Monday 8/28: No kindergarten this morning. Our bedroom AC quit working again. When we turned it on a putrid smell came forth. We felt bad asking Carl if we could get a new one but he said not to feel one bit bad that we had to stay cool at night! Anyways, Jared heaved the old AC out of our bedroom wall this morning before he left for clinic. A mistri came and hauled several bags of bricks up to our apartment along with powdered cement. I knew it did not even pay to try and keep Layton’s attention on school when there was a mistri to watch. And trust me I got a “no details spared” report on how the wall was patched! They did brick and mortar to fill in the hole and then plaster over it. I had to smile because when we remodeled our house in Kansas and we removed a wall unit, Jared framed it all in with 2x4s, added insulation, then drywalled, taped, mudded and painted it all! After the plaster dries they will put new wallpaper over it. Then we will get a split unit in there. For now we are all sleeping in Layton’s AC room. Jared had a busy morning at the clinic. 30 patients… I did the usual. I had to have a talk with Sumita and tell her that when Shania is napping in a room that she has to wait until after she wakes up to clean in there. It was getting to the point that I had to hold Shania for her morning nap every time she came to clean because it woke her up when Sumita would sweep. I appreciate that she does such a thorough job but if a baby doesn’t get a good nap it seems to affect the rest of the day. In the afternoon Jon was supposed to come over to go through all the audit papers that Jared has been working on. Jared had the papers all ready strewn out on our big dining table and then Jon never showed up. Anyways, we went up to the roof for our nightly walk. Layton took his bike up there and rode for awhile. He loves riding up there because then he doesn’t have to watch out for cars or people. Noticed that they are starting to take the scaffolding down off the sides of the Farmgate metro station. At night the whole station is lit up!
Tuesday 8/29: Kindergarten this morning. Shania slept long enough that we were able to do more review of our letters and numbers. Later after kindergarten I went out to the veranda to gather up all the laundry to fold. I saw something that almost made me cry. There are a bunch of men slowly cutting down all the trees in our backyard. You might wonder why this would almost make me cry, but it’s our own precious little bit of “country” that keeps us sane. I’ve mentioned before that when it rains I always go stand on the back veranda and watch the rain pour through the “jungle.” We’ve noticed them trimming smaller trees and thought maybe that was all they were going to do but by the looks of things they are taking down the big ones too. They are using a tiny electric chain saw. I think I might pray that their chainsaw quits working!😂 Or else pray that they will leave a few big ones standing for my comfort. When Jared got home from clinic we all stood on the veranda and watched them working on the trees like the sad little Lorax himself. Had singing this evening which was such a joy! Sumita taught us a new song which was fun. We stayed and visited with them for quite awhile and then Sumita all of a sudden said it was time for us to go because her and Josna had plans to meet one of their friends. 😝so we left! Haha! Went to Shuktara for supper. On the way there we took a rickshaw, it was beautiful weather! Was really enjoyable to sit and chat with Doyles for awhile. Slowly ambled our way home.
Wednesday 8/30: Kindergarten this morning. Next time we go to Doyle’s at Golpagange we are going to swipe one of their extra school desks. Our dining table is high enough that it’s kinda an awkward height for Layton to do schoolwork at. I tried to wad up a blanket for him to put on the chair to set him up higher but you can imagine how long that lasted with a squirmy 6 year old bum. Jared did the end of month paperwork… For lunch we headed to the clinic. Fried fish and egg curry. Eggs are quite expensive here right now. Layton ate three pieces of fish and 2 piles of rice. Josna was very pleased! When we were arriving at the clinic we noticed a lady and her daughter had followed us there. They came and stood in the room where we eat. I thought it was a patient needing milk, but all of a sudden Sumita told her to go out in the hallway. The lady kept trying to talk to Jared “boss boss.” So Sumita kept sending her out. Later Josna told me that that lady and her husband don’t work but they come to the clinic and beg for rice for their daughter. The funny thing is is that the lady won’t eat any of Josna’s food because it’s “Christian bhat,” not “Muslim bhat (rice)” But for some reason it’s ok for her child to eat Christian rice but not her. The lady and her child were well dressed and tidy looking. What was even stranger was the lady had perfectly straight WHITE teeth. Very unusual for here. Usually they are stained red from pawn or they have bad crooked teeth if they are really as poor as this lady claimed to be. Spent the evening at home.
