Dhaka Dispatch

All roads lead (back) to Dhaka

2011-07-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Dhaka Dispatch is now officially resurrected.

Today we leave our life in Baltimore and return to Dhaka. It's been 2 years since we moved here. Emily has finished her coursework and is returning to work at ICDDR,B with kids in tow. Eric will be posted to Kabul, Afghanistan for the next year with USAID. We're not looking forward to the time apart but we're excited about the next chapter. For all of you who never made it to Dhaka the last time we lived there, you now have a second chance to visit before all the other tourists come! :)

Two years went by so quickly, didn't it? But, here's some evidence that time has really passed.

Odin and Lily, Dhaka, May 2009

Odin and Lily, Baltimore, May 2011

Goods for sale

2009-05-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

The packers arrive in 18 days. We're still trying to find new homes for the car and the swing set...

The people that you meet, when you're walking down the street

2009-05-02T07:15:00.001-07:00

A photo op with one of our favorite beggars, Mr. Kalam.

Just super

2009-05-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

My two super heroes at Ryaan's birthday party. Thanks to Tareen, Imtiaz and Ryaan for a great afternoon!

My team

2009-05-02T07:10:00.001-07:00

This is me with my (fabulous) outbreak investigation team at the latest outbreak village- pesticide poisoning.

Easter morning photo shoot

2009-05-02T07:03:00.001-07:00

(Wardrobe provided by Grandma.)

My lovies

2009-05-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

St. Paddy's Day

2009-05-02T06:57:00.001-07:00

Yeah! Let's hear it for green ice cream on St. Patrick's Day!

It's the little things

2009-05-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a popscicle on the back porch on a hot afternoon!

Dress up

2009-05-02T00:16:00.000-07:00

Odin and Lily both enjoyed the dress up clothes Lily got for her birthday!

Happy Birthday Lily!

2009-05-01T23:56:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Lily's second birthday in March. The day was filled with friends, balloons, and cake. Happy birthday sweet girl!

Morning movie

2009-05-01T23:51:00.001-07:00

The kids get to watch one movie a day. Their selections include The Cat in the Hat and Frosty the Snowman. I believe this morning was Green Eggs and Ham. It's a very quiet 20

minutes.

The Zapper

2009-05-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

This is a plastic racket with an electrified mesh face that we use for killing mosquitoes. It's a fabulous tool. The kids refer to it affectionately as "The Zapper". We use it to hunt for mosquitoes in the net every night before bed. I won't miss all the mosquitoes. Twenty-eight more days.

An evening at the ball

2009-02-27T23:13:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we attended ICDDR,B's Black and White Ball, afffectionately known locally as the Diarrhea Ball because proceeds go to support ICDDR,B's diarrhea hospital. Our last ball in Dhaka for a while...

Sharing a box

2009-02-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

Superheros fighting the bad guys

2009-02-27T22:54:00.001-08:00

Three amigos

2009-02-27T22:48:00.001-08:00

Three amigos at a birthday party

Bat boy

2009-02-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008 in Dhaka

2009-02-27T22:07:00.001-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas

Lily the elf

Enjoying some Christmas toys

Lily's first ride on her new tricycle

Jump, jump, jump, jump!!

Making our way down Road 5 for a Christmas visit with the Luby's

Two peas in a pod

2009-02-27T22:03:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2008-12-06T17:35:00.001-08:00

Spidey and the Butterfly Fairy

After the Halloween 5K, my first race in years...

Trick or treating at the US Embassy

Rickshaw trick-or-treat: Odin was quite unimpressed by the unauthentic Spiderman 'mask' that came with his costume. However, putting the nylon swim cap over his face was an acceptable fix.

Buddies

2008-12-06T17:19:00.001-08:00

Odin and Lily are the best of friends... usually. Here are a few photos of them at their best.

Documentary interview

2008-12-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I was interviewed as part of a Discovery Channel documentary on emerging viruses. This is one of the many 'takes' in various locations around Bangladesh. I hear the documentary was well done- still have to make time to watch it myself.

Go, Daddy! Go!

2008-12-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

In November we enjoyed a fabulous beach vacation in Lombok, Indonesia. For the first time in a long time our 'holiday' actually felt like a vacation (see my post from last year's beach trip). But there was more to the trip than just sun and fun- Eric was there for a triathlon. An 1800 km swim, followed by a 25 mile bike and a 7 mile run in 95 degree heat. The Lombok triathlon is touted as one of the most beautiful and the most difficult triathlons in the world and delivers on both counts. But Eric had plenty or moral support to help get him through! Our dear friends Tara, Phil, Solene and Amelie joined us which made the trip even sweeter. Here are a few pictures from this family adventure:

Puri Mas Resort- a fabulous place to stay

Odin, getting into the holiday mood

Lombok island was formed by a volcano leaving black sand and steep mountains behind

Solene and Odin in the waves

Go, Daddy! Go!

Half way through the run

Lily and Amelie supporting Daddy and Baba

Sweet relief

Post-tri family portrait

Exploring the garden

My tired little travellers

Odin's birthday

2008-12-02T07:21:00.001-08:00

Ok, his birthday was back in June, but I never posted any photos. Here's my happy boy on his happy 3rd birthday! I can't take credit for the lovely cake- it's the handiwork of our cook, Mina. What could be more fun for a 3 year old than cake, singing, and fire combined in one event?

Stranded in paradise

2008-09-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

We recently went to Phuket, Thailand for a weekend beach get away. Local political demonstrations closed the airport and we were stranded in paradise for an extra day and a half. Doesn't get much better than that.

Claude the Yard Knome

2008-09-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Claude the Yard Knome visited us from a 2nd grade class in LaGrange, GA. We tried our best to show him a good time in Dhaka and then we sent him back to the class with photos and stories to share with the kids

Our children and house staff are familiar enough with the concept of Santa Claus to know that he wears a pointed hat and has a long white beard. They are not familiar enough with the concept, however, to distinguish Santa Claus from Claude the Yard Knome. The name similarities didn't help, either. So, they called him Santa Claus. Here are a few photos from Santa's visit.

When the cold is too hot

2008-09-13T07:38:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, during the hot season, even the cold water it too hot for a bath. The water sits in a very long system of outdoor pipes and arrives in our house too hot for wahsing kids. No worries, though, we have ice. This is Lily and Odin preparing their bath by adding ice cubes.

