The trip to Dhaka was a leg from D.C. to Dubai then to Dhaka, Bangladesh. I never knew if it was night or day. I could not sleep on the airline. There were frequent offerings of food, hot towels, drinks, etc... The service was so much better than any domestic travel in the states. I was a little obsessive with the wipies that I brought on board but that is the way I am. I feel so sorry for people that are taller that my 5 foot one inch height. I don't know how they fit in the seats I can hardly fit into. I did not talk to many people when I got into Dubai because it was mostly men and it is not very acceptable in some cultures. I just waited for my next flight and got a lame sandwich with no lettuce.
When I was in D.C. I told Ashley that I did not get the treatment for malaria. With a look of shock she said she needed to call the Embassy in Dhaka. I had a little freak out!!! Ashley suggested to get some "OFF" for the trip and we would find out if it would be okay for me to go. I raced to CVS,bought the store out and stuffed some into every bag. Well, I guess it was okay and went anyway. IREX doesn't want to loose anyone to illness (haa...hmmm). The minute I got off the plane about 5000 mosquitoes swarmed my juicy white skin. YIKES. I grabbed into my cutie-pie Lilly bag and started spraying everything within my reach and then some. My host said that they are somewhat immune to the mosquitos. That meant I was the target for the entire trip (boo-hoo).
There were many people waiting for me in the airport and the first thing I had to do was retreive my luggage. I could see Rashid, Samira, a colleague, Rashid's brother, Mamun, and the hotel people waiting. They all had to pay a special fee to wait inside the gated area behind glass away from the passengers. What a blessing to be received so lovingly.
As we went on our journey to the hotel, one of the first things I saw was a train with children running on the top like "Slum Dog Millionaire". I turned to Samira and asked her, "Is that real?" She said, "Yes, and those things about the poor children are true in the movie." It was a surreal experience especially after no sleep for about 28 hours.
Dinner out that night was at a beautiful restaurant called Baton Rouge that had over 101 menu items in a buffet. It overlooked the city and I found out that Dhaka has planned blackouts in the city to help save power.
Apr 18, 2010
ILEP-IREX Orientation February 25-27, 2010
I was a bit nervous about leaving on the trip to Washington D.C. because it was going to be my final pack for out of the country. I knew I could stop and pick up some things while I was there inside the Beltway but this was it! I was leaving my family, friends, colleagues and students behind for the longest I had ever been gone since I was a junior in college. I felt like a kid again with that spark of anxiety and excitement. I knew there would be so many new faces and places and new things to learn in a blur of a moment.
After saying goodbye to Bryan, (middle son: 24), Barry dropped me off at Cleveland Hopkins Airport with a great hug and kiss. Bryan had helped me the night before weigh my bags to just under 44 pounds (which is still a ton for me to negotiate). I had two large, one carry-on and a great Lilly Pulitzer "purse" for my Mac Momma and stuff. I was the only one flying to D.C. on that flight because of flight changes for Dhaka.
I got situated into a room at One Washington Circle Hotel on DuPont Circle and hung out repacking and relaxing till my great roommate, Ann Kohner got there. Check out what she brought on the plane in bright green in her purse! They actually let her keep it.
We had a great Tai Dinner night with each other. It was a brisk night and we found this little cozy place with yummy food. It was great to get to know each other.
Friday morning we started our orientation with introductions and short videos. We finally met the staff from IREX-ILEP that we had been e-mailing and chatting with about our trips. It seemed we were all a bit scared about our trips in some ways and had the same concerns in one way or another. I was grateful for all the information that I received that day. Most of all, it was fabulous to meet the people and to share and get to know one another.
Dinner was out to the Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant, a little walking distance from the hotel. It was so much fun. We have one in Lyndhurst, Ohio at Legacy Place but I have never been.
The next day I had some free time so I called my Aunt Ruby who lives on I Street right in front of the Watergate Apartments. She is 83 years old and still is running a business called Watergate Apartment Leasing. She has been doing this for over forty years. She has the only private property by Watergate and the college left in D.C. Smart woman. I walked there from DuPont Circle and enjoyed a cup of tea and good conversation with her. She had a beautiful photo of my fraternal grandmother with a stunning (probably hand-made) scalloped dress. As a young girl (12-13) I had to take sewing (Home-Economics) classes and my dad had fabrics from my Grandma Nell. I used those fabrics to create some stunning jackets. I still have them tucked away in a box. I still use some of Grandma Nell's sewing tools. Aunt Ruby called Aunt Dot to send me a copy of that photo and I am so thankful for that visit. My dad had passed over twenty years ago so she is my link to the past and present. D.C. is very special and a second home to me, as I was born there.
I took the time to visit the Smithsonian Architectural Museum, as it is one of the few museums I had not been to in D.C. My class at Hudson Middle School includes Architecture and that is one of my passions so I was soooo excited to go there. At first I was hurrying through it like I do with other museums because usually someone is with me like kids or someone who really does not to be there and is just doing it because they know I like it (thank you family and friends-I love you). Then I realized, I can just slow down and look as long as I want, nobody is going to mind. I took my time reading everything about everything. It was superb. I then went to the gift shop and stayed till it closed. I took the Metro back and almost got lost but no problem.
Butterflies. Almost time to go to Bangladesh. I took a taxi to the airport and it cost me $65 dollars. The driver gave me a good tip-get a cart for my luggage, and I was off to Bangladesh with no problem with the weight.
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