Monday 11/14 Language class. Studied how to change verb endings based on the type of pronoun that is used for present tense. Also sentence structure. Subject + time+ place + object + verb. Layton seemed kinda quiet today, so snuggled with him extra and had him nap. He woke up much happier and thought it was hilarious that I hid a toy rat in the laundry basket for him to find when he was helping me put wash in the washer. After an afternoon of studying we went to Farmgate so Amber could look for new skillets for the clinic as the handles broke off the ones they had. We tried to find ones that didn’t have the non stick coating because with all the frying and scrubbing the sisters do the non stick ones don’t last very long. Daniels took us to a restaurant they like. This one was on top of a 10 story hotel. Was neat to see all the lights of the city. Chinese fried rice is very common here at restaurants, along with fried chicken. It’s ridiculous how cheap the restaurant food is. There was so much traffic on the street by our gate that the motorcycles were starting to go on the sidewalk. I don’t know how on earth there are not more injured people with the way everyone drives. I probably shouldn’t say this for our mother’s sakes but tonight on the way home our rickshaw driver pulled out right in front of a van and a CNG, I told Jared it appears the best way to ride in a rickshaw is to just look straight ahead not to the side at the traffic coming at you. 😂 They seem to have a method to their madness though. Police or guards at every intersection. More for directing traffic than enforcing the law. They do a good job. It looks like they are parting the Red Sea sometimes! When we were out it was already dark so the police were holding giant red glow sticks to be seen. The two story buses are packed with people. You wonder how many more could possibly squeeze on! Our housekeeper came while we were gone, I wish I could tell her how much I appreciate her. “Donnobad” (thank you) seems too feeble. Hopefully in a few weeks I can have a conversation with her. Layton’s question of the day was “ How long do people have to stay in cemeteries?” I’m open to answers😂
Tuesday 11/15: Language class: Studied what type of ending to put on the verbs when it is past tense. Was left with a fair pile of homework that involved writing direct and indirect questions, past tense sentences, then sentences to unscramble and correct and yet more verbs to switch from present to past. Worked on that the rest of the afternoon. Layton helped me keep the laundry going. I taught him how to run the washer so just have to make sure he doesn’t put too much in at once! He is being a real trooper about us having to study so much. He sits at the window and counts how many people wave at him or watches the people come to and fro. He really likes zipping around the house on his trike or rummaging through any cupboard he can find. This evening we went to the clinic and sang there with the sisters. They wanted to go get rice cakes afterwards so we went to a vendor on the street and got some. 80 cents for 8! The sisters thought that was way too expensive! At first I wasn’t fond of the texture but it has good flavor. They get a little bowl and put in a handful of rice flour a sprinkle of sugar molasses and coconut shavings and then top with more rice flour. They put it on something that looks like a steamer for a few minutes and then it makes like a pressed cake the size of an uncrustable. It’s been in the 80s here and cools down some in the evening. Very pleasant… We’ve seen several people with winter coats and jackets on in the evenings. Guess this is getting close to their winter but it sure feels good to us. I wonder what they would say about the weather in Kansas right now?!
Wednesday 11/16: Language class… learned about singular and plural possessive personal pronouns, how to say a sentence when you need something, and how to change a verb into a noun. They are called “verbal nouns.” Here instead of saying “I need,” they say “my need is…” Also prepositions. We learned we don’t say “what’s up” for a greeting, the words we say translates to “what’s the news?” I have been very thankful for all my teachers in grade school that drilled diagramming sentences into my head because knowing what is what in an English sentence is extremely helpful when it comes to learning a new language. So in a few years when Layton gripes about language class and wonders why he has to learn all that I will have an answer ready for him. After Language class we went to Daniels so Jared, Daniel and Jon could get things around to submit for Jared’s security clearance and work visa. Work visas are a challenge to get right now. Have to submit them several times and sometimes at the 1 year mark they still don’t have them. Had lunch at the clinic with the sisters and the nurse. Pilau (rice with raisins), cubed fried beef and potato curry, okra and carrot mixture and then fried sliced egg plant. Of course cucumbers and limes on the side. Very good! (Khub bhalo)The Pilau is something that is usually served at holidays or when guests come. I’m thankful the food is so good here. Other people here say that after a year you start to get tired of it so I guess we will see if that happens to us. Because you know…. Brianna LOVES food. One of the children that had palate surgery was still recovering at the clinic. He was to only have milk, bananas etc to eat due to his recent surgery. His parents were letting him eat chips! Hopefully it doesn’t tear the sutures out. We’ve gotten a lot of questions about the clinic work but we haven’t gotten into it much as Daniel is running that all while we focus on language class. After awhile Jared will spend more time there and learn the ropes before Daniel leaves. We go there quite a bit though… At home the rest of the day. Studied, spent time with Layton and did usual mom things. Layton drew his letters and numbers this evening and I was really surprised how many he has picked up on without me even telling him!
