, if you’re not into reading.  For me this book was inadvertently an exploration of self and as a manager.

Big data: a revolution that will transform how we live, work and think by Kenneth Cukier and Viktor Mayer-Schonberger. Even if you’re not a quant nerd, this book will get you excited (great, free excerpt on NYC city government’s use of data). In contrast to all the debates about privacy, data being used for all sorts of nefarious purposes by governments and advertisers, this book points how the many ways in which societies and individuals can and do benefit from the ridiculous amount of data out there in the world.

Emergency Sex and other desperate measures: a true story from hell on Earth by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thompson. Not as exciting as the title led me to believe, but a pretty unique look into the humanitarian crisis machines like the United Nations.  Refreshingly candid, though that’s not to stay that you make walk away with a few concerns about the whole aid system, who ends up on the ground, and what they do.  This is NOT the book that will inspire you to drop everything and move to Africa.

Fiction

Bill Gates, in his annual list of reading recommendations, wrote that he reads“mostly nonfiction because I always want to learn more about how the world works.” I would argue that some of the most illuminating books, the ones that shape how we think, what we believe, and how we act, are fiction.  I ignored fiction for a long time, but in the last few years have begun to crave good stories and new worlds as a way to inspire new ideas of my own. 

Looking at these four books, one common theme is that all of the books are largely tied to places and the experience of being there.  And the experiences of being somewhere else when a particular place has become part of you.  It’s a great book that makes you understand why one would love a place—whether it’s New York City, Lagos, or District 12.  I hope to one day be able to write about a place as intimately and lovingly as these authors do.

The black coat by Neamat Imam. The best book I’ve read about Dhaka in the early 1970s.  Fascinating story that also gives the reader a good historical glimpse at urbanization and the early days of a nation.

Americanah by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie. Perhaps my favorite book from her yet.  I suggest you read this great interview beforehand, which includes gems like “why can’t a romance be deep and philosophical?”

And the mountains echoed by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini’s past books were too bleak for me.  This one is no Pollyanna, but it’s beautiful albeit a bit haunting.

Don’t judge me:

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The plot get a bit laughable at times, but the undercurrents of political commentary and the ongoing attention to the psychological trauma that the Victors face both make it a great read.  Both topics that have very real and urgent needs, but are perhaps easier for some to first consider in the abstract.

Suggestions welcome!! Also, if anyone has a copy of any Humayun Ahmed books in English, I would love to borrow it!