Chittagong and Cold

So first off.. No making fun of the bedroom eyes I seem to be making in this photos.. I don’t know what happened.

Thursday I left for 3 days to go to Chittagong for a wedding. The 250 km journey only took 6 hours. Not bad eh? Ugh. Throw me under the bus. I am a poor traveler and the kid tossing his cookies in the seat across from me didn’t help much, along with the constant air freshener spraying that Deshi's seem to have an addiction to. Alright so anyway.. back to the wedding. We arrived late afternoon and then took the next 3.5 hours to get ready for one of the wedding events. Needless to say I needed a lot of help as I for one and NOT a girly girl and cannot get dressed up, two have never worn a sari, and three can't handle myself in heels.


aaaaand... I look like I am going to vomit in this photo....

So along with the marching band and our 3 bus loads of people, we went to a community hall for the wedding something or other… The Groom’s family presents the Bride’s family with gifts and then each family does some dancing. That pretty much sums up night number one. Oh and the whole weekend is being documented on an RCA video camera circa 1989 with two guys running around on each side with lights.. aaaand everything is plugged in somewhere with extension cords! Oh and because I was the token white kid.. I ended up having that thing stuffed in my face more than I needed.

Friday morning after breakfast we went on a city tour of Chittagong. Chittagong is on the Bay of Bengal so there is a massive port and there are touristy spots on the water.
We visited one and I suddenly became the attraction. It was like a bad bad photo shoot with me as the subject. Literally babies were thrown in my arms so they could have a picture with the white kid... although they didn't have a cameras.

That evening was the wedding ceremony. First the Bride's family brings gifts to the Groom's family. Including the wedding outfits for the Groom and the Groom's mother. Oh and then as they dress the groom.. people groom him. I have one photo of me staring as someone clips his fingernails!
The woman on the left is my boss lady and the Bride is on the right. BLING BLING.

During the day it had started to rain... obviously as it seems to everyday... and by the time we left for the Chittagong Country Club some of the roads had begun to flood. At the club the wedding was under a big tent.... the torrential rain pretty much ruined the ceremony as no one could go to the tent as the ground was one big mud pile. Only the bride and groom and a handful of people ventured out.



After a goat dinner and some wretched yogurt/vinegar/spiced drink.. it was time to wait for the cars to take us back to the hotel. Because the roads were flooded.. this took HOURS longer than it should have. Once we reached the hotel the parking lot was flooded up to my knees in water....sari in hand.. I trudged through the disgusting brown smelly water.. as every other Deshi woman was carried through. I just didn't see the point in hurting/breaking some poor guys' poor back over dirty water. The whole wedding events were exciting and interesting.. seems much more informal compared to every stuffy wedding I have ever been to. The second half of the wedding... the reception (ie the reception of the bride into the groom's family) will be in Dhaka in January.. New Year's I think. Should be one goooood party!

The bus ride back to Dhaka on Saturday was difficult to say the least. Flooding everywhere (check out my facebook for some videos). Also I had developed a cold and the constant dripping of water from the bus roof onto my head and lap didn't help. Yeah honestly who gets a cold... of all the things that could have gotten me.... it is a freaking cold that sends me to bed. I guess I should be happy about that!!

Today at work I ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING productive! I edited a proposal and gave recommendations! Wooooohoooo! And tonight I am going to the airport to get Karina the other Canadian intern from Humber. And last Wednesday I went to the A&W with another Canadian intern. Yes I am excited about A&W. Yes all very exciting events of my days.

Oh and from my sick bed.... I am watching the Miss Teen USA right now... Miss South Carolina.. you crack me up! Thank god for education.