Thursday 11/17: Language class. Future Tense, Infinitive and present imperative verbs. Plus a page of words to memorize, more complete and correct the sentence exercises and write 5 sentences in Bangla that are future tense, change a graph of verbs to infinitive and then write 6 sentences with infinitive verbs. My mind was mush by the time class was over so I was glad Jared is so smart and catches on quick so he can help me muddle through it later. Jared counted up how many pages of words we have memorized in the last 2 weeks and it’s close to 8 pages. No wonder we are sleeping so good at night now! After class Layton and I did laundry and made bread. Trying to do a load every other day as the line drying space in this apartment is limited. In the afternoon I did everything I could think of in order to avoid doing my homework. Tried to take a nap but the fighter jets decided to show their stuff. So finally I gave myself a lecture on positive thinking and put on my big girl panties and dug in. Once I got started it wasn’t that bad. Jared helped me some too. Spent the evening with Daniels. Amber and I took the kids up to the roof while the men visited with the brother from church. He is such an interesting fellow! He comes over once a week to chat and drink iced sweet tea.
Friday 11/18: Church in the morning… Jared had the opening on God cleansing us and Daniel had the sermon on being the light of the world. A brother from Golpagange was there as well. Still trying to get used to no Sunday school!! After the service we stayed for awhile and talked. The clinic nurse Miriam showed me their version of a “lab req.” They fill it out for the babies/children’s blood work to be done before their operation. She wondered if things were called the same in the states. They pretty much were all the same thing. I was able to say a few words to the sisters so that made them grin. They can understand a fair bit of English though too. (Jared talks to the guard at Daniels for practice and he always grins and acts so proud when Jared says something in Bangla.) After church we came home and packed up the hangry children and went to a Mexican restaurant. It was a tiny place but had good food. $3 for a tostada! Layton got a quesadilla but it was too spicy for him. He’s having a hard time eating this spicy food. He said “I take a drink but that taste keeps coming back!” Then we went to some grocery stores called “Deters” and “Dahlis”. They had a bit more imported food than a place like UniMart. Jared found HP sauce there. A snack size bag of M & Ms was $6.50. So you definitely have to be careful because some of the smaller packages of US brands can be crazy expensive. Good thing I have almost kicked my M & M habit to the curb.😂 (I said almost.) I found some chocolate chips though so was enthused about that. We came home after getting the groceries. Layton and Nicolee were at each other about every little thing! One minute they are best friends and the next they have a vicious argument over who can push the elevator buttons. I think they are both adjusting. Layton with just getting here and Nicolee fixing to leave. Was just at home in the evening, took it easy and studied and read stories to Layton.
Saturday 11/19: think we are over our jet lag. Back to sleeping “normal.” Someone told us to plan a day for every hour of time change. That’s about what it was! 12-14 days… Now if we could only cure Layton of his life long habit of waking up at 6 AM. Our stomachs are still working on adjusting. We wake up just starving hungry, get hungry for lunch and then have no appetite for supper. Sounds like this is normal and takes several months to adjust. Some say they were hardly hungry at all the first year. Not sure if it’s from adjusting to so much new at once, nerves or time difference. Worked on memorizing some more words that I got behind on the past 3 lessons. Jared Daniel and Jon spent most of the morning at the auditors office to get signatures for various papers. Went to Daniels for lunch since our housekeeper made a Bangla meal. She made bhat (rice) sobji (vegetables: cauliflower, potato, pumpkin and carrots), Dal and then the manSo (meat) was fried chicken. I like the Dal because it cools down the spice from the vegetables. Most Bangladeshis like their Dal on the side or after they’ve eaten the rest of the meal. The fights between the children today was because they both wanted the doll that closed its eyes when you lay it down. I mean who doesn’t want a real baby that does that?! Amber and I went to a store by the parliament building that sells tourist things and household goods. Was looking for some bedding for their apartment. Two little boys attached themselves to us and were begging us to buy them ice cream. We bought them some snack from a vendor and they left us alone. When we came back out of the store there they were waiting for us telling us they needed more to eat! Came home from Daniels and got prepared for the coming week. Got granola and cookies made, the house straightened up and some laundry done. Found out today that our housekeeper has a 10 and 14 year old. They live in the village with their “old” dad and his family while she is here in Dhaka making money to send home to them. She only sees them twice a year! I can not imagine… Seems like that is common here that one family member comes to Dhaka to work and live and then sends money home.
Sunday 11/20: Back at language class…. Felt good to have a 2 day break to relax our brains. Learned a bunch more words and practiced past present and future tense verbs and word endings, how to tell a Bangladeshi host that your belly is full and that you enjoyed their food. YOU aren’t full, your BELLY is! Our heads were swimming by the time we were done. I told Jared I felt like that boy in My Bible Friends… “my head! my head!” But we need to learn as much Bangla as possible before Daniels leave so we need to keep pressing on. In the afternoon we studied and when Layton got restless we went to get some veggies. $1.80 for 10 bananas, 4 big carrots and a handful of green beans. We got what we thought were cucumbers but they ended up being snake gourds. I’m going to try sautéing them with some carrots or something. They taste like a mix of cucumber and okra. Their green beans are a foot and a half long or so, so it doesn’t take many! Trying to get back into eating half way healthy.
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