Thursday 8/31: Kindergarten this morning. Layton was less than thrilled about doing school. I told him we had to do on days when nothing exciting was happening so that when our friends come into Dhaka or we go to the village we can take off of school and be with them. He grudgingly admitted that was probably a good plan. I told him if he could get through kindergarten without too much griping and whining that I’d buy him the big remote controlled car that’s sitting at carebox. He eyes that thing every time we go there. (It’s actually hidden in my closet🫢😝) Once we get started with the day’s lesson his attitude usually changes and he thinks it’s fun. Had him make the letters and numbers that he’s learned so far out of play doh. He really loved that! If any of you former teachers have ideas on how I can keep it fun for him please message me. Jared took a motorcycle and went to Mohawkali to find some new wallpaper for the bedroom. He forgot his umbrella so came home soaked!! Us Kansas folk still aren’t used to carrying umbrellas this time of year. You would think after being soaked to the marrow of our bones several times we would remember. Jon came in the afternoon to go through all of the paperwork that Jared has been working on.
Friday 9/1: Church this morning… Natun always cracks up at Jared and I when we stagger into the clinic dripping with sweat🫢 Jared had the opening and Doyle had the message. I don’t remember what it was about as I was in the kitchen trying to get Shania to take a nap. After church Natun noticed that one of our office chairs was broken. He laughed and said “An American ate too many cookies.” I said “no it was too much rice.” He just laughed and laughed and said “a Bengali would never break a chair by eating too much rice!” These people do think Americans are quite large.😂 Went to Lola’s for lunch. Came home and collapsed in the AC bedroom and we all slept the rest of the afternoon. This heat and humidity just drains a person. Real feel 105* and humidity of 75%. Not one speck of breeze either. We went up to the roof to see if we could feel a breeze but we just dripped away. The minute supper was over we went back into Layton’s bedroom and turned the AC on and spent the evening in there.
Saturday 9/2: What a morning! The newspaper man came to get his money for delivering the daily star every morning, the caretaker came and got the rent money, then Sumita came to clean. When she got here, she said “boss why don’t you answer your phone? Miriam needs you!” Jared spent the morning tearing off the wallpaper in the bedroom, removing the light and trim for when the mistris come next week. He was absolutely soaked with sweat by the time he was done. It has gotten SO hot again here. But supposedly in a month and a half it will cool. We shall persevere until then as we’ve been dripping and sweating since April.😂 Like my brother Clarke says “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”😂 In the afternoon Jared had to go to the pharmacy. The streets were packed with people and a procession. The Dhaka Expressway is being inaugurated today so wondered if that was the ruckus. Drums, loud music etc. The newspaper proclaimed that now on the new expressway: “from Farmgate to the airport in 10 minutes!!” So the next time we go to the airport to pick someone up we will see if it’s American 10 minutes or Bengali 10 minutes.😂 The rest of the day was unremarkable. I cleaned out the freezer again because the frost built up so much the freezer door wouldn’t shut all the way. Plus the other week I was trying to make lemonade slushees and almost a whole pitcher of lemonade dumped out in the bottom and then a few days later the granola dumped out so we had a meal ready to go right in the bottom of the freezer.
Sunday 9/3: Woke up during the night to a real thunderstorm! Layton thought it sounded like we were back in Kansas. Today was abit cooler and the humidity was noticeably less. Did kindergarten this morning but didn’t get much accomplished as the wee lady wanted to be held and rocked quite a lot. Jared had around 25 patients at the clinic this morning. Spent the rest of the day doing the usual… laundry, making food, etc. I was informed while I was making burritos for lunch that “mom, you know my teeth are sensitive to black beans don’t you?” 🫣
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