Winding Down

My last Saturday in Bangladesh for what will likely be many years is being spent within the confines of my own apartment, but this time it’s out of choice. This past week was consumed by an urgent push to complete the projects I’ve been working on for the past several months, and by preparations for my departure next week – now a day earlier since Biman Airlines decided to cancel my original flight for reasons yet to be explained, but I figure I’m better off leaving on a quiet Friday anyways.

It felt good to send my final issue of Article 14 to the publisher on Thursday afternoon, but the ‘farewell program’ arranged by my organization for Marc and I felt even better. It was an opportunity for various staff members who have gotten to know us quite well or even not very well at all to express their thoughts about our departure and relate their memories of working with the two of us over the past six months. With a degree of sincerity that I doubt would ever be projected in a similar event in North America, many of our colleagues made us laugh and recollect the good times, the trying times, and of course the slightly embarrassing ones that we have gone through together. Though the gifts they gave us are indeed appreciated, it will, without a doubt, be their (mostly) kind words that will carry the most weight on our long journey home.

After a relaxing day complete with a 5k row, short jog and a leisurely swim before lounging by the pool at the Canadian Club, our pre-departure celebrations continued the next evening when the two of us BRCT interns hosted a rooftop party at 27 Bijoy Nagar. Unlike the turnout at our Christmas eve gathering, last night succeeded in drawing most of our fellow expat friends - a group that has now expanded to include interns hailing from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Columbia and Bangladesh who have been working for BRAC, Save the Children, CARE, Grameen Bank and UNICEF - up to the fifteenth floor.

Knowing that it would be far too hot to have such a gathering indoors, we rounded up our chairs, transported my laptop and speakers up to the roof and were greeted with a cool breeze that kept us all in good spirits (with the help of frightfully strong locally produced spirits themselves, of course) until well past midnight. Our 360-degree view of downtown Dhaka complimented by some Bangla fusion and soft Latin samba added the extra kick that ensured that the evening – the last Friday night in the city for many of us - would be a memorable one.

The final two days of our last weekend in Bangladesh (four days long on the occasion of National Language Day and a Hindu religious holiday on Sunday and Monday) will give us the opportunity to visit the markets and restaurants we haven’t had the chance to get to earlier before we all ship off to different destinations this week. Today, however, will likely remain relatively low key for me, as these next six days are sure to be as busy as the last.

I’m still working on acquiring a copy of my video from Channel i. I was told they’ve been experiencing ‘technical difficulties’ that have prevented them from being able to burn the CD, but they insist that it will be in my hands before I leave. I’ll believe it when I see it.

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What will likely be the final issue of The Global Byte for this batch of Acadia interns is available at newsstands now - well, only this one, actually - though it isn’t quite complete as of 5pm BDT. There you’ll find more admittedly melodramatic philosophizing on my departure and the role of the non-governmental organization alongside revealing articles by Catherine Power and Kat Aubrey-Horvath and a couple controversial ones dished up by my roommate, Marc Edmunds.