Measuring up

2008-06-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

We measure the passing of time by marking the height of our children on the wall. Odin decided that he wanted to get in on the action. He took responsibility for measuring Lily. Figuring out how to measure Dad was a little more challenging...

Odin and Solene

2008-06-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

We so enjoyed a visit from some friends in May. Odin and Solene, who knew each other in infancy, became friendly again. Odin even agreed to show her his camera.

The double stroller

2008-06-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Since I became a mother, I've asked myself more than once, "Who am I?" I had another one of these moments when we purchased our first double stroller. I didn't recognize the woman pushing this contraption around the neighborhood. One part of me mourned my former identity, who used to travel light. The other part of me was simply thrilled with the notion of being able to stroll with both of my children at the same time.

Yoga-ing

2008-06-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

I love to watch my kids strike yoga poses. They enjoy rolling out the mat to do "yoga-ing". They're both pros at downward dog, shown here.

Shubo Nobo Borsho!

2008-04-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Or, in English, Happy Bengali New Year! Bangladesh celebrated the New Year yesterday with festive cultural celebrations all over the country. We took the kids to see some singing and dancing at the park new our house. Everyone was dressed in their finest red and white clothes.

Considering the stressful months that have passed since western New Year's on January 1st we're looking to the Bengali New Year to bring us a fresh start. This includes a renewed commitment to the blog!

Gloves

2008-04-15T08:05:00.001-07:00

My son doesn't know what winter gloves are. Therefore, any 'gloves' are used as a sporting goods.

And miles to go before we sleep...

2008-04-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since the last blog. A lot has been going on and this is part of my excuse.

In the first week of March Lily and I were back in the USA for 2 weeks. She received endless love and affection from great-grandparents, grandparents, cousins, aunties and an uncle while I attended a pneumonia surveillance workshop and presented some of my data on bacterial meningitis and hospital acquired respiratory infections at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta. I must admit, nothing says "Moms are scientists, too!" like a stroller at a scientific conference. However, I'm not sure that I'll be bringing children with me to the next one. The travel was absolutely brutal- 36 hours door to door each way. And it took 2 weeks to get over jet-lag when we returned to Dhaka. But the visit was wonderful! My professional work went very well and the time spent with family and friends was fabulous. Aunt Lori and Grandma and Grandpa Adams get a special shout out for taking on Lily care for very long hours!

So, we recovered from the trip a few weeks ago. Here are a few pictures and highlights from our long adventure.

Lily celebrated her first birthday in Greenville, SC

The cake says it all

Mimi feeding Lily some birthday cake

Lily with a birthday gift

Posing for Mommy

Lovin' with Aunt Lacey- girls in their jammies

Emily with colleagues in Atlanta

Emily presenting her poster at the conference

Lily discovers that she loves, loves tutus. Aunt Lori isn't sure how any daughter of mine could be "so fancy".

Lily hanging at the United Airlines business class lounge in Hong Kong

Lily up at 2 am to play in Dhaka- baby jet-lag is serious business

Public hospitals

2008-02-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

We're currently conducting surveillance for hospital acquired respiratory infections at three public tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh. Specifically, we're interested in the role that hospitals might play as places where infections like influenza could easily spread from person to person. These hospitals are typically very crowded places, as you can see. These are a few photos from wards currently involved in the surveillance study.

A pediatric ward on admission day

An adult medicine ward at night

Patients hospitalized on the veranda

What not to put on your CV

2008-02-24T06:43:00.001-08:00

At the end of last week I went through about 300 CVs to shortlist candidates for 3 junior researcher positions we have open. As I general rule, I suggest that when preparing a CV you focus on key experiences you've had which are relevant to the position advertised. If you find yourself tempted to include on your CV other intangible qualities, similar to this beautiful excerpt from one CV I read, please do your best to fight the temptation.

My first cricket game

2008-02-24T06:34:00.001-08:00

I must admit that I really enjoyed playing my first cricket game! No one would ever call us 'good' cricket players, but we had a lot of fun. We were honored that 5 members of the Bangladesh National Women's Cricket Team came to watch our game and practice with us (pictured here in white). Can you imagine how 'outside the norm' you must be as a professional female athlete in Bangladesh? These women are cool. I wondered why these professional athletes would even be interested in watching such amateur play as ours. But then I realized that our teams could very well be the only women's cricket teams in the whole country outside of education institutions. I guess we have a lot in common with them- at least cricket interest, if not cricket skill.

Something I won't miss about Dhaka

2008-02-09T02:18:00.000-08:00

In just over a year from now we'll be leaving Dhaka and moving back to the United States. With this in mind we've already started wondering what we'll miss most about our lives here. The final list will be sizable. However, there are some things we won't miss about living here. One is this disgusting stuff that appears on our downstairs floors with it's damp (which happens frequently, since we live in a tropical climate). I believe it to be mold, for obvious reasons, but Eric has hypothesized that it might be something leaching out of the concrete. Either way, it's gross, and we won't miss it.

Big girl

2008-02-09T02:14:00.000-08:00

Lily is such a big girl now! And very, very cute if I do say so myself. Walking and talking. Five teeth. I can't believe that her first birthday is next month. Where did the time go?

Bad time to be a bird

2008-02-09T02:06:00.001-08:00

It's a bad time to be a bird in Bangladesh.

Avian influenza outbreaks continue, seemingly increasing as the weeks progress. Tens of thousands of poultry are culled each week but the strategy has done litte to check the spread of the virus. Another new phenomena, unheard of in other countries, has been the mass deaths of crows from bird flu all around the country. Here's a picture of such crows from last week's paper. They were found in a well known park in Dhaka. Usually crows are not infected with or do not die from bird flu. However, these crows are apparently feeding on carcases of chickens who died from H5N1 and ingesting massive amounts of virus.

No reported human cases yet, but we're still looking.

My favorite little doggie

2008-01-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

Odin really enjoys being a doggie. He does the typical dog stuff- barking, digging, drinking from a bowl, shaking with his paw- and occasionally does some butt sniffing. He also pretends to poop and pee in the garden, and although he does actually pee there sometimes, he's hasn't pooped there yet. I've been told by more seasoned moms that we should expect this development in the future.

