Time Flies

I've now been here for over seven weeks, and life here--its sights, sounds, smells--has become my norm. Home seems especially far away these days, though I'm not yet feeling much homesickness. Occasionally I'll think of little luxuries that I particularly miss (for instance, pancakes and showers lasting more than four minutes), but at the same time I don't want to wish away my upcoming ten months in anticipation of things that will be waiting there for me regardless.

I'm really very happy here. My room that at first felt like a cell is now very much a home (four- and six-legged roommates and all); my classmates are now also good friends. My sole complaint might be regarding the monotony of the menu--I find that I can only stomach so much rice and spice. But I've found a loophole, in that most Dhaka supermarkets stock a few imports like Pringles, Nutella, and cheese, so I now have a bit of a stash to keep me sane!

With respect to classes, our first two modules are now complete, and tomorrow we begin our third with a new set of instructors. This unit will run for the next six weeks, so if you don't see another post between now and mid-April, you can assume I'm keeping busy with assignments and such.

I must say, however, that I enjoyed a delightful vacation this week. I had the opportunity to attend a classmate's wedding reception last weekend, and was all decked out in a beautiful new sari.