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.
Winter is finally here. Everywhere you turn there are people wrapped in scarves, shawls and winter jackets that seem more fit for an arctic winter.
In fact, the “extreme” cold temperatures are highs in the 70s and lows in the low 50s. I have never been a "polar bear" as I used to call my Canadian friends, but still this seems like beautiful weather suitable for camping, hiking, and picnics. In Michigan, I looked forward to this kind of weather and it lasted far too short.
Life is different in Bangladesh. The homes are made of concrete, the windows and doors do not have weather stripping and there are no furnaces. The concrete buildings hold on to the nightly cold. The homeless and the people in the shantytowns build fires on the edges of the streets in the evenings and huddle around it smoking and drinking coffee or tea. The smoke indicates that it is trash, not wood.
All right, I get it that life is different here and the people are not equipped to handle the cold. But I can't help laughing at the guards with their heads and necks wrapped in scarfs.
The “bitter” cold temperatures are going to last for a few more days and will go back to the 80s next week. I will for sure enjoy this "cold" and miss it when it is gone!
