On traffic, tea, and where to get your snuggle on

More random thoughts - I know, I've been reduced to bullet points…once a consultant, always a consultant.

1. You know that sound? That sound of someone trying to cough up a hairball? It's those moments in my day, when, hark! a man makes a loud hawking noise..and I await with tense apprehension for when and where he will expectorate…but he doesn't…and the suspense is excruciating...at least, in the time it takes me to awkwardly dodge around him. So…where does it go? I leave that for you to mull over and digest. Hmm..poor choice of words perhaps.
2. Random, but interesting point of note…a commercial for Glee here, advertises it as: "Hollywood's Bollywood" - love it.
3. I think I have to give up my need to setup meetings with people I want to meet with. I keep trying to push for a time to meet, and I get back, oh yea, let's meet on Saturday. When? On Saturday. What time on Saturday? Let's say in the afternoon. But when in the…oh nevermind. Okay, sounds good. It's all about stalking people, or hovering...to meet with people. It's not that there isn't a sense of urgency or importance - far from it. It's more that it's just the culture for things to run late, so why bother setting a specific time? And in a city that gets so much traffic, strikes, and heavy rainfall that can delay a city of millions, I can see the reason for not setting a time, since chances are, you'll be late no matter what time you said you'd be there. As one of my friends in Tanzania recently posted, her language teacher said something along the lines of: Punctuality is a luxury that developed countries have.
4. Also, I think I've handed out more business cards in the past 3 weeks than I have in my entire career. And that includes all the cards I've given to my mom. Everyone introduces themselves with a business card..it's the professional thing to do. That said, I'm not sure how I can look professional when I'm sitting at a meeting and getting bitten by mosquitoes…somehow I don't think I can pull off scratching my leg against a chair and make it look graceful.
5. Another great thing? Cups of tea at every meeting. And at breakfast and at 9:30 and 2:30 every day. Glorious.
6. Just to get from A to B in the city, is an incredible achievement - the sweaty hot mess that you are feels like a job well done if you manage to get to your destination in one-piece. The traffic, the pre-requisite haggling with the rickshaw driver - or, if you walked, the giant mud lakes you circumnavigated - the sweet sweet layer of condensation that has formed all over your torso and face, making you wonder if its pointless to take a shower anymore…the victory is in the simple fact that you arrived. I often wonder, when I've arrived at my destination, why there is no applause and cold mango juice waiting to congratulate me on such an accomplishment.
7. Description of the restaurant I went to one night..." In keeping with its eponymous theme, the restaurant’s walls are decorated with posters of such jazz icons as Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis; " really?
8. Saw a woman dressed elegantly in a sari and heels. I was waiting to cross a major intersection along with a throng of men, waiting for the traffic to slow a tad (usually there are a few brave souls who run across, but not this time..the traffic was flying past). This beautiful woman just started walking, elegantly put her hand out to command the oncoming traffic to brake a little while she glided (not ran) through the intersection. She crossed successfully, not a hair out of place. If you ever see me in a sari and heels, I can assure you, that even if I were walking across an empty room, I'd find a way to stumble. Wait, that would happen even if I was in jeans and flats (and a number of you have witnessed that).
9. What is interesting, is to see people practice their religion so freely. Well, in all fairness, it is one particular religion -Islam is the main religion here. But I could be in the office or in a coffee shop, and it's not unusual for someone to step aside, and pull a prayer rug out and start praying - right there. No need to go to somewhere private, just as long as you're praying towards Mecca. Granted, yet again, I only see men pray in public, I'm guessing women pray in private? Not sure, will have to ask. But many women do use their dupattas to cover their hair during prayer call. And there's not odd looks if you don't. It's kind of nice to see such an openness about making time to pray - and no apparent judgment if you're not.
10. On my way to work one day, amidst a slew of rickshaws, CNGs (autorickshaws ), cars and other scrappy vehicles, I saw a chicken crossing the road. I did not question why the chicken was crossing the road, but more importantly, how on earth did the chicken cross the road with all its feathers in tact?
11. Where do middle-class teens go in Dhaka to get their snuggle on? Coffee shops. Where do young adults go to get their snuggle on? Parks, preferably close to a large body of water (even if there are questionable items floating around).
12. All random thoughts and jokes aside, I think I've found a few favourite spots in Dhaka. My #1 right now is Banani bridge, around 5:30/6pm when the sun starts to set, a scattering of boats launch lazily across the river, taking people home, underneath a slew of cars and rickshaws that crawl over on the bridge.