Oh ma-re! What a day. I'm pretty sure I cannot describe the chaos of the day.
I woke up first things and went to the market because we were expecting a friend from Chittagong to visit (who never showed up actually..). On my way home a girl insistently grabbed my groceries and wanted to earn some money carrying them home for me. So her- and 2 other girls- came all the way home with me.
Then a weird twist of events, we were able to have our little, abused friend who spends all day alone on the street spend the day with us. We're not fully aware of the whole situation, but the poor little guy is obviously malnourished. We thought he was 3, but apparently he's actually six. He has a cut on his leg that we were told was from his mother cutting him with a knife. And, we've actually seen her beat him before. We are constantly fighting children who abuse him. We even see adults tormenting him with food. He has obviously had about zero training in his life and seems to have possible mental issues/hearing issues. He has 2 huge lumps on his head which look like tumors or something. He's filthy and naked. He cannot talk at all. And, oh my goodness- he literally screeches as loud as a chimpanzee. All the time. Oh- it's very stressful. All of us chased him around the house, getting him out of things, trying to bathe him, trying to make him stop screaming, trying to get marbles and whatnot out of his mouth, saving him from hot cups of coffee and sharp knives, rescuing things he through down the toilet, feeding him, cleaning up, picking up chairs he tipped over, getting hit in the face (he thinks that's really funny), changing clothes he puked/peed on... It's sounds very glamorous reading about people who help children in need. Today was a huge reality slap. It's not glamorous at all, and it is going to take a lot of work and patience. But, seeing that poor child laugh. Oh his laugh! Or seeing him smile. All day we hear him screaming outside because people torment him and he's hungry and thirsty- it's awful. He never laughs out there. When he climbs up on your lap and grabs your arms and wraps them around himself... It makes it all worthwhile. After his mother came and got him today they were out on the street. I started walking past them and he came and ran into my arms and wrapped his arms around my neck and would not let me go. I wondered what his mother must think? To see her child run into the arms of a near stranger like that? Eventually I just had to hand him back to her. Apparently his father lives in Kuwait with his second wife. His mother is very poor and washes dishes for somebody.
On top of that- we had another friend over- his name is Arif and he is 12. A very nice boy who speaks fairly good English. And likes to play guitar and sing. Very loudly. So add that to the shrieking! I really, really like that kid. Always so friendly and polite when we see him in the street. He is a cousin to the other boy we had. Apparently his father died in a car accident. He told me his mother doesn't have enough money to send him to school. He also has some scars and when I asked him about them he said it was from his mother but I couldn't understand if it was an accident or not. After awhile our landlady's servant girl came and got Arif and told him to leave. According to her he has a record of stealing and he is not a good boy. It was so heartbreaking to see him- he sat there, not able to look up at us and looking like he was going to cry and told us what she had said about him and that he needed to go. It was so sad. He is my favorite of all the kids.
Then- on top of that- we had 2 other children come over and play. Then our landlady came to visit.
Our apartment was full today. And oh so hot. All of the doors had to be shut so Limon didn't get into stuff, so there was zero breeze. In the chaos, even doing dishes or trying to study was basically impossible. And today, in the middle of all that we were trying to Skype with my grandma. You'd be trying to talk and you'd have to stop because of the shrieking or you'd get hit with a soccer ball...
It's been really bizzare.
Then us girls were watching a movie and this enormous beetle flew into our room. Lots of shrieking. And then a few minutes later another bug flew on us. More shrieking...haha..
After all that, I finally get to bed and I can't sleep. Beshi chinta (too much thinking). Because I started thinking about Friday when we are having our first family to dinner here.. and I started thinking about what to make.. and guess what?! I don't really know how to cook Bangla food! Then I kind of started panicking and mentally calculating what I would cook, and how I would cook it and when I would cook and how I would make enough room for everyone to sit and wondering if I had enough serving bowls or enough glasses, wondering which rice I should cook. Wondering when I should go to the market, which stores and what would I need. Thinking I should cook beef- then thinking they were Hindus before they became Christians. Maybe they don't like beef! So chicken. Yes- wait, I still don't know where to buy decent chicken at. Do they eat dessert after dinner? Will they want cha? Will they stay for awhile after dinner? What time should we eat? What lentils should I buy because- we have to have dhal of course. Oh wait. How do they cook their dhal? And so- I am up at 1 in the morning researching dhal and Bangla cooking.
