Last days in Dhaka

Just winding down now before I leave in just under 4 hours for the airport and off to New Zealand via Singapore.  I have been been shopping for bits and bobs and generally just switching off.  I found one of my little gems of shops that I used to know but it tried to confuse me by changing its name but I found it and was like a child in a toy shop with decorations that many of you would recognise from Shore Cottage.

The traffic is a nightmare, a journey that used to take 20/30minutes can now take up to 11/2 - 2 hours, there are young students who spend 5 hours in a bus every day to get to school!  I have found it very difficult to get my bearings this time with all the skyscrapers going up and don't recognise my own home area even standing outside it!

I stood in my bathroom yesterday morning and looked out a high window at skyscrapers going up opposite, you could be in any major city but then, even though we are 6 stories up I heard the wheelo of the rickshaws turning, their bells ringing, their movement along the the road.  This was in unison with the cars honking their horns, hammerings at different tempos and on different surfaces, sheets of tin sounding as if they were bbeing played like a 'digeridoo' and yet this cacophony of sounds can be individually identified.

I have eaten the most wonderful food, we have no idea how wonderful and subtle this food is with flavours and aromas that tease but don't overpower, I think I'll have to seriously try my hand at this when I go home and give some of you an evening to remember.

As I say goodbye to Dhaka and Bangladesh my strongest impression is how women have been empowered (a word I hate but it works here) they have developed as a major part of a growing nation, they are resilient, funny and know what they want.  They can speak up for themselves, rich and poor alike and given the resources will be the future of Bangladesh.

So much has changed since I first came here 30 years ago and so much has stayed the same, it will take time and I hope that they do not lose everything in their rush to keep up with the developed world ( what is that look at Ireland!)  They are a beautiful handsome people and I have become aware of more people laughing and there is a positiveness about.

On departing from the north and Saidpur we travelled through 1,000's of acres of agricultural land being harvested and resown with rice paddi and wheat, did you know that it was Aengus Finucane who introduced wheat to Bangladesh?!  It was beautiful, imagine flat land as far as the eye can see ther are very few hilols in Bangladesh and those are around the edges.  People, men, women and children all working together and pulling/pushing loads that we could only imagine.  They are a hard working people and deserve our support in the right areas and I have seen with my own eyes some of those areas and the people benefiting and am proud to be a member of Concern.  Yes everything is not perfect but so long as we learn and adapt and improve that is what is important.  I have given my impressions and I hope I was objective and fair that is what good governance is all about.  Do you think they will ask me to be an advisor to the new Government when I return?!!

I am going to sign off now and bid Bangladesh a very fond farewell and as they approach their 39th anniversary of their Independance on the 16th Dec. I hope those that really want to see their nation develop and give everyone an even chance can have their voices heard and there are many.  They have some very good articles in their paper and extremely well and beautifully written I recommend that you try to google it, its called The Daily Star.  Allah Hafez Bangladesh, Lovely, Nurul, Shuchi, Hashem, Mr Mateen, Mr Hamid, all the staff in Concern who were so kind to me and the couple that are nearly as old as me and who remember a great big dhonnabad to you all.