Sometimes he requests that we enact more complex doggie scenarios. A few times he's asked us to pretend that we're a band playing too loudly and he barks at us. Another example is when he pretends to dig in 'your garden' and insists that we scold him for this behavior. I wonder what it is about being a doggie that he finds so appealing?

Two doggies digging in the garden

My favorite doggie enjoying some refreshment

Our happy little doggie

Rough start

2008-01-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

The year is off to a rough start... First came the exhaustion that can only be acquired through lengthy travel itineraries in remote South Asia with two small children. Then, as soon as we were finally beginning to feel recovery, the kids got sick. Now we're all struggling with some kind of infection. In the past two weeks, at least one of us has had diarrhea, runny nose, cough, eye infection, or fever at any given time. Two of us have received antibiotics.

I hope that February goes better than January! I'll spare you having to view a picture to accompany this post...

Women's cricket

2008-01-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

Cricket is serious business in Bangladesh. My office has a yearly cricket tournament where each division fields a team to play for first prize. Women usually do not play on these teams, but this year a women's team was formed. Next year they might even let us play a match against one of the other teams. Baby steps.

Here are a couple of shots from our first practice on an actual cricket pitch. This is my first time playing cricket! I like it. I might be better at it if I knew the rules, but since we're not actually playing a game, I won't worry about it too much.

Rest and relaxation? What were we thinking?!

2008-01-12T06:12:00.000-08:00

Two weeks, four flights, and 6 hotel rooms later, we returned home to Dhaka on Thursday evening, January 10th. We had adventure, priceless moments and lots of family time. We saw beautiful Sri Lanka. We did NOT however, do any resting or relaxing. Anyone who has traveled with two small children knows that there is nothing restful or relaxing about it. I'm not sure what we were thinking, but we won't be planning another trip like this anytime soon.

I didn't keep a diary of our trip, but if I had it would have gone something like this:

Day 1, to Bangkok: Yeah! We're finally leaving on vacation! Can't wait to spend some quality time together and get away! Our flight to Bangkok was delayed a couple of hours, but we got a free upgrade on our hotel room. Luck is on our side!

Day 2, in Bangkok: I love Bangkok. Great food and good shopping. Our hotel is great and Odin enjoys the amenities, like the playroom and the hair dryer, which he uses for drying hair as well as vacuuming. Went to the zoo. At times, it felt like we were the attraction. Here's a picture of a poster from the chimp section which outlines the similarities between humans and chimpanzees. I found it interesting because you're unlikely to see such a poster in the US.

Day 3, in Bangkok and travel to Colombo: More good food in Bangkok. Eric strained his back at the pool. This has been a great start to the trip, but just wait till we get to the beach! The night flight to Colombo goes well and even in the dark, it's quite clear that Colombo is nicer than Dhaka. We check in to the Holiday Inn and crash hard.

Day 4, from Colombo to Unawatuna: We can see the beautiful Indian Ocean from our hotel room. We wake up, have a delicious breakfast, and pack up for the drive to the beach, Unawatuna. For at least a week we've been prepping Odin, 'Where are we going?' He would yell back with a big grin, 'Unawatuna!!' Lily took her first steps in the hotel room. She's growing up so fast!

When the taxi we had arranged to take us to the beach failed to show at noon, we were able to arrange another and leave at 1:30. We arrived in Unawatuna at about 5 pm on New Year's Eve. The 'apartment' we booked (I use the term loosely, as did the guide book) left a little to be desired. It was basically two cement rooms joined by a cavernous cement room which had a few plastic chairs. No AC, no TV, and lighting was provided by single bulbs dangling from the ceiling. When it got dark Odin said, 'Turn on the lights Mommy.' I replied, 'They are on sweetie.'

Oh, we also got a refrigerator which the staff accessed without knocking as needed. We were unimpressed but faced the situation with resolve. The kids don't care where we stay! We've stayed at a million places like this before and had a wonderful time. This will be the same.

We dropped off our bags and headed directly to the beach. We crossed the busy main highway (which was directly in front of our hotel and had to be crossed to reach the beach, another little fact concealed by the guide book). All the restaurants were busy preparing for New Year's Eve so the kitchens weren't taking orders. We finally found one place that would make us some fried rice and french fries. We ate, drank a local Lion beer, and talked ourselves into the place as we tried to keep the stray beach dogs away from the kids. We reassured ourselves that this was going to be so much fun!

With Eric's back still hurting and our hopes less than high, we went to bed at 8:30, exhausted.

Day 5, Unawatuna: We were awoken at midnight by the New Year's Eve revelry- the fireworks lasted about an hour and the rave next door continued until about 2 pm this afternoon. As the firework show began, so did Odin's screams of fear. He hates fireworks and spent hours last night sobbing. When I saw him this morning the first thing he said was, 'I want to go home. Now.' We reassured him that things were going to get better, but it felt like we were reassuring ourselves more than reassuring him.

We readied ourselves for breakfast and headed to the hotel's rooftop restaurant at 7:15. There weren't many people up except those who hadn't yet been to sleep. We ordered breakfast and received some juice and scrambled eggs approximately one hour later. The kids were screaming and fighting and at 8 am it had already been a long day.

But, the beach awaited! Surely playing in the sand would lift our spirits. The beach was truly beautiful with green palm trees and blue-green, clean water. So we played, and we contemplated the tension that surrounded us. My first objective for the trip was that no one get a sunburn. We sat in the shade and lathered on the lotion.

After some play and lunch we were able to verbalize a bit of our discontentment. We didn't like our place. It was overpriced and uncomfortable. We didn't like crossing the main road with the kids. We didn't like waiting for breakfast. We would move hotels.

We trekked down the beach in search of alternative establishments. One place looked perfect- nice restaurant, a pool, and lots of kids. They were booked. Another place had rooms- all musty and moldy. Lily was wailing and Odin dragging when we entered the garden of The Villa. I sat down to nurse Lily and instructed Eric to see a room. Two gay men seated nearby told us the place was the best on the beach and that they had just spent 11 days here. That was enough recommendation for me. They had two rooms available for the next day. It was done. Eric inquired about the price of the rooms, but honestly, I would have paid anything.

