There is a park in Chittagong called DC Hill where we'd been told the chittagonian locals head to for celebrations. Alam, one of the drivers for the AUW, was kind enough to drop us off a few blocks away --- traffic was so backed up getting to the entrance of DC Hill that it would have taken about an hour to move 3 blocks, according to him. I trust Alam, he's lived in Chittagong most of his life. He also made sure we knew how to walk to the entrance of the park, even walked with us half the way!...we haven't managed to memorize directions in bangla yet.
In the crowds leading up to the park gate, there were vendors selling wares, pots and pans, furniture, toys - you name it, it was there, including any type of fried food you ever thought existed. and more.
We paid a whopping 10 taka each to have our faces painted by random people walking around with paint. The line extending from the park entrance was at least a block long...however, as we moved closer to the front to see exactly where the gate was (and try to figure out how long we would probably have to wait to enter the main attraction)...the police/guards saw us and ushered us straight through. Sometimes being a foreigner is actually rather helpful.
Not that it helped when we were IN the park. There were at least 10 thousand people in the amphitheater-like setting, and getting through the crowds was a bit harrowing, especially with a group of 7 people trying not to lose each other. we had a rather good system of creating a train anytime we tried to move anywhere. The biggest problem we faced while we were inside the park, while the cultural performances were beginning, was that if we stayed in one location too long, the crowds around US, watching what we were doing, taking pictures of us with their camera phones and digital cameras and, those young men bold enough, asking us questions in english (craziness). When these men started getting really annoying, one of the teachers would start speaking spanish, and only spanish, with them. it would take a few back-and-forths for him to get the message that there would be no more conversation consisting of, "where do you live in chittagong? can i have your number? your neck, it is so beautiful"...honestly? one of the girls was literally complimented on her neck and throat, "so lovely, miss".
in the afternoon we stopped in the local boutique we frequent and had a rousing conversation with two young bengalis on the politics of arranged marriages and the rice crisis at the moment.
aaaand then i spent all afternoon lesson planning for the rest of the week. the good news is, however, that next sunday we have another holiday! not as crazy of celebrations, we're told, but a day off of school nonetheless. it's been really nice being able to ease into teaching with 4 day weeks, not going to lie.
shuvo noboborsho! new year - where face painting is all the rage
me, niki, mahmuda and angela. dressed in our new years finest.
faces painted with the best of 'em.
remind you of carnival/fair/amusement park toys? because that's what i think of everyday when i see these vendors on the street...
the line into the park. like i said, pretty flippin' long (notice the absence of women?
they were there, just not in large numbers like the male population...)
like i said. large crowd. i wouldn't attend if you were claustrophic.
fried food galore.
two young boys who followed us around yelling, "paani! paani!" (water! water!)
i think we broke their hearts when we all pulled out water bottles.
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