In the beginning everything terrified me here. I couldn’t imagine how I would ever be able to go anywhere on my own. It was one of the greatest challenges I have faced on any of my trips.
It took me time… but now I’m just part of the flow.. I cross the streets with confidence, bargain with the CNG and rickshaw drivers without blinking and when they try to fool me I let them not know that I am not the right person to fool… I know a few of the trading people in the street who are greeting me and smiling whenever I meet them. I know the good places for eating out. I sleep without noticing the construction people making noise outside my room or the mosque calling for prayers at 4.30am. I don’t get intimidated by the local people starring at me, now I know that most of them stare just ut of curiosity and not because I’m doing something wrong… I know the way to Grameen, to the local shops and markets (at least better than some local Dhaka students ;) ) All this has made my life much eaiser the last few weeks. And this is one of the greatest accomplishments of mine, I have truly overcome a huge personal challenge and fear and I am damn proud of it!!!
But more important, I have got some good friends here. And these are the people who will a reason for me to come back. Especially I want to share you my stor about the best friend, my brother, I have here in Dhaka.
The first day in Grameen –I was told to take the bus and I had gone with my coordinator once to see where to get on and off. I was really terrified!!! I knew I had to and could manage this challenge but I was so afraid. I got a bit lost on my way there but as I knew, I managed the situation. None the less, in the evening I had to face the same challenge. Trying to get on the right bus, and especially in the evening I didn’t want to get to the wrong place… I was waiting for a looong time, constantly asking the ticket-boys when a bus arrived if this was the one… It was stressing because I knew I would have to be quick when it got there, to get the ticket and jump on the bus… and more and more people were coming.. the buses were getting more and more crowded and I felt helpless.. when I asked the ticket-boys for the 25th time, another passenger told me that he was going the same place so he would tell me when the bus got here… I was so relieved. Finally someone offered me that so I could relax a bit… When the bus came, the guy helped me to get the ticket, get on the bus and we sat next to each other. I was still very cautious… I had already realized that the people here and very friendly but still… we had a friendly chat… I didn’t look to much at him because I was still very unsure about those women-men rules in this country. But the guy somehow seemed very appealing to me. And when he asked me for my number I didn’t feel any harm in giving it to him. We got off the bus and went in each our direction. Since that day the guy, who I now call my brother and he calls me his sister, has been my guardian angel in this crazy place!
Farid, my brother is the one person who is writing me every day here. Who is the most concerned about my well-being here. Who will take me for trips around the city, who show me his work place and who will pick me up at work to ensure I’m alright the evening before the strike. Farid is not living the luxury and western life as my other bangla friends here. Farid comes from the village. His mother died when he was very young, his dad is a farmer and Farid came to the city to work hard and improve his life. He will marry –either a girl he meets or a girl his family finds for him- when he has stabilized his life and created a good foundation for creating a family. Farid has been to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for longer periods but now he knows that he will always live in Bangladesh –his dream is to create his own business and move back to his home village.
The wonderful thing about this new brother and me is that our lives have been so different always and always will be. But a small coincidence (or maybe it wasn’t a coincidence) leads us to meet and it proves what both of us deeply believe in –all people are human beings… nothing else matters! So someone told me that she doesn’t believe in friendships with people you meet randomly at a bus stand for instance… I can only say that I believe just as much in this friendship as any other friendship I have! My mum once said that if she was to say what my motto was then it would be; a stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet… and back then I totally agreed with her! Now I know this is true. And this is what is so beautiful about travelling… you get out of your usual patterns and anything can happen… I was expecting a completely different experience from what I got here….
Now I think, I didn’t come here to strengthen my professional profile or to have a huge impact on the poverty here… who do I think I am after all. I was lost most of the time I have been here –trying to find the purpose of my time here. My trip didn’t have one great purpose… what I got from my time here were small insights about myself and the world around me which all will be part of me for the rest of my life. The street children I held in my arms and my brother I met at the bus stand –they all prove to me that we have a responsibility to all our brothers and sisters around the world!! My dream has been strengthened here.
In this world we cannot do great things, just small things with great love!