I washed our clothes by hand in the sink and wondered where the young travelers we used to be had gone.

Just one more night, we thought. We were all tired and the kids were missing home. Odin acted out- our sweet boy became an unruly child. And Lily was teething which put her in a bad mood. We went to bed with our dwarfs, Unruly and Cranky, at about 8 pm.

Day 6, Unawatuna: We ate breakfast on the beach and packed our bags. We moved to The Villa and happiness again seemed attainable.

The kids could play in the garden. We could sit under the shady tree on the beach. We could eat at the hotel. The rooms had AC and hot water. We were going to make it.

Eric's back began to feel better.

Day 7, Unawatuna: This place was better, but we have planned to stay at the beach too long. Six days?! What were we thinking? Our fair skin can only take the sun for a couple of hours a day. And then what do we do? No playgrounds. No shops. They don't even have grocery stores around here.

Thank goodness the rooms had bidets. These were the perfect height for Odin to play in. He also enjoyed following the garbage truck (a big wagon pulled by a small tractor) around town and directing traffic on the side street. Lily took naps and practiced walking- great for her, tough on mom and dad's backs.

Day 8, Unawatuna: The surf is very rough today. We all took hard tumbles, even Lily. A wave completely took me off guard while I was holding her and we were pulled under. I kept thinking, 'Just hold on to the baby!' We were all fine, but that was enough beach for us for the day.

We made the decision to go back to Colombo the next day. 5 nights was going to be enough. We were done.

Day 9, Unawatuna to Colombo: We drove back to Colombo with a very nice driver who stopped at all the major Buddhist stupas to pray for our safe arrival. When we checked into the Hilton Residence I knew that our choice to leave early was the right one! We had a palatial suite- complete with a separate living area for our domestic help- and amenities included a playground and baby pool. Now this was more like it. We ordered room service and washed our clothes in a washing machine. Odin cooked in the kitchen and swept in the living room.

As great as these digs were, we felt a little depressed. Was this what it had come to? Were we no longer happy unless we were at the Hilton?

We slept soundly and snug in crisp white sheets. Today was the first day since New Year's that Odin didn't ask to go home.

Day 10, Colombo: Ate great food and went shopping for precious and semi-precious stones.

Day 11, Colombo to Bangkok: We were happy to be returning to Bangkok. We checked out at 12 and headed for the airport. About 45 minutes ahead of us on the airport road a bomb exploded killing the senior Minister it targeted. We were glad we hadn't left early for the flight and worried that we might not make our plane. We arrived in time however, and happily, left Sri Lanka. We checked into our hotel, ate dinner, and slept.

Day 12, Bangkok: Bra shopping and a massage provided much needed physical and spiritual lifts for me. It was almost over.

Day 13, Bangkok to Dhaka: Even the 3 hour flight delay didn't dampen our spirits too much. We were thankfully, going home. How had we gotten this vacation so wrong?

We arrived at our house and were met by our staff. Our housekeeper had dinner waiting and the kids were whisked away by their nannies to play in the back yard. We exhaled, and wondered when we became so soft.

We learned some tough lessons this vacation. The top two are:

1. Just because we long to get out of Dhaka doesn't mean that our kids also want to get away. We didn't count on the homesickness factor. They missed their routine. They missed their toys. They missed their food. Two weeks away is too long.

2. We are no longer young backpackers and the kids do care where we stay! We have to face facts about who we are now- tired parents of two small children- and forget about who we used to be- adventurous souls who didn't even need a hotel reservation before they boarded a plane. We are soft. We need to stay at resorts. We need a playground. We need a pool. We need a breakfast buffet. At least for now. Facing this reality took a toll on us but failing to realize it would just inflict more future pain on us all. I knew that Eric and I would grow old together, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly.

So, will we travel with our kids again? Absolutely. We'll just do it differently. We won't stay as long. We'll stay in nicer places. I've already started planning our first trip without the kids however- I'm thinking Spain in about 3 years...

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a peaceful 2008 filled with love.

Odin, enjoying large machinery in the Bangkok airport

What do you mean the flight's delayed 3 hours???

Sweeping at the Hilton in Colombo

Cooking at the Hilton Colombo

A note from the hotel staff when we checked out at Unawatuna

Father and son on the beach

Mom and the kids in the surf

The beautiful beach at Unawatuna

Lily in the sun

Thank goodness for the bidet

Lily in the garden

Her persona we've named Tiger Lily

Watching the world go by in Unawatuna

The garden at The Villa

Wilted Lily

Ready for beach action

Another view of the beach

Love that hair dryer

Our seasoned travelers. On the last flight home Odin was upset that each seat didn't have an individual video screen.

At the Bangkok zoo- are we the real attraction?

Some examples of how humans and chimps think alike

Checking out

2007-12-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

We're off to Unawatuna, Sri Lanka by way of Bangkok. Finally some rest and relaxation! We'll take lots of pictures to share when we're back in Dhaka. Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Day in Dhaka

2007-12-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a very social holiday and therefore, difficult to recreate without close family and friends. But, we did our best. Our kids have never seen snow, Santa, or Christmas lights. They understand very little of the cultural event we call Christmas. As an example, I give you Odin wearing our Christmas stockings as 'gloves'.

They did understand that Christmas Day is the day when we open some gifts. They both enjoyed their new toys- especially the tricycle!

It's tough to share new toys, isn't it?

We did some of the usual Christmas cooking- and eating.

Lily had her first mashed potatoes and loved them.

We had fun playing all day...

And we also got some work done, thanks to Odin.

Hope you all had a great holiday. We were thinking of and missing family and friends around the world.

You know you're a parent when...

2007-12-26T06:49:00.001-08:00

... you spend Christmas Eve putting together kids' toys.

Tree of love

2007-12-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

About 10 days before Christmas we brought in our tree. Most people say they 'put up' their tree, but we say 'brought in' because our tree lives in a pot outside. It's much bigger than it was last year!

We were unable to locate our beautiful wooden Christmas tree ornaments from Russia (given to us by Lacey) so we decided to make ornaments with pictures of family and friends. Here's are a few of them on our tree of love, hanging by dental floss.

Brishti

2007-12-26T06:35:00.000-08:00

Our poor dog Brishti hasn't even made the blog yet! She's cute, but usually not as cute as kids- the competition is tough to beat. Anyway, it's about time we introduced our dog Brishti. Her name means rain in Bangla, but ironically, she does not like water. You can tell by her face here while she's getting a Christmas bath.

When we moved to Dhaka we adopted Brishti from friends who had rescued her and her brother as puppies from the street. She had been hit by a car and still has the scars on her paw to prove it. She an exceptionally intelligent dog (I guess that street dogs are bred to be smart- dumb ones don't usually last long enough to procreate). She's also usually exceptionally dirty which is why she's stays outside. But we brought her in the house and cleaned her up for the holidays.

Lily's steps

2007-12-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, this isn't a great picture of Lily, but it's the only one I have from this momentous week. She said her first words on Tuesday! 'Bye-bye', complete with appropriate hand gesturing. Absolutely adorable. She followed up with a 'hi' on Thursday, and last night I got her to try barking like a dog. This girl learns fast!

She'll be walking soon... There were reports of her taking a few unassisted steps at play group this week, but no repeat performance so far.

Eid ul Azha

2007-12-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

Friday was the Muslim holiday Eid ul Azha. It's the second largest religious holiday of the year. To celebrate Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son to God, they sacrifice animals (usually cows or goats here) and share the meat with family and the poor.

The week before Eid ul Azha, the streets of Dhaka become crowded with goats and cows being taken to market. Most people prefer to spend the holiday in their village homes, since sacrificing animals can be messy. However, there's plenty of sacrificing in Dhaka as well. The night before there were numerous cows tied up outside houses on our street. The clean them and put festive decorations on their heads and necks. Odin enjoyed visiting all the cows on our street.

Early on Eid, someone trained in proper religious sacrifice protocol comes to kill the animals in the street. The family then cuts the animal up for sharing the meat. Less fortunate people from nearby slum neighborhoods come to houses sacrificing for meat handouts. We like to call this phenomena 'meat trick-or-treat'.

Queuing up for meat on our street

Some children with their bags of meat on Eid

Being a vegetarian, I'm not crazy about this holiday. That morning the streets are covered in blood and the smell of dead animal lingers into the evening. However, this is one of the few times during the year that many people in Bangladesh eat meat- usually they cannot afford it. I guess that a little extra protein in their diets can't hurt.

My favorite security guard

2007-12-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

Many of you will recognize this security guard from Halloween, even without his hat. He does a very good job of managing all traffic coming in and out of our driveway. And he's not afraid to use his whistle.

Victory Day

2007-12-17T05:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Bangladeshis celebrated their independence from Pakistan in 1971- they call it Victory Day. In the week preceding Victory Day, intersections are bustling with hawkers selling Bangladesh flags in all shapes and sizes.

Independence day celebrations in a country where many people remember the war for independence are quite different than in a country like the US where independence was won many generations ago. The wounds of sacrifice are still raw and emotions run high as everyone over 40 years old remembers the atrocities that defined the Liberation War. Many of those who fought for Bangladesh's independence are now calling for the prosecution of what they call 'war criminals'- those persons still living in Bangladesh who participated in the systematic killing of intellectuals and academics who supported the liberation movement. As little as a year ago, some of these people were a part of the ruling government.

Goofy hair

2007-12-13T05:58:00.000-08:00

Odin's hair is finally long enough to make silly hairstyles in the bathtub. He, he.

Grocery shopping

2007-12-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, I'm really behind on the blogging...

Every weekend we make a trip to the US Commissary. That's where we buy most of our prepackaged foods. It's a small 5 isle establishment that carries most of the essentials. Here's Odin doing some shopping on the cereal isle.

Here are a few goodies from the commissary that we can't get anywhere else.

Birthday parties in Dhaka

2007-12-01T06:46:00.001-08:00

We went to our friend Sam's 1st birthday party this weekend. The local snake charmer showed up, as he usually does when he hears of a festive occasion in the expatriate neighborhood. Odin did not like the snake charmer- at all.

He did, however, like the marching band that showed up about half an hour later. If any of you are interested in having them for your next garden party, just let me know and I'll see if I can book them for you. :)

Enjoying the show

Odin's got rhythm

My Lily

2007-12-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a few recent pictures of my Lily. She has just sprouted her third tooth and weighs almost 18 pounds. I love, love, love my girl.

Practicing her new clapping skills

Odin loves her, too.

Party hat

2007-11-27T06:19:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, when you pull a shirt over a kid's head, the shirt frequently gets caught about half way through. In our house, we call this 'shirt on the head' phenomena a party hat (in honor of one of our favorite bedtime stories, Go dog, go!).

First spaghetti

2007-11-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

Lily had spaghetti for the first time tonight! It was a definite hit.

Teeth brushing

2007-11-25T06:45:00.001-08:00

Odin has always enjoyed brushing his teeth...

Ghagra shak

2007-11-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of some of our data collectors just before leaving for the field again last week. They'll be back tomorrow. For those of you interested in an update on our outbreak investigation...

We've determined that people became sick and died from toxic poisoning after eating seedlings of a local wild plant called ghagra shak. It's in the Xanthium genus and is known to cause similar symptoms and death in livestock who eat it. The plant is safe to eat when mature, however. We think that they're eating more of these plants this year because of inflation- the plants grow wild and are therefore free food. Also, the floods lasted longer than usual this year so the plans are younger than they usually would be this time of year. At least now we have a useful public health message which we hope will prevent future deaths- don't eat ghagra shak!

Grieving

2007-11-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

We're grieving for all the cyclone victims in Bangladesh... the people who were washed away or buried under trees and buildings, as well as those who survived the storm just to die from hunger or water-borne disease in the following weeks. Articles in the paper quote local and international politicians who say that the loss of life and property is 'shocking'. Why is it shocking? Has there ever been a cyclone in Bangladesh which didn't cause tremendous amounts of death and suffering? Why are we shocked that the same thing happened again this time? What's really shocking is that we (the country of Bangladesh and the world) haven't figured out how to prevent these catastrophes in Bangladesh yet.

