The monsoon is coming...

Thought i'd post some thoughts as it's been a while since the last post. We are both finding life out here pretty exhausting, sometimes just the journey to work feels like it takes all of your energy for the day, let alone having to then do some work! It's probably the heat too and all of the new things to look at and understand that drain energy too. Chris is at home a bit poorly today. I think it was only a matter of time before one or both of us got sick. He's on the mend though. Weather is still really hot but not unbearable yet. We are mainly in the air conditioned office at work so are sheltered from it a bit. We keep hearing about how the wet season isn't very nice here so not really looking forward to that. Some of you may know i have a bit of a thing about severe weather (i don't like it) so it's good and character building for me to be out here and experience some extremes!!! There are a few places that we would have liked to have visited like the Sundarbans area but the rainy season we think will put a stop to that.

It's very different being female in Dhaka to being female at home. Generally life is hard for women here I think. There are lots of stories in the national papers about violence towards women, often related to non payment of dowries. And just in the day to day things, i hate wearing an 'ulna' (the scarf you are supposed to wear that covers up the chest area) it's really awkward and restricting and the last thing you want on your body is another layer of material, but as a women they are what you have to wear here. I get the impression women are seen as second class citizens here a bit. This is how i feel here anyway, that i shouldn't really go out on my own and that Chris should do most of the interacting with people in public. It's very different to how i feel as a female at home, which in comparison feels very powerful and independent. It's one of the things i have realised i take for granted. My freedom as a woman and that for many women around the world they don't have any power and they are restricted as to what they can do, seen as second class or a burden to their family. Hmm. Lots of thoughts.
Anyway, back to work!
Chloe