Goats & traveling by motorcycle

Thursday I had my first motorcycle ride on the big road. I went with my fellow designer Abir to Netragona to visit a partner. I followed him as we drove through Muktagatcha and Mymensingh north to Netrogona. The trip took about two hours. I didn’t hit anyone, but I have a small problem with stalling in high traffic areas. Arun, who barely allowed me to take the motorcycle for the day, was in tension all day about whether I would survive the trip. In the end Abir said that I drove well, and now I have graduated to having a motorcycle at my house to use at my convenience.

The partner that we visited is our biggest partner; their handicraft sector alone is bigger than any of our other partners. They also do other NGO activities. They employ a lot of children and train them in the skills necessary for sewing, embroidering, weaving, dying, block printing and batiking. They have so many beautiful products. Abir and I sat with one of their designers and made recommendations on products that they were developing. Their designers are really talented, but they have no idea what will sell in the Western market. They want me to come and stay for a week working with them. It makes sense since it takes so long to get there.

This photo is of Abir instructing a producer in how to make a photo album. Deepa, an engineer, observes the process. (This partner is ISSD in Mymensingh right before I went to Sylhet.)

Today I had plans to come to Mymensingh for internet and since I now can drive a motorcycle I thought it would be a good day to practice. With some help from the Korean's workers I got the cold engine started and was off. I hadn't gone more than five minutes when a goat was slowly crossing my path. I honked and slowed a little, but that didn't stop it from staying directly in my path. I hit the goat. It was a big goat, so I didn't kill it. My leg will probably have a goat bruise, and there is some goat hair in my foot petal. These roads have the most unusual hazards.