In all fairness, things have improved. During past cyclones hundreds of thousands of people have died- this time many estimate that the number dead will only be about 10,000. (Ok, the using 'only' and '10,000' in the same phrase doesn't make much sense, I know.) Since the last cyclone many shelters have been constructed, although not enough for everyone. And only those with TV and radio are aware when alerts are raised, leaving the poorest areas out of reach. In one tragic account, many locals in one area knew of the alert but refused to go. They evacuated coastal areas a few years back when the tsunami hit Asia only to find that no storm or tidal wave came. Many thought the government warnings were just 'crying wolf' again this time so they refused to leave their homes and belongings behind to seek shelter.

Relief groups and local and foreign governments are providing aid the best they know how. We can only give them our support and hope that those in need will find some peace in the days and weeks to come.

Taking care of babies

2007-11-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

Since Lily was born, Odin's learned a lot about taking care of babies. He practices some of these care-giving activities with his 'baby'. Sometimes he puts the baby down for a nap, sometimes he rocks the baby, and sometimes he gives the baby 'my milk'. This was Odin breastfeeding his baby this afternoon. Too cute.

Rock you like a hurricane

2007-11-17T05:53:00.001-08:00

Ok, so when I wrote that Dhaka was just going to get some rain and heavy wind, I lied. It was the biggest storm I've seen in the four years that we've been here. I was up all night with Lily (she's not feeling well) and I had plenty of entertainment courtesy of mother nature. I've never been so happy to live in a big, sturdy, brick house.

The power was out in Dhaka for about 36 hours, which also shut down public water supplies. There are already reports of over 1000 dead in the southern districts which makes me confident that there will be at least another 1000 confirmed dead in the coming days. Between the heavy floods, the outrageous inflation, and now a hurricane, it's been a tough year for Bangladesh. For so many who live on the verge of disaster, it's been devastating.

Odin surveying the damage- flooding and broken branches on our roof

A flooded backyard

People from neighboring slums filling up water pots from our tank to take back to their hovels

Go girl, go!

2007-11-17T02:15:00.000-08:00

Slammed

2007-11-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

The coast of Bangladesh is currently being slammed by Cyclone Sidr, shown here in a satellite photo from NASA. Past cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh. Hopefully most people have been evacuated or are in shelters and will be safe. In Dhaka we're experiencing heavy wind and rain but nothing too concerning.

The simple things

2007-11-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

I love the fact that a plastic bowl full of spare bottle and sippy cup parts will entertain my kids long enough for me to reheat dinner.

Another creation

2007-11-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, Odin is a very busy person who likes to create machines. This was his creation this evening- a mixer. It is unclear exactly what this machine mixes (concrete? cake batter?), but it is obviously a complex process. Note that the bulldozer is not only connected to the apparatus in his hand, but also to the door.

A new year

2007-11-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all my family and friends for the birthday wishes! The day was a good one filled with love, quality time with the kids, professional accomplishment, and of course, cake (designed by Eric and created my Mina, our housekeeper). I'm looking forward to my new year!

Happy Birthday Bebelus!!!

2007-11-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's Draga mea's birthday thus my attempt to create a post for the most incredible woman ever! Now that I've tried my hand at this blog thing, I'm even more impressed! She never ceases to amaze me and we love her so much. Happy Birthday Bebelus!!! From all of us! MMmmHHhhh!!!

Trying to get the kids together to do a little birthday blog was a little more of a challenge than I expected. It started rough.

I called in reinforcements which helped a bit, but we were lacking some emotion.

We were able to get the excitement level up but went a little too far!

In the end, we didn't get the shot I was hoping for but everyone was happy and looking forward to celebrating with mama! Happy Birthday!!!!

Mystery continues...

2007-11-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

This article was published today about one of the outbreaks we're investigating. Of course, the media has the numbers all wrong but the overall message is correct: there are more cases showing up and more deaths. We're still trying to figure it what's going on...

8 months

2007-11-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

Today, Lily is 8 months old. In the past month she has sprouted two teeth, learned to crawl and pull up, and is practicing standing without support. She manages to stand for a few seconds at a time now and likes to share her excitement with high pitched squeals. She's growing up fast, a bit too fast for me.

Ball season

2007-11-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

When most people use the phrase 'ball season' there is another word that precedes it, like 'basket' or 'base' or 'foot'. However, in Dhaka, the phrase 'ball season' stands alone. Between November and February, various organizations hold formal balls to raise money for charitable causes and give the expats a reason to dress up.

Last night we went to the Marine Ball, the first of the season. This event is held each year around the world, anywhere there are US Marines, to celebrate their birthday on November 10th. We heard stirring speeches about patriotic warriors, dined on fine cuisine, and danced the night away. That is, until midnight when the magic faded and we turned back into tired parents. :)

To the field

2007-11-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, part of my job is to investigate outbreaks of infectious disease. My team works closely with the government to identify outbreaks, to determine the cause of the disease, and to figure out what put people at risk for the disease. This is a busy week for us. Today we sent three outbreak investigation teams to the field. We're investigating one outbreak (13 cases and 8 deaths) which appears to be some kind of toxic poisoning, one outbreak of encephalitis in children (13 hospitalized and 4 deaths), and one outbreak of pneumonia in children (120 hospitalized and 10 deaths). When we go to the field we make a 'case' definition, based on the presenting symptoms of patients in the outbreak, make a line list of everyone who might be a case, collect information about when they became ill and the symptoms they've experienced, ask questions about exposures which may have led to disease, perform clinical evaluations, and collect biological samples. We also give 'messages' to patient care givers and health care workers about how to prevent further spread of infection. Often these message are very general because we frequently don't know what's causing the illness.

The health advisor (equivalent to the health minister in this care taker government) called our offices today to formally request that we participate in the investigations. Of course, we were already involved with our government colleagues. This kind of interest is sure to bring a spotlight to the work we're doing... it's going to be a busy weekend. Hopefully, I'll have some interesting pictures to share with you this weekend.

No time for food

2007-11-06T05:51:00.000-08:00

Lily has started to appreciate some of the solid fare we serve her. Her primary complaint at mealtimes is that eating usually requires that she stop practicing her locomotive skills, which are currently her top developmental priority. The is a picture of one protest this week- 'I do not have time for your silly food!' she cried.

