Its as hot as an oven in Dhaka
right now. I keep being told by the locals that its too hot, and I guess that
really does mean its too hot. Its an energy sapping, torpor inducing heat. In
any average year the rains would have started by now, taking the edge off the
heat but this year there's no sign of rain as yet and it remains in the baking
mid 40s in the daytime, early 30s at night and as humid as a Kew Gardens
glasshouse.
There's one species that seems to like the heat though and that is the mosquitoes. Long having ditched my 'natural' (ie completely ineffective) repellent in favour of a local brand stuffed full of toxic chemicals, I'm less of a tasty morsel than I was but this is also helped by Anjeela, my lovely cleaner, who has an ingenious way with a mosquito net. She tucks it in so tightly there is a real art to getting in, the best way without leaving a gaping gap behind you is to dive in sideways, a bit like a jungle explorer parting giant leaves on an Amazonian trek. Once in its like being in a tent and those mozzies haven't succeeded in getting in yet, although its a challenge getting out again come morning. . .
I was privileged to be in Dhaka for the BangladeshI New Year. Falling this year on 14th April, the new year was originally places to assist with the collection of agricultural taxes. This year saw the welcoming in of year 1421 according to the Bengali calendar which is just a few years behind ours. The really great aspect to New Year was we all got an extra day off, and the day before the local office staff decorated the place with flags, balloons and tissue decorations, they brought us handmade gifts and enormous quantities of food including BangladeshI Pomfret and the not very enticing 'rice soaked all night' dish.
On the day itself, celebrations started at 6am in the park opposite with singing, music and a procession, accompanied by exhuberent drum-beating.
Even if I was denied a lie-in, there was a chance for a midweek hash starting off from Dhakas Parliament building, where the streets had been brightly painted in honour of New Year. Of we went along the river which was thronged by revellers all blaring noisily on plastic hooters, mostly dressed in red, the traditional New Year colour. The noise and seething mass of people was a true assault on the senses and an experience not to be missed......
There's one species that seems to like the heat though and that is the mosquitoes. Long having ditched my 'natural' (ie completely ineffective) repellent in favour of a local brand stuffed full of toxic chemicals, I'm less of a tasty morsel than I was but this is also helped by Anjeela, my lovely cleaner, who has an ingenious way with a mosquito net. She tucks it in so tightly there is a real art to getting in, the best way without leaving a gaping gap behind you is to dive in sideways, a bit like a jungle explorer parting giant leaves on an Amazonian trek. Once in its like being in a tent and those mozzies haven't succeeded in getting in yet, although its a challenge getting out again come morning. . .
I was privileged to be in Dhaka for the BangladeshI New Year. Falling this year on 14th April, the new year was originally places to assist with the collection of agricultural taxes. This year saw the welcoming in of year 1421 according to the Bengali calendar which is just a few years behind ours. The really great aspect to New Year was we all got an extra day off, and the day before the local office staff decorated the place with flags, balloons and tissue decorations, they brought us handmade gifts and enormous quantities of food including BangladeshI Pomfret and the not very enticing 'rice soaked all night' dish.
On the day itself, celebrations started at 6am in the park opposite with singing, music and a procession, accompanied by exhuberent drum-beating.
Even if I was denied a lie-in, there was a chance for a midweek hash starting off from Dhakas Parliament building, where the streets had been brightly painted in honour of New Year. Of we went along the river which was thronged by revellers all blaring noisily on plastic hooters, mostly dressed in red, the traditional New Year colour. The noise and seething mass of people was a true assault on the senses and an experience not to be missed......
That's one of the most evocative descriptions of heat and mosquitoes I've ever read. That writing course has paid off! :-)
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