T20 Cricket World Cup

What’s the news in Bangladesh this spring?

CRICKET!!!!!

Bangladesh is hosting the 2014 T20 Cricket World Cup, and they couldn’t be more excited. It’s the second international sports tournament held here this year and the fact that the International Cricket Board allowed the country to host two major events after the political turmoil the country witnessed last year is a really big deal. Dhaka has been spiffed up to accommodate tourists and reporters.

Don’t ask me to explain the actual game yet. I am a naturalized American, and it was not cool for me to even understand baseball, let alone cricket. But I am making a conscious effort now, as I do want to understand the Bengali soul. And you can't truly understand Bangladesh unless at least you attempt to understand cricket.

Cricket is a source of national pride. Well, not so much these days, as the Tigers (that's the nickname for the national team) are not doing that great. Cricket could also be a source of national madness. If you have a blackout during a game, you could have a riot on your hand. It did happened during the Football World Cup Soccer when fans rioted after power cuts interrupted viewing. They stormed local power offices and attacked state electricity officials after the power supply went off during matches.

So, as a lesson learned, the government doesn’t want their citizens to miss out on a second of the cricket action. So, during the last World Cup Bangladesh co-hosted, they shut down the manufacturing sector on game nights so the reduction in power usage by factories enabled all the TVs in Dhaka to keep working.

The ABC School

There's an old saying, usually attributed to Confucius, that goes something like "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you've fed him for a lifetime."

I would translate it conceptually into something like "Education is the most important thing you can give someone to increase his opportunities."

Eglal’s ABC School is an extension of the work begun by a teacher of the American International School, Dhaka (AIS/D). Eglal gave lunch to a wandering ‘street boy’ one day at her home and asked him to come every noon. The boy started bringing his friends with him. Very soon, Eglal was feeding about one 100 children every day. She also provided them with their emergency medical needs. Nowadays, over 120 slum kids eat and get an education every day. How is that for a ray of hope?

What my children are taking for granted, here in the slums of Dhaka is perceived as a privilege. These kids are the lucky ones that, once they get admitted, will receive a bilingual education. And there is more to support that: free health care, free lunch, daily showers, uniforms, and mentoring.

I have never been too big on charity. Part of it was maybe because as a number guys I would have a good understanding on how much out a dollar goes to cover overhead cost. But here, all money goes to the school. There are volunteer board members and volunteer teachers. The donations go directly to the education and welfare of the kids. And visiting the school allows you to see how little money it takes to provide for a healthy child.

One kid I spoke to told me that he WILL go on to university. That was probably unimaginable for anybody in his family, not that long time ago. How awesome is that?

We left wishing we could give all of the kids everything they wanted and promising ourselves to find a way to make a difference while in Bangladesh. The need is so great here!

Spring is here

All of a sudden, spring arrived in Dhaka. And yes,, we’ve been surprised by the change in temperatures. We did not feel it last year, but Bangladesh does have season changes.

The Winter (November thru February) is pleasant for a polar bear like myself. However, it is the most polluted time of year. No rain to dilute the dust and smog. And because of the “cold temperature” (50s at the lowest), people burn anything they can to stay warm. It does not matter what it is, as long as it burns. Anything from leaves to garbage is fair game. Add the exhaust from the traffic congestion and you have a smog blanket of smog that embraces the city. And don't forget the brick factories. They have been underwater during the monsoon and now have to make up for the lost time.

All that pollution comes from the air stay and it settles on any surface. Everything gets filthy. From outside to inside, from flowers and trees to floors and countertops. That's why having a maid here is not a luxury, but a necessity. That's why my lungs feel like I went back to smoking at least a pack a day.

When we landed in Singapore last December, Cristina did not care about the buildings or the gardens. All she would marvel at was the absence of dust. Here is some trees that weathered the winter and are coated in filth.

Deshi Mosquitoes

I still can't get over the fact that the mosquitoes are worse here during the winter. I still have a hard time believing it, because I always associated them with warm and humid weather.

I know by now the summer and winter mosquitoes are different breeds and that the winter mosquitoes are very different. They come in huge numbers, they are gigantic and they don't give a hoot about bug spray. You can't hunt them and kill them easily. I used to be immune to them. They would not touch, they would not want to be near me. But, for some unknown reason, the Bangladeshi ones find me attractive. I am now covered in bites. Not sure if is the white skin or the sweet blood that attracts them.