Ingenuity

2007-11-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

The longer I know Odin, the more convinced I am that he has inherited his father's engineering brain. He enjoys playing with his toys, but he likes to 'make' other complicated machines out of regular household items even more. This is what he made on Thursday. He connected a makeshift hand mixer (we made this at his insistence - he was devastated when we told him he couldn't use the real one) to a water pitcher to make a 'water pump'.

A night out

2007-11-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Eric and I shared a fine dining experience last night at the Radisson Hotel. The food was expensive, especially for Dhaka, but delicious! It was a lovely evening. My husband was as handsome as ever. But, I did catch him wearing these black athletic socks with his dress shoes. He has admitted that he struggles with sock choice every morning...

Baby swing

2007-11-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Lily loves to swing! This was taken in our backyard.

When doors open and close

2007-10-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks the doors in our house have started opening and closing properly. Winter must be right around the corner!

Let me explain. All year long (except the few months of winter) Bangladesh is very hot and very humid. So humid in fact, that the doors in our house that open to the outside become swelled with water and don't open or close without considerable pushing or pulling. I'd forgotten what it was like to close this door without using my shoulder and hip!

No nap + too much Halloween candy =

2007-10-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat

2007-10-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. How can you go wrong with costumes, candy, and parties? Bangladeshis do not celebrate Halloween. However, the American community does what it can to create a Halloween experience for its kids. On the 31st the Embassy will host trick-or-treaters at their offices. Today there was a Halloween party at the American Club and afterwards the kids trick-or-treated through expat neighborhoods in a caravan. We decided that four hours of Halloween fun was too much for us. Instead we waiting for the other kids to come trick or treat at our house and then we joined them for a few houses on their route. Odin was a 'night guard' for Halloween. The Embassy employs security guards to keep watch over our houses at night. Odin thinks very highly of these 'night guards' and since he pretends to be a 'night guard' almost everyday, we thought it would make a good Halloween costume. Lily was a Christmas gift.

Odin, the night guard

Lily, the gift

Talking on the radio with the other guards

Having lunch and waiting for the trick-or-treaters

Odin and Mom

He wasn't so sure about my teeth.....

Dad with the kids

Candy!

Odin posing with another 'night guard'

Welcome Annabelle!

2007-10-26T03:06:00.000-07:00

My niece, Annabelle Kay, was born on Wednesday, October 24th weighing 5 pounds, 11 ounces. Welcome to the world Annabelle! It's a better place because you're in it.

Occupied

2007-10-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

I've gotten behind on blogging. For the past few days my brain has been occupied by data analysis from our meningo-encephalitis surveillance study. I enjoy being completely and totally intellectually engaged. It's a great grey matter workout. However, I haven't had much creative juice left in the evening for the blog. My apologies.

Some highlights from our week include: Lily cut her two first teeth! I got my overdue typhoid vaccine booster and a shorter than usual haircut. Odin has spent time everyday 'being bunny' and doing things that bunnies do, like hopping and 'pooping in the garden'. Still trying to decide what Lily will be for Halloween.

Here's a quote by Abraham Lincoln that caught my attention this week:

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail is a
leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg, doesn't make it a leg.

How true. And with that, I'll leave you with a promise to blog with a picture tomorrow.

Durga Puja

2007-10-21T08:09:00.001-07:00

Durga Puja is the biggest religious festival for Hindus in Bengal (East Bengal is Bangladesh and West Bengal is in India). Bangladesh is known as a Muslim country but about 10% of it's citizens are Hindu. Multiply that by the 140 or so million people who live here and you have about 14 million Hindus in Bangladesh! Certainly a sizable minority.

Today is the last day of the Durga Puja festival. Durga is the goddess for whom the celebration is made. Puja means festival in Bangla. Clay statues of the goddess Durga are fashioned (similar to the one above, courtesy of Wikipedia) and painted and sunk in rivers and lakes. I apologize that my knowledge of the Durga isn't as good as it should be. Basically, she is the female goddess created by higher male deities from a collective female energy to fight demons. She's blessed with 10 hands to hold her various weapons. Durga Puja is a celebration of her victory over evil.

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia, which does a much better job describing her than I do:

The Great Goddess is said to be exquisitely beautiful. Her form is blindingly bright, with three lotus-like eyes, ten powerful hands, lush hair with beautiful curls, a red-golden glow from her skin and a quarter moon on her forehead. She wears a shiny oceanic blue attire emitting fierce rays. Her ornaments were carved beautifully of gold, with ocean pearls and precious stones embedded in it. Her face was sculpted by Shiva, torso by Indra, breasts by Chandra (the moon), teeth by Brahma, bottom by the Earth, thighs and knees by Varuna (water), and her three eyes by Agni (fire). Each god also gave her their own most powerful weapons, Rudra's trident, Vishnu's discus, Indra's thunderbolt, Brahma's kamandal, Kuber's gada, etc. Himalayas gifted her a fierce whitish golden lion.

A hose and a bucket

2007-10-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Few things will entertain Odin for as long as a bucket, a hose, and some running water will.

Strictly prohibited

2007-10-20T08:29:00.001-07:00

Eric and I had dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant called Le Saigon last night. Excellent food and interesting decor.

We took notice of this sign posted on the wall. Consumption of alcohol by Bangladeshi nationals is prohibited by law. Unless, of course, you can afford to become a member of a private club where alcohol is permitted. Like many places in the world, if you're rich enough, you can do most anything you want.

Alcohol consumption by foreigners is perfectly legal, however. We buy alcohol from the US commissary here. Local restaurants are happy to let expats BYOB. Last night, we enjoyed a couple of micro brewed beers with our Vietnamese cuisine.

Got mail?

2007-10-18T06:59:00.001-07:00

We receive mail through the US diplomatic pouch a couple of times a week. It's truly one of the greatest advantages to being and 'official' American here. Items purchased on the internet and packages sent by friends and family can be sent to our US address with ease. Then, the government ships them to us in Dhaka. It usually takes 2 weeks for mail to reach us.

Mail days are exciting, especially if we get something 'good', i.e. not bills or junk mail. Frequently, the mail delivery includes packages and packages usually contain something for Odin and Lily. Every night when Eric returns from work Odin asks with genuine interest, 'Mail? Got mail, Dada?'

Here's the aftermath from this week's package delivery...

