I've settled into a routine, and I am adjusting to this period of language study. I'm even becoming an expert at public transportation. Not really, but I've been fortunate to find nice rickshaw drivers or nice people to help me find nice rickshaw drivers. In order for me to use the internet, I have to go into Mymensingh on rickshaw, which is about a 5-10 rickshaw ride. I've got the proper words down, the only problems occur when I try to get the proper price - 5 taka. So far I haven't paid more than six, but they often try to get more from foreignors. Not all the rickshaw driver are like this, quite a few are honest and only charge 5 taka.

Every day I leisurely arrive at 9:00 at Ms. Nath's for language study. She is an older woman who has taught over 50 MCCers as well as a ton of Bengalis. She was the schoolmistress of the local school. She lives with her sister, who chats and gives me cake and tea during my mid-class break. Ms. Nath is very nice and very concerned about me. She is always telling me not to shower in the morning in the cold water, not to open my door at night, not to go out at night, not to go out alone, to always use my umbrella to protect myself from the sun....etc.

Next I usually go to my apartment and a lady comes and cleans my apartment and washes my clothes. I'm not quite sure how clean her methods are, but without her I would have a very sandy, muddy floor and dirty clothes so I try not to think about it. The first day that she came was quite interesting - trying to tell her what to wash or clean and not being able to speak to each other.

At 12:00 I go to Lisa's and she tutors me for an hour. Lisa is 22 and is has just completed her university studies. She is looking for a full-time job, and she occasionally substitutes and teaches a class a week. After my time of tutoring we eat lunch together. In the afternoon I am free to go to the market or internet or watch hindu movies/tv with lisa. The Bangladesh TV is like normal TV, but with all the women in saris or shalvar camij. They even have music videos - like ours but the dress and language and culture is all different. You can see the western influence though.

Around 6:30 I begin my 20 minute walk to Taize. The walk is nice - most of it is along a beautiful river. Beside the river many people gather to sit or walk or have coffee. On the weekend it is even more festive with balloons and more people. Of course, most of the "people" are young men full of cute things to say. When I arrive at Taize we have a service that is half in Bengali/half in English. It is a somber, chanting type of service. After the service we have dinner. The Taize compound is beautiful with lots of trees and flowers. The church building is very western - like an old cathedral. There are three Taize brothers who came from the Taize "center" in France to work in Bangladesh. Right now Brother Eric is the only brother here. Their mission is to boys naturally, and a large group of boys pray and eat three times a day at Taize. After dinner one of the boys walks or drives me home on a bicycle as it is very dangerous for me to walk alone in the dark. Then I am enprisoned in my room until the sun rises.

I'm finding it very confusing to know when the weekend is. Yesterday was Friday, and that is the weekend. Most shops are closed, and most people go to the mosque. This would be men as women do not go to the mosque or anywhere else for that matter. The other six days of the week are working days - they work six days a week! I am not enjoying only having one day off from language study. The Christians go to church on early Sunday morning before they go to work. This is a bizarre arrangement, but since less than 0.5% of the population are Christian it does not cause too many problems. Both my language tutor and teacher attend the local Baptist church, so I will likely drag myself out of bed and attend at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow.