by Heather Plett | Mar 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Is it Thursday today? I’m really not sure, but in case it is, here are thirteen things I don’t want to forget about this trip.
1. The little girl in Barguna who followed me around grinning and reciting her new English words “We are all connected.”
2. The giggling little girl in the low caste Musahar village where no on else smiled for the first hour of our visit.
3. Sitting on the boat, listening to the drumbeats along the shore.
4. Children running through the village covered in paint from the Holi festival.
5. The woman who proudly showed us her sewing machine and ner new sewing skills.
6. Those moments in airports when we were greeted by our hosts and I could relax because the planning had been successful and nobody’s wires had been crossed.
7. The relief of two exceptionally good camera men.
8. Rickshaw rides.
9. Darting through chaotic traffic and emerging alive on the other side.
10. Standing at the top of ferry boats and watching other boats go by.
11. Sleeping in a clean guest house after too many nights of bed bugs and dirty sheets.
12. All that lovely fabric coming home in my luggage.
13. Flower petals thrown by giggling school children.
by Heather Plett | Mar 22, 2008 | Bangladesh
On November 15, these children and their families lived through Cyclone Sidr. Winds of up to 250 kilometres and a wall of water about thirty feet high wiped out their homes, their livestock, their food, their fishing boats, and in some cases, their family members.
The cyclone hit at 9:30 at night. After dark. Those who could stay afloat searched frantically in the murky water for their loved ones. Some of the bodies were later found hanging from the treetops.
As we walked down the road, more than one person stopped to motion to me. They wanted me to understand the water washed right over the road. Right up to the treetops. Some pointed to corrugated metal from their houses still hanging in the trees.
Their stories will stick with me for a long time. So will the smiles of these resilient children.
Tomorrow we go to India and leave the beautiful people of Bangladesh behind.
by Heather Plett | Mar 17, 2008 | Uncategorized
We made it to Dhaka, Bangladesh! Most of the little hurdles have been crossed succesfully. We still don’t know if we’ll get into India, but I’ll leave that worry for another day.
The people of Bangladesh have been incredibly hospitable and gracious. We have been warmly welcomed here.
Now here’s hoping I’ll sleep well tonight and tomorrow I’ll no longer feel quite so much like my body’s been dragged through a meat grinder. Arriving at 2:00 a.m. after 24 hours in transit is pretty exhausting.
by Heather Plett | Mar 15, 2008 | Uncategorized
I’m going to Bangladesh. There are still some fairly major hurdles to cross, but I’m going.
In the meantime, though, I’ve gotta go play My Little Pony, the board game, with Maddie. She’s been attached to my hip all morning – trying to get the most Mommy time she can.
I probably won’t blog much, but I’ll tell you all about it when I return.
Cheers!
by Heather Plett | Mar 13, 2008 | travel
Complication #542 – Though I can now go to the first faraway country, our new cameraperson (from the second faraway country) may not be able to enter the country. (Not just a minor inconvenience when your whole purpose of traversing the globe is to produce a film.)
I don’t think I’m exagerating when I say it’s the 542nd complication. Seriously. I started planning this trip in January, and nothing has gone smoothly. Absolutely nothing. When the dust settles, I’ll write a long list of all the things that have gone wrong and I’ll most certainly bore you all to tears.
Today, every time I open yet ANOTHER email with bad news, I find myself laughing hysterically. It’s about all I can do. I’m way past Murphy’s law by now.
Somehow, I must convince my brain that I really AM leaving for the other side of the world in 2 days. Somehow, I have to start getting at least marginally excited about it. How do you turn a knot of stress – that feels like it’s the beginning of an ulcer – into a flutter of excited energy? How do you begin to pack for a trip you haven’t been able to convince yourself you’re actually taking?
Some of my colleagues are thinking of posting a “will Heather REALLY arrive at her destination?” guessing pool on the website. The winner gets a free t-shirt. Or an expired airline ticket.
Here’s hoping my luck begins to change the moment I step on a plane. Provided I actually get ON the plane and don’t get run over by it.
