More Pictures

I said my next post would be about a new baby but I figured, everyone likes photos...

It looks to me that the buses here are made from paper mache. Obviously, they are not. The outsides are so banged up and patched so many times that it seems to me that they are paper. Usually, there are big cracks in the windshields as well. People cram onto these buses with standing room only or even hang on with half of themselves out the door. If there is a back bumper people will ride on the back too. If traffic is not stopped at the intersection where you want to get off the bus often does not stop but just slows so people can jump off and on. I have not figured out how anyone can figure out the bus routes. Maybe if the bus is pointing in the direction you want to go you get on and ride until it starts going the wrong way.

This view is from Abu's cousin's house. Parts of Dhaka are in the background. The water is highly polluted. On the shore of the river is a large shanty town. Boats follow a rope trail across the water but I am not sure for what purpose they go back and forth. 

This is my in-laws' full time maid, cooking in the kitchen.

A random street. The lack of traffic suggests that I took this picture on a Friday or a Holiday.

These kids are selling the towels. There was a parent selling stuff somewhere near by. When traffic stops they run between the cars, window to window, trying to beg money or sell a towel. When they saw me they came over and spent a few minutes just waving and smiling at me. They were picking on each other too. They were pushing and pulling, both trying to be the one to get more attention (or money) from me. As the traffic started to move they expertly weaved through the moving cars back to their spot on the curb to wait until traffic stopped again. 

This is a bridge that is on the way to Sara's school. If it were not for the polluted waters, ground and air it would be quite picturesque. The cars must share the road with the rickshaws. On this bridge, rickshaws often go against traffic which can cause further congestion.  

In an attempt to improve the traffic congestion a "fly-over" is being built near the airport. Funding issues have delayed the work many times.

I believe this is a side street near Sara's school. 

People carry so many different things on their heads. I wonder how their necks handle the pressure. Although, it does seem like they can carry more on their head with better posture than they could in their arms.

It is an election year in Bangladesh and this truck load of people seemed to be loading up to go protest in a different part of the city.

Winter is wedding season. This is a stage where the bride and groom sit throughout one of the parties. 

Me and my hubby celebrating his cousin's wedding.

The henna party for the wedding.

Sara celebrating Valentines day. The hat and the flag came from school. 

This is on the roof. The black things are water tanks. The tanks are always full unless the power is out and we happen to use a lot of water while the power is out. Once the power comes back, the city water fills the tanks again. Each flat has their own water tank. While the sun is out the water gets quite warm in the tanks. 

As Abu grew up here they had metal water tanks with flat tops and he used to play train on them with his brothers. Sara enjoys the game too but the new tanks are harder to climb on top of. 

The kids carnival.