Finally in Dhaka
Mood: Jet-lag has a whole new meaning
I thought I would just send you a quick hello saying that I'm alive and well in Dhaka! We made it yesterday afternoon and we had a really warm welcoming by PC staff and other volunteers in a hotel we are staying at until tomorrow (12th). As you can imagine, it is rather humid. Everyone's glasses fogged up the minute we stepped outside. The scenery is beautiful and also hard to see. It reminds me Nicaragua in that sense because the topography is stunning but there is so much poverty.
The language sounds great and I'm excited to start learning it today in our first session. The staff seem also very nice people and I think that is the most important thing to having a good program. Last night, we had a GREAT dinner (I'm going to love this) and then went to the PC office where a bunch of B7's (volunteers who started last year) who we talked to about absoluntely everything. It was nice to see faces that look happy and healthy after a year of service.
The volunteers who are in training with me all seem like great people for the most part and I wouldn't mind be paired up with any of them save for maybe 2 out of 50 just because of personality differences. The minute I stepped off the plane, I didn't feel nervous at all. This will be a very difficult place to live, but I think this will be a good place for me, so long as I keep my wits.
Us ladies don't have the garb to wear yet because it's coming later today for some reason. I'm quite excited though about the shalwar kameez's and I think that will make psychologically integrating a bit easier if I don't look so out of place with my dress.
I miss all of you and I wish you could see all of this. Fun fact, the cars drive on the left side and they use a qwerty keyboard.
I thought I would just send you a quick hello saying that I'm alive and well in Dhaka! We made it yesterday afternoon and we had a really warm welcoming by PC staff and other volunteers in a hotel we are staying at until tomorrow (12th). As you can imagine, it is rather humid. Everyone's glasses fogged up the minute we stepped outside. The scenery is beautiful and also hard to see. It reminds me Nicaragua in that sense because the topography is stunning but there is so much poverty.
The language sounds great and I'm excited to start learning it today in our first session. The staff seem also very nice people and I think that is the most important thing to having a good program. Last night, we had a GREAT dinner (I'm going to love this) and then went to the PC office where a bunch of B7's (volunteers who started last year) who we talked to about absoluntely everything. It was nice to see faces that look happy and healthy after a year of service.
The volunteers who are in training with me all seem like great people for the most part and I wouldn't mind be paired up with any of them save for maybe 2 out of 50 just because of personality differences. The minute I stepped off the plane, I didn't feel nervous at all. This will be a very difficult place to live, but I think this will be a good place for me, so long as I keep my wits.
Us ladies don't have the garb to wear yet because it's coming later today for some reason. I'm quite excited though about the shalwar kameez's and I think that will make psychologically integrating a bit easier if I don't look so out of place with my dress.
I miss all of you and I wish you could see all of this. Fun fact, the cars drive on the left side and they use a qwerty keyboard.