More Than 'Just students'

I (Jan)  teach an English class  called "Dialogue".  Most students can read English well but are shy when it comes to speaking it.  My favorite thing about teaching is getting to know the students.  It's fun to get into their world a little...to have them over for a fun evening of games and conversation (always with John's famous popcorn, of course), or to be invited to their college or home.

I'm proud of this one female student for coming to every class and working so hard! 

  

 I miss them when the course ends,  but there are always a few of the relationships that continue.  And then there's  the joy of hearing my name called out at the market(Auntie!), and turning to see one of my old students' smiling face.

Eco-friendly Cooking Fuel

As I said in my last post,   NOTHING gets wasted here.  It's all reused, recycled or repaired.  

Cows roam the streets.  Naturally they leave something behind wherever go.  No problem---someone else comes along and collects it to make into cooking fuel.  It can be shaped into 'patties' like the ones above, then stuck onto a wall or hard surface to dry.

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 Or,  it can be shaped around a stick and left to dry.  These dried cow dung sticks are used like wood in a cooking fire.

Below, the dung sticks are drying against a village home.  The flowering plant on the roof is a type of squash. Banana tree leaves can be seen in the back.   I liked the colors, textures and 'rhythm' of this scene.

Misty Morning Walks

I love my early morning walks.  There is quite a 'walking community' here where we live.  Many adults have diabetes and are being told they must  get exercise and stop eating sweets.  Women often stop me in my tracks and remark,  "Oh, you have diabetes too!"


 I am thankful to live in an area where I can walk without the congestion of people or traffic. It's a residential area on the edge of the city. A neighbor lady named Beauty (pictured below) often joins me.  She was a student in my first Dialogue English Class.  She loves the way she has felt so much more energy since starting to walk.

  Last week I decided to leave the paved roads and explore the dirt path that I had seen many mornings at the far corner of our Padma housing area.

 Now that the season has changed and the mornings are cool, a thick mist rises each morning form the warm ground.  It's such a beautiful, peaceful time!

     I thought most of the world was still asleep until I came to a little settlement buzzing with activity:

Parents and children have been working together--- busily filling 'bostas'--big bags---with recyclables that they have  collected from homes or garbage piles.   I am constantly in awe of the way NOTHING gets wasted here...it's all reused, recycled.
Even the cow manure, but I'll save that for another post.

Korbani Eid in our Neighborhood

It's the morning of Korbani Eid. These cows and goats have been purchased to become the sacrificed animals. I wondered if they know what fate awaits them. Last night the neighborhood was filled with the sounds of bleating goats and lowing cattle.

Several men tie the cow's legs, pull him to the ground, and cut his throat.  He will be skinned and cut up right there on the spot. 

This is one day that the poor get plenty of meat.    It is required in Islam to give 1/3 of the meat to the poor,  1/3 to neighbors and friends, and keep just 1/3 for yourself.    Dozens of poor people lined up in front of our building to receive some of the Korbani meat.

We were graciously invited into several homes...more than we could possibly go to. We experienced two extremes-visiting the  home of one of my English students--an anesthesiologist, whose wife is also a doctor, and also the little dirt-floor plastic-covered shack of Ajina who helps in our home.   The common element---lost of food and jubilation.  It seemed, though, that there was extra excitement in Ajina's home because it's such a special thing for the poor to get new clothes and good food.

Fresh Meat (caution: not for the weak of stomach)

 On Fridays there is plenty of fresh meat available right near our apartment.  They slaughter the cow right there and sell the meet nearby.  No refrigeration, of course, so it must be sold quickly in the morning.















It's always a battle to get the good part of the meat.  They usually try to throw in lots of bone and fat.
Goat meat is also  plentiful and makes a very nice curry.  Somehow, though, after walking past the meat market,  I sort of lose my appetite and feel like going vegetarian.  (Would you?)

Blogging Woes

As you may have noticed, we haven't posted for quite some time.  It's not that I haven't tried.  How many precious minutes (or hours?) have I worked on a post, only to lose it by suddenly losing my internet connection.  Lately, however, the problem has been in uploading photos.  Suddenly it's no longer working.  

And what's a blog without pictures?   Unless you're a good writer, which I am admittedly not.  

Maybe one of these days we'll get the photo-uploading problem figured out.  Until then,  check out my facebook page.  

Monsoon Season

 It's fun to watch the monsoon clouds roll in from our rooftop.

But going anywhere can be a very soggy experience.

We try not to think about the sewer water that has mixed with the rain water on the roads.