The new house

My house is on the fourth floor, which will soon be quite hot. I have a huge living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. It has lots of large windows, so there is good air flow. I don't have window screens, which was a little scary at first. I've was stung by a yellow jacket once, but the mosquitos aren't bad at all - maybe because it is so high. I have a large patio that I share with my neighbors, but at night it's pretty much mine. I also have a small balcony to myself.

Before you get into the house you must pass two gates and a security guard. Then there are three more locks to get to my room. I am quite safe compared to the time when my door opened onto the street. The best thing about my house is my neighbors. My landlord and his wife are young and have a five year old son. They are always inviting me for dinner or bringing me food. Kakon, the wife, has shown me all her 200 or so sharis - including the wedding shari. She has a master's degree in food and nutrition. Now she teaches at an international primary school near our house. She is a wonderful cook. My landlord owns a house in Dhaka and a pharmicutical company in front of the building that I live in. He also imports coal and sells it and has a construction company. Their son Maheen is adorable and is starting to talk to me. Most of this family's brothers and sisters are in America and Canada. My landlord's older brother lives on the other floor with his wife and 9th grade daughter - they also have a son in Dhaka University. The older couple is a little more Bengali parental. Whenever I leave they always ask me where I am going (I tiptoe by their door, but they always hear me. I am used to such things and I can smile and tell them, but they are in constant fear about my safety. They also invite me for dinner and visit me frequently.

I've been furnishing my house, and looking for things that I couldn't take from the Koreans house - like dish racks and bookshelves. It's not at all like going to Wal-mart, filling up a cart, paying with a credit card, and loading the stuff in your car. First you have to find the right store. There's a section of the city for curtains, for plates, for baskets, etc. The first problem is knowing where the store is. Then you have to find the right name for what you are looking for - curtains and rolling pins won't get you anywhere. Once you have the right word, sometimes the pronounciation isn't correct and they don't understand my Bangla. Then I have to pay by bargaining. But I have no idea what the correct price is. It's always cheaper than American pricers, but still my Bengali friends are appalled at how much I pay. Just when you think everyone is ripping you off, you are somewhere and they are charging the correct price. I also have to get cash from my office. Already this month I've withdrawn and spent more than the monthly salary of my co-workers - and I don't have to pay rent, my cook's salary etc. - that comes directly from the office. So I have the ability to spend, but it doesn't really look good. Then I find the right store, the right word, the right price, and I'm ready to buy -- but I can only take what I can hold riding in a rickshaw. Keep in mind that people stare constantly, and if I have a load of plates and buckets I will be very conspicious. Oh & I can only do this on weekends and after 5:00 but before dark (7:00).