Oh my goodness. This is not as easy as it looks. ;)
I woke up first things and went to the market because we were expecting a friend from Chittagong to visit (who never showed up actually..). On my way home a girl insistently grabbed my groceries and wanted to earn some money carrying them home for me. So her- and 2 other girls- came all the way home with me.
Then a weird twist of events, we were able to have our little, abused friend who spends all day alone on the street spend the day with us. We're not fully aware of the whole situation, but the poor little guy is obviously malnourished. We thought he was 3, but apparently he's actually six. He has a cut on his leg that we were told was from his mother cutting him with a knife. And, we've actually seen her beat him before. We are constantly fighting children who abuse him. We even see adults tormenting him with food. He has obviously had about zero training in his life and seems to have possible mental issues/hearing issues. He has 2 huge lumps on his head which look like tumors or something. He's filthy and naked. He cannot talk at all. And, oh my goodness- he literally screeches as loud as a chimpanzee. All the time. Oh- it's very stressful. All of us chased him around the house, getting him out of things, trying to bathe him, trying to make him stop screaming, trying to get marbles and whatnot out of his mouth, saving him from hot cups of coffee and sharp knives, rescuing things he through down the toilet, feeding him, cleaning up, picking up chairs he tipped over, getting hit in the face (he thinks that's really funny), changing clothes he puked/peed on... It's sounds very glamorous reading about people who help children in need. Today was a huge reality slap. It's not glamorous at all, and it is going to take a lot of work and patience. But, seeing that poor child laugh. Oh his laugh! Or seeing him smile. All day we hear him screaming outside because people torment him and he's hungry and thirsty- it's awful. He never laughs out there. When he climbs up on your lap and grabs your arms and wraps them around himself... It makes it all worthwhile. After his mother came and got him today they were out on the street. I started walking past them and he came and ran into my arms and wrapped his arms around my neck and would not let me go. I wondered what his mother must think? To see her child run into the arms of a near stranger like that? Eventually I just had to hand him back to her. Apparently his father lives in Kuwait with his second wife. His mother is very poor and washes dishes for somebody.
On top of that- we had another friend over- his name is Arif and he is 12. A very nice boy who speaks fairly good English. And likes to play guitar and sing. Very loudly. So add that to the shrieking! I really, really like that kid. Always so friendly and polite when we see him in the street. He is a cousin to the other boy we had. Apparently his father died in a car accident. He told me his mother doesn't have enough money to send him to school. He also has some scars and when I asked him about them he said it was from his mother but I couldn't understand if it was an accident or not. After awhile our landlady's servant girl came and got Arif and told him to leave. According to her he has a record of stealing and he is not a good boy. It was so heartbreaking to see him- he sat there, not able to look up at us and looking like he was going to cry and told us what she had said about him and that he needed to go. It was so sad. He is my favorite of all the kids.
Then- on top of that- we had 2 other children come over and play. Then our landlady came to visit.
Our apartment was full today. And oh so hot. All of the doors had to be shut so Limon didn't get into stuff, so there was zero breeze. In the chaos, even doing dishes or trying to study was basically impossible. And today, in the middle of all that we were trying to Skype with my grandma. You'd be trying to talk and you'd have to stop because of the shrieking or you'd get hit with a soccer ball...
It's been really bizzare.
Then us girls were watching a movie and this enormous beetle flew into our room. Lots of shrieking. And then a few minutes later another bug flew on us. More shrieking...haha..
After all that, I finally get to bed and I can't sleep. Beshi chinta (too much thinking). Because I started thinking about Friday when we are having our first family to dinner here.. and I started thinking about what to make.. and guess what?! I don't really know how to cook Bangla food! Then I kind of started panicking and mentally calculating what I would cook, and how I would cook it and when I would cook and how I would make enough room for everyone to sit and wondering if I had enough serving bowls or enough glasses, wondering which rice I should cook. Wondering when I should go to the market, which stores and what would I need. Thinking I should cook beef- then thinking they were Hindus before they became Christians. Maybe they don't like beef! So chicken. Yes- wait, I still don't know where to buy decent chicken at. Do they eat dessert after dinner? Will they want cha? Will they stay for awhile after dinner? What time should we eat? What lentils should I buy because- we have to have dhal of course. Oh wait. How do they cook their dhal? And so- I am up at 1 in the morning researching dhal and Bangla cooking.
Oh my goodness. This is not as easy as it looks. ;)
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