Taking Lily to work

2007-10-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

ICDDR,B, the organization where I work, renovated their day care facilities about a year ago. The day care is now a safe, clean, and fun place for kids to be while their parents are at work. I must admit that the ability to bring my baby to work with me makes me a much, much happier mother and employee. Why should moms (or dads!) have to choose between seeing their kids during the day and working? This is true gender policy in practice.

Lily enjoys coming to the day care and playing with her baby friends. She's there for a few hours each afternoon, long enough for me to get two visits with her. There's also a toddler room, but Odin hasn't been interested in staying. When the alternative is having the whole house to himself (with his own backyard and toys) who would blame him?

Hard to believe

2007-10-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that these two might be the same size one day...

Babes by the pool

2007-10-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

Eid Mubarak

2007-10-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Eid, the most important Muslim holiday. It is a time spent with families and giving gifts, especially to those who have less than you. It's a time to share what you have with others.

The city was especially quiet today and people on the streets visiting with family and friends were all dressed up in their new Eid clothes. All the shops are closed and many people are in their village 'homes'. Most people here identify their 'home' as a rural place where their families are from, even if they've spent their entire lives in the capital. This is a photo published in the Daily Star a couple of days back showing the trains crowded with people returning to their villages to celebrate Eid. Full cabins? No problem, you can travel on the roof.

Because this is the season for giving, Muslims who provide us with services often request an extra bit of money for the holidays. This includes our garbage man, my masseuse, and our local neighborhood beggars. This is one card we received last week...

The inside of the card reads....

It says, 'Eid bones' but we think what they really meant was 'Eid bonus, please'. The card is a nice gesture, and we're happy to give, but we think their campaign would be more successful next year if they sign the card. We have no idea who sent it!

Eid Mubarak everyone!

Bangkok memories

2007-10-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

I've been to Bangkok many, many times over the past 20 years. Not surprisingly, I have many Bangkok memories. Visiting Bangkok always evokes 'I remember when...' stories. Some of those stories, I'm almost proud to say, are too scandalous for this blog. None of the scandalous stories, however, are from this weekend. This trip was all about family fun and adventure.

These are the kids hanging out in the Dhaka airport before our departure. We had a 'brush with fame' at the gate. Recent Nobel Prize winner Muhammed Yunus was on our flight. I didn't have the heart to bother him with posing for a photo with my kids. Besides, I would have had to fight the crowd of others trying to shake his hand. In person, he was just as friendly and humble as his public persona suggests.

Waiting for the plane

Sibling love in the airport

It's a plane!

Bangkok, an Oriental city

So, what did we do in Bangkok? Shopping and food were on the list, as always. Even Lily enjoyed the fabulous cuisine.

Here she is making friends with the locals. Traveling with kids in Asia is so great- everyone loves kids!

We also took a trip to the dentist- Odin's first!

We visited the aquarium! This photo doesn't do this beautiful (and huge!) aquarium justice. I think we enjoyed it more than Odin...

We dined with friends at one of our favorite local restaurants, Cabbages and Condoms. The proceeds go to support an international organization that promotes condoms for family planning and sexual health. They unashamedly use condoms for decoration and the gift shop is filled with condom souvenirs. The ambiance is wonderful and the food simply delicious. Check out a recent review on the New York Times site:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/cabbages-and-condoms-a-winning-idea/

Instead of breath mints, they offer leaving customers (you guessed it) condoms. I found it interesting that they offer both 'democrat' and 'republican' size. Just goes to show that US politics are a source of contention and satire around the world. Care to venture a guess at which size was bigger?....

Hanging out in the hotel room.

Our kids really are great travelers. Here's Odin, asleep on the road.

We had a great weekend, but are happy to be back in Dhaka. Home, sweet home.

Bangkok

2007-10-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

We're off to Bangkok for a few days of rest and relaxation! We'll update you on our latest adventures when we return.

Working is playing

2007-10-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

This age is all about copying behavior. Thus, Odin gets very excited about working on the 'ahmah-putah'. He enjoys finding letters and 'spelling' out names, but his favorite activity is looking at digital pictures of family and friends.

Diarrhea and the 2007 floods

2007-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

I'm one of the editors for the Health and Science Bulletin, a quarterly publication which reports important research findings from ICDDR,B to public health practitioners in Bangladesh. An article I wrote about record breaking numbers of diarrhea patients at our (ICDDR,B's) Dhaka Hospital during the flooding in August is now published online in the September issue at:

http://www.icddrb.org/pub/publication.jsp?classificationID=56&pubID=8887.

Today's the day

2007-10-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Today, Lily crawled for the first time. She crawled right over to another baby at day care to steal his toy. Happily, I was there to witness it. I can't quite imagine what acquiring the ability to crawl is like. Maybe a similar feeling to getting your first driver's license?

She seems happy about her new skill. Odin has yet to realize what implications this might have for him. Our job of keeping her safe just became more complicated. But, playing with her will become a lot more fun. Congratulations Lily!

The radio

2007-10-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is a radio we have to communicate in case of emergency. I can't tell you what we do with it or when we do it (that would, I'm told, be a security breach). You never know how many 'would be' terrorists are reading my blog. People here are very serious about security. However, I can tell you that Odin has been enchanted by this radio for as long as he's been able to feel enchantment. He's allowed to play with it as long as he doesn't turn it on.

TGIT

2007-10-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

In Bangladesh, the weekend is on Friday and Saturday. Therefore, we celebrate 'Thank God It's Thursday', TGIT.

We went to a little party after work today. Kids and parents all together. We really don't have many friends without kids these days. It's too difficult to keep up with them.

Here are a few pictures of us enjoying ourselves...

Lily with Mama

Odin and Catherine playing in the toy basket

In this picture there are no children, so I'll call us Emily and Eric.

Ok, a baby, a beer, a toddler around your legs. Yep, this is how we look at parties these days.

Odin's world

2007-10-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Since I started the blog I've been taking more pictures. Odin has noticed and desperately wanted to get in on the action. We have an old, inexpensive, simple digital camera that we gave to Odin to take pictures with a few days ago. He has taken about 200 pictures in the past two days.

These are some of his best photos, with a little editing help from mom. Not bad for a 2 year old! He definitely gets poses and faces that I can't.

And finally, a self-portrait.