Venturing outside the Academy Walls

25.03.08

Orientation has been...a little difficult. EXTERMELY, extremely helpful and informative buuut we were living in temporary housing for a week and a half and didn't really leave the apartment all that often (and as a result were going a bit stircrazy...), and even now that we're in our permanent digs, everything takes place in one building. Our building is simply AMAZING, but it does have certain unique quirks, like, um, locks ordered from China (thanks to our crazy landlord) that can't be copied in Bangladesh. Therefore we only have one key for every door. There are also three types of plugs found throughout the building, placed randomly throughout apartments and suites, so that having a converter doesn't necessarily mean that you'll be able to use your appliances. Oh, and did i mention half the lightbulbs in our buildings can't be found in chittagong - only dhaka? Oh, the joys of adjusting to the new accomodations and finding all the special features of the academy.

HOWEVER, Tuesday we got the opportunity to go visit a woman who has really dedicated her last decade to Bangladesh, and has made great strides in helping a local village community. Our (WorldTeach's) executive director met her previously and insisted we make time in our schedule to go visit Caroline and her school --- thank goodness we were able to, because i think we were all thoroughly impressed and inspired to start thinking creatively to solve the challenges we're about to take on. Caroline led us on a tour through a local village she fell in love with over a decade ago, and has now become a staple of the community. After settling down and building a small house within the village limits, she set to work on building a playground and, as she explains it, everything took off from there. Once they were building a playground, they wanted a one-room building to also lead classes or workshops or fun activities for the village kids. Then they were approached by BRAC to use their space for a school, so the building was expanded. Now there are daily programs the take place - 2 school sessions, computer classes, dance lessons, constant art workshops and a library where students can browse and take out books. And, of course, there's always the playground for any children to play on.

After we toured the village, Caroline's home and the Playpark/school building (not forgetting the fact that we stopped in a local village school and demonstrated the hokey pokey for the kids...which i think scared them more than we'd hoped), we went out to lunch at the GOLF COURSE right outside of Chittagong...yep. there's a golf course. it's owned and run by the military, has exercise facilities and a restaurant in addition to 18 holes, and of course there's a driving range too. Apparently Caroline and about 5 others comprise the total group of women who regularly play at the course, so she was hardcore trying to recruit us to take up golf.

Here are some pictures from the village. Most of my pictures, per usual, are of adorable young children...


my little friends who followed us around, with about...um...50 other children? At one point one of the boys ran up to me and pulled my scarf and then ran back to his friends who erupted in shrieking laughter. It was so awesome to be in that environment again.


schoolchildren at the local village school we visited...and sang the hokey pokey for. this was their reaction. fabulous, eh?


some of the village children


i absolutely adore this picture. a young girl had graciously demonstrated for us using the water pump, and then Caroline explained a bit more about the village...while the crowd was listening, these boys used the pump as a headrest...