The Weather

The weather doesn't seem to change much here...

The Weekend

Friday and Saturday are the weekend days here.

Friday we went on a long walk exploring our neighbourhood and Gulshan which is the area adjacent to  us.  Things were very quiet and not all the shops were open because Friday is the day of prayers.

Saturday we went to the monthly brunch at the Canadian Club.  The club is adjacent to the Canadian High Commission and contains a tennis court, pool and gym as well as a small restaurant.  The restaurant is open to all Canadians (provided they are registered) and their guests, while the sports facilities are for staff of the embassy only.  We met a few other embassy staff and their families, including several other families who have just arrived.

Sunday it is back to work.  I will be starting work, with some meetings on Monday and Tuesday, so today is quiet for me.

The first few days

We have been in Dhaka for 5 days now.  

When we got to the airport, we were picked up by the embassy staff.  We spent Wednesday sleeping.  Thursday morning I was awoken by the dawn call to prayer from the nearby mosque at 4:45am and couldn't get back to sleep.  We were both awake by 5am, so we went outside and discovered a small park with a walking path along the lake near our house and went for an early morning stroll. 

Food!

Later in the day I went our shopping with the embassy Community Liaison Officer.  Her job is to ensure that our transition into life in Dhaka goes as smoothly as possible.  We visited a few food stores and she showed me where it was safe to buy produce, meat and bread.  Each of these items requires a trip to a different store...although all in the same neighbourhood

Veggies and fruit come from a small shop inside an apartment.  The selection is limited but they offer  home delivery.  I learned that most produce, meat and fish you buy here is shipped in formaldehyde which is a cheaper way of keeping food fresh.  Unfortunately this causes the food to be contaminated with formalin.  Even when buying from this vendor, we have to soak all produce in filtered water with bleach before eating it.

The selection of fruits and vegetables is limited.  Currently the only fruits available are bananas, pineapple and papaya.  Lara assured me that there would be a season for mangos, oranges and leechies as well.  Veggies are also limited, although to a lesser extent.

Meat can be purchased from the "German Butcher"  or "White Hen".  White Hen is owned by an Australian who is working to teach locals how to safely and hygienically prepare meats.  Bread comes from a bakery located inside a Korean Restaurant.  There have been many reports lately 

Car

We went to the World Bank to test drive a car which we had been thinking of buying yesterday.  We are happy with it, so we are going to buy it.  It's a 2006 RAV4, it's better to be a bit higher off the ground as heavy rains can lead to several feet of water on the streets.  We should have the car by the end of the next week once all the paper work has gone through.  For now we are getting around on foot, as we can walk to the Canadian High Commission and getting rides from other people.  Now we just have to find a driver....

The Good Life
Some great things that I have discovered about Dhaka so far:
1. Home delivery.  Almost anything can be delivered to you and for cheep or free.  Plus once you have a driver, you can ask them to go pick up whatever you want.

2. Tailoring.  If you have an item of clothing that you like, you simply bring it to the tailor and they will make you an exact a copy.  This also applies to handbags and shoes.

3. Cooking/Cleaning.  Hiring someone to do this is incredibly affordable.  I'm hoping that the cook will also be able to teach me how to cook bengali cuisine.

4. People. Overall people are very friendly and helpful.  You don't get hassled much and when you say no people will leave you alone.  There are very few issues with crime.

View out the car window as we were driving to the World Bank to look at a car. The windows of the car were tinted, so the sky looks much darker than it was. 

Driving to the World Bank.  Traffic was very light because it was a weekend, so it only took 30 minutes.  

There are tons of auto rickshaws (called CNGs) here.

Home in Dhaka

Our home is located in the diplomatic area about 15 mins walk from the Canadian High Commission and slightly closer to the American International School where I will be doing a clinic.

We are in new apartment on a quiet residential street, very close to a small lake (mosquito breeding zone).

The weather right now is hot (although not extremely hot) and very humid.  Inside the house it is comfortable with A/C running all the time.  Outside is humid, but not unbearable.

Living Room

Dining Room

Small bedroom (office)

Kitchen

Kitchen

Spare Room

View of the street below

View looking out the bedroom window

Dining room looking towards the living room

Master Bedroom

Bathtub warning..will be sure to avoid the tub if under hypnosis...

Travelling to Dhaka!

Here are a few photos from our journey to Dhaka.

Leaving Ottawa...

Dubai at 2:25am.  Shall we fly to Kabul or maybe Bagram???

Getting on the plane to Dhaka in Dubai.
Total number of people on the flight who were not migrant Bangladeshi workers?  2

When I got on the plane the stewardess took one look at where I was supposed to be sitting, exclaimed "that won't do", and moved Dan and I to the exit row.  Tons of leg room for our last flight, on a brand new 737!  

Arriving in Dhaka Airport.

Finished Fellowship!

Monday was officially my last day as a fellow.  Now I am a pediatrician practicing in palliative care!  I start working tomorrow at Roger's House and CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario).

Life is getting way more interesting soon as we leave for Bangladesh at the end of August!

Stay tuned for more details of that adventure!

Goodbye Edmonton

Well, today is the end of my 10 week long adventure.  I have spent 5 weeks in London England, 1 week in Paris, and 4 weeks in Edmonton.

The highlights of my time in Edmonton have been:

1. Working with Dawn. She was is an amazing teacher.  She mentored me and was so welcoming.

2. Staying with Judy and George.  They graciously invited me into their home and I again felt so welcomed.  Judy made delicious meals and baked me treats!

3. The visit to Vancouver.  What a beautiful city, enjoyed with dear old friend and delicious food!

There may not be too many updates for a while as life returns to 'normal' for a few months.

Stay tuned for highlights of working as the Camp Doctor at Ontario Pioneer Camp in July and then moving